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The Master's Legendary Quest - 6

By Trixiefap
Created: 2022-06-29 02:29:53
Expiry: Never
anonsafecyoaredheartrpgaiegame

  1. >You finish up the registration, make a quick sketch of the cutie mark in question, and you hand it to her.
  2. >She looks it over, and a few seconds in she stifles a laugh.
  3. >Why didn’t the form just put ‘sex’ instead of ‘gender’ like a normal per- pony?
  4. >Another moment or two and she stamps the registration, then looks back up at you.
  5. >”Nice try with that joke. Now, just a few questions, is all of this information completely true, to your utmost knowledge?”
  6. “…Yeah.”
  7. >The money part wasn’t really true, but it was funny as hell and it is a goal.
  8. >”And what mysterious markings are you referring to?”
  9. >You undo the chainmail talons you have on your hands and reveal your bare palms, displaying the metallic markings along your palms.
  10. >All three registration judges stopped what they were doing and looked intently at them.
  11. “…Er, what’s up?”
  12. >”Oh… Nothing, just never seen anything like it before… Uh, another question: How powerful is your magic?”
  13. “Oh, I can just make decent blasts and channel magic through my spear, that’s about it.”
  14. >She nods and writes more notes down on the parchment.
  15. >”Okay, everything should be good to go, please make your way to the right for the slot pick, and good luck!”
  16. >You nod and redo your talons, going to the right, and… seeing another line.
  17. >Shit.
  18. >This time you thought about tactics as you finally advance through the line and look at the other officials, much more imposing royal guards.
  19. >”Pull the lever to get your number, we’ll record it and you’ll be matched up on the bracket board accordingly.”
  20. >Alright…
  21. >You grasp the long, firm, hard rod and pull…
  22. >Then the balls drop.
  23. >Well, one ball, with a number on it.
  24. >You pick it up and turn it around.
  25. “…Twelve.”
  26. >“Twelve!”
  27. >Another official calls twelve to someone at the bracket board, and a file sheet gets passed to him, which he then tacks up to the board.
  28. >It showed your name, a snapshot of your face, and in the corner was the desired cutie mark, which proudly displayed Redheart’s in place of your lack of one.
  29. >Redheart gets your attention from behind the registration line and waves at you, then blows you a kiss with just the happiest smile on her face.
  30. >You do the same, until a guard interrupts.
  31. >”HEY! Don’t make me use force, move out of the line!”
  32. “O-oh, sorry…”
  33. >You decide to take a closer look at the board, to see where you stand.
  34. >Your first opponent is that Minotaur you were looking at before, and his name seems to be Noble Valiance.
  35. >This should be fun.
  36. >You turn around to go to the waiting booths, and you step right into a chainmail-clad chest.
  37. “Excu…uuuusss…”
  38. >You look up as you trail off, seeing the eponymous Noble standing tall.
  39. >A full three heads above you if you count the weaponized horns.
  40. >His guttural voice shakes your chest as he speaks.
  41. >”Why did they put me with a scrawny, hairless nobody like you?”
  42. “…Well, uh…”
  43. >What should you say to this gargantuan?
  44.  
  45. >You carefully regard this intimidation tactic he’s using with a calm mind.
  46. >After all, you could destroy boulders with a sleight of hand now.
  47. "If I'm a nobody, then what does that make you, considering I'm a legendary doctor?"
  48. >His response is to blow hot, stinky air in your face with his nostrils.
  49. “Well… WHAT’S GOOD, NIGGA? WANT SOME PURPLE DRANK!?”
  50. >That’s when he tripped up.
  51. “GOT SOME FRIED CHICKEN ON YO’ ASS?”
  52. >You wish you knew the Navy Seals copypasta from your internet-browsing days, or else you’d recite it right now.
  53. >He was just so confused, it was hard not to laugh.
  54. >But now’s not the time to laugh.
  55. >Instead, you opt to say,
  56. “But seriously, you know how it is, Goliath.”
  57. >He raises an eyebrow.
  58. “Everyone’s rooting for the underdog in these fights… So, remember when you hear the roar of the crowd.”
  59. >”Oh?”
  60. “Yeah. It’s all for you.”
  61. >He makes a rather frightening growl from his gut, baring his teeth.
  62. “Oh, and don’t worry if you die. I’ll bring you back to life, and we can do the dance all over again.”
  63. >Noble takes a step towards you, but you don’t budge an inch.
  64. >He stares you right in the eyes, bending down as he flares his nostrils and envelopes your vision with his bloodshot yellow eyes.
  65. >You don’t blink.
  66. >Eventually, he knows you’re not backing down, and he stands up straight again, walking away in a denied defeat.
  67. >You just stand and smile for a moment, then you walk over to the waiting booths before you were so rudely interrupted.
  68. >You sit down and see the few fighters that weren’t going to be fighting for a while, when some magical voice sounded over the entire park.
  69. [“THE TOURNAMENT HAS BEGUN! OUR FIRST MATCH OF THE FIRST ANNUAL CRYSTAL FAIR TOURNAMENT WILL BE GABLE VS. SILVER STAR!”]
  70. >You look out the viewing windows, and you realize you get a clear-cut view of the tournament ring from the ground.
  71. >A big circular dirt area sprinkled with hardening dust and closed off with traditional Equestrian stanchions.
  72. >It seems like Gable was the gryphon that you saw before, but this Silver Star character you didn’t see before.
  73. [“LET THE FIRST MATCH BEGIN!”]
  74. >An echoing gong rings throughout the tournament grounds, and they rush at each other…
  75. >…
  76. >You are now officially scared of Gable.
  77. >Well, to put it lightly, he fucking shredded that poor silver bastard.
  78. >Even worse, he came in the waiting booth completely unscathed, and started talking to another fighter as if he just came home from a day of putt-putt.
  79. >Well, the second match began, but yours was much later, so there was some time to kill.
  80. >What would you like to do?
  81.  
  82.  
  83. >Inspect counterparts
  84. >You didn’t see anyone of note besides the other fighters that were eyecatching before, except for this moody pegasus sitting two seats away from you, who looks like he needs to run home to his mother instead of be here.
  85. >Other than him, it was a waiting booth full of fighters, what else?
  86. >While you were waiting, you feel like you needed to train your attacks, but there was nowhere to do so, at least for your magic.
  87. [Cannot train Mega Buster here!]
  88. >However, there was a set of training dummies in the open end of the booth, but they were completely filled up, so you couldn’t practice with your spear…
  89. >…Unless you asked one of the other fighters.
  90. >Do you want to ask another fighter to train, or simply wait for the next match?
  91.  
  92.  
  93. >You look back over at the pegasus, wondering if you should ask him.
  94. >A few seconds of debate, and you figured you might as well.
  95. “Hey, dude.”
  96. >He doesn’t respond.
  97. >You reach over and give him a light tap on the shoulder.
  98. >He jumps in intense horror, and looks right at you.
  99. >”Gh, what do you want!?”
  100. “Er, was just getting your attention, sorry… I was wondering if you wanted to train for a while, see what we could learn together to better prepare ourselves?”
  101. >He looks at you funny.
  102. >”Why would you wanna help me if we could end up fighting each other?…”
  103. “Well, I’ll admit that’s a possibility, but it’s always nice to have good sportsmanship. You in?”
  104. >He looks down at the ground, then at the other burly, tough, rocky balboa fighters.
  105. "C'mon, a little warm-up will do us both some good; it's gonna be a tough fight if you're all tensed up, y'know?"
  106. >”Uh… S-sure.”
  107. >You nod and get up, and so does he.
  108. “What’s your name?”
  109. >”… Jettison Streak.”
  110. “Nice. Anonymous for me.”
  111. >You both move out to an open area outside the booth, and you brandish your spear.
  112. >He removes a single dagger from a hidden scabbard in his wing, and he tries to steady himself as you both ready a battle stance.
  113. [TRAINING START]
  114.  
  115. Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP: 12/12]
  116. Jet: [HP: 50/50]
  117.  
  118. >Training abilities:
  119. -Pain Train (Attack each other to increase attack and defense of the appropriate kind, lowers HP)
  120. -Coach (Train opponent specifically to increase ability and morale)
  121. -Ask for advice (Opponent coaches you to increase ability and morale)
  122. -Technique (Trains parry and general defense. Much slower than pain train, but no HP loss)
  123. -Meditation (LOCKED - Opponent does not have magic!)
  124. -Aerial Combat (LOCKED - You do not have flight!)
  125. -Overpower (Test your might, increases attack on both sides, chance to cause exhaustion)
  126. -General battle (Slowly increases all abilities at slight cost to HP)
  127.  
  128.  
  129. [ANONYMOUS]
  130. >Uses Coach! >0<
  131. “Okay, I want you to try and dodge me when I come at you. I’m going to sweep you and see how well you can keep your balance. Try not to use your wings, okay?”
  132.  
  133. >”Uuh, alright…”
  134. [JET]
  135. >He attempts to maneuver around your pronounced leg sweeps, and does alright. It was most likely because you told him, however, and would not translate well to spontaneous sweeps in battle.
  136.  
  137. [You didn’t learn anything useful.]
  138. [Jettison didn’t learn anything useful.]
  139.  
  140. >Training abilities:
  141. -Pain Train (Attack each other to increase attack and defense of the appropriate kind, lowers HP)
  142. -Coach (Train opponent specifically to increase ability and morale)
  143. -Ask for advice (Opponent coaches you to increase ability and morale)
  144. -Technique (Trains parry and general defense. Much slower than pain train, but no HP loss)
  145. -Meditation (LOCKED - Opponent does not have magic!)
  146. -Aerial Combat (LOCKED - You do not have flight!)
  147. -Overpower (Test your might, increases attack on both sides, chance to cause exhaustion)
  148. -General battle (Slowly increases all abilities at slight cost to HP)
  149.  
  150.  
  151. [ANONYMOUS]
  152. >Uses Coach! >4<
  153. “Okay, try it again, but be careful, as I’m going to amp it up a little. Don’t expect just sweeps.
  154. >”Okay..”
  155. [JET]
  156. >He starts to dodge your slightly faster sweeps, and you surprise him with some mid strikes. It catches him off guard and you scratch his wither, but the armor he’s wearing protects him.
  157. >1<
  158.  
  159. Jet: [HP: 49/50]
  160.  
  161. [You learned a bit of speed with your attacks go a long way. +5 experience]
  162. [Jet learned to be more attentive in battle. +3 experience, -1 HP]
  163.  
  164. >Training abilities:
  165. -Pain Train (Attack each other to increase attack and defense of the appropriate kind, lowers HP)
  166. -Coach (Train opponent specifically to increase ability and morale)
  167. -Ask for advice (Opponent coaches you to increase ability and morale)
  168. -Technique (Trains parry and general defense. Much slower than pain train, but no HP loss)
  169. -Meditation (LOCKED - Opponent does not have magic!)
  170. -Aerial Combat (LOCKED - You do not have flight!)
  171. -Overpower (Test your might, increases attack on both sides, chance to cause exhaustion)
  172. -General battle (Slowly increases all abilities at slight cost to HP)
  173.  
  174.  
  175. [ANONYMOUS]
  176. >Uses Technique
  177. “Alright, now you come at me and I’ll try to parry you, see how it works.”
  178.  
  179. >”Alright… H-here I come!…”
  180. [JET]
  181. >Attacks with Quick Strikes
  182. >5<
  183. >Jet comes at you, and you didn’t think this through. It’s hard to parry such a short blade with a spear, and he goes right through your range, making you dodge instead of parry, getting a few knicks on your armor.
  184.  
  185. Anon: [HP: 127/130][MP: 12/12]
  186.  
  187. [You learned how to tell length. You feel a little ashamed of certain parts of your body now. +3 experience, -3 HP]
  188. [Jet didn’t learn anything useful.]
  189.  
  190. >Training abilities:
  191. -Pain Train (Attack each other to increase attack and defense of the appropriate kind, lowers HP)
  192. -Coach (Train opponent specifically to increase ability and morale)
  193. -Ask for advice (Opponent coaches you to increase ability and morale)
  194. -Technique (Trains parry and general defense. Much slower than pain train, but no HP loss)
  195. -Meditation (LOCKED - Opponent does not have magic!)
  196. -Aerial Combat (LOCKED - You do not have flight!)
  197. -Overpower (Test your might, increases attack on both sides, chance to cause exhaustion)
  198. -General battle (Slowly increases all abilities at slight cost to HP)
  199.  
  200. >Inspect Experience
  201. [Experience gained during training will pertain to the specific stat or ability that it is correlated with. For example, If you get experience learning how to block an attack, your defense points will increase, and whether it is PD or MD will depend on the attack blocked. Inspect skills or stats to see their experience amount. Note: Not all experience is recorded during battle or training.]
  202. >Inspect Lovemaking Experience
  203. [You popped a cherry or two back home, but most of your sex life has been with Redheart. You can pump a marepussy rather well, you think, but foreplay still eludes you.]
  204.  
  205. [ANONYMOUS]
  206. >Asks for advice.
  207. “So, is there anything you know about leg sweeps that you could show me?”
  208.  
  209. [JET]
  210. >Uses Coach!
  211. >”Well uh… I don’t have that much experience w-with a long… spear, but maybe you could, uh, feint? You know… fake a movement one way… do it for real the next?”
  212. “I could try that, sure.”
  213.  
  214. >You rush Jet and first try a direct sweep, and he jumps over it.
  215. >Then you go for another midstrick, but you pause in midair, he throws himself up, and then you sweep him from within the air, sending him on his back. He gets a small bump on his head from hitting the ground, but his advice worked.
  216.  
  217. Jet: [HP: 47/50]
  218.  
  219. [You learned feinting works well if the opponent isn’t expecting it. +8 experience]
  220. [Jet learned not to trust every attack’s momentum. +5 experience, -2 HP]
  221.  
  222. >Training abilities:
  223. -Pain Train (Attack each other to increase attack and defense of the appropriate kind, lowers HP)
  224. -Coach (Train opponent specifically to increase ability and morale)
  225. -Ask for advice (Opponent coaches you to increase ability and morale)
  226. -Technique (Trains parry and general defense. Much slower than pain train, but no HP loss)
  227. -Meditation (LOCKED - Opponent does not have magic!)
  228. -Aerial Combat (LOCKED - You do not have flight!)
  229. -Overpower (Test your might, increases attack on both sides, chance to cause exhaustion)
  230. -General battle (Slowly increases all abilities at slight cost to HP)
  231. -Exit Training
  232.  
  233.  
  234. [QUEST: SPICING UP THE BEDROOM MODIFIED: Find Redheart’s fetish (0/1); Improve foreplay (0/1)]
  235. [ANONYMOUS]
  236. >Asks for advice
  237. “So, you seem to be rather nimble, any advice on sweeping against faster opponents?
  238.  
  239. [JET]
  240. >Uses Coach!
  241. >”Well.. Whenever my dad tried to wrestle me back home, I’d always flip around when he tries to sweep me… Maybe y-you could throw a double sweep and… catch them by surprise?”
  242.  
  243. “Okay, I’ll try that.”
  244. >You rush him and throw some downward strikes against Jet, which he slithers out of with the speed he was speaking of.
  245. >Then you try sweeping him, which he gets caught but realigns himself.
  246. >That’s when you take him by surprise and sweep him through from the other side, completely disabling him.
  247. >”Oh.. N-nice.”
  248.  
  249. (x2 doubles)[You learned that sweeping could be useful. If only you had more… expertise. +7 (x2) = +14 experience.]
  250. (x2 doubles)[Jet learns that he shouldn’t be giving you such good advice. +4 (x2) = +8 experience.]
  251.  
  252. [TRAINING END]
  253.  
  254. >While in the middle of heated training, the magical voice sounded overhead.
  255. [“CONGRATULATIONS TO PLUME BLOOM ON HIS VICTORY AGAINST PEAR SHINE! ONTO THE SEVENTH MATCH, DR. ANONYMOUS VS. NOBLE VALIANCE!]
  256. “Oh, that’s me.”
  257. >Jettison sheaths his dagger and nods.
  258. >”O-okay… thanks for training with me…”
  259. >You give him a nod and a wave, leaving for the booth.
  260. >When you step inside, you see Noble was already out in the tournament.
  261. “Well… Here goes nothing.”
  262. >As soon as you step outside, you hear some unorthodox cheering from the left side of the audience bleachers, and you look to see your party yelling and yapping.
  263. >Redheart has the same exuberance as Pinkie did, and they somehow acquired foam hooves and flags with Red’s cutie mark on it.
  264. >You step into the stanchion arena, and Noble gives you a rather angry look.
  265. >You simply brandish your spear, ready to fight.
  266. [“COMPETITORS READY? YOU MAY BEGIN!]
  267. >A sound of the gong begins the battle…
  268.  
  269. [BATTLE START] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcPPgqT3VfU
  270.  
  271. >ANONYMOUS
  272. [HP: 127/130][MP: 12/12][Defenses: 20 PD, 25 MD]
  273.  
  274. Inventory: (Use >Inventory to expand!)
  275.  
  276. Abilities: Basic hand to hand combat, Basic alchemy skills (Allows brewing of low-level potions and enchantments), Moderate medical use (+50% medkit efficiency), Basic Veterinary knowledge (Allows kit usage on animals), Basic
  277. Engineering skills (Allows creation of simple mechanical devices), Ogre Dance (1-4 Fail, 5-9 Succeed, confuses enemy), Moderate spear combat (+5 dmg), Very High Magical Defense (+20 magical armor), basic knowledge of Everfree weeds, {S.S.S. +15 dmg with Anon’s/Red’s separate damage. 5tcd}, Shoot dart, Brew potion (non-com), Mega Buster (2 MP, Good attack, 3 turn CD), Saber Slash (1 MP, +15 magic dmg, 75% hit chance, 2 turn CD), Flamescythe (2 MP, Good attack, +10 MA, 4 turn CD) Parry (50% hit, deflects enemy atk/counters 50% dmg), Heart’s Calling (5tcd, Gives 50% attack boost to entire party for next turn), Parry (Deflects enemy attack and rebounds 50% enemy damage, 2tcd)
  278. Equipped: Redheart-inscribed ‘Legendary’ Doctor’s Trenchcoat (+10 HP to medkit usage), Mysterious markings, Double-bladed spear (+10 P dmg., +15 M dmg, can attack spectrals), Amulet of Heart’s Calling (+5 HP), Medic-Issued Avian Chainmail Cap (+5 P.D./+1 M.D.), Medic-Issued Avian Chainmail (+7 P.D./+2 M.D.), Medic-Issued Avian Chainmail Talons (+5 P.D./+1 M.D.), Medic-Issued Avian Chainmail Sabatons (+3 P.D./+1 M.D.), Avian Leather Boots (Lowers exhaustion)
  279.  
  280. >Noble Valiance [HP: 120/120][Defenses: +15 PD]
  281.  
  282. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS][Abilities: Charge (+20 PA), Impale (+25 PA, bleeds, 2tcd), Body Slam (x3, 3tcd), Enrage (Increases attack damage by 50% for 3 turns, usable once]
  283.  
  284. [ANONYMOUS]
  285. >Attacks with Mega Buster! [-2 MP][3 turn CD]
  286. >67<
  287. Noble Valiance blocks! -10 PD/MD
  288. [NV: 63/120]
  289. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  290. >Noble Valiance Enrages! ^50% attack! Attacks Anonymous with Charge.
  291. >6 (+20)(x1.5) = >39<
  292. -20 = >19<
  293. Anon: [HP: 109/130][MP: 10/12]
  294. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  295. 1
  296.  
  297. [ANONYMOUS]
  298. >Attacks with Flamescythe! [-2 MP][4 turn CD]
  299. >60 (+10) = >70<
  300. Noble Valiance blocks! -10 PD/MD
  301. >60<
  302. [NV: HP: 3/120]
  303.  
  304. [BATTLE END]
  305.  
  306. >You only made two attacks and he was already on his knees, unable to take anymore.
  307. >Your Mega Buster melted most of his armor, and the Flamescythe tore away what was left.
  308. >He is raising his hand, smoking from his body.
  309. >”I FORFEIT, I FORFEIT!!”
  310. >The audience seems to be whispering in shock rather than cheering… Including your party.
  311. >You glance over at them and see they were quite surprised.
  312. >When they see you look, they give you a half-hearted wave.
  313. >You think that they hadn’t seen you really utilize your magic until now.
  314. [“THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS DR. ANONYMOUS WITH HIS DAZZLING DISPLAY OF PURE BRUTE POWER!”]
  315. >This announcement returns the enthusiasm to the crowd, and they go wild.
  316. >You sheath your spear and walk back into the booth, checking your chainmail for any damage.
  317. >When you walk in and look up, virtually every fighter is now staring at you.
  318. >Some of the small fries run out, ditching the tournament entirely.
  319. >The ones that had stood out to you remain, however.
  320. >It would be some more time before your next round. What would you like to do?
  321. [Experience capped]
  322. [MEGA BUSTER HAS UPGRADED!]
  323. >New attack!
  324.  
  325.  
  326. Giga Buster
  327. (Good attack, +15 MA, -4 MP, 3tcd)
  328. >You have a choice of working on its quality of force, or size. What do you choose?
  329.  
  330. -Potency: Increases MA by 10.
  331. -Area of Effect: Enlarges attack to hit two enemies, splitting the damage between them.
  332.  
  333.  
  334.  
  335.  
  336. [POTENCY SELECTED]
  337. [GIGA BUSTER UPGRADED: (Good attack, +25 MA, -4 MP, 3tcd)]
  338.  
  339. >Inspect Small Mana Potion
  340. [This glistening azure liquid seems to be a bit more viscous than its healing brethren. The small potion restore your mana by 33%.]
  341.  
  342. >The staring of the other fighters starts to get a little uncomfortable.
  343. >You’re pretty sure you’ve been standing there for a solid minute, and nobody’s moved since.
  344. >You decide to do a little ice-breaking and make an ass of yourself, since nobody you knew was here.
  345. >You let out a huge, boisterous laugh that rattles the booth.
  346. “Well, I’m heading to the medical tent! It’s harder keeping them alive than it is killing them, am I right?”
  347. >Their stares only get wider, as if you were the awkward one.
  348. >Well, this day is just getting better and better.
  349. >You wordlessly walk out of the booth and out into the Fairgrounds, until you spot the medical tent and walk towards it.
  350. >It seems that your party knew you well, however as Red and the rest of the gang intercepts your path and joins you on the way.
  351. >”Hey there, champ. That was… astonishing.”
  352. >Berry nudges your leg.
  353. >”Hey, where were you hiding those moves when we fought that manticore? It took you long enough how to use that thing, Anon, now you just might be able to ‘penetrate’ the ‘enemy forces’, right?”
  354. >She nudges you again, and you couldn’t help but smile.
  355. “I missed you Berry, even if just for a few hours.”
  356. >AJ pops in to ask you a question.
  357. >”So, really. All horsin’ aside, how did you just completely destroy that Noble guy? He was a lot tougher than you, but you made it look easier than applebuckin’ season with Pinkie hopped up on confectioner’s sugar.”
  358. >Pinkie starts bouncing profusely.
  359. >”Oh I love confectioner’s sugar! Mr. and Mrs. Cake always make me replace the bags when I eat them because I always have a bag every time I bake!”
  360. “An entire bag, every day?”
  361. >”No, silly filly, every time I cook!”
  362. “….How oft--”
  363. >”Well sometimes we need three batches a day but sometimes days are slow so it could be anywhere from four to six bakes a day and-”
  364. “You eat six bags of confectioner’s sugar a day!?”
  365. >”Yup!”
  366. >….Diabeetus.
  367. >Redheart breaks the following shocked silence.
  368. >”…Soooo, babe, heading to the tent? Did that big, mean ol’ minotaur give you a booboo?”
  369. >Pinkie over exaggeratedly gasps and starts patting your armor.
  370. >”Whereisitwhereisit--”
  371. >Redheart stuffs her hoof in Pinkie’s mouth.
  372. >”Pinkie! I was just joking..”
  373. >She sits there for a second before letting go.
  374. >”…Oh. Sorry, hehe.”
  375. “Oh, Pinkie. How’s the armor fit?”
  376. >She looks back at her body and smiles.
  377. >”Oh yeaaah, I totally forgot it was even on! It’s so form fitting, Nonny, it’s like when Twilight dressed me in latex and we were sneaking out for the night to a forbidden area!”
  378. >…What the fu--
  379. >”But it’s not as sleek, it’s just really really comfy! Plus that Mr. Ironsmith guy said it would protect me from the bad guys and that’s always a plus!”
  380. >Well, nice. It definitely looks good.
  381. “To answer your question Red, I’m going to go meet Noble and go patch him up myself, to show there’s no hard feelings.”
  382. >”That’s very kind of you, Anon!”
  383. “We’ll see how kind the action becomes.”
  384. >You and your party enter the medical tent, revealing a busybody system with too many nurses and doctors to count.
  385. >It’s easy to find Noble though, with him being the biggest thing in the entire tent, including you.
  386. >Furthermore, he appears to be refusing help from all of the aids, to great protest.
  387. >”Do not touch me, I am completely fine! That runt did nothing to me, I was just afraid I’d snap him like a twig!”
  388. >You motion for the group to stay back a little bit, and you remove a medkit from one of the supply rings as you approach him.
  389. >”Did you not hear what I said, you little runt? I am Nob… le…”
  390. >He spots you mid-sentence, and his face flushes its color straight down the toilet.
  391. >Your appearance with your beaten foe has left the officials trying to patch him up speechless, and as you take a closer step towards him, they back up to watch the unfolding event.
  392. >You take a quick look around, and you set down the medkit on the table, opening it up.
  393. >Then, you look him straight in the eye, and crack a smile.
  394. “Tell me where it hurts.”
  395. >”You can go fu-”
  396. “I deserve that, but before you go off, just let me apologize.”
  397. >After a moment, he decides to calm down and hear what you have to say, but still has a look of fear in his eyes, as if you came to finish the job.
  398. >You remove a few supplies from the kit and beckon his arm, which looked like it’s got a rather nasty burn on it.
  399. >He very reluctantly holds it out, and you speak while you patch him up.
  400. “Listen, I really am sorry about that. You might thought I was completely fine when you tried to scare me before but it sort of pissed me off. I was still trying to hold back actually, but I failed and still overdid it. If you’re wondering how some odd creature like me has such magic, it’s not actually even mine. It’s a gift that was given to me for a greater purpose, if you can believe that.”
  401. >When you get your words across, the conversation silences as you fix him up, the rest of the doctors and nurses getting over the incident and treating the rest of the injured fighters.
  402. [You use medkit on Noble Valiance, aiding his recovery.]
  403. >Once you finish, he says nothing and lays down on the stretcher facing away from you.
  404. “… You’re welcome.”
  405. >You return to the party and look around at the hustle and bustle.
  406. >You feel like taking a good rest, so you turn to the group to tell them.
  407. “Hey guys, I think I’m going to go take a nap, try and get my strength back for the next match.”
  408. [“CONGRATULATIONS TO POGO BOUNCE WITH HER VICTORY AGAINST TIPPY DRINK! THE SECOND ROUND CONTINUES WITH DR. ANONYMOUS VS. CHARM ROSE!”]
  409. >You wish you could kill yourself.
  410. >”Oh… Looks like you’ll get your rest afterwards. C’mon mares, let’s go cheer him on from the stands!”
  411. >They leave you running for the stanchion arena, which you barely make in time.
  412. >As you run in, you see that Charm Rose is the unicorn with the everpresent flame and mysterious robes.
  413. >You stop by and relinquish your spear, getting into the correct stance.
  414. [“LET THE MATCH BEGIN!”]
  415. >A sound of the gong begins the battle…
  416. [BATTLE START] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Y7tY8NppM
  417. Anonymous: [HP: 109/130][MP: 8/12] [Use >status to check abilities.]
  418. >Charm Rose: [HP: 160/160][MP: 50/50][Defense: +20 MD, +3 PD]
  419. >”Tell me, Doctor, is it cheating if it is my own magic?…”
  420. [CHARM ROSE]
  421. >Uses Magical Animation!
  422. >Charm Rose levitates her robes off her body, revealing plate armor!
  423. >She removes the armor with some magical energy, and it animates with a sword and shield as she replaces her robes.
  424. >Charm Rose: [HP: 160/160][MP: 45/50] [Abilities: Fireball (-2MP, +15 MA, x1.5), Ice Shards (x3, -2MP), Nightmarish Illusions (Fears for 5 turns, 7tcd, -4 MP), Flow Lock Runes (Manaseals for 7 turns, usable only once, -10 MP)]
  425. >Plate Armor: [HP: 500/500][Defense: +50 PD][Abilities: Stab (+10 PA, x1.5), Double Slash (+15/15 PA, 50% chance for each to crit x2, 3tcd), Steel (Blocks next attack completely)]
  426. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  427. [ANONYMOUS]
  428. >Attacks Charm Rose with Flamescythe!
  429. >96 (+10 MA) = >106< [-2 MP][4 turn CD]
  430. [-20 MD]
  431. [CR: HP: 64/160][MP: 45/50]
  432. [PA: HP: /500]
  433. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACKS…]
  434. [CHARM ROSE]
  435. >Attacks Anonymous with Nightmarish Illusions! [5 turn CD]
  436. >You’re assaulted with nightmarish horrible visions that are tailored to your psyche!<
  437. >You are afraid!
  438. Anon: [HP: 109/130, F][MP: 6/12]
  439. >Plate Armor attacks Anonymous with Double Slash!
  440. >8 (+15 x2 = 30/15) = >53<
  441. [-20 PD][+25% fear]
  442. >41<
  443. Anon: [HP: 68/130][MP: 6/12]
  444. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  445. [ANONYMOUS]
  446. >Attacks Charm Rose with Giga Buster!
  447. >53 (+25 MA) = >78<
  448. [-20 MD]
  449. >58<
  450. [CR: HP: 10/160][MP: 41/50]
  451. >”You… bastard!”
  452. [PA: HP: 500/500]
  453. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACKS…]
  454. [CHARM ROSE]
  455. >Attacks Anonymous with Ice Shards!
  456. >5 (x3) = >15<
  457. [-25 MD]
  458. >0<
  459. >Plate Armor Steels itself!
  460. [Plate: HP: ∞/500]
  461. Anon: [HP: 68/130][MP: 2/12]
  462. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  463.  
  464. [ANONYMOUS]
  465. >Attacks with Moderate spear Combat
  466. >1 (+5+10 PA+15 MA) = >31<
  467. [-20 MD, -3 PD]
  468. >13<
  469. [CR: HP: -3/160][MP: 39/50]
  470. [Charm Rose is outcold!]
  471.  
  472. >The Plate Armor falls apart without magical sustenance!
  473.  
  474. [BATTLE END]
  475.  
  476. >You finish the battle by striking her head during her moment of dizzy weariness.
  477. >She falls along with her plate construct, and you stan there with slashes on your coat, looking up at the wild crowd.
  478. [“CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. ANONYMOUS WITH HIS VICTORY AGAINST CHARM ROSE! SO ENDS THE SECOND ROUND, PLEASE WAIT DURING THIS SHORT INTERMISSION, AND WE’LL GO INTO ROUND THREE!”]
  479. >You walk back into the booth, when you feel blood from under your chainmail.
  480. >That armor really hit right through it, it seems.
  481. >What would you like to do?
  482.  
  483. >That last battle was pretty tough; you need a rest more than ever.
  484. >As you wobble your way back to the resting area, you notice your friends yet again approaching you.
  485. >You do your best to look like you aren’t bleeding.
  486. >It doesn’t work very well.
  487. >Berry is the first to notice from at least twenty feet away.
  488. >”Woooow, that looks nasty, Anon! That sword seriously cut you up, didn’t it?”
  489. >Redheart quickens her pace as they approach you, but you realize something.
  490. “Uh, you guys aren’t supposed to be in the waiting booth.”
  491. >They really aren’t.
  492. >They all look at each other and shrug, Red taking the initiative.
  493. >”Okay, then let’s go out!”
  494. >The rest of the party nods.
  495. >“You need a little downtime after all those fights, sugarcube, and it looks like we got a whole hour before the third round. Let’s go out and actually do somethin’ fun instead of swingin’ weapons at each other or solving that shadowy mystery.”
  496. >Damn…
  497. >Do you go out with the party, or do you rest?
  498.  
  499.  
  500. “Sorry, but I can't make it. I think this wound is a bit deeper than I thought, so I'm going to go patch up and rest for the next round, alright?”
  501. >Redheart’s look of anticipation instantly turns to worry.
  502. >”If you’re really injured then let me help you. I couldn’t go out knowing you were like this, Anon.”
  503. “It’s fine, really. You taught me well, you know? Tell you what, after I win this tournament, I’ll take you all out and buy you guys a round of b- uh, cider.. That sound good?”
  504. >Berry whoops in retaliation.
  505. >”Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about! You better win, Anon, because I’m counting on it now!”
  506. >Red and the rest nod in understanding, but her ears were still drooping from the concern.
  507. >”Alright, … j-just be careful, okay? Make sure that bandage is tight, don’t forget to sterilize it first!”
  508. >She starts to get dragged away by AJ and Wheaties.
  509. >”If it’s really deep, stitch it up use that book I gave you, and if there’s extra bleeding check for clots!…”
  510. >Then they were gone.
  511. >With them going out to have a little fun, you exit the booth yourself and return to the medical tent, using their supplies to patch yourself up.
  512. [You use Tournament medkit.]
  513. >25% (+50% moderate) = 75%
  514.  
  515. Anonymous: [HP: 130/130][MP: 2/12]
  516.  
  517. >You patched yourself up quite well, but you still had to be careful with the bleeding.
  518. >A quick walk back to the booth brings you to one of the comfortable padded seats they have, and you set one up for your feet as well.
  519. >You close your eyes and think about the many things that have transpired over the last two weeks.
  520. >…
  521. [Rested. Anonymous’ stats have been fully recovered, all status effects removed!]
  522. >…
  523. [“WELCOME BACK TO IRON WILL’S CRYSTAL FAIR TOURNAMENT, WHERE WE PUT THE ‘TEAR’ IN TOURNEY! I’LL BE TAKING OVER THE PRECIOUS YOUNG FREE VOICE’S ANNOUNCEMENT JOB, AS SHE’S COME DOWN WITH A SUDDEN CASE OF INCONFIDENCE! I’LL PERSONALLY BE INDUCTING HER INTO MY ASSERT-YOUR-SELF TRAINING PROGRAM, DON’T WORRY PONIES. ALRIGHT, I’M LOOKING AT THE BRACKET HERE AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT’LL BE ONE DOC ANON Y. MOOSE VS. LITTLE STRONGHEART! LET’S GET IT ON!!”]
  524. >You yawn and stretch as you get yourself up, shaking yourself awake as you head for the tournament.
  525. >You definitely feel rejuvenated and ready to fight… Until you see this Little Strongheart.
  526. >Emphasis on little…
  527. >You walk out to the stanchion arena and see the little calf standing ready in the arena.
  528. >You weren’t aware that children could fight in this tournament, and despite yourself you felt just a little bad for taking part in such a battle, so you try and see what you could do in trying to talk her out of it.
  529. >You set yourself up in the arena as Iron Will starts announcing random gibberish about his program.
  530. >She has steely eyes as she glares at you, her feather headdress waving in the wind.
  531. >Before you speak, you suddenly see AJ and Pinkie from the other side, halfway leaning over the rails trying to get your attention.
  532. >You couldn’t hear them over the crowd, but it looks like they knew this competitor.
  533. >That was even worse.
  534. >Is there anything you’d like to say to Little Strongheart before the battle begins?
  535.  
  536. >Little Strongheart does not seem to be the one to back down easily.
  537. >She also made it to round three without a scratch on her, so you realize she’s not just a child, it seems.
  538. >Might as well make the line memorable.
  539. “I am sorry…”
  540. >She raises an eyebrow.
  541. “But I must break you.”
  542. >Strongheart rolls her eyes and hikes down into a battle position, nostrils flaring.
  543. >When she does this, something falls out of her headdress.
  544. >It seems to be some sort of glowing orb necklace, and for some reason you feel your markings begin to vibrate in protest at the sight of it.
  545. >The vibration makes you tingle.
  546. >Tingle… for the shrekening.
  547. >You stop right where you are and stare at her with a completely serious face, her countenance faltering.
  548. >You then speak in a completely deadpan tone.
  549. “Now, let me do the dance of my people.”
  550. >Use Ogre Dance
  551. >9<
  552. >Little Strongheart first looks completely disgusted by the way you are moving, but her eyes start bugging out and she shakes her head, trying to get the image out of her brain.
  553. >Little Strongheart is confused! (Hit chance decreased by 50% for 5 turns)
  554. >The crowd is confused!
  555. >Your party is confused!
  556. >Iron Will is confused!
  557. >A sound of the gong begins the battle…
  558. [BATTLE START] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btHMMDz27hw
  559. Anonymous: [HP: 130/130][MP: 12/12][Defenses: 20 PD, 25 MD] (Use >status to check abilities/inventory.)
  560. Little Strongheart: [HP: 250/250, C][Defenses: 30 PD, 40 MD][Abilities: Charge (+15 PA, x3), Will of the Bison (+10 PA, x4, 75% chance to stun for 3 turns, 2tcd), Buck (Good attack, x1.25, 5tcd) Amulet of Soul’s Calling (Heals for 75%, useable once)]
  561. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  562. [ANONYMOUS]
  563. >Attacks with Giga Buster! [-4 MP][3 turn CD]
  564. >98 (+25 MA) = >123<
  565. [-40 MD]
  566. >83<
  567. [LS: HP: 167/250]
  568. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  569. [LITTLE STRONGHEART]
  570. >Attacks Anonymous with Will of the Bison!
  571. >Little Strongheart is confused!
  572. >Little Strongheart misses!
  573. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  574. 1
  575. [ANONYMOUS]
  576. >Attacks with Flamescythe!
  577. >89 (+10 MA) = >99<
  578. [-40 MD]
  579. >59<
  580. [LS: HP: 108/250, C]
  581. >Little Strongheart has enraged! (+40% attack damage for 5 turns, dispels Confusion)
  582. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  583. 2
  584. [LITTLE STRONGHEART]
  585. >Attacks Anonymous with Will of the Bison!
  586. >0 (+10)(x4) = >40< [2 turn CD]
  587. [-20 PD]
  588. >20<
  589. >Anonymous is Stunned!
  590. Anon: [HP: 110/130, S][MP: 8/12]
  591. >Anon is stunned, he can’t attack! (2 turns left)
  592. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  593. [LITTLE STRONGHEART]
  594. >Attacks Anonymous with Charge!
  595. >8< (+15)(x3) = >69<
  596. [-20 PD]
  597. >49<
  598. Anon: [HP: 61/130, S][MP: 8/12]
  599. >Anonymous is no longer stunned!
  600. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  601. 3
  602. [ANONYMOUS]
  603. >Attacks with Sabre Strike! [2tcd]
  604. >4< (+5+15PA+15MA)(x2 Doubles) = >78<
  605. [-30 PD, -40 MD]
  606. >9<
  607. [LS: HP: 99/250][Strongheart’s Stamina is fading! -30 PD]
  608. [Defenses: 40 MD]
  609. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  610. [LITTLE STRONGHEART]
  611. >Uses Amulet of Soul’s Calling! (+75% HP restore)
  612. >+187 HP<
  613. >Little Strongheart’s Amulet has lost its magical potency!
  614. Little Strongheart: [HP: 250/250][Defense: None]
  615. Anon: [HP: 61/130][MP: 5/12][Defense: +20 PD, +25 MD]
  616. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  617. [GIGA BUSTER REFRESHED!]
  618. 4
  619.  
  620. [ANONYMOUS]
  621. >Attacks with Giga Buster! [-4 MP][3 turn CD]
  622. “KAAA…MEEEE…. HAAAAA…MEEEE…. HAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”
  623. >Enrage KIAI bonus! (+3 MA)
  624. >99< (+25 MA)(x2 KIAI DOUBLES) = >248<
  625. >Little Strongheart is taken surprise!
  626. [LS: HP: 2/250]
  627. >”I… gh… nn…”
  628. >Little Strongheart collapses!
  629. [BATTLE END]
  630.  
  631. [You have learned how to better control your Magic and have reached new heights! Total MP increased by 6!]
  632.  
  633. Anon: [HP: 61/130][MP: 7/18]
  634.  
  635. >Your blast completely decimates the arena, encompassing not only all of Strongheart, but a large portion of the bleachers.
  636. >Thankfully the rest of the audience cleared out in time, but in the end, only three or four rows were destroyed.
  637. >Strongheart tries to get herself up, but you aren’t paying attention to that anymore.
  638. >Where the hell did that come from?
  639. >You just shouted a move from your favorite cartoon as a kid, you had no idea it actually worked!
  640. >Or was it just a coincidence?..
  641. [“WHOA NELLY! NOW THAT IS SOME HARDCORE, BALL-BUSTING UNBELIEVABLY EXTREMITUDE FIGHTING RIGHT THERE! DOCTOR MOOSE WINS THE MATCH, LEAVING THE LITTLE BUFFALO A CRIPPLE, OH YEAH! ONTO THE NEXT MATCH-- What?… …Oh, alright. SHORT INTERMISSION WHILE WE REPAIR THE SEATS, MY ASSERTIVE PONIES!”]
  642. >There are no movements made for you to return to the booth, and nobody has come to Strongheart.
  643. >It seems the staff is busy trying to calm the audience down and repair what you just destroyed.
  644. >A quick look to your left shows that your party had vanished, most likely waiting in the booth or the medical tent for you.
  645. >You also see that there is a decently deep horn wound that has punctured your old bandage, and it is bleeding.
  646. >What would you like to do?
  647.  
  648. >This isn’t right.
  649. >You honestly didn’t mean to do that, you would never do something like that to a little kid.
  650. >You rush over to her and set down your bag, taking out your own medkit and checking her over.
  651. >She doesn’t protest. Then again, she is too weak to do much of anything.
  652. >You start to treat every single burn, scratch and bruise on her delicate body with very careful precision, doing everything to your utmost ability to make sure she’d be alright.
  653. [Used medkit on Little Strongheart.]
  654. >25% (+50% skill) = 75%
  655. >+188 HP<
  656.  
  657. Little Strongheart: [HP: 190/250, KO]
  658.  
  659. >You manage to keep her stable, and cleaned her up, but you needed to move her.
  660. >You slowly and carefully pick her up, the pain in your chest making it a bit difficult.
  661. >Walking back through the booth, you ignore all attemps of communication by the other fighters and swiftly leave for the medical tent with the little calf cradled in your arms.
  662. >It seems like an eternity, but you finally get there and you see that the tent is just as busy as before, with mostly new fighters.
  663. >About halfway in, you spot an empty bed.
  664. >You go and move towards it, setting her down on it slowly as another nurse who actually works at the tent pushes you away and starts inspecting her.
  665. >You didn’t really have any drive to keep an eye on her as the staff was now attending to the problem.
  666. >A sigh of relief escapes your lungs, and you turn around.
  667. >There is your entire party, AJ and Pinkie in front, and none of them looks happy.
  668. >What do you say to them?
  669.  
  670.  
  671.  
  672.  
  673.  
  674.  
  675. >You hesitate for a moment before speaking weakly.
  676. "I didn't… she wasn't… that wasn't supposed to happen… she took the one before it like a champ, I don't know why that attack was so… strong."
  677. >They’re still silent.
  678. “You saw what I did, right? The instant I saw nopony else going to help her, I went straight to her and made sure she was alright. I patched her up and I brought her straight here. Please, trust me on the fact that I have no idea what happened there, and I’ll be here between every match to see how she’s doing. …I feel bad enough already.”
  679. >You say this last line as you look back at her.
  680. >At least she’d be alright.
  681. >Your attention returns to them when AJ speaks.
  682. >”At least you’re tellin’ the truth, I suppose… She was just a calf though, Anon!”
  683. “I know… I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, I promise.”
  684. >After this, there is another moment of silence between you, but there is no tension.
  685. >They understand and believe you.
  686. >Redheart then points something out.
  687. >”You’re bleeding again, hon.”
  688. >You look down, and this time the blood was trickling down your chainmail.
  689. “Right… I’ll go fix myself up--”
  690. >”No.”
  691. >You look up at her, and you’re suddenly getting dragged to a vacant table.
  692. >She brings out a supply medkit, and she silences you every time you try to speak.
  693. [Redheart uses Medkit on you.]
  694. [You have been fully healed. HP: 130/130]
  695. >Once you are finished getting medically pampered by Red’s gentle touch, she gives you two light pats on the cheek and sets off.
  696. >”Alright, we’ll leave you alone for now. As soon as they’re finished fixing the seats that you broke, they’ll be right back at it, so you don’t have much time. Go rest.”
  697. “But-”
  698. >”Rest.”
  699. >Her tone is very solid.
  700. “…W-”
  701. >”Go!”
  702. “Alright, alright…”
  703. >You turn to leave, but before you start walking you get a tight vice grip from pink hooves.
  704. >”Don’t get hurt again, Nonny!”
  705. >When you turn around, she’s already back with the leaving party.
  706. >They give you all a quick wave before disappearing behind the cloth.
  707. >You feel like you needed to be careful from here on out.
  708. >Inspect Competition
  709. [So far, the listings are as follows:
  710.  
  711. Dr. Anon Y. Mous - Noble Valiance (X) (No wins)
  712. Dr. Anon Y. Mous - Charm Rose (X) (Won against Plume Bloom)
  713. Dr. Anon Y. Mous - Little Strongheart (X) (Won against Pogo Bounce and Wood Weaver)
  714. Dr. Anon Y. Mous - Lance Dance (-) (Won against Demo Test, Vixen Spree and Jettison Streak)
  715.  
  716. There’s two more rounds that you will be fighting after Lance Dance, but the combatants are undetermined.
  717.  
  718. Other notes: It looks like Gable hasn’t gotten a single hit on him the entire last three rounds. Jettison Streak was eliminated in the third round.]
  719.  
  720. >Before you leave the Medical Tent, you stop a passing doctor and speak to her.
  721. “Hi, is there any chance that you guys have anything that restores magic? Like potions or anything similar?”
  722. >She shakes her head with a sad smile.
  723. >”I’m sorry, sir, but there isn’t anything like that. Only bodies get repaired here.”
  724. >You nod and she leaves.
  725. >Well, it’d probably be best if you could rest before your next round, then.
  726. >You make your way back to the booth, and decide to take a quick look around.
  727. >To your surprise, including the two that are waiting outside to fight next, there is a total of 8 fighters left.
  728. >You decide not to bother any of them as you reclaim your spot where you rested before, and before you know it, your eyes are fluttering shut.
  729. >…
  730. [Partially rested. Regain 50% of stats.]
  731. Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP: 16/18]
  732. >…
  733. [“WEEEEEEEEEEE’RE BACK IN BUSINESS, MARES AND GENTLECOLTS, IT’S TIME FOR THE QUARTER FINALS! ON MY LITTLE NIFTY BRACKETS HERE, IT SAYS HERE THAT THE FOURTH ROUND MATCH IS GOING TO BE DR. MOOSE VS. LANCE DANCE! LET’S GET IT OOON!”
  734. >The announcement startles you as you wake up.
  735. >Once you try to get up, however, your feet suddenly fall flat and you slam your face in the ground.
  736. >You then hear an arrogant laugh in front of you.
  737. >”Don’t trip on the way to the ring, magic hands, you might just blow up Equestria!”
  738. >You look up and see a receding pegasus headed for the repaired arena.
  739. >That must be Lance Vance.
  740. >You dust yourself off and walk back outside, to the massive cheers of the audience.
  741. >Odd, you think they’d be a little more afraid of you after what happened, but it seems you must’ve missed some hardcore battles while you were resting.
  742. >You walk out to the stanchion line and draw your spear, looking the cocky bastard in the eyes.
  743. >What would you like to say to Lance Dance before the battle begins?
  744.  
  745. >Well, he’s a right bastard, isn’t he?
  746. >”What’s the matter, Doctor? Gonna shock me with your little magic tricks? Guess what, you’re not going to be able to hit me. You might as well give up, you old, wrinkly buffoon!”
  747. “KAAAAAMEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAMEEEEEEEEE--”
  748. >He instantly began shuffling back like a scared foal who saw the boogeyman, intense fear and adrenaline in his eyes.
  749. >You stop before the last syllable and start laughing so hard you were choking.
  750. “Ohhh… That was funny, you shoulda seen the look on your face!…”
  751. >”You know w-what buddy!? I’m going to make this extra painful for that!”
  752. >He gets himself up and draws his own spear, specifically a lance.
  753. “You must be a fellow doctor, because you sure as hell saw the last of my patience.”
  754. >You’re finally fighting someone with a weapon, at least.
  755. >Right before it starts, you point at him, to which he blows raspberries at you.
  756. >The spit lands on your face, and the moisture seeps into your very DNA, starting the apocalyse of his demise.
  757. >It was all ogre now.
  758. >Used Ogre Dance!
  759. >At some point during the dance of your people, however, you forgot about the fact that you had already drawn your spear, and the imbalance catches you offguard, sending you tumbling and tripping again.
  760. [-5 HP and another spaghetti dinner]
  761. >Lance laughs at your misfortune, going so far as to wipe a tear from his eye.
  762. >The audience seemed to take kindly to exposing your vulnerability as well.
  763. >Shit.
  764. >The sound of the gong begins the match…
  765.  
  766. [BATTLE START] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlNPpdoKRFQ
  767. Anon: [HP: 125/130][MP: 16/18][Defense: +20 PD, +20 MD]
  768. Lance Dance: [HP: 150/150][Defense: +10 PD, 33% dodge rate]
  769. >”Let’s go, you old geezer!”
  770. [Lance is too fast! He attacks first!]
  771. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…][Abilities: Expert Spear Combat (+15 PA, 50% chance to crit for x3), Wing Force (x4, 2tcd), Fly (2 turns, hits +50 PA and 33% chance to stun for 3 turns, 5tcd), Jettison’s Bane (+20 PA, x2.5, 5tcd), Use Medkit (33% base heal, can do 2 times, 7tcd)]
  772. [LANCE DANCE]
  773. >Attacks Anonymous with JETTISON STRIKE! [5 turn CD]
  774. >0 (+15 expert skill)(+20)(x2.5) = >88<
  775. [-20 PD]
  776. >68<
  777. Anon: [HP: 62/130][MP: 16/18] “Agh, son of a bitch!”
  778. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  779. 1
  780. [ANONYMOUS]
  781. >Attacks with Giga Buster! [-4 MP, 3 turn CD]
  782. >87 (+25 MA) = >102<
  783. >Lance dodges the Buster with ease!
  784. >”C’mon dude, let’s not embarrass ourselves! The last guy I fought was too slow, and he only brought a knife, the wimp!”
  785. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  786. [LANCE DANCE]
  787. >Attacks Anonymous with Expert Spear Combat
  788. >4 (+15 skill)(+15) = >34<
  789. [-20 PD]
  790. >14<
  791. Anon: [HP: 48/130][MP: 8/12] “Gh… Getting roughed up..”
  792. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  793. 2
  794. [ANONYMOUS]
  795. >Uses medkit
  796. >25% (+50% skill) = 75%
  797. >+98 HP<
  798. Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP: 8/12]
  799. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  800. [LANCE DANCE]
  801. >Attacks Anonymous with Fly!
  802. >Lance flies up into the air with impressive speed. He seems to be readying something…<
  803. [MELEE LOCKED]
  804. Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP: 8/12]
  805. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  806. 3
  807. [ANONYMOUS]
  808. >Uses Parry!
  809. >You ready yourself with your spear in both hands in a defensive stance, ready to take him on.
  810. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  811. [LANCE DANCE]
  812. >Attacks Anonymous with Fly! [5 turn CD]
  813. >As Lance approaches you from the air, you apprehend his attack and predict his movements, successfully parrying his strike, and then you elbow him in the face, sending him back on the ground.
  814. >8< (+50 PA)(x2 Doubles) = >116<
  815. [ANONYMOUS]
  816. >Counter-attack for 50% damage!
  817. >116 (/2) = >58<
  818. [-10 PD]
  819. >48<
  820. Lance Dance: [HP: 102/150]
  821. >”I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”
  822. Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP: 12/18]
  823. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  824. 4
  825. [ANONYMOUS]
  826. >Attacks with Sabre Strike!
  827. >4 (+5+15 PA+15 MA) = >39<
  828. [-10 PD]
  829. >29<
  830. [LD: HP: 63/150]
  831. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  832. [LANCE DANCE]
  833. >Uses Medkit
  834. >25% (+8% skill) = 33%
  835. >+50 HP<
  836. Lance Dance: [HP: 104/150]
  837. Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP: 11/18] “You fucking sonic-ass twat! STOP STEALING MY MOVE!”
  838. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  839. 5
  840. [ANONYMOUS]
  841. >Uses Heart’s Calling [5 turn CD]
  842. >The necklace behind your armor gleams with a luminous red shine!<
  843. [+50% attack boost next turn!]
  844. [LD: HP: 104/150]
  845. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  846. [GIGA BUSTER REFRESHED!]
  847. [LANCE DANCE]
  848. >Attacks Anonymous with Wing Force!
  849. >0< (x4) = >0<
  850. Lance: [HP: 104/150]
  851. Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP: 11/18]
  852. “You uuh… You having some performance issues there?”
  853. >”SHUT UP!”
  854. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  855. [SABRE STRIKE REFRESHED!]
  856. 6
  857. [ANONYMOUS]
  858. >Attacks with Flamescythe!
  859. >99 (+10 MA)(x2 doubles)(x1.5 Calling) = >327<
  860. >Lance Dance flies up and tries to dodge the the sudden ferocious electroflame slash, but he’s caught in the crossfire!
  861. >Damage override<
  862. [BATTLE END]
  863.  
  864. >It happened again.
  865. >Your mana was fluctuating for some reason, and there was another burst of power that you hadn’t intended.
  866. >You swing the spear forward with the enchantment lightning destroying the air that it exists in, creating a whistling effect.
  867. >Lance was fast, but he wasn’t that fast.
  868. >In massive panic, you manage to throw the stream up and have the Flamescythe energy fly up into the sky, a slash that breaks apart the heavy clouds above and into the afternoon sky.
  869. >You watch as the end of your spear slices right through his wing, blood spraying all over your face and the faces of a large group of audience behind him.
  870. >”GGGGGHHHHHRRRRRRRGGGHHH!”
  871. >Lance falls to the ground in a crumpled, bloody mess, and you drop your spear in the shock of everything.
  872. >Medics rushed onto the field, the crowd was panicking and screaming at the sight, and you stand there, frozen in the disbelief of what just happened.
  873. >What is this power that you have?
  874. >Why is it so strong?
  875. >Did that tree think you needed to be this strong to face the shadow?
  876. >… Just how dire is the situation?
  877. >With this calibur of magic… You think the vision was an understatement.
  878. >It was for all of Equestria.
  879. >You look over at your party, and they were gone from their seats.
  880. >They were running straight for you.
  881. >”ANON, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?”
  882. >You don’t think you’ve ever heard Berry that angry before.
  883. >Redheart didn’t even look at you.
  884. >She went straight for Lance to assist the other medics.
  885. >And now the rest of your party was now staring at you in a mixture of hatred, anger and fear.
  886. >What do you say?
  887.  
  888.  
  889.  
  890. >You look over at Lance and start moving towards him to inspect him, but you’re instantly stopped by one of the outlying nurses.
  891. >”No, do not approach him! You’ve done enough!”
  892. >The nurses refuse to let you in to see how he is doing.
  893. >You catch a few glances and see that there was a large amount of blood. His wing is indeed cut off raggedly at the root.
  894. >”…We want an answer, Anonymous.”
  895. >AJ’s voice catches your attention.
  896. >”Why did you do that?”
  897. >It isn’t something you can answer.
  898. >You look down at the ground, and back up to them.
  899. >As if your legs don’t want to hold you anymore, your knees buckle and you sit down, all of your morale shattered.
  900. “I… I don’t know what happened… I wasn’t trying to hurt him like that, I just… Something’s wrong with my magic. It’s too hard to control…”
  901. >You’re not sure, but you think a tear falls down your face.
  902. “It’s just too powerful… Why did the tree give something like this to me? Is this whole thing with the shadow just… that important? Is it really that strong? Please… Believe me when I say I didn’t want to do that, I didn’t want to hurt him…”
  903. >Wheaties still looks ready to run away from you.
  904. >”Y-you say that, but these last few fights have said different! You crippled him, Anonymous, and you nearly killed that calf!”
  905. “I don’t know how to control it!”
  906. >AJ scoffs, her tone becoming quite harsh.
  907. >”Then why in your right mind did you even join this stupid tournament, then? If you didn’t know how to stop yourself from killin’ everypony, why would you take that risk!?”
  908. “I didn’t know I’d be this powerful, I’m sorry for not having all the answers! Look, at least I didn’t kill him, okay? I managed to pull it up at the last second, just be thankful what could’ve happened, didn’t. …”
  909. >”Nice excuse, Anon.”
  910. >She’s right. It is just an excuse.
  911. >That doesn’t mean you have any idea how it happened.
  912. >You look over and see if there was any way you could help, but Redheart and the rest of the doctors have begun to carry him on a stretcher, after having stopped the blood flow.
  913. >They wouldn’t let you near him anyways.
  914. >What do you want to do?
  915.  
  916. >You slowly get yourself up.
  917. “… I’m sorry for what I did… and, I hope that you can forgive me. I… I need to go…”
  918. >You look at them one last time, your words having no effect on their state of minds.
  919. >You then walk away, but you aren’t quite sure where you’re going.
  920. >You eventually return to the waiting booth, where the other 6 competitors sit and stare at you.
  921. >A few of them actually draw their weapons at your presence.
  922. >At this point, there is little else you could do with the others excluding you party.
  923. >So you decide to milk it for all it’s worth.
  924. >You raise your voice high enough to be intimidating.
  925. “If any of you do not wish to die, then I suggest leaving now. You’ve seen what I’m capable of, and I need that money. So be wise, and make your decision wisely.”
  926. >As soon as you say this, the crystal pony you seen before bares his teeth, but that is no longer your main concern.
  927. >Gable suddenly pins you to the wall with his talons at your throat.
  928. >Hearing him speak in person was terrifying.
  929. >”Do you really think because you have some strong magic and a little spear, you can order us around like slaves? Do you have no morals!? Tell me, were you really just ‘aiming’ up to miss that poor pegasus, or were you trying to kill him, and just got unlucky?”
  930. >It’s hard to speak with his talons constricting your air flow.
  931. >”If I had it my way, you’d be on your way to the dungeons, even executed for being such a reckless threat to society! But no, you’ll get to stay and fight because of a technicality. Tell me, human, what’s going through your mind, huh? What are you really prepared to do to get that money?”
  932. >What should you say?
  933.  
  934. “Okay…. look, I didn’t want… to tell you guys this before, since it’s…. supposed to be a secret, it’s why I just tried to scare you off…”
  935. >You feel the grip lessen on your throat, but only barely.
  936. “I’m with a group of other ponies that you might’ve seen, and we’re investigating the appearance of a powerful shadowy entity named Bane. It demolished Ponyville, it’s taken the magic of Celestia and Luna, and it’s going after Cadance, the reason why we’re here. We came because sans the Elements of Harmony, we were the best choice, and we need the money to better protect ourselves for the journeys ahead, and hopefully take out this monster before it harms anyone else.”
  937. >Everyone in the booth stayed silent at the reveal.
  938. >Most of them looked at you as if you were high on acid.
  939. >However, Gable drops you, sending you to the floor and rubbing your throat.
  940. >”You’re pathetic. Coming up with such lies to save your own hide… I await to see you in the ring.”
  941. >Gable walks away silently.
  942. >You’re now sitting in the waiting booth with feelings of resentment, for everything you’ve done today.
  943. >Well, it was bound to happen with the decisions you were making.
  944. >What would you like to do before the next match?
  945.  
  946.  
  947. >No.
  948. >You’re not going to let it fester like this.
  949. >You feel the inevitable change from what you did before, and you’re going to do everything in your power to make it better.
  950. >You stand up quickly, and you run outside, catching up with the group of doctors still tending to Lance.
  951. >As you approach, one of the nurses looks back and spots you, to which she alerts the others.
  952. >”Uhm, he’s coming back!”
  953. >You didn’t stray.
  954. >In fact, you sped up.
  955. >Doctors start lining up to stop you, but all you do is raise your spear.
  956. >Then, Redheart gets in front of them.
  957. >”Anonymous, stop right now!”
  958. >You grip your spear tighter, knuckles going white.
  959. >Her expression falters, and she looks at you with intense fear.
  960. >Then you drop it, and suddenly push past the doctors to the writhing, failing Pegasus.
  961. >You see they had kept the wing close, so you pick it up and attempt to place it in a position that would heal it if possible.
  962. >Lance looks at you like you are still going to kill him.
  963. >Despite the loud, frightened protests of the doctors and Redheart, you’re going to do this.
  964. >They aren’t about to stop you.
  965. >You then place your hands near the wounds, and you call upon your magic to the best of your ability.
  966. “Just listen, you stupid fucking markings… I need your help. Just… heal him, please, let me do this right…”
  967. >You close your eyes and concentrate your magic, feeling the flow beginning to churn.
  968. >Magic then crosses into Lance’s body, both of you illuminating in a powerful white light.
  969. >The magic begins channeling… but you aren’t controlling it.
  970. >Your mana fluctuates again, and it causes a reverberation of extra power to force into Lance’s body.
  971. >Suddenly, the magic overflows his form and begins to split him apart, boiled blood and bones becoming more and more apparent until he finally explodes.
  972. >His intestines and skeleton break apart and fly away at high speed, acting as fleshly bullets that pierce the skulls and ribs of everyone nearby.
  973. >The magical explosion, with nowhere else to retreat, returns to your body without you being ready for it, and you feel yourself begin to melt from the inside, and your vision fades immediately.
  974. [You have died.]
  975. [Bad End - Magic is OP, and OP is a faggot.]
  976.  
  977.  
  978. >You’re in a dark abyss, seeing nothing but streams of memories that begin to flow around you.
  979. >A few memories are burning brightly in your ethereal vision…
  980. -You see yourself fighting an armored pegasus in the middle of an arena.
  981. -You see yourself driving a scooter to a large waiting line.
  982. -You see yourself entering a city made of crystals.
  983.  
  984. There are more memories, but they are less bright.
  985.  
  986. >Which memory would you like to go to?
  987.  
  988.  
  989. [LANCE DANCE]
  990. >Attacks Anonymous with Wing Force!
  991. >0< (x4) = >0<
  992. Lance: [HP: 104/150]
  993. Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP: 11/18]
  994. “You uuh… You having some performance issues there?”
  995. >”SHUT UP!”
  996. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  997. [SABRE STRIKE REFRESHED!]
  998. 6
  999.  
  1000. [ANONYMOUS]
  1001. >Attacks with Moderate Spear Combat
  1002. >5 (+5+15 PA+15 MA)(x2 doubles)(x1.5 Calling) = >120<
  1003. [-10 PD]
  1004. >110<
  1005. [Lance Dance: HP: -6/150]
  1006. [Lance is outcold!]
  1007.  
  1008. [BATTLE END]
  1009.  
  1010. >You didn’t want to hurt him too badly, so you took it back a notch and decided to just attack him without magic.
  1011. >With a quick strike to the head, you sent Lance face first into the ground eating dirt, due to his unlucky position.
  1012. >Damn, who knows what would’ve happened if you decided to use that new move of yours, it could’ve been bad.
  1013. [“AND THAT’S THE MATCH! IF I WERE YOU, I’D START CHEERING A LITTLE MORE FOR THIS BIPEDAL FLAMETHROWER, BECAUSE HE’S ON FIRE! DR. MOOSE WINS THIS MATCH! NOW LET’S GET ON TO THE NEXT ONE, DUM ASS VS. MYSTIC SHADE! …WHAT? THAT’S HIS REAL NAME, HE’S AN ASS, ISN’T HE? I MEAN A DONKEY!!”]
  1014. >As Iron Will go off on a tangent, you raise your spear and sheath it upon your back.
  1015. >Looking over at the party, you see they are cheering and whooping harder than they have yet.
  1016. >You definitely scaled yourself back since the fight with Little Strongheart, and it paid off.
  1017. >You’re going into the Semi-finals now.
  1018. >You walk back into the waiting booth, passing up a rather annoyed crystal pony with a bad teeth-grinding habit and a smelly-ass donkey.
  1019. >You have some time to kill now.
  1020. >What would you like to do?
  1021.  
  1022. >You check your bags and realize that you only had one medkit left after so quickly scraping it on yourself during the fight with Lance and helping Little Strongheart.
  1023. >You take a quick detour down to the medical tent, where it was busy as always.
  1024. >This time, you saw a particularly large amount of nurses next to a bed that had this poor unicorn sap that had his horn replaced with his hoof.
  1025. >That must’ve been an ugly magic fight.
  1026. >While they were busy, you take a look at the supply closet and see multiple large stacks of medkits.
  1027. >How many should you take?
  1028.  
  1029.  
  1030. [ACQUIRED SUPPLY MEDKIT (5)]
  1031. >After getting the supplies you need, you make your way back to the booth and look through the room.
  1032. >You realize there were only four fighters left not including Shade and er, dumbass.
  1033. >Right now, however, you needed to rest.
  1034. >You think you were going to need your rest.
  1035. >You get yourself an extra chair to prop up your ass, find your old spot, and lay all the way down to rest, closing your eyes as you drift off to your short-lived nap.
  1036. >…
  1037. [Partially rested. Stats restored by 50%. HP: 130/130, MP: 18/18]
  1038. >…
  1039. [“THE SUN IS SETTING, THE LIGHTS ARE ON, THE STAGE IS SET FOR THE SEMI-FINALS! WATCHING PONIES AND GRYPHONS BEAT EACH OTHER UP JUST MAKES ME FEEL ASSERTIVE, WHAT ABOUT YOU?! WITH THE SEMI-FINALS WE KICK IT OFF WITH OUR TWO CONSTANT KICKASSERIES, DR. MOOSE VS. MYTHIC SHADE! NOW LET’S GET! IT! OOOOOOOON!”]
  1040. >You feel yourself being shaken awake by some odd force.
  1041. >You look over at the assailant, and it turns out to be the magical push of your next opponent, Shade.
  1042. >”It’s time to fight.”
  1043. >He leaves without giving you a chance to respond, simply trotting through the gate to the arena.
  1044. >You get yourself up and wonder why he was so calm in his demeanor with you, but he was annoyed with the ass.
  1045. >In any case, you straighten out your armor and walk out, back into the ever-familiar cheers of the crowd.
  1046. >It seems Mystic Shade is a fan-favorite due to them cheering his name far more than they ever changed yours.
  1047. >It is actually sort of intimidating. They might as well have been booing you.
  1048. >You did see your party arguing with the other Shade cheerers around them though, so that made them feel a little better.
  1049. >You get out your spear and look at Shade, readying into your battle stance.
  1050. >He just stands there, and that’s when you realized something.
  1051. >He has no armor, and no weapons.
  1052. >Just his horn, which has some odd jewel at the base.
  1053. >”Ready to give up?”
  1054. >The suddenness of his question takes you aback.
  1055. >What do you say to Mystic Shade before the battle begins?
  1056.  
  1057.  
  1058.  
  1059. >Before you answer him, you see that the officials have finally shown up in person for the semi-finals and finals.
  1060. >On what seems to be a judge’s table, sits Iron Will, the organizer of the tournament; Shining Armor, the overseer and step-in for Princess Cadance; and Flash Sentry, captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard and main security for the tournament.
  1061. >Looking back at Mystic Shade, you smile.
  1062. “No thanks. Let's put on a good show, just for the crowd's sake. Who knows? I just might surprise you.”
  1063. >He’s silent.
  1064. >You take that offensively, thinking that he’s going to mop the floor with you, after the skill you’ve shown in this tournament.
  1065. >You decide to give him no mercy, to make sure that he will turn ogre.
  1066. “Now, allow me to show you the dance of my people.”
  1067. >He shakes his head.
  1068. >”That will not be necessary.”
  1069. “Oh, but it is.”
  1070. >You bust out a new move that makes you feel like a mean, green, dancing machine.
  1071. >You begin to move in ways that scientists would think impossible, hitting positions that looked downright abstract.
  1072. >You catch a few glimpses of Mystic Shade’s face, and he looks absolutely baffled.
  1073. >Once you finish your people’s dance, the entire tournament grounds were silent.
  1074. >Not even a peep, besides the billowing of the wind.
  1075. >Mystic Shade is confused! (-66% hit chance for 4 turns)
  1076. >The crowd is confused!
  1077. >Your party is confused!
  1078. >Iron Will is confused!
  1079. >Shining Armor is confused!
  1080. >Flash Sentry is confused!
  1081. >A sound of the gong begins the battle…
  1082.  
  1083. [BATTLE START] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKrAKxzAXsk
  1084. >Anonymous: [HP: 130/130][MP: 18/18][Defenses: 20 PD, 25 MD]
  1085. Inventory: [Use >Inventory to expand!]
  1086. Abilities: Basic hand to hand combat, Basic alchemy skills (Allows brewing of low-level potions and enchantments), Moderate medical use (+50% medkit efficiency), Basic Veterinary knowledge (Allows kit usage on animals), Basic Engineering skills (Allows creation of simple mechanical devices), Ogre Dance (0-4 Fail, 5-9 Succeed, confuses enemy), Moderate spear combat (+5 dmg), Very High Magical Defense (+20 magical armor), basic knowledge of Everfree weeds, {S.S.S. +15 dmg with Anon’s/Red’s separate damage. 5tcd}, Shoot dart, Brew potion (non-com), Giga Buster (4 MP, Good attack, +25 MA, 3 turn CD), Saber Slash (1 MP, +15 magic dmg, 75% hit chance, 2 turn CD), Flamescythe (2 MP, Good attack, +10 MA, 4 turn CD), Parry (50% hit, deflects enemy atk/counters 50% dmg), Heart’s Calling (5tcd, Gives 50% attack boost to entire party for next turn)
  1087. Equipped: Redheart-inscribed ‘Legendary’ Doctor’s Trenchcoat (+10 HP to medkit usage), Mysterious markings, Double-bladed spear (+10 P dmg., +15 M dmg, can attack spectrals), Amulet of Heart’s Calling (+5 HP), Medic-Issued Avian
  1088. Chainmail Cap (+5 P.D./+1 M.D.), Medic-Issued Avian Chainmail (+7 P.D./+2 M.D.), Medic-Issued Avian Chainmail Talons (+5 P.D./+1 M.D.), Medic-Issued Avian Chainmail Sabatons (+3 P.D./+1 M.D.), Avian Leather Boots (Lowers exhaustion)
  1089. >Mystic Shade: [HP: 170/170, C][MP:75/75][Defenses: 80 MD]
  1090. >”How did you bend like that?!”
  1091. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  1092. [ANONYMOUS]
  1093. >Used Heart’s Calling!
  1094. >Your necklace gleams with a sudden illumination that you’ve never seen before, and it reacts with your markings!
  1095. >You see your markings beginning to glow that familiar technicolor from under your armor, and you prepare yourself to finish this fight in one blow.
  1096. [MS: HP: 170/170, C][MP: 75/75]
  1097. >”What… Is that?…”
  1098. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  1099.  
  1100. [MYSTIC SHADE]
  1101. >Attacks Anonymous with Array Gun!
  1102. >5 (+30 MA)(x1.5) = >53<
  1103. [-25 MD]
  1104. >28<
  1105. Anon: [HP: 102/130][MP: 18/18]
  1106. >Your Heart breaths with your next attack!
  1107.  
  1108. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  1109. 1
  1110.  
  1111. [ANONYMOUS]
  1112. >Attacks with Saber Slash!
  1113. >8 (+5+15 PA+15 MA)(+77%/x4 Calling) = >304<
  1114. [-80 MD]
  1115. >224<
  1116. >In a flash of adrenaline, Mystic Shade puts up a shield as you attack him, but only absorbs some of the damage!
  1117. [-25% Negation]
  1118. >168<
  1119.  
  1120. >Mystic Shade: [HP: 2/170, KO][MP: 75/75]
  1121. >”!”
  1122. [BATTLE END]
  1123.  
  1124. [You have increased your skill in spear combat!
  1125. NEW SKILL:
  1126. Expert Spear Combat
  1127. >+15 Base damage, 10% chance to crit for x2
  1128. NEW SKILL:
  1129. Call shot
  1130. >Allows you to call a specific location to attack on an enemy’s body to focus damage, but reduces hit chance by 66%]
  1131. >The battle begins, the gong’s sound ringing in the air.
  1132. >As Mystic Shade’s horn begins to glow with his attack, your necklace suddenly begins to react with your markings.
  1133. >The feeling began to trickle down your entire body, and your markings began to glow like they did when they were first etched into you.
  1134. >You rush forward, taking a powerful white beam to the chest.
  1135. >The Heart’s Calling amulet seems to protect you, the blast arcing off of your form and making hundreds of craters behind you.
  1136. >Brandishing your spear, you rush up to him and throw it forward in a magnomius display of power, the enchantment on your spear glowing with red streaks.
  1137. >Shade knew what you were doing and he puts up a shield with impressively fast reflexes, but it didn’t stop you.
  1138. >Five seconds into battle, your spear slams into his crystalline form with a dazzling display of magical prowess from both sides, and he falls to the ground, unconscious.
  1139. >You raise yourself up, keeping your staff upright next to you as you stare at your defeated foe.
  1140. >Would you like to say anything to the completely stunned crowd?
  1141.  
  1142.  
  1143. >You stand at attention and look at them all.
  1144. “Hello, I’m Dr. Anonymous. What you’ve just witnessed was nothing more than the power of love. Love inspired by the one and only Nurse Redheart!”
  1145. >You wave out at her, and she waves back with an intense blush and shy look on her face.
  1146. >The rest of the party started giggling like schoolgirls. …Schoolfillies?
  1147. “But seriously, if you're interested in kicking as much ass as me… Well, keep dreaming. But! You'll get a hell of a lot closer by visiting Gyro Gear's Great Scientific Wonders, located in the business district! I'm here 'til Thursday!”
  1148. >You do a quick wave as you walk away from the arena once the medics start reporting in.
  1149. [“NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I SEEN SUCH UNADULTERATED, OOZING TESTOSTERONE FROM ANYONE ELSE BESIDES MYSELF! JUST LOOK AT THAT GUY GO, PONIES, THAT’S A REAL WARRIOR, OH YEAH! DR. MOOSE, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR VICTORY AGAINST MYTHIC SHADE, AND WE’LL SEE YOU IN THE FINALS, ONE HOUR FROM NOW!”]
  1150. >You walk back into the booth, seeing only two competitors.
  1151. >Gable, and the pony he’s fighting next.
  1152. >You feel very sorry for the latter.
  1153. >You have an hour to kill, and you’re sure the party’s going to be back here soon to congratulate you on making the finals.
  1154. >What would you like to do?
  1155.  
  1156.  
  1157.  
  1158. >You actually got pretty roughed up by that spell that Mythic Shade hit you with, even if most of it was deflected.
  1159. >Now your doubled-up bandages were a bit singed with dried blood being burned and flaked off.
  1160. >You decide to go to the Medical Tent to change them out and fix yourself up.
  1161. >Upon arriving, you make a quick scan of the tent’s status.
  1162. >It isn’t as busy as before because of the much lower amount of fighters from these last few rounds, but there are still a few stragglers from earlier rounds that really got their asses handed to them.
  1163. >That includes Little Strongheart, too. It looks like they were just letting her sleep for a while before releasing her.
  1164. >You get out an extra supply medkit from the closet and get to work.
  1165. [Used Supply Medkit. +25% (+50% Moderate skill) = 75%]
  1166. >+98 HP<
  1167. Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP:17/18]
  1168. >Once you finish getting your armor adjusted, you look out and speak to a few of the passing nurses.
  1169. “Hey, is there anything I can do to help, possibly?”
  1170. >”Well, we still have a few fighters under from their battles with you, if you wanted to change our their IV bags and make sure everything is fine?”
  1171. “That sounds good, thanks.”
  1172. >You take a closer inspection at the occupied beds, and wonder where you should go.
  1173. [There are currently 3 combatants requiring attention.
  1174. -Charm Rose
  1175. -Jettison Streak
  1176. -Little Strongheart]
  1177.  
  1178. >Who do you want to tend to first?
  1179.  
  1180.  
  1181. >Inspect Call Shot
  1182. [Call an attack combined with this to focus the damage on the area specified, while lowering your hit chance by 66%. For example:
  1183. >Attack with Expert Spear Combat: Call Shot - Elbow
  1184. You would attack the elbow and possibly create an extenuating battle circumstance by destroying the enemy's ability to attack, but it is harder to land an attack this way.]
  1185.  
  1186.  
  1187. >Looking back at Little Strongheart, you couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt for what you did.
  1188. >This guilt leads you on, and you get some supplies and walk over to her bed.
  1189. >She was still asleep, so you were careful as you did the routine checkup of a stabilized patient.
  1190. >Changing her IV bag, checking the wet bandages, and turning her. Most were things you learned from Redheart.
  1191. >It took you a solid ten minutes, but you managed to do the entire checkup without her waking.
  1192. >You knew she needed her sleep for now, so you were going to leave her be for now.
  1193. >A quick look around the tent shows you that the party hasn’t arrived yet.
  1194. >Should you go to Charm Rose or Jettison Streak, next?
  1195.  
  1196.  
  1197.  
  1198. >You take a look over at Charm Rose, and see that she hasn’t been attended to in a while, either.
  1199. >Getting your supplies moved up, you walk over to her, and see that she actually was awake, but hadn’t noticed you yet.
  1200. >You think it was now or never, and you set your supplies on the desk next to her, alerting your presence.
  1201. >Charm looks over her shoulder and spots you, to which she makes a snorting noise and lays back down.
  1202. >You prepare your supplies as you speak.
  1203. “I know you probably have some resentment towards me, but you fought well. Sorry you had to face me, I just need that money for a very important job I’m doing right now.”
  1204. >She doesn’t respond.
  1205. >You shrug and begin to do the check-up routine on her, doing everything you did with Little Strongheart, to which she very reluctantly did as you said without speaking.
  1206. >Would you like to say anything to her during the check?
  1207.  
  1208. >The resulting patch is very awkward.
  1209. >You try to respect her by not saying anything, but once you finish, you knew she wasn’t going to say anything.
  1210. >You decide to go full autist and break the silence.
  1211. “There… All better.”
  1212. >She still doesn’t speak.
  1213. >You can’t put it down, it’s just eating at you.
  1214. “May I make a suggestion? I'm still pretty new to the magic scene, I've got power but no finesse, as you've seen. If I had control like yours, I'd use it to disguise that armor to look like you. It'd be a lot tougher to ignore that way. … Anyways, I think you're doing alright. Anything still hurting?”
  1215. >Still absolutely nothing.
  1216. >You actually turn around to leave, but you want to get at least one word out of her before you leave.
  1217. >Turning back, you rub your chin and ask her the only thing you could think of.
  1218. “If you don’t mind me asking… What did you need the prize money for?”
  1219. >”I needed it to pay for my brother’s operation.”
  1220. >She says no more, and pulls up her blanket, closing her eyes.
  1221. >Out in the distance, you see that your party is approaching, an ecstatic Pinkie waving like a madmare.
  1222. >What do you do?
  1223.  
  1224.  
  1225. “I’m assuming it’s something healing potions couldn’t cure, so… Can I ask what it is? And how much?”
  1226. >”Why would I tell you that…”
  1227. “I might be able to help, if you’d like.”
  1228. >Another moment of silence, and your party draws closer.
  1229. >”… Look, bub. I don’t know or care what you’re trying to pull here, but I’m not about to tell a stranger like you something that personal. The prize money wouldn’t have even covered it all, so you can’t help anyways… Just leave!”
  1230. >It looks like she didn’t like you very much.
  1231. >If you were intent on helping, you’d have to prove it to her, but how?
  1232. >You run out of time to think about this, as you suddenly start getting poked in the stomach with a shiny pink hoof.
  1233. >”Nonny, what did it feel like getting hit by magic? Was it really really cool!?”
  1234. >Er, actually it stung like a bitch, but either way.
  1235. “Not really…”
  1236. >You see that Charm Rose had fallen asleep, or at least was feigning it.
  1237. >Redheart fixes something you missed with the IV, then led you away towards the opening of the tent.
  1238. >”So Anon, what do you think of Gable?”
  1239. “Er, Gable?”
  1240. >”Your finalist competitor?”
  1241. “Oh… He won already?”
  1242. >”Yeah, you didn’t hear the announcement?”
  1243. >You must’ve been busy when it happened.
  1244. >What should you say to Redheart?
  1245.  
  1246.  
  1247. [ADDED TO QUEST LOG: Mare in the family {Find a way to help Charm Rose (0/1)}]
  1248.  
  1249. “I was lending a hand around here, but I don't think there's anything else to be done. How much time do we have left?
  1250. >”Oh, it’s only been a few minutes since the semi-final battles, there’s still a good 50 minutes left. Why?”
  1251. “Just a thought. Oh, and is Shining Armor still watching?”
  1252. >”Last I checked, he was there up at the table, so I’d assume so, yes.”
  1253. >Berry seems to be lost in her own world when she speaks.
  1254. >”Man, that Shining… It stinks he’s married… Oh, the things I’d do with him, mmm…”
  1255. >You, Redheart, Pinkie, AJ and Wheaties all look at her until she snaps out of her daydream.
  1256. >”What?”
  1257. >You smile at her antics, but you realize something.
  1258. >You excuse yourself from a moment and return to Charm Rose’s side.
  1259. >Tentatively, you place a hand on her wither, and you feel her tense, but you speak anyways.
  1260. “I have connections besides myself, you know. I know the head of the hospital’s office, Miracle Shine, and if you wish for it, I can help you even if you don’t think so. Please, find me after the tournament so I can do so.”
  1261. >You know she isn’t going to respond, so you give her a light pat, and you return to the group.
  1262. >They seem to be small talking with each other as you leave the medical tent with them.
  1263. >What would you like to do?
  1264.  
  1265. >After completely stepping outside, you stop to consider your choices.
  1266. >As you do this, Red seems to appear from nowhere, right by your side.
  1267. “Oh, hey. I was just thinking about some things.”
  1268. >She gives you a curious glance.
  1269. >“Like?”
  1270. >You shrug.
  1271. “I’m not really sure. I have what, an hour? I might just discuss something with Shining Armor, then kill some time training.”
  1272. >Redheart smiles.
  1273. >”Sounds good. We’ll be over here if you need us, Anon.”
  1274. >With a smile and a nod, you and the party split apart.
  1275. >Surprisingly, you find Shining Armor less than three minutes after you start going to where he last was, headed back for the judge’s table…
  1276. >…Carrying two large sodas and an oversized carrot in a bun.
  1277. >It’s like a hot dog. Would it be a carrot dog in this case?
  1278. >Not wanting to pass this chance up, you go to get his attention.
  1279. “Hey, you got a moment?”
  1280. >He turns his head, looking for the direction of your voice.
  1281. >His eyes finally stop on you.
  1282. >“I’m sorry, was that you?”
  1283. >You step towards him, trying to look friendly. It wouldn’t be good to have this guy thinking you’re going to attack at any moment.
  1284. “Yeah.”
  1285. >Realization seems to strike him as he fully takes in your form.
  1286. >”Hey bro, you’re… Doctor… Moose, right?”
  1287. >Heh, soon you shall be renowned by this name.
  1288. “That’s me, but you can just call me Anonymous. Or Anon; whichever works.”
  1289. >“Ah, I see. Nice to meet you, Anon. So, what is it that you need?”
  1290. >Looks like he’s straight to the point. That’s always nice.
  1291. “Likewise. So, you know that your sister and her friends are in town, right?”
  1292. >He nods, taking a bite of his carrot dog.
  1293. >”Mhhm.”
  1294. >He goes in to suck on the straw.
  1295. “They’re having a bit of trouble at the moment. They were supposed to have rooms at the castle, but you know how that is right now.”
  1296. >His eyes bug out and he spits out whatever soda he had sucked up.
  1297. >”Oh no, I forgot about that! I was supposed to talk to the hotel, but never got around to it, I’ve been so busy picking up Cadance’s responsibilities… You know what? We have time, I’ll get to that right now!”
  1298. >Shining armor tosses his food in the air and lets it land in his mouth, eating it all in one bite. He then makes a mad dash towards the hotel.
  1299. >”Thanks, Moose! You’re a real bro!”
  1300. >After a few more moments, he vanishes from your sight.
  1301. >Well, that’s settled.
  1302. >You wonder what he meant by Cadance’s responsibilities, though…
  1303. >Next up is the training.
  1304. >A few minutes pass before you arrive at the waiting booth.
  1305. >A few of the training dummies are open, and you felt like you were nice and rested considering the last battle only took one hit.
  1306. >You brandish your spear, focusing on your attack and defense…
  1307. [TRAINING START]
  1308. >Training abilities [Limited - Training Dummy]:
  1309. -Technique: [Focus directly on your weapon or hand to hand combat skills.]
  1310. -Focus Training: [Focus on a specific ability to gain experience with it.]
  1311. -Onslaught: [Focus on relentless offense, gain attack strength but chance to exhaust.]
  1312. >
  1313. >Inspect Ogre Dance
  1314. [It is the dance of your people. (No experience)]
  1315. >Inspect Saber Slash
  1316. [You infuse your magic into your spear to deliver a powerful slash combining your physical and magical strength. -1 MP, +15 Magic Attack, 2 turn cooldown, 75% hit chance.]
  1317. [Experience: 75/100]
  1318. >Inspect Flamescythe
  1319. [You utilize your marking’s strength and the fire enchantment on your spear to deliver a devastating electroflame scythe attack that obliterates whatever is in its way. -2 MP, +10 Magic Attack, Good Attack, 4 turn cooldown]
  1320. [Experience: 50/200]
  1321. >Focus Training: Saber Strike
  1322. >You burst your magic with each strike against the Dummy, using that trust Saber Strike you’ve neglected.
  1323. >As powerful as it was against Mythic Shade, that was the amulet’s doing.
  1324.  
  1325. [TRAINING SABER STRIKE. . .
  1326. How long do you want to train it for?]
  1327. [5M][10M][20M][30M][1H]
  1328. [1H]
  1329. [ANONYMOUS]
  1330. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1331. >0< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >35<
  1332. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1333. >6< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >41<
  1334. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1335. >00< (+5+15 PA+15MA)(x2 Doubles) = >70<
  1336. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1337. >0< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >35<
  1338. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1339. >0< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >35<
  1340. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1341. >3< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >38<
  1342. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1343. >9< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >44<
  1344. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1345. >4< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >39<
  1346. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1347. >1< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >36<
  1348. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1349. >1< (+5+15 PA+15MA)(x2 Doubles) = >72<
  1350. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1351. >8< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >43<
  1352. >Attacks Training Dummy with Saber Strike!
  1353. >7< (+5+15 PA+15MA) = >42<
  1354. [1H passed]
  1355. [You have gained 50 experience.]
  1356. [SABER SLASH UPGRADED!
  1357. >New Attack: +25 MA, 2 turn cooldown, 75% hit chance
  1358. >You can train your new attack a few different ways.
  1359. -Potency: Increases Physical or Magical damage by 10. (Specify)
  1360. -Precision: Increases hit chance by 25%.
  1361. -Haste: Decreases cooldown by one turn.
  1362. >Which would you like to pursue?
  1363. >What would you like to name New Attack?]
  1364. >Potency Selected
  1365. >Name Entered: Redheart Cummer
  1366. [SABER SLASH UPGRADED TO REDHEART CUMMER
  1367. >-2 MP, +25 MA, 2 turn cooldown]
  1368. >As you ready yourself for another round of training, you’re suddenly interrupted by a deafening roar over the magical intercom.
  1369. [“MARES AND GENTLECOLTS, IT’S TIME FOR THE FINAL MATCH! I HOPE YOU’RE AS READY AS I AM! WE’RE GOING INTO A BATTLE WITH TWO OF THE MOST ASSERTIVE GUYS I HAVE EVER SEEN! DR. MOOSE VS. GABLE, NOW LET’S GET! IT! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!”]
  1370. >You enter the familiar arena as dust swirls around your feet with every step forward.
  1371. >Gable stands on the other end, still holding his stoic, confident and intimidating demeanor.
  1372. >Regardless of your success, this opponent has demolished his opponents as if they were mere babies.
  1373. >It makes you a bit nervous, but you make no show of it and wear an unwavering confidence in your stride as you take your stance and ready yourself.
  1374. >It's time, the final fight.
  1375. >Gable stares you down from the other end of the arena, his beak moving for one sentence.
  1376. >”Are you prepared?”
  1377. >Would you like to say anything to your formidable opponent?
  1378.  
  1379. >You decide that actions speak louder than words.
  1380. >There’s only one appropriate action to do in this situation.
  1381. “Behold… The dance of my people!”
  1382. >You dance, smirking a bit as you view a mental image of a confused Gable stumbling around the arena as his wings flap wildly.
  1383. >Something isn't right though…he is just staring at you, eyebrow arched.
  1384. >"This dance is insulting, you know. I have seen it far too many times, but if you are going to act like a buffoon, then I'll end this quickly!"
  1385. >Uh oh.
  1386. >A sound of the gong begins the battle…
  1387. [BATTLE START] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riuTaOKh7e0
  1388. >Anonymous: [HP: 130/130][MP: 18/18][Defenses: +20 PD, +25 MD]
  1389. >Gable: [HP: 200/200][Defenses: 20 PD, 45 MD]
  1390. >Gable suddenly rushes without warning, making you unable to attack first!
  1391. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  1392.  
  1393.  
  1394. [GABLE]
  1395. >Attacks Anonymous with Expert Hand to Hand Combat
  1396. >4 (+10 x2 crit = 20/+10) = >34<
  1397. [-20 PD]
  1398. >14<
  1399. Anon: [HP: 116/130][MP: 18/18]
  1400.  
  1401. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  1402. 1
  1403. [ANONYMOUS]
  1404. >Attacks with Giga Buster! [-4 MP][3 turn CD]
  1405. >76 (+25 MA) = >101<
  1406. [-45 MD]
  1407. >64<
  1408. Gable: [HP: 136/200]
  1409. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  1410. GABLE]
  1411. >Attacks Anonymous with Screech!
  1412. >4 (+15) = >19<
  1413. [-20 PD]
  1414. >19<
  1415. >Anon’s defense has been lowered! (½ defense for 3 turns)
  1416. Anon: [HP: 97/130, -D][MP: 14/18]
  1417. [AWAITING BATTLE COMMANDS]
  1418. 2
  1419. [ANONYMOUS]
  1420. >Attacks with Flamescythe!
  1421. CRITICAL HIT!
  1422. >88 (+10 MA)(x2 Doubles) = >196<
  1423. [-45 MD]
  1424. >151<
  1425. >Gable endures the attack with sheer willpower!
  1426. Gable: [HP: 1/200]
  1427. >“No!… I won’t go down that easy!”
  1428. [AWAITING ENEMY ATTACK…]
  1429. [GABLE]
  1430. >Attacks Anonymous with RIP AND TEAR!
  1431. >84<
  1432. [-10 PD]
  1433. >74<
  1434. >Anon is Bleeding!
  1435. Anon: [HP: 23/130, B, -D][MP: 14/18] “GHAAAHHGHR!…”
  1436. >Gable is knocked out!
  1437. [BATTLE END]
  1438. >Your battle was short and swift.
  1439. >It was also one of the most painful experiences of your life.
  1440. >Gable rushes you for the final time with speed you couldn’t comprehend.
  1441. >You could only raise your spear and channel your magic into the enchantment, using your Flamescythe.
  1442. >You actually manage to hit him, but he didn’t quit until his talons bore through your armor and ripped out your entrails.
  1443. >…A few of your entrails were split out of your armor.
  1444. >It hurts, but not like any normal pain.
  1445. >All you could manage was a choked cough as your brain still tried to process what was happening.
  1446. “GHAAAHHGHR!…”
  1447. >You fall to your knees, but you force yourself to stay awake, despite the blinding pain in your abdomen.
  1448. >You aren’t sure, but you hear a thump behind you and assume it’s Gable’s unconscious body.
  1449. >You’re bleeding out, unable to hear the announcement…
  1450. >Your vision fading, seeing a blob of orange, pink and white running toward you..
  1451. >Then, blackness.
  1452. >…
  1453.  
  1454.  
  1455.  
  1456.  
  1457. >…
  1458. >
  1459. >”…ease… …ot st… ake….”
  1460. >All five of your senses are scrambled.
  1461. >You can’t think straight.
  1462. >Sometimes, you really hate waking up.
  1463. >You open your eyes, and you’re met with pure, blinding white.
  1464. >”..non… an…”
  1465. >But finally, after what seems like an eternity of adjustment, headache and pain -Including your stomach-, the light recedes, your hearing sharpens, and the nausea is coming quickly.
  1466. >”Anon! Can you hear me? Say something if you can hear me!”
  1467. >Your vision realigns, and you finally see Redheart’s features encapsulating your sight.
  1468. >With your touch returning, you feel secured around your abdomen, but there is still a very noticeable sting.
  1469. >If you didn’t know any better, you’d think you were still on the ground where you fell, just flipped over.
  1470. >”Please, say something!”
  1471. >What do you say to Redheart?
  1472.  
  1473. “Are you an angle, because you sure are heavenly…”
  1474. >Redheart looks like she’s a bit confused.
  1475. >”Angle? … I might have to check you for a concussion..”
  1476. “Sorry… Just my auztism kicking in…” [ERR 0x08234HGU – auztism IS NOT A VALID CHECKSUM FOR USER AUZTIST]
  1477. >Redheart immediately begins to shine a light in your eyes, presumably to check for a concussion.
  1478. “Agh, sorry, sorry… Look Red, I think it’s about time I spill my guts.”
  1479. >”That’s not funny!”
  1480. >Despite what she says, she covers her muzzle trying to stifle her laughter.
  1481. “I'm going to go out on a limb and hope all my parts will grow back eventually… Red, I need you to tell me my internal organs are still internal. Also, 500 mg of kisses, stat.”
  1482. >”Yes, you’re fine… We just had to make sure you weren’t in shock, but we need to stitch you up.”
  1483. >With that, she gives you a peck on the cheek, which actually made you feel a little better.
  1484. >You look around and see that your entire party was surrounding you.
  1485. >Interesting, that must mean you’ve been out for more than a few minutes considering there were no doctors around you.
  1486. “So… Where’s Gable?”
  1487. >”He’s at the medical tent, since he’s stable… Speaking of which, it’s time we got you in there too.”
  1488. “Right…”
  1489. >AJ is the only other one to say anything.
  1490. >”Ya did good Anon… Ya won, at least.”
  1491. >Would you like to say or do anything as you’re being taken to the medical tent?
  1492.  
  1493.  
  1494. “Thanks, Snapplejack… heh, what's that line? 'You should see the other guy', right?”
  1495. >”Snapple?… What in tarnation…”
  1496. >You decide to keep her thinking about that as you feel yourself being lifted very slowly on a stretcher.
  1497. >A quick peek below you shows that there are five or six stallions trying to carry your weight.
  1498. >You make a mental note to go on a diet. Then again, you haven’t eaten that much at all these last two weeks.
  1499. >You look back at Redheart, who was still checking over your open stomach.
  1500. >You aren’t about to look at it either, so you ask her something.
  1501. “Hey, speaking of which actually, mind putting me up near some of my patients? Might give them a little catharsis to see I can get my dick punched too… metaphorically speaking.”
  1502. >”Since most of the beds are cleared now, sure…”
  1503. “Oh, and is it alright if I try drinking a healing potion?”
  1504. >Redheart’s eyes suddenly light up.
  1505. >”I forgot! You made two that night and gave one to Pinkie, you still have the other one!”
  1506. “Can you get it out for me?..”
  1507. >As the doctors slowly tredge you to the tent, Redheart tries her best to keep you steady as she rummages through your pack.
  1508. >After a minute or so, she finally grabs it.
  1509. >”Gotcha! You want it now, right?”
  1510. “Yeah.”
  1511. >Red uncorks the potion, the sweet smell invading your nostrils as she tips it into your mouth, being careful not to spill any drops.
  1512. >As you taste the sweet, sultry liquid, you wonder how she’s so good at walking on two hooves.
  1513. >This line of thought is very quickly replaced by the feeling in your stinging abdomen, where things feel like they are rearranging.
  1514. >Use Healing Potion (small)
  1515. [+43 HP, removed bleeding]
  1516. Anon: [HP: 70/130][MP: 14/18]
  1517. >When the effect finishes, you feel nothing sticking out, but you still feel a good deal of pain.
  1518. “It helped a little bit…”
  1519. >Red checks your bandages tentatively.
  1520. >”It looks like there’s still deep gnashing from his talons, the… the bastard.”
  1521. >Whoa.
  1522. “Hey, it was just a battle, it doesn’t matter what happened. We’re both alive and that’s what counts, right?”
  1523. >”No! Anon, he tried to kill you with that attack, and there’s no way around it! As soon as he’s out of that bed, I’ll be trying my hardest to get that gryphon arrested!”
  1524. >That didn’t sound very good.
  1525. >Then again, he did have enough drive to sink his talons through your chainmail to get to your intestines.
  1526. >You finally reach the medical tent, and you get a chance to see where everyone is.
  1527. >Jettison Streak is gone, so he must’ve gotten better.
  1528. >Charm Rose, Little Strongheart, and Gable are in separate beds, a bit apart from each other.
  1529. >Who do you want to be placed next to?
  1530.  
  1531. >”Alright Anon, where did you want again?”
  1532. >You think about it for a moment, and figure if there was anyone you could benefit from being bunkmates with, it’d be Charm.
  1533. “Charm Rose, if that’s alright.”
  1534. >Red nods and directs the doctors to the bed to her left, and they begin the perilous journey of switching your position.
  1535. >”One… Two… HEAVE!”
  1536. >Thankfully, they get it on the first try.
  1537. >Not before being heaved halfway and getting rolled on your stomach.
  1538. “AAAUGH FUCKING COCKS ON A KABOB!”
  1539. >”Oh goodness, I-I’m terribly sorry, sir!”
  1540. >All the doctors begin apologizing profusely like this, Red patting your hand in empathy.
  1541. >”Anon, don’t worry about it. There’ll be anti-biotics and painkillers inside you in no time… For now, you’ll need to rest. So, here’s the plan: You’re going to get stripped, put in a gown, and once we get some transportation ready we’ll be taking you to the hospital. I’ll be taking your things so they’re safe, and before you leave Iron Will and Flash Sentry are going to do the champion’s celebration here in private, and we’ll hold onto the bits for you. Thankfully, you won’t have to spend any of it on your medical bills because it was a tournament injury. You’ll be staying in the
  1542. hospital overnight until they can get in a shipment of healing potions to fix you up right, and after that we’ll be ready to continue the investigation, I guess. Does all of that sound good?
  1543. “Yeah, seems like it works out. How long will I be here, again?”
  1544. >”Getting the chariot freed up and ready down here will take about 40 minutes.”
  1545. “Alright… So, you’re stripping me, right? Not some weird, sterile doctor?”
  1546. >Redheart glances at the offended doctors, and chuckles lightly.
  1547. >”They’re not weird, babe. But if you’d like, sure.”
  1548. >Redheart begins to draw back the privacy curtain.
  1549. >Would you like to say or do anything right now?
  1550.  
  1551. >Current questlog (6/10 total):
  1552. [Investigate Shadow] - Find it (0/1); Exterminate it (0/1); Report to Celestia (0/1)
  1553. [Become a Legendary Doctor] - Master medical knowledge (0/1); Master medical experience (0/1); Doctor’s Kit (0/1); Master alchemical knowledge (0/1); Master healing spells (0/1); Optional [Legendary]: Get famous (Be known in Canterlot, Crystal Empire and Ponyville) (1/3)
  1554. [Spear Mastery] - Learn Spear Juggling (0/1)
  1555. [Spicing up the Bedroom] - Find Redheart’s fetish (0/1); Improve foreplay (0/1)
  1556. [Vigilante Justice] - Track down and take in the thieves that attacked Pinkie Pie (0/3)
  1557. [The Long Road Ahead] - Expand Gyro’s Consumer Base at the Protected Wither, the Hospital, and the Tournament (3/3) (Complete! Return to Gyro.)
  1558. [Mare in the Family] - Find a way to help Charm Rose (0/1)
  1559.  
  1560. “By the way, can I keep my med books so I can study while I’m waiting?”
  1561. >”Sure, I’ll make sure they stay with you.”
  1562. >The curtain is pulled, keeping prying eyes away from what was about to happen.
  1563. “Uh, also, I guess I’m not going to make it to Gyro’s for a while, so while you’re out, can you do me a favor?”
  1564. >Redheart looks at you.
  1565. >”Oh… Well, actually, I was going to stay with you.”
  1566. “Er, yeah, of course you can! I just need a quick errand ran down there, is all I’m saying.
  1567. >Redheart smiles at your clarification.
  1568. >”Alright, what did you need?”
  1569. “Can you tell him that I spread the word about his shop and new inventions at the hospital, the tournament, and the weapon shop, and that I even advertised it after I won the semi-final match? Like I said, I was going to tell him myself, but…”
  1570. >”Right. Don’t you worry, I’ll have that done before the chariot even comes.”
  1571. “And while you’re there, can you pick up a lightning rod for the defibrillator? I’m sure he has one, but forgot to give it to me.”
  1572. >”Duly noted…”
  1573. >As you speak with her, she begins to undo your coat and your outer armor.
  1574. “So, just between you and me… I was awesome, right?”
  1575. >She smiles and gives you a rather lustful look.
  1576. >”You were fantastic. How did I get hitched with such a strongman doctor, anyways?~”
  1577. >You smile back.
  1578. >Whoa, there’s a feeling you haven’t had in a while…
  1579. “How long before I'm up and ready for… ‘strenuous activity’?”
  1580. >Redheart stops her motions with your chest half-exposed, leans up to you and frenches you, her hot tongue massaging yours in a loving, pole-raising experience.
  1581. >”Sorry, hon… Not until you’re healed.”
  1582. “I better get healed quickly, then…”
  1583. >She giggles lightly as she continues to strip you down.
  1584. >A few moments of silence led you to thinking about some more important issues.
  1585. “And, uh, listen, about Gable… he's a bit of a cunt--”
  1586. >She slaps your bare chest with her hoof playfully.
  1587. “--But we were both going at each other with everything we had. I don't harbor anymore ill will against him than anyone else that makes me bleed my own blood."
  1588. >She looks at you with a more serious countenance.
  1589. >”Anon, fighting each other is one thing, but if left unchecked he would have killed you, period. There’s no getting around that fact.”
  1590. “I don’t think he would’ve done something like that, Red.”
  1591. >She sighs as she starts carefully peeling your bloody armor back.
  1592. >”If you really think that, I’d talk to him before it’s too late, then.”
  1593. “Alright.”
  1594. >The rest of the stripping goes without a hitch, except for one moment where she teased you.
  1595. >You could swear your balls are turning blue, and yet she just laughed and laughed.
  1596. >By the time you get over it, she had fitted you in the Minotaur-issue gown, which oddly fit you perfectly.
  1597. >When she’s done, she rubs her hooves together in completion.
  1598. >”There we are, my sweetums, good as new. I’ll be taking these, and you lay and rest, mister.”
  1599. [Inventory (-Medical books) given to Redheart.]
  1600. >She pulls back the curtain, and gathers your things, very slowly lifting them up with great effort until Applejack walks over and helps her.
  1601. >”See what I mean about that spear? It’s just a big ol’ log.”
  1602. >She helps Red carry it, and the party waves to you.
  1603. >”We gotta go get this stuff down to Wheaties’, Anon, and do that thing that Red told us.”
  1604. >Berry points at you.
  1605. >”I’ll be over later to dull the pain. It’ll be the best night of your life!”
  1606. >Redheart nudges her.
  1607. >”Hey, he needs to rest! And I highly doubt you’ll be able to give him something like that, not with painkillers in him.”
  1608. >”Pffft, so? You did see him fight, right? He’s a tank!”
  1609. >How flattering.
  1610. >Pinkie bounds up and gives you a light kiss on the cheek.
  1611. >”Be extra super careful, Nonny, don’t do any jumping jacks!”
  1612. >Wheaties gives you a genuine smile with a goodbye nod.
  1613. >You do the same.
  1614. “See you all later.”
  1615. >They leave you within the medical tent, with a few doctors and Charm Rose lying next to you, either asleep or ignoring you.
  1616. >Gable is across the tent and a few beds down, but you don’t know if he is awake or not.
  1617. >Last you checked, Little Strongheart was also still asleep.
  1618. >What would you like to do?
  1619.  
  1620.  
  1621. >Since you’d be here for a little bit, you might as well clear the air with Gable.
  1622. >You didn’t blame him for what happened, per say, he’s an aggressive species.
  1623. >But just in case he was a little pissed, you wanted to talk to him first so he didn’t overhear anything you would talk about with the other two and intervene.
  1624. “Gable?”
  1625. >There was no response.
  1626. >You do hear shuffling of bedsheets however, so now you know he’s awake.
  1627. >You’re a bit tired of this shit, so you just go on regardless.
  1628. “It was a good fight.”
  1629. >
  1630. “You really got me good, you know. Goin’ to the hospital and all, after this.”
  1631. >
  1632. “We should do it again sometime, who knows? Might be fun.”
  1633. >
  1634. “…. How are you holding up?”
  1635. >”I don’t think you want to talk to me.”
  1636. “Huh?”
  1637. >”I think you’re speaking out of pity, as you know about what’s going to happen to me.”
  1638. “Well, that’s not exactly-”
  1639. >”I heard your little friend talking, I’m not deaf. I dare say I have far better hearing than those things you call ears. I’m going to be imprisoned for my actions, and I will face it without the need for petty feelings. Got it?”
  1640. “That’s not why I wanted to talk. I don’t blame you for what happened, we were both in the heat of battle. I just don’t want you getting in trouble or put in the slammer for something that, if you hadn’t have done, I would have.”
  1641. >He takes a lengthy pause.
  1642. >”…Interesting sentiments from such an alien creature.”
  1643. “Yeah, I get really beta sometimes, sue me.”
  1644. >”Beta?”
  1645. “Another word for you know, introverted, empathetic, stuff like that. I don’t know.”
  1646. >”You’re a strange one.”
  1647. “And you’re a sharp one.”
  1648. >You actually manage to get a small chuckle out of him.
  1649. >”If you wanted me to stay out of the dungeons, you should’ve let me win.”
  1650. “No chance. Got important shit to do with that money, got to have gear for the journey ahead, after all…”
  1651. >”What kind of journey?”
  1652. “Basically tracking down this evil entity that wrecked Ponyville a few days back. We’re the best team Equestria has to offer, it looks like.”
  1653. >”I can see why they chose you, at least. You’re the first worthy opponent I’ve had in years. … By the way, I would like to do it again sometime. Maybe see how you work thoses knuckles instead of dragging around your compensating magic.”
  1654. >Damn, even his words sting.
  1655. “I’m more blue than compensating, but thanks for thinking of me.”
  1656. >”Surely. … How secret is this, investigation?”
  1657. “Why? You interested?”
  1658. >There is another pause, and a shuffling of bedsheets.
  1659. >”Let’s just say that without that money, I have nowhere else to be.”
  1660. >Damn, a short conversation really turned opinions around.
  1661. “What are you implying, then?”
  1662. >”I imply nothing. But if you were to require assistance… I’d dust off those kneepads.”
  1663. >What a jobber.
  1664. >That’s an interesting thought, that more or less ends the conversation between you two.
  1665. >If you are able to crack the social code correctly, you believe he actually asked if you needed help… In his own way.
  1666. >What would you like to do?
  1667. ...

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