open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Windy Breeze 15,175]

@Samurai Equine

Shadow nodded “It was a very Sandy beach. Locals and tourist always filled the place with their belongings but they always clean their trash. You can play beach balls there and i saw some ponies wearing summer hats”

Edited April 14, 2020 by Windy Breeze

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

6 minutes ago, Samurai Equine said:

Samurai looks back at Dynamo. "That dancing game machine is popular? I know singing is very popular these days, I didn't know dancing was as well... And it has been a while since I got to practice my dance skills..." He wants to know what Raze has planned, but he also wants to get involved in these games. The only thing holding him back is not having some pony to show him the ropes, but perhaps he should just figure that out for himself. "...Do I need to get tokens to play these games?"

"I think so, at least." Dynamo nodded. "They have a giant list of songs that are well known, or pretty classic. After that karaoke event yesterday, I have no doubt that singing is quite popular these days. Dancing is well known since singing and dancing go hoof in hoof. I have played a few songs on Trot Trot Revolution before. If you'd like, then I can show you how to play. Who knows? They might have a song that you'd love to dance to." He walked over towards Samurai, shaking his head at the mention of tokens. "Usually, you would need them in order to play. However, today is an exception. We are all testing out most, if not all of the games. Just to make sure that they are up and running and/or need help being adjusted. If some aren't working whatsoever, then we'll just remove them and replace them with updated versions, or maybe new games. Since we'll be taking stock on other games to be added in the future. So, today is basically a free to play day. Since it's all about having fun." He would say with a smile.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos’ eyes slightly widened at the hefty sack of bits presented before him. It was certainly much more than he anticipated. 
 

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Kronos said to Jon and his staff as he accepted his payment. 
 

Having a job well done, his payment safely deposited into the compartments of his armor, he went back the the center of the town square. 
 

While there, a thought popped into his brain. He did take note of the explosives used the previous night during the festivities. Mild as they were, he did ponder over the potential of increased payloads with the firecrackers. He took a quick scan around the area. 
 

Hmm, he thought to himself, mayhaps there’s enough materials around here to create an explosive pod of sorts. 
 

You mean a rocket launcher with the gunpowder fireworks they have here?

Yes. I do recall that the ancient warriors of old called it a “beehive”. A fitting name for such an impudent device; however, i feel as if we can make it more....potent. 
 

How so?

 

Perhaps modifying the firecrackers with a more explosive payload?

You sadistic prick, I’m into it. 
 

And maybe making a few modifications to the pod itself to make it less random.

 

It’ll be quite the task, but it’ll keep us busy. 
 

With that thought in mind, Kronos went on to find materials to do his little project with. He needed to do so without raising too much suspicion, so simply purchasing a crap ton of explosives was kind of out of the question with the exception of a last resort.
 

He decided to wander off a little ways beyond the town’s border and took some wood from nearby fallen trees. He then tried to find some gunpowder ingredients. He was able to easily find sulfur and make charcoal, but the major ingredient, saltpeter, was more difficult to obtain naturally. So, he went over to a spice shop and simply purchased some saltpeter.

 

He went on to a secluded area with his materials in place. He first created the gunpowder, mixing his sulfur, grounded charcoal and saltpeter until it became that familiar gray substance he recognized as gunpowder. He then took the wood he had left over to create the rockets. He put in hefty amounts of gunpowder into each individual rocket, ensuring maximum payload upon impact or detonation, whichever came first. He then went out of his way to find some laminated wood to work with to create the pod. After hours of tinkering, he finally made himself a homemade beehive rocket launcher. It was about four feet tall, with a bunch of short fuses littering the surface to ensure near-instantaneous firing of each individual rocket. The pod was also shaped in a way that looks almost like another instrument case, so he crossed it over with his actual instrument case on his back. He noticed he had some leftover mini-warhead firecrackers and some more string for a possible reload of his beehive, so long as the pod doesn’t get set on fire otherwise. 
 

“Phew,” Kronos sighed, “That took some doing, but i think we did it. We made a legitimate beehive rocket launcher.”

Edited April 14, 2020 by Kronos the Revenant

[Pastel Heart 6,463]

@Astral Vision

Dr. Milenko closed his eyes and nodded, smiling as he listened to Astrals plight. He saw some of himself in him; it is true, the princesses can only do so much, especially in a hidden place like this... He waited for Astral to finish before leaning forward.

"You have a very interesting thought process, Astral. Indeed, you remind me of myself... Perhaps our goals are similar; we both want the ponies of this town, and every creature everywhere to be happy and free of strife. A large part of that is why I left the homelands, and worked in Ponyville before coming here. It's funny you mention Princess Twilight; I was a counselor at her friendship school for a time. Alas, I wanted to take my profession to serve something larger and greater... We have similar convictions."

He smiled and relaxed in his seat, feeling a sense of solidarity. This was good. Seeing eye to eye with a patient was important to him.

"Trust me, though, my friend, if there were dark magic at work here, would the residents here be so happy and harmonious? I understand your worry, but I think this may just be anxiety. You're in a new place, after all... You said you've had fun, yes? Perhaps you should try to relax more. I can promise, that soon this place will become as much of a home to you as it is now to me in time... After all, happiness, fulfilling dreams, these are the most important things to living a fulfilling existence in this short life... these feelings you have are valid, and I'm sure with time and help from your friends, you will come to terms with them. If you do find anything related to some dark magic surrounding this town, please do come to me. If there is danger surrounding this town of hopes and dreams, I will help in any way I can."

Milenko extended his claw, assumably to shake Astrals hoof as a sign of their mutual understanding.

 

•  

 

@Dynamo Pad 

"Huh? I played that! I meant, uhh, the other one!"

Seemed like Pastel was only paying half attention. Simple minded to the end. She did have memories of playing TTR, but more often than not, it was her alone on stage... Though, something about that feeling gave her a tingle in her stomach.

@ExplosionMare

Pastel reached over to hit the 2 Player button. Since it was being tested, free play should be in effect.

The actual game itself had a menacing aura about it, but Pastel seemed right at home. She knew exactly what character she was going for too; a pony with a pink face mask. Definitely nothing strange under that mask. Probably.

There were several others with varying appearances. If Pencil waited too long the game will pick a character for her. Arcade games had low patience.

[Astral Vision 286]

16 hours ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Astral Vision

Dr. Milenko closed his eyes and nodded, smiling as he listened to Astrals plight. He saw some of himself in him; it is true, the princesses can only do so much, especially in a hidden place like this... He waited for Astral to finish before leaning forward.

"You have a very interesting thought process, Astral. Indeed, you remind me of myself... Perhaps our goals are similar; we both want the ponies of this town, and every creature everywhere to be happy and free of strife. A large part of that is why I left the homelands, and worked in Ponyville before coming here. It's funny you mention Princess Twilight; I was a counselor at her friendship school for a time. Alas, I wanted to take my profession to serve something larger and greater... We have similar convictions."

He smiled and relaxed in his seat, feeling a sense of solidarity. This was good. Seeing eye to eye with a patient was important to him.

"Trust me, though, my friend, if there were dark magic at work here, would the residents here be so happy and harmonious? I understand your worry, but I think this may just be anxiety. You're in a new place, after all... You said you've had fun, yes? Perhaps you should try to relax more. I can promise, that soon this place will become as much of a home to you as it is now to me in time... After all, happiness, fulfilling dreams, these are the most important things to living a fulfilling existence in this short life... these feelings you have are valid, and I'm sure with time and help from your friends, you will come to terms with them. If you do find anything related to some dark magic surrounding this town, please do come to me. If there is danger surrounding this town of hopes and dreams, I will help in any way I can."

Milenko extended his claw, assumably to shake Astrals hoof as a sign of their mutual understanding.

 

•  

 

@Dynamo Pad 

"Huh? I played that! I meant, uhh, the other one!"

Seemed like Pastel was only paying half attention. Simple minded to the end. She did have memories of playing TTR, but more often than not, it was her alone on stage... Though, something about that feeling gave her a tingle in her stomach.

@ExplosionMare

Pastel reached over to hit the 2 Player button. Since it was being tested, free play should be in effect.

The actual game itself had a menacing aura about it, but Pastel seemed right at home. She knew exactly what character she was going for too; a pony with a pink face mask. Definitely nothing strange under that mask. Probably.

There were several others with varying appearances. If Pencil waited too long the game will pick a character for her. Arcade games had low patience.

@Pastel Heart

Astral smiled at Milenko's sincerity, and took his claw in a firm hoofshake. The dragon made a good point, maybe he had been overly cautious, and it was finally time to enjoy himself?

"Thank you sir, I wish you the best in your own goals, and I'm glad to see I'll have your support if I need it. Now sorry to rush off, but I promised my friends I would meet them at the arcade, and I don't want them to worry. And again, thank you for sparing time."

Astral then got down from the couch and waved farewell to the kind dragon, and said one last thing before he left.

"I'm certain Twilight would be extremely proud of what you're doing here. Keep up the good work." Astral said with a smile, as he turned to leave for the arcade.

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

On 4/14/2020 at 3:34 PM, Pastel Heart said:

"Huh? I played that! I meant, uhh, the other one!"

Seemed like Pastel was only paying half attention. Simple minded to the end. She did have memories of playing TTR, but more often than not, it was her alone on stage... Though, something about that feeling gave her a tingle in her stomach.

@ExplosionMare

Pastel reached over to hit the 2 Player button. Since it was being tested, free play should be in effect.

The actual game itself had a menacing aura about it, but Pastel seemed right at home. She knew exactly what character she was going for too; a pony with a pink face mask. Definitely nothing strange under that mask. Probably.

There were several others with varying appearances. If Pencil waited too long the game will pick a character for her. Arcade games had low patience.

@ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine @Jack Baker

Dynamo tilted his head to the side as he was still unsure of what Pastel had meant. "Uh...I think I'm still lost. What game were we talking about again. I mean, I think I get the gist of what you were talking about, but I'm still lost." He would say, while wondering if there was a certain song he knew on the TTR machine. If so and if they all wanted to dance, then he would ask if anyone wanted to join him on the dancing game stage.

[Astral Vision 286]

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart @Samurai Equine @ExplosionMare

Astral navigated through the town with map in hoof, and was eventually able to find a building with arcade machines on display.

"Glad to see I made it here in time, I wonder how the others are doing?"

Astral opened the front door, and happily trotted in.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. You'll never guess where I've been! Did you know there's a dragon in this town? He's really nice."

Edited April 17, 2020 by Astral Vision
*know

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

@Astral Vision @Pastel Heart @Samurai Equine @Jack Baker

Dynamo's ear perked as he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. He looked over to the source of the voice to see Astral. "Astral! It's good to see you made it back!" The gamer pony grinned, walking over towards Astral. "How did it go with that meeting with Trilby? I hope it all went well. Also, you aren't late. You made it just in time. Pastel and I were showing Pencil, Samurai and Raze around the arcade. Along with all of the arcade games, pinballs machines and dance games that we have available." He would say, before listening to what the unicorn had to say. "A dragon?" He raised an eyebrow in both surprise and wonder. "I think I saw some ponies and other creatures, but I never saw a dragon before. That's rather interesting and glad to hear that he's nice."

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

 

@Pastel Heart

Pencil noticed the character selection on the screen but was too late to select one she wanted. She ended up with some male character that was the exact opposite of her as far as personality and skill.

Well, guess I’ll just have to use this guy. Maybe he won’t be so bad once I get used to him Pencil pondered.

 

@Astral Vision

Pencil turned her head quickly towards Astral’s direction. Did he just say a dragon was in town? How in Equestria would a dragon even know about this place?

“Wait, wait! Astral, did you just say a dragon moved here? Where is he?” she yelled across the room, trying to filter out the skepticism in her voice.   

[Pastel Heart 6,463]

Left alone again, Dr. Milenko finished off his coffee and relaxed in his seat. He smiled and took off his glasses, closing his eyes.

"I think that went well... That Astral is an interesting unicorn. I'm sure he'll come around soon; they all do eventually."

He looked up at the ceiling, smiling pleasantly, as if hope glimmered in his.

"...Dreams deserve to be realized. I'm certain his will... soon, perhaps mine can too..."

 

•  

 

@ExplosionMare @Dynamo Pad @Astral Vision

As the fight started, it was clear Pastel was rusty. If Pencil button mashed, she could put up a fight... that is, until she let herself get distracted by Astrals appearance and dragon talk, a focused Pastel, slowly getting her groove back would take over and take the match. This was followed by... a rather gruesome victory. Too violent to describe on this board. Blood red FATALITY was painted on the screen. Pastel seemed happy, unphased by the games gruesome nature.

"Phew! That was a RUSH!! Now, what's this about a dragon!? Can I meet him too!? Can he play games with us too? If we're doing TTR soon I bet a dragon dance would be AWESOME!"

She turned on a dime quickly, but only after completely taking the match... If only she applied that kind of focus to everything else.

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

23 minutes ago, Pastel Heart said:

As the fight started, it was clear Pastel was rusty. If Pencil button mashed, she could put up a fight... that is, until she let herself get distracted by Astrals appearance and dragon talk, a focused Pastel, slowly getting her groove back would take over and take the match. This was followed by... a rather gruesome victory. Too violent to describe on this board. Blood red FATALITY was painted on the screen. Pastel seemed happy, unphased by the games gruesome nature.

"Phew! That was a RUSH!! Now, what's this about a dragon!? Can I meet him too!? Can he play games with us too? If we're doing TTR soon I bet a dragon dance would be AWESOME!"

She turned on a dime quickly, but only after completely taking the match... If only she applied that kind of focus to everything else.

@ExplosionMare @Astral Vision @Samurai Equine @Jack Baker

Dynamo's ears perked as he heard the sound of fighting noises from within the video game. The gamer pony turned back to see the gruesome victory. Closing one of his eyes as the game was followed by the announcement of a FATALITY. "Oh, now that had to hurt. That isn't something that not many individuals likes to see, but that's why the rating of the game makes a lot of sense. I believe the original Mortal Kombat game was the one that started the ESRB rating system. It's why most, if not, then every game has a rating. Those ratings raging from E, T, M, and AO. Which all stand for Everypony, Teen, Mature and Adult only. At least, that's what my old gaming teacher told me. Mortal Kombat has that sort of feature that isn't afraid to go that far. I admit that the fatalities are pretty unique, but a bit extreme in one form or another. Good match, you two." He congratulated them, while ruffling Pastel's mane. 

"It sounds like you were enjoying the video game. I'm guessing you haven't played that game in quite a while, huh?" He chuckled, smiling at Pastel's enthusiasm. "Speaking of TTR, is there any song that you like to dance to on that game? I have a song, but not a dancing partner. Would you like to join me?" He asks, holding out his front right hoof for Pastel to take.

Edited April 17, 2020 by Dynamo Pad

[Pastel Heart 6,463]

@Dynamo Pad

Pastel happily trotted up to Dynamo, eager for attention, which she definitely got. She was practically purring as she smiled and swayed her tail as her already messy mane was ruffled.

"Nyaha~ Pencil was great for a first timer too!! I bet she'll be a wiz like us in no time! I never really looked at that ratings stuff though... As long as I'm not getting in trouble, grandpa lets me do what I want!"

This pony must be quite the enigma, whoever he is... 

Pastel felt like the belle of the ball as Dynamo extended his hoof to her. Wasnt this like that one story!? Except it's a TTR machine. wowzer.

She giggled and blushed bashfully like a Disney princess before taking Dynamo's hoof in hers. Last time she acted this way was the concert.

"I am quite a fan of the butterfly song, but... I would be grateful for any dance I share with you~"

Where did the ballroom manners and Cinderella act come from? It's TTR, not the Grand Galloping Gala.

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

2 minutes ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Dynamo Pad

Pastel happily trotted up to Dynamo, eager for attention, which she definitely got. She was practically purring as she smiled and swayed her tail as her already messy mane was ruffled.

"Nyaha~ Pencil was great for a first timer too!! I bet she'll be a wiz like us in no time! I never really looked at that ratings stuff though... As long as I'm not getting in trouble, grandpa lets me do what I want!"

This pony must be quite the enigma, whoever he is... 

Pastel felt like the belle of the ball as Dynamo extended his hoof to her. Wasnt this like that one story!? Except it's a TTR machine. wowzer.

She giggled and blushed bashfully like a Disney princess before taking Dynamo's hoof in hers. Last time she acted this way was the concert.

"I am quite a fan of the butterfly song, but... I would be grateful for any dance I share with you~"

Where did the ballroom manners and Cinderella act come from? It's TTR, not the Grand Galloping Gala.

Dynamo held back a chuckle as he thought he heard Pastel was purring like a cat. He had to admit that was pretty adorable, in his opinion. "You can say that again. I didn't get a chance to see the entire fight, but it looks like Pencil has a lot of potential for being a great gamer. It's all about practice makes perfect. At least you aren't held back by the rating. I remember my mom and dad would always want me to stick to the age rating. There were a few times that I could get away with it, but it was based on some of the games being anime related." He frowned with a nod and shrug of his shoulders. 

At the mention of wanting to be his dance partner, he smiled. "I think I've heard of the butterfly song before. Perhaps we can dance to that first and then the song of my choice? Either way, I would love to have this dance, m'lady." He leaned down as he placed a kiss upon her hoof, before giving a sheepish grin. It looked like he and Pastel were at a gala, but they were dancing on a TTR dance machine. "Shall we show the others what this game is all about?" He asks as he was about to lead her up towards the dance panels.

[Pastel Heart 6,463]

@Dynamo Pad

If Pastel were a block of ice she would have melted to the floor. She blushed and smiled widely, barely able to contain her giddyness as Dynamo kissed her hoof; she really did feel like a heroine now! She skipped to his side, all ready to dance the night away. Hopefully the other ponies got a kick out of this too!

"I'm gonna set this club on fire and steal your heart, Dyny~ nyahaha~"

Pastel had a spark in her eye and a pep in her step. She radiated a different energy, just like when she sang at the concert. 

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

Just now, Pastel Heart said:

@Dynamo Pad

If Pastel were a block of ice she would have melted to the floor. She blushed and smiled widely, barely able to contain her giddyness as Dynamo kissed her hoof; she really did feel like a heroine now! She skipped to his side, all ready to dance the night away. Hopefully the other ponies got a kick out of this too!

"I'm gonna set this club on fire and steal your heart, Dyny~ nyahaha~"

Pastel had a spark in her eye and a pep in her step. She radiated a different energy, just like when she sang at the concert. 

@Astral Vision @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine @Jack Baker

Dynamo was surprised as Pastel had skipped with him over towards the dance machine. As he looked over to her, he noticed that she had a spark in her eyes. He had noticed her singing when she was in the concert, but he was so far in the back of the crowed when he was with Astral. So, he didn't get a chance to see most of her performance. To him, it was as if she was a completely different pony. "Okay! Now the rules of TTR are pretty simple and straight forward." He would say, looking back to the others as he stepped onto the platforms, before turning around and extending his hoof once more to Pastel. He knew it wasn't a huge step up to stand on the platform, but he wanted to be kind and formal with his manners. "As soon as the song begins, there are four symbols that will show up on screen. The four icons will stay in place as the step notes go from the bottom to the top. As soon as you see the symbol and icon line up, then you hit the note with your front and/or back hoof. Granted, it depends on where and how you are standing." He says, pointing to each corresponding step pad that was around Pastel and himself. 

"Every time you hit the note correctly, you gain points, but you also can start a chain. If you miss the step, then the chain ends and you lose that combo potential. It's all about trying to score enough points, but to also get into the groove of the song. There are even times where you have to hit two step pads at the exact same time. Even to the point of seeing a long note string, before keeping your foot on that note. Sort of like a long note string in Guitar Hero. I know this might sound confusing, but Pastel and I will show you how it'll work. Everything will be explained as the game play begins." He would say, searching through the song, until he stopped at the butterfly song. He made sure to set his difficulty to medium, while waiting for Pastel to set her difficulty settings. He would have gone higher on the difficulty, but he wanted to get back into practice. Knowing full well he might be rusty at playing the dancing game. He looked over to Pastel with a slight blush at her comment. "I don't doubt on you stealing the dance show. I guess we'll see, Pastel-chan." He wasn't sure what to say as he wasn't sure why she had said that. He knew he would have to talk to her later, but maybe asking the others for advice was the best course of action. He'd have to talk about it later as they had a dance to attend to. 

[Samurai Equine 45,955]

@Windy Breeze

Trilby can see it all now as she describes it. "Summer hats? Ooh... Sounds like I've all ready got competition." Trilby says.

Soon, the cart comes to a stop near the restaurant. "Thank you." Paying the 'driver' for the ride, Trilby helps Shadow out of the cart so they can go eat. The diner in question really is a fine dining experience. Ponies entering are wearing suits and dresses most of the time. And the building itself has a very elegant design.

 

@Dynamo Pad, @Pastel Heart, @Astral Vision, @ExplosionMare

After Dynamo initially told Samurai about the TTR game, his curiosity only grew. For some reason, Raze' interest in the arcade seem to be waning. This seemed like a golden opportunity. "Excuse me for a moment." Samurai bows before going over to get a closer look at this Trot Trot Revolution.

Apparently, this is a newer model of the game. It has a wide, extended number of songs and perhaps some additional game modes. But the demo screen is playing, and it gives Samurai a chance to try and decode what he is seeing. Arrows flying across the screen vertically, a corresponding dance surface, a place for two people to dance... And maybe a connection to the rhythm of the song? Samurai nods his head, getting into the rhythm of it. "Left, left, right, down, up, up, right...?" He tries to imitate it with his hind hooves, making a misstep here or there, but quickly catching on. "Oh, I see... And timing is everything too... But response time might be a factor as well, still this device seems relatively new and virtually untouched. The controls must be as tight as possible, correct? Even so..." Samurai seems lost in thought.

By the time Dynamo and Pastel arrive to explain the game, Samurai listens, but in his own way, he has all ready started to figure out the gist of this game. What Dynamo is saying is only confirming everything he is saying. However, he noticed Dynamo setting up the game. It was now or never. "Excuse me, Dynamo-san!" Samurai raises his hoof, speaking up. "I don't mean to be an inconvenience. This is your domain, and therefore you get to decide what happens in this arcade. However, before you and Pastel have your duet, may I go first? I desire deeply to test my skills and prove that I cannot be beaten by a video game machine. As a proud warrior, I must be prepared to win ANY battle I face up against!" Samurai says with steely, fierce determination and eagerness.

... It wasn't until one second after his request that he notices who else is here. "Oh! Hello Astral. Please forgive my rudeness. I'm glad you've come to join us! Welcome to the arcade. Have you been here long?" Seems Samurai was so focused on studying that game and improving himself that he didn't eve notice Astral ariving.

[Windy Breeze 15,175]

@Samurai Equine

Shadow stared at the restaurant in awe and anxiousness “So this is the diner you're taking me. It looks pretty... Expensive” she whispered the last word for Trilby's ear, not wanting to receive nasty looks from the dressed ponies. 

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

3 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

After Dynamo initially told Samurai about the TTR game, his curiosity only grew. For some reason, Raze' interest in the arcade seem to be waning. This seemed like a golden opportunity. "Excuse me for a moment." Samurai bows before going over to get a closer look at this Trot Trot Revolution.

Apparently, this is a newer model of the game. It has a wide, extended number of songs and perhaps some additional game modes. But the demo screen is playing, and it gives Samurai a chance to try and decode what he is seeing. Arrows flying across the screen vertically, a corresponding dance surface, a place for two people to dance... And maybe a connection to the rhythm of the song? Samurai nods his head, getting into the rhythm of it. "Left, left, right, down, up, up, right...?" He tries to imitate it with his hind hooves, making a misstep here or there, but quickly catching on. "Oh, I see... And timing is everything too... But response time might be a factor as well, still this device seems relatively new and virtually untouched. The controls must be as tight as possible, correct? Even so..." Samurai seems lost in thought.

By the time Dynamo and Pastel arrive to explain the game, Samurai listens, but in his own way, he has all ready started to figure out the gist of this game. What Dynamo is saying is only confirming everything he is saying. However, he noticed Dynamo setting up the game. It was now or never. "Excuse me, Dynamo-san!" Samurai raises his hoof, speaking up. "I don't mean to be an inconvenience. This is your domain, and therefore you get to decide what happens in this arcade. However, before you and Pastel have your duet, may I go first? I desire deeply to test my skills and prove that I cannot be beaten by a video game machine. As a proud warrior, I must be prepared to win ANY battle I face up against!" Samurai says with steely, fierce determination and eagerness.

... It wasn't until one second after his request that he notices who else is here. "Oh! Hello Astral. Please forgive my rudeness. I'm glad you've come to join us! Welcome to the arcade. Have you been here long?" Seems Samurai was so focused on studying that game and improving himself that he didn't eve notice Astral ariving.

@Pastel Heart @Astral Vision @ExplosionMare @Jack Baker

As Dynamo was about to hit the start button to play the song, he stopped as he heard Samurai's voice. He turned back and nodded, stepping away slightly to allow the asian pony to get a better look at the controls. The gamer pony also made sure to allow Samurai, as well as the others to look at the demo screen. "You've got that right, Samurai. Timing is basically everything in this game. Making sure to hit the right notes, while keeping the rhythm of the song in mind. Sometimes you think you hit the note correctly, but then it was either too quickly or not quick enough. The tricky part is keeping an eye on the screen, while making sure your hooves hit the corresponding notes. Sort of like having a good hoof-eye coordination." He would explain, while confirming the asian pony's thought process.

He blinked as he was called once more, before listening to the asian pony's request. Smiling, he shook his head, before giving his friend an affirmative nod. "You're not making an inconvenience, Samurai. I understand if this is not your forte, but I'm just glad that you're taking an interest in video games. The same goes for everyone else that's here now. If you'd like to go first, then I'd be honored to allow you the first to try. I may not know much on fighting, but it sounds like you have a strong sense of pride and honor. Although, it does depend on what Pastel says too." He says, looking back towards the young filly. "What do you think, Pastel-chan? Would it be okay if we allow Samurai to take a chance on the dance machine? I'll make sure to keep my promise on having a dance together."

[Astral Vision 286]

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

Astral was bombarded with many questions, though thankfully they were primarily about the dragon. Before Dynamo and Pastel began their dance, Astral was quick to clarify.

"I have good news; Trilby Hatter said he 'might' put a good word in to Mayor White Addenbrooks for me, so we may finally have a lead. As for the dragon, otherwise known as Dr. Milenko, he's a really nice guy. Apparently he came here after teaching at Twilight's School of Friendship. If any of you wanted to meet him, his office is just down the street."

3 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

@Windy Breeze

Trilby can see it all now as she describes it. "Summer hats? Ooh... Sounds like I've all ready got competition." Trilby says.

Soon, the cart comes to a stop near the restaurant. "Thank you." Paying the 'driver' for the ride, Trilby helps Shadow out of the cart so they can go eat. The diner in question really is a fine dining experience. Ponies entering are wearing suits and dresses most of the time. And the building itself has a very elegant design.

 

@Dynamo Pad, @Pastel Heart, @Astral Vision, @ExplosionMare

After Dynamo initially told Samurai about the TTR game, his curiosity only grew. For some reason, Raze' interest in the arcade seem to be waning. This seemed like a golden opportunity. "Excuse me for a moment." Samurai bows before going over to get a closer look at this Trot Trot Revolution.

Apparently, this is a newer model of the game. It has a wide, extended number of songs and perhaps some additional game modes. But the demo screen is playing, and it gives Samurai a chance to try and decode what he is seeing. Arrows flying across the screen vertically, a corresponding dance surface, a place for two people to dance... And maybe a connection to the rhythm of the song? Samurai nods his head, getting into the rhythm of it. "Left, left, right, down, up, up, right...?" He tries to imitate it with his hind hooves, making a misstep here or there, but quickly catching on. "Oh, I see... And timing is everything too... But response time might be a factor as well, still this device seems relatively new and virtually untouched. The controls must be as tight as possible, correct? Even so..." Samurai seems lost in thought.

By the time Dynamo and Pastel arrive to explain the game, Samurai listens, but in his own way, he has all ready started to figure out the gist of this game. What Dynamo is saying is only confirming everything he is saying. However, he noticed Dynamo setting up the game. It was now or never. "Excuse me, Dynamo-san!" Samurai raises his hoof, speaking up. "I don't mean to be an inconvenience. This is your domain, and therefore you get to decide what happens in this arcade. However, before you and Pastel have your duet, may I go first? I desire deeply to test my skills and prove that I cannot be beaten by a video game machine. As a proud warrior, I must be prepared to win ANY battle I face up against!" Samurai says with steely, fierce determination and eagerness.

... It wasn't until one second after his request that he notices who else is here. "Oh! Hello Astral. Please forgive my rudeness. I'm glad you've come to join us! Welcome to the arcade. Have you been here long?" Seems Samurai was so focused on studying that game and improving himself that he didn't eve notice Astral ariving.

@Samurai Equine

Astral chuckled at Samurai's determination, the colt truly was a warrior at heart. In order to calm him down, Astral decided to give him some advice, but with an added twist.

"It seems that Samurai is up for a fight, no doubt he will battle with all of his might. But this arcade game is no worthy foe, these machines cannot cause harm you know. So take this game and enjoy it as you can, otherwise your strategy may not go as planned." Astral said in the tone of an old friend, making sure that Samurai knew the meaning of his rhyme; he should have fun with the game rather than treating it as a battle.

[Pastel Heart 6,463]

@Astral Vision

"Hmm... A dragon, huh? A crusty old mayor sounds kinda boring but a dragon sounds cool!"

Simple minded as always, Pastel filtered that into "dragon good" in her head. Easily fascinated.

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

Pastel giggled happily. She was very excited and happy about being able to dance by Dynamo's side. This was like those night clubs that she's never allowed to go into... what does grandpa do in there anyway?

at Samurai's request, Pastel put her hoof to her chin as if pondering. It doesn't seem she was thinking about anything in particular and just really wanted to do that.

"Sure! Go ahead, Sami! You can be our opening act~!"

[Samurai Equine 45,955]

@Windy Breeze

With a smirk, Trilby leans and whispers as well. "You're worth it." He giggles a little. "Would you like a fancy hat or something before we go in? I promise, no pony here cares how you dress. As long as you're civilized and well mannered, everything will be fine." Trilby explains.

@Dynamo Pad, @Astral Vision, @Pastel Heart, @Jack Baker, @ExplosionMare

Samurai hangs on every word Astral says, trying his best to decode the rhyme. "Ah, yes, I see. The wind, to the east. It's snowing on Mount Fuji. Keep your spirit high." Samurai replies to him in haiku.

With Dynamo and Pastel's approval, Samurai goes up to the machine, and selects Single Player, and selects the Hardest difficulty it has. Then he looks through the song choices. There are many, but only one catches his eye. "...Geisha?" He selects it and gets ready. Soon, the song begins to play:

At first, Samurai misses one or two steps. He is getting use to the controls, so it's a little different than what he was expecting. But he quickly adapts, and in doing so, he puts on a show!

His dance moves are much like a sped-up version of a Yosakoi dance (Examples here, here, and here.), though his hoof work is more detailed to make sure he hits all the right marks as he plays the game.

With a flourish, Samurai finishes his dance as the game come an end. "Eiyosha!!" Samurai says, striking a pose.

The game calculates his total. He just barely missing hitting the top high score by a point or two, probably cause of that bad start, but being #2 on the scoreboard is not bad! Samurai leaves the dance pad, wiping off a little bit of sweat. "I believe I have mastered this game's secrets after all!"

[Windy Breeze 15,175]

Shadow smiled “Sure” she said. She was looking at her haderdasher friend with a smile, there was something within her smile she couldn't understand but she doesn't care nonetheless, she even almost forgot she had a job. 

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

@Pastel Heart @Dynamo Pad @Astral Vision @Samurai Equine

“You up for another round or do you wanna try that dancing game over there?” Pencil asked Pastel. She couldn’t help but look over at the game most of the ponies here were playing. They looked like they were having fun and they seemed to be pretty good at it, too. Still, she wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to whoop Pastel at Mortal Kombat. Sure, Pencil was terrible, but the thought of challenging her again and possibly winning put a smirk on Pencil’s face. She did her best to hide it so as not to get too cocky in case the filly did want a rematch.

[Astral Vision 286]

11 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

@Windy Breeze

With a smirk, Trilby leans and whispers as well. "You're worth it." He giggles a little. "Would you like a fancy hat or something before we go in? I promise, no pony here cares how you dress. As long as you're civilized and well mannered, everything will be fine." Trilby explains.

@Dynamo Pad, @Astral Vision, @Pastel Heart, @Jack Baker, @ExplosionMare

Samurai hangs on every word Astral says, trying his best to decode the rhyme. "Ah, yes, I see. The wind, to the east. It's snowing on Mount Fuji. Keep your spirit high." Samurai replies to him in haiku.

With Dynamo and Pastel's approval, Samurai goes up to the machine, and selects Single Player, and selects the Hardest difficulty it has. Then he looks through the song choices. There are many, but only one catches his eye. "...Geisha?" He selects it and gets ready. Soon, the song begins to play:

At first, Samurai misses one or two steps. He is getting use to the controls, so it's a little different than what he was expecting. But he quickly adapts, and in doing so, he puts on a show!

His dance moves are much like a sped-up version of a Yosakoi dance (Examples here, here, and here.), though his hoof work is more detailed to make sure he hits all the right marks as he plays the game.

With a flourish, Samurai finishes his dance as the game come an end. "Eiyosha!!" Samurai says, striking a pose.

The game calculates his total. He just barely missing hitting the top high score by a point or two, probably cause of that bad start, but being #2 on the scoreboard is not bad! Samurai leaves the dance pad, wiping off a little bit of sweat. "I believe I have mastered this game's secrets after all!"

@Samurai Equine @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

"*Whistle*, those were some impressive moves Samurai. Who would of thought you'd be such a good dancer?" Astral said with a smile.

"Dynamo, I do believe its your turn now, along with Pastel of course."

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

22 hours ago, Astral Vision said:

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

Astral was bombarded with many questions, though thankfully they were primarily about the dragon. Before Dynamo and Pastel began their dance, Astral was quick to clarify.

"I have good news; Trilby Hatter said he 'might' put a good word in to Mayor White Addenbrooks for me, so we may finally have a lead. As for the dragon, otherwise known as Dr. Milenko, he's a really nice guy. Apparently he came here after teaching at Twilight's School of Friendship. If any of you wanted to meet him, his office is just down the street."

Upon hearing the good news, Dynamo gave a grin towards Astral. "That's awesome! I think I remember you said you had to go see Trilby. It looks like the mystery is now one step closer to being solved. So, Mayor White Addenbrooks is his name, huh? That's rather interesting." He pondered, now knowing the name of one of the mayor's. "Dr. Milenko taught at the School of Friendship? I've only heard of it before, so I can't say I've seen it or been there before. That's pretty impressive, if you ask me. Did he say what kind of classes he taught, while being at the school?" He asks, while thinking on the possibility of giving the dragon a visit sometime.

20 hours ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Astral Vision

"Hmm... A dragon, huh? A crusty old mayor sounds kinda boring but a dragon sounds cool!"

Simple minded as always, Pastel filtered that into "dragon good" in her head. Easily fascinated.

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

Pastel giggled happily. She was very excited and happy about being able to dance by Dynamo's side. This was like those night clubs that she's never allowed to go into... what does grandpa do in there anyway?

at Samurai's request, Pastel put her hoof to her chin as if pondering. It doesn't seem she was thinking about anything in particular and just really wanted to do that.

"Sure! Go ahead, Sami! You can be our opening act~!"

"You can say that again on the dragon, Pastel-chan. I wouldn't really say that about the mayor since we don't really know much about him, yet. Although, it does mean that the mystery that's on our hooves is close to being answered. Which means, we got ourselves a lead." He would say, smiling as he heard Pastel giggling in agreement for Samurai to dance first. The gamer pony soon got down from the dancing platform to allow the asian pony to take center stage.

23 hours ago, Astral Vision said:

Astral chuckled at Samurai's determination, the colt truly was a warrior at heart. In order to calm him down, Astral decided to give him some advice, but with an added twist.

"It seems that Samurai is up for a fight, no doubt he will battle with all of his might. But this arcade game is no worthy foe, these machines cannot cause harm you know. So take this game and enjoy it as you can, otherwise your strategy may not go as planned." Astral said in the tone of an old friend, making sure that Samurai knew the meaning of his rhyme; he should have fun with the game rather than treating it as a battle.

11 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

23 hours ago, Astral Vision said:

Astral chuckled at Samurai's determination, the colt truly was a warrior at heart. In order to calm him down, Astral decided to give him some advice, but with an added twist.

"It seems that Samurai is up for a fight, no doubt he will battle with all of his might. But this arcade game is no worthy foe, these machines cannot cause harm you know. So take this game and enjoy it as you can, otherwise your strategy may not go as planned." Astral said in the tone of an old friend, making sure that Samurai knew the meaning of his rhyme; he should have fun with the game rather than treating it as a battle.

@Dynamo Pad, @Astral Vision, @Pastel Heart, @Jack Baker, @ExplosionMare

Samurai hangs on every word Astral says, trying his best to decode the rhyme. "Ah, yes, I see. The wind, to the east. It's snowing on Mount Fuji. Keep your spirit high." Samurai replies to him in haiku.

With Dynamo and Pastel's approval, Samurai goes up to the machine, and selects Single Player, and selects the Hardest difficulty it has. Then he looks through the song choices. There are many, but only one catches his eye. "...Geisha?" He selects it and gets ready. Soon, the song begins to play:

At first, Samurai misses one or two steps. He is getting use to the controls, so it's a little different than what he was expecting. But he quickly adapts, and in doing so, he puts on a show!

His dance moves are much like a sped-up version of a Yosakoi dance (Examples here, here, and here.), though his hoof work is more detailed to make sure he hits all the right marks as he plays the game.

With a flourish, Samurai finishes his dance as the game come an end. "Eiyosha!!" Samurai says, striking a pose.

The game calculates his total. He just barely missing hitting the top high score by a point or two, probably cause of that bad start, but being #2 on the scoreboard is not bad! Samurai leaves the dance pad, wiping off a little bit of sweat. "I believe I have mastered this game's secrets after all!"

 

Dynamo's ears perked as he turned his attention over towards Astral, who was giving what seemed to be advice to Samurai. "That's definitely an interesting rhyme. I don't think I've ever heard of that kind of rhyme before, though. Where did you happen to hear that from?" He wondered as he began to hear Samurai's response. It sounded like haiku, but the gamer pony could only tilt his head in confusion. He didn't really understand the meaning between Astral's and Samurai's exchange in words. However, he just shrugged his shoulders as he would still support his friend.

As the song began to play, Dynamo thought the song was reminiscent of an old video game he used to play. Whether or not it was the case, he still felt nostalgic. He couldn't help himself in tapping his hooves to the beat of the song. He watched as Samurai had made a slight mistake here or there, but it looked like his friend was having fun. Once Samurai had gotten the groove, Dynamo was surprised as the style in his dance had changed. The asian pony was still hitting all the right notes, while adding his own style and flare into the mix. The gamer pony had wondered if this style of dance was related to Mistmane and her village. 

Once the song came to an end, Dynamo cheered as Samurai had struck a pose. "That was awesome, Samurai! I knew you had that potential in you. I liked the song you picked and that dance you did was impressive. It looked like it was part of the song, but that's not the case, is it?" He asks, wanting to know more from his friend.

6 minutes ago, Astral Vision said:

"*Whistle*, those were some impressive moves Samurai. Who would of thought you'd be such a good dancer?" Astral said with a smile.

"Dynamo, I do believe its your turn now, along with Pastel of course."

Dynamo turned to Astral, nodding in agreement with his statement. "You can say that again, Astral. It was like he was playing the game, but not playing it at the same time. Dancing has it's own sort of sort of art as you can have any style of dance. Also, thank you for letting me know." He smiled in appreciation, before looking back over to Pastel. "So, what do you think, Pastel-chan? Ready for that dance I owe you?"