open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Windy Breeze 15,201]

@Emerald Heart @Buck Testa

After telling the diners that everything is under control, Shadow sat on the couch, followed by Sundae, who was a bit uncomfortable looking at the colt.

“S-So what should we do now? Should we wait for him to wake up?” Sundae spoke up.

“I don't know, but if he does wake up, he'll probably feel hungry” she then looks at the colt. He was covered in dirt. How did she failed to notice that? She looks around the realized something “Um, guys, why did we took him in a diner instead of a hospital?” 

A facehoof was her answer from Sundae “Darn it! I was too busy panicking to realize it!” 

Edited May 5, 2020 by Windy Breeze

[Pastel Heart 6,473]

@Dynamo Pad

Her mane more a mess than usual, Pastel rose from the bed she was in, and half asleep ended up stumbling out. Who knew it was possible to stand on your own face? She declared this a victory. Or so she told herself.

She rolled back onto her feet and took a moment to (sloppily) fix her mane before rushing out with Dynamo. Not a morning filly.

@Astral Vision @Samurai Equine @ExplosionMare

She trotted alongside Dynamo, slowly becoming more awake as she walked, waving frantically at Astral and the others.

"Hiiii Astral! You ready to get smoked today? Shell yeah! Sami and Pencil are here too! You're all singles, right? Pairs are better I think!"

Pastel seemed chipper. She was clearly excited for the race and eager

 

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

 

Meanwhile, just outside of town, a large carriage approached and stopped in front of town. It was large and expensive looking, but 3 decades past its prime. The carriage was fronted by two bulky looking ponies in sunglasses. When they arrived on the outskirts of town, one of the stallions knocked on the carriage door and returned to his position. What came out of that carriage was enough to make any ponies eyes widen...

It was a large, tall, stocky, dark blue earth pony stallion wearing a flowing white turban on his head. He had a big, black mustache, grey eyes, a big belly and a seemingly full saddlebag around his large back. He had a incredibly strong presence about him; almost completely unapproachable, or like he's a villain straight from an action movie. there was definitely not many ponies like this in this side of Equestria. He looked around with his piercing gaze. He took a bottle from the carriage containing a bright yellow liquid, biting off the cap before downing the entire bottle in seconds. He unceremoniously threw the bottle against his own carriage, shattering it instantly. The ponies who carried his carriage seemed entirely unphased by this.

Taking a breath, the stallion began his march into the town. As if enough wasn't happening today, this mysterious stallion has arrived and seemed to be on a mission. What was he looking for, exactly? Seemed like trouble from the expression on his face and the stomp in his walk. The random ponies who saw him seemed frightened by his appearance and avoided him. Never a dull day in Friendshire...

Edited May 5, 2020 by Pastel Heart
Missed some posts sorry!

[ExplosionMare 25,975]

 

“Good morning, everypony!” Pencil beamed. She noticed a few other ponies had joined her for kart customizing. Pencil slowly rubbed her hooves together in anticipation. She was very excited, but she knew she probably had to wait until she was allowed to begin work on her kart. To pass the time, she conversed with the ponies around her.

@Samurai Equine

“Hi, Samurai!” Pencil said sweetly. “I’m excited to start making my kart. I’ve been drawing prototypes all morning. Hey, speaking of drawings, I’m sorry I didn’t get to see your art yesterday. I’m sure I can come over another time and see them,” Pencil said the last part with a sad smile. She hated disappointing other ponies like that. She’s was sure it was no big deal, but she felt bad anyways. Samurai had tried to talk to her when she first moved here and she hadn’t even noticed, so she was hoping to make up for that now.

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

“Hey, Dynamo!” she called to Dynamo. Are you excited about building your kart? I wonder if you can make a special seat for Pastel...” Pencil’s thoughts began to trail off at the humorous idea of Pastel being some sort of backseat driver. The antics that would ensue would certainly be entertaining, at least.

@Astral Vision

“Hey there, Astral! You excited about customizing your kart?” Pencil asked in a chipper tone. “So...I heard a magical box had something to do with this race. That’s kinda crazy! Do you know anything about it, or am I not allowed to ask?” she added hesitantly.

@Buck Testa @Windy Breeze @Emerald Heart

Suddenly, a group of ponies started running around frantically. They were very loud as well, so loud that Pencil had to cover her ears a couple of times. From what she could hear, they were concerned about a certain foal. Pencil turned to look at the commotion but they were gone. They left so fast she couldn’t even tell which direction they ran in.

That was random. Hope everypony’s okay over there Pencil thought, concerned.

[Dynamo Pad 11,851]

27 minutes ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Dynamo Pad

Her mane more a mess than usual, Pastel rose from the bed she was in, and half asleep ended up stumbling out. Who knew it was possible to stand on your own face? She declared this a victory. Or so she told herself.

She rolled back onto her feet and took a moment to (sloppily) fix her mane before rushing out with Dynamo. Not a morning filly.

@Astral Vision @Samurai Equine @ExplosionMare

She trotted alongside Dynamo, slowly becoming more awake as she walked, waving frantically at Astral and the others.

"Hiiii Astral! You ready to get smoked today? Shell yeah! Sami and Pencil are here too! You're all singles, right? Pairs are better I think!"

Pastel seemed chipper. She was clearly excited for the race and eager

Dynamo glanced behind him to make sure that Pastel was following him. He remembered noticing her stumbling out of bed after he had gotten ready for the day. He almost held back a chuckle as he was the same exact way after making Friendshire his new home. That, and he had to admit that he was like that almost every day. He was thankful as he was glad someone else besides him wasn't a morning pony, as well.

"Sounds like someone is ready to burn some rubber. I guess it depends on personal preference, as well as what the rules will be. Hopefully, there will be an announcement on what the race will be about. Along with how many laps it'll be or if there will be multiple races." He smiled, feeling eager to begin racing as soon as possible.

14 minutes ago, ExplosionMare said:

 

“Good morning, everypony!” Pencil beamed. She noticed a few other ponies had joined her for kart customizing. Pencil slowly rubbed her hooves together in anticipation. She was very excited, but she knew she probably had to wait until she was allowed to begin work on her kart. To pass the time, she conversed with the ponies around her.

@Samurai Equine

“Hi, Samurai!” Pencil said sweetly. “I’m excited to start making my kart. I’ve been drawing prototypes all morning. Hey, speaking of drawings, I’m sorry I didn’t get to see your art yesterday. I’m sure I can come over another time and see them,” Pencil said the last part with a sad smile. She hated disappointing other ponies like that. She’s was sure it was no big deal, but she felt bad anyways. Samurai had tried to talk to her when she first moved here and she hadn’t even noticed, so she was hoping to make up for that now.

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

“Hey, Dynamo!” she called to Dynamo. Are you excited about building your kart? I wonder if you can make a special seat for Pastel...” Pencil’s thoughts began to trail off at the humorous idea of Pastel being some sort of backseat driver. The antics that would ensue would certainly be entertaining, at least.

@Astral Vision

“Hey there, Astral! You excited about customizing your kart?” Pencil asked in a chipper tone. “So...I heard a magical box had something to do with this race. That’s kinda crazy! Do you know anything about it, or am I not allowed to ask?” she added hesitantly.

@Buck Testa @Windy Breeze @Emerald Heart

Suddenly, a group of ponies started running around frantically. They were very loud as well, so loud that Pencil had to cover her ears a couple of times. From what she could hear, they were concerned about a certain foal. Pencil turned to look at the commotion but they were gone. They left so fast she couldn’t even tell which direction they ran in.

That was random. Hope everypony’s okay over there Pencil thought, concerned.

@Astral Vision @Samurai Equine

Dynamo's ears perked as he heard Pencil had joined up with the group. "Morning, Pencil!" He grinned with a wave. He noticed her rubbing her two front hooves together in anticipation. He chuckled as it seemed that she, along with the others were psyched for today's events. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who's ready for this. I made sure to practice cart racing. I almost couldn't sleep with how focused I was. Of course, that was practicing through video games, but I believe a hoof eye coordination can help." He gave a sheepish smile and chuckle, before shaking his head slightly. "To be honest? No, not really. I wasn't really sure what kind of cart I wanted to build." He pondered on Pencil's idea of making a special seat for Pastel. "Hmm...I think I could do something like that. It does depend on if it's singles or team driving is allowed, after all. That, and it does depend if Pastel wants to have me as her teammate." 

Dynamo wanted to know more about the puzzle box as Pencil had brought it up, but stopped as his ears fell from a ground of ponies shouting and running frantically. He had thought he had heard something about a foal, but he soon noticed the group of ponies had disappeared without a trace. "Okay. That was out of nowhere. I don't know what's going on or what just happened, but I hope everything is okay."

[Samurai Equine 56,820]

@Windy Breeze

It seems any thoughts of checking in on Trilby have gone forgotten. Too bad, because if she she did travel to his business, she'd find that Trilby had put up a sign in his window saying "CLOSED due to race. Business will re-open tomorrow." Trilby woke up fairly early in the morning, and he is just now leaving with supplies in toe.

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

As Samurai waits, he can't help but get a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Almost like somepony is calling out for help! He looks away for a moment, about to leave to investigate. If he does, he might miss out on the event, but...!
However, before he could act on that, his friends get his attention. "Astral-san! Dynamo-san! Pastel-chan. Pencil-chan. Ohayo gozaimasu." He bows, then nods. "The city was able to hook this all up over night. I haven't heard the rules yet. They're going to have somepony explain the rules before the race begins. Right now, they are just waiting for a full roster of racers... Speaking of, I heard that they might like ponies share a cart. Two racers per cart. Not sure if that's true, but would either of you want to share a cart with me? I've all ready got one ready, just need to finish the body work on it. Astral, would you rather make a cart of your own? I just assume Dynamo would rather share his cart with Pastel. What about you, Pencil?" Samurai explains.

He also remembers. "Oh, my art? We'll all get together after the race is over. You're all invited to my house. I'll show my art, the progress I made on the Laronde Box, and we'll have food and beverages. My treat."

@Kronos the Revenant

So far, his mission is a success. Samurai hasn't noticed him at all. Since ponies are all ready buying carts and bringing them to stations for customizing, it might be hard to pick out which is his. The best course of action might be to wait for the actual race to begin.

Edited May 6, 2020 by Samurai Equine

[Emerald Heart 25,298]

@Windy Breeze @Buck Testa

"Hospital food isn't appealing." She answered flatly, placing some money on the table after they got food. Without any problems, she hoisted the stallion right back up on her back and ran to the nearest hospital. 

[Astral Vision 286]

17 hours ago, ExplosionMare said:

 

“Good morning, everypony!” Pencil beamed. She noticed a few other ponies had joined her for kart customizing. Pencil slowly rubbed her hooves together in anticipation. She was very excited, but she knew she probably had to wait until she was allowed to begin work on her kart. To pass the time, she conversed with the ponies around her.

@Samurai Equine

“Hi, Samurai!” Pencil said sweetly. “I’m excited to start making my kart. I’ve been drawing prototypes all morning. Hey, speaking of drawings, I’m sorry I didn’t get to see your art yesterday. I’m sure I can come over another time and see them,” Pencil said the last part with a sad smile. She hated disappointing other ponies like that. She’s was sure it was no big deal, but she felt bad anyways. Samurai had tried to talk to her when she first moved here and she hadn’t even noticed, so she was hoping to make up for that now.

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

“Hey, Dynamo!” she called to Dynamo. Are you excited about building your kart? I wonder if you can make a special seat for Pastel...” Pencil’s thoughts began to trail off at the humorous idea of Pastel being some sort of backseat driver. The antics that would ensue would certainly be entertaining, at least.

@Astral Vision

“Hey there, Astral! You excited about customizing your kart?” Pencil asked in a chipper tone. “So...I heard a magical box had something to do with this race. That’s kinda crazy! Do you know anything about it, or am I not allowed to ask?” she added hesitantly.

@Buck Testa @Windy Breeze @Emerald Heart

Suddenly, a group of ponies started running around frantically. They were very loud as well, so loud that Pencil had to cover her ears a couple of times. From what she could hear, they were concerned about a certain foal. Pencil turned to look at the commotion but they were gone. They left so fast she couldn’t even tell which direction they ran in.

That was random. Hope everypony’s okay over there Pencil thought, concerned.

@ExplosionMare

Astral waved to Pencil as she trotted on to the scene, it was nice to see so many smiling faces in one place. She soon asked about the artifact Samurai possessed, so Astral figured it best to bring her up to speed.

"Well Pencil, to be honest, I don't know much about this Laronde Box myself. All we know is that it belonged to a pony named 'Final Premonition', and that it apparently has the power to unify the town. For the time being, Samurai keeps organizing events that the box wants, but I wonder if its powers are really what they say?"

Astral did not want to worry Pencil, but he was beginning to wonder just why the box had these events set in place, and if something more sinister was at work here.

8 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

@Windy Breeze

It seems any thoughts of checking in on Trilby have gone forgotten. Too bad, because if she she did travel to his business, she'd find that Trilby had put up a sign in his window saying "CLOSED due to race. Business will re-open tomorrow." Trilby woke up fairly early in the morning, and he is just now leaving with supplies in toe.

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

As Samurai waits, he can't help but get a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Almost like somepony is calling out for help! He looks away for a moment, about to leave to investigate. If he does, he might miss out on the event, but...!
However, before he could act on that, his friends get his attention. "Astral-san! Dynamo-san! Pastel-chan. Pencil-chan. Ohayo gozaimasu." He bows, then nods. "The city was able to hook this all up over night. I haven't heard the rules yet. They're going to have somepony explain the rules before the race begins. Right now, they are just waiting for a full roster of racers... Speaking of, I heard that they might like ponies share a cart. Two racers per cart. Not sure if that's true, but would either of you want to share a cart with me? I've all ready got one ready, just need to finish the body work on it. Astral, would you rather make a cart of your own? I just assume Dynamo would rather share his cart with Pastel. What about you, Pencil?" Samurai explains.

He also remembers. "Oh, my art? We'll all get together after the race is over. You're all invited to my house. I'll show my art, the progress I made on the Laronde Box, and we'll have food and beverages. My treat."

@Kronos the Revenant

So far, his mission is a success. Samurai hasn't noticed him at all. Since ponies are all ready buying carts and bringing them to stations for customizing, it might be hard to pick out which is his. The best course of action might be to wait for the actual race to begin.

@Samurai Equine

Astral always wanted to take part in a race, he had watched many in Canterlot when he was just a foal, and had loved the thrill and excitement of the sport ever since. However, given the dark presence Astral had felt since he arrived, he knew that Samurai's artifact was very important, so it was possible that others might come after the brown unicorn.

"Actually Samurai, I wouldn't mind teaming up with you for the race. Two heads are better than one, right? I'm sure we could have this race in the bag."

[Dynamo Pad 11,851]

8 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

As Samurai waits, he can't help but get a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Almost like somepony is calling out for help! He looks away for a moment, about to leave to investigate. If he does, he might miss out on the event, but...!
However, before he could act on that, his friends get his attention. "Astral-san! Dynamo-san! Pastel-chan. Pencil-chan. Ohayo gozaimasu." He bows, then nods. "The city was able to hook this all up over night. I haven't heard the rules yet. They're going to have somepony explain the rules before the race begins. Right now, they are just waiting for a full roster of racers... Speaking of, I heard that they might like ponies share a cart. Two racers per cart. Not sure if that's true, but would either of you want to share a cart with me? I've all ready got one ready, just need to finish the body work on it. Astral, would you rather make a cart of your own? I just assume Dynamo would rather share his cart with Pastel. What about you, Pencil?" Samurai explains.

He also remembers. "Oh, my art? We'll all get together after the race is over. You're all invited to my house. I'll show my art, the progress I made on the Laronde Box, and we'll have food and beverages. My treat."

@Pastel Heart @ExplosionMare

Dynamo smiled as he returned the bow. "Ohayo, Samurai-san. I'm honestly surprised that they city was able to get this all set up. I haven't really taken the opportunity to explore the entire city, but it looks like a giant race. Now I can understand why the race would consist of three laps around and through Friendshire." He frowned at the mention of there being no rules given out yet, but he knew it was to be expected. The race was set up after the Laronde Box had activated. So, he had to assume that the rules would come as the day progressed. "At least there will be rules. I wonder what is and isn't allowed when racing. It could be the same rules you would find in a video game, but it might be unlikely. Did we have to go and sign up in order to race? If so, then where is the sign up sheet?" He would ask, grinning at the mention of a potential team up of sharing a cart. "I'm open to working together with anyone. Although, I think I might have a good idea of who my teammate may be." He looked back to Pastel as he was going to ask her to be his teammate, but he decided to wait to make sure that everyone had a teammate. 

Upon hearing the mention of being invited to Samurai's house, Dynamo smiled with a nod. "I'm all for that plan, if that's okay. I hope we wouldn't be imposing or anything like that. I hope I get to see the art you were mentioning, as well as show some of the art that I used to work on. I also want to know more about the Laronde Box. Now that we were able to somehow get it to work the night before."

21 minutes ago, Astral Vision said:

@ExplosionMare

Astral waved to Pencil as she trotted on to the scene, it was nice to see so many smiling faces in one place. She soon asked about the artifact Samurai possessed, so Astral figured it best to bring her up to speed.

"Well Pencil, to be honest, I don't know much about this Laronde Box myself. All we know is that it belonged to a pony named 'Final Premonition', and that it apparently has the power to unify the town. For the time being, Samurai keeps organizing events that the box wants, but I wonder if its powers are really what they say?"

Astral did not want to worry Pencil, but he was beginning to wonder just why the box had these events set in place, and if something more sinister was at work here.

@Samurai Equine

Astral always wanted to take part in a race, he had watched many in Canterlot when he was just a foal, and had loved the thrill and excitement of the sport ever since. However, given the dark presence Astral had felt since he arrived, he knew that Samurai's artifact was very important, so it was possible that others might come after the brown unicorn.

"Actually Samurai, I wouldn't mind teaming up with you for the race. Two heads are better than one, right? I'm sure we could have this race in the bag."

As he heard Astral's thoughts and knowledge of the box, Dynamo nodded as he leaned over to whisper in the blue unicorn's ear. "Based on what we saw on how the box can activate. You'd think the Laronde Box was sentient. Like a mind of it's own or a way that it can only operate in the right hooves. Of Course, it's just a theory, but maybe we can have a big discussion about it later." He didn't know much about the box, but he wondered why all these events were happening one after the other.

As Astral decided to team up with Samurai, Dynamo smiled as another team seemed to be made. "It looks like there's going to be some competition in this race. Also, don't count your chickens before they hatch, Astral." He would say with a playful smirk. "Just make sure not to count me out. I may not look it, but I do have a decent understanding when it comes to cart racing. Although, I guess it's more racing in general. Since my dad was a big cart and regular racer, but he knew more about the concept of cart building."

Edited May 6, 2020 by Dynamo Pad

[Windy Breeze 15,201]

@Emerald Heart

“I know, but what if he got ill!?” Shadow shouted as she, Sundae, and Fable galloped to the nearest hospital, catching many attentions of ponies along the way.

“And don't worry about the hospital bill. I'll be the one to pay for him” Sundae said.

[ExplosionMare 25,975]

@Samurai Equine

“That sounds like a lot of fun!” Pencil exclaimed. Pencil was thrilled everypony could hang out together after the race. Hopefully the race wouldn’t last too long and they could have enough time to visit Samurai’s house before the evening were to end.

@Astral Vision

Pencil turned towards Astral.

“I-I don’t suppose you wanna team up for the kart race? U-unless you’d rather drive alone!” Pencil forced out. She tried to hide the timid tone in her voice but found it difficult to do so. She anxiously dug her hoof into the ground and examined it, waiting for a response.

[Pastel Heart 6,473]

@Samurai Equine

"Ohayouuu Samurai-san! Atashi wa... baka no?"

Pastels linguistic skills failed, but there was certainly an attempt.

"Oohh, sounds fun! I like food and drinks! I dunno much about the whole Lemonade Box thing.. but we'll figure that out too! Hehe, if grandpa knew I was on such a great adventure he would be super proud! He's pretty smart, always tells me so!"

@Astral Vision @ExplosionMare @Dynamo Pad

As Pencil and Samurai both vyed to be Astrals partner, Pastel looked at Dynamo and giggled.

"Somepony's popular, huh~? It's like prom night. Meanwhile, I know who I'm carting with! Our teamwork will smoke the competition! ...I think I say smoke too much."

[Dynamo Pad 11,851]

2 hours ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Samurai Equine

"Ohayouuu Samurai-san! Atashi wa... baka no?"

Pastels linguistic skills failed, but there was certainly an attempt.

"Oohh, sounds fun! I like food and drinks! I dunno much about the whole Lemonade Box thing.. but we'll figure that out too! Hehe, if grandpa knew I was on such a great adventure he would be super proud! He's pretty smart, always tells me so!"

@Astral Vision @ExplosionMare @Dynamo Pad

As Pencil and Samurai both vyed to be Astrals partner, Pastel looked at Dynamo and giggled.

"Somepony's popular, huh~? It's like prom night. Meanwhile, I know who I'm carting with! Our teamwork will smoke the competition! ...I think I say smoke too much."

@Astral Vision @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

Dynamo blinked as he tilted his head in confusion. He had heard Pastel's response, but he still felt confused. "Hey, Samurai. I hope this isn't a bad question, but do you know what Pastel had said? I could only translate that as, 'Good morning, Samurai. I,' but that's all I could understand. I don't know that much Japanese. Even though I have studied some of the language when watching anime." 

He chuckled as he playfully ruffled Pastel's mane. "It's called the Laronde box, but it does kind of sound the same in pronunciation, huh? Speaking of your grandpa. Have you gotten any letters back from him? I hope the letter you sent was able to be delivered." He would say, looking at the team discussion between Astral, Pencil and Samurai, before turning his attention back to Pastel. "I suppose so. I'm not what you would call Mr. Popular himself, but I guess popularity isn't everything. It's all about having those that you care about is what really matters." He smiled, before chuckling at the mention of who Pastel would team up with. "I guess it's kind of ironic. I wanted to make sure everyone had a teammate, before I asked my potential teammate. Although, I guess that answers my question right away. So, what do you say? Want to be my teammate in the cart race? I guess that's your favorite phrase, or a phrase whenever you beat someone in a video game, huh?" He would say as he chuckled once more.

[Samurai Equine 56,820]

@Pastel Heart

Samurai could see the high-spirited filly doing her best to string Japanese together. But then, he laughs, tilting his head back. After that, he kneels down and pets her head. "No Pastel-chan. You are not an idiot. You are the the best. Kimi was saigo da ze!" Samurai explains, repeating himself in Japanese.

@Dynamo Pad, @Astral Vision, @ExplosionMare

Samurai rises and points out the sign-in desk to Dynamo. "It's right over there, buddy. I know you and Pastel will make a great team."

Samurai turns to Astral, excited. "Wow! That sound--" Before Samurai could get too excited about joining forces with Astral, it seems Pencil wants to team up with him too. Looks like he's got some choices to make. Samurai rubs the back of his head, looks away for a second, then forces a smile and faces his friends again. "You know what, Astral? You should go with Pencil. We can team up on the next thing. I suppose I can always race alone. I doubt that racing with a partner is mandatory. Besides, this way, I don't have to collab with anyone on my cart. I know exactly how I want it to look."

"Should have known YOU'D be taking part in this race." A voice comes. Samurai turns toward the direction of the voice to see who it is. "Trilby Hatter?" Samurai asks. "The one and only. Let me guess, setting this up was your idea, as usual." Trilby says. "Oh! Are you participating in the race too?!" Samurai asks with excitement. "NO, you dingbat! Why would I take part in something so dangerous? Besides, I'm one of the sponsors for the race! I'll be selling promotional t-shirts and ball caps for the event. Any of you racers want one? Special discount, half off for all racers. Pay only 2 bits instead of four." Trilby offers. He did indeed come with a display tray full of hats and shirts in various colors.

"So there's no way you're going to participate in this?" Samurai asks, disappointed. "The only way I'd even think of getting behind one of those death machines is if a beautiful mare like Shadow Trail asked me to. But surprisingly, I haven't seen her all day. She's probably busy with her own life right now." Trilby shrugs.

@Windy Breeze, @Emerald Heart, @Buck Testa

Thankfully, the hospital isn't too far away. And with an event like this, there's hardly any pony there right now, other than the staff themselves. One of the doctors just so happens to be wondering near the front desk. "Good morning, welcome to... Oh, that colt doesn't look too good. Tell me what happened. Are you related to this colt?" The doctor asks, ready to help them immediately.

[Emerald Heart 25,298]

@Samurai Equine @Windy Breeze @Buck Testa

Fable shook her head silently. She stared at the colt, then looked back up at the doctor, "Here." She said in a monotone voice, giving him both money and the food. She gestured to the colt, signaling that the food was meant for him when he woke up. 

Fable walked over to the waiting area and took a seat, no worry or panic on her face. In fact, the mare looked practically emotionless as she sat there.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Emerald Heart

[Astral Vision 286]

7 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

@Pastel Heart

Samurai could see the high-spirited filly doing her best to string Japanese together. But then, he laughs, tilting his head back. After that, he kneels down and pets her head. "No Pastel-chan. You are not an idiot. You are the the best. Kimi was saigo da ze!" Samurai explains, repeating himself in Japanese.

@Dynamo Pad, @Astral Vision, @ExplosionMare

Samurai rises and points out the sign-in desk to Dynamo. "It's right over there, buddy. I know you and Pastel will make a great team."

Samurai turns to Astral, excited. "Wow! That sound--" Before Samurai could get too excited about joining forces with Astral, it seems Pencil wants to team up with him too. Looks like he's got some choices to make. Samurai rubs the back of his head, looks away for a second, then forces a smile and faces his friends again. "You know what, Astral? You should go with Pencil. We can team up on the next thing. I suppose I can always race alone. I doubt that racing with a partner is mandatory. Besides, this way, I don't have to collab with anyone on my cart. I know exactly how I want it to look."

"Should have known YOU'D be taking part in this race." A voice comes. Samurai turns toward the direction of the voice to see who it is. "Trilby Hatter?" Samurai asks. "The one and only. Let me guess, setting this up was your idea, as usual." Trilby says. "Oh! Are you participating in the race too?!" Samurai asks with excitement. "NO, you dingbat! Why would I take part in something so dangerous? Besides, I'm one of the sponsors for the race! I'll be selling promotional t-shirts and ball caps for the event. Any of you racers want one? Special discount, half off for all racers. Pay only 2 bits instead of four." Trilby offers. He did indeed come with a display tray full of hats and shirts in various colors.

"So there's no way you're going to participate in this?" Samurai asks, disappointed. "The only way I'd even think of getting behind one of those death machines is if a beautiful mare like Shadow Trail asked me to. But surprisingly, I haven't seen her all day. She's probably busy with her own life right now." Trilby shrugs.

@Windy Breeze, @Emerald Heart, @Buck Testa

Thankfully, the hospital isn't too far away. And with an event like this, there's hardly any pony there right now, other than the staff themselves. One of the doctors just so happens to be wondering near the front desk. "Good morning, welcome to... Oh, that colt doesn't look too good. Tell me what happened. Are you related to this colt?" The doctor asks, ready to help them immediately.

 

21 hours ago, ExplosionMare said:

@Samurai Equine

“That sounds like a lot of fun!” Pencil exclaimed. Pencil was thrilled everypony could hang out together after the race. Hopefully the race wouldn’t last too long and they could have enough time to visit Samurai’s house before the evening were to end.

@Astral Vision

Pencil turned towards Astral.

“I-I don’t suppose you wanna team up for the kart race? U-unless you’d rather drive alone!” Pencil forced out. She tried to hide the timid tone in her voice but found it difficult to do so. She anxiously dug her hoof into the ground and examined it, waiting for a response.

@ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

Astral was surprised that another pony wished to team up with him, and somewhat sympathized with Pencil's apparent shyness. To his surprise, Samurai offered to let Astral team with Pencil instead, so Astral figured there was no harm in this change.

"Thank you, Samurai, and best of luck in the race."

Astral turned to face Pencil; the two had not spoken with each other that much, so the unicorn could only wonder what kind of team they would make?

"Pencil, yes? I remember you taking part in my magic lesson with Dynamo, you did very well for your first time as far as I know. So tell me, do you have any kart preference in mind? Have you ever been in a race before?"

As he spoke with Pencil, Astral's ears perked up to a familiar voice, and he turned to see the same stallion he had met the other day; Trilby Hatter. It seemed as though he and Samurai didn't get along very well, so Astral thought it best to give him some space.

[Dynamo Pad 11,851]

8 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

@Pastel Heart

Samurai could see the high-spirited filly doing her best to string Japanese together. But then, he laughs, tilting his head back. After that, he kneels down and pets her head. "No Pastel-chan. You are not an idiot. You are the the best. Kimi was saigo da ze!" Samurai explains, repeating himself in Japanese.

@Dynamo Pad, @Astral Vision, @ExplosionMare

Samurai rises and points out the sign-in desk to Dynamo. "It's right over there, buddy. I know you and Pastel will make a great team."

Samurai turns to Astral, excited. "Wow! That sound--" Before Samurai could get too excited about joining forces with Astral, it seems Pencil wants to team up with him too. Looks like he's got some choices to make. Samurai rubs the back of his head, looks away for a second, then forces a smile and faces his friends again. "You know what, Astral? You should go with Pencil. We can team up on the next thing. I suppose I can always race alone. I doubt that racing with a partner is mandatory. Besides, this way, I don't have to collab with anyone on my cart. I know exactly how I want it to look."

"Should have known YOU'D be taking part in this race." A voice comes. Samurai turns toward the direction of the voice to see who it is. "Trilby Hatter?" Samurai asks. "The one and only. Let me guess, setting this up was your idea, as usual." Trilby says. "Oh! Are you participating in the race too?!" Samurai asks with excitement. "NO, you dingbat! Why would I take part in something so dangerous? Besides, I'm one of the sponsors for the race! I'll be selling promotional t-shirts and ball caps for the event. Any of you racers want one? Special discount, half off for all racers. Pay only 2 bits instead of four." Trilby offers. He did indeed come with a display tray full of hats and shirts in various colors.

"So there's no way you're going to participate in this?" Samurai asks, disappointed. "The only way I'd even think of getting behind one of those death machines is if a beautiful mare like Shadow Trail asked me to. But surprisingly, I haven't seen her all day. She's probably busy with her own life right now." Trilby shrugs.

@Astral Vision @Pastel Heart @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

Upon hearing Samurai's translation, Dynamo's jaw dropped in surprise. He frowned as he shook his head at what the young filly had said. "That's not true. If there's one thing that I know, then it's that you are not an idiot. You're my friend and friends should never put themselves down. It's also really impressive that you were able to try and speak Japanese. Even I have trouble and not the best confidence issues to try. What you did takes courage and confidence and you've got that in spades. It's just like what Samurai said and I think I got the gist of what you said. You really are the best." He would say with a smile.

After learning where the sign-in desks were located, Dynamo grinned with a nod. "Thank you, my friend. I'll make sure to sign up right away. Also, thank you again. I know I could ask anyone else to be my partner, but I couldn't ask for anyone better than Pastel-chan." He would say, looking around to the others. "Come on, you guys! Let's go get signed in." He eagerly responded as he hurried over to sign himself up for the competition. Once his registration was completed, he made his way back to where Samurai and the others were located. He suddenly stopped walking as he heard a newcomer had appeared before the group. He tilted his head slightly, while it seemed this Trilby Hatter and Samurai weren't exactly on good terms. "Hey, Samurai? Do you and Trilby know each other?" The gamer pony didn't want to make accusations or assume anything. So, he would make sure to keep out of it. At the mention of promotional hats and shirts for the event, Dynamo turned his attention over to Pastel. "Would you like a hat or t-shirt, Pastel-chan? I'm gonna pass on his offer, but perhaps you'd like a souvenir?"

1 hour ago, Astral Vision said:

 

Astral was surprised that another pony wished to team up with him, and somewhat sympathized with Pencil's apparent shyness. To his surprise, Samurai offered to let Astral team with Pencil instead, so Astral figured there was no harm in this change.

"Thank you, Samurai, and best of luck in the race."

Astral turned to face Pencil; the two had not spoken with each other that much, so the unicorn could only wonder what kind of team they would make?

"Pencil, yes? I remember you taking part in my magic lesson with Dynamo, you did very well for your first time as far as I know. So tell me, do you have any kart preference in mind? Have you ever been in a race before?"

As he spoke with Pencil, Astral's ears perked up to a familiar voice, and he turned to see the same stallion he had met the other day; Trilby Hatter. It seemed as though he and Samurai didn't get along very well, so Astral thought it best to give him some space.

As he saw Astral make his way over to converse with Pencil, Dynamo had wondered if things had changed for the teacups for the race. He had gone to sign up for the race, so he didn't know any of the changes had taken place. He was glad that a team up had been made, but he was feeling worried for the Asian pony. 'I'm happy for Astral and Pencil, but I hope Samurai will be able to find a racing partner. If not, then I hope he'll be okay for the race.' 

[Windy Breeze 15,201]

@Emerald Heart @Buck Testa @Samurai Equine

Sundae followed Fable while Shadow decides to stay with the doctor. She glanced back to where Fable and Sundae went and back at the doctor “None of us aren't. I just happened to see him collapse on the street while I was talking to somepony. I think the colt's hungry so we bought some food for him just in case he woke up” 

[Buck Testa 5,505]

@Windy Breeze @Emerald Heart @Samurai Equine

It didn't take much of an examination to know that the Mud covered colt was in critical condition. Like a beehive that had been shaken to life Doctors and nurses scrambled around the colt and ushered him onto a stretcher. Horns were glowing while they spoke to each other about their various observations of his condition in their complex medical jargon, using magic to clean the young ponies dirty coat quickly and efficiently while checking for external injuries. Even as they were rushing down the hall they were finding some alarming information of the colts condition. He was dangerously dehydrated and malnourished, as if he hadn't had access to proper food and water for weeks on end. 

Boulder had been barely conscious during his strange tour through Friendshire. His vision was blurred behind his closed eyelids to the point that everything was just a mesh of bright colors. He felt more safe now that his body was strapped down and hearing those medical words he recalled from Hospital tv dramas. Wherever he was they were trying to help him at least. He was far to tired to even begin to try to get scared that they might want to experiment on him.   

[ExplosionMare 25,975]

@Samurai Equine @Astral Vision

Pencil felt a little embarrassed. She didn’t mean to ask for a teammate that already had someone to team up with. Before any definite decisions could be made, Pencil blurted,

“Oh, I-I’m sorry! I d-didn’t realize you guys were already teaming up. Sorry. You don’t have to be my partner, Astral. You could choose whoever you want,”

She was about to add ‘You guys seem like better friends anyways’ but thought that sounded too passive aggressive. Pencil left Astral and Samurai and tried to cool herself down after her face annoyingly heated up against her will.

This is too much social pressure for today she thought a little sarcastically. In truth, this was not a big deal but Pencil was sure she would over analyze the situation anyways at some point.

Before she could think any deeper, the grey stallion she saw at the hat shop before visited and offered to sell kart merchandise. Pencil got immediately excited and began to swish her tail around softly.

“Do you have anything purple?” she exclaimed a little more loudly than she meant to.

 

[Astral Vision 286]

7 hours ago, ExplosionMare said:

@Samurai Equine @Astral Vision

Pencil felt a little embarrassed. She didn’t mean to ask for a teammate that already had someone to team up with. Before any definite decisions could be made, Pencil blurted,

“Oh, I-I’m sorry! I d-didn’t realize you guys were already teaming up. Sorry. You don’t have to be my partner, Astral. You could choose whoever you want,”

She was about to add ‘You guys seem like better friends anyways’ but thought that sounded too passive aggressive. Pencil left Astral and Samurai and tried to cool herself down after her face annoyingly heated up against her will.

This is too much social pressure for today she thought a little sarcastically. In truth, this was not a big deal but Pencil was sure she would over analyze the situation anyways at some point.

Before she could think any deeper, the grey stallion she saw at the hat shop before visited and offered to sell kart merchandise. Pencil got immediately excited and began to swish her tail around softly.

“Do you have anything purple?” she exclaimed a little more loudly than she meant to.

 

@ExplosionMare

Astral could see that Pencil had a lot of anxiety, but before he could confirm their team, the mare dashed off to pick a kart. The blue unicorn chuckled and soon followed behind.

"What would Celestia say now? Little ol' me in a kart race, this is certainly not what I expected, but I have no complaints. HEY PENCIL, WAIT FOR ME!"

[Pastel Heart 6,473]

@Samurai Equine

"Oohh, you're good! Well, obviously, nyaha~"

@Dynamo Pad

Pastel giggled as her mane was ruffled, tail swaying happily like she was a cat getting headpats.

"I did send it, for sure! But I didn't get a reply yesterday... Weird. Usually grandpa is quick to respond. I wonder what happened... I think he'd like you if you met! Maybe someday!"

Pastel smiled happily, not a care in the world. She was happy in this moment.

She happily trotted up with Dynamo to the desk to sign up. It was there she saw Samurai get into a disagreement with a pony she hasn't seen before. Trilby Hatter, Samurai called him? He was being mean to her friend for no reason... What was his problem? He reminded her of the stuck up, snobby ponies who looked down on her and her grandpa in Manehattan. She was giving him a visible glare.

As Dynamo asked her if she wanted a hat or a shirt, she puffed her cheek and suddenly got incredibly rude.

"Who would wanna buy something anything from this jerk? He probably made his stuff out of toilet paper! He's a smelly used toilet paper peddler!"

Pastel pointed at Trilby with her hoof as she made this sudden accusation. Needless to say, she didn't want any merchandise. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,851]

15 minutes ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Samurai Equine

"Oohh, you're good! Well, obviously, nyaha~"

@Dynamo Pad

Pastel giggled as her mane was ruffled, tail swaying happily like she was a cat getting headpats.

"I did send it, for sure! But I didn't get a reply yesterday... Weird. Usually grandpa is quick to respond. I wonder what happened... I think he'd like you if you met! Maybe someday!"

Pastel smiled happily, not a care in the world. She was happy in this moment.

She happily trotted up with Dynamo to the desk to sign up. It was there she saw Samurai get into a disagreement with a pony she hasn't seen before. Trilby Hatter, Samurai called him? He was being mean to her friend for no reason... What was his problem? He reminded her of the stuck up, snobby ponies who looked down on her and her grandpa in Manehattan. She was giving him a visible glare.

As Dynamo asked her if she wanted a hat or a shirt, she puffed her cheek and suddenly got incredibly rude.

"Who would wanna buy something anything from this jerk? He probably made his stuff out of toilet paper! He's a smelly used toilet paper peddler!"

Pastel pointed at Trilby with her hoof as she made this sudden accusation. Needless to say, she didn't want any merchandise. 

@Astral Vision @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

Upon hearing about the letter, Dynamo smiled as he nodded in understanding. "Okay and that does sound pretty weird. I guess it takes time since Friendshire is a little ways away on the map. It isn't exactly near any of the known locations like Las Pegasus or Ponyville. Granted, I'm not the best when it comes to being an expert on maps or locations." He grinned sheepishly with a chuckle. "I hope he and/or everything is okay. I hope he'll be able to respond to you very soon. I think it would be pretty cool if I was able to meet him." 

The gamer pony remembered the sign-in desk gave Pastel a form to fill out. He remembered hearing them mention about him filling the form out because of age restriction in order to race. However, he let Pastel sign because it was her decision and not his. As he waited for her reply, he took notice of Pastel, who seemed to have been giving someone a visible glare. As he heard her outburst, the gamer pony was surprised by how rude she had been. However, he couldn't blame her as this Trilby was definitely sounding rude. "Woah. Easy there, Pastel-chan. That's not something one should say to someone. One shouldn't judge a book by it's cover." He would say, lowering his head towards her ear. "I know how you feel as this guy is definitely being rude. However, I don't know if any one of us knows the exact history between Trilby and Samurai. This could be their natural interaction. Then again, maybe it's not. I would say just grin and bear it as hopefully he'll leave soon. However, it's better to ignore him as it's not worth it." He whispered so that only Pastel could hear him. 

[Samurai Equine 56,820]

@Emerald Heart, @Windy Breeze, @Buck Testa

The doctor doesn't need to make too many motions. His team is able to take the colt off his hooves and get him the basic medical attention he needs before the doctor does any more-thorough medical work. He takes notes on everything he is being told. "I assume you don't know his name then. All right, we'll take care of him. None of you have to stay, but considering he is so young, it'd be nice if one of you could stick around. And we'll make sure to put him on our top priority. I should apologize... Our medical staff has been reduced to half today. The other half are out there for the race, in case anything dangerous should happen. Thankfully, there is no pony in need of urgent care right now, so we won't have to make that little guy wait behind anypony else's treatment." The doctor assures.

He asks the nurse to give Sundae some minor paper work to fill out. The doctor follows his team and gets ready to perform his medical duties.

@ExplosionMare, @Dynamo Pad, @Pastel Heart, @Astral Vision, @Kronos the Revenant

There was a lot of activity going on all at once, it seems.

Trilby gasps in surprise. "What are ponies teaching the youths these days?! It's not my fault Samurai is the weirdest pony in town. By the way, you still owe me for all that imported Japonies silk." Trilby says. "But I only needed the one outfit, and the one you made hasn't worn out yet, so I'm good for now." Samurai says with a smile, perhaps oblivious. "THAT'S NOT THE POINT! Oh, forget it. I've got better things to do now. Excuse me!" Trilby leaves Samurai, Dynamo, and Pastel. Presumably to do business. Samurai turns to his duo of friends. "He and I were the first outsiders to arrive at Friendshire in a long time. I forget if he got here first, or me..." Samurai thinks back to it, but then shrugs. "Anyways, I've got a vehicle to modify! You two should get a cart and start customizing it while you can. There probably isn't much time left before the race begins. See ya!" Samurai says and goes off to get his cart ready for the race. Each racer gets their own garage for their own cart.

Meanwhile, while Trilby has begun selling his stuff again, he is mostly following after Astral. Soon, he catches up to him. "Excuse me... We met before, didn't we? Astral, was it? I wanted to know how your visit with Dr. Milenko went." He asks.

An announcement suddenly chimes in over the P.A. system:

ATTENTION RACERS! YOU ONLY HAVE TWO HOURS LEFT TO REGISTER, PREPARE YOUR KARTS, AND REPORT TO THE STARTING LINE! ONCE AGAIN, YOU ONLY HAVE --2 HOURS-- LEFT TO REGISTER, PREPARE YOUR CUSTOM KARTS, AND REPORT TO THE STARTING LINE! ANYPONY WHO DOES NOT REPORT TO THE STARTING LINE AFTER THE 2 HOURS ARE UP WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. THAT IS ALL.

(BTW, 2 hours is relative. No need to rush, you all have plenty of time to get your replies out and do whatever you need to do before the race starts. I'm just trying to keep the story moving forward. )

Edited May 8, 2020 by Samurai Equine

[Kronos the Revenant 1,973]

Kronos was tinkering with his kart in his own designated garage. He decided to build a behemoth of a kart to match his unwieldily size, like Bowser from Mario Kart. His kart was outfitted with a wrap-around bumper that covered his wheels to ensure his strategy doesn't backfire on him. He also added nine thick slabs of steel, three for each side excluding the front. They were fitted tightly enough to stay on for a prolonged period of time, but loose enough to let it go at a moments notice. To compensate for all the added weight on his kart, he rigged his engine with some extra pistons, changing it from a six-cylinder to and eight-cylinder. He also added suspension mods to ensure his cart doesn’t scrape the track and drag him too much. 
 

This’ll get the job done for sure, a voice told him. 
 

Those ponies won’t know what hit them.

 

He lugged his kart over his shoulder with one arm and gently placed it on the starting line. He then went up to the booth to sign himself into the race. 
 

Let’s do this. his voices said simultaneously. 
 

The engine of Kronos’ Behemoth kart roared aggressively, showing off its massive power output. 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Kronos the Revenant

[Astral Vision 286]

2 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

@Emerald Heart, @Windy Breeze, @Buck Testa

The doctor doesn't need to make too many motions. His team is able to take the colt off his hooves and get him the basic medical attention he needs before the doctor does any more-thorough medical work. He takes notes on everything he is being told. "I assume you don't know his name then. All right, we'll take care of him. None of you have to stay, but considering he is so young, it'd be nice if one of you could stick around. And we'll make sure to put him on our top priority. I should apologize... Our medical staff has been reduced to half today. The other half are out there for the race, in case anything dangerous should happen. Thankfully, there is no pony in need of urgent care right now, so we won't have to make that little guy wait behind anypony else's treatment." The doctor assures.

He asks the nurse to give Sundae some minor paper work to fill out. The doctor follows his team and gets ready to perform his medical duties.

@ExplosionMare, @Dynamo Pad, @Pastel Heart, @Astral Vision, @Kronos the Revenant

There was a lot of activity going on all at once, it seems.

Trilby gasps in surprise. "What are ponies teaching the youths these days?! It's not my fault Samurai is the weirdest pony in town. By the way, you still owe me for all that imported Japonies silk." Trilby says. "But I only needed the one outfit, and the one you made hasn't worn out yet, so I'm good for now." Samurai says with a smile, perhaps oblivious. "THAT'S NOT THE POINT! Oh, forget it. I've got better things to do now. Excuse me!" Trilby leaves Samurai, Dynamo, and Pastel. Presumably to do business. Samurai turns to his duo of friends. "He and I were the first outsiders to arrive at Friendshire in a long time. I forget if he got here first, or me..." Samurai thinks back to it, but then shrugs. "Anyways, I've got a vehicle to modify! You two should get a cart and start customizing it while you can. There probably isn't much time left before the race begins. See ya!" Samurai says and goes off to get his cart ready for the race. Each racer gets their own garage for their own cart.

Meanwhile, while Trilby has begun selling his stuff again, he is mostly following after Astral. Soon, he catches up to him. "Excuse me... We met before, didn't we? Astral, was it? I wanted to know how your visit with Dr. Milenko went." He asks.

An announcement suddenly chimes in over the P.A. system:

ATTENTION RACERS! YOU ONLY HAVE TWO HOURS LEFT TO REGISTER, PREPARE YOUR KARTS, AND REPORT TO THE STARTING LINE! ONCE AGAIN, YOU ONLY HAVE --2 HOURS-- LEFT TO REGISTER, PREPARE YOUR CUSTOM KARTS, AND REPORT TO THE STARTING LINE! ANYPONY WHO DOES NOT REPORT TO THE STARTING LINE AFTER THE 2 HOURS ARE UP WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. THAT IS ALL.

(BTW, 2 hours is relative. No need to rush, you all have plenty of time to get your replies out and do whatever you need to do before the race starts. I'm just trying to keep the story moving forward. )

@Samurai Equine @ExplosionMare

Astral saw Trilby make his way closer; it seemed as though he was looking to speak with him, and his suspicions were proven correct once he asked about the doctor visit.

"Hello Mr. Hatter, good to see you again. And thank you for recommending Dr. Milenko, such a kind and thoughtful dragon he was. It was easy to see why he's the town's head therapist."

Astral then got a little closer and began to whisper.

"By the way, any updates with Mayor Addenbrooks? I won't try to rush you, but I've been noticing suspicious activity regarding a certain cyborg pony, and I just want to make sure he doesn't harm any creature."

Astral then heard the announcement, and while he hated to be interrupted, he had to be sure that Pencil was prepared.

"Apologies Mr Hatter, but I'm afraid that our private discussion will have to wait. Wish us luck!"

Astral then left the fashion pony to search for Pencil, hoping she had readied their kart for the main event.