Safety in Training

[Louis]

(September 4th open to all. Recall this is a DAY before the first battles.)

Louis almost squeaked as he dropped a largish weight from his claws. THAT wasn't gonna happen, no way. He didn't have muscles so what he was he thinking trying to lift that weight? He raised his eyebrows as he almost panted. "Well, I'm in trouble." He swallowed fearfully. Sure he could dig his way out of a fight but that wasn't going to help him. He sighed, running his hand through his fur. He breathed in deeply before running towards the climbing bars in the gym. Maybe he could learn to speed up and outrun his opponent.

Apparently not because always through the bars he grew too tired and collapsed on the matted floor. "I can't do this," he whimpered, "I'm gonna die."

[Deleted]

"What're you doin'?"

Apple Bloom had spotted Louis struggling with the weights, and while she was no heavy weight herself she could tell just from looking at him that he was having a hard time. As for her, she'd been having problems of her own. She had a sweatband adorning her forehead, pushing her bangs back in a most ridiculous fashion, and was struggling with working out while in uniform. How was she meant to do her karate if she was nearly tripping over her tie every five seconds? Well, no matter. She didn't care what circle Louis was in. He looked like he needed a helping hand. Hoof. Whatever.

"Do ya need a hand with that?" she asked.

[Deleted]

There was an expression of concern on the fox's face as he padded into the gymnasium. Tod hadn't realised quite what he was signing up for when he'd accepted the invitation in the letter, and now he was begining to wish that he had just ignored the whole thing. Life back in the forest had been just about perfect; he was friends with Copper again, not to mention that he had the most beautiful girlfriend he could ever have wished for... he'd been a fool to leave that behind. Though of course, it was far too late to back out now.

And the first fight was only a day away. Tod swallowed nervously. Unless he was really lucky and got a small oponent, the fox figured he was in for a good pounding. He'd only just recovered from the injuries he had gained from his brawl with the bear to save Copper's hide; he'd hardly had any time at all to get into any sort of fighting shape.

Which was about why he was here now. A little practice had to be better than none, after all; even though he was sure he was still going to get flattened either way.

Sticking his head in the doorway, Tod took a quick glance at who else was present. A small horse and what he thought was a porcupine; they appeared to be the only ones here. Well, at least that meant there weren't many people to laugh at him if he made a fool of himself training, he supposed. He took a moment to prod his tie straight - despite being an animal, he didn't really mind the uniform; actually, the fox thought that he looked quite dashing in it - before making his way over to the younger two.

"Hi guys," he greeted them as he approached. Not the most imaginative greeting in the world, it had to be admitted, but it worked as well as any. "What are you two up to?"

[Natsu]

Natsu stepped into the gymnasium feeling confident. Probably more confident than the other animals. One day left before the first fight. The idea of it was making Natsu pumped up. The wizard couldn't wait to pick out an opponent, hoping that there was someone here that could at least prove a little bit of a challenge, but for now. Training was going to have to be how he spent his day.

So far the wizard had no problem with the school, sure the classes were strange and one of his classes was only filled with horses, but for the most part he was learning a lot. Flexing his muscles, the pink haired boy approached a set of weights that seemed right and started to lift the weights, observing the room and the other occupants as much as he could.

One of them could very well be his opponent tomorrow

[Louis]

Louis didn't move, sighing deeply. "If you can make me six feet tall with muscles and the ability to not die in the ring then yeah, you can help me bunches." He didn't have a rude tone to his tongue but the male was just devastated. He'd be destroyed. He rose and turned to see the fox and the yellow horse thing.

"Trying to not die," Louis said, dusting himself off, "My name's Louis. What's up with you guys?"

[Deleted]

Well, in comparison to this guy, Tod figured that he really had no business complaining. At least he had sharp teeth to defend himself with; Louis, in contrast, didn't seem to have anything - unlike the friendly porcupine he'd met on his first night in the forest, this animal's spines didn't even seem sharp enough to hurt someone. Why anyone would have invited an animal as small as him here, the fox wasn't at all sure, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for the little creature.

"I'm called Tod," he replied, watching as Louis dusted himself off. The rodent, he noticed, wore a green tie that matched his own, making him a fellow Earth circle member; and that fact only clinched Tod's determination to try and help the other animal out.

"There has to be some way we can make sure you survive," he tried to reassure Louis, his muzzle wrinkling thoughtfully as he tried to consider what options there might be. The little creature had claws, true, but they didn't look like they were very well suited for defensive purposes. If he'd been a bit more capable himself, Tod thought, he might have suggested the two of them team up; however as it was, the fox had his doubts that he could keep himself safe in the arena, much less Louis as well.

[Deleted]

"Aw, don't worry about it... Ah'm sure you're gonna be okay," Apple Bloom said. Louis probably had a better chance of survival than she did, anyway, because he was so small and she was so easily noticed. She'd have said more, but Tod and a strange two-legged individual had made themselves present. She fell silent and listened as Tod spoke, nodding occasionally, and brightened when he introduced himself.

"Ah'm Apple Bloom! Nice to meet y'all," she said.

[DeathCry]

The pachycephalosaurus was coming to terms with a few mixed feelings about the gladiatorial battles that would no doubt be upon him.  When he'd first come, he was only angry at the stark disrespect of using a trained warrior as mere entertainment.  The more he thought of it, the less superficial his reasons for disliking his situation grew.  As much as his adopted father would have like to have pushed out any form of "weakness", DeathCry still had a moral code to live upon.  It didn't seem fair that a beast conditioned to be a killing machine would be put against creatures without such advantages.  In addition to that, there was always the very real possibility that it might have been he who was unfairly outclassed.  It wasn't a new concept to him; in the family of dinosaurs, he was on the smaller side of medium.

Upon entering, the dino didn't feel any more comforted in his doubts about the games.  It wasn't himself DeathCry worried about.  The other animals present so far didn't appear physically inclined toward combat and, much worse, emotionally confidant.  Well, at least the pachycephalosaurus could relate to the lack of confidence.  There was no way he was going to kill anyone (or come to think of it, be killed).  DeathCry did come to the room for a purpose and he'd be an awkward bunny to just walk in and then walk back out.  Rooms of strangers made him skittish.

He appeared to have heard Apple Bloom's greeting, but his only answer was to skulk off to one side.  DeathCry picked a spot with training equipment in-between the three mammals and the human.  A moment's pause was given as the green, spiky-headed creature decided creature decided what weird bit of metal/plastic would be appropriate.

"It's a pity I don't have thumbs," He muttered.

[Louis]

"I dig. That's about it."

The male lifted his claws to what he assumed was a tiny dire wolf. He'd never seen a fox before. His eyes raised as the pony spoke. He smiled, lifting up before turning to see Tod's tie. "Oh you're a part of the Earth Circle. Guess we'll be seein' each other around the dungeon." The male loved the home they'd put the earth circle in. Under the ground, where he liked to be.

He turned to see the dinosaur looking sort of sad in the corner. Louis only knew of them from Sid, Diego and Manny's stories. he knew Peaches was born among dinosaurs supposedly. He waved before turning back to the animals he was speaking to.

"I have no defense so all I gotta do is escape whoever I'm fighting."

[Deleted]

"Perhaps we could team up?" The suggestion had slipped out before Tod had fully thought it through; but it didn't strike him as a bad idea. He and Louis were in the same circle, after all, so it wasn't an impossiblity; and as he saw it, it would help them both. "I mean, I can fight a little, but I don't have much," he confessed with a little shrug. He'd never really had any practice at all, so mostly he would be relying simply on natural instinct rather than any training - just as he had when fighting the bear. Which, honestly, was about the full extent of his experience at all. It was a miracle he'd survived as long as he had in that fight at all; though Tod supposed the size difference had worked to his advantage then.

The fox lowered his hindquarters to the ground, sat up straight, and smoothed his tie as he continued to voice his idea. "With the two of us, we could take it in turns to distract an opponent for the other to attack. Or I could keep them busy while you dig some sort of trap for them." Either way, it increased chances of survival for both of them significantly.

With a glance at Apple Bloom, he wondered if maybe they should be discussing this in front of an air circle member, but decided it didn't really make much odds. The pony seemed harmless enough, in his view.

[Deleted]

"Well... Maybe yer size could be used ta yer advantage," Apple Bloom suggested. The differences between circles didn't really matter to the little earth filly. After all, she and her friends had been split up rather abruptly and put into different circles. They were still friends in spite of that. If she and the other crusaders could be friends in spite of their difference in circles, why couldn't she help out Louis and Tod?

"Ah mean... No offense, but you are really small. But maybe that ain't a bad thing, y'know? Like... You could slip between your opponents' feet and make it harder for 'em ta hit ya! ...That's what ah'd do, anyway," Apple Bloom said. She didn't know what else to suggest, really. Coming across smaller animals that weren't considered pets like they were in Ponyville was kind of a rarity, so she hadn't known what to really offer in terms of advice to Louis. She'd tried regardless. That, in the end, was the best she could do.