open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[GeneralDirection 965]

@Astral Vision @C. Thunder Dash @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

“Actually, Astral, I would be rather interested in some lessons from you at some point. It’s no rush, I’ve decided to stay in Friendshire for now. Samurai also told me you’d be a good pony to talk to about the town’s history, so I feel a meeting is definitely somewhere in our near futures.” He smiled.

“It’s fine, Dynamo, really.” Silver said with a smile. “Like I said, most ponies don’t even know what a kirin is. I don’t have a problem explaining what we are to anypony that’s interested. About cutie marks, no, kirin don’t get those. I guess the dragon part of our genes won that battle.” He said, chuckling.

Silver smiled at the job offer. “Well thanks, Dynamo, I appreciate the offer. I’ll definitely think about it. I’m just not sure what it is that I’ll be doing here yet, not sure what’s needed in Friendshire. Just because I was a carpenter back home doesn’t mean I have to be one here, too. I’m trying to keep my mind open.”

Silver was about to address Dynamo’s question when he heard Pastel talking about him and gave her a blank look. World-bending powers? Where’d that come from? Silver shakes his head in wonder and continues.

“Right…well sorry to disappoint, but there’s no world-bending magic here. The nirik transformation is what allows me to use fire magic. We undergo several physical changes, such as our fur turning black, eyes turn white, mane turns to fire, stuff like that. The result is we gain access to a special sort of fire that we can manipulate at will, or at least, that’s what’s supposed to happen. When I do it, it ends up being a train wreck. Like I said, somecreature usually gets hurt. Mistmane? Must be so legendary I’ve never heard of them. You’ll have to excuse the poor kirin that’s been living under a rock for most of his life.” He said jokingly.

“I think I’ll pass, Thundy.” Silver said in response to his question. “Too used to walking around everywhere at this point. But thanks for the offer, maybe some other time.”  

Silver can see that Dynamo is somewhat confused about some earlier events that he wasn’t there for. In the interest of not making a huge scene, the kirin kept it simple.

“While I was going around town with Samurai and Pastel, they asked if they could see what happens when I transform into a nirik. So, we went out to an empty field nearby, and I showed them. This will probably explain some of the confusion you’re having, Dynamo. That and Pastel is slightly exaggerating what happened.” Silver explained. 

Silver notices Pastel fall and land, somehow, right on her head. He couldn’t help but look concerned, but after she said she was fine, and Dynamo being right there to help her, Silver figured they had it sorted.

[Dynamo Pad 10,775]

20 hours ago, C. Thunder Dash said:

@Dynamo Pad

“I’ll certainly do that. Also, I wonder if the arcade has some extra space...maybe I could transfer a couple games from my world to here. They are so much fun.” Thundy stated looking at Dynamo. 

Dynamo placed a hoof to his chin as he was deep in thought with the offer. "Hmm...that does sound like a good idea." He would say at first, before ultimately shaking his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I think everything will be okay. Most, if not all of the games are all played on arcades. I've heard that there is development of consoles, but it's still in the planning phase." He explained to the griffon, but still gave an appreciative smile to Thundy.

16 hours ago, GeneralDirection said:

@Astral Vision @C. Thunder Dash @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

“Actually, Astral, I would be rather interested in some lessons from you at some point. It’s no rush, I’ve decided to stay in Friendshire for now. Samurai also told me you’d be a good pony to talk to about the town’s history, so I feel a meeting is definitely somewhere in our near futures.” He smiled.

“It’s fine, Dynamo, really.” Silver said with a smile. “Like I said, most ponies don’t even know what a kirin is. I don’t have a problem explaining what we are to anypony that’s interested. About cutie marks, no, kirin don’t get those. I guess the dragon part of our genes won that battle.” He said, chuckling.

Silver smiled at the job offer. “Well thanks, Dynamo, I appreciate the offer. I’ll definitely think about it. I’m just not sure what it is that I’ll be doing here yet, not sure what’s needed in Friendshire. Just because I was a carpenter back home doesn’t mean I have to be one here, too. I’m trying to keep my mind open.”

Silver was about to address Dynamo’s question when he heard Pastel talking about him and gave her a blank look. World-bending powers? Where’d that come from? Silver shakes his head in wonder and continues.

“Right…well sorry to disappoint, but there’s no world-bending magic here. The nirik transformation is what allows me to use fire magic. We undergo several physical changes, such as our fur turning black, eyes turn white, mane turns to fire, stuff like that. The result is we gain access to a special sort of fire that we can manipulate at will, or at least, that’s what’s supposed to happen. When I do it, it ends up being a train wreck. Like I said, somecreature usually gets hurt. Mistmane? Must be so legendary I’ve never heard of them. You’ll have to excuse the poor kirin that’s been living under a rock for most of his life.” He said jokingly.

“I think I’ll pass, Thundy.” Silver said in response to his question. “Too used to walking around everywhere at this point. But thanks for the offer, maybe some other time.”  

Silver can see that Dynamo is somewhat confused about some earlier events that he wasn’t there for. In the interest of not making a huge scene, the kirin kept it simple.

“While I was going around town with Samurai and Pastel, they asked if they could see what happens when I transform into a nirik. So, we went out to an empty field nearby, and I showed them. This will probably explain some of the confusion you’re having, Dynamo. That and Pastel is slightly exaggerating what happened.” Silver explained. 

Silver notices Pastel fall and land, somehow, right on her head. He couldn’t help but look concerned, but after she said she was fine, and Dynamo being right there to help her, Silver figured they had it sorted.

@C. Thunder Dash @GeneralDirection

Hearing that Silver couldn't get a cutie mark was a bit of a shock to the gaming unicorn. However, it was the first time that he had met a different creature that didn't have a cutie mark. So, this was still new to him, but it was still rather fascinating. Upon hearing about Silver's transformation ability, Dynamo was shocked, but still intrigued. "That's rather interesting. I didn't know that there were creatures that could have the ability to transform. I've never really studied that from my classes in school, but still. That's pretty cool and pretty powerful. Is there any sort of drawback, or is there a way to turn off the Nirik form at will?" He wondered, before chuckling at Silver's joke. "You're not wrong in that one. I've heard many stories of Mistmane from my mother when I was younger, but I did hear that she had disappeared at one point. If you'd like, then maybe I can tell a story to you sometime."

Listening to Silver's explanation helped to lift Dynamo's confusion somewhat. He did nod, however, as he knew it would be better to talk to Samurai and Pastel about what had happened earlier at some point. "I'll take your word on that. I know I'll talk to Samurai later, while being caught up to speed on everything. You did say you were showing Pastel and Samurai your Nirik transformation at an empty field. I wonder if your group and my group were close to each other." He wondered, giving a nod in thanks from the earlier clear up on said confusion. He understood that Pastel was possibly exaggerating, but he knew that was how Pastel was. Along with the fact that he'd rather not have it any other way when it came to his friends. 

[GeneralDirection 965]

@Dynamo Pad

“Yea, we’ve probably still got a way to go before kirin make it into the schoolbooks, so it doesn’t surprise me when ponies have never heard of us.” Silver looks thoughtful for a moment before continuing. “I might be wrong about this, but I believe kirin are the only species of pony who can transform.”

“Drawbacks?” He queried. “Unless you learn to master it, its completely emotion based. Anger is the biggest trigger by far. A kirin that has learned to control its nirik form is a formidable opponent for any adversary it crosses paths with. But if you can’t, you’re more of a hazard to everypony around you than anything.” He explained, sighing slightly. "That should also explain how one would turn themselves back into a kirin. Kirin and Nirik are one and the same, you can’t have one without the other, and they can’t be separated. Think of it as like that one game…umm…Ponymon, I think. But instead of a permanent evolution, you can change to either state at any time. I don't know, maybe that makes a bit more sense that way." He smiled. 

Silver nodded his head when Dynamo offered to tell him more about this ‘Mistmane’ pony. “Sure, I’d like to hear more about Mistmane. That has been one of the purposes of my travels, to learn more about other ponies and their cultures. I’ve got a big journal that I’ve written notes about all my findings down into. From these notes I make letters and they get sent back to my village.”  

Whatever Samurai or Pastel decide to share with Dynamo about what happened earlier was out of Silver’s control. He could only hope that they didn’t end up giving him the wrong impression about himself. If so, well, he’d have to burn that bridge when he got there.

[Samurai Equine 45,681]

@Windy Breeze 🥧, @CameoShadowness, @Ragland Tiger

After a while of talking to Shadow, Trilby gets up to find Beryl again. Catching Ms. Ledger Pie's attention, Trilby goes over to where Beryl and Bluebell are. "Beryl! There you are. I got some more Breezie food for you. Sorry it took so long to get back. You wouldn't believe the day I had." Trilby looks through his sacks. "I took a stroll through the town. I never saw Samurai, but whoever was terrorizing it has stopped now. So it's safe to come out. Also, I got you this." He hands her a little breezie-sized necklace with a cool-looking stone on it. "It's a magic gravity stone. This will keep you from being blown away from winds and what not. Now, whenever you want, you can be just as sturdy as an adult pony."

As Trilby helps her put it on, he continues explaining. "By the way, it's getting late now. We should really be on our way. There's always room at my house, unless you want to sleep here. That can be arranged too, I think. Wherever you want to go, I'll set that up for you." Trilby says. Wouldn't be the first time anyone's spent the night at a library.

He also tips his hat to Bluebell. "Hello there, uhh... Bluebell, right? Ms. Ledger Pie has updated me on the situation. Thank you so much for looking after Beryl while I was gone.

Trilby says his goodbyes to Windy and Keen for the night. After he is done here, he is going straight home. It's late, and they should also be finishing their business in the library, whatever it is.

What nobody sees is Ledger Pie cleaning out her desk and leaving that breezie artifact behind for Berly. She puts a formal-looking letter on her desk and leaves the library via the back entrance. With her stuff in hooves, she takes one last look at the library, and leaves for good.

LEDGER PIE: Resigned.
HER NEXT DESTINATION: Unknown.

@Kronos the Revenant

(This is only the FIRST HALF of the time skip. To anyone else besides Kronos reading this, there's no need to reply to this part right now, I'll tag everyone else when the rest of it comes up.)

Samurai waited on the roof of his house, watching the clouds go by with a sense of melancholy.
... Still, he can't stay on the roof forever...
He gets back down and goes inside. From the outside, you can hear a clap, and then some rustling going on inside. After a few minutes, all is quiet. A kuroko pulls out a rather big-looking cart. It's not the kind that you travel in. If anything, it looks like a closet on wheels, and it's fully closed up. Samurai emerges from his house, takes the cart, and begins walking away.

The first place he goes to is Trilby's store. At the moment, there is nopony there, but the item he ordered is waiting for him on the front desk. Samurai takes it, pays for it, and leaves. As he trots through the town, the sun slowly setting, he can see many citizens have checked in for the night. Some houses and buildings only have a few lights on.

With a soft smile on his face, he can't help but have a song in his heart. "Ima miteru hoshi wa, ikunen mo mae no hikari ga, todoiteru nara... Bokutachi no GLORY DAYS, toki ga tachi omoide ni natte mo, kokoro de kagayaku hazu..." Samurai stands upright and does a little dance as he continues his song. "PLEASE DON'T~! Mezasu basho... LET GO! Chigattemo, eien wa mune no naka, iroasezu CARRY ON!" Samurai pauses to look at the houses, almost expecting somepony, ANYPONY, to maybe sing along. Instead, he gets nothing. Maybe a cough or two, the sound of a stray cat, etc. Just ambient street sounds since he's all alone.

Still, he carries on and dances forward. "Kimi ni shika sagasenai mirai ga aru nara... SO LONG. Sora wo wataru. Tabibito wa VOYAGERS! Tsuyoku tsunagare OUR LIVES, maru de seiza mitai. Miageru yoru no sora, kitto mata aeru HAVE A GOOD--" However, Samurai stops his little song and dance number when he sees someone waiting for him near the front gate.

"...Kronos? You got here before I did! I didn't know being punctual was one of your strong suits. Couldn't wait to hear the important news I have to share?" Samurai asks.

Edited August 16, 2020 by Samurai Equine
Forgot a detail.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@ExplosionMare

Chelsea arrived at the large castle doors. They opened slowly revealing the large throne room. "Well here we are, don't be intimidated. The princess is very nice." Chelsea stated. 

 

@Dynamo Pad @GeneralDirection

"Alright, but there is just one game from my world that I'd like to have. It's so mich fun. I showed Chelsea and after she got good at it, she totally fell in love with it." Thundy stated. Upon hearing Silver's explanation, a memory of a piano recital came into Thundy's mind. "Heh, magic off of emotions, that reminds me of a piano recital I had back in my other world." Thundy said. 

 

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

@C. Thunder Dash

“H-hi, Princess! It’s nice to meet you. My friend brought me here to say hello,” Pencil greeted, bowing deeply in respect.

The princess seemed very nice like Chelsea mentioned. Pencil eased up a bit at this, knowing she was with polite company. Pencil put her hooves together patiently and waited for the princess to speak, if she did indeed have anything to say.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@ExplosionMare

The princess turned around, and gasped, not at Pencil, but at Chelsea. "Oh my shining pearly pearls! If it isn't the pure one herself! Chelsea, it has been forever and ever! I see you brought a new friend! How's life? How's Thundy treating you?" She asked wiggling with excitement. "It has been going well. This is my friend Pencil. I met her when Thundy and I arried at a new town just to get away for a while." Chelsea said. "I can see that. What's your name?" The princess asked.

Meanwhile Thundy was wondering where Chelsea was. 

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

@C. Thunder Dash

“Oh, yeah, sorry! It’s Pencil Pouch!” she replied sheepishly. Of course, the princess wouldn’t know her right away. It’s not like her and Chelsea really had a chance to talk. Speaking of Chelsea, where did she go?

“Eeehh, don’t leave me here, Chelsea! I don’t wanna get lost!” she shrieked frantically as she swam off to find the griffon.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@ExplosionMare

Chelsea was outside the castle, having a telepathic conversation with Thundy. "Pencil! I wish we could stay down here longer but...we gotta go. Thundy called and he says Samurai has something planned. He's currently with Dynamo and a kirin named Silver. I can get us there in mere seconds, but it will feel funny. Don't worry, it won't be too bad." Chelsea said as she said goodbye telepathically to the princess of the seaponies. She said goodbye back. 

[Windy Breeze 15,175]

@Samurai Equine

(Before Trilby leaves) 

“Don't worry, I'm not mad” Shadow told him, oblivious Keen gave was eyeing them. 

(Trilby saying goodbye)

“See you later” Shadow said before turning to Keen “Hey, I think we should head back to my apartment” 

“Sure” Keen agreed “But lets return the books to their bookshelf first” Shadow nodded.

(Timeskip) 

After putting back the books, the two head out of the library and went to their marketplace to buy food, after that they went to their apartment. 

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos looked up from his zither and looked at Samurai. 
 

He chuckled and answered, “More like unusually early. And, yes, I’ve been rather curious about whatever news you had to share with me that had to wait until sunrise to hear.”

[Dynamo Pad 10,775]

7 hours ago, GeneralDirection said:

@Dynamo Pad

“Yea, we’ve probably still got a way to go before kirin make it into the schoolbooks, so it doesn’t surprise me when ponies have never heard of us.” Silver looks thoughtful for a moment before continuing. “I might be wrong about this, but I believe kirin are the only species of pony who can transform.”

“Drawbacks?” He queried. “Unless you learn to master it, its completely emotion based. Anger is the biggest trigger by far. A kirin that has learned to control its nirik form is a formidable opponent for any adversary it crosses paths with. But if you can’t, you’re more of a hazard to everypony around you than anything.” He explained, sighing slightly. "That should also explain how one would turn themselves back into a kirin. Kirin and Nirik are one and the same, you can’t have one without the other, and they can’t be separated. Think of it as like that one game…umm…Ponymon, I think. But instead of a permanent evolution, you can change to either state at any time. I don't know, maybe that makes a bit more sense that way." He smiled. 

Silver nodded his head when Dynamo offered to tell him more about this ‘Mistmane’ pony. “Sure, I’d like to hear more about Mistmane. That has been one of the purposes of my travels, to learn more about other ponies and their cultures. I’ve got a big journal that I’ve written notes about all my findings down into. From these notes I make letters and they get sent back to my village.”  

Whatever Samurai or Pastel decide to share with Dynamo about what happened earlier was out of Silver’s control. He could only hope that they didn’t end up giving him the wrong impression about himself. If so, well, he’d have to burn that bridge when he got there.

"Even so, I think you'll make it into the history books in time. Kirin's sound like a very interesting pony race. I'm glad that I'm able to hear about them now." Dynamo blinked in surprise, before nodding. "I guess we could always look into finding out. I believe ponies can still transform, as well. The only way to do that is to use a sort of spell if one were to acquire wings and such. I suppose it depends on the kind of transformation and everything."

As Silver repeated the question of a drawback, Dynamo nodded his head in confirmation. "I never knew a transformation is based on emotions. Although, I've seen some anime and/or games that had a moment where a character becomes stronger due to emotions. So, I suppose that kind of transformation isn't too farfetched. So, it seems that both Kirin's and Nirik's are on two sides of the same coin." He would say, before nodding quickly at the mention of Ponymon. "Oh! I know what you mean, but I think I have a game that has your description. The game is called Digimon and it's sort of like Ponymon, but different. There are digital monsters that evolve or digivolve to change, but they can change back, so it's not a permanent evolution." He nodded with a smile, while understanding SIlver's description.

Listening to the Kirin's goals caused Dynamo to smile with a nod. "Awesome. I think that's a nice goal to have as you'll possibly find a lot of history on Equestria. I would say that Samurai would be help too because I think he lived in the same village as Mistmane too. For me, I've only heard stories. So, it'll be better to get information on both sides of the spectrum." He says, fascinated on how the other Kirin's received and learned about the information Silver would learn, as well.

6 hours ago, C. Thunder Dash said:

"Alright, but there is just one game from my world that I'd like to have. It's so mich fun. I showed Chelsea and after she got good at it, she totally fell in love with it." Thundy stated. Upon hearing Silver's explanation, a memory of a piano recital came into Thundy's mind. "Heh, magic off of emotions, that reminds me of a piano recital I had back in my other world." Thundy said. 

Upon hearing Thundy's request of a game, Dynamo turned his attention over to the griffon with a tilt of his head. "A game that Chelsea likes? I would say it depends on the game, but maybe we can work something out at the arcade. What game would that be? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

[GeneralDirection 965]

@C. Thunder Dash @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

“I certainly hope so, Dynamo. But there’s also a lot that I don’t know. Only thing I’ve done more than traveling in these last few months is learning. Not that I’m complaining or anything.  It’s been great, really. I’ve learned so much, but there’s still much to be learned. I’m really hoping this town can be a fresh start for me, after all I’ve been through.” He smiled.

Silver nodded his head at Dynamo’s realization. “Yep, yep, several years ago, things got so out of hand in Kirin Grove that they nearly burned the whole village down. This was before my time, though. Village leader at the time made them all walk through an enchanted stream that silenced every last one of ‘em. Not a particularly good time in kirin history. But we moved on, found a cure, and learned to better control our emotions. If you’re skilled, you don’t need to get angry to use your fire magic. But the transformation makes it a lot more potent. That’s the long and short of it, anyway.”

“Digimon, huh?” Silver asked as his horn pattern lit up, his magic levitating the journal out of his saddlebag. “Well, like I said, learning something new all the time. That sounds like a more apt description than what I was referring to, anyway.”

Silver continued to write in his journal, waiting until Dynamo finished before speaking again.

“Oh, in case you’re wondering, I don’t send everything I write in here back to my village. There’s a lot of notes in here.” Silver quickly flipped through the pages with his magic to illustrate. “I condense this stuff down a lot when I go to write my actual letters. I try to figure out what’s important and keep to the facts. That way they get a fair ides of what’s going on without being bogged down by information. At least that’s the idea.” He said before putting his book away and responded to Thundy.

“Hmm? Back in your other world? What’s that supposed to mean? You from some other alien world like Kronos is?” He asked. 

Silver looked up towards the sky and noticed the sun was starting to set.

“Well, looks like that meeting will be starting soon. Guess we should all start making our way over there. We can continue talk on our way there.” He suggested.

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

@C. Thunder Dash

Pencil nodded in understanding after she found Chelsea and was told they would have to leave soon. The adventure was over already, it seemed. Taking a deep breath, Pencil readied herself for the teleportation spell and thought of Friendshire so she wouldn’t be too disoriented when she got there.

“Hey, our gills are gonna go away after this, right?” Pencil asked a bit worriedly.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@Dynamo Pad @GeneralDirection
 

“Silver, I don’t think I told you this but, I’m from a whole other planet. Dynamo knows this. The planet is called earth and in fact, it’s in a different dimension. I also wasn’t always a Griffon. I can tell you more later.” Thundy said. 
 

Thundy then turned to Dynamo. “You may wanna take a couple steps back.” Thundy said as he gathered a load of electricity and focused it to his talons. He then positioned his talons as if he was lifting something out of the ground. The ground trembled a little and an arcade game comprised of two metal dance pads, lights and a tv screen rose out of the ground. It was the game DanceDanceRevolution SuperNova. “This...is it.” Thundy said resting against the left pad bar. 
 

 

@ExplosionMare

“Your gills will go away. Don’t worry. Now this is gonna feel really weird, just hold on to me and it’ll be okay.” Chelsea said as she gently held Pencil close and released some water energy. The two began to transform into a stream of water, that zipped through the ocean with ease. 

Meanwhile, back where Thundy and the others were, what sounded like ocean waves could be heard. “Y’all may wanna clear out a little.” Thundy warned as what looked like a wave came gushing towards the group. The wave then transformed into a vortex, revealing Chelsea who was holding Pencil close. “Phew, we made it back safely.” Chelsea said taking a sigh of relief. 

[Samurai Equine 45,681]

@Kronos the Revenant

Samurai smiles. "I'm glad you care, my friend. You'll understand soon enough. In fact, I've also got gifts for you and everypony else." Samurai nods.
"Now we just have to wait for..." And just as Samurai is finishing, he hears the sound of friends arriving. "...Eh? Minna! (Everyone!) You made it!" Samurai says as he happily turns to face them all.

@Dynamo Pad, @Pastel Heart, @Astral Vision, @ExplosionMare, @Kronos the Revenant, 
& @GeneralDirection (<--- GeneralDirection, this part is optional for you. You don't have to be part of this time skip part if you don't want to be.)

Samurai steps up and meets them all, shaking hooves and what not. "Everyone's here. Thank you all... I can finally tell you the important news I've been saving for just this moment."

Edited August 16, 2020 by Samurai Equine

[Dynamo Pad 10,775]

1 hour ago, C. Thunder Dash said:

@Dynamo Pad @GeneralDirection
 

“Silver, I don’t think I told you this but, I’m from a whole other planet. Dynamo knows this. The planet is called earth and in fact, it’s in a different dimension. I also wasn’t always a Griffon. I can tell you more later.” Thundy said. 
 

Thundy then turned to Dynamo. “You may wanna take a couple steps back.” Thundy said as he gathered a load of electricity and focused it to his talons. He then positioned his talons as if he was lifting something out of the ground. The ground trembled a little and an arcade game comprised of two metal dance pads, lights and a tv screen rose out of the ground. It was the game DanceDanceRevolution SuperNova. “This...is it.” Thundy said resting against the left pad bar. 
 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Dynamo nodded as he remembered Thundy had mentioned something like that before. "It's true and I can vouch for him. I didn't want to believe it at first, but Thundy isn't lying. Of course, I'm not really sure what kind of world where he's from is like, but it's still something." He responded, before taking the griffon's advice to take a few steps back. He made sure to help Pastel out of the way, so she wouldn't get hurt in the process. The gaming unicorn was trying his best to keep his balance as the ground trembled beneath his hooves. After a moment had passed, Dynamo looked to see that a dance machine had been made. His eyes widened as he remembered this particular contraption. "Oh! Prance Prance Revolution! I've heard of this game! I had that same dance machine back in my old hometown arcade, but we never had this version. I think we have a machine like that at the arcade now. Sorry about that, but I kind of wish you told me. You didn't have to overexert yourself." He would say, still appreciating the griffon's kind gesture.

5 hours ago, GeneralDirection said:

@C. Thunder Dash @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

“I certainly hope so, Dynamo. But there’s also a lot that I don’t know. Only thing I’ve done more than traveling in these last few months is learning. Not that I’m complaining or anything.  It’s been great, really. I’ve learned so much, but there’s still much to be learned. I’m really hoping this town can be a fresh start for me, after all I’ve been through.” He smiled.

Silver nodded his head at Dynamo’s realization. “Yep, yep, several years ago, things got so out of hand in Kirin Grove that they nearly burned the whole village down. This was before my time, though. Village leader at the time made them all walk through an enchanted stream that silenced every last one of ‘em. Not a particularly good time in kirin history. But we moved on, found a cure, and learned to better control our emotions. If you’re skilled, you don’t need to get angry to use your fire magic. But the transformation makes it a lot more potent. That’s the long and short of it, anyway.”

“Digimon, huh?” Silver asked as his horn pattern lit up, his magic levitating the journal out of his saddlebag. “Well, like I said, learning something new all the time. That sounds like a more apt description than what I was referring to, anyway.”

Silver continued to write in his journal, waiting until Dynamo finished before speaking again.

“Oh, in case you’re wondering, I don’t send everything I write in here back to my village. There’s a lot of notes in here.” Silver quickly flipped through the pages with his magic to illustrate. “I condense this stuff down a lot when I go to write my actual letters. I try to figure out what’s important and keep to the facts. That way they get a fair ides of what’s going on without being bogged down by information. At least that’s the idea.” He said before putting his book away and responded to Thundy.

“Hmm? Back in your other world? What’s that supposed to mean? You from some other alien world like Kronos is?” He asked. 

Silver looked up towards the sky and noticed the sun was starting to set.

“Well, looks like that meeting will be starting soon. Guess we should all start making our way over there. We can continue talk on our way there.” He suggested.

"I guess that's why a journey is sometimes needed or important. Learning and exploring is half of everything. Plus, an adventure is fun and can leave you with a sort of life lesson if you think about it. I've only ever had to travel when it came to conventions and gaming tournaments. I never had the opportunity to simply travel and explore Equestria, though." Dynamo smiled, before nodding in understanding as his expression turned neutral. "I'm really sorry to hear that. I didn't know something like that could happen to the town, but I guess it makes sense. Considering if something like that were to get out of control." He frowned, before raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Wait a minute. You said several years ago. You said you had to go through this stream of silence, but you were cured. How were you able to do that? Did you have help of some kind?" 

At the mention of Digimon, the gaming unicorn nodded to confirm the Kirin's thoughts. "Eeyup. It's sort of the same to Ponymon, but a bit different. One major difference is that while Ponymon don't speak English, Digimon do. There are other major differences, but still. If I'm able to find some information on the subject, then I'll be sure to share said info with you." He responded, making sure to inform Silver, who took out his journal to write everything down. "Oh, I see. So, I suppose it's just taking notes of any kind down, before sifting through the important notes and letters to send to your tribe. I think that's a good idea as it's better to give what's important, instead of going on and on. I've had to learn about that in school with reports and such." He gave a sheepish smile, while remembering he ran into a similar issue with information.

Hearing the mention of the meeting caused Dynamo to look up towards the sky. Sure enough, the sun was starting to set as the sky began to darken slightly. "You're right, Silver. We should all head towards the meeting spot and catch up to Samurai. I don't know about Pencil, but I think she'll be there. Since most of the group is almost all together." He would say, before turning his attention over towards Thundy. "I guess we'll talk to you later. See you, Thundy and thanks for the help on the arcade suggestion." He waved to the griffon as he looked towards the rest of the group. "Ready to go to the meeting? If so, then let's go!" He would say, scooping Pastel up until she was sitting on his back, before making his way towards the meeting spot. All the while, talking to the others along the way.

24 minutes ago, Samurai Equine said:

@Kronos the Revenant

Samurai smiles. "I'm glad you care, my friend. You'll understand soon enough. In fact, I've also got gifts for you and everypony else." Samurai nods.
"Now we just have to wait for..." And just as Samurai is finishing, he hears the sound of friends arriving. "...Eh? Minna! (Everyone!) You made it!" Samurai says as he happily turns to face them all.

@Dynamo Pad, @Pastel Heart, @Astral Vision, @ExplosionMare, @Kronos the Revenant, 
& @GeneralDirection (<--- GeneralDirection, this part is optional for you. You don't have to be part of this time skip part if you don't want to be.)

Samurai steps up and meets them all, shaking hooves and what not. "Everyone's here. Thank you all... I can finally tell you the important news I've been saving for just this moment."

@Pastel Heart @GeneralDirection @Astral Vision @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine @C. Thunder Dash @Kronos the Revenant

As he made his way towards the front gate, Dynamo squinted his eyes, until he saw Samurai and Kronos. He wasn't sure if it was just going to be Samurai, Astral, Pencil, Pastel and himself, but it seemed that there was a change in plans. "Hey, Sam! It's good to see you again!" He called out to the asian pony, while trying not to be loud, so as to not wake anyone from their sleep. After shaking his hoof, Dynamo smiled as he nodded at his friend. "You're welcome, my friend. You had some important news, Sam? If so, then what is it? Hopefully, it's some good news." He responded, wondering what important news Samurai was saving for this moment.

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

@C. Thunder Dash

Pencil felt a little funny, but the moment passed swiftly as she was quickly jet streamed through a burst of water. Pencil had a small coughing fit when she arrived on land as she got used to regular oxygen. She blushed at her display and covered her mouth. Turning towards Chelsea, she said,

“Thanks for the adventure. It was really fun. I liked seeing all the pretty creatures and going out and exploring everything!”

@Samurai Equine

Pencil was glad to see everypony now that they had all met up again. Dynamo, Pastel, Thundy, and Samurai were all waiting for them to return. Samurai was walking up to Pencil to share some important news. She shook his hoof politely then told him,

“Alright, I’m ready for your important news! Go ahead and tell us,”

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine @ExplosionMare

"Yep, back in my world, we call it DanceDanceRevolution. We even have tournaments where the best DDR players come together to duke it out in a battle of perfection." Thundy stated as he turned to Samurai upon hearing that he had some news. "What is it Samurai?" He asked. 

Chelsea heard it as well. "Let's see what Samurai has to say Pencil." She said. 

 

[Pastel Heart 6,463]

@Samurai Equine @Dynamo Pad @GeneralDirection @ExplosionMare @Astral Vision @Kronos the Revenant

Pastel stood on Dynamo's back as if she was Cinderella being carried to the ball. She wondered if the others would notice if there was anything different about her. Not that it mattered too much, she was the same Pastel as before... Maybe a bit more driven.

Sticking close to Dynamo and Silver, she waved happily to Kronos and Pencil whom she hasn't seen in awhile. Hopefully nothing too serious happened without her, she thought.

She saluted to Samurai with a confident, Sonic esque smirk.

"Hai, atashi no shogun! What's happening? Are we like, waging war or something? If you're bringing a war I've got all the morale you need!" 

 

[Samurai Equine 45,681]

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

He takes a deep breath, about to speak, until Pastel says something that makes his eyes go wide. "I--How--I appreciate being called a shogun, even though I'm not one yet, but... How--?" Samurai was nearly beside himself, but waves it off for now. Once more, he collects himself, and begins. As he talks, the mood suddenly changes. There is a seriousness in the air, and in his eyes. "I'll just cut to the chase and say it. I'm leaving Friendshire, and I don't want any of you to come with me." After such a happy day, especially for people like Pastel (or Silver), this has to be a shock. Who would have predicted Samurai would make an announcement like this?

"I've told you all about how I originally came here from my home country Japon. I was the champion protector of Japon until I was called to come to Friendshire. But life back home was not all green tea and pop idols. I've made enemies back home. Some are harmless, simple trouble makers and ruffians at best. But others... Others are a bit more serious." Samurai pauses a moment. He looks at Kronos specifically before he continues on. "Some of you weren't here yesterday, and most of you didn't see it, but... Yesterday, during the cart race, I was attacked by a shinobi made of living origami paper. I did my best to defeat him, but I know how crafty they can be. Even Kronos confirmed my suspicious, the shinobi got away. I know who these origami shinobi work for. He is a villain that I have fought many times, and most of our battles have ended in stalemates... His name is Snow Leopard."

Samurai holds up a hoof before anyone can raise any questions. This is going to be a story... "He has gone by many nicknames. The shogun of snow. The frozen fright. The warlord of winter. Snow Leopard is a corrupt leopard creature with snow powers; a magic power that rivals my fire magic; and he's not afraid to hire chimeras and other misfits of nature that the world has turn their back on. We've clashed so many times that he has a personal vendetta against me alone. And now that one of his origami shinobi have tracked me down, I have no doubt that he has left to tell Snow Leopard where I am. Which means, in a few days, he'll be coming here. Unless, I go and stop him."

"Which brings me to the hardest part about all this..." Samurai is almost finished with his story, though his somber mood is not lifting. "The plan is simple. Snow Leopard is all ready on his way here, so I'm going to cut him and his forces off half way before they even get close to Friendshire. If I am lucky, it should only take me 2 or 3 days at most. I wish I could say that I'll be back before you know it, but... After the battle is over, I'll have to send a report about it to my Shogun, the battle general that I take orders from. When he learns what dangers I've had to face, he may decide that it's too dangerous for me to stay at Friendshire. And if he orders me to return home, then... I won't be allowed to come back."

The reality of the situation is so hard that Samurai has to rub one of his eyes to keep from crying. Still, he looks on at his friends with a smile. "I know some of you might want to join me on this trip and help me with the battle, but I need ALL of you to stay here. If I'm away fighting Snow Leopard, then someone needs to protect Friendshire from the unknown while I'm gone. I've been SO blessed to meet you all, to make friends I could have only dreamed of... Being in this town has helped make some of my wildest dreams come true! Some of you I've known longer than others, and some just came here recently. But in my heart, I know that if I entrust Friendshire to all of you, it'll be in good hooves. So that's what I'm asking you to do for me. While I'm off preventing a war, I want all of you to protect Friendshire, the second home I've come to care about so much."

Edited August 16, 2020 by Samurai Equine

[Ragland Tiger 3,294]

Letter to Twilight Sparkle, day five

My dear friend Twilight,

It seems like this town is going to go extinct.  Even the mare taking care of the library and the pony who defends this place have apparently left. The two mayors of this town don't get along.  It looks like there's a prediction of an attack or some sort of catastrophe. It's as if a force is trying to dissolve this place.  If that is the case, can we try and at least save the books in the library?  I hope I'm wrong.  I don't want this to happen.  This town has become a place for ponies and other creatures who long for a place to belong, to call home.  I don't have to tell you that I know what it means to be without a home, to be rejected by your own community.  This could be a place where that doesn't have to happen, and be a real example for us all.  I'll await your response.

Your Friend Always,
Bluebell

Bluebell left the library in the cool darkness of the evening, taking the breezies' artifact and the keys to the building with her.  She levitated the keys, her horn glowing a deep dark blue. She softly pushed the door closed, and inserted one of the keys into the lock.  Tears of regret began to flow out of her eyes.  

"I-I-I d-dont want to d-d-do th-this, but-but -- I need to."

She slowly turned the key until she heard the click of the door locking.   Sadly, with her horn glowing darker, she turned and hobbled away.  A soft blue cloud formed over the library building and settled down to cover it, finally rendering it invisible. Only the ground beneath remained.

 

 

Edited August 16, 2020 by Ragland Tiger

[Dynamo Pad 10,775]

55 minutes ago, Samurai Equine said:

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

He takes a deep breath, about to speak, until Pastel says something that makes his eyes go wide. "I--How--I appreciate being called a shogun, even though I'm not one yet, but... How--?" Samurai was nearly beside himself, but waves it off for now. Once more, he collects himself, and begins. As he talks, the mood suddenly changes. There is a seriousness in the air, and in his eyes. "I'll just cut to the chase and say it. I'm leaving Friendshire, and I don't want any of you to come with me." After such a happy day, especially for people like Pastel (or Silver), this has to be a shock. Who would have predicted Samurai would make an announcement like this?

"I've told you all about how I originally came here from my home country Japon. I was the champion protector of Japon until I was called to come to Friendshire. But life back home was not all green tea and pop idols. I've made enemies back home. Some are harmless, simple trouble makers and ruffians at best. But others... Others are a bit more serious." Samurai pauses a moment. He looks at Kronos specifically before he continues on. "Some of you weren't here yesterday, and most of you didn't see it, but... Yesterday, during the cart race, I was attacked by a shinobi made of living origami paper. I did my best to defeat him, but I know how crafty they can be. Even Kronos confirmed my suspicious, the shinobi got away. I know who these origami shinobi work for. He is a villain that I have fought many times, and most of our battles have ended in stalemates... His name is Snow Leopard."

Samurai holds up a hoof before anyone can raise any questions. This is going to be a story... "He has gone by many nicknames. The shogun of snow. The frozen fright. The warlord of winter. Snow Leopard is a corrupt leopard creature with snow powers; a magic power that rivals my fire magic; and he's not afraid to hire chimeras and other misfits of nature that the world has turn their back on. We've clashed so many times that he has a personal vendetta against me alone. And now that one of his origami shinobi have tracked me down, I have no doubt that he has left to tell Snow Leopard where I am. Which means, in a few days, he'll be coming here. Unless, I go and stop him."

"Which brings me to the hardest part about all this..." Samurai is almost finished with his story, though his somber mood is not lifting. "The plan is simple. Snow Leopard is all ready on his way here, so I'm going to cut him and his forces off half way before they even get close to Friendshire. If I am lucky, it should only take me 2 or 3 days at most. I wish I could say that I'll be back before you know it, but... After the battle is over, I'll have to send a report about it to my Shogun, the battle general that I take orders from. When he learns what dangers I've had to face, he may decide that it's too dangerous for me to stay at Friendshire. And if he orders me to return home, then... I won't be allowed to come back."

The reality of the situation is so hard that Samurai has to rub one of his eyes to keep from crying. Still, he looks on at his friends with a smile. "I know some of you might want to join me on this trip and help me with the battle, but I need ALL of you to stay here. If I'm away fighting Snow Leopard, then someone needs to protect Friendshire from the unknown while I'm gone. I've been SO blessed to meet you all, to make friends I could have only dreamed of... Being in this town has helped make some of my wildest dreams come true! Some of you I've known longer than others, and some just came here recently. But in my heart, I know that if I entrust Friendshire to all of you, it'll be in good hooves. So that's what I'm asking you to do for me. While I'm off preventing a war, I want all of you to protect Friendshire, the second home I've come to care about so much."

@Samurai Equine @Pastel Heart @Astral Vision @ExplosionMare @GeneralDirection @Kronos the Revenant

Dynamo's eyes glanced behind him slightly, tilting his head in confusion at what Pastel had just said. He had heard the word shogun, but the rest of the sentence didn't make much sense to him. It seemed that she had learned to speak in the same language that Samurai spoke at times. He was glad that she had learned something special, but he wished he could do the same. Watching anime had helped him in wanting to learn said language, but it wasn't as simple as it looked. He was thankful that Samurai had explained what she had said, but wondered why he was considered a shogun. It looked as if there were still some things that he didn't know about his friends. Something that he hoped that he would learn about more from each of them in the future. Looking back towards the asian pony, the gamer pony could sense a seriousness in the air. The air so thick with tension, that you could cut said tension with a knife. Upon hearing the news that Samurai would be leaving town, Dynamo blinked as he tilted his head slightly. He wasn't sure why he had to leave, but he still felt confusion as to why he and the others couldn't go with him. "I-I think I remember you said something about that. Possibly during the first day when we all met you, or when we were at the restaurant after the concert." He recalled as he knew his friend was not from this town.

Dynamo soon learned that Samurai had enemies in his hometown. While it wasn't like the bullies he had in Fillydelphia, it was a lot more serious coming from Japon. The unicorn tried to recall anything that had happened that occurred during the race, but was unable too. He did, however, remembered that Samurai was taken out of the race, but he thought he had simply crashed. Not soon realizing the revealed information that someone was out to get him. "S-Snow Leopard?" He silently uttered as he wondered who, or what this creature was to Samurai. He was about to ask, but soon saw the hoof being held out by said asian pony. Dynamo's mouth silently being sewn shut as his jaw was shut in place. It seemed that this was to be a story being told by Samurai and possibly not a fun story at that.

Learning that this an actual leopard, who was a shogun was a bit of a shock. It seemed that Snow was a sort of ruler in Japon, but it seemed that they and Samurai have a sort of history together. Dynamo was surprised that Samurai had fire magic. While it may have been brought up before in conversation or demonstrated, Dynamo still had not known until now. Even though he was somewhat fascinated by the knowledge of ice magic, he still knew the severity of how much of a threat Snow Leopard was. Glancing back at the town and knowing that it might be attacked had caused Dynamo to worry. If Pastel had noticed, she could feel the trembling as Dynamo shook with worry. Worry over the town and possibly civilians being hurt, while also feeling worry about his friend having to leave and face that danger alone. It didn't help that seeing Samurai on the verge of tears had caused Dynamo to nearly cry himself. Seeing his friend go through such a dilemma was heartbreaking to him. Even the fact that Samurai might possibly never come back if his Shogun ordered for it.

After hearing Samurai voice his thoughts and thanks to Dynamo and everyone else, the gaming pony slowly shook his head. Tears threatening to fall as he took a tentative step forward. "N-No...i-it can't be true, right? I mean, isn't there s-something that I or any of the others can do? There has to be some sort of plan." He would say, looking to the others and seeing what they thought. "You can't just seriously expect us to sit here and do nothing, while you go off and face this sort of danger alone. I do understand your concern and all, but it just doesn't sit right with me. I know someone here can vouch for me on this. I mean, can't we talk to P-Princess Twilight or someone that can send backup, or some sort of protection?" He knew it was a bit of a long shot, but he still wanted to know. Having backup could possibly lead to more wars breaking out in Equestria, but he knew aiding a friend was a right course of action.

[GeneralDirection 965]

@Astral Vision @C. Thunder Dash @ExplosionMare @Kronos the Revenant @Pastel Heart @Samurai Equine

@Dynamo Pad (Sorry I wasn't able to get my reply out before you moved ahead, don't worry about trying to backtrack, what I wrote is inconsequential to what's going on now, anyway. I'm leaving it in because otherwise it's just gonna look like I completely ignored you.)

Silver looked confused by what Thundy mentioned but decided that conversation would have to wait for another time. Apparently this one can change forms, too. Silver made note of it in his journal before continuing along with the others. He listened to what Dynamo had to say as they walked along.

“Meh, don’t worry about it. It all happened long before I was born anyway, so it didn’t affect me. If anything, it was good for village anyway, brought a major problem to light. Sorry if I confused you, but I wasn’t a part of this event, happened before I was born. But for the kirin who were, yes, we did receive help. One of our own found the cure, a flower called foal’s breath I believe, you can use it to brew up some tea that clears the effects of the stream. I think the rest of the village as too afraid to do it in fear of what might happen, but Applejack and Fluttershy were sent to our village…still don’t know how…but they were able to convince the rest of the kirin that they should learn to mange their emotions instead of being afraid of them. Must’ve been a sight to see, all those ponies being able to talk again.”

They all soon arrived at the meeting place and Silver took up a spot slightly behind everypony else. Due to the earlier events, he had a feeling he knew what was going to happen, so he felt it was best to just sit back and watch everything unfold. He probably didn’t have to be here, but Silver wanted to see everypony’s reactions to the gifts he and Pastel had picked out. Plus, as he looked around, he did notice a few other ponies he hadn’t met yet and made an internal note to try and introduce himself after this was over.

What Silver wasn’t expecting, was Samurai’s announcement that followed. The unicorn was leaving to go fight Snow Leopard, who apparently has had some personal vendetta against Samurai for a long time. Samurai didn’t want any assistance, and he could potentially not be allowed to come back to Friendshire. Silver’s relatively new appearance in town kept him from getting too emotional, but he still couldn’t help but feel a bit sad that one of his new friends he had met today was already leaving.

Silver’s immediate reaction was to want to join Samurai on his mission, his adventurous spirit couldn’t help but feel compelled to want to come along with him. But as the kirin weighed his options out, he realized that he would probably be more of a liability for Samurai than anything. Silver was not cut out to be some iron warrior, and with him not being able to keep his magic in check, the best place for him was probably Friendshire. Silver understood that this was Samurai’s task, and so this is what he needed to go do.

Silver kept his position at the back of the crowd, watching in silence to see what the other ponies’ reactions would be. He didn’t feel there was anymore to say to Samurai, as he was fairly sure that he knew how they both felt towards each other. Plus, he had never been much good at goodbyes anyway.

[Pastel Heart 6,463]

@Samurai Equine @Dynamo Pad @GeneralDirection @Kronos the Revenant @ExplosionMare @Astral Vision

Pastel was... surprised. This was definitely sudden. She was messing around with the whole shogun thing, but to think that's what actually was going on...

"Wait wait wait! If there's a guy causing trouble we just gotta go beat him up, right!? Take us with you, Sami! We can do it!"

Adventurous, troublemaking Pastel was also down to go with Sami as others were, she pumped her hoof in the air as if declaring some kinda revolution. Pastel seems like the type that would slap a god in the face if deemed necessary.

Feeling Dynamo quiver under her, Pastels rambunctiousness turned to sadness as she hopped down off of his back and hugged his leg, looking up at him with a wordless smile as if saying "Everything is gonna be okay".