open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

@Courageous Thunder Dash

As Frozen watched from the skies, he noticed as Thundy went for a downward slice at Calhoun. Hoping that the yak would be okay, Frozen knew what he had to do. "Cal! Watch out for the Monado! It has different uses that affects the wielder! It gives them more of the advantage!" Smirking at the knowledge given, Calhoun kept charging. Even as the downward slice was coming, the dodged at the last second. Curving his head as his horn was nearly sliced from the swing of the blade. Calhoun looped his horn within the hole of the Monado in an attempt to pull the blade towards him. All the while, throwing a hoof that would either swing the blade out of Thundy's talons, or slam into the griffon to launch him back.

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Oni Equine @ExplosionMare @Reality Check

A vision occurred within Thundy. If Thundy proceeded with the attack, Calhoun's move would be successful, and there could be a chance he'd lose the monado. Thundy's pupil's flashed and Thundy pulled a front flip, gathering some electricity and charging it to his left paw. He landed a nasty thunder kick right on the crown of Calhoun's head using the remaining momentum to turn around and face Frozen, proceeding to charge towards Frozen. 

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

@Courageous Thunder Dash

As Calhoun's attack was about to land, Frozen narrowed his eyes as he noticed something strange with the male griffon. It was as if Thundy was frozen like a statue, before the Pegasi's eyes widened in realization. Not giving the griffon a chance to counter, Frozen zipped down towards the two. Artemis' arrows raining down with some being real and some being intangible. All the while, looking like the actual arrows, themselves. Even as he stumbled from the flip, Calhoun sharply turned as he hoof clashed with Thundy's thunder kick. Energy crackling around them as Frozen neared the two, before maneuvering within the arrows to fly out. "You're not half bad of an opponent, Thundy. I might have to actually try this time. I know it's not in my nature, but time for Yak Smash!" Pushing the griffon back with his natural strength towards the arrows. Seeing this, Frozen flipped in the air as he charged at the griffon being sent airborne. Narrowing his eyes, he trained his vision on Thundy in preparation for any attacks or potential Monado visions.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Dynamo Pad

While Kronos was busy siphoning off of the constellations, Alesso, his Spirit of Divine Protection shielded him with his Aegis of Gods, which blocked the oncoming acid from the Scorpio constellation.

”Sorry, buddy,” Kronos says jokingly, “Im more into Virgos, but you’ll do nicely.”

His spirits proceeded to summon cosmic reigns to latch onto the living constellation. He wrangled with the giant scorpion until it calmed down.

[Props Valroa 26,042]

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

Alhimar had expected Cheap to block the attack and moved accordingly. He allowed himself to be kicked and didn't feel anything from it. He cackled wildly. "I will admit, I made a lot of mistakes in my time but there is one I do not intend to make again. You just made one, yourself! Hehehehe! Hahaha!" Alhimar cackled. Because he was being kicked by Cheap, that allowed him to have a clear line of sight and direction at Cheap. As Alhimar was being kicked internally he charged up the power of the vial and all of a sudden from Alhimar's eyes bolts of lightning would fire out of his face nearly instantaneously. Given the nature of lightning, it would have moved in a fraction of a second. From his eyes, to his mouth - it all combined into one large beam aimed directly at Cheap. The beam made an extremely loud CRACK in the air. 

"Sure, I may not get to the boss but I get to focus full forth on you, little fiend! You think you are so cool!? You are just another elementary school bully with a high on magic! Hah! How pathetic is that?! YOU ARE NOTHING CHEAP! YOU ARE A WORTHLESS PILE OF ASHES, OR WELL, YOU WILL BE!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs at Cheap immediately after firing the beam at Cheap. 

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

@Kronos the Revenant

As the acid attached to Kronos from the Scorpion's swing of its tail, it looked as if the acidic poison was having no effect on the cyber pony's metal body. Scorpio, as well as the other constellations, began to shudder as they felt their energy was being siphoned off. Going intangible when they needed to, they found themselves not losing energy all that much. However, that significantly decreased their fighting capabilities. As cosmic reigns latched onto the scorpion's tail, said scorpion began to thrash its tail about. Rushing in on Kronos' blindspot was a creature with curved horns. That constellation was the ram, Aries. It rushed in with increased speed intending on slamming into the cyber pony to stop in trying to wrangle Scorpio.

@Starforce

As he landed a kick on Alhimar, Cheap grinned as he made contact. It didn't look like it phased the zebra, but it seemed that he too was just like the earth pony. "So, I didn't get a good deal out of that exchange. What? You don't feel any pain? Well, then. You must be in luck as I can't feel that much pain either. Seems like we're going to find out who's got more of an iron body." Raising an eyebrow, the earth pony had blinked in confusion upon listening to Alhimar's words. "I made a mistake? Sure I did and pigs can fly. If there's one thing I do right, then it's to make deals that benefit both sides. Well, benefit me and not seem fair to the other. Although, who keeps track nowadays, huh?" He blinked once more as he saw a crackle of lighting appear, before watching it all move towards him in a fraction of a second. Quickly moving his front hooves up to block, a loud crack could be heard in the air. Cheap easily skidded back a few feet as his arms were a bit charred, but he was otherwise unhurt. "Huh. That one actually made my front hooves numb. Guess that's what the power of lightning will do to you." He remarked as he heard Alhimar screaming like a madman. "Are you sure you're not the big bad wolf? With how loudly you're yelling, you'll just huff and puff and blow the ring down. Makes you easily blow away a pile of ashes, but sadly for you. Those ashes won't be from me." He smirked as Leo ran up from behind Alhimar to swing its claws towards the zebra's back.

[Props Valroa 26,042]

@Dynamo Pad

Alhimar could see the shadow of the Leo Constellation coming up from behind him. He quickly would dodge the swing but the claw was able to claw at his back a bit. No blood was drawn but his clothes were definitely ruined there. Alhimar would then look to the Leo Constellation and burst out laughing. "AWWW WIDDLE COSMIC AND HIS LITTLE LEO PET!" Alhimar shouted mockingly. He realized he couldn't actually damage the Constellation itself but he would run quickly and attempt to get it to ram into Cheap. While doing so he would prepare another blast of lightning and fire it off towards Cosmic's tail. He wanted to burn Cosmic's tail, even if there was no actual damage the point was clear. He then would cackle if Cosmic's tail was burnt. "I am the big bad wolf! I'll huff and I'll puff until I blow an annoying rodent named Cheap down!" he bellowed proudly as he would observe Cheap in order to determine his next movements.  

[Pencil Pouch]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by ExplosionMare

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Reality Check @Oni Equine

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

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

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

@ExplosionMare @Starforce

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

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

@Courageous Thunder Dash

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

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

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Oni Equine @ExplosionMare @Reality Check

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

[Props Valroa 26,042]

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

Alhimar looked over to Pencil and Sparkly with approval and would nod in approval. "Welcome, friends! You ain't got no deal here, Cheap! We are going to pummel you to the ground whether you like it or not. By the time we are done with you, you will be wishing you never said anything bad to Dynamo! While I may not know you two, your help is more than welcomed! You must believe in yourselves, rest assured with greater numbers there is a greater chance of victory! Good luck!" he spoke with boastful approval of Sparkly and Pencil. He really liked the way Sparkly was referring to Cheap for sure. "Ya hear that Cheap Shot?! 3 against one, you will be undone!" he shouted to Cheap, having a rare moment where he would actually rhyme. He was quite pleased with the Rhyme he had made.

He was assured that Pencil and Sparkly would be able to defend themselves from the Leo constellation and would focus his attention to Cheap. While Cheap was focused on Sparkly and Pencil, Alhimar would charge up his next assault. This would take up 75% of his remaining vial. While he had about two minutes or so left, he wanted to unleash a large barrage on Cheap. From Pencil and Sparkly's point of view they could see that Alhimar's head glowed hilarious as from his head a wide beam of lightning had struck Cheap. It was a lot louder than it was last time, and had more punch to it. 

[Samurai Equine 45,889]

 @Starforce

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited October 30, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Opia]

@Oni Equine

Opia follows Mayor Black to the field and observes the scene unfold. It was quite impressive to say the least that Mayor Black had a hidden bunker out here. Bunkers were great because when you have one, you are hidden and can't be discovered unless someone knew where it was. Opia descends down the stairs and follows him, looking up at the lights as she descends down the stairs. Opia moved slowly and wanted to feel each and every step under her hooves as she followed him.

 "I wonder who that would be. I would say that I have sizeable earnings from my travels over the years. You know, I've never actually had one set residence. I would go wherever I went. Sometimes hotels. Sometimes month long leases, that sort of thing. But mostly I would consider my true home back in Hollow Shades. My parents, and my family is there." Opia spoke to him with an oddly emotional voice considering her character.

Upon following through the door she would lament upon the various office ponies doing their various tasks at their desks. The screens about the place looked quite modern and advanced. If anything was true, this place was most certainly quite lavish and well kept. Opia highly respected that and would sit down on another seat by his desk and sit there for a few calm moments.

 "This office of yours is special. It would be a shame for us to have to move operations because this is a really nice office you have here. It isn't what I expected - I had thought you would have a normal office space rented out in town but this? I enjoy being here. While I am one for nature, I have roamed the wild for years and I can see myself being in here for a while. I am not sure if I would like to move here as again, my family is back home and I intend on returning home at some point in the future but until then I will investigate the mystery of this town." Opia paused, allowing herself a breathe. Opia seemed to get a bit emotional whenever she spoke of her family. It was strange. Was her monotone persona just a front? Or was it something more?

 "There is a lot about this town I can point out that is unusual. It isn't on any known maps. I stumbled across it randomly. The curse, for one thing, and there is also something else that interests me with this town. If you don't mind me saying, a town normally doesn't have two mayors. There are a lot of things going on here that are against the norm of things that one would expect. But first, the Curse should be our primary focus. Scanning it, analyzing the data and crunching the numbers is paramount." she spoke with a more logical, analytical tone. It was clear that she had what it takes. 

[Reality Check 627]

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

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

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

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

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

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

[Pencil Pouch]

@Starforce @Oni Equine @Dynamo Pad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

@Courageous Thunder Dash

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

@Starforce @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine

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

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

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

@Ragland Tiger

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

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

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

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

Edited October 30, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Samurai Equine 45,889]

 @Starforce

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

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

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

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

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

Edited October 30, 2021 by Oni Equine

[Opia]

@Oni Equine

Opia stayed silent as Mayor Black had gave orders for Linda, and watched in satisfaction as Linda would walk off. No doubt to fulfill her duties as layed out for her by Mayor Black. "Well perhaps an idea to resolve this curse or the issues that have been ailing this town is to get this town back to what it used to be. Make it attractive, put it back on the map. Although I am not sure how one would do that to begin with. Although a place to start would be sending out envoys to other towns to establish trade and beneficial relationships." Opia nodded, as another idea crossed her mind.

"What this town needs is a landmark. If there are any gardens around here what I can do is modify their plants to grow big and strong. Perhaps outside of the town itself with my magic, I can make the edges of this town bloom with flowers and interesting colors. Friendshire, the town with the many flowers and plants. I like the sound of that. What do you think? As for the investigations, that depends on what your workers, such as Linda find." she asked calmly.

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

Alhimar watched in awe as Sparkly had revealed her true form. It was the last thing he had expected - for an alicorn to reveal herself. He hadn't ever seen an alicorn in the flesh however it was clear this one wasn't Twilight Sparkle despite how similar she looked. Sparkly looked far more intimidating and had darker colors and her cutie mark was slightly different to top it all off. "Nice one, Sparkly! You are definitely the most amazing pony I have seen! Embrace your true self! Let it flow through you with righteousness and let it burn all the evils of the world!" Alhimar called out as Sparkly had performed her attack and surrounded Cheap with a cloud of dust. Alhimar bursted out laughing at the scene, not only that he watched with great approval once his attack had made contact. "You like that, Cheapskate?! I can see what Dynamo is doing over there. Your friend Cosmic and your astrology trashies are doomed soon enough! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!" he shouted to Cheap upon glancing over at Cosmic and Dynamo, seeing what was occurring over there.

However his success would be curtailed as the Leo Constellation managed to wrangle him. Alhimar would grow enraged once again. Due to his lack of pain reception he wasn't able to feel the pain caused by Leo however he knew he had to do something. Kicking the Constellation back with his hind hooves he would reassure his grounding. While would likely attempt to wrangle Alhimar again, Alhimar had popped the cap on a clear vial and quickly gulped it down. What was this one? A strength vial. It would allow Alhimar to have greatly increased strength for the next three minutes.

With the last of his lightning vial still stirring within him, he would have proceeded to fire off the last of its power right at Cheap once again. This time it wasn't as strong but was still likely strong enough to singe him again. Looking to Samurai who had stood beside him. "We can do this, Samurai. With that new alicorn on our side, we will win this! Samurai, focus on the bull and Cheap. I have a...cat I need to kick out!" he smirked wildly and with his new found strength he would proceed towards Leo. "OH YOU WANT A PEACE OF ME HUH?! WELL LET ME SHOW YOU! HEHEHE!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, yet his calculating nature meant he landed at a certain angle that would allow him to strike at Leo's chin. With a swift motion, Alhimar had punched Leo directly under the chin. Leo was sent flying through the air due to Alhimar's great strength. It was likely he was going to be thrown to the other side of the arena.

 

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Dynamo Pad

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

 

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

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

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Oni Equine @Reality Check

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

[Pencil Pouch]

@Dynamo Pad @Oni Equine @Starforce

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

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

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

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

The broken ropes! she noticed.

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

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

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

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

She closed her eyes and hope her shot landed.

[Samurai Equine 45,889]

 @Starforce

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

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

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

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

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

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

@Courageous Thunder Dash

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited October 31, 2021 by Dynamo Pad