open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Ragland Tiger 3,296]

12 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

"Boyfriend? You mean Dynamo Pad? Did you two become an item? You seemed interested in him last time I visited." Final says, his braces and slightly slurred speech showing. Maybe Bluebell doesn't recognize him now that's a teenage? He rubs the back of his head a little harder and looks away.

@Samurai Equine  @PawelS

Bluebell looked puzzled at first, but then her eyes grew wide with recognition.  "Finn!?  F-f-f-Finn, is-is that you?"  She placed herself in front of him, and said, "Just s-s-s-stand right th-there,  and let me look at y-you."    She looked at him up and down for a few seconds, and then said, "Oh, m-m-my gosh!  You've gr-grown so m-m-much!  It s-seems like only yesterday -- er, w-w-well, maybe a-a few days ago -- you were n-knee high to a blade of g-grass -- or-or something like that.  You look so ad-adorable! Get over here!"  She pulled him over to her, and gave him a happy kiss on the cheek and a warm hug.

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

In the B Block arena,
Dynamo took notice of the polite nod, before giving a sheepish grin. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. I still felt it was common courtesy to introduce myself." He responded, stretching as he made sure that his belt was attached to his waist. Upon hearing that Gemsworth was at full crystallin, Dynamo couldn't help in raising an eyebrow. Getting a better look at his opponent, Dynamo had noticed that Gemsworth had taken on a more crystal-like appearance. It sounded like the crystal pony was being overconfident in their abilities in winning, or they seemed very sure of themself. "Thanks for the warning, but I wouldn't underestimate me if I were you." He would say, his ears perking at the mention of Thundy's words of support. 'That's easier said than done, Thundy. With their armor and crystalized body, it's like attacking an impenetrable fortress. That, or an ultimate defense that can't be broken.' He thought, trying to think of any way to break through and win the match.

'I might have two ideas in mind, but I'm not sure if they'll work. I'd like to avoid using the belt until later, but I might not have any choice in the matter. Especially if I want to save some surprises in store for my future opponents. I might as well start of slow and build my way up.' He knew that everyone would be watching these fights sooner or later, so he'd have to at least improvise in his battles. For the moment, he took a few steps to the side, as if circling around his opponent. Charging up his horn, he launched a laser spell at Gemsworth. It still wasn't as strong as he was still learning to control his magic, but it was still the best way to test the waters.

In the C Block arena,
As Flim pulled out a bottle from his vest, Cheap had squinted his eyes to read the label on said bottle. "The Flim Flam Brothers Zip-Zap-Zing Heavy Hitting, Combat Enhancing Elixir, huh? Whew. Now that's a mouthful. You sure that's not a work in title? I'd change it to something short, sweet and to the point. You got to have that good sales pitch." He explained, recounting the numerous times he had worked out deals with others, before taking advantage of his clients. The burgundy earth pony's ears perked as he heard music beginning to play in the background. Not even a moment had passed, before Flim began to sing and dance. Cheap was not impressed in the slightest, but he had to admit that song was indeed catchy. He could feel himself bounce to the beat as he noticed everyone in the crowd was doing the same. "Okay, then. I take back what I said. That's a pretty decent sales pitch you've got there." He would say, before he suddenly stopped dancing at what he saw. Flim had suddenly grew two feet taller, puffed out his chest and became a bit more muscular. "So, that elixir actually does work. Here I thought you were just doing your whole scamming business of being a con artist." He would say, before narrowing his eyes slightly with a smirk gracing his lips. "Yeah. I may not have recognized you at first, but I know who you are, Flim. My family has gone through so many business partners and enemies, but you and that foolish brother are ones I will never forget. I remember my father crossing paths with you in terms of business partners. You were working on one of your apple schemes with Flam when you both were in Fillydelphia. However, just as the deal was about to be struck, my father pulled away from the idea. All the while, taking your ideas and using it as if it was his own." He chuckled as he remembered the distraught looks from both brothers from years back.

"Oh, it was rich and we became more successful than ever before. Granted, we made a few adjustments to the plan you both made. I'm surprised you're both still continuing these ridiculous schemes, but it seems you've made a breakthrough. I hate to break it to you, but I've seen scarier." He took a battle-ready stance, before giving a polite, but fake smile. "Oh, please. I insist that you take the first move. You'll need all the help you can get. I will say this, however. You will not be sending me out of this ring." His eyes flashed red for just a second as he prepared himself for anything.

[Samurai Equine 45,822]

@Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @PawelS

Upon entering the next exhibit, Starlight seems a little confused. "Is this still art? Well, I guess anything is art if you want it to be, but this reminds me of Ponyville's annual Applewood Derby, except... Expensive looking." Starlight is tempted to touch one of the vehicles, but it might be an exhibit, and she doesn't want to ruin the perfect shine they have.

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@PawelS, @Ragland Tiger

"Heh. Yeah, it's me. I--" Final blushes a little happy to be recognized. Next, he is being examined. Then he is getting kissed on the cheek and a hug! It all happens so fast, but he gladly hugs Bluebell back. "It's good to see you too. I missed you all." He pulls away from the hug, much happier. "Also, yeah. Few days for you, a few years for me. Time travel and all." Final explains.

He turn turns to Nopony. "Hmm? Question... Oh, right! Almost forgot." Final leans in close to Bluebell and Nopony. "Do either of you know what happened to this town? It looks good for the most part, but it also looks a little rough in some places. And I think I heard some citizens mentioning something about a war. Did I miss something huge while I was away?"

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

In the B Block arena,
At first, Gemsworth is impressed, but quickly uses his forearms to refract the laser, redirecting it. He makes it drag along the arena floor, sees that it is leaving a burn trail, and redirects it upwards. "Is that really for the best? There is a rule against destroying tournament property, you know~!" Gemsworth says, rather considerately all things considered.

In the C Block arena,
"Know me, do ya? My good gentlecolt, clearly you have a lot to learn~ I appreciate the welcome invitation, but..." Flim takes only a moment to flex his new muscles. "If you are disrespecting the Flim Flam Brothers, I suggest you either back it up with reason, or just back up." And with that, Flim moves. Fast! Dragon Ball calls is moving at super speed, Bleach calls is Flash Step, Naruto calls it Body Flicker; whatever you want to call it, he is moving so fast, loud whooshing sounds follow him, and it suddenly feels like Greed/Cheap is surrounded by a bunch of Flim's, each one throwing rather hard punches. Or rather, Flim is moving so fast that when when he throws a punch and moves to punch from a new location, it gives off the illusion of multiple Flim's.

[Windy Breeze 15,175]

@Samurai Equine

Before Keen or Shadow could answer, the door opens, revealing an earth snow white pony mare; she has blue eyes, and mint green mane and tail. Her small smile quickly vanished as soon as her gaze land on Keen, the latter, however, did not notice the sudden change in her friend's expression.

“Mira, i'm ba-”

I loud smack is heard as Mirabelle furiously slapped Keen on her face strong enough to move her head and enough to make Shadow flinch. Without warning, Mirabelle sent her a barrage of words.

“Keen Fan, do you have any idea how i'm so worried for your safety” Mirabelle glared at her, “Everypony thought you're dead, but I've waited so long to see you again!"

This wasn't the reunion Keen and Shadow expected to turn out, judging the look of betrayal on their faces, especially Keen “What are you talking anout, Mira-”

“Shut up! Don't pretend like you forgot how you got up and fled from the hospital like a madmare, and disappearing for months. FOR MONTHS!”

[Silly Druid 6,137]

@Samurai Equine @Ragland Tiger

After seeing Bluebell's display of affection towards Finn, I answer his question.

"Yes, there was an invasion of some sort, there were paper things and other strange creatures attacking. I'm not sure why it happened and where all these invaders came from, you should ask Samurai about it as it seems to be connected to him somehow. Also, I hope I'm not creating a paradox by telling you this, but an older version of you showed up during the invasion and saved Samurai!"

Edited July 29, 2021 by PawelS

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

Thundy looked at Dynamo as he attacked with a laser spell. "Ugh...not a smart move Dynamo. Laser is light no matter how concentrated it is." Thundy called out. "First thing to do is lower his defenses. Crystal can be like glass...That's it!!" Thundy realized as he thought of a pokemon move that lowers defenses. "Dynamo! Crystal is like glass, and glass is sensitive to certain sound frequencies. Use that principal to break through! In other words, use Screech!" Thundy called out.

@ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine @PawelS

"Back in Thundy's original home planet, people raced with these high end cars. Sometimes, they would bet money in high stakes races. To push it even further, sometimes people would host pink slip races. Pink slip races are the highest of high stakes racing because you're literally putting your car on the line. The loser of a pink slip race has to give their car to the winner, even if they don't want to." Chelsea explained.  

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

In the B Block arena,
As the laser spell reached Gemsworth, Dynamo was surprised to see that the crystal pony used his forearms to block the laser. All the while, redirecting it towards the ground and upwards to avoid any sort of damage. "I'm not entirely sure if that was for the best, but it was still worth a try. Granted, you were the one who blocked the spell. So, wouldn't that mean you would be part of the whole destroying tournament property." He chuckled, while he was expecting his opponent to dodge. Judging by how they fought, Gemsworth was the type of fighter that would use brute force to fight. Along with other kinds of attacks that could be blocked to bounce right off of him. As he tried to think of another plan, his ears perked as he had heard Thundy's remark. He winced slightly as the griffon's words had stung him. While he didn't expect his laser spell to work, he still thought it was a good idea to try. He didn't truly know Gemworth's fighting style. So, he didn't want to go rush in without first getting a read on his opponent. He then raised an eyebrow in confusion as he heard Thundy's exclamation, before giving a deadpanned expression. 'Seriously? Are you trying to tell me to use an attack like I'm some kind of Pokemon?' He thought, before an idea suddenly dawned upon him. 'Actually, that could work. If he's made of glass, then I would just have to break through it. I know I wanted to still save my surprise for later on, but I guess it can't be helped. I just hope it'll be enough.' He thought, extending his right forearm with his horn starting to glow. If the laser spell didn't work, then I'll have to try a different idea." As he concentrated, a familiar green gashat cartridge had appeared in his hoof. With a click of the button the cartridge was now online. 

ONE FOR ALL! FULL COWL! SHOOT STYLE!

Placing the gashat into the driver, Dynamo concentrated as his right forearm went towards the lever as he pulled the driver open. Dynamo closed his eyes as a bright light soon enveloping the entire B Block.

GASHAT! GACHAN! LEVEL UP!

Kimi wa hero ni nareru! ONE FOR ALL! FULL COWL! SHOOT STYLE!
(You too can become a hero! One For All! Full Cowling! Shoot Style!)

Once the light began to dim, Dynamo had reopened his eyes as he was dressed in the same outfit as Deku once again.

Spoiler

"Okay, then. I guess it's time to show you what I've got." He got into a battle-ready stance as green sparks began to dance wildly across his body. Standing up, he held his right forearm out, while his left forearm held his right in place. What he would try and do might be a bit risky, but he knew the old saying of nothing ventured, nothing gained. Taking aim and lock on, his right glove began to expand as if he was building up power. "Delemare Smash: Air Force!" He called out, flicking his hoof twice to launch two blasts of compressed air at Gemsworth. The gaming unicorn didn't stop there as his body crackled with more electricity. 'One For All! Full Cowl!' He began running towards both the blasts of highly compressed air and Gemsworth. Moving swiftly that it looked like he was disappearing in front of crystal pony. If the attack connected, then the blasts of air could cause some damage to Gemsworth's armor. If it didn't work, then Dynamo would be prepared as he would teleport to his opponent's side to prepare his next attack.

As they watched the fight, Cosmic rolled his eyes at how boring it was becoming. "He's seriously still relying on the same kit that he's been known for. Doesn't he have something else to show the crowd? That light spell is just as pathetic as we last saw it. It's a shame his mother had taught him as he's still not up to snuff in terms of magic control." He commented, chuckling at Thundy's words of criticism. "Seems like the griffon has the correct idea in terms of thought. Perhaps he could be a valuable asset in due time." Frozen pondered, Cosmic nodding as the blast was easily deflected. It slowly, yet suddenly changed, however, when they saw a bright light envelop the area. They had to shield their eyes from the bright flash of light, before seeing the new sight before them. Frozen raised a curious eyebrow, while Cosmic looked on in slight disbelief. "What the?" He slowly stated, while noticing Dynamo was dressed up differently. "Well, now that's peculiar. I don't recall him ever turning into something like that." Frozen would say, scanning his memories for traces of that transformation. "That's...Deku. That stinking punching bag turned into Deku. How is that even possible." Cosmic shook his head, while barely catching Frozen's train of thought. "Neither do I, but it seems like this brat has learned a few new tricks. It still matters not as it's nothing to what we have in store." He smirked slightly as he wasn't concerned, but he still wondered what the gaming unicorn had done.

In the C Block arena,
As Flim flexed his new muscles, Cheap could only roll his eyes. Almost chuckling at the display, he tilted his head at the unicorn's remark. "Back up with reason? What reason is there? Didn't you hear what I said, or has that dumb elixir messed up your hearing. I proved with reason that my family and I became even more successful, while you two were a laughing stock and ran out of town. So, I suggest you watch what you say, before I make you back up." He says, before Flim started to move quickly in the ring. This surprised the earth pony slightly as it looked like the muscular form would only slow Flim down. That didn't seem to be the case, however, as Flim continuously threw punch after punch in rapid succession. To Cheap, it looked like there were multiple Flim's in the ring. However, the business/gamer pony's eyes flashed red as he allowed each hit to connect. There was a good amount of force from each impact, but to Cheap, it was nothing he couldn't handle. He felt his hooves move slightly, but he expected more. "Got to say. Impressive hits, but they're starting to tickle." He chuckled to further prove his point. "There's so many of you. How in Equestria can I fight you? Oh, I know." He would say in both concern and an expression of fear that were both fake. He lifted his hooves up, before bringing them back down. With his increased strength, he would cause a shockwave throughout the ring. He made sure to not damage the arena, but it would still try and cause Flim to stumble.

"It looks like Cheap is dealing with someone who's a bit of a showboat." Frozen responded, looking over at how ridiculous Cheap had looked when dancing to the song. At the very least, he could still take this tournament seriously with what they had planned. "Two numbskulls against one another. It all depends on who has the tenacity to outwit the other." Cosmic would say, the two taking notice of Flim's sudden transformation of strength and speed. "It looks like our teammate is in a bit of a bind. Is this of concern?" Frozen asked, neither one planning on going to support their teammate. "Nah." Cosmic smirked as he looked back to Dynamo's fight. "Cheap's got him right where he wants him. With the little gift we gave him, that fool won't be able to land a scratch on him. It's not a matter of if he can beat Cheap. Only when he's going to lose to our lovable nimrod."

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

"There we go!" Thundy said smiling as he saw Dynamo use the belt to transform into Deku. A small worry grew in Thundy, as opponents who were watching the battle would anticipate Dynamo using such power and plan their counters. 

[Samurai Equine 45,822]

@Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @PawelS

Starlight nods, understanding. "I've heard of competitions like that. In this world, we don't have anything THAT fancy to wager. Still, I just couldn't do it. I could risk losing something I care about. ...That's actually kind of been a character flaw of mine. I've wrestled with the ability to just let things go. It's gotten me into trouble a few times."

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@Windy Breeze

The moment the door opens, Trilby's eyes widen with excitement. ...And then it instantly turns to shock when the door is answered in such a violent way!

Trilby reacts as fast as possible, putting his hooves on Keen's back, ready to catch her in case that smack to the face was too strong. Thankfully it wasn't, but Trilby still fans her off while facing Mirabelle.

"BUT SHE DID FORGET!!!" Trilby shouts before putting a hoof to his mouth, realizing he is shouting. Seeing a friend get hurt must have made him panic a little. He tries again. "She did forget because.... She can't remember. You're looking at a pony with amnesia. We've been trying to help her retrace her steps and regain her memories because... We were the only friends she had, and you're the only pony she remembers. Vaguely."

Trilby steps up closer, takes off his hat revealing his horn, and lightly bows. He is visibly scared, but he is going to try. "I-- I can see you are upset and probably feeling betrayed about something. I don't know what happened exactly, and maybe we could fix things if you let us, but... But could you please not hit my friend? I don't want to make her condition worse, and I don't want her only happy memories of you tainted with this anger. ...P-Please?" Trilby begs, half expecting Mirabelle to smack him as well.

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@PawelS, @Ragland Tiger

Final nods. "Okay. I guess I'll ask him later. But don't worry about any time paradox or anything. I've gotten really good at fixing those! Besides, if an older version of me showed up, then maybe this is the moment where I learn about it, so I'll be ready when the time is right." Final says with a nod.

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

In the B Block arena,
Dynamo's question just makes Gemsworth's expression sink. "Seriously? Are you trying to get me in trouble for a spell YOU cast? And now you're LAUGHING at me! I don't like being mocked like this..." Gemsworth thinks to himself. With a huff, Gemsworth gets ready to move, but is stopped when Dynamo suddenly puts on a display.

"Transformation?!" But he doesn't let this surprise development stop him. At first, the crystal pony clangs his front hooves together before running towards Dynamo. Then Dynamo takes aim, and says some kind of attack phrase. "Not so fast." Stopping, Gemsworth reveals his own secret. He was hiding it for this match, but then he magically makes it appear. A horn! He's a unicorn! And while his horn is still glowing, he casts another spell while waving a hoof. "Flugel Funnel!" He makes a magical construct in the shape of a giant air funnel, or rather, a giant horn. The blasts of compressed air go into the large end of the funnel and it comes out as a measly flat buzz of air. And since Dynamo has begun to move, Gemsworth doesn't have time for a one-liner. Instead, he makes the narrow end of the funnel extend closer to him, and blows into it while rotating around.

The result is the funnel makes a LOUD musical note! The intense volume of it is causes ponies and onlookers to grab their ears and whine in pain. Straightaway said something about the situation, but his commentary is drowned out by the sound of this gigantic funnel-tuned-horn.

In the C Block arena,
To outsiders, no one can see the shockwave Greed/Cheap sent through the arena floor. Onlookers outside the ring might be able to feel it, but they won't see it. However, for anyone INSIDE the ring, Greed/Cheap might as well be creating ripples in the ocean. And the shockwave is enough to make Flim momentarily trip. He comes out of high speed and nearly falls over himself. "Ooh~! Like making waves, do ya? Well, that means nothing to an opponent who is AIRBORNE!" Thinking himself clever, Flim jumps up, his enhanced abilities allowing him to jump higher than normal. "I held back a little before, but now allow me to throw the FULL weight of my muscle!!" Flim gives warning as he winds up.

As he launches himself down at full speed hoof-first, he has every intent to punch his foe even harder! He gets closer, closer, closer, and...!!
-Poof-
Some light smoke clouds fly off his body. Flim's punch did connect, but to his surprise, the elixir has warn off. He's back to his normal size and strength. And naturally, Flim's looking a little horrified as he stands there, his week hoof against his opponent. "...Oh, uhh... I really thought the effects would last longer then that..."

Edited July 30, 2021 by Samurai Equine

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

@Courageous Thunder Dash @Samurai Equine @PawelS

Pencil Pouch and Sparkly followed the group as they were led to the next exhibit. In the next room over was a part of Thundy’s vehicle collection. Chelsea listed off the names, but both Pencil and Sparkly were confused at them. Pencil was confused because she knew nothing about cars at all, and Sparkly had just never been around anything this fancy. Still, they were neat to look at, though.

“You have a point there, Starlight,” Pencil commented. “These aren’t exactly art in the traditional sense, but they were made by somebody, so they are technically art.”

“I don’t understand why or how we have cars here,” Sparkly stated, a bit confused and even a little frustrated on the matter. “How are ponies supposed to drive with hooves, and more importantly, where would ponies need to go with vehicles? Most places around here are in relative trotting distance.”

Pencil nodded at Sparkly, listening to what she had to say. She agreed that the existence of the cars was a bit strange, but to be fair, everything in this town was strange. It was better to roll with things rather than overthink what occurs around here.

“Driving with hooves is pretty complicated from what I’ve heard, but I know some ponies around here have made it work. Also, I’m not sure how the cars got here either what with the limited supplies Equestria has, but here they are, sitting in front of our faces! Honestly, I just don’t question things around here anymore, hehe! I just go with the flow.” Pencil responded. She chuckled at her last statement, which caused Sparkly to crack a smile.

As they waited for Chelsea to continue the tour, Pencil stepped over to one of the cars and watched her reflection through one. She made an assortment of silly faces in them. Sparkly hung back, still not completely interested in the cars, but watched as Pencil continued her silly shenanigans.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine @PawelS

"Well...since we griffons have talons, it's quite easy for us of course. Humans have hands and feet except they're not as sharp as our talons." Chelsea said as she led the group to the next exhibit, which was a room with pictures of cities and towns in Equestria. "Now this room is really special. You see, before I came to Friendshire, Thundy introduced me to this pegasus pony who had this super awesome gift. After flying over a town or city just one time, he could recreate it all in an art piece! In other words, he has a really amazing photographic memory." Chelsea said excitedly. 

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

In the B Block arena,
Upon reappearing near Gemsworth's side, Dynamo had taken notice of a giant funnel like horn appearing out of nowhere. Based on the glow of the crystal pony's horn, Dynamo was able to deduce that he was fighting against a unicorn. However, the flugel funnel had absorbed the two blasts of compressed air. Turning them into flat bursts that must have felt like a nice breeze. That didn't deter the gaming unicorn as the blasts were mostly a distraction. His real goal was a followup attack as he charged up his back legs to strike. The only problem was that the funnel extended closer to Gemsworth, while the crystal unicorn had begun to rotate around clockwise. All the while, blasting what could only be described as a loud musical note. Dynamo had stopped in his charge as he crumpled to the ground in a heap. "AH! What's that noise!?" He used his two forearms and hooves to cover up his noise to drown out the note. However, it was still too strong as he could feel his body vibrating from the noise. 'I have to move, but that note is sending my equilibrium out of whack. I need to plug up the source, or I'm never going to take him down. What do I do?' He thought, gritting and grinding his teeth as he fought to keep one eye open.

He tried to think of something, or anything to try and turn the fight around. He could try blasting magic or even take a chance with elemental magic towers the giant funnel. He opted against it as it could just be blasted back at him and either hurt him, or send him out of the ring in the process. 'Come on! I have to think. Think, think think!' He thought, keeping his ears lowered as he lowered his two front hooves towards the ground. At this point, he would either be blown away, or lose by passing out from the loud noise. With how Gemsworth was playing, Dynamo wondered if he was tunnel visioning his his assault. 'I just need to move and get out of the ring. At the very least, get him to stop blasting that music.' Clenching his two front hooves and without reason, his gloves had begun to expand like he was ready to fire a blast. As the blast of compressed air had been released, Dynamo had found himself flying through the air and out of the ring. "Woah!" He exclaimed, flying towards the ceiling as he was out of the range of the blast of music. "D-Did I just use some move without thinking about it?" He muttered to himself, before realizing that he didn't have time to think about it. As he began to free fall, he knew if he didn't land properly, then he could land out of the ring. Looking at Gemsworth playing the note with the giant horn, Dynamo had realized his earlier thoughts of him tunnel visioning were right. 'If he can't see me, then...' In that sudden moment of realization, the gaming unicorn had come up with an idea. "I just hope this works." He turned in his position as his back faced the floor. Using his gloves once more, he aimed a compressed blast of air near the ceiling. 'Delamare Smash: Air Force!' Once the blast was released once more, Dynamo found himself flying like a jet towards his opponent. Turning his his trajectory, the blue unicorn had powered up his hind legs for his intended attack that was previously stopped. Since Gemsworth was spinning clockwise, then there might be a chance that he couldn't spin counterclockwise. He just had to take a chance as he neared his opponent. 'Shoot Style!' He thought, before pulling bak his hind legs as he threw out a powerful kick. "St. Hoofis Smash!" If the attack connected, then it would slam into Gemsworth and potentially take him out of the ring. If not, then Dynamo would be ready to counter with what he had learned.

Cosmic and Frozen had folded their ears downward as they were hit by the intense volume. While they were still strong to try and resist, it was still getting on their nerves. "If it was going to be this obnoxious, then I would have suggested that we moved over to a different block!" Cosmic shouted, Frozen barely able to hear his teammate next to him. "It's working, isn't it? When you dance at a party and the music is up way past it's limit, then it affects the body. You don't notice it at first, but the body shuts down as you lose your equilibrium. So, it's a battle of time as Pad can't move. Giving Gemsworth all the more reason to strike while the iron is hot." Frozen explained, Cosmic tilting his head in confusion. Narrowing his eyes slightly as the sound was getting to him. "I don't know what you said! I do know that this crystal ornament can't move either! If he can, then it's a miracle. It's basically a stalemate at this point, but I think we have our winner." He chuckled as he gritted his teeth into a smirk. However, the smirk soon faded as he began to see a turnaround in the fight.

In the C Block arena,
As the shockwave made it's way throughout the ring, Cheap cheered with a hop as he nailed his target. "Bullseye!" He exclaimed, holding back a laugh as Flim nearly fell over himself. "Typically I love to rock the boat, but don't rock the boat, baby! Rock the boat, but don't tip the boat over~!" He sang out loud, while trying to give a smart remark. With how he was handling his opponent, he wasn't taking this fight seriously. Upon hearing the unicorn was going to go airborne, Cheap could only watch as Flim had launched himself into the air with a jump. "Oh, so you called that holding back? I thought you were going all out? Guess I was worried for nothing." He taunted, hearing that Flim was going to throw his whole enhanced body weight upon the burgundy earth pony. 

Once gravity did it's job, he saw his opponent falling back towards the ground a full speed. Cheap had contemplated on turning around and pulling his hind legs back to kick Flim away. However, he opted to just stand and take the attack. If this elixir was as strong as the sales pony had said, then it would at least be a good test for Cheap's gift. It would be a battle between muscle against muscle. He got into a defensive stance to try and intercept the attack. Closer and closer did Flim get as he and Cheap were about to clash, but it never came to be. Instead, there was a sudden poof as light smoke bellowed off of the unicorn's body. The punch had connected, but Cheap hadn't moved an inch. Instead, his gaze was greeted by the normal, scrawny size of Flim's original form. Witnessing his opponent's horrified gaze was like music to Cheap's ears. "Aww, what's wrong? Did you suddenly run out of steam? Well, then. That's too bad as it looks like you ran out of time on your end of the deal. However, my deal is never-ending and is infinite." Cheap's left foreleg extended as his hoof grabbed at Flim's shirt. Lifting him up as if he was a sack of potatoes. "So, let me see if I can recreate the moment that you were trying to envision, okay? Now how did it go? Oh, wait! I remember now!" He smiled an eerie smile as he threw Flim into the air. The scene almost playing out moment for moment. Only this time, Cheap had pulled back his other foreleg, before throwing it straight at his opponent's chest. If the attack connected, then the punch would send Flim flying out of the arena.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

Being the receiver of a train horn wake up, Thundy stood there, his ears twitching only a little as the crystal pony had let out a very loud musical note from the horn. "The note and blast are really strong. Dynamo better have something to keep him from getting blown away..." Thundy thought to himself as he patiently waited for the note to end. 

[Samurai Equine 45,822]

@Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @PawelS

Starlight enjoys the fact that Pencil agrees with her. Sparkly's comments strike her as odd, though. "Are you sure you're a clone of Twilight? For lack of a better word, ponies have always been able to 'grip' things, including stirring wheels. Twilight has read some materials about it. It a combination of many thing; latent muscles, microscopic fibrous barbs at the ends of our hooves, small traces of magic that all ponies and many other creatures have, etc. There's not enough science to completely say for sure, but it does give us the ability to grip things when we want to. As for vehicles, ours might not be as sophisticated as these, but it's a nice luxury when you're tired of walking. It's not necessary, but some like it. Like wearing clothes." Starlight does her best to explain.

In the next room, Starlight sees art that was expecting to see. "Wow~ What was the name of this pegasus?" She asks Chelsea.

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

In the B Block arena,
It's true, Gemsworth attention was facing forward, his sight obstructed from the giant horn that he is playing. Even the constant musical note he is playing is keeping him from completely hearing his surroundings, so naturally he doesn't hear a thing when Dynamo propels himself into the air. And he definitely doesn't hear it when Dynamo announces any of his attacks. As a result, the mighty kick connects! Gemsworth is caught off guard, and he is slammed into the ground and bounces around because of it. Furthermore, his playing is interrupted, as is his magic. His horn stops glowing, and the funnel/horn disappears.

Though the kick sends Gemsworth bounding away, it is only by sheer force that he is able to stop himself seconds away from the boundary of the arena. With a grunt, Gemsworth pulls himself up, and pats a few parts of his body. "That was close... If I had been a little less armored, I would have been done for." He looks at Dynamo and tries to think what the best counter attack could be. "Let's try... A royal barricade!" He runs forward so that he is not so close to the edge, comes to a stop, and activates his magic again. This time, his magic makes a new construct. It's a half-dome shield that covers his front side, but the front of the shield has large spikes! When the shield is summoned, it hits against the arena floor with a loud and heavy thud. And with some concentration, the spikes shoot off the shield like projectiles! And it's not just one volley either. The shield is able to regenerate new spikes to replace the ones previously fired. Since these spikes are made out of magic, then he has a virtually limitless supply.

"Thankfully the music has stopped. But what's this?! Are those some kind of sharp projectiles?! If those seriously kill of severely injure Dynamo in any way... Wait! It appears they aren't lethal at all!". Straightaway commentates, noticing something. No doubt Dynamo will be fast enough to avoid the first volley of spikes, and when they hit the cage walls outside the boundary of the ring, the cage walls violently rattle and shake. They don't break apart though, and the spikes that collided with them just vanish. So these projectiles might not be fatal, but they do have a lot of force behind them. Getting hit by too many could easily knock anyone out of the ring!

In the C Block arena,
"Guh?! Hey!! Unhoof me this instant!" Flim demands as soon his Greed/Cheap grabs him by the shirt/vest, grabbing ahold of Greed/Cheap's arm and squirming. Bad choice of words, of course. For he does let Flim go, in the most painful way possible. First the toss, and then... "MY LUNCH~!!" Flim says as he is sent airborne via punch.

"This might be it for Flim Skim, fillies and gentle-- I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S HANGING IN THERE!" Striaghtaway commentates, only to be surprised. Why? Because Greed/Cheap will soon find that Flim is using his magic to stay connected to him. He's using it like a magical tether line! So while he does fly a distance, the line snags and snaps Flim right back into the ring! Sure, he hits the arena floor and goes into nasty little tumble, but he is still able to pick himself right back up and deactivate his magic. ... Although, Flim is clearly roughed up and a little out of breath now. Even his hat is mashed. "Heh... Heh... I won't go out that easily, not without one last shot! Now, let's see here..." Flim takes a moment to strategize, mostly mumbling to himself. "What did fine print say on the Elixir again? Works only for a short time. Effects can be lengthened with mind over matter? No, no! Positive thinking won't get me out this predicament... I'll have to use strategy." Flim nods.

Reaching into his vest, he pulls out~! A mushed banana? Guess that's what he meant by 'his lunch'. Looking at it with disappointment, Flim peels the banana, discards the mushed innards, then magically places the peel on the ground halfway between himself and Greed/Cheap. With his magic aura still up, he can move the peel to a different spot at a moment's notice. "...Now step on it, if you dare, you oafish scoundrel!"

Edited August 1, 2021 by Samurai Equine

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

"Well, at least that's over..." Thundy said as he saw Dynamo land the kick. He then saw Gemsworth prepare some sort of modified shield with spikes on it...that seemed to launch the spikes towards Dynamo. "Dynamo, look out!" Thundy called out.

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

In the B Block arena,
As the kick sent Gemsworth flying away, Dynamo had landed back on the ground on all his hooves. He raised his head back up to look at his opponent, who nearly fell out of the boundary of the arena. The gaming unicorn narrowed his eyes slightly, while seeing Gemsworth standing back up with a few pats to his armor. "I've got to admit that you're very durable. Even with that armor, not many would be able to stand up to a kick like that and still be able to stand. Being a royal guard or not, you're pretty good, Gemsworth." He would say, showing that he had respect for his opponent. As the crystal pony ran forward, Dynamo raised an eyebrow as to what his opponent was plotting. His answer was almost immediately answered as saw a magic construct/barrier was created. Dynamo wondered if all Gemsworth did was focus on defense. He did have ways to work with his offense, but it almost felt lacking. Granted, his defense was nothing to brag about either. Given that he was nearly on the ground, while writhing in pain from the loud noise from earlier.

With the shield created, the gaming unicorn had heard the thud loud and clear. 'So, it looks like that shield is going to be durable. I got to give it all I've got in order to break through and get to Gem.' He thought, being broken out by Thundy, who had given him his warning. Dynamo had soon saw Gemsworth produce spikes that seemed to have generated from the shield. That wasn't the bad part as the spikes had broke away from the shield, before being fired off like a rocket. "Uh oh!" He exclaimed, activating Full Cowl to try and move and dodge as fast as he could to avoid being hit. Thankfully, he managed to dodge the first volley of spikes, but the impact from the first wave hadn't gone unnoticed. While the spikes had disappeared after hitting the cage walls. Dynamo felt shaky as he could hear the violent rattle and shake. "At least the cage didn't break upon impact, but those spikes are really strong. With a strong shield like that, then it's got to have a good offense. I have to be careful. If I get hit by even one of those things, then it's all over." He softly muttered to himself, while trying to figure out how to dodge something that fired so quickly. He knew full cowl would give him speed, but he knew he would tire out eventually. Even using the air blasts wouldn't be enough to keep him in the ring if he were to get hit. He needed a way to keep himself flying, or at least in the ring. 'Wait...flying! That's it!' As a thought dawned upon him, he held out his right foreleg once more. His horn glowing with magic as another Gashat cartridge had appeared. With a click, the sound of the device could be heard. 

EXPLOSION!

Turning the lever back, he inserted the cartridge into the other open slot of the Driver, before pulling the lever back open. A bright light had appeared once more as a new transformation was taking place.

GASHAT! GACHAN! LEVEL UP!

"I will be Number One with my own hooves! EXPLOSION!"

As the light soon faded away, it looked like nothing had changed. Dynamo as still wearing his outfit he had been wearing before, but it looked a little different. That difference was that Dynamo now sported gauntlets that were styled to look like grenades. While they would explode like a grenade would, it would provide him some better mobility.

Spoiler

With a leap, Dynamo's gauntlets soon lit up, before an explosion could be seen. With each explosion, the gaming unicorn was able to take to the skies as if he was flying. However he was only able to fly with each propulsion of explosion that escaped from his gauntlets. At the same time, he tried to strategize a way to win as he prepared himself for the next volley of spikes that would soon come.

Back in the crowd, Cosmic and Frozen watched the match unfold. "Hmm...it looks like that kick was strong, but it wasn't enough. Looks as if Pad is either still weak, or he's underestimating that crystal pony's durability. A costly mistake on his part if this continues." Frozen commented, Cosmic huffed in annoyance. "I guess he wasn't strong enough after all. Either that, or he doesn't know how to use the full power of whatever he has. I still can't wrap my mind around how he managed to get this form." The two watched as spikes had been launched, before violently slamming into the caged walls. "Oh, that was close. Almost got to see a shish kabob from a unicorn." Cosmic chuckled, while hoping to see Dynamo struggle. It was then, however, that Dynamo had performed his next transformation. What they saw was not a new form, but an attachment of gauntlets. "So, now he has Bakugo's gauntlets for explosions? What else does he have?" Cosmic wondered, Frozen merely adjusting his glasses. "Seems like he might be desperate if whatever he had wasn't enough. Talk about digging through the bottom of the barrel." Cosmic nodded, while he took something into account. "It's just like him to try different combos to find his win con. He could never stick to one thing and expect it to work. Utterly pathetic."

In the C Block arena,
As Flim was sent airborne from Cheap's punch, the earth pony watched as it looked like he had won his fight. He was about to start walking away, but stopped as he heard Straightaway announce that the unicorn was still in this fight. He wanted to find out how that was even possible. "Did I not use enough power, or is that dumb elixir still in effect!?" He exclaimed in frustration, before looking down as his eyes widened in shock and realization. For connected to Cheap was a magical tether line. "What!? How did connect a line to me!? Get it off! Get it off of me now!" He exclaimed, wondering if it had been the punch that Flim threw as his elixir had worn off. He wasn't sure as too many things were happening at once. What he did want to know was if the line was still attached to his body or not. He didn't have time to figure things out as Flim had managed to get back up to his hooves. He looked worse for wear as his clothes and hat were roughed up, but seemed out of breath.

"You got lucky, but that's as far as you're going to get. So, you better get it through you head that this is the end of the line for you, fool!" He exclaimed, watching as Flim hilariously muttered to himself.  Upon reaching into his vest, Cheap raised an eyebrow as the unicorn pulled out a mushed banana. "You're joking, right? I go and destroy your lunch and then you have the audacity to use it against me? Do you have no shame, or do you not have any brains?" He could only watch as Flim threw the banana halfway between the two of them. Seeing Flim's aura on the fruit peel, it seemed that he had full control over the peel itself. "Oh, some I'm an oafish scoundrel, eh? Okay, well then. I'll play your game." He took a few steps forward, before rushing off into a sprint. He kept an eye on the peel at all times, but made sure to keep an eye on Flim. In hopes that he wouldn't move around or try any funny business. If he was going to mess with Cheap, then the earth pony would teach the con artist a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

Edited August 2, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

Thundy let out a sigh of relief as Dynamo moved out the way. He then saw Dynamo change modify his current outfit, with what seemed to be grenade launchers. Thundy got an idea. "Dynamo, leap as hard as you can before you pull your explosive jump. You might be able to break through if you aim and time your jumps right." Thundy called out. 

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

@Courageous Thunder Dash @Samurai Equine @PawelS

The group traversed down the next corridor, passing by a series of hoof-drawn pictures of various cities and towns. Pencil had only seen them briefly when putting them up, so this is the first time she could take a proper look at them. She marveled at each individual city, seeing many places that she had never even heard about, aside from what her friend Granite Rose told to about them from his trips.

“Look, Sparkly, here’s Sire’s Hollow!” Pencil exclaimed. She then put a hoof over her mouth, remembering museums were supposed to be quiet.

Sparkly trotted over with a curious look on her face. Once she was in view of the image, she saw along with Pencil the hundreds of spire-topped houses. The flat tops of the shops along with their various decorated signs were also visible, giving the overview of the town a cozy appearance. The most prominent feature was the gate standing out front, the infamous gate that spoke “Welcome to Sire’s Hollow” at everyone who opened it. Pencil mentally rolled her eyes, remembering how many times a day that thing would go off.

“Your hometown is very pleasant, going off of this drawing. It is small compared to the other towns here but it looks like it has a lot to offer. I would like to visit it someday and see it for myself, as well as see what your life there is like.” Sparkly spoke as she continued to scan the drawing.

“That sounds pretty fun!” Pencil exclaimed while keeping her voice down this time. “Someday I’ll have to take you there. I don’t know when, but hopefully I can finish my big commission so I can be able to leave. I have to do the commission here, which is why I set up a house in Friendshire in the first place.”

While Pencil looked around at the rest of the drawings, Sparkly trotted over towards Starlight to continue their conversation. Starlight was getting less and less convinced that Sparkly was truly a clone. Sparkly frowned in concern, knowing sooner or later she may have to offer further proof.

“I…don’t really look this way, the way that I do now. This coat color results from a powder I use to hide my true color and true appearance. Later, I can show you my true identity if you still are not convinced that I am a clone.” she whispered, despite the group already being aware of the big secret. There could be other ponies passing through, though, so she did not want to draw unnecessary attention.

“Pony anatomy is something I am only beginning to learn. I will have to test this science for myself once I am able to grab something. I cannot touch anything in this museum, so it will have to be at a later time,” she said out loud, directing the conversation back to more technical things. “I still do not see the purpose in vehicles if they are not absolutely necessary, just like the clothes ponies wear. However, I see my cloak as a necessity since I need it to hide my…secret.” Sparkly said the last part in a hushed tone, afraid others might hear.

[Samurai Equine 45,822]

@Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @PawelS

With a polite wave, Starlight decides against it. "It's fine. Maybe some other time, when I'm not on a mission." Still, Sparkly's next comment is rather interesting. "Well, not everything has to be practical to exist. Some things exist just because they are fun, or just because somepony wanted to make it. We have trains, video games, spells that temporarily give you a mustache. They might not be necessary, but they can be fun, fun things can give our lives a sense fulfillment too. Don't you think?"

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

In the A Block arena,
"And that's a ring out! At least, that's what I want to say, but..." The botanist defeated the fisher by growing a venus flytrap. A GIGANTIC one at that~! It grabbed the fisherpony in one bite and made his feet touch the outside of the ring, much to the fisherpony's squirms and muffled cries of defeat. However, the botanist destroyed a section of the ring to make the plant grow in the first place, so now they are BOTH disqualified. As the two fighters leave the ring, staff members come out and begin repairing the arena before the next set of fighters can be announced.

In the B Block arena,
"...Midas' Touch!" Gemsworth exclaimed upon seeing Dynamo change forms again and take flight. Unlike his last attack, Gemsworth's current attack allows him to see in multiple directions. And oddly enough, he takes one side of his shield and begins to push it, trying to re-aim it in Dynamo's direction again! However, like an actual wall, this shield is barely budging at all. As it slowly rotates, you can hear it loudly grinding against the arena floor, as if it really was made out of a heavy metal. Normally, a unicorn shouldn't have to struggle this hard against their own magic. Does he have a reason for not recalling the shield using magic to rotate it? Either way, it is taking him WAY too long to re-aim it!

In the C Block arena,
To put it lightly, Flim was sweating bullets and shaking in his non-existent boots. He didn't want to move the banana peel too soon, and he didn't want to take his eyes off the prize even for a second. He had to wait... Wait for the golden opportunity... Even with Greed/Cheap running at him so fast, he had to make sure not to choke or do this too early, thus Flim's hyper focus and adrenaline was making it look like Greed/Cheap was running in slow motion. "...!!" And when Flim was absolutely sure Cheap/Greed was a split second away from the banana peel, he magically and strategically moves it, hoping that the next step he finishes taking will be on that slippery peel.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Samurai Equine

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

Chelsea waited patiently as she heard Sparkly, Pencil and Starlight talked. She looked up and saw the Griffon Kingdom up on the map. Memories started to seep back in. Chelsea let out a few sniffles, and wiped a stray tear in her eye. 

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

In the B Block arena,
As he continued to fly in the air through the use of explosion after explosion, Dynamo had made sure to keep his distance from his opponent. He hadn't used the grenade gauntlets before, so he was still getting used to flying. Flying around the ring, the gaming unicorn's ears perked at a sudden sound being created. He winced slightly as the grinding of the floor almost felt like nails on a chalkboard. Glancing at his opponent, he began to notice that Gemsworth had been trying to move his shield, but why? All the while, taking notice that only his front half was covered by the shield. He was completely exposed to any attack from behind him. 'Does he not realize that, or is he plotting something by drawing me into a false sense of security.' He thought, while recalling the crystal unicorn trying to move their shield in a struggle. 'No, that can't be it. If it's taking him this long to re-aim the shield, then that gives me an idea.' He continued to use his explosions to glide around the area. All the while, keeping the crystal pony guessing as to what he would do next. He managed to get the timing down a little bit better in regards to avoiding the spikes, but he couldn't keep relying on his abilities. Sooner or later, he'd make a mistake and that would cost him. 

As hie eyes trailed down briefly towards his grenade gauntlets, he finally decided that now was the time. Considering that the part of the gauntlet that were nearest to his hooves were glowing slightly. Flying towards the open part of the shield, he made sure to keep his distance as he held his two forelegs out. His left hoof was completely held forward, while his right foreleg was held at a side as his right hoof was placed in front of his left. "Just remember how he did it. Don't launch it from all of my hoof, but an explosion from a concentrated point." He mumbled softly to himself, while his hooves began to glow from the gauntlets. "AP Shot! (Armor Piercing shot). Suddenly and without warning, Dynamo had blasted a sort of laser like beam from his hooves. With the explosions he had given off before, the increase of the attack was increased. 

Spoiler

As the attack was launched, Dynamo righted himself in the air, but he wouldn't stop there. If the attack connected, then it would do some damage and possibly break the shield. If it didn't knock him out of the ring, then Dynamo would follow it up with another attack.

"It's over." Cosmic simply stated as he started to lose interest in watching the fight. "You see it too, huh?" Frozen asks, his eyes trailing over to the neon green unicorn, while he tried keeping focus on the fight. "Yeah, I do. The fact that this crystal ornament is trying to move the shield around is proof enough. He could simply turn off the shield, turn around and reactivate the shield, but that wouldn't solve anything. Having no shield behind him is a glaring weakness." Cosmic commented, Frozen nodding as his teammate was exactly on point. "Not to mention that Kyubiki just used an attack that's literally called an armor piercing shot. Way to sound original there." He rolled his eyes, but continued. "Even if it's not enough, that should just take down the shield. So, unfortunately it looks like the outcome has been decided."

In the C Block arena,
As Cheap was nearing his opponent, he grinned with glee as he saw Flim was sweating up a storm. He was making the unicorn nervous which was a good thing. His opponent and anyone else he faced should be afraid. Just as he was a few inches away, Cheap gasped as the banana peel was right in front of him. As soon as he would take his next step, then he would be in trouble. "Oh, then maybe I can use this. I've always wanted to reenact something from Super Smash Brothers." He grinned as his forelegs had touched the banana peel, before he suddenly slipping and tripping over his hooves. He felt himself being flung upwards into the air, while flipping as his back faced the ground. However, that was exactly what he was after as he righted himself in the air. "Hey! This is sort of like playing as Bowser. You know when you can do his down B move?" He wondered if Flim would understand, but at the same time, he didn't honestly care. As he felt gravity pull beginning to pull him down, he made sure to throw his full body weight at his opponent. Descending quickly, he threw all of his legs outwards, while taking aim at Flim. If his plan worked, then he would land upon his opponent's back. With his body weight from the fall, it would cause enough pain to incapacitate his opponent.

Spoiler

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Samurai Equine 45,822]

@Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @PawelS

Starlight sees Chelsea suddenly breaking down and panics. "Ah! What?! What's wrong?! Please don't be sad, Ms. Chelsea." She waves her hooves, trying to get her to calm down, not sure what to do. She finally decides on magically summoning a hanky for Chelsea.

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

In the B Block arena,
Gemsworth was frantically looking back and fourth between Dynamo and his shield, desperately trying to make it move. "Come on~ You nailed this in practice, it's not THAT heavy~!" Gemsworth says to himself. But despite his best efforts to make the shield rotate around faster, it's too late. He sees Dynamo taking aim and then calling out his attack. Gemsworth shield is only half rotated, hardly enough to aim properly. Time for a desperation move. "Nnn... Guh! AAHHH!!!!" With some squirming, Gemsworth slips off his armor and throws it at the blast, hoping it'll block it and give him some more time. But it fails. The blast is powerful enough to send that armor flying right into Gemsworth at rocket-fast speeds, but it hardly stops there. The collision of both the discarded armor and the blast pushes Gemsworth forward, hard and fast. As a result, Gemsworth slams into his own shield, which also is pushed forward a bit, and becomes dazed. His magic breaks, the shield vanishes, and the AP Shot successfully pushes Gemsworth out of the ring. When the blast ends it's clear the armor is totally ruined, and thankfully so. That could have been Gemsworth himself.

 "And that's a ring out! Gemsworth is disqualified, and Dynamo Pad advances to the next round!" Straightaway commentates.

In the C Block arena,
For a split second, Flim is relieved. The peel actually worked?! But then he sees Greed/Cheap moving upwards into the air, a completely different direction than what he expected. "...Bows-who?" Flim asks when his opponent asks an airborne question, but it doesn't matter. Flim's eyes go wide with fear when he sees that Greed/Cheap is going to use the descent to strike a major blow. Flim turns around and tries to run away, but like a classic cartoon character, it comes with a temporary wind-up time. And because of that, Flim is unable to get away fast enough. With a powerful slam, Greed/Cheap might not have hit Flim's backside completely because he had partially began to move away, but he did hit him just enough it sent Flim flying out of the ring. In fact, Flim flies so fast that he slams into the cage wall. Naturally, this does the trick. Stars spin around his head as Flim begins to black out. "...Sorry folks, all sales are final. No refunds~" I a tired and dizzy state, Flim manages to get out his final words as gravity makes his body slides down the cage walls.

 "Flim Skim has fallen outside of the ring. This fight is over, and Greed advances!" Straightaway commentates.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Samurai Equine

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

In the B Block arena,
As the attack had made his mark, Dynamo had thought he had seen armor being thrown. However, he watched as his opponent had been hit by the blast, while being pushed out of the ring. Using the explosions to maneuver, he landed back into the ring. Just as Straightaway had announced his victory over Gemsworth. Dynamo took a deep breath and sighed softly, while having a small smile upon his face. The smile soon faded as he noticed where Gemsworth had landed, before making his way over towards his downed opponent. It took him a moment as he deactivated his Driver, but he finally made it to where the crystal pony had landed. "Gemsworth are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" He asks, extending a foreleg for the crystal guard to take. "That was a good fight, in my opinion. You gave me both trouble and a challenge. Your magic was pretty awesome and I hope we can battle again sometime, as well as be friends." The smile that faded had made its return as he smiled softly to further add to his honesty.

In the C Block arena,
As the attack had connected, Cheap's hooves had slammed into Flim as he was sent flying. The burgundy earth pony had landed back on his hooves. Albeit, stumbling slightly, before finding his balance. Holding a hoof up as if he was giving a performance, or competing in a major competition. Looking at the damage he had done, he had noticed that Flim had slammed into the cage wall. He had heard the loud clang and rattle from the impact of the cage wall, but seeing was more believing. He had a look of disappointment as if his victory was more of a hollow one. "Aw, crud! I was hoping to slam into his back and be known as a backbreaker, buuuut..." That look of disappointment had disappeared as soon as it appeared. "...I still won, baby! Alright! Yahoo!" He jumped around and cheered, while accepting any and all praise he could get. He even rolled his eyes as he thought he had heard Flim's attempt at pitching a sale. It was all for naught as the unicorn's body had slid down the cage wall. "A pleasure doing business with you...loser." He chuckled, giving a mock bow at the defeated unicorn, before making his way out of the ring.

Meanwhile, back with Cosmic and Frozen. The two had watched as Dynamo's fight had come to an end. "Seems like you were right. I don't doubt you in your analysis, but I still would rather be sure. Gathering intel is better than just assuming." Frozen explained, Cosmic giving a slight nod to let the pegasus know that he heard him. "It seems like the old punching back had learned a few tricks. Makes you wonder what else he had learned since he's been gone. That, and how did he get that belt in the first place." He responded, Frozen's cold and calculating gaze was analyzing a mile a minute. "Not enough data, so it'll remain inconclusive. One can argue he got it at a convention, but a belt like that shouldn't be that powerful." Frozen would say, Cosmic shaking his head with a shrug of his shoulders. "It doesn't matter, in the end. Either we get it away from him, or we'll just have to try and ruin it. We'll make sure to let the town know of the truth and run this brat out of town." Cosmic had grinned maliciously as Frozen didn't react. However, if you looked closely, then you could see a small and terrifying smile. A smile that showed he was in agreement with the neon green unicorn. Hearing the announcement, Frozen's smile dropped as he looked over at C Block's ring. "It looks like Cheap had claimed victory too. With the typical gloating to boot." He would say, Cosmic looking over at Cheap to see the spectacle unfold. "Was there ever any doubt?" He asks, taking note of Frozen's doubtful expression. "Okay, point proven. Even so, at least we all moved on. For now, we stick to the plan of divide and conquer. Rather, we take it up a notch and fix up the plan." He would say, waiting for the next fights to be announced, before continuing with his plans.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

"Oh what a fight! Way to go buddy!" Thundy cheered as he walked over to Dynamo and Gemsworth. "Both of you put up a really good fight, it was quite entertaining. Say, I've never seen you use those grenades before..." Thundy said to Dynamo

@ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

"M-memories..." Chelsea said trying to hold back a sob as she looked up at her beloved griffon kingdom, where the memorial of those who were lost in the attack stood.

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

@Courageous Thunder Dash @Samurai Equine @PawelS

Sparkly nodded at Starlight Glimmer thoughtfully before adding her own thoughts to the conversation.

“I have trains and video games in my world, although I do not have magic spells. That is what makes your world different from mine in the broadest perspective. I understand that not all things are practical, but if they are not practical, then there is simply no use for them.

I would have to disagree with you on trains because although people in my world can drive or fly on planes, which is must faster, trains still transport people and goods places. As for everything else you mentioned, those are merely hobbies, they are not necessary to sustain life.” she spoke.

Pencil overheard the conversation and chimed in.

“Y-you have a point there, Sparkly, but fun things can mean a lot to others! I know video games mean a lot to Dynamo Pad, one of my friends here. They make him very happy and also give him a lot of power, somehow. I’m not sure how the whole game magic works, you would have to ask him yourself. I believe they mean a lot to Samurai, too, he might not play them as much but they have influenced him in a good way,” she added. “And just look at what I do! I draw for a living, and ponies might not really need drawings to live, but they can bring a lot of meaning into their lives. At least, that is what I always hope for.”

Sparkly listens intently to the feedback. Putting it in that perspective, it was hard to disagree. Even just looking around at the museum, she could tell there was a purpose to it. She still had her reserves about the practicality of things, but she understood that there were a vast majority of unexplainable things in life. Coming from Earth, she knew that all too well.

“You bring up an excellent point. That is why I aim to teach others about my world, to allow them to learn and grow and think about their own world differently. I may need to learn about your world as well in order to share some of my own knowledge. I am curious about Equestria just as you are about Earth.” she responded with an understanding smile.

Pencil and Sparkly soon turned towards a sad sound, the sound of Chelsea sobbing over by a monument of the Griffon Kingdom. Pencil trotted over and comforted her friend, not wanting her to be upset. Sparkly trotted close but did nothing as she did not know the griffon very well and did not know what to say or do. Pencil then turned to a panicky Starlight and said calmly,

“It’s ok, Starlight, she gets very emotional about her old home.”