open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[The Real Sparkly]

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

Once the magic transference had been completed, Pencil grunted as her horn began to feel numb, creating a pulsating sensation in her head. Sparkly’s wings went limp and she was unable to fly, just like the other pegasi in the room. They were not too bothered, however, as the pain was only a minor discomfort.

“I hope this is able to help Bluebell.” Pencil said.

“I am sure that it will.” Sparkly replied reassuringly.

 The two mares waited in silence as everyone else adjusted to their physical ailments. Bingo was the only one unbothered as he was able to wield the power somehow. Sparkly quirked a brow in curiosity. The group talked amongst themselves, describing their issues so that they could take their mind off it some. The only one who wasn’t able to speak was Starlight as she had collapsed on the floor.

“Starlight! Are you okay?” Pencil shrieked.

 Thankfully, the medical staff picked her up and began to take care of her. Her pain had transferred straight to her head which is why she lost consciousness. Pencil breathed in relief, glad Starlight was okay for the most part.

Meanwhile, some members of the group began wondering why they didn’t just transfer all of Bluebell’s pain to Cosmic. After all, he was the one who caused it. Both Pencil and Sparkly had their own opinions on the matter.

“That coward of a stallion deserves every bit of pain and more that Bluebell suffered!” she sneered, clenching her teeth. “If we weren’t in a hospital, I would deliver a fraction of that right now!”

“If we were to transfer all of the pain to him, he might become blind with hate and rage like he already was before,” Pencil commented. “Not only that, but what would we prove if we enacted revenge just like he did? Would we be any better for that?”

While the two mares pondered their thoughts, Dynamo had awoken. He stirred around frantically looking for Bluebell, even though she was right there next to him. Sparkly and Pencil strode over calmly to him to let him know that everything was going to be fine.

“There there, Dynamo, we have Bluebell all taken care of. We took out all the pain she was feeling and transferring a bit of it on to everyone. That way, the pain isn’t so much to bear.” Pencil said reassuringly.

“Cosmic, Cheap, and Frozen are also taken care of. Cosmic will only be able to comply with Samurai’s wishes, lest he be punished any more severely than he is now. Cheap is under Starlight’s captivity but he is thankfully more willing to comply. Frozen has learned from his ways and has proved himself trustworthy.” Sparkly told him.

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

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

Looking over towards Bingo, who had said a name that sounded like Bluebell. Looking to where the finger was pointing towards, Dynamo had seen that Bluebell was in the bed right next to him. Wanting to waste no time, Dynamo pushed the blankets right off of him as he tried to make his way off of the bed. He nearly stumbled and fell to the floor, but was caught by Samurai and Chelsea. Leaning onto the asian pony's side, the gaming unicorn had slowly made his way over towards where the sleeping bespectacled mare was sleeping. "T-Thank you for the help, Onii-san. Thank you, as well, Chelsea." He responded, trying to be optimistic from Samurai's words. As Pencil sat near one side of the bed, Dynamo sat down on the other side. As he looked towards the purple mare, Dynamo was surprised to learn that everyone had taken everyone's pain. "I-If that's true, then should I take the pain, as well? If anything, I feel like I'm the one that caused all of this. It's only right that I should try to help Bluebell, as well as everyone else here." He blinked a few times as he heard the mention of what Frozen had gone through. He almost didn't want to believe it, but Frozen seemed somewhat different. Looking back towards his girlfriend, the effects of the amulet seemed to have been doing its job. Seeing some of the injuries were fading had given Dynamo hope that she would be okay. As seconds turned to minutes, one thing was remaining constant. That constant was that Bluebell didn't seem to wake up. Certain injuries from slight bruises were still visible, but something seemed to be wrong. "Bluebell should be awake, right? If what the amulet did was true, then that means that Bluebell should be waking up. Even so, her eyes aren't even opening. S-Something's wrong, b-but what?"

Watching his old punching bag make his way over towards his girlfriend, Frozen was caught by surprise as Thundy had picked him up into a hug. He had heard the griffon's reply, but was slightly bothered from being held, as well as having his fur being stroked. It didn't help that being in the hug had made his wings brush against the griffon's fur. Causing the pegasus to wince and push himself out of Thundy's embrace. "Look, I'm sorry, but can you please not? I'm not exactly what you'd call a hugging pony. Especially with my wings in the state that they are in. I'm going to be a little sore for a while." Noticing this, Calhoun stayed close to the two, while being a bit protective of Frozen. "Please understand, Thundy. We've all gone through a lot. I'm still learning a thing or two about Frozen, but I think he'll come around." Frozen chose to stay out of the conversation, before noticing Dynamo's concern over Bluebell. Glancing that the injuries weren't fully gone and that the sleeping mare was still unconscious. Something just didn't add up. "This doesn't make any sense. I ran through the steps and did the math multiple times. At this point, she should be waking up any moment, but she isn't." Realizing that Cosmic had used the spell, Frozen had turned in the direction that Cosmic was placed in the room. "What did you do, Cosmic? They told you what they wanted to tell you and you still don't comply? Enough is enough. Just give me the amulet shard and I'll do what needs to be done." Cosmic smirked, yet shook his head as he wasn't intending on listening to demands.

"You think I don't know that? I don't care what these losers try to say. They're all weakened slightly. So, their idle threats don't scare me and they don't threaten me either. Besides, I did what I could. Given how my horn is nonexistent at this point." Seeing the surprisingly angered expression on Frozen's face, Calhoun slowly made his way over to his friend. With how much pain he was in, he couldn't get far. He still managed to place a comforting hoof upon the Pegasi's shoulder. "If I wasn't in such a weakened state, I'd send you flying out of this town faster than you can get a word out. With the right trajectory, speed, and force, then we'll have less pests to contend with." Chuckling at the yak's empty threat, Cosmic shook his head with a smirk. That smirk faded slightly as he decided to humor the group. "Very well, then. Since I didn't expect my traitor of a teammate to show me that kind of face, then I'll fill in the dots for you. Since I was using the amulet, my magic was basically turned into dark magic. You could say that she's cursed to never wake up until the magic runs its course. So, she may never wake up for years, or she probably won't make it. Now, I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I do anything with the shard? That's the case and point of the matter. I did, but I did what I could. With so little of the amulet, one can't simply use with what little they have. The same goes for the user. I don't have much of a horn, so I could only do so much with transferring the pain she endured." He explained, the aura around the shard dissipated. Indicating that his magic was gone the moment the shard had hit the ground. It was so quiet, you could hear the sound of the shard hitting the ground. "So, unless you geniuses have any ideas, then you're out of luck."

As he let Cosmic's words process in his mind, Dynamo's body started to shake as reality was setting in. "N-No. Y-You're lying." Staring at the frozen form of Bluebell, Dynamo struggled, yet sat on the bed. Reaching his front hooves to take each side of Bluebell's shoulders to shake her slightly. "B-Bluebell? Bluebell! Open your eyes, please! Prove what Cosmic had said wrong." Even after shaking her a couple of times, there was no response. The only movement from the bespectacled mare was her boyfriend's constant shaking. His breathing reaching a quickened pace, Dynamo racked through his mind to try and think of a solution to help her. "There's got to be something we can do. Anything. I mean, w-what if we use m-magic to transfer it to her. That would work right?" Looking back towards the group, his face looked crestfallen and defeated. Hoping for anyone to agree with him, or to tell him that that would work. Looking down towards the ground, Frozen's eyes turned towards Dynamo's gaze. Even though they were not on good terms before, Frozen knew that he had to tell him the truth. Even though the truth would hurt, he just couldn't give him false hope. "I'm sorry, Dynamo, but that's impossible. A transfer of magic is possible, but that would be pointless. If you even managed to do that, then it would probably be more harm than good. I hate to say it, but what Cosmic said holds merit. Adding more magic could just make things worse, or make it so the dark magic running its course to take longer. I hate to say it, but there might not be much we can do at this point except to give Bluebell time."

Biting his lower lip to prevent himself from showing weakness, Dynamo shook his head slowly as he looked back at Bluebell's sleeping form. Seeing her in this state had reminded him of when his father was in the hospital. Flashes of the event were fresh in his mind. The beeping, the crying, the sound of his father wheezing as he was losing him. Knowing that he could possibly lose Bluebell in a different, yet somewhat similar fashion was too much for Dynamo to bear. "N-No...p-p-please no." His shoulders rocked as his eyes were turning glossy from welled up tears. Lowering himself as he wrapped his arms around her, the gaming unicorn had let out choked sobs of pain and anguish. "Please come back to me, B-Bluebell. I lost my father, I almost lost all of my friends and loved ones from Cosmic and now I'm going to lose you? I-I just don't want that. I lost so much already and I can't lose you too. I need you in my life." Pulling back from the hug, Dynamo stared deeply at his girlfriend, while his tears continued to fall. Some of his tears had landed and cascaded down her face. Others had slipped from his chin as they hit the pendant around her neck. "I love you. I love you so much that it hurts, Bluebell. You mean so much to me in my life. More than you'll ever know. I want to be with you always. To grow old together. I just wish you could come back, please." Lips quivering, he placed a soft, yet tender kiss upon her forehead. Just before he wrapped her in another hug as he body shook with despair and helplessness. Even if he managed to defeat Cosmic, it felt like he had taken everything from Dynamo once again.

Edited November 5, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Ragland Tiger 3,384]

Spoiler

 

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Firefighter Equine @Starforce @Reality Check @Kronos the Revenant @Courageous Thunder Dash

What Dynamo didn't see was that when his tears hit the pendant, a tiny light began to flicker from it, and then started to grow brighter.  Slowly, the blue color began to return to Bluebell's horn, and Bluebell began to sturr.  She felt somepony holding her tight,and when she realized that it was Dynamo,  she lifted her forelegs, and wrapped them around his neck.  "Y-y-you see," she said in a tired voice, "I-I told y-y-you I'd get n-n-knocked out in-in the first r-r-r-round."

Edited November 6, 2021 by Ragland Tiger
typo, spelling

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

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

"I understand. It can be difficult to handle acts of affection after all you've gone through." Thundy said as he turned to see Dynamo, crying over Bluebell, but then a scene unfolded that reminded him of a movie he watched. It seemed as if a tear from Dynamo hit Bluebell's pendant causing it to glow. "It has been said that true love that bring someone out of a curse or whatever ailment that has been brought out by dark magic." Thundy. "Only love can thaw a frozen heart..." Chelsea recited. "Bingo agree." Bingo stated, feeling the love radiating from Dynamo. This time, a pinkish aura surrounded Bingo. The lights in the room changed into a hue of a soft pink-red. "There goes that ability again..." Chelsea said looking at Bingo. 

[Samurai Equine 50,931]

 @Starforce

Mayor Black smirks, feeling like an MVP. "I don't need any of their recognition. Greedy though I am, I did what a mayor should do, that's all. The rest, such as reigning in the chaos and doing damage control? That's up to them." Mayor Black says. Still, he won't admit that it's nice to have an admirer.

As they leave the hospital, he puts a hoof on his motor scooter, and hesitates. On his face is a certain kind of bliss, one that Opia might not have been expecting to see. "How odd... I feel, strangely happy right now. True, watching the fights earlier brought back some happy childhood memories, but this... My brother wanted to bring the town closer together. And while this wasn't exactly what he had in mind, did you see it back there? They all came together after all. They united to help a friend, and the citizens of Friendshire cheered for their victory, I just know it. They managed to achieve some kind of unity after all, and I was glad to see it." Mayor Black says.

He then gets on his motorscooter and makes room for Opia. "Do you want to go back to the office, or is there somewhere I can take you instead?"

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

Samurai nods at Alhimar and waves. "See you again soon, my friend." He says to the noble zebra and waves before focusing on helping Dynamo.

Mayor White goes over to Pencil and Sparkly and nods. "That is quite the fair assessment, young ones. Putting Cosmic into a comatose state of injury so Bluebell may awaken again is no kind of justice. It's merely eye for an eye. Samurai's offer was not only far better, but it was quite generous too. He gave Cosmic a second chance. Far more than he deserves, but perhaps it is a selfless example that Princess Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship, would approve of. We should all strive to live by such an example. To feel pity for our enemies, to see the potential for good in even the worst of us, to live to be more than what our enemies think of us. Great goals to shoot for all around. Speaking of..." Mayor what says before turning to Cosmic. "I am surprise you haven't passed out again, little boy. Well, if you won't sleep, we can take care of that." Mayor White reaches into his jacket, wads up his white handkerchief, and stuffs it into Cosmic's mouth as a make-shift gag. Talk about humiliating! And it's white; which means it's not decorative. Did the mayor use it as a tissue? A sweat rag? Probably tastes terrible!

"Doctor, what of this miscreant? Braking a unicorn's horn is horrible fate, unwishable really." Mayor White asks. "Oh, don't worry about him. The injury can be fixed, somewhat. Prosthetics have come a long way, and Mr. Cosmic's injury is still fresh. We can replace his horn with a working substitute. However, channeling magic through an artificial Auroral Plexus is not the same as using the horn you were born with. So for the first few months, Cosmic will have to relearn basic spells, like levitation, and he'll be limited to two spells a day for a while. It may take months to years before he can freely use the full extent of his magic through his prosthetic." The doctor says. "Then I'll allow you to take care of him, same with his team mate Cheap. You can set him free at your own discretion." Mayor White says, before turning over to Cheap. "Unless you have something to say for yourself, young man! Now's a pretty good chance to plead your case, if you can make a convincing argument." Mayor White gives him this opportunity to speak.

For a moment, Samurai worries as well. Still, he does his best to hold Dynamo up. "Easy, Dynamo-san! You just started to heal. Don't wear yourself out again with panic. You won't wake up Bluebell that way." Samurai tells him. It is tough seeing this all play out and listening to Frozen explain everything. But then, with a tear and a kiss, Samurai watches as Dynamo manages to wake Bluebell up. Smiling and letting Dynamo stand on his own, he nods. "Well, sees prince charming woke up sleeping beauty." Samurai says, proud of Dynamo. He also waves at Bluebell. "Welcome to the waking world, Bluebell-chan."

Mayor White sighs with relief, then beams with pride and happiness. While everyone is still here, he stands upright so that all may see him. "Everyone! Please, may I have your attention!! I just want to take a moment to appreciate you all. I can't say if it was the best of ideas, but this tournament was made with the intent of bringing the town closer together. I never wanted Cosmic's attack to happen, but seeing the selflessness everyone has displayed here as well as all the citizens that cheered for Dynamo and his friends, I'd say we have achieved a sense of unity after all. And I'm so very proud of all you, from the bottom of my heart." Mayor White says, unaware that his speech is very similar to something his brother said in private.

Mayor White stands down for now. "I'll be joining my fellow judges now. Again, thank you. Your town and your mayor is truly honored to have you." The kind hearted mayor takes his leave.

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@Starforce

Back at the tournament ground, Straightaway talks to Starlight while she uses her magic to help rebuild the arenas. He is giving the gist of what happened. The staff and security are busy rebuilding the tournament building and the stands.

Elusive can't help rebuild since she is just a pegasus. Instead, she has been talking to her news crew while the tournament staff rebuild. "...And that, fillies and gentlecolts, is the full situation. As we speak, Dynamo and Bluebell are making a full recovery. Likewise, Cosmic, the main perpetrator behind the incident, is under medical 'custody' for lack of a better word. We do have some fighters that are still eager to take their turn, but the judges haven't fully come to a census on the possible continuation of this tournament. We aren't even sure if the crowd that paid for tickets will return, but if they do, we can at least promise them a full refund. In the meantime, we do have a special guest."

Elusive turns to Alhimar. "I'm here with Alhimar, a previous fighter in the tournament and brilliant alchemist. Mr. Alhimar, before this incident happened, you had something important you wanted to say to Mayor White. I believe you wanted to make some kind of announcement? What did you want to say?" Elusive says before holding the mic up towards Alhimar. The news crew focuses their cameras on him.

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

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

As he continued to cry over the fact that Bluebell could possibly never wake up. Dynamo hadn't realized that the bespectacled mare's pendant began to flicker, before growing into a bright light. As a pair of forelegs wrapped themselves around his neck, Dynamo gasped as he slowly pulled back to look at what he thought was sleeping form of Bluebell. Only for his breath to hitch in his throat as noticed Bluebell's eyes were opened. His expression looked like he was a fish out of water with how his mouth moved with no words coming out. Was this truly a dream, or was this actually reality. Hearing her response had caused his frown to slowly morph into a smile. Tears still fell, but they went from tears of sorry to tears of joy. His chest erupted as laughter at Bluebell's joke in her tired state, while seeing that Bluebell was back in the land of the living. "Bluebell!" He leaned forwards as he captured her lips in a kiss, before pulling away as he wrapped his forelegs around her to hug his girlfriend. All the while, making sure not to hug her too tightly. "Oh, Bluebell. I'm so glad to see that you're awake. I-I thought I lost you forever."

With Cosmic, the neon green unicorn huffed as he heard what the supposed mayor was mentioning about still being awake. "Don't act like you know what I've gone through. Can't really sleep with how painful the lack of a horn is! I-!" Whatever else he was trying to say was cut short as a white handkerchief was stuffed into his mouth. His eyes shrank as wherever the mayor kept it was not pleasant. The handkerchief was sweaty, while it must have been used like a tissue. To say that Cosmic was disgusted was an understatement. He tried desperately to spit the rag out of his mouth, but with how Mayor White had rolled it up? It was proving to be a difficult process that lead to a losing battle for Cosmic. The only way he could communicate at this point was for his eyes to dart to anywhere in the room as the mayor and doctors were discussing what to do with him. Along with guttural grunts and growls from hearing that he'd have a prosthetic horn, but knowing his use of magic and spell uses would be limited. Having to return to the basics was a shot to his pride, or lack thereof. At the mention of Cheap, the earth pony laid his chin upon the block of crystal. His eyes downcast from hearing how he had been used. "I-I don't think I can make a pleading case. I could try and make a deal to try and get myself out of this mess, but that could probably make my case even worse. I'd say that I'm s-sorry, but I don't really know what I did wrong. I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, but was I really just used as a means to an end? Nothing more than to be thrown away because of something I have like money or my talent?"

Back with Dynamo, he moved slightly in his position, but stayed close to Bluebell to where her arms could stay wrapped around his neck. If she wanted to move or sit up, then he'd move to help her feel more comfortable. Glancing at Mayor White, he listened intently as one of the two rulers of Friendshire had expressed his gratitude. Smiling softly, Dynamo nodded, before noticing Cheap's defeated expression. Dynamo could only frown and sympathize for one of his bullies. Seeing that Cheap was going through the same thing that he once went through. As the mayor began to leave, Dynamo had felt a hoof placed upon his shoulder. Looking up, he noticed that the hoof had belonged to Alhimar, who also expressed his thoughts and feelings to the gaming unicorn. Smiling once more, Dynamo nodded as he used a foreleg to wipe the tears from his face. "T-Thank you, Alhimar. I know we don't know each other personally, but I think it would be nice to be friends. The same can be said to you as I really appreciate your help. Especially everyone else who helped out in stopping Cosmic and the others. I know that Cosmic and the others were my problem to deal with, but I'm glad to know that everyone was there to help. It really means a lot to me to know that my true friends were with me all along. So, thank you, everyone. Thank you so much." He lowered his head as a way of bowing to express his gratitude, while Alhimar had taken his leave.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

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

Thundy walked over to Dynamo and gently put a talon on his brother’s back. “This is what the eye-opener is…when you truly see the suffering of others because of what they did, it is how a friendship can form between rivals and enemies. It is a crime shame that some just don’t want that…and still stay angry…” Thundy said referring to Cosmic. “But some day…he will understand. A proverb from where I come from goes like this: A heart of stone but be broken to reveal the gem underneath. I know there is good within Cosmic’s heart. It is in there…somewhere. Sadly, as long as he keeps up this attitude here, he won’t change…but look at Cheap…” Thundy said walking over to Cheap and stooping down, resting a talon on the earth pony’s head gently. “…It is so difficult for him right now. You feel like you’re the worst in the world…and as you said, you feel like you should be discarded…all because…I know how you feel Cheap…I know you may not understand this but, you are worth an infinite value. You still have a life to live…but you’re lost. You don’t know where to go…just like…my friend Chelsea…” Thundy said. Chelsea nodded yes with a quiet sniffle. Bingo wrapped an arm around Chelsea, nuzzling her lovingly. “If you alone can’t find your way…then let us help. We’re all friends here, and we’ll do whatever it takes…” Thundy said with a determined look on his face. A soft white light surrounded his body. It seemed as if something was opening up in Thundy’s heart…

[Ragland Tiger 3,384]

@Dynamo Pad @Firefighter Equine @ExplosionMare @Reality Check @Courageous Thunder Dash

Bluebell tried to sit up more, but she felt pain shoot from her ribs and the pit of her stomach.  "oww!" she said, grimacing.  All I-I can s-s-say-say is that, when it c-comes to m-m-martial arts, I'm not much to-to write h-h-h-home about, huh?"

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

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

Dynamo winced as he saw the pained expression, as well as her outburst from sitting up. It seemed that even with the injuries being shared among the others, Bluebell still looked to have been in pain. "Are you okay, Bluebell? Do you need help in sitting up?" He asks, helping her if she asked for his help. Upon hearing her question, Dynamo shook his head with a soft smile. "Are you kidding me? It looked like you got a few good hits on Cosmic. It looked like he was struggling from the way his face looked. Your martial arts were really impressive, in my opinion. I can imagine you used your skills in the rodeo I saw to help in your martial arts. You're definitely a  lot better than me, who has to use a belt to gain those types of skills." He spoke with honesty as he admired her heart, courage and strength in standing up against Cosmic.

[Ragland Tiger 3,384]

@ExplosionMare @Firefighter Equine @Dynamo Pad @Courageous Thunder Dash

Bluebell looked down, despite being afraid of what she might see.  When she found the severe bruises that were still left on her body, the realization of her trauma hit hard. "Oh, m-m-my," she said softly, picking up the bed sheet and clinging to it to hide the marks.  She tried hard to not cry.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Ragland Tiger

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Firefighter Equine @Kronos the Revenant @Courageous Thunder Dash

Ears perking as he heard Bluebell's voice, Dynamo turned towards his girlfriend, who had attempted to pick up the bed sheet. Dynamo thought he had seen the bruises that were left over, before the markings were covered. As she clung to the sheets to hide her markings, Dynamo gasped softly as he thought he could see tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, Bluebell." Reaching out, he slowly and gently wrapped his forelegs around her shoulder. Pulling her towards him as he hugged her close. All the while, making sure not to cause her pain and discomfort as she was still slightly injured. "Shh. It's okay, Bluebell. Everything is going to be okay. I promise." He softly whispered to her as he gently rocked each other back and forth. He wasn't sure if this would work, but he knew he wouldn't let his girlfriend go through this alone. 

Edited November 6, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Samurai Equine 50,931]

 @Starforce

"Well, knowing my crew, doing a full magic survey is not something one can do in a few minutes. We might not get results until tomorrow." Mayor Black says before he starts up his scooter and he drives off.

He stops at a local shop where Opia can get all those florist supplies that he mentioned earlier. He gives her a nod and decides to wait outside while she gets everything she needs. "Remember, you have my authority to take as much as they'll give you for free."

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

Seems everything is wrapping up here. "Dynamo-san, stay with Bluebell for now. No one will force you keep fighting in the tournament, but you won your match. If you want to back down or keep going is up to you, but there is no rush." Samurai says.

As he walks away from Dynamo and Bluebell, he goes over to Cheap. "The fact that you are questioning things is progress. Thundy-niisan makes a great offer; there are good friends here that would be more than willing to stand up for you, if you ever want to be more than just a tool to be used. But even if you don't want to stay here, just remember that you can forge your own destiny. The possibilities are never ending. You can make whatever life you want, and it's not limited to whatever Cosmic has planned. You could have a far better life. But if you really want to follow somepony... I might suggest either Frozen-san or Calhoun-san. They seem like the smarter ones in the group." Samurai offers. He then turns to Thundy. "Thundy-niisan, I'm going back now. Don't keep the tournament waiting." He offers Thundy a hug. He also turns to Chelsea and whispers something to her. "I hope I see you there too, Chelsea-chan. I could use one of your magic healing sessions." Samurai tells her. He then collects his stuff and takes his leave.

The doctor, however, sees the way Bluebell is acting. "All right, everyone else out now. Bluebell and Dynamo need their privacy as patients. And don't worry about Cheap and Cosmic. My staff will give them their own room and tend to their medical needs, while also keeping a close eye on them." The doctor says, the staff escorting all non-essential visitors out.

Once the room only has Bluebell and Dynamo left, he goes over to them. "Okay, Ms. Bluebell. If you don't mind, I'd like to give you a quick examination." With no one else in the room other than Dynamo, Bluebell shouldn't have any reasons to hide her bruises. When the blanket is pulled back, the doctor examines her. "Hmm... I see... Dark magic is a tricky thing that isn't fully understood or documented. Even we don't have all the details, but I'd say the bruises are a residual effect of what you've been through. I do believe that in time, they will go away on their own. Just take plenty of pain killers and don't over exert yourself." The doctor tells her as a nurse gives her a tray of food, some pills, and water. "When you're feeling up to it, you and Dynamo may leave at any time, just be sure to take your time doing so. We prefer if you both recuperate your strength and energy as much as possible before you go." The doctor says.

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@Starforce

Needless to say, that was a lot. Both Elusive and her news crew look overwhelmed. At certain parts of that speech, they may have gotten a little lost and confused. There were deep word in there, but it was also a lot of words too. In the middle of the speech, Mayor White had returned and watched the later half of the speech. "...Well, there you have it, I suppose. That was 'longer' than I expected that speech would be, but if I understood correctly, Alhimar has just shown interest in being the next mayor. An interesting offer, since election season isn't until next year, but Friendshire clearly has a lot to consider. Until then, this is Elusive Facts of Friendshire News, and I'll return shortly with more to report."

As Elusive collects herself, Mayor White claps a little. "Interesting speech, young man. I didn't think I'd be seeing a newcomer to the town show such interest in the position of Mayor. I wish you all the best luck, candidate Alhimar. Just know that while I don't have an extreme attachment to this job, I don't plan to step down until I've seen this town become as prosperous as I know it can be." Mayor White explains. Eventually, Straightaway walks up to the mayor. "We're done here. The two arenas are rebuilt. There was only minimal damage done to the main building, and the stands are back to being in one piece. What should we do about the tournament? Normally, something like this would be canceled, all things considered..." Straightaway says in a less energetic, breath-saving way.

The mayor thinks about it. "Hmm... That is true. I wonder what the best way to proceed is." Mayor White questions. About that time, Samurai Equine returns. "I know that Fold is still here and still wants to fight in his match against me. Kronos-san is still interested. I believe Thundy-niisan would also like his turn. Despite winning his match, Dynamo-otoutosan wants to retire from the tournament. However, I am inspired by their determination to keep going. If it means that much to them, then I'm still in this." Samurai says. "I see. Thank you for informing me, good sir. It seems the majority of our fighters, at least the ones that remain to have their last match ups, are still willing to participate. Which means the only thing left to figure out..." Mayor White pauses and looks at the empty stands. "...is if the crowds are willing to come back and watch the remainder. This is now a matter of public interest." Mayor White concludes.

Edited November 8, 2021 by Firefighter Equine

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

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

"Okay..." Thundy said as he went over and gave Dynamo a quick hug. "I'll see you back at the arena..." He then walked over to Bluebell and stroked her mane lovingly. "Hope you get better Bluebell." Thundy added. Chelsea and Bingo said their goodbyes, hugging Samurai as well. "Of course." Chelsea said. "I'm looking forward to our match Sam. Chelsea oughtta heal you up real good..." Thundy said with a chuckle "Bye Blu-blu...Bingo hopes you get better soon." Bingo said walking out the room with Chelsea. Thundy hoped that what he said to Cheap and Frozen would mean something, as they both were in a rough place. 

[Reality Check 631]

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

After hearing the what the doctor said, Reality left the medical room, though he did take one last look at Dynamo and Bluebell before he did.

Reality then asked the others. "Does anyone know where I can find an inn? I wanna put down my stuff before going back to the tournament."

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Firefighter Equine @Reality Check @Kronos the Revenant @Courageous Thunder Dash
Upon hearing his name being called, Dynamo had looked over towards Sam. At the mention of staying with Bluebell, the gaming unicorn nodded without hesitation. "Will do, Onii-san. Even if you didn't say that, I was already planning to stay to be here for Bluebell. I won my fight, but I'm still recovering my magic. I know that if my magic was restored, I'd probably be out of the tournament because I'd probably be too exhausted to fight. So, if it's okay. Can you let the judges that I'm dropping out of the tournament?" He explained, knowing that he wasn't expecting himself to win the tournament anyway. Not only that, but he also managed to somehow defeat Cosmic. If anything, that was a moral victory in his book. Returning Thundy's quick hug, Dynamo smiled with a nod. "If I don't make it back to the arena, then good luck bro. Unless there's a TV in the room for others to watch. Talk to you later, as well, Chelsea and Bingo." Before they made their exit, Frozen had looked back at the two blue unicorns. "Dynamo." He started, gaining the pony's attention as he continued. "I just want you to know that I apologize for everything that I've might have done to you. I understand that just saying sorry is not enough for what I've done alongside Cosmic. Regardless, I just hope that you can find it in you to accept my apology and we can move on." To say Dynamo was surprised that Frozen had not only apologized, but to say his name, as well. He was shocked as he wasn't expecting any of the bullies to talk or acknowledge him. Thinking it over, Dynamo sighed with a nod as he stared back at Frozen. "I do accept your apology, Frozen. I won't lie to you and say that everything will go back to normal. I know that it's going to take some time, before you can gain my trust back. However, I wouldn't mind to see where this would all go." The same would go towards Cheap, but he decided to let the earth pony take his time to recover. "I hope you can accept my apology, as well." Calhoun brought up as made his presence known to Dynamo. "I was a part of Cosmic's group briefly and I could have said the same things as they did, but I honestly wouldn't mean it. You and everyone else here, aside from Cosmic. Are some of the nicest ponies I've ever met. I'd love to get to know everyone here in due time. Maybe more along the lines of when we are all recovered." He stated, knowing that his body was still sore from the pain he had received.

Hearing this, Dynamo nodded once more as he still smiled softly at the yak. "I'd like to get to know you, Calhoun and I also accept your apology." As the doctor began ushering everyone out of his and Bluebell's room, Dynamo gave a sigh of relief as it was mentioned that Cheap and Cosmic would be moved somewhere else. As the doctor began to give a quick examination over Bluebell, Dynamo scooted slightly away to give the doctor room to do the checkup. All the while, making sure to stay near Bluebell in case she needed him for comfort. He listened intently as the doctor gave their analysis. "How is she, doctor? Is there a way to tell if the dark magic has been removed? I remember seeing everyone share the pain that Bluebell had received. Did that happen to lessen the amount of time for the bruises to go away?" Given what the doctor had said, it seemed like Bluebell would be going through a lot. He knew he asked these questions, while understanding that there might not be any answers. Given that he never understood how dark magic or an alicorn amulet had worked separately and in conjunction with each other. However, he knew that he'd be there for Bluebell every step of the way. As a nurse brought in food for the both of them, Dynamo nodded as he was told that they could leave at any time. "Thank you for everything, doctor."

As Cosmic and Cheap were rolled out of the room to be relocated to another room to recover, Cheap had looked up as he felt a talon placed upon his head. Seeing that it was Thundy, his eyes drifted towards Samurai who was speaking to him. “The fact that he’s even questioning anything is a miracle in and of itself.” Frozen joked as Cheap’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh yeah!? Well, wait until I get out of here! I’m going to…” He threatened, but was stopped by the pegasus. “It seems like you’re back to normal. If you’re able to tell from what you consider an insult, then that just tells me that you’ll be fine.” He would say, feeling a hoof upon his shoulder, before seeing that it was Calhoun. “Now, Frozen. There’s no need to say such things, but I suppose this is normal for the two of you. So, it looks like you were helping Cheap to get out of his slump.” Calhoun smiled, relieved to know that it wasn’t too late for either Frozen or Cheap. “I didn’t exactly say I feel like I should be discarded. I questioned if I was trained by Cosmic just to be his muscle or to be used for him to get my mark. If he got Drool…I-I mean, Dynamo’s. Then, who’s to say that he would have gone after me?” He asks, surprised to have the chance to stay be offered to him. Even the chance to get help was right in front of him, but did he deserve it. Cheap was a fool at times, but he was not dumb.

“D-Do you think…I can maybe get some help. Frozen and Calhoun are good sources of help, but I guess I’d like to have a second opinion. That would sound like a good deal, right?” He knew that with Cosmic stopped, he wouldn’t know what to do. So, with how Frozen and Calhoun took the chance to change. Perhaps this was the time for him to finally see a change in himself.

[Pencil Pouch]

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

Pencil and Sparkly frowned in worry when they saw that despite everyone’s efforts, Bluebell was still unconscious. Pencil felt a pit in her stomach when Dynamo rushed over to her and tried to wake her. Meanwhile, Sparkly glared at Cosmic who, despite everything, still remained incredibly selfish and uncaring.

“What happened to you to make you so unsympathetic towards an injured pony? You are so filled with pride and hate that you’re unable to see the true consequences of your actions! You disgust me and until you can turn yourself around, I won’t have a shred of sympathy towards your broken horn.” Sparkly seethed at Cosmic. She couldn’t stand someone who couldn’t see all the pain they caused, even if it was right in front of them.

Thanfully, Mayor White had put Cosmic in his place by placing an unsanitary cloth in his mouth. Sparkly chuckled before turning back around. Pencil was silently glad that Sparkly was calmed down. She didn’t want things to escalate, especially here.

In just a few short moments, Bluebell had come to. Cosmic was wrong, it wouldn’t take her years to wake up! Pencil bounced up and down gleefully and Sparkly flicked her tail excitedly.

“Yay, Bluebell, you’re back!” Pencil cheered. “I, um, hope you’re able to recover soon.”

“It is nice to see you have recovered, Bluebell. I wish the best of your health going forward.” Sparkly added.

The mares could not stay for too long, unfortunately, because the doctors sent everyone out who wasn’t a patient. Pencil sighed sadly and made her way out with Sparkly not too far behind. They waited for everyone else to follow. If they decided to stay longer, Pencil and Sparkly would just head out on their own.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

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

”Oh of course…gah I hate the fact your name is Cheap…it just doesn’t sit right with me…anyway, I have to get back to the arena. Promise me you’d be free to talk later okay?” Thundy said as he walked away towards the exit of the hospital. He then gathered some electricity and disappeared with a poof. He reappeared with a poof back at the arena. 
 

Chelsea had heard Reality’s question. “If you don’t mind us getting up early to workout with loud music, you could stay with us…” Chelsea said with a sheepish giggle. 

[Reality Check 631]

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

As soon as he heard Chelsea's words, his mind immediately raised a red flag. He almost wished that he was hearing it wrong.

"Say what now?" Reality retorts back, already dreading the worst.

[Chelsea]

@ExplosionMare @Dynamo Pad @Reality Check @Firefighter Equine @Kronos the Revenant @Starforce

”Nevermind…you can stay with us. We do have an extra room.” Chelsea said looking at Reality, seeing that he was a little uncomfortable. 

[Samurai Equine 50,931]

 @Starforce

Well, he wasn't kidding. The ones at the floral shop recognize the mayor outside and nod at what Opia has to say. Within no time, they gather all the things she needs. They gladly give her the majority of her supplies for free. Some things they charge her for, but it's still better than paying full price. In no time at all, they her set up, they wave her farewell, and she is ready to go.

Mayor Black waits outside for a while, but soon sees her return. "Get everything you need? I bet you all ready know where you'd like to start beautifying this old town."

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

@Ragland Tiger, @Dynamo Pad

The doctor turns to Dynamo. "Well if there is any lingering dark magic left on Bluebell, I certainly can't detect it, and neither can my staff. Chances are, the dark magic is either completely gone, or the traces are too small to detect. If the latter is true, then you need not worry. Magic that weak won't stick around long. Basically, Bluebell's bruises will heal up at the same speed as normal bruises, maybe a touch longer than most, but they will definitely heal up. When Bluebell is feeling up to leaving, it'd be ideal if she had a caretaker while the bruises are healing. It's not necessary, just recommended. Does she have anyone that can do that, or can I leave that up to you?" The doctor asks Dynamo, but also looks over at Bluebell to see if she'll say anything about a caretaker.

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

@Starforce, @ExplosionMare, @Kronos the Revenant, @Courageous Thunder Dash, @Dynamo Pad

Before he can say anything, Alhimar gives Samurai his book. He reads through some of it. "Heh, sorry my friend, but I'm afraid I don't fully understand it all. I'm not a scientist, so I don't understand the science notes you wrote down. I can see that you've written a lot about this town and everyone you've met or seen." Samurai says, giving it back and thanking him for the read.

"Hey! They're coming back!" Elusive suddenly declares. True enough, more are coming back. Thundy arrives first. The audience is coming back too; in slightly decreased but still overwhelming numbers. Kronos, Pencil, and Sparkly would soon return to the tournament grounds as well. There might even be a chance that Calhoun and Frozen come back as well, if nothing else than to watch from a distance. Talk among the crowd is sad but not hopeless. They have comments like "Is it over?", "I don't want it to be over now!", "We can't let it end like this!", "I came all the way out of town to see a tournament!", and even "Friendshire's pride is on the line!". Either way you read the crowd, they aren't that torn up about what happened. If anything, they want to keep it going, for the exact reasons this tournament was started in the first place.

The three judges look at each other and nod. They shuffle over to the judges' booth, but Mayor White looks over at Alhimar. "Would you like to join us, young Alhimar? You won't be a judge officially speaking, but you can be a commentator, and we'd value your input on judgement calls just the same." Mayor White asks. Starlight smiles and walks away.  "I think my work here is basically done. I've got someone I need to catch up to, if I can still find her." Starlight teleports away for now.

Elusive smiles and grabs her mic. She knows what to do. She stands between the two arenas and holds her mic up. It's an adjustment having to walk. She occasionally uses her wings to glide around close to the ground, but that's not an option right now. "Fillies and gentlecolts, by popular demand, the Friendshire Grand Fighting Tournament is back on! Audience, grab your seat, fighters please return backstage, if you will. The last two rounds have been settled, so... In Arena B, Samurai Equine and Fold will be fighting each other next. Samurai, Fold, please report to Arena B. I repeat, Samurai Equine and Fold, please report to Arena B. As for Arena A, Thundy and 'Brain', or rather Frozen, were suppose to have a match as well. However... Perhaps it's best to hear it from another judge himself." Elusive announces before pointing over to the judge's booth.

The judges don't need to deliberate; they all ready silently agree. Mayor White stands from his seat and talks into his own mic. "Fighter Cosmic violated many tournament rules in an unspeakable manner. Furthermore, he had accomplices that were still participants in this tournament. Though the full extent of their involvement is in question, we feel there is only one fair and appropriate decision to make... Fighters Greed and Brain, or if I'm to use their real names, Cheap and Frozen are also disqualified from this tournament." Mayor White announces. At least, that's how it seems...

Edited November 8, 2021 by Firefighter Equine

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@Ragland Tiger @Firefighter Equine

As he continued to listen to the doctor's analysis, Dynamo sighed in relief as he heard that the dark magic was completely gone. Even if the magic was still there, then there really wasn't a need to worry. "That's good to know, but still wanted to ask to be sure. Better to be safe, after all." He would say, nodding in understanding as some of the bruises would take longer to heal than most. "I guess some of the bruises couldn't be healed all the way when the pain was shared, but I understand. I'm glad to know that the bruises will still be able to heal up." At the mention of a caretaker being ideal for Bluebell, Dynamo turned from the doctor towards Bluebell. He stared at her for a moment, before turning back towards the doctor. "If it's recommended that she needs someone to help take care of her, or if she needs help with anything, then I'll gladly help her in anyway that I can. Although, I'd still ask Bluebell as her thoughts and feelings matter in this." He would say, turning back towards Bluebell once more. "What do you think, Bluebell?"

@ExplosionMare @Firefighter Equine @Starforce @Reality Check @Kronos the Revenant @Courageous Thunder Dash

Upon hearing Thundy's remark about his name, Cheap puffed his cheeks with a pout. "Well, excuse me. My dad was the one to name me, after all. He wanted to have a name that was similar to his. That being the name Big Shot. Unless you have any better way in referring to me?" His cheeks quickly deflated as his pout soon faded. It didn't take a genius to know that having the name Cheap seemed a bit awkward to have. Just as he was about to ask for help in getting unstuck in this crystal block, Thundy was gone in a poof of electricity. He had hoped to ask if someone could free him so he could go watch, but everyone was gone too quickly. As he stayed stuck in the crystal and in a room with Cosmic, Cheap's face contorted and twitched as a problem arose. "Ugh...my nose itches." Back at the tournament, Frozen and Calhoun had begun making their way towards the arena. Walking alongside the others, while making sure they could try to pay for tickets to watch. If the town wouldn't accept them as guests to watch, then they wouldn't blame them. Frozen did know fully well that he would have to work hard to earn everyone's trust back. Along with learning what friendship truly was with his eyes wide open. As more and more audience members were returning, it looked as if everything was slowly returning to normal. However, it seemed the judges had deliberated on what would happen between his match and Thundy's.

Hearing that he was disqualified didn't really bother Frozen. Before anyone had a chance to respond, Frozen had decided to speak up. Making sure to raise his voice as he couldn't fly over because of sharing the pain. "I understand and wholeheartedly agree with the call. I was a part of Cosmic's team and he took things too far. If you think about it, I already had my fight against Thundy when the free for all was happening. An already defeated competitor even assisted me, but it was still a loss on my end. Even if the fight was reinstated, I'm not much of a fighter. I would if I had the power of the amulet, but that's besides the point. Either way, I find value in your decision and believe that is the right call. I hope you don't mind if Calhoun and I can still stay to watch the rest of the tournament." He explained, leaving Calhoun's name out as his accomplice to the free for all fight. Unsure if mentioning the yak would get him in trouble, but he would rather be safe in a strategical sense.

[Reality Check 631]

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

Reality was hesitant to accept it, though he also knows that he might not have a place to stay if he declines. "Oooooook then... mind telling me where the inn is?"

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Firefighter Equine 

Thundy thought and thought. He wanted to rename Cheap badly, as the name didn't stick with him well. An idea suddenly came to Thundy. "Oh I can't wait to see Cheap again..." He said to himself as he waited for the next round. 

@Reality Check

”I can take you.” Chelsea said waiting for Reality to get ready. 

[Ragland Tiger 3,384]

12 hours ago, Dynamo Pad said:

At the mention of a caretaker being ideal for Bluebell, Dynamo turned from the doctor towards Bluebell. He stared at her for a moment, before turning back towards the doctor. "If it's recommended that she needs someone to help take care of her, or if she needs help with anything, then I'll gladly help her in anyway that I can. Although, I'd still ask Bluebell as her thoughts and feelings matter in this." He would say, turning back towards Bluebell once more. "What do you think, Bluebell?"

@Dynamo Pad @Firefighter Equine

"I'd l-l-like th-that," said Blubell, nuzzling Dynamo.  She turned to him.  "Would it b-b-be alright if you-you stayed at m-my place f-f-f-for a c-couple of d-d-days?"

[Dynamo Pad 11,256]

@Ragland Tiger @Firefighter Equine

Smiling with a nod, Dynamo blushed as he returned the nuzzle. "Okay and that's good to know. I didn't want to do anything without knowing what you wanted to do first." At the mention of staying at her place for a couple of days, Dynamo nodded without hesitation. "I'm definitely okay with staying at your place if you'd like me to stay. We still have our stuff we won from our date back at your place." He chuckled as he tried to lighten the mood, before nodding. "In all serious though? I would love to stay with you at your place for a couple of days. In the meantime, what did you want to do now? Did you want to stay here and continue to rest up, or did you want to head back to your place?"

Edited November 8, 2021 by Dynamo Pad