open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Reality Check 631]

@Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine @Frisk @Courageous Thunder Dash @Kronos the Revenant @Dynamo Pad @Starforce

Reality didn't react very much to Dynamo's compliment. Instead just said 'thanks' before returning back to drawing

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@Dynamo Pad @Reality Check @Frisk @Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine

"Yea, but Thundy did have a struggle one season where he sprained his ankle badly. He had to be helped off the field by the medical staff. It's much harder to heal a sprain because you gotta be careful with how you run your energy along your muscle tissues..." Chelsea stated. "Yea...Chelsea is the best healer. She knows how to do it well. Some injuries are not bad, just gotta sit out for a few plays. Others may take you out for the game...and others...out for the rest of the season. But..sadly, there have been football players whose entire career ended with one devastating injury...American football is a very rough sport." Thundy stated thinking of some of the greats who went down with injuries. 

 

[Pencil Pouch]

@Dynamo Pad @Courageous Thunder Dash @Starforce @Oni Equine @Ragland Tiger @Reality Check

“T-thanks. I appreciate your suggestions, I’ll definitely take them into consideration. And even if this commission is tricky, I don’t regret coming to Friendshire since I got to meet all of you guys.” Pencil began. “I don’t think my client plays a lot of video games but it wouldn’t hurt to reintroduce some video game ideas. Technically some game elements would be new to him since he doesn’t play a lot of games.”

Pencil paused for a moment as Dynamo took the time to come up with new things to say. She held her hooves together while she waited. When Dynamo was able to come up with something, Pencil undid her hooves and said,

“You’re welcome, Dynamo. You have a point there, this kind of thing is all about learning.”

She stopped speaking for a moment as she reflected on what Dynamo had said about self-doubt. Her ears flopped downwards and her gaze became wavered. This topic struck a nerve in her. She knew what it was like to doubt yourself and she hated to see anyone else go through that.

“You’re more than those unkind words, Dynamo. Those words won’t get you anywhere. I know what it’s like to feel like you can’t do anything or that you’re insignificant. I don’t want you to feel that way, cause you’re not insignificant at all.

You mentioned your game magic is ‘merging’ with you or something. That’s pretty worthwhile if you ask me! There’s so many cool things you can do with that, things that could even change the world if you got strong enough!” she replied.

Pencil slightly nodded at the last thing Dynamo said. She felt like more of a side character in the game world but she appreciated his compliment nonetheless. Sparkly noticed how quiet Pencil got and turned to look at her. Quietly, she asked,

“Is everything okay, Pencil Pouch? Do you need to talk about something?”

Pencil fidgeted and half-nodded, just vaguely giving an answer. She felt a bit embarrassed and tried to keep her composure. She didn’t mean to make this about herself as well but it sort of turned out that way. She was going to say something but decided to let Dynamo talk first. She wasn’t exactly sure what to say yet, anyways.

She took a quick break from the conversation to listen to Thundy talk about American Football. She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about but it was neat to see his uniform.

“I would have much to talk about if we all were able to travel to Earth. You would learn a great deal of things if I took you to all my favorite places.” Sparkly responded to Dynamo upon mentioning Earth. She still felt concerned for Pencil but she allowed the mare to relax a bit before she continued the conversation.

Edited October 13, 2021 by ExplosionMare
Added something

[Samurai Equine 50,934]

@Starforce

Starlight remains calm. "It's a mission from Princess Twilight Sparkle. It's hard to detect, but there is some kind of subtle magic surrounding this town, possibly curse magic. It's very selective about who can come here and who can't. Tempest came here a few days ago, but when she left, the magic kept her from returning no matter how much she tried. I'm lucky that I got here at all. These beacons should help fix that. They'll be magical anchor points, making it easier to travel here for unicorns and alicorns, and whoever they wish to bring." She explains.

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@Reality Check, @Frisk, @Ragland Tiger, @Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @Dynamo Pad, @Kronos the Revenant

Final scratches his chin. "Football... Seems like a lot of rules to follow. You know, when I was a foal, I got picked on for not being more into sports. I prefer my sciences. Crows was the only one that made me feel accepted. He liked sports too, sometimes, but he never judged anypony for liking something different." Final explains.

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@Dynamo Pad

"What's this?! Another pony is calling out to Sledge. Let's just hope he isn't here to help Sledge cheat." Elusive says. Sledge turns to face the direction of the voice and quickly feels the kicks impact him. It hurts, but he grabs Frozen's legs on the way down as he lands on the arena floor. "Whattaya talkin' 'bout?!" Sledge calls back to his buddy. "IT'S YOUR NEIGHBOR! He tried to build his house, and it collapsed! Nopony's hurt, but it's a huge mess!" His buddy explain. "!! Dat ignoramus! I told him I'd build him a quality house for free, but does he listen? Nooo! He has to be mook an' try tah make it himself! Well I jus' can't let dis go; I'm his neighbor, dat means my pride is on the line!" Sledge lets go of Frozen and walks out of the ring nonchalantly. But he does turn back to face him for a moment. "Hey, Frozen! We ain't done by a long shot! I may be leavin' dis 'ere battle, but I'll be back to settle things wit' chu all proper like, ya hear?!" Sledge Hoof says before running off with his friend.

The judged are beside themselves. "...Well, that was odd, but I guess Brain, erh, Frozen wins!!" Elusive says before joining Frozen on the arena. "So, are you a seasoned fighter, or is this your first time competing in a battle tournament? Was this how you expected to win?" Elusive asks, holding up her mic.

Edited October 13, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Oni Equine @Frisk @Reality Check @ExplosionMare @Ragland Tiger

"It's good to be well-rounded Finn...as it shows that...wait what? Did Sledge just quit the fight...that means...that means I'm gonna go against Frozen, which is a very...good...thing..." Thundy said, thinking about how he could redeem Frozen. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,257]

@Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine @Frisk @Reality Check @Courageous Thunder Dash @Kronos the Revenant

Dynamo tilted his head as it seems like Reality didn't react much to the compliment. However, he nodded and smiled at the mention of thanks. "You're welcome and no problem, Reality." He says, while wondering if everything was okay. Turning his attention to his friend and brother, the gaming unicorn winced as he listened to more of the story. With Thundy's and Chelsea's combined details, Dynamo was shocked by what he had heard. "I may not know much about this sport that you're talking about, but it sounds pretty dangerous. Especially if it goes so far as to end an individual's career for a while or even permanently." He shook his head as he would never wish something like that upon anyone. Turning towards Pencil, Dynamo smiled as it seemed that Pencil was happy to have come to Friendshire, as well. "You're welcome, Pencil. I can understand if your client hasn't played a lot of games. I guess some things like video games aren't for everybody, but I think that's okay. Everyone has their own tastes, but what you said is also true as I never really thought of it that way."

As Pencil suddenly stopped speaking, Dynamo had taken notice of the purple unicorn's ears falling downwards. Seeing her gaze change had made Dynamo question if he had said something wrong or made his friend upset. He was about to apologize, but stopped as Pencil spoke up once more. "T-Thank you, Pencil. That really means a lot and I-I'm really sorry if I said something out of line." He knew it might have been random to apologize, but he still wanted to say that he was sorry. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Dynamo had taken Pencil's thoughts to heart. "I'm not entirely sure why the merging might be happening. Just in case whatever is going on is considered merging, but I think I get what you mean. When you said change the world as in bettering society, then I can definitely see that. Although, I guess it depends as I'm only able to use that spin dash I was using in my fight against Lightning. It's still a work in progress as I spun much faster than I normally did." He explained, nodding as he turned towards Sparkly, who had mentioned more about Earth. "I can imagine. With what you and Thundy had mentioned about Earth, it sounds like a nice place to visit."

@Oni Equine

Back in the fight, Frozen had felt his kick make contact with the construction pony. What the pegasus didn't expect was for Sledge to take the hit, as well as grab Frozen's legs on the way down. He gasped as he was suddenly falling alongside Sledge, while heading towards the ground. Eyes flashing red for a moment, Frozen held out his front hooves to slam into the ring to right himself from falling. As he tried to think of what would be the best plan to escape from Sledge's hold, Frozen had listened to the conversation between the construction workers. Just as he was about to strike back, Frozen felt the pressure on his hind legs loosen as Sledge had let go. Upon exiting the ring, Frozen had looked to Sledge, who told him that this wasn't over. "Technically, it's over as you stepped out of the ring, but really? That's it? After everything that's happened, that's how this fight's going to end?" He took a deep breath and sighed in frustration. Lifting his glasses as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Cosmic had told him to throw, but it seemed that a change in plans had prevented such things. Now what would he do when it comes to avoiding Cosmic's wrath? He didn't have a moment to think about that as Elusive had stepped up to ask him questions.

"No, I'm not a seasoned fighter. I'm not even a fighter like Cosmic or Cheap are. I'm more suited towards competitions that use your brain. In short, chess, checkers, card games and other strategical games suit my style. This is my first time in a competition like this, but not the way I was expecting the outcome of this fight to turn out." Frozen responded, lowering his hoof as he adjusted his glasses once more. 

[Necrozma (Dual Fuser)]

@Courageous Thunder Dash @Dynamo Pad @Kronos the Revenant @Oni Equine @Reality Check

Necrozma had just woken up from a nap, It was pretty long, so he missed about everything that was happening.¨Mmmm...I should figure out my Z moves...but not in this tree.¨ He said as he hopped down. Maybe Kronos or Dynamo could help...

(ooc he is Dusk Mane at this time...)

He went to the group and said his hellos, and asked what was going on.

[Pencil Pouch]

@Dynamo Pad @Courageous Thunder Dash @Oni Equine @Starforce

“Yeah, everypony has their own interests. Really, I’m not much of a gamer myself to be honest. Sire’s Hollow doesn’t have much to offer in terms of arcades so I’m not even sure which genre of gaming is my favorite,” Pencil replied.

She took a brief pause when Dynamo began to get a bit nervous. She was confused by what he meant by “saying something wrong”. Dynamo didn’t say anything to offend her at all.

You probably look real funny right now and that must’ve scared him. Way to go, Pencil! Pencil snarked at herself. She sat up rigidly to prevent herself from moving in any more concerning ways.

“What? No, Dynamo, you didn’t say anything wrong!” she exclaimed. She frowned at herself for upsetting her friend. She quickly shifted her demeanor, however, once Dynamo explained what his belt was capable of.

“Well, even if you can only fight with it for now, there’s still a lot you can do with that belt once you practice enough. You could always practice out in that field you used to do Pokémon stuff at with Thundy.” she commented.

“You would quite enjoy Earth. All of the video games you speak of are rather popular there as well, at least from what I have heard. Earth does not have live Pokémon or VR worlds like Equestria, but it has a vast amount of places that almost feel magical.” Sparkly said with a big grin on her face.

She looked over at Pencil but did so through her peripherals so it wasn’t too noticeable. Pencil was currently hard to read. She was upset one minute than completely fine the next. How much of that emotion was genuine? Sparkly was desperate to find out. She knew, however, that the only way she could get answers is if Pencil was willing to share them. For now, she kept watch to make sure Pencil was alright.

[Samurai Equine 50,934]

@Starforce

Starlight nods at Opia's points. "That's why I'm placing beacons around, so I can leave and return any time I want. As for mal intent... You could be right, or it could also be a case of magic run amok for some reason. Either way, this isn't an issue I want to tackle alone. Thanks for the vote of confidence, but if I am going to fix this town, I want to do it with Twilight's help and anypony else she thinks we need." She stops just outside city hall. "Think I should put one here? This seems like an important spot."

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@Reality Check, @Frisk, @Ragland Tiger, @Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @Dynamo Pad

In the stands,

FInal scratches the back of his head at Thundy's words. They almost sounded too familiar.
He then looks over and sees Necrozma. "Oh, hi there Necry! You picked a fine time to go to sleep. Would you like anything to eat? You just missed Samurai Equine. He was here earlier, but you'll see him soon. It's his turn to fight. I think he's going up against a zebra." Final explains.

Suddenly, Final blinks and looks around as something catches his attention. "Hey, everyone... Am I seeing things or is it raining pink cherry blossom petals? Last I checked, we aren't near any major coasts or tropical regions."

Elsewhere,

"Thank you for that valuable insight. Good luck in the following rounds. Up next is Alhimar VS Samurai Equine!" Elusive announces before going back to her seat with the judges. The audience cheers, but they are just as confused as the judges.

Backstage, Alhimar hears his own name. He gets up from the dark corner he is sitting in and walk out. He passes by Frozen on the way to the arena. Once there, the Zebra bows gratefully. He waits for his opponent, but he won't wait long.

Samurai has been backstage this whole time, sitting in meditation and focusing, getting ready for this moment. And now his name has been announced. Now is his time.
His eyes open and he gets up, his eyes sharply focused. "I've been lucky enough to make it this far. But now, we're in the finals, and I have to take this seriously. Everyone, wish me luck." He thinks to himself. He steps outside, but he doesn't quite step into the arena yet.

Once he has made himself visible, sakura petals from out of nowhere begin to shower upon the tournament grounds and hundreds of kuroko somehow flood onto the scene. Some of these ponies dressed and veiled in black hide Samurai behind enormous white banners that bear his symbol. What remain of them begin playing instruments. They build up with wooden clappers, followed by a touch of taiko drums, and one of them sounds off with a long "yo~".

As the interlude completes, Samurai calls out "HENSHIN!", and the koroko begins to take the banners away. The ones with instruments begin to play a new song.

When the banners are gone, Samurai can be seen in his glorious, shiny red suit of armor (examples here, here, and here)! The helmet, the sword, the guard pieces, it's all there except for the white face mask and buster sword. He is choosing not to take those as he enters the arena. When he does, the sakura petals stop falling, and the band of kuroko leave/vanish with their instruments and equipment. As Alhimar and Samurai face each other, there is an intangible feeling in the air that this battle is going to be something very different.

Edited October 15, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@Oni Equine @Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Frisk @Reality Check

"Well it looks like Samurai is up...let's go Sam!" Thundy cheered. 

"If the stars line up. Thundy would most likely go against Sam in the Top 4." Chelsea observed. "I already have a plan for how I'm gonna defeat Sam if I face him..." Thundy replied. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,257]

@Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine @Frisk @Reality Check @Courageous Thunder Dash @Kronos the Revenant

Dynamo's ears had suddenly perked as he heard a familiar voice calling out to him and the others. Looking around, the gaming unicorn smiled as he saw that the voice belonged to Necry. "Hey, Necry! It's good to see you again. How are you? I hope everything is well and that you're doing okay." He says, worried about the Prism Pokemon's wellbeing. Upon hearing the question of what was going on, Dynamo did he best to inform the prism lion of the past events. "I would say not much as Frozen had won his fight. Although, something seemed odd or I guess off when it came to Frozen's match. At the moment, I think Samurai's fight is up next." He explained, hoping that someone would probably notice the same as he did with Frozen. "Really? I'm a bit surprised to hear that Sire's Hollow doesn't have much in terms of arcades. However, I guess it's understandable as video games and arcades are still relatively new. Looks like arcades haven't really been expanded upon much in Equestria, but it'd be cool if that were to change. I guess only time can tell for the time being." He responded, looking back Pencil, who reassured him that he didn't say anything wrong. Breathing a sigh of relief, Dynamo smiled softly at the purple unicorn mare. "Thanks for letting me know, Pencil. Also, I'm sorry if I said or did anything to bother or upset you and the others. I'm still trying to get used to being myself with everything that happened. So, I tend to overreact or panic if I did anything that would be considered wrong, or something along those lines."

At the mention of practicing with Pokemon in the field with Thundy, Dynamo had gained a thoughtful expression upon his face. "Actually, I never did anything Pokemon related in the field during training practice with Thundy. We mostly tested to see what the belt could do such as Keyblades, Mario and other things. However, what you said gave me an idea. I know it might be a bit of long shot, but I might have a way to deal with Cosmic's constellation magic. Thanks for the advice and idea, Pencil." He grinned, nodding in thanks from the help his friend gave him. Upon hearing Sparkly describe Earth, Dynamo's interest in visiting became more and more apparent. "It makes me wonder if their video games are sort of like ours, or I can imagine more advanced. I can understand not having live Pokemon in the real world as I didn't expect for a dimension of Pokemon to exist. I always thought it was just a video game, but going into the game world made me wonder if such things do exist. I can only wonder how magical these places that you've explained look like." He wondered, looking to the ring to see that Final's remark wasn't incorrect. "I don't think you're seeing anything Finn. In fact, I think I'm starting to see them too." He blinked a couple of times to make sure that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. However, no matter how many times he blinked, he would still see pink cherry blossom petals. Frozen, who had ignored Elusive's comments, had started making his way back to meet up with Cosmic and the others. He could only hope that he wouldn't have gotten on the unicorn's wrath, but he knew there'd be no avoiding that. 

As Alhimar had made his appearance known, Dynamo had looked at the entrance to see if Samurai would follow soon after. Dynamo was about to wave and cheer for Sam, but was stopped as he saw numerous Kuroko filling up the ring. What transpired were banners covering the ring as Samurai's symbol was shown for all to see. The gaming unicorn's ears perked at the sound of different instruments being played, while a familiar sound could be heard. "I feel as if I have heard that 'yo' from a sound effect or show once. That takes me a back a bit." He would say, before hearing the asian pony's words as he called out to transform. Just as music began to play, while the banners were taken away. As music began to play, Dynamo couldn't help himself as his head bopped to the beat. "Now that's the kind of song to get set for a fight. Why do I get Naruto vibes from this?" He asked to nobody in particular as he was getting psyched. Just as the song ended, Dynamo saw Samurai in his armor he used in the War for Friendshire. The only difference was that there was no face mask or weaponry. "You've got this Onii-san! We all believe in you!" He called out as he cheered for his friend and brother. He still wanted both fighters to do well, of course. Thinking back to the bracket, Dynamo had wondered how each fight could possibly go if this continued. "I guess if it all worked out, then maybe I'd be fighting Kronos. I still can't say how the fight will go between Cosmic and I. Even so, I still have to do my best." He noted with a nod.

Turning towards the griffon duo, Dynamo had tilted his head with a curious expression upon his face. "Not that I don't doubt you or anything, bro. However, how do you think you'll beat Onii-san? I know you're strong and all, but I wouldn't count him out if I were you."

[Pencil Pouch]

@Dynamo Pad @Starforce @Oni Equine 

“It’s still a bit of a small town. Ponies are working on expanding the place and also bringing in more modern things. The expansion I could see happening but as for the modernization, that all depends on how well the town council is able to get along.” Pencil replied. She lit up when she began to talk about her hometown. Sparkly noticed and gave her a warm smile.

“And don’t worry about it, Dynamo, you didn’t say anything wrong at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if I said something wrong, though.” she added, rubbing her arm with her hoof. She soon put her hoof down and smiled when Dynamo said he appreciated her advice about the field.

“Earth truly is fascinating. There are aspects of it that are just, if not more, magical than the real life Pokémon you describe. There are many incredible places to visit as well as many incredible people. The places range from snow covered high top mountains to lush green fields to dazzling cities. There is no limit to the land on Earth.” Sparkly replied to the stallion.

Her and Pencil looked up to see a shower of cherry tree petals raining from above. They both thought they were pretty but were unsure as to why they were falling. It wasn’t until they looked down towards the tournament that they found the petals’ source. Samurai was making his grand entrance, trotting with confidence and joy. Flags with his trademark symbol flanked him and his army of Kuroko trotted nearby, keeping an eye out for him. Pencil grinned and gave out a small clap while Sparkly smiled down on them and quietly observed.

[Samurai Equine 50,934]

@Starforce

Thankfully she agrees, Starlight places a beacon near Town Hall. It starts off as just a little marker, but transforms into a device that looks a lot like a lamp post. She continues listening to Opia. "Two mayors?! Wow, that sounds...! Wait, they cancel each other out? That's strange. If they are both mayors, shouldn't they both have this town's best interests at heart?" She asks, confused.

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@Reality Check, @Frisk, @Ragland Tiger, @Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @Dynamo Pad

In the stands,

The flashy intro comes to an end, and Final uses his magic to make a book appear. He flips through it real fast. "Well Dynamo, I guess the best way to answer your question is..." He pauses to read a little more "...because the music we just heard, and the music you probably heard in Naruto, is a type of cultural music that comes from Japone. According to this book, they also use it in culture plays, such as noh mask and kabuki plays. Wouldn't be surprised if this music is often used for things related to ninjas, samurai warriors, and other culture-specific things. I guess everything we just saw related to Samurai's culture." Final explains before making his book disappear. He also listens intently to Pencil's story. "Let me know if your home town brings in any scientific advancements. I'd love to see that."

In the arena,

The judges seem confused. "I'm not sure what all that was about, but as long as it didn't equate to cheating, then it's all perfectly allowed!" Mayor White commentates.

As the battle begins, Alhimar pulls out his book. "Samurai Equine. I've been doing research on you this whole time as well. An asian immigrant, assigned to this town on a peace-keeping mission. You've been setting up big events like this and you've been the biggest reason for upholding morale around this town. Your fighting style seems to be a mix of swordsmanship and martial arts. You speak in a mix of English and Japonies. Based on your demeanor, I'd say your star sign is Scropius. Optimistic and very empathetic, you are every bit the figure of Japonies grace. honor, and chivalry. Yet outside of care for your friends, I couldn't find many weaknesses." Alhimar says before putting his book away.

Samurai seems surprised. "You got all that just from observing me? I wonder what other kinds of dirt you have on everyone else. I barely know anything about you, Alhimar. I reached out to learn more, but all I've learned is you don't speak in rhyme, and you preferred to keep to yourself." Samurai says. Alhimar says. "For battle reasons, the latter is true. But I doubt you'd make this fight easy on me, so allow me to share the information you seek..." Alhimar opens his coat wide and reveals DOZENS upon dozens of bottles and vials of strange, mysterious chemicals. "Back where I come from, I am known as Alhimar the Alchemist!" Alhimar grabs one vial and throws it on the ground. It creates a large smokescreen, which startles Samurai enough to back up a little and start flailing about in an attempt to clear the smoke. Soon, Alhimar emerges from the dark clouds as a giant! "Ahahaha!!" Alhimar laughs as he looms over Samurai and the audience, standing up-right. A good portion of the audience screams at this sudden change in size.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, it seems that Alhimar has grown into some kind of giant! My math may need some work, but based on his height in relation to the building and the stands, I'd say Alhimar has grown over 5 stories tall!" Straightaway commentates. Alhimar begins to stomp on the arena, trying to squish Samurai beneath his hooves. Naturally, Samurai focuses his magic and summons fire around his rear feet. "Flaming Step." Using this spell, Samurai is able to zip about great distances in the blink of an eye; the fire acting like miniature jets that give him a boost of running speed! It's working of course, but no one can stay on the defense forever. And so, after Alhimar makes 5 or 6 attempt to step on him, Samurai zips to the one hoof Alhimar was standing on for support. He pulls out his katana with she sheath covering the blade and swings! But the attack only turns the gigantic Alhimar into a puffy collection of many colored clouds. It was an illusion the entire time?! "Fooled you~!" The normal-sized Alhimar says as he pops up behind Samurai.

Snapping at Alhimar's statement, Samurai spins around to attack him again, but Alhimar throws yet another bottle and shatters it against Samurai. The chemicals within turn into a green mist, and Samurai covers his face and begins coughing. "What... What was that?! Alchemist, what have.... you..." At first, Samurai doesn't notice any new changes even as the mist clears around him. But then, his vision goes black. Samurai suddenly stands perfectly still. His upper hooves drop to his side, his head lowers a little, and his eyes look... Empty. They are voided; almost lifeless. Whatever Alhimar did has left Samurai Equine frozen in place.

[Ragland Tiger 3,384]

1 hour ago, Oni Equine said:

Snapping at Alhimar's statement, Samurai spins around to attack him again, but Alhimar throws yet another bottle and shatters it against Samurai. The chemicals within turn into a green mist, and Samurai covers his face and begins coughing. "What... What was that?! Alchemist, what have.... you..." At first, Samurai doesn't notice any new changes even as the mist clears around him. But then, his vision goes black. Samurai suddenly stands perfectly still. His upper hooves drop to his side, his head lowers a little, and his eyes look... Empty. They are voided; almost lifeless. Whatever Alhimar did has left Samurai Equine frozen in place.

Bluebell averted her eyes.  "Oh-oh my gosh! S-s-Samurai! I c-c-can't watch!" 

Edited October 16, 2021 by Ragland Tiger

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@Oni Equine @Dynamo Pad @Frisk @Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Reality Check
 

Thundy and Chelsea watched the fight. However, Chelsea gasped loudly when it seems that a chemical that the zebra used rendered Samurai in a null state. “Sam…” She simply said with a sniffle. Thundy brought Chelsea and Bluebell in for a hug. “He’s still there but this chemical has really affected his consciousness…this really shouldn’t be allowed. Who knows how long the effects of this chemical lasts…” Thundy said. Thanks to his changing heart, Thundy could sense Samurai’s consciousness and energy. 

[Reality Check 631]

@Ragland Tiger @Oni Equine @Dynamo Pad @Frisk @ExplosionMare @Courageous Thunder Dash @Starforce @Kronos the Revenant

As he was drawing, Reality heard broken glass and gasps beside him. Feeling a bit confused, he looked to his side before turning from to the arena. That's when he saw Samurai standing completely still, almost as if he's staring into space.

It wasn't hard for him to figure out that something was wrong. "Ok, what did I miss?" Reality asked the others.

Edited October 17, 2021 by Reality Check

[Dynamo Pad 11,257]

@Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine @Frisk @Reality Check @Kronos the Revenant @Courageous Thunder Dash

"I guess Sire's Hollow is sort of like Ponyville, in a way. I want to say that Ponyville is a bit of a small town, but I haven't been there before. I meant more along the lines that they are the same as they are not entirely modern. I'm guessing that the town council is torn between certain things when you mention that it depends on if they can get along?" Dynamo asks, wondering what Pencil had meant, but hoped that her town would be okay. "Thank you for letting me know that nothing wrong was said. The same can be said for you as you didn't say anything wrong, Pencil." He returns the smile with a smile of his own, before tilting his head curiously at Sparkly's explanation. "From what you've described, it almost sounds a bit like Equestria. From dazzling cities like Manehattan and Las Pegasus, to snow covered high top mountains like Mt. Everhoof. I haven't seen that many lush green fields, except for the fields that are in Friendshire. I'm still rather curious to see Earth, though. As it does sound incredible from what you and Thundy have described, Sparkly."

Turning his attention to Final, Dynamo watched as the unicorn used his magic to make a book appear. Flipping to the page he was looking for, Dynamo listened as he heard Final's explanation to the music they had just heard. "I know that this might be a bit off topic, but I do recall seeing samurai in the world of Naruto. I think I get what you mention Kabuki plays, Finn. Aren't those the plays that have the structure of Jo-Ha-Kyu? If this is all related to Sam's culture, then I look forward to seeing what else he has to show in this fight." During the exchange in dialogue, Dynamo blinked in surprise as Alhimar began to list off information about Samurai. "I know we talked to him for a bit, but he gained all that information in such a short time? Alhimar must be really good at gaining the information that he needs." He says, before hearing the zebra mention that he was known as an alchemist. "I hope Alhimar isn't able to make any kind of transmutation circle, or have any kind of philosopher's stone. I'm not sure if stuff like that is possible in Equestria, but even so. Sam might be in trouble if that's even possible." His jaw suddenly began to drop as the zebra used a vial of chemicals to make him turn into a giant. As he loomed over Samurai, Dynamo had hoped that his friend and brother would be able to evade with how much space Alhimar had taken up on the ring.

As the fight began, Dynamo watched as Samurai was able to dodge using his fire step, but he wouldn't be able to dodge forever. He nodded as his friend and brother went for an attack on one of the giant zebra's limbs. To Dynamo, it was a sound and effective idea. If he made the limbs weaker or if Alhimar was slower in that form, then he could deal some good damage. It was like the old saying went. The bigger they are, then the harder they fall. However, the asian pony’s attack had merely gone though the giant zebra as if they were a cloud. As the real Alhimar appeared behind Samurai, Dynamo had looked between the original and the giant zebra. “That was an illusion the entire time?” He asks, noticing more vials being thrown as a green mist manifests around Samurai’s face. It looked as if the asian pony was just having a coughing fit, but the worst was yet to come. Dynamo furrowed his eyes rows as Sam had lowered his front hooves, while his head drooped slightly. “Why did Sam stop? I-Is whatever Alhimar used messing with Sam’s head?” He asks, wondering if anyone else could make heads or tails about the situation.

Looking towards Reality upon hearing his question, Dynamo turned towards the mint green unicorn. “Alhimar is using vials to help him fight, while gaining information about his opponents to try and counter their fighting styles. He just turned into a giant, but it was the vial that made it all into an illusion. Another vial was thrown, but it looks like it’s affecting Sam’s consciousness.” He tried to explain to the best of his abilities. The gaming unicorn was thankful that the griffon duo were able to figure out what was going on. Looking towards Bluebell, Dynamo frowned as she had averted her eyes. Even without hr pendant, Dynamo could understand that Bluebell was concerned for her friends. Walking over towards her, he wrapped a comforting hoof around her shoulder. Pulling her towards him as he gave her a comforting hug. “Everything is going to be okay, Bluebell.  It’s just like what Thundy had said. He’s still in there, but the chemicals are messing him up. I know he’ll be able to get out of this. He is my onii-san and he is a strong pony too.” He gave a reassuring smile, before looking out towards the ring. “Hey! Onii-san! If you can hear me, then don’t give up! You can do this! You have to fight through this!” He wasn’t sure if it would work or not, but he still had to try. His friends didn’t give up on him, so he wouldn’t give up on his friends.

 

[Reality Check 631]

@Ragland Tiger @Oni Equine @Dynamo Pad @Frisk @ExplosionMare @Courageous Thunder Dash @Kronos the Revenant

After hearing what Dynamo said, Reality was suddenly feeling a bit more interested in the battle taking place. So he decided to put away his sketchbook and watch for the time being.

[Pencil Pouch]

@Dynamo Pad @Oni Equine 

“It’s not a ‘the town is going to war’ type of conflict, just a simple disagreement between ponies. Some want to preserve the historical monuments while others just want to move forward. I wish everypony would just do both, but it’s not like I have any type of power to change their minds.” Pencil replied. “Oh, and uh, you’re welcome. I-I’m glad I didn’t say anything wrong, either. Sometimes I feel like I can offend ponies without meaning to.”

“I have not seen much of Equestria yet but I do not doubt that it has its own unique sense of beauty to it. I admit that I am biased to the beauty of Earth since it does not rely on magic like Equestria, but I understand where you are coming from. If you were to see Earth for yourself, though, you make begin to see it like I do.” Sparkly told Dynamo, continuing their conversation about the wonders of Earth.

Pencil’s attention was diverted when she heard the shattering of glass. She jumped and looked towards the source. What she saw rendered her speechless for a moment—Samurai was knocked out from chemical exposure!

“Is Samurai okay?” she asked in a shrill voice.

“Do I need to deal with Alhimar myself?” Sparkly asked with a scowl.

[Windy Breeze 15,189]

@Oni Equine

Shadow smiles “What you want more, is spending more time with somepony you love" she said, leaning her head, nuzzling his muzzle. Retracting, her face was red as a cherry, “I really wanted to tell you something, Trilby”

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@ExplosionMare @Oni Equine @Reality Check @Ragland Tiger @Dynamo Pad @Frisk

"As I said, this chemical has rendered Sam nearly unconscious. This should be illegal. I still sense Sam's energy, but it's really faint...hey Straightaway! Shouldn't that be illegal?!" Thundy called out. 

"I know where you're coming from Sparkly, I'd want to give that zebra a talk if he did that in a battle..." Chelsea replied. 

[Samurai Equine 50,934]

@Starforce

Starlight rubs her head. "I've seen a lot of weird things in my lifetime that don't fully make sense, but maybe you're right. Still, not my place to handle it today. Soon, though! I promise, real soon, once I've secured passage in and out of this town." She nods, determined.  "...I wonder where else I should put some beacons."

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

@Zombie Breeze

Trilby is taken by surprise a little, but he gladly snuggles with Shadow. "Well, I can't lie, that would be wonderful~" Trilby says. He looks her in eyes when she asks a question. "Yes? You can ask me anything, Shadow."

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

@Reality Check, @Frisk, @Ragland Tiger, @Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @Dynamo Pad

In the stands,

Final hears Reality's question. "What's going on? I'll TELL you what's going on! That jerkface is using science as a tool to harm others! And I won't stand for it!! Chelsea, Thundy, hold me back please." Final takes Thundy and Chelsea's claws and puts them on his shoulders, genuinely wanting to be held back. "YOU VELVETY HACK!!! YOU CHAZRLATAN!! YOU FRAUD!! SCIENCE IS SUPPOSE TO HELP EVERYONE AND IMPROVE EVERYONE'S LIVES, NOT BE USED AS A TOOL OF COMBAT!! DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!!!" Final yells at the Zebra, moments away from actually going down there. 

In the arena,

Suddenly, Alhimar begins laughing a sinister, maniacally laugh. It gets louder and louder until he's dancing and prancing all around the arena. "Yes, yes, yes, YES~!! I did it! I did it!! I win, I win, I wiiiIIIiiin~ I don't lose, I win! Me, Alhimar! I am the winner!" Alhimar pumps a hoof up in the air in victory. Truly if he had fingers, he'd be holding up two fingers in a victory sign. "Odd. For some reason, fighter Alhimar has all ready declared his victory before we have." Mayor White commentates. "And yet, Samurai Equine is still in the arena, though completely motionless. Unless one of them leaves the arena, this fight isn't over." Straightaway adds.

Breaking out of his dance, Alhimar smiles as he turns and faces the crowd. "Attention, everypony! Allow me to explain what is going on. Samurai Equine has just breathed in a mild neurotoxin. As we speak, his mind is attacking him with visions of all his deepest fears at once! Deep seeded traumas, irrational fears, skeletons in his closet~ I wish I could poke around in his head and find out what secrets are attacking him as we speak... But it really doesn't matter! Because in this state, Samurai is completely helpless! All I have to do is push him out of the ring, and I win! It's all too easy now. Thank you Friendshire for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to winning all these matches." Alhimar bows as a stray tear falls from Samurai's unconscious eyes. Alhimar begins leisurely pushing Samurai's body forward. The crowd gasps at just how easy it is. "Is this really it? Is Samurai Equine really going to be defeated in such a simple manner?!" Even Elusive asks. Samurai is getting closer, closer, and closer to the end of the arena!

Alhimar continues laughing at how easy it is! And just as he is two tile rows from pushing Samurai out, he begins to laugh once more.
...
Until Samurai's hoof grabs his arm. "Huh?!" The startled Alhimar says, coming to a hault as Samurai grits his teeth in anger. His horn lights and Samurai begins to scream, fire appearing around his other three hooves. As his scream reaches its peak volume, his eyes return to normal and he stops summoning fire with his magic. "N-n-no!! It can't be!! NOPONY should have broken through that!" Alhimar says as he squirms, trying to release himself from Samurai's grasp. And Samurai grants his wish--By taking Alhimar's arm and using it to toss him clear to the other side of the ring! Alhimar grunts as he lands, but he sits up and looks at Samurai with a horrified expression. "It simply cannot be! My neurotoxin is too well made! You should be battling your inner demons right now! Tell me how you broke free!!" Alhimar demands.

Samurai is huffing and puffing with some redness in his eyes. "My inner demons?! I don't run from them... I face them every day. Snow Leopard, monsters, shinobi... I've fought hard against them each and every day! But even so... Thank you, Alhimar. Those dreadful visions remind me of why I put this armor on and raise my sword every time." Samurai corrects his posture back onto a proper all-fours stance. He looks back onto the audience. "I do it for my homeland. For the princesses I have sworn allegiance to. I do it for the defenseless. I do it for the friends that are precious to me. And most of all..."

Samurai faces Alhimar once more, angry and determined as he raises his hoof. "With ever fiber of my soul.... I FIGHT FOR HONOR AND JUSTICE!!!" Samurai declares for all of Friendshire to hear.

Edited October 17, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Ragland Tiger 3,384]

@Reality Check  @Frisk @Oni Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash @ExplosionMare @Dynamo Pad

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww!",  Bluebell whooped, grabbing Dynamo and jumping up and down.  Her Appleloosa accent returned like it had never left.  "Th-that's the w-w-way ya d-d-do it!"

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@Ragland Tiger @Oni Equine @Dynamo Pad @Reality Check @ExplosionMare

Thundy gasped. "He did it! He really did it!" You got this Sam! Put that maniacal zebra in his rightful place!" Thundy called out, standing up with a raised fist. 

"Go Sam! Finish it!" Chelsea called out. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,257]

@Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine @Frisk @Reality Check @Kronos the Revenant @Courageous Thunder Dash

Upon hearing the situation with Sire's Hollow, Dynamo nodded his head in understanding. "That does sound problematic, in a way. I agree that it'd be helpful if it was a mixture of both, but I guess both sides have their views on the conflict. Hopefully, everything will be able to work out for the town." He would say, before nodding with a smile. "I know what you mean, Pencil. There are times where I feel like said or did something that would sound rude. Which I tend to overthink and panic as I feel like I caused someone to feel offended." He explains, nodding as he listened to Sparkly's explanation. "I think that's fair as I'd have to see Earth for myself. I think it's nice to have different views from our perspective of Equestria and Earth. They sound similar, yet have differences at the same time." He says, hearing the thoughts the others had on Alhimar. "I'd have to agree that it does seem a bit unfair to use chemicals as a means to fight, or hurt others." He wondered as it looked like it was up to the judge's decision. Based on how fighters like Lightning and those that took the fight a bit far. It seemed like it depended on if the fighters were going overboard or put the lives of others at risk. As a way of finding if the participant should be allowed to continue fighting. 

As Final began to yell and be held back by the griffon duo, Dynamo tilted his head in confusion, yet surprise. With how passionate the unicorn sounded, Dynamo was still surprised by the names that were thrown upon towards Alhimar. If this Final was the same Final he had met in the war for Friendshire, then Dynamo would have thought these were two different ponies. Before he could ask if Final was okay, Dynamo quickly turned back to the ring as he heard the sound of laughter. This laughter was not ordinary as it sounded evil, sinister, unnerving. To him, his spine shivered as it reminded him of Cosmic. As he watched Alhimar dance and cheer in the ring, Dynamo narrowed his eyes slightly, while raising an eyebrow in confusion. "H-He won? What is this guy talking about?" He asks, almost mirroring the judge's, as well as anyone else's confusion. As he listened to what was happening to his friend and brother, Dynamo gasped as he grit his teeth. Hearing what the neurotoxin was doing had made Dynamo realize that fighting Alhimar would have been frightening. With what he had gone through with Cosmic and the others, it would have only stirred up more trouble. Even if he wasn't fighting down there in the ring, he wanted to do something to help Samurai. Even seeing what he thought was a stray tear had broke the gamer pony's heart. "No...d-don't give up. Please, don't give up, Onii-san." He says, watching as the zebra began pushing Samurai slowly towards the edge of the ring. It looked like the judges weren't able to interfere with what Alhimar had done.

Just as all hope seemed lost, Dynamo's ears perked as the asian pony began to scream in anger, while fire appeared around his hooves. As Samurai tossed Alhimar to the other side of the ring, Dynamo had seen that his friend and brother had actually broke free from the neurotoxin. "He did it..." He uttered out, almost not believing what he was seeing. His jaw dropped, before slowly picking it up as a grin formed on his face. "He really did do it. He actually did it! He broke free!" He exclaimed, before blinking in surprise as someone had grabbed him. Looking over, he saw that it was Bluebell, who began to cheer alongside him, as well as everyone else's cheers rang out. Even as she had caused Dynamo to jump up and down, Dynamo laughed happily as he found his footing. Allowing him to jump up and down with Bluebell to join in with her enthusiasm. "You can say that again, Bluebell! I knew he would be able to break free!" He wondered if Samurai had broken free from Alhimar's neurotoxin's effects, or if it was Dynamo's words that echoed out, or if it was something else that managed to set him free. Whatever the case was, the gaming unicorn was happy and thankful that his friend and brother had a fighting chance again. He was caught off guard as he heard the anger in the asian pony's voice. Something that he didn't hear all too often. However, hearing his speech had made Dynamo to feel inspired, as well as nod in approval with each reason listed. "Do it, Onii-san! Finish this and show him what you truly stand and fight for!" He cheered, giving his support alongside his friends and loved ones.