open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Pencil Pouch]

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

The tournament had turned into the battlefield in an instant. Chaos and screaming surrounded the area so loudly that Sparkly and Pencil had to flop their ears down in order to preserve their hearing. Sparkly stepped forward slowly to see who she could attack first. Pencil followed timidly behind.

Sparkly scanned the area and observed that most everyone was attacking Cosmic. Not surprising, considering how absolutely horrible and violent he was. She decided not to go for him since joining the attack might cause her to get hurt or worse, have Pencil get hurt. Pencil was willing to help out but she wasn’t great at combat, so an injury to her might be devastating.

“Pencil, we should target Cheap Shot. He doesn’t have as big of a crowd around him and he might do something violent if he isn’t handled soon enough. Just follow me and I’ll help you fight him.” Sparkly instructed, waving Pencil over to where Cheap was. She nodded and followed Sparkly nervously.

“Cheap Shot! Hey! You’re involved in all this horrible conflict, too, so don’t think you can get away without a fight!” Sparkly exclaimed in a threatening manner. “I have spells prepared especially for scumbags like you! Hehe, just watch what I can do!”

Oh, if only she could unfurl her wings right now! She felt so powerful! She did not act just yet as that would destroy the tension in her words. She grinned spitefully at the stallion and looked at him with a cold glare. Pencil stepped back, afraid of this side of Sparkly but also partially curious. She wanted to know what exactly Sparkly would do if she had to engage in a fight. For now, though, it seemed that Pencil would have to assume her own fighting stance.

“I-I have some spells you won’t like, too! I’m gonna avenge my friend and show you that you can’t just get away with tormenting such a friendly stallion!” Pencil exclaimed. She felt that her little speech wasn’t near as rousing as Sparkly’s, which made her slightly upset. However, she was comforted by Sparkly’s power in case her own wasn’t strong enough for battle.

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by ExplosionMare

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Reality Check @Oni Equine

Thundy took the blow, which stung just a little. Knowing now that Frozen was aware of the monado, Thundy hurled the monado in the air, and closed his eyes. He heard a ticking sound in his mind. "Metronome...come on...please be something good..." Thundy thought to himself. He felt himself disappearing into some shadows. "Shadow Sneak! Yes!" Thundy thought to himself. Though the monado was still in the air, another vision came. If Thundy chose to go for Frozen, there was a chance Calhoun could slam into him hard. If he went for Calhoun, he knew shadow sneak wouldn't do as much due to Calhoun's tough hyde. Therefore, he decided to risk it and combine Shadow Sneak with a high jump kick, going for Frozen. This was extremely risky since if High Jump Kick missed, Thundy could take quite a bit of damage from crashing. 

In the stands, Chelsea looked on along with Bingo, hoping it could work. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@ExplosionMare @Starforce

Even as Leo had made direct contact upon Alhimar. The only thing that happened was that the zebra's clothes were in tatters. Cheap pouted as he thought that combination would work, but it shouldn't have been surprising. Given that the zebra, himself, was invulnerable like he was. He didn't even know if the vials that were ingested had a specific time limit, but he still had to keep up the pressure. The more time he could run the zebra out of options, then the better his chances would be. Just as he was about to start his next attack, he looked over with his ears perking at his name. Just a few feet away from him were both Sparkly and Pencil, who seemed to have joined in the battle. "Aww. Come on, now. Three against one? Now that's not fair odds. What kind of deal do I get out of this!?" He grinned as he heard that spells were prepared for him? "Ooooh! Are you doing a sales pitch? I'd love to hear what you got in store for me. I'm a tough critic, though. So, it won't be that easy to just simply convince me." Raising his eyebrows at Pencil, the burgundy unicorn merely chuckled. 

"So, it seems like I have to potential clients, then. Although, please spare me if I'm not impressed. You're going to avenge Drool Pad? What makes you think that either of you two can avenge him? You think he's a friend? He's nothing more than a punching bag." Glancing slightly from the corner of his eye, Cheap soon saw Leo being sent flying towards him. Holding his hooves out, the earth pony uses his strength to catch the lion constellation. Once caught, he made sure to send Leo flying towards both Sparkly and Pencil to deal with them both. The giant cat soon roared out. Bringing it's claws towards them with his jaw opened wide.

@Courageous Thunder Dash

As Frozen flew at the arrows that aimed true at the male griffon, the pegasus made sure to be precise. However, it wasn't to be as Thundy disappeared without a trace. Flying up and looking around, the pegasus scanned the area, before looking up to see the Monado was tossed into the sky. Realizing that was the source of Thundy's current abilities, the pegasus knew that it was imperative that he seized it. "If that fool intends to leave his weapon behind, then that's his mistake. That Monado is mine." Flying towards it, the ebony pegasus didn't realize that Thundy had emerged from the shadow's of the arena, before aiming a high jump kick towards Frozen. Witnessing this, Calhoun gave a gasp as he saw the potential scene of Frozen being defeated in his mind. 'No! I can't let anything happen to Frozen.' Squinting his eyes slightly as it was difficult to see from far away. The yak took note of the distance from his teammate, the pegasus and the blade that had been tossed. "If I'm right, then this should work." Ducking lower towards the ground, Calhoun stored all the energy he had in his hooves, before taking a giant leap. To some who were watching, it was like a giant cannonball had been launched. To those that knew, it was Calhoun who leaped into the air like a speeding bullet. Just as the high jump kick would land, the attack would connect. However, it wasn't the intended target as it was met by a tough hide. That hide belonging to Calhoun, who grinned as the attack was strong, but didn't hurt as much. "I thought you might need a boost, Frozen." Connecting his back hooves with Frozen's back hooves, the yak extended his legs in a kicking motion. Effectively sending Frozen flying into the Monado for him to grab.

Looking back at the griffon, the yak narrowed his eyes. "If you think you're being smart in attacking my friend, then you've sadly miscalculated." Calhoun reared his head back, before swinging his horn back at Thundy. Intending on pushing him back, as well as send him flying down towards the arena/ground.

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Oni Equine @ExplosionMare @Reality Check

Thundy took the hit and was sent plummeting to the ground. However, he flipped around and reached his talon towards the monado...in which the monado disappeared...and reappeared in Thundy's talon...as the kingdom key. The crack was getting even wider. However, Thundy hadn't let go yet. He was getting there, but with Cosmic and company, his emotions were still a little unstable. Thundy aimed right at Frozen, firing an ice beam, then turning around going for a drill shot right at Calhoun. This would be a devastating hit to Calhoun if it landed. 

[Samurai Equine 50,933]

 @Starforce

Mayor Black takes the lead. After some walking through the backstreets, they find an empty lot in a field; or so it seems. Mayor Black pulls out a remote control and presses a button; and in the ground a secret entrance opens up and reveals itself. It's a metal passageway with a stairway that leads downwards. A twin row of lights in the ceiling lead the way down the passageway. "There's a pony in town who makes underground bunkers for a living. I commissioned him for this. His prices were practically highway robbery, but he does good work." Mayor Black is the first to start descending the stairs. When Opia joins him, the entrance closes behind them and blends in with ground again.

Once they descend far enough, there is a door waiting for them. Mayor Black opens the door and reveals his 'office'. It's a decadent work space, adorned mostly in gold and decorated with high class office decor. Instead of windows, there are some monitors showing security footage of what's going on outside. In some ways, it takes a few pages from things like bars and casinos, but only to prove that you are in the office of somepony who is rich and successful. There are a few ponies in suits doing office work, but not too many. You could count them all on one hoof. The Mayor's personal desk is in the back. He hangs up his cloak on a hat rack, sits down in his luxury seat, and looks at some of the paper work on his desk. "You'll have to get use to snazzy surroundings. I demand only the best. As for all the secrecy, that's a personal policy of mine. Anytime somepony finds the location of my office, I pack up and move to a new location so that nopony can ever track my whereabouts, not unless I want them to. You've got my approval to be here, so I won't be scouting new office locations just yet." Mayor Black explains.

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

It's a little bit of a challenge to fight multiple targets at once. Samurai has to keep a bull back with his sword, and sometimes he has to use the bull's size and speed against him with simple trips and throws. On top of that, Samurai has to bat away arrows from Artemis, which he does with graceful spins and sword swings. However, Alhimar gives him a gift that is worth its weight in gold bits. "YES!! Arigato, Alhimar-san!" Samurai grabs the chemically-made flames and magically absorbs them. Samurai blinks and shakes his body like a cat trying to wring out wet fur; but his body soon shines with a hot orange glow and phantom red flames dance in front of his eyes. "Hai... I think I've got just the right name for this..."

Samurai leaps off Taurus' head as he concentrates his fire powers. "Flaming Kaiser PUNCH!!!" Using a portion of this power to jet-propel himself, Samurai takes aim at Cosmic, the majority of this new power focused on his front hoof as he throws a punch. With speed like this, Samurai is bound to hit and possibly break something! He's flying in like a shooting star! There is a chance that Artemis or Aquila could get in his way, but he is hoping his overwhelming speed will compensate for that.

Stralight's attack misses at the last second when Cosmic teleports. Instead, it harmlessly hits a portion of the tournament building, harming no one at all. "AH!!" Starlight gives a startled scream when Cosmic appears point-blank like that. She doesn't have time to make a formal force field, instead she can only grit her teeth and make the field envelope her like a 2nd skin. The result is that Starlight takes the hit and falls back a good ways. She's fine, and she even gets up with no damage. Her spell could only protect her, not anchor her to the ground. She landed near Sparkly and Pencil. She could tell Pencil was not as confident in her abilities as Sparkly. "I appreciate you both, but you don't have to be here if you're not ready for this. If you want to help evacuate the spectators, I will shield you both. As long as I'm here, I won't let Cosmic hurt anypony else!"

Edited October 30, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Reality Check 631]

@Oni Equine @Dynamo Pad @Courageous Thunder Dash @ExplosionMare @Starforce @ExplosionMare @Ragland Tiger

Reality was watching everyone on the stands, even after Pencil and Sparkly teleported down to help and Final disappeared. He still feels mad at Cosmic, not even him sharing his story of Dynamo 'stealing his destiny' what enough to make Reality sympathize with him. He then looked over to Chelsea and Bingo, who were also watching on the stands.

Reality was compelled to sit next to them, though he didn't want to make it seems like he's being intrusive. "Hey, uh, do you mind if I...?"

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

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

Chelsea looked over at Reality and so did Bingo. "It's okay. You can come sit next to us." Chelsea said with a smile. Bingo nodded yes. "I just hope that Dynamo could put an end to Cosmic once and for all. He's already caused so much trouble. He almost caused Thundy to destroy the whole place with his rage, but I got to him just in the nick of time..." Chelsea said sighing. 

[Pencil Pouch]

@Starforce @Oni Equine @Dynamo Pad

Sparkly grinned at Alhimar. He had a fire in him that was evident in every word he spoke. Sparks danced in his eyes and his voice rang out like the mighty sound of a war drum. He was going to be a good ally indeed. Pencil thought he was pretty neat too, although she was too shy to interact with such an exuberant personality. Instead, Sparkly went up and talked to him.

“You would make an excellent addition to our team, or perhaps, we would make an excellent addition to yours. It matters not, for we are fighting on the same side regardless. I am Sparkly Green and my purple companion is Pencil Pouch,” Sparkly introduced. Pencil gave a small, friendly wave. “You have a great deal of fire in you! I quite like it! Use it all on those cowards! Show them that we don’t bow down to bullies like them!”

She stepped forward towards Cheap, the grin still remaining on her face, although it was lopsided. Pencil watched eagerly as she marched up to the pegasus. She followed behind, trying to match Sparkly’s hoof steps. She stopped briefly when she noticed Starlight standing nearby. She had asked if Pencil would rather help evacuate the citizens. That sounded better than trying to be fight, but to be honest, she felt safer around Sparkly.

“T-that’s ok, Starlight. I think I would rather stay here. If you need any help though, I’d be glad to offer it.” she replied.

Sparkly’s wings itched. She was desperate to unfurl them. She needed to show Cheap her full powers if she was going to deal with him properly. No holding back.

“I would never take a deal from the likes of you but I have one of my own to offer. You revealed to me and all of us your true self, so why shouldn’t I do the same? Hehehe!” she sneered, preparing a spell as she stepped even closer.

Her hatred towards Cheap and even Cosmic had only increased. She could feel it oozing from her thoughts into her words and trickling its way into her actions. Her feelings had aged like a fine brew that had turned itself into a vicious poison she was more than ready to strike with.

Her eyes narrowed like a predator scanning its prey, calculating her prey with brutal intelligence. She surveyed every weakness, every strength, and every angle to which she could use to her advantage. When she finally felt prepared enough, she stood stock still, keeping her cold glare on Cheap. She paused for a long moment until she was finally ready to speak.

“You will not keep me or anyone else down. I will not hold back, I will not submit to fear as you wish upon me!” she announced in a low, gravelly voice.

She slowly shed her cloak, letting it fall gracefully on the ground. Beneath it was a pair of wings! Sparkly was not just a unicorn—she was an Alicorn! Now everypony knew and it was no longer a precious secret. She then used her magic to surround herself in a thin cloud of dust. She held her breath to avoid inhaling any of it. Once the dust cleared, a ring of powder surrounded the Alicorn. Where a cream-colored pony once stood was now a lavender pony with indigo hair with purple and pink highlights. If one took the time to observe, they could see that she resembled no other than—

“Princess Twilight Sparkle!” she declared. “Yes, I am her indeed, although I do not possess her mind. I am merely a clone of her transported here from Earth. What makes me different from her is my Cutie Mark,” She pointed to her flank, which showed Twilight Sparkle’s Cutie Mark with thin scratch lines over it. “I may not be exactly like her but I do contain a lot of power. You have no idea who you’re dealing with!”

Sparkly stepped back then flapped her wings. She kept going until she was just above Cheap’s head distance-wise. Her glare still remained unwavered even as she concocted a complicated spell. Bursts of purple and pink emanated from her horn, pulsating in a fierce rage. The stronger the magic got, the more it affected the rest of her body. Her hooves tensed and a translucent purple glow began to flow from her eyes. Pencil wished she brought her sketch pad so she could capture how purple this was.

With her magic completely charged, Sparkly let out a cry and fired away. If it hit, Cheap would be caught up in a cloud of dust, which would weaken him substantially.

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@Courageous Thunder Dash

Frozen's expression remained neutral as he felt victory in his strategy. He blinked in surprise as the Monado disappeared from his grasp with a poof of light. Just as the weapon returned to the griffon, it transformed once more into another weapon Frozen recognized. "So, it turns into the Keyblade, huh? That's an interesting turn of events." With the ice beam flying too fast to dodge, Frozen narrowly avoided the attack. However, the beam managed to graze the Pegasi's wings, while slowly encasing his mode of transportation in a block of ice. With no way to stay afloat, the ebony pegasus found himself plummeting towards the ground. "Frozen! Hang on!" Looking at his fallen ally, Calhoun tried to dive towards the ground to act as a cushion for Frozen's fall. The only issue was the male griffon, who was switching from one attack to the next. This time, it was Thundy spinning like a drill towards the yak, who managed to intercept. Even with the yak's tough hide, Calhoun winced from the spinning motion of the drill shot. If it was a normal attack, then it'd be nothing. However, with the spin and focused point, the power behind the attack was overwhelming for the yak. With no footing to push back and nowhere to go, Calhoun found himself rocketing towards the ground. As he landed, the ground shook with dirt and gravel kicking up from the impact. Wincing from the pain he felt, Calhoun gasped as Frozen managed to still land atop the yak. Hitting each other still hurt as Frozen and Calhoun banged each other atop their heads. Just as Frozen rolled upon the ground, he struggled slightly to look up at Thundy. "How? We had that all c-calculated without even needing to say anything. We were in perfect sync. So, how can we still lose?"

@Starforce @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine

"Like I'm supposed to be intimidated. You're all just fools who are in way over your heads. What? You're all doing this for the punching bag? You're spying on all of the fighters here. So, that means you were spying on Drool Pad to best him. If anything, that makes you just as bad as the rest of us. What makes it any different in wanting to help that waste of space?" Groaning at the terrible rhyme, the earth pony prepared for the potential three on one, before listening to the mention of Sparkly revealing her true self. "Oh? You were hiding something you didn't wish to see? Trust me when I say nobody wishes to see anything you got to show. Especially since you wouldn't take the deal." Watching Sparkly narrow her eyes and scanning the area, Cheap gave a cheeky smirk as if he was enjoying a show. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to be intimidated? If you have to make a face look like that, then take a picture. It'll last a bit longer." As the cloak Sparkly wore was shedded, Cheap had seen that wings were hidden that were not there before. As a thin cloud of dust formed and eventually fell, the earth pony had a look of slight shock at who was there now. "You've got to be kidding me? First Starbright and now Vampire vs Wolves is here now too? Is there anyone else that wants to show up? Got to sweeten that deal, you know. A have two, then get one free deal." He says to nobody in particular, not noticing that Sparkly turned Twilght's cutie mark had scratch lines going through it.

Without warning, another beam of lighting flew from Alhimar to the earth pony. Cheap moves his hooves up to guard, before feeling the lightning had more of a kick than the last blast. Skidding back a few feet to the edge of the ring, Cheap had seen a bright light out of the corner of his eyes. It looked like Sparkly was trying to assist, while Pencil was left in the open. Smirking, Cheap let his hooves down as the lightning overtook him. He felt himself slightly singed and crackling with electricity, before turning and rushing towards Pencil. Dodging Sparkly's attack in the process as he tried to use his target as an asset to Sparkly's and Alhimar's liability. Leo, on the other hand, attempted to pounce upon Alhimar, while using his teeth and claws to wrangle the zebra. Back with Cosmic, the unicorn threw up a shield to protect himself from the blast. As the shield came down, he looked to see Starlight, before huffing in annoyance. Even though the blast sent her flying a good ways away, it didn't look to have done much damage. Whatever spell she had used, it seemed that she was a bit more durable than he gave her credit for. "Figures that she's the Princess' pet for a reason." Rolling his eyes, he moved away from the fight as everyone else was drawn to different battles.

Speaking of different battles, Artemis and Aquila tried desperately to stop anyone and everyone from gaining any kind of advantage. One in particular was Samurai, who was batting the arrows away with his sword swings. Wincing from the slight pain of being bounced upon, Taurus' nostrils snarled as the target had fled. With anger that needed to be extinguished, the bull constellation ran over towards the battle that Cheap was currently in. With multiple targets, it was more than enough for the bull to bowl and mow the others down. Even as Artemis and Aquila kept vigilant on the battlefield, they weren't able to stop Samurai, who was launched like a slingshot. With how fast the asian pony flew, both constellations were unable to become intangible, before being slammed by the attack. As the overwhelming attack landed, both Aquila and Artemis plummeted to the ground like shooting stars. 

@Ragland Tiger

As all of these fights were going on, Dynamo managed to roll over in his position on the ground. Just as he started to crawl over towards the fallen form of his girlfriend. It took him a moment with the rumbling of the ground and everyone fighting around them, but he managed to make it over towards her. Looking her over, the gaming unicorn's heart clenched as he saw her face and body was littered with bruises. No matter how you looked at them, Bluebell looked to have seen better days. "B-Bluebell? Can you hear? B-B-Bluebell?" He gently shook her shoulder to check if she was awake. It was to of no avail as it looked like Cosmic had knocked her out cold. Dynamo's shoulders trembled as his tears flowed. Even as he had the pendant, he could recall every hit and injury Bluebell had sustained from Cosmic. He could feel the phantom pain and wondered if this was what Bluebell went through when he fought Lightning Dust. Making his way over, Cosmic growled as he felt a sharp pain from within his chest. It seemed like two of his constellations were taken down by someone, but it didn't matter to him. He still had plenty of magic left for him to fight. Arriving a few feet from Dynamo and Bluebell, he smirked at the piece of work he had made.

"Does it hurt? Knowing that it's both their fault and yours?" He asks, Dynamo not turning around as Bluebell was his main concern. Cosmic wanted to argue if he was being ignored, but he won, in the end. So, it didn't matter to him either way. "If you didn't bother with friendship, then you wouldn't have had to get hurt by us again. We warned you time and time again what would happen if you dared to make a friend. Even with a relationship, we warned you that love hurts, or did you forget? That mare we set you up with used you for your bits, your love and your time. It was so satisfying to hear that she said she never loved you and that it was over. The look on your face was priceless that I wished we had gotten a picture back then. Regardless, they caused you this pain. Even if we lied, we showed what this town is truly like. No amount of friendship, love or trust can change how this backwater town. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Friendship and love are nothing, but a sin beyond all recognition. It's their fault as you got hurt and not from us. It's your fault that everyone is risking their lives for a pony that nobody cares for. You're destiny has always been to be alone and alone you shall forever be. So, I suggest you give up now because the fact of the matter remains the same. This battle, this tournament, this town, your life and your future is over."

Lowering his ears towards Bluebell's chest, Dynamo hoped and prayed for what he wanted to hear. It took him a moment to focus, but he gasped as he heard that Bluebell's heart was still beating. "She's alive. Oh, thank you Celestia and Luna. Thank you Cadence and Twilight." As he heard Cosmic continue to talk, the blue unicorn was still trembling. However, it wasn't in fear or sadness. It was only in anger and disgust over what Cosmic and his team had done. Contemplating the option over and everything his friends had gone through for him, Dynamo knew his answer was loud and clear. "No..." Hearing this had erased Cosmic's composure as his calm, yet confident expression was replaced with a look of disgust. "No? No!? NO!? WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME!?" Glancing slightly over, Cosmic could see Dynamo's mane covering his eyes, but through his locks. Cosmic had noticed the gaming pony's eyes were filled with animosity. "You heard me, Cosmic." Taking a deep breath, Dynamo slowly got up to standing on his hooves. "I said NO! Because I won't give up. That's one of the many things that my friends and my masters taught me!" Cosmic growled as the punching bag was beginning to irritate him. However, what Cosmic heard sounded off to him. "Friends? Masters?" He quietly muttered to himself, before realization dawned upon him. Cracking a grin, the bully snickered, before chuckling, before it turned into a full-blown laughter. "That's actually hilarious. If you really want to call them your friends, then fine. I've got no real issue with that. They pose no real threat to me. However, masters? If you mean Pinball Wizard, then whatever. He never took me on as a student as he saw something in you. Not sure why, but he wasted his time. If you want to call that freak with a horn your master, then that makes sense. You can't do anything without your big bwother around." He chuckled before continuing on his rant. 

"However, if you really still think that Princess Luna would be your master, then you're just a plain, pathetic fool! The idea of Princess Luna being a gaming master is nothing, but a legend. An old mare's tale. Even if that were to be true, then why would she pick someone like you!? There are so many others out there that would be worthy. I was born lucky and you were lucky enough just to be born. If anything, then she should pick me, while kicking you to the curb." Dynamo frowned as his horn subconsciously charged with magic. "You know what? I've just about had it with this dumb tournament of ours. Now that you're really ticked me off, I'm going to put an end to this charade. I'm going to destroy everyone here that dares to defy me. After that, I'm going to round them up one by one and take them down. Making you watch in the process to have them question why did you fail them. I'll make sure to leave Bluebell for last, before we destroy you and take this town over." Hearing Cosmic's sick and twisted plans were enough to send Dynamo over the edge. "No. Stay away from my friends and stay away from MY GIRLFRIEND!" Charging over, the gaming unicorn leaped as he pulled back his front right hoof. Without warning or explanation, his horn began to become encased with flames. Electricity crackling all the while from his hoof, while Cosmic's eyes widened slightly in shock. Without having time to move or counter, Dynamo had struck Cosmic in the chest with his hoof as Cosmic felt an explosion of flames erupt from his back. Grimacing, Cosmic had coughed as smoke escaped from his mouth. His chest receiving a few burn marks in the process.

Edited October 30, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Samurai Equine 50,933]

 @Starforce

"The fact that this town isn't on a map anymore doesn't surprised me. My brother and I founded this town when we were young adults. It didn't  become the thriving center of friendship and cultural exchange that we thought it would. Other towns and cities over shadowed us, and when ponies stopped coming here, it was like the world just assumed we stopped being a town. It's only natural to think that, right? We had a good start, but we lost a good portion of our population when town failed to be everything we hyped it up to be. Think of it like a band of musicians; if the majority of the members leave the band, most would think that the band itself is no more." Mayor Black explains as he organizes his paperwork.

He leans over and calls out to a mare staffer. "LINDA! Gather a team of unicorns, have them do a magical survey of the town. And be thorough! We're looking for any signs of curse magic." Mayor Black says. "Does this count as--?" She begins, only to be cut off by Mayor Black. "Yes, yes, you can have your overtime." He says, which makes Linda nod and walk off. "She's lucky I'm not in the habit of firing staff..." Mayor Black quietly mutters to himself. He turns to Opia. "That should take care of that. What else do you think we should do?" 

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

That should have been impossible, but it happened!
Samurai's fearsome attack missed Cosmic. Somehow Aquila and Artemis took the punch dead on instead. As Samurai lands on the ground, he watches the two constellations fall over before massively exploding like monsters from a Super Sentai/Power Rangers show. Samurai is surprised, but turns away from the explosion none the less. "I guess they really are astrology beasts. Born from constellations. I guess that means they too can move as fast a shooting star." Samurai says to himself. He runs over towards Alhimar, ready to fight side-by-side with him. That is, until he sees Dynamo taking a stand against Cosmic. "Eh? Dnyamo-otoutosan... Please win this! Shinjimasu!"

At first, Starlight it too focused on trying to protect Pencil and Sparkly, that is until Sparkly reveals her true self. Starlight is instantly aghast. "T-Twilight?! Wait, no... You're different! H-How? Why?!" Starlight asks, extremely confused. But it didn't matter. A pony with a similar identity to her mentor was charging up an attack. Standing beside her, Starlight closes her eyes and focuses her magic, her horn glowing equally bright. She fires off a magical beam at the same time as this Twilight, hoping they can both cause double the impact. However, it seems the attack has been dodged. Furthermore, what is going on with Dynamo and Cosmic might also prove to be a distraction for the both of them. Starlight looks to Sparkly, ready to do this with teamwork.

Edited October 30, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Dynamo Pad

Kronos’ spirit of willpower, Kaiser, sensed the constellation ramming into Kronos before even he noticed it.

 

”Oh no you dont.” Kaiser exclaimed as he held off the starry ram. He proceeded to yeet the ram constellation away from Kronos as he continued to wrangle the Scorpio constellation. 
 

“Whoa, easy there, big guy,” Kronos said to the constellation he was wrangling, “Heel, heel.”

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine @Reality Check

Thundy closed his eyes taking a deep breath looking at the two fallen. “Ask yourself this: What is my purpose? Why do I do what I do. Do you let your emotions lead you into pits and traps? Or do you take the reins of your emotions and stand up to those feelings of hate and anger. We aren’t defined by our emotions, rather how we carry ourselves. Dynamo and I are so close, that we call each other brothers. We may come from different backgrounds but we love each other as if we were genetically connected. Why spend your time letting someone blinded by hate and anger lead you down the path of anger? You let Cosmic’s anger towards my friend, my brother Dynamo lead you to breaking him…” Thundy said nodding his head in disapproval. “…cowardly, absolutely cowardly of you. You’re smart enough to know better. So what now? Will you keep letting your emotions lead you? Or will you make a stand and do what is right?” Thundy asked gripping his keyblade. 

[Pencil Pouch]

@Dynamo Pad @Oni Equine @Starforce

“I am more than glad that you appreciate my true form, unlike somepony here!” Sparkly beamed at Alhimar. “Now that I no longer have a filter, I too can unleash my full potential just as you have! Hahaha!”

Unfortunately, she had celebrated just a little too early as it appeared her attack missed completely. To make matters worse, Cheap was chasing after Pencil!

“Penciiillll!” she shouted. Pencil immediately heard the warning and took action.

Pencil gasped as she saw just how fast Cheap was charging. She frantically looked around for something to utilize. If there was any useful debri around, she could use it as a tool!

The broken ropes! she noticed.

Thankfully, her horn was already charged up so she was able to grab a pile of rope with no issue. As Cheap got closer, Pencil forced herself not to look at him and instead concentrate on what she was creating. She thought of elasticity and rubber as she bent the ropes into a circular formation. Taking a breath, she stretched her creation to make sure it worked. Sure enough, the large rubber band was a success!

“Watch this!” she taunted Cheap as she fastened the band around her waste.

She stood bipedal and ran backwards as  far back as she could. When she could no longer maintain the pressure, she gave one final anecdote before she let go.

“I’m gonna ‘snap’ you out of your ego!” she quipped with limited breath.

She closed her eyes and hope her shot landed.

[Samurai Equine 50,933]

 @Starforce

"Trade isn't an issue. Despite being off the map, we still have ties to the postal system. Mail carriers still come and go out of this town easily. I'd say the mail is the only thing that remembers we still exist. Hmm... Landmarks, huh? Well, there was this one time where I wanted to construct a giant statue of myself. Heh. But my brother turned the idea down, even after I suggested the statue could be the both of us. As for plants, we might have some shops for that. We don't really have a town florist, but we have all the planting supplies and equipment." Mayor Black admits.

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

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

Samurai listens to what Alhimar says and nods. "Wagatta.  If you need my help for anything, just call and I'll be there for you." He puts a hoof on Alhimar's shoulder. "Good luck, my new friend. Ganbatte." He leaves for now, chasing after Taurus. "Oi!! Taurus-chan!! Why not come after me! See this? Red armor! I bet you hate that." Samurai tries to get its attention. He might not have a red cape to wave at the bull, but he does have red armor.

"Fire away, Sparkly!" Starlight shouts as she teleports. Guess where reappears? Right next to Cheap. Starlight stands upright and holds out her hooves, blocking Cheap from going anywhere. This way, Sparkly can can use her make-shift, extra-large rubber band to propel herself at Cheap, and Cheap won't have anywhere to dodge. "I won't give up on my friends!"

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@Courageous Thunder Dash

Looking up at the griffon, Frozen and Calhoun had listened closely to Thundy's words. Even though Calhoun was fairly new with the group, the speech was more directed towards Frozen. Looking back towards the ground, the pegasus had to admit that the griffon had made a point. Taking a deep breath, he let out a shuddering sigh as he felt guilt in his heart Each word said had caused him to wince in shame, but he wouldn't deny these accusations. "I hate to say it, but you're right. You're right, okay?" Looking up, Frozen stared Thundy in the eyes to show that he wasn't lying. "If you ask me why I did what I did, then it was because I was defined by my knowledge. I had strategies that could never be beaten, or I was much more smarter than my other classmates. I never had others to share in that intellect until I met Cosmic. Believe me when I say that he wasn't always like what he is now. He definitely isn't like what he is from how he's been acting. I only hated Pad because he wasn't that good at anything. The moment he beat me in something, it felt like I was a fool. I never counted any victories he gained over me to count, but it was because I didn't want to admit the truth. The truth that my strategies aren't flawless. I even got beat by a mare and hated to admit that I lost to a girl. In hindsight, it was foolish of me to act in such a way. The three of us each had our own reasons to put others in their place if they deserved it. Looking back, Pad didn't deserve a good portion as he was just wanting to make friends." Glancing over to Calhoun, the pegasus cracked a small smile. "Coming to this town and meeting you has helped me to learn something I may not have given a chance to before. Perhaps there is something to this whole friendship concept." 

Hearing this had made Calhoun's eyes to glisten with tears. "Oh, Frozen! I don't care what happened in the past for you. The only thing that matters is that you and I saw something special in each other. Something that I hope can grow in due time." He blushed, but turned to make sure that Frozen didn't see. Raising an eyebrow, Frozen merely shook his head as he turned his attention back towards the griffon. "Hey, Griffon. N-No...T-Thundy, right? I don't think cowardly is the right way to put it. It's because I let my emotions get in my way that kept me from seeing what could be a truth. I believed that friendship was a crutch, but it turns out that Calhoun and I worked well together. I suppose I allowed Cosmic's idea of revenge to fill my head with lies instead of allowing my thoughts to be heard. Do you think...I don't know. Maybe we...start over?" He looked away from the griffon as he knew asking such a question was embarrassing for the pegasus to admit. However, out of the corner of his eye, Frozen had seen a constellation was near Thundy's blindspot. "Hey! Get down!" Noticing this, Calhoun pushed the griffon aside with a shove, while Frozen had flew up to punch the constellation away. "Maybe we should talk about this all later. Right now, we have to get Cosmic's team under control."

@Kronos the Revenant @ExplosionMare @Starforce @Oni Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash

As the ram was held off by Kronos, Aries had gone intangible before Kronos had a chance to toss the ram away. Reappearing, the ram continued to charge forward as it was in Kronos' close quarters. All the while, Scorpio pulled at the restraints to try and bring Kronos and his spirits off balance. As Leo was able to wrangle with Alhimar, the lion was able to get a few hits in, but the damage was still not effective. Being kicked away, the lion roared with anger as the zebra had ingested another vial. What the effects would be, it was unknown at the time. Once Alhimar had pulled away from the fight with Cheap, it looked as if he wanted to face Leo. The lion constellation was happy to oblige as the zebra swiftly moved into Leo's range. Just as a punch to the chin was about to make contact, Leo had gone intangible to avoid the hit. Swiping up to deliver an uppercut, Leon had leaned forward to try and sink his teeth into Alhimar. In an attempt to try and end the fight once and for all. Even as an explosion occurred, Aquila and Artemis had gotten up from Samurai's attack. They were charred and down, but they were not out. Flapping its wings, Aquila had taken to the air once more in preparation for dive bombing Samurai, as well as any participant that would fight it. Artemis, meanwhile, would gain some distance, while taking aim at Samurai. Making sure to send fake arrows that would flow right through him and others alongside the real arrows. Turning its attention over towards Samurai, the bull's nose snarled as it saw the armor. While it didn't take the color red all too well, it didn't like being taunted. Scraping its hoof across the ring, the bull constellation charged forward with it's horns extended.

Cheap, meanwhile, was in close proximity to where Pencil stood. All the while, not realizing that she had a plan in the works. As he was about to make contact, the earth pony's movements slowed as something was sent towards him. That something was a giant rubber band as it slammed into his face. Now, while his body was invulnerable of feeling the pain. The same couldn't be said for his eyes as the rubber band slammed into his face. "YIPE! Ow! My eyes! I can't see! What even was that!?" Cheap growled as he kept throwing punches and kicks at anyone who dared to attack him.

Back with Dynamo, Bluebell and Cosmic, the latter was pushed back a few feet as he was brought to his knees. Gasping for breath, the neon green unicorn looked up to see Dynamo, who had a look of shock at what had just transpired. Looking at the punching bag with a look of disgust, Cosmic growled in both anger and frustration. "You little brat! What did you do!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?" With flamed still on his hoof, Dynamo shook his head slightly as he didn't have an answer. "I-I don't even know how I did that?" He wasn't even sure if what he did was the equivalent of realizing his primary elemental magic. "What even was that? Was that Luffy? No. Was that you, Miles?" He muttered to himself as he ran through the possibilities. Shaking his head, the gaming unicorn knew that now wasn't the time to be dwelling on such thoughts. Right now, he had to put a stop to Cosmic and put a stop to him now. As much as he didn't want to, the gaming unicorn had one way to stand up to Cosmic. The only issue was that this spell had such a risk, but it was even more of a risk to have Cosmic still causing havoc. Charging up his horn for a spell, Dynamo felt it was best to ask a question. "Hey, Cosmic? Tell me something. Do you know of the myth that everyone only used about two to seven percent of their brain?"

Regaining his composure, Cosmic looked at Dynamo as if he was talking nonsense. "Don't you know that's a myth? Just like an old mare's tale. There's no such thing as we all use one hundred percent of our brains. Unless of course you can't and you're just trying to humor me." Ignoring the insult as he was charing up the spell, Dynamo continued. "If that's true, then do you know that there's a way to go past that limit?" Furrowing his eyebrows, Cosmic wondered where this was even going. "That's simply impossible. It's unheard of and even if it were true, then one's body wouldn't last." As the spell was ready to be used, Dynamo took a deep breath to prepare himself. "That's where you're wrong Cosmic. With a certain spell, one can release the limiters that hold the body back. Sort of like the idea that your body only moves as fast as the mind permits. Let's put that to the test, shall we?" Closing his eyes, the light that enveloped Dynamo's horn had enveloped his entire body. Wincing slightly from how painful the process was, the gaming unicorn felt the limiters being removed. 'Mind Racer!' He called out in his head as a transformation took place. Parts of his mane stood up on end, electricity crackled around his body, as well as his eyes were starting to disappear. As if he was possessed by some sort of power, Dynamo had recalled feeling this strength from the gaming world. 

Not liking where this could be going, Cosmic had launched a laser spell like he had done to the Bluebell. Only this time, the spell had been blocked by a random piece of shield that had appeared. What shocked Cosmic was that Dynamo's horn didn't glow. It was as if the shield had appeared of its own will. "Grr...you insolent pest! I'm going to..." Throwing a hoof up, Cosmic had felt weight upon said hoof. Looking over, he blinked as Dynamo had appeared next to the bully as he held said hoof. "Why don't you wake up, Cosmic. You're hurting others and causing mischief. What have we ever done to you?" Ripping his hoof away, he threw a punch at Dynamo. Only for the same shield to be brought up like before. Narrowing his eyes, Dynamo looked on at his opponent as round two had approached them. "I cannot and will not allow you to take your unhappiness out on anyone else anymore or ever again." Hearing this had struck a chord within Cosmic's emotions. One that caused anger to boil and stir in the bully's heart. "My unhappiness!? Don't give me that nonsense! I'll do whatever I want and please! The weak rot away and crumble into nothing. Whereas the strong like me will thrive and live on to survive! Don't you see!? Becoming the best is in our nature! It's evolution! So, who are you to dare to try and stand in our way?" Closing his eyes, Dynamo knew that there was no use talking to Cosmic. "It seems you've made your choice. Very well, then. Just know that I gave you an out in all of this. Also, just so you know. I remember hearing that you were disqualified for what you've done to Bluebell. So, since you're out of the tournament. That just means that this isn't a tournament fight. In that case, we'll do it your way. We'll play by your rules now, Cosmic."

For the first time, Cosmic grinned as he was proud of how Dynamo was acting. "It looks like you finally see eye to eye with me. It's about time you woke up to the truth, Kyubiki. It doesn't matter what you do as it's still not enough against me. So, I'm going to enjoy this." Getting into his fighting pose, Cosmic was ready to win this battle. "Ready? Now!" He exclaimed, before charging at Dynamo, who kept his eyes closed.

Edited October 31, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Oni Equine @ExplosionMare @Reality Check

Thundy listened to Frozen's answer, and it seemed as if his speech affected Calhoun as well. When he heard the words "Start over", a smile began to form on Thundy's face as he knew that the crack was widening even more. He took a breath...but just as he was about to say something, he heard Frozen yell at him to get down and felt himself being pushed away by Calhoun. Thundy immediately summoned Wonder Woman's arm braces, crossing them into an X, clanging them together. The clang caused a shockwave that spread towards the constellation. Thundy was still in a defensive position with his arms crossed. "We still have our match! Let's finish our talk then!" Thundy called out as he jumped back to face the constellation.

[Reality Check 631]

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

Reality got his stuff and moved to the seat next to Chelsea and Bingo as soon as he heard that he can sit next to them. He didn't say much, just continued watching the match.

[Samurai Equine 50,933]

 @Starforce

"We tried sending out fliers and advertisements, but it wasn't working. At one point, one of the major towns sent a letter to our print shop, asking us to stop printing expired promotional material. ...It wasn't expired, and I wanted to retaliate by sending them a photocopy of my flank!" Mayor Black sighs. "Every time we had a set back, my brother would always stay positive. He always thought that one more day, and it'll all turn around in the towns favor. I got tired of waiting for one more day." It seems this town has all ready tried a lot of things.

Mayor Black writes down an address and gives it to Opia. "Here you go. This shot should have all the stuff you'll need, if you're going to be a florist. Tell them you work for me; that should get you some good deals. They might even give you some stuff for free! My name still pulls some weight around here."

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

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

Just as Samurai has successfully gained Taurus' attention again, he notices Aquila and Artemis are back! "They're still around?!" But he doesn't have time to thing about it, because they are attacking! Aquila dives in, and so Samurai leaps into the air, concentrating his magic as goes into a spin. "Flaming KICK!!" With fire on his hind hoof, he delivers kick strong enough to push Aquila into Taurus. But as Samurai lands, he sees the oncoming arrows. Once again, he takes up his sword and swings. He manages to knock some away, others phase through him since they are phantom arrows, but two of the arrows actually hit! Now they are lodged into the left, floating shoulder guard of his armor. "Gah... Dynamo-otoutosan, please hurry. I am not sure how long we can all keep this up." Samurai mutters to himself.

While he still has a break in the action, Samurai runs over, withdraws his sword, and tacks Artemis as best he can with every attempt to engage in a power struggle. As he does so, he glances in Dynamo's direction for a moment. Dynamo is building up to something big. Could this be the moment that settles things?

"Ha! Got 'em!" Starlight laughs at how successful Sparkly's attack was. While Cheap is distracted, Starlight fires her magic at him, attempting to trap him in a crystal block. It didn't work with Cosmic before, but maybe it'll work with Cheap.

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@Courageous Thunder Dash

Nodding at the mention of their match, Frozen kept a bird's eye view of the fight to help direct Thundy and Calhoun. "First let's take care of the constellations, then we'll have our match and discussion. For now, Calhoun can keep you guarded and I'll be your eyes in the skies. If you see something coming, throw up your gauntlets and we'll do the rest. Got it?" He advised as he didn't want to act like he was giving orders. If he was truly going to start over, then he wanted to do the right thing. Leo growled as he landed a direct hit upon Alhimar, but it almost seemed a bit too easy. It didn't look like the zebra was in any sort of pain, but the strike seemed to have done some damage. Snarling as its head was grabbed, the lion tried to pull away from Alhimar, but found that it was impossible. With the zebra's enhanced strength, Leo was completely at its opponent's mercy. Not so long after it was kicked up into the air, Leo had felt another kick that sent the constellation careening downwards. There was no way for Leo to right itself to land on the arena, before crashing onto the grassy terrain. With that one last hit, the constellation began to fade away just like the Ursa Major had done before. Getting over the pain, Cheap slowly opened his eyes to assess what had just happened moments ago. Leo was nowhere to be seen, while Alhimar's clothing had looked torn and ragged. With a piece of debris heading his way, the earth pony pulled back a hoof. Just before throwing said hoof in the direction of the debris to destroy it on impact.

@ExplosionMare @Starforce @Oni Equine @Ragland Tiger @Kronos the Revenant @Reality Check

Feeling a sort of pressure in the air, Cheap had looked over towards Dynamo and Cosmic, who seemed to have both gotten ready to fight. That is, until he noticed Dynamo had looked different. "What's going on with Drool Pad? W-Why does he look like that?" He had never seen Dynamo look like that before, but it didn't seem too friendly in appearance. As a few of Artemis' arrows made contact, Aquila had extended its talons to clash with Samurai's flaming kick. The move was able to overpower, as well as push back, but the eagle was not deterred. Releasing a caw, Aquila flew towards Taurus in an attempt to pick the bull up to send it flying into the group. Artemis, on the other hand, dodged, while attempting to block or parry Samurai's sword swings. With how Cheap was distracted by the fight between Dynamo and Cosmic, he didn't notice Starlight, who had used her magic to trap the earth pony inside a crystal block. "What the!?" He attempted to attack the crystal from the inside, but but found himself completely immobilized.

TEN

NINE

As round two of their fight commenced, Dynamo opened his eyes to see that Cosmic was upon him. Even though his pupils were not there due to the effects of the spell, he could still sense his opponent. "LET'S GOOOOO!!" With a mighty shout, an invisible force had pushed out from all around him. Those that were in the arena could feel the force/pressure, while Cosmic was pushed back from his charge. "You've got to be kidding me? He pushed me back with a simple shout?" The bully couldn't explain it, but he felt some sort of tremble in his chest that caused him to shake slightly. He didn't have time to question it as Dynamo had rushed over, before turning to kick Cosmic into the air with his back hooves. Cosmic gritted his teeth as the attack impacted his chin, while being sent into the air. With his back legs returning to the ground, the blue unicorn had lifted his front hooves up, before slamming them upon the ground. The ground around him started to rumble, before pieces of the ring detached themselves. Each piece moving themselves around in an odd formation above, below, or in between Cosmic as they floated in the sky. Turning into his spin dash form, Dynamo quickly flew up to Cosmic, using each piece of the ring as footholds to allow him to climb. Closing the distance, Dynamo flew quickly into Cosmic, before bouncing on one of the floating pieces and ricocheting back to Cosmic. The process repeated itself to where it looked like Cosmic was in a makeshift pinball machine. Along with Dynamo, who was the pinball and attacking Cheap rapid-fire.

'M-My body...can't withstand this barrage.' Cosmic grimaced as each attack into him was starting to add up in terms of damage. 'If I can't get out of this, I'm going to be squashed.' Gritting his teeth, Cosmic shook with anger as his horn began to glow with power. "That's enough!" Creating a shield and pushing the barrier outwards and around him, the pieces of the ring soon fell out of formation, before falling back into their original spots within the arena. Making sure that Dynamo was nowhere to be found, he removed the barrier as he started to fall towards the arena. He panted for breath as he received a number of bruises from his face to his body. Scanning his eyes around him to find his opponent, he gasped sharply as he was grabbed, but it wasn't a normal hoof or talon. Looking down at the appendage, he was appalled at how it was a claw, but the claw, itself, looked demonic. All the while, a giant blue arm had grabbed Cosmic. From what it looked like, it seemed to have been an extension of the arm Dynamo now sported.

Spoiler

EIGHT

Throwing his arm down, Cosmic struggled to break himself free. It was of little effort as the bully was slammed upon the ground as the ring in a heap. Not so long after being grabbed, the arm had let go of the neon green unicorn. Slowly dragging himself up to his hooves, he looked over towards the source of his hatred, before noticing that Dynamo was nowhere to be seen. "Where did he...?" His question was interrupted as he felt a punch to the side of his body. After that, he received another hit to his face. "Grr...DON"T YOU DARE MOCK ME!!"

SEVEN

SIX

He was then surrounded in a vortex of wind, while being bombarded with hits left and right. Dynamo had kept attacking nonstop on the bully with his belt still active. Two cartridges were found within the belt if one had noticed from before. One being the arm, while the other was from the power of Aero, or wind from Kingdom Hearts. The reason being that Dynamo's front hooves were coated with wind. Each time that the attack would land, Cosmic would receive extra damage from the blade like winds around Dynamo's arms. Cosmic felt himself struggling to stay up as he was thrown into a slugfest. Taking a moment to breath as he still remained hit, the bully closed his eyes as he had to stay focused. His ears perked as he kept a track on the sounds of Dynamo's movements from all around him. Quickly opening his eyes, Cosmic reached out and caught Dynamo. Effectively wrapping his arms around Dynamo from escaping.

Edited October 31, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

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

Chelsea felt the energy from Dynamo. She turned to reality. “This is it. Dynamo will defeat Cosmic. I know because I feel it within Dynamo’s heart. All that Cosmic put Dynamo through will arise and Cosmic will be done for.” Chelsea said to Reality. “Do it Dynamo Pony! DEFEAT COSMIC PONY!!!” Bingo shouted at the top of his lungs with a loud howl. 
 

Thundy kept a sharp watch. He saw as the Leo constellation was destroyed just like the Ursa Major. He felt an energy and turned to face Dynamo. He closed his eyes. “You got this, my brother.” Thundy said telepathically to Dynamo. Thundy felt something inside, like a burden beginning to lighten up, but a flash of his parents appeared and he winced. “No…” He said to himself putting his talon on his heart starting to pant lightly. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@Courageous Thunder Dash

Feeling the energy for themselves, Calhoun and Frozen had taken notice of Dynamo and Cosmic. Rather, Dynamo gaining the upper hoof and overwhelming the neon green unicorn. "Good grief. Here I thought I pushed Cosmic into a corner, but I didn't expect that from him. Is that due to the belt that Dynamo's wearing?" Calhoun wondered, while Frozen had kept a close eye on the two fighters. Hearing the question, Frozen floated down to join the yak and griffon. "I don't think it has anything to do with the belt." The pegasus commented, while seeing Cosmic had captured Dynamo, who was stuck in a hold. "It's been on my mind why Cosmic hated him so much. I thought it was based on appearance and his kindness that got to him. The mark never made much sense to me, but now I know." Interested in unknown knowledge, Calhoun turned towards his friend. "What do you know?" Steeling his gaze, he continued as his attention stuck to the fight. "I've seen some gamer's try speed running a game, or compete in tournaments. It's why Cosmic trained Cheap in order for him to be ready to beat Dynamo, or anyone in general. It's the cutie mark and I suspect that Cosmic realized it too." Glancing back at the two to make sure they were following his train of thought, Frozen continued to elaborate.

"When a pony finds something that they truly feel passionate about, or at the very least. They find what they consider to be their destiny, then their cutie mark appears. For a gamer, it's actually quite different. Sure, to be a gamer to compete in tournaments, work in arcades, create games and such is one such destiny. However, there's a hidden destiny that some don't truly know. The reason I brought up speed runs and tournaments is that it allows gamer's to push themselves. To break records that are deemed impossible to surpass. To overcome obstacles that are set before you. To take on someone that's stronger or even the crowd favorite. Don't you get it? Cosmic saw that as his opportunity to gain power for his gift in magic. Can you imagine what he'd be like if he had video games as his special talent? He'd be virtually unstoppable with nobody to challenge him." Frozen sighed, now knowing what Cosmic was so fixated on. "That's why when he saw his prize standing before him, he wanted to do everything he could to get that mark. For those who have the mark of the gamer, then all limits that bind them disappear. There are no such things as a limit from holding you back, or rather. The limits that were deemed impossible to break are possible to overcome. Right now, I've never seen such a spell before from Pa...I-I mean, Dynamo." Frozen knew that it would take some time for him to get used to calling Dynamo by his actual name, but he knew this was his change. "Based on appearance and that pressure from before. It looks like he's overcoming those limits to finally put a stop to Cosmic." He wasn't sure if this would be enough, but if anyone could stop Cosmic, then he knew it was the gaming unicorn.

Perking his ears at the sound the griffon's treating, Frozen and Calhoun looked to see Thundy, who had a talon over where his heart would be. "Thundy? Are you alright? What's the matter?"

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

Grunting as he kicked his back hooves to try and escape, Dynamo had the squeeze put on him by Cosmic. Cracking an eye open, Dynamo grimaced as the bully smirked. "I told you that you were so predictable, Kyubiki. You kept landing attacks in the same spots from previously in order to maximize damage. A wise strategy, but oh, so predictable. I don't know what kind of spell that is, but it's still nothing compared to what I've become. Even if the worst case scenario happens and if I were to lose, then it matters not. For if I go down, then that just means I'm taking you with me!" Cosmic exclaimed as he would try and take the punching bag's magic to stop this charade. Dynamo's eyes shot open, gritting his teeth as what Cosmic said was not going to happen. "L-Like Tartarus I am!" His eyes fading, Dynamo's horn glowed brightly as he the stallion pulled his head back. Just before throwing his face forward to meet Cosmic's as he gave the bully a headbutt. With Dynamo's horn being encased with magic, he would be safe as their horns clashed from the impact. Cosmic, being caught off guard, was not so fortunate. As one horn slammed into the other, Cosmic gasped as a sharp pain flew across the bully's forehead and horn. If one could listen, they'd hear a crack which emanated from Cosmic's horn.

FIVE

Upon letting go, Dynamo backed up a few feet, while Cosmic gripped as his face with his hooves. Groaning from the pain, Cosmic growled as his eyes trailed to Dynamo. "Cheap shot." He commented, not referring to the actual Cheap, Shot, who was frozen in a block of crystal. 'I don't understand it. That magic did increase his strength, but I can sense his magic is depleting rapidly. It's like it's dropping like a stone. He should be weak and barely able to fight. So, where is he drawing his strength!?' Rubbing his forehead violently, Cosmic stood up to face the blue unicorn. "You're just some nobody who comes from who cares where. You think you can stand up to the likes of me? Well, you don't know who you're dealing with. I am the Otaku Knight of Wrath! I am wrath and hatred incarnate! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ON WHO I AM!? HUH!?" The only thing that could be heard over the random explosions among the ring was Cosmic's echoing shout. As if that single shout hat drowned everything out to where there could be silence. It was then that a voice could be heard. "I do." Baring a look of confusion, Cosmic had watched as he listened to Dynamo's explanation. "You were someone that never had taken anyone's nonsense. You had the strength to back up your claims. You were someone that used to be kind and caring if you can believe that. I always considered you as a friend and I even considered you like a brother, but you changed. You let your pride and ego get the better of you. You didn't want to work hard as you believed being gifted defeated natural hard work. You preyed upon the week as you were afraid of anyone not fitting the mold you placed upon others. To me and to others, you're nothing, but a bully."

Shaking his head, Dynamo looked at Cosmic with a look of determination. He mind and resolve were loud and clear. "So, yeah. I do know who you are. You know something else? I don't care who you think you are anymore, you stinking clown!" Snarling at the insult to his name, Cosmic rushed towards opponent with a cocked back hoof/fist. Throwing out the attack, Dynamo managed to duck under Cosmic. "Because I..." His mind flashed back to when he received his mark and magic. "I..." Another flashback were of his parents. "I..." Another flashback was of when he met Starlight after losing his father. "I..." His mind flashed once more to Bluebell, Samurai and all of the friends he had made when he came to Friendshire. 

FOUR

"BECAUSE I WILL SURPASS YOU!" With a mighty roar, Dynamo quickly turned as his back hooves kicked into Cosmic's chest. Sending the bully flying as he found himself floating a bit in the air thanks to his magic to stay airborne. "DARN IT! Just disappear already!" Charging up his horn, Cosmic became desperate as he launched a laser spell at Dynamo. The unicorn lowered his back hooves, before dodging out of the way of his attack. Another laser was launched, but this time at the downed Bluebell. Quickly moving over and picking her up, Dynamo jumped out of the way before the attack could get them this time around. Placing her gently on the ground, Dynamo looked at the mare who had taken hold of his heart. Leaning down, he placed a kiss upon her forehead as he smiled. "I promise, Bluebell. We'll defeat him together." Looking up, Dynamo removed the cartridges he had in the Driver, before a new one manifested in their place. With a click, the Gashat had come to life.

MONKEY D. LUFFY

Placing the gashat cartridges into the Gamer Driver, Dynamo pulled the lever as he began to transform.

MAXIMUM GASHAT! GACHAN! LEVEL MAX!

"I'm gonna become King of the Pirates! Gum Gum Fruit's Monkey D. Luffy!"

A light had enveloped upon Dynamo, before quickly fading to show Dynamo was in a new attire. The outfit consisted of a red open sleeveless vest, blue shorts with a yellow sash, sandals on his back hooves and a straw hat behind his head as it was kept up with a string. Dynamo sported a scar on his chest in the shape of an 'X' and a scar under his left eye.

Spoiler

THREE 

TWO

As the gaming unicorn twisted his body, the effects he displayed earlier from Lightning Dust were in full effect. With his body made of rubber, he inhaled a deep breath as he continued to spin. His body expanding as he twisted himself a couple of times. Letting out his breath by looking downwards, Dynamo had effectively launched himself up like a balloon that had just been popped. Righting his ascent, Dynamo looked up to Cosmic as he threw a front hoof back. 

"Gum Gum...!"

Seeing that an attack was coming, Cosmic prepared himself for another blast of his magic. "You're starting to become a major pain, loser!"

"STORM!"

Seeing that Dynamo wasn't stopping, Cosmic wasted no time in wanting to eliminate the competition. "Just give up already!" He remarked as he let loose another laser spell. Throwing his reeled back hoof, Dynamo's front hooves were coated in a mix of his magic and his fire elemental. As the hoof connected with the laser, the punch brushed right through the spell. Whatever Cosmic had put into his magic, it paled in comparison to the power Dynamo was displaying. His stretched hoof continued to race, before connecting into the side of Cosmic's face. Throwing his other hoof and pulling the other back in preparation to swing, Dynamo attacked relentlessly as if multiple hooves were thrown. All the while, letting loose a battle cry as his hooves went flying. Letting loose scream after scream as if releasing the pain and frustration the bullies had put him through in his childhood. With one last punch, Cosmic was sent flying up, before slowly heading towards the arena. His eyes fading as the barrage of swings overwhelmed any possibility of durability. As Dynamo fell alongside Cosmic, the gaming unicorn managed to flip in the air to land on his hooves. As he landed on his hooves, Dynamo had slipped and landed on his side as his energy was starting to run out. The same couldn't be said to Cosmic, who slammed into the arena with a thud.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

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

Thundy turned to Frozen and Calhoun. "Memories...you see...I wasn't always a griffon. I was what is known as a human. I'm actually from a far away planet called earth. When I was little, I was struck by lightning...and transformed into what you see now...a griffon. My parents almost abandoned me that night. That bitter feeling has stuck with me ever since, which is why I nearly raged hard due to my impure heart. It's been tough, but I made a promise to myself that I would...let go...but it's so hard...especially with what happened with Dynamo...speaking of which...this is it for Cosmic, Dynamo has gone full power with Luffy. This next combo should do it..." Thundy said. "I call Dynamo my brother, because we have a lot of things in common." Thundy explained watching the scene unfold. A song popped into Thundy's mind, which radiated to the speakers. Thundy knew this would be the moment Cosmic gets what he deserved.

 

In the stands, Chelsea tapped her left paw to the beat. "Yes, what goes around comes around." Chelsea said. "What that mean Chelsea bird?" Bingo asked. "Well, it means that if you do something bad, it'll come back to haunt you. Cosmic hurt Dynamo, and tried to hurt Bluebell, and now he's paying for it. You can call it...karma." Chelsea said. Bingo stood up. "Dynamo! Give Cosmic pony Karma!!" Bingo shouted. Chelsea giggled cutely. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@Courageous Thunder Dash

"I remember you said you weren't a normal griffon and now I can see why. Normal griffons can't use lightning or whatever is it that you were using. I can understand now why you were so fixated on what Dynamo has felt. With how you were treated, it was as if you had gone through something similar. Only, it was different in terms of the situation." Frozen explained, watching as Dynamo had let loose a fury of attacks against Cosmic. Calhoun, meanwhile, had looked at Thundy as if he had grown a second head on his neck. "A...human? Forgive me, but my knowledge is too lacking on the term. I've never heard of someone turning into a griffon. Unless it's by some kind of transfiguration. Before you ask, I've dabbled into the subject. I may not be able to use magic, but it's quite an interesting read. At any rate, I'm sorry to hear what you've gone through, Thundy. I know what it's like to have that sort of rejection or abandonment in your case. What with how other yaks aren't as smart as I am. Whatever you're going through, perhaps there might be a time where you have to face whatever it is that troubles you."

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

Dynamo panted for breath as the spell he used was overtaxing his magic. Deactivating the spell, his eyes had returned to normal, while the crackled lightning had ceased. He even disengaged the cartridge he used as his rubber body had turned back to normal. "One second left. That was way too close, but it was worth it to take him down." As Cosmic had landed on the arena floor, every constellation had begun to vanish. Whether Cosmic had run out of magic, or it was due to him losing consciousness, the answer was unknown. That all changed as Cosmic's body twitched to indicate that he was still in this. Grunting from the pain he had received, he slowly got his way back up onto this hooves. Albeit, much more slowly and with difficulty with the injuries had had sustained. Even as he used the amulet's magic to heal him, he found it difficult to do so. What he didn't realize was that the damage he had received had stacked up in the long run. Dynamo's nonstop attacking had caused most of the neon green unicorn's injuries to remain unhealed. There was too much damage to heal all at once. Taking a deep breath to sigh, Dynamo slowly got back up, as well. Knowing full well that this fight wasn't over just yet.

Seeing how much damage the punching bag had done had made Cosmic's blood to boil. His body began to twitch as he grinned his teeth in frustration. "I hate you. I HATE YOU!!!" He screamed as his voice echoed throughout the stadium. Furrowing his eyebrows and narrowing his eyes, Dynamo could only shake his head. "You hate losing. You hate to admit the fact that there might be someone that could be your equal." He reasoned, but Cosmic would have none of it. "Don't you dare talk to me like you know me, loser! I am to be one of the greatest unicorns in all of Equestria. You're nothing, but a loser and failure, you lap dog!" Gritting his teeth, Cosmic's horn began to glow once more as electricity began to emerge. Smirking sadistically, he prepared himself for one final charge. "Time to end this." Seeing that Cosmic still planned to continue, Dynamo stared at the unicorn standing right across from him. His eyes trailed down towards the ground as it seemed that there would be no reasoning with him. With so little magic left, Dynamo closed his eyes as he knew there was only one thing he could do now. Concentrating his magic, a spinning orb in the form of a baseball had been created. For a moment, neither side was planning to move. Almost as if waiting for the first person to draw, before both sides rushed towards the center. 

As both unicorns rushed to each other, memories of them flashed in Dynamo's head. Each moment, from Dynamo gaining his mark and magic, to meeting Starlight, to everyone in Friendshire. The only difference was that Dynamo was with Frozen and Cheap, while Cosmic would be where Dynamo was meant to be. 'You know something, Cosmic? For you and I? Our roles could have easily been reversed.' Even as they rushed towards one another, the attacks they used were flipped. If one could look at them now, it was like they were wearing outfits of certain characters. 

Spoiler

"Rasengan!"

"This is the end!"

Both sides used one of their front hooves to grab the spells they had prepared, before meeting each other in a power struggle. Both attacks colliding as a force erupted from their clash. Effectively pushing anyone away who dared to get close to the struggle. As both sides tried to gain dominance, it looked like both sides were even for the moment. It all soon changed as Dynamo was slowly being pushed back by Cosmic. His Rasengan even seemed to have slowly been running out of energy. Noticing this had caused Cosmic's grin to widen. "Oh? What's wrong!? Are you running out of steam!? That magic you used must have taken a lot out of you. So, you're barely able to hold on! Let alone fight back!" Chuckling, Cosmic knew that even with the injuries he sustained. The amulet had given him enough power to win this fight. Dynamo, on the other hoof, grunted as he didn't want to quit. "J-Just be quiet!" He exclaimed, pushing back slightly to which caught Cosmic by surprised. "Woah! Now what was that just now? Your second wind, or your final gasp!? Either way, this is the end of the line for you, Kyubiki!" Dynamo felt his free hooves skidding slowly across the ground as he desperately tried to gain traction. Try as he might, he wasn't able to gain any sort of advantage over his bully. It didn't help that his magic was slowly failing him as he couldn't hold on much longer. 'I-I'm not going to make it. I-I failed. I gave it everything I had and even with the spell, it looks like still wasn't enough. Bluebell, Starlight, Onii-san, everyone. I'm so sorry. F-Father...I-I'm so sorry. I-I really tried.' Closing his eyes, Dynamo accepted his fate as he knew it was only a matter of time that the inevitable end was near.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Samurai Equine 50,933]

 @Starforce

Mayor Black turns his head, making a disgusted face. "I'll only work with him when and if it's absolutely necessary. I've all ready told my brother, if this town starts becoming more prosperous, then I'll return to rule by his side, and not before." He hears Opia's other suggestion. "Family, huh? Sure, send them an invite. The more the merrier!" Seems he welcomes that idea.

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

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

The final countdown on the battlefield has begun.

Starlight Glimmer is celebrating and keeping Cheap in place, but she notices Dynamo giving it his all against Cosmic. "Dynamo! You can do this! You've got all of us behind you. Show him the true power of friendship!" Starlight cheers for him.

Samurai had been busy mele fighting with Artemis this while time. He managed to get him in a headlock, but when he sees what Dynamo is doing, this fight just doesn't seem to matter to Samurai anymore. Instead, he tosses Artemis to the side and starts walking, trying to get as close to Dynamo as he can. "Otoutosan!! Akiramenaide!!" Samurai calls out, reaching out. If he can do anything for him; lend him some power, lend him some strength, anything at all, he will.

...

"He's falling!" Straightaway commentates. "Dynamo is falling!!" Elusive adds. "Don't give up now, fighter Dynamo!!" Mayor White adds. "STAND UP AND FIGHT!!!" All three judges commentate, suddenly finding their voices again.

[Ragland Tiger 3,384]

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

Bluebell opened her eyes, and turned her head to see Dynamo struggling.  "Dynamo--d-dynamo, don't g-g-give up..."  Her pendant began to glow brightly, and a magical beam arose from it, winding  it's way to Dynamos pendant.  The pendant around his neck began to glow brighter and more intensely than before.