open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Reality Check 627]

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

Reality perked up his ear and turned, facing Dynamo Pad. 

"Hmm?... Oh, uh, it just something I tend to do when I'm bored." Reality replied. "As for what I'm drawing..." He points his hoof at the stage.

[Samurai Equine 45,889]

@Starforce

Starlight offers her an understanding glance. "So you're new here too, huh? That's fine. I'm almost done with what I need to do here. Maybe you could keep me company while I finish up." She states. As she begins to walk around, she is about to say something more when Starlight hears the faint sound of something collapsing. She looks over and sees a small house that was still in construction topple over. The property was taped off, and the lone pony working on it managed to get away from it in time. "...I'm okay!" He calls out. Whatever that was about, it was clearly of no consequence. No one was hurt, and the area around it was clear. At most, Opia and Starlight would have only felt a light draft from that incident. "...Huh. I hope stuff like that doesn't happen often here. I've seen underground houses that were more stable then that."

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

The mayor looks back at Dynamo. "Me? Well, I was here the entire time, and... Well, I'm not a monster, you know. I might be greedy and selfish, but I still care about the citizens. In my own way. ...And if you start saying anything about it publicly, I'll deny it up and down. ... What? I've still got a reputation to uphold." Mayor Black says.

He takes a moment to look at Thundy, Chelsea, Reality Check, Necry, Pencil, Sparkly, and Bluebell. He turns away. "Well, I guess I should go back to my seat. Pretend I wasn't here."

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

@Dynamo Pad

Sledge Hoof was ready for anything. As soon as Frozen begins to glide towards him, Sledge Hoof dodges to the side and pulls something out of his tool belt. "Electrical wire!" He uses it to lasso Frozen. "Fascinating! Sledge Hoof is using electrical wire to lasso his opponent like a cowboy in one of those old spaghetti westerns!" Mayor White announces. All the while, Sledge reaches into his tool belt yet again. "Now I gotta be real carefuls-like with da way I use my tools, but I thinks I can at least ties you down wit dis! Duct tape!" Pulling out said tape, he quickly unravels it in an attempt to immobilize Frozen.

Edited October 10, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

Upon hearing Reality's explanation, Dynamo smiled and nodded in understanding. "I can relate to that as I'm not the best at drawing. However, I tend to draw from time to time whenever there's free time." He explains, before looking towards where Reality's hoof was pointing at. As he looked to the stage and back at the drawing, Dynamo was impressed with the mint green unicorn. "Are you able to draw the fight as it's going on? I actually didn't know that was possible as the fight can be constantly moving. That's actually really impressive, in my opinion." He says, before Mayor Black had gained his attention. Looking towards the cloaked figure that was the mayor, Dynamo nodded upon learning that the mayor was there the entire time. Upon hearing the word monster, Dynamo gasped as he shook his head quickly to deny any mention of the word. "Monster? I don't think you're a monster, sir. I hope I didn't say anything like that. If I did, then I'm really sorry and I didn't mean anything like that." He felt his heart quicken as he tried to apologize. He didn't recall saying any kind of slander, but he still wanted to apologize if he had said anything wrong.

@Oni Equine

Back to the fight, Frozen watched as Sledge had dodged to the side to avoid the punch. The pegasus' trained eyes noticed the construction pony had pulled something out of his tool belt. Seeing and hearing the attack, Frozen's eyes flashed red for a moment, before turning back to their original color. Ducking and rolling to the side to avoid the lasso, the ebony pegasus soon saw another attack being used. This time, being duct tape being unraveled to immobilize Frozen. "So, you want to try and make it impossible for me to move, huh? Well, good luck with that." Looking at the tape and back at Sledge, Frozen had gained an idea. Gliding around the arena, Frozen had quickly turned to diving at the construction pony. It looked like he was trying to slam into him like a battering ram of sorts. If the attack connected, then he'd bring the both of them into a tumble. However, he hoped to miss as he was aiming for Sledge's legs with the unraveled tape in mind.

[Ragland Tiger 3,297]

18 hours ago, Thundy said:

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

Thundy gathered some electricity and made his portable keyboard appear. He then plugged in some earphones. "Here Pencil. Listen." He said. He started to play a very beautiful classical piece he had learned from a CD. It also played from the speakers, loud enough for Sparkly and the others around Thundy to hear. Thundy hoped this would give Pencil some inspiration. 

 

"Th-that's really p-p-pretty, Thundy," said Bluebell.  "Y-y-you play w-wonderfully."

Edited October 10, 2021 by Ragland Tiger

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

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

”Thanks Bluebell.” Thundy said smiling at the blue mare. He then made his keyboard disappear and looked at the fight. “Sheesh, who’s gonna make the first hit…?” Thundy asked. 
 

“I didn’t get a spectators ticket just to wait for days until one of the fighters makes a move…” Chelsea commented. 

[Pencil Pouch]

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

Pencil felt something strange in her ears, then realized Thundy had put some headphones in her ears. He played some relaxing classical music to help get her inspired. She took her time listening to it, closing her eyes briefly to see if she could form a picture in her head. Nothing came up yet, but she was sure it would soon.

“Thanks, Thundy. I’m sure this’ll help.” she told him.

She then turned to Dynamo to continue their conversation.

“W-well, considering all the other difficult things that have happened to everyone here, my problem really shouldn’t be a problem,” Pencil replied, her tone unsteady. “I, um, probably shouldn’t have even taken the commission if I knew it was going to be this difficult. Then again, I wouldn’t have met all of you otherwise. It’s a bit complicated.” She put a hoof to her chin before continuing.

“I actually drew things from our time in the game world. I sketched some of our powerups and even did a few boss battles. Those didn’t work out. I don’t think the commissionee thinks travelling to a game world is as cool as we thought it was.

You should know though that all the video game stuff you do is really cool! Like you said, you’re still learning, so it’s okay you don’t win first place each time. I think you actually have an advantage over everyone else, though, because of your belt. You can practice your moves outside of the arcade. Correct me if I’m wrong on that, though, cause I’m not completely familiar on your belt’s capabilities. Point in case, you shouldn’t beat yourself up cause I think you’re a pretty good gamer.”

She paused a moment when Dynamo brought up her drawing powers in the game world. Her ears perked up when he mentioned how they helped him become strong enough to defeat the enemies. Pencil was torn for a moment. She still struggled with feeling like she was a side character the whole time. However, when someone told her she was actually helpful, it forced her to rethink.

“T-thank you, Dynamo. I never would’ve thought about it that way, really. I think I have a tendency to think of my efforts as unhelpful, even though they aren’t in some cases such as this one. That might be a big part of what’s holding me back on this commission, now that I think about it…” she replied, giving off a slight smile.

“If you need inspiration or motivation, Pencil Pouch, I will be more than happy to provide it to you. My world has much that I believe your client does not know. There is much you can take from there and implement into your drawings. I can also say that you can do this, you can complete that commission and give that pony the best piece of art they have ever seen!” Sparkly replied enthusiastically. She wanted to help Pencil in any way she could.

Pencil smiled a little more at that.

“Heh, that’s pretty fair, Chelsea!” she chuckled as Chelsea mentioned how she wouldn’t pay for a fight if it was slow enough for an artist to properly sketch.

Edited October 10, 2021 by ExplosionMare
Missed a part again :|

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

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

”See, here’s how I see it. I see everything I do as one giant symphony. A symphony has parts called movements. Each movement has a character and/or emotion. There will be ups and there will be downs. It’s all how you make it. The one thing, don’t let it stay down for too long. Make a resolution. Make a proclamation. Let the brass section within your heart sound, signifying that you’re strong and you can overcome this.” Thundy proclaimed sounding like a motivational speaker. 
 

Chelsea nodded. “As a witness, I’ve had my share of downs…but I wasn’t gonna let that…get to me.” Chelsea said managing to hold back a sniffle. 

[Opia]

@Oni Equine

When the incident occurred Opia was ready to jump in and rescue that pony if he needed it but evidently not, and all seemed fine. She was glad that nobody was getting hurt here. "Yeah that is quite concerning. I can keep you company, sure. Although I'd just prefer we stay away from large crowds too. It seems to be all the rage around here and I seriously don't understand why that is. I wanna find my way about this town, and I can help you out should you need." Opia spoke calmly. 

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

As he looked over towards his friend and brother, Dynamo watched as Thundy had made what appeared to be a keyboard appear. As the same time, he made some headphones for Pencil to use, before he began to play a song. As he listened, the gaming unicorn had felt a calming, yet soothing sense of peace from each key being played. Given that he didn't hear the song at first, but soon heard the song being played through the speakers. As the song came to an end, Dynamo smiled as he gave a light applause at the male griffon's performance. "That was a pretty good song, bro and Bluebell's right. You played very well, in my opinion." He responded, before looking towards the ring as he heard the griffon duo's comments. "That's pretty much how Frozen is, to be honest. He mostly tries to come up with a plan, or had a plan in mind for when he goes into a battle. Whether it's this tournament, card games, or some video games, he's always trying to plan things ahead. It's why he's tiptoeing around his opponent. He wants to see how Sledge Hoof acts, before reacting accordingly. Although, it's weird, you know?" He asks, hoping someone would ask for him to continue on his thought.

Turning towards Pencil, Dynamo listened intently as the purple unicorn mare spoke her thoughts. "I think I understand what you're trying to say, but I'm still glad that you told us. Even if it's a tiny problem, then it's always good to get a second opinion. It's always good to hear what your friends think to try and give you advice, encouragement or a spark of inspiration. I think it's good that you did take the commission, in a way. As I was able to meet a really friend when coming to Friendshire. I get that it's all a bit complicated, but I think it's worth it as it's all about going on that journey. I guess it depends if the commissionee is a fan of video games or not. If not, then I can understand being unsure of traveling to the video game world." He says, being caught off guard at the mention that what he did was cool. With how he had trouble with regular magic, being a fan of video games and other forms of media such as anime and such. Dynamo never really considered anything he did was cool. However, here was someone, along with others, who thought otherwise about the blue unicorn. 

Pausing a moment to allow her words to sink in, Dynamo gave a soft sigh as a small smile graced his face. Almost as if a part of his doubts were slowly slipping away. "Thank you Pencil and that really means a lot, you know? I know that some of it was from learning, but I guess there were moments I doubted myself. Getting so far and only to let it slip away and fail. Whenever that happened, there was always a voice that brought up what Cosmic and the others said. Making me feel like I was pathetic and a failure in their eyes and in the eyes of others." He didn't want to sound like he was bringing down the mood for the others, but he felt it was helpful to talk about this in his heart to heart with Pencil. "I know that it's a form of doubt that gets to me, but I guess it's always going to be there. The only thing I probably should do is to ignore it and to do the best like I always do. I'm still figuring things out as time goes on, but I know I have everyone's support in all of this. You're definitely correct in your way of thinking as I have discovered a small amount with the belt so far. However, there were a few times I did gaming moves without using the belt. I'm starting to wonder if the gaming abilities are merging together with me, in a way."

As he heard Pencil thanking him, Dynamo smiled as he shook his heard upon her continued train of thought. "You're welcome and it's no problem, Pencil. I only say it because it's true. We all played our parts in order to work together to complete each game world. Your efforts, as well as everyone else's efforts go a long way." He says, nodding in understanding as it seemed Pencil had found some sort of mental block towards her commission. As he heard Sparkly's remark, Dynamo turned towards the duo as a thought came to mind. "Hey, Sparkly? You said that you were also from Earth too, right? I think Thundy had mentioned that he was planning a trip there sometime. Maybe we should all go together and we can see what Earth is like. Maybe that will help give Pencil some more inspiration for her commission." He says, while being in agreement with Sparkly's assistance. He wasn't sure if he'd be much help, but he wanted to help his friend out in any way that he could. As he heard Thundy's speech, Dynamo felt as if he was inspired. At the same time, he felt he could learn from it.

"Now those are some words to live by. You make a really good point, bro. I guess there will always be good days and bad days, as well as the ups and downs. I remember hearing about a speech from Toonami about having to sit there and cry if you're failing or feeling frustrated. However, the main point is to keep getting up despite being knocked down. Fall down seven and then get up eight. I think I get what you mean though. You got to find that resolution, or the goal or even the promise within to keep going despite the hardships. That way, you can and eventually overcome whatever obstacle is standing right in front of you, right?" He asks, remembering a time where Thundy's speech had felt relatable to the gaming unicorn.

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Thundy]

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

"Exactly. It's like the game of American Football, a game all about strategy and learning from your mistakes. I've led my team to quite a few comebacks, and each one of them got harder and harder. There were so many times where I felt that I couldn't do it. But the whole team depended on me, their quarterback, the leader of the team to lead them to victory." Thundy said as he gathered some electricity and made his Carolina Panthers Jersey appear on him. It had the number "1" on the front and the back, and the name "Thundy" on the back. 

[Samurai Equine 45,889]

@Starforce

Starlight nods. "I don't think that will be a problem right now. This town is crazy big! And yet, about half or so of it feels abandoned. There are some businesses still open, but most of the citizens that remain seem to be focused on that tournament right now. It's almost like we have the majority of this town to ourselves. I've all ready placed some magic beacons around the outer parameter of this town, but I still want to place a few more, maybe in the places where traffic and town gatherings are the biggest." She explains as they walk together.

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

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

Mayor Black gives an annoyed wave. "No, no. Not you, Dynamo. It's just... What with my brother being the goodie-two-shoes mayor that everypony seems to love, it's given me a negative reputation. Honestly, I kind of like it... But that doesn't mean I don't care about this town nor its citizens. Perish the thought. I'm greedy, but not heartless." Mayor Black explains, trying to reassure Dynamo before he leaves.

Final nods, listening to Thundy's story. "Is football anything like buckball? Oh, and by the way, that was a nice song you played. I prefer symphonic metal, but that was pretty good too. ...Are we creating any kind of disturbance by playing music?" Final asks. Mayor Black looks at Final and hesitates. "...I guess it should be fine. As long as you aren't louder than the crowd or the fight." Mayor Black says in passing, though he does get in last look around.

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@Dynamo Pad

"Oh my! Is Brain, erh, Frozen moving at a super sonic speed?!" Mayor White commentates. "With that burst of speed, you would almost think so." Straightaway adds. But as Frozen gets closer and closer to the earth pony, he can hear Sledge muttering something to himself. "...calculate da angle, speed, and velocity; input pythagorean theorem; adjust for error..." It's as if he's making dozens of calculations all at once! By the time Frozen get close enough to ram him, Sledge Hoof uses his giant wrench to launch himself up in the air above Frozen only to come down towards him with a mighty kick. If he doesn't use more of that incredible speed, it'll be a rough kick to Frozen's backside. "...What? Jus' cause I'm a ruffian an' a construction pony, youze thought I'd be a dummy too? I do maths like dis everyday!"

However, somewhere in the mix of the fight, some pony calls out from the stands. He looks like a fellow construction worker, though he is much skinnier. "SLEDGE HOOF! YOU GOTTA QUIT THE FIGHT!!!" He calls out to him.

Edited October 11, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Opia]

@Oni Equine

Opia rose an eyebrow slowly at that statement. The magic beacons sounded suspicious to say the least. "Indeed. May I ask why you are placing beacons around the place? That seems kind of strange to say out of the blue. You working on something? I'd like to know what you are working on." Opia's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

[Thundy]

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

"American Football is way different different than buckball. Here's how it works." Thundy said as he gathered some electricity and made a medium sized hologram of a football field appear. There were 22 players on the field, each on either a red team or blue team. The red team was offense and the blue team was defense. The ball was on the red team's own 25 yard line. "The goal of the game is to score as many points before the time runs out. The game is made up of 4 quarters, each lasting fifteen minutes. Now, here's how the gameflow goes. American football is a non-continuous sport. This means, that there are breaks in between what are called plays. Let's watch a play. The ball is on the 25 yard line and the red team has the ball." Thundy said as he snapped his finger. The play began. The center for the red team snapped the ball to the quarterback. The receivers ran their routes. There was a wide open receiver beyond the first down marker. The quarterback threw the ball to the receiver, who caught it and ran for extra yardage, until one of the blue team defenders tackled him on the 50 yard line. "That was a 25 yard gain, and the end of the play." Thundy explained. "Let's watch the next play. It is first and ten at midfield." Thundy said. The red team tried a running play, where the runner started behind the quarterback. The defense read the play and a defensive lineman tackled the runner behind the line of scrimmage. "Ooh, looks like the defense got to the running back causing a loss of yards. It is now 2nd and 12. Two more chances to get a first down or more." Thundy said. On the next play, the quarterback pulled a play action pass and found one of his receivers for a long touchdown. "And that's a touchdown for the red team with a sweet play action pass." Thundy explained. "And that's how American Football works. There is so much more but you gotta see it really happen. This hologram doesn't do it justice." Thundy said making the hologram of the football field and everything disappear. 

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

Upon hearing that Dynamo wasn't the one who said anything, the gaming unicorn breathed a sigh of relief. "That's reassuring to know and I hope you can forgive me, sir. I tend to worry a lot if I said or did anything wrong to make someone angry or upset." He explains, nodding in understanding as he heard the mayor's explanation. "I've heard about buckball and it's a pretty fun sport. I guess this American Football could be something like hoofball, something else entirely. Maybe there would be an Equestrian Football if there isn't one already." He says, wondering alongside Final's thoughts. Once the male griffon brought up a hologram of the game, Dynamo watched as he listened to Thundy's explanation. "I think I understand the rules, somewhat. It's all about making it to one end of the field in the amount of plays given to both teams. If they can't, then I guess control of the ball goes to the other team to repeat the process. Ending with scoring or something else along those lines. It also looks like there's one particular player who always has the ball, before passing or throwing the ball to someone else." He explained, noticing that there might have been a lot of rules to the game. "It kind of seems confusing, but it does look like fun. I guess it goes to show how you were able to lead your team to victory as you said. That's pretty cool and admirable, bro." Dynamo smiled as he saw his friend and brother in what appeared to be the same kind of uniform from in the hologram.

@Oni Equine

Just as Frozen was closing the distance, his ears perked at the sudden muttering that was bombarding his eardrums. 'That can't be.' He thought, narrowing his eyes as he was about to make contact. Only for Sledge to use his wrench to propel himself up into the air, while climbing leagues above the ebony pegasus. Looking up, it looked like the construction worker was diving back at Frozen with a back hoof extended for a kick. "So, he's a thinker too, huh? It seems I miscalculated, but nothing that can't be fixed." Fixing his glasses, Frozen landed as he kept his wings open. Almost as if he was allowing the attack to go through. However, to those not paying attention, Frozen was waiting to anticipate the attack. Throughout the fight, it seemed as if another construction worker was calling out for Sledge Hoof. If his opponent was distracted, then it would be time for Frozen to strike. "That's one distraction that's going to cost you dearly." Just as Sledge was about to make contact, Frozen contorted his body to dodge the attack, but was still in close range. Pulling back his hind legs, he launched a dual kick at Sledge as an attempt to send his opponent soaring.

 

[Reality Check 627]

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

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

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

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

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

 

[Pencil Pouch]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited October 13, 2021 by ExplosionMare
Added something

[Samurai Equine 45,889]

@Starforce

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

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

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

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

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

@Dynamo Pad

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

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

Edited October 13, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Opia]

@Oni Equine

Opia calmly rose an eyebrow upon that statement. "Then you best not leave incase that curse magic keeps you out of this place. I don't know who or what could be causing that although I believe it is for nefarious reasons. After all, if it is curse magic than someone would do that for mal intent, don't you think? If you are skilled enough you can scan for a magical signature. If found, combine that signature with your beacon magic, and your beacon will very well find a match. If it is tied to a caster, than we may need to take action." Opia suggested analytically. 

[Thundy]

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

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

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

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

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

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

@Oni Equine

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

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

[Necrozma (Dual Fuser)]

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

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

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

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

[Pencil Pouch]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Samurai Equine 45,889]

@Starforce

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

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

In the stands,

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

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

Elsewhere,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited October 15, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Opia]

@Oni Equine

"I will help you with this issue. I notice a lot of ponies around here assume that everyone is kind hearted and good natured. This can't be the case, as obviously why would a curse be placed by someone who is benign? You should place that here, yes." she spoke, pointing a hoof to that spot. "You know it is strange that there are two mayors here. Mayor Black and Mayor White. I have an idea that they are the ones who have something to do with that. Black and White are an opposing force that cancel each other out." she spoke, metaphorically theorizing what could be the case.