“So you just gave her your Number?” asked Rainbow Dash to her comrades.
“Please, don’t be upset,” cried Soarin.
“We want to help you in any way possible,” continued Spitfire, “but if our best efforts only impede your progress, then please accept that we are helping you by entrusting the Numbers to someone we know can handle them properly.”
Rainbow Dash was unsure what to do with them. Of course, they were her professional superiors and didn’t want to cause a rift with them that could get her kicked off the Wonderbolts, and at the same, she knew that she was a superior duelist to any of them, which is mostly why she could sympathize with their giving up their only Number.
However, loyalty was the most important thing to her (she was the Element of Loyalty after all), and she couldn’t help but feel betrayed at Soarin and Spitfire’s cowardice. Ultimately though, they were right. Numbers belong in the hands of powerful duelists, and she knew that if Soarin and Spitfire couldn’t hold their own against Twilight and Zecora, they surely wouldn’t be able to face Mark, Ryan, Diana, and Chase if the time inevitably came.
“That’s fine,” relented Rainbow Dash. “If the responsibility of a Number is too great for you, then it shouldn’t bother me that you’d want out. But you made the right choice into entrusting the Number to someone capable instead of losing it to one of those Number hunters.”
“Wow,” said Soarin in relief, “thanks Rainbow Dash.”
“Yeah,” sighed Rainbow Dash, “no prob’.”
Rainbow Dash, looking into Soarin and Spitfire’s hurt eyes, could suddenly empathize with them. The Vegas Bureau were certainly a powerful collection of enemies. After remembering how badly Ryan defeated Eli days ago was enough to send shivers down Rainbow Dash’s spine. What Ryan did to Eli would be nothing compared to how badly any one of those agents would crush Soarin and Spitfire. Rainbow Dash knew that in the long run that Soarin and Spitfire made the right decision. They were safe now, and Rainbow Dash wanted nothing more than that.
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Cont. from Applejack and Big Macintosh vs. Octavia and DJ Pon-3
Applejack’s Turn: Applejack activates Monster Reborn, special summoning XX-Saber Gottoms from the graveyard (ATK: 3100 DEF: 2600). Applejack equips XX-Saber Gottoms with Axe of Despair, increasing its ATK by 1000 (ATK: 3100 -> 4100). Apple attacks DJ Pon-3’s Lorelei, the Symphonic Arsenal (ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000) with XX-Saber Gottoms. DJ Pon-3 attempts to activate Mirror Force, but Big Macintosh activates Solemn Judgement, halving their life points to negate the activation of Mirror Force and destroy it.
Applejack and Braeburn’s Life Points: 900 -> 450
The attack goes through.
DJ Pon-3 and Octavia’s Life Points: 1500 -> 0
Applejack and Big Macintosh win.
“Yee-haw!” cried Applejack. “That sure was a close one.”
“Eeyup,” agreed Big Macintosh.
“You two are really strong,” said Octavia with her usual blank expression.
“Perhaps that’s where your little sis’ Apple Bloom gets her mad skills,” interrupted DJ Pon-3.
“Aw shucks,” said Applejack blushing. “That’s just Apple family spirit is all.”
“Well either way,” said Octavia, “good luck to both of you.”
“See y’all later,” yelled Applejack as DJ Pon-3 and Octavia went to find another opponent.
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The sun was just starting to rise over the hills and would soon shine its light over Ponyville.
“Boy howdy,” said Applejack to Big Macintosh as they walked down the roads by Sweet Apple Acres, “we sure got our work cut out for us. Not only do we have them rotten Vegas agents to look out for, we have that pegasus with the loopy eyes and that buffalo from Appleloosa trailing us too.”
“Eeyup,” said Big Macintosh nonchalantly.
“And to think, of all ponies, it’d be her,” she whispered.
Little did they know, they were being watched. A shadowy figure on the branch of an apple tree crouched down and watched the two ponies make their way towards Ponyville for more opponents to defeat. Then, the figure plucked an apple from the branch and dropped it along the tree trunk. The apple rolled along the trunk and into the middle of the road where it stopped.
“Whoops,” said Applejack upon seeing the apple. She walked over to try and pick it up with her teeth, but a human foot came down fast upon the apple and crushed it, missing Applejack’s snout by a mere inch or two. She quickly jumped back onto her butt and saw two humans standing before her: Chase and Diana.
Chase was wearing a grey long sleeve t-shirt with a large, faded red and blue robotic eagle printed all over the front of the shirt, and an unbuttoned black formal vest over the shirt. He also wore blue jeans with a large belt and black dress shoes; his short white hair spiked and his round framed glasses perfectly aligned on his face. Diana wore a buttoned white blazer with a dark purple blouse underneath with the shirt collar overlapping the blazer collar. She also wore a formal shin-length skirt, black stockings, and black heels. Her long blonde hair was styled into a bun. Around her neck was a various assortment of gold chains.
“It’s you,” sputtered Applejack in a nervous fit.
“Yes,” said Diana with an evil smirk, “it is us.”
Applejack then snapped out of her intuitive nervousness and sprung back on her hooves again.
“You aren’t taking our Numbers away,” growled Applejack.
“Nnope,” said Big Macintosh in an offensive stance.
“I know we aren’t,” said Chase. Applejack and Big Macintosh shot back up, their faces switching from anger to confusion. “Do you seriously think we’d be dumb enough to risk losing half of all of our Numbers in a wager duel at this point in the competition?” he scolded.
“Please. We aren’t going to take your Numbers. Instead, we’re going take something even more valuable.”
“What’s that?” asked Applejack.
“The secret to defeating you two.”
Chase and Diana then shot out blue colored beams from their wrist dealers which wrapped around the necks of Applejack and Big Macintosh.
“What in tarnation?” she grunted, trying pulling away from Diana and Chase but to no avail.
“Here’s to ensure that you can’t get away,” said Diana. “That is, unless you duel us first.”
“Hmph. Fine. I accept your challenge.”
“Like you have a choice, dummy,” said Chase.
“Ready, Big Mac?” asked Applejack.
“Eyecup.”
hase and Diana activated their D-Pads as Applejack and Big Macintosh unsheathed theirs. They each drew five cards from their hand.
“DUEL!” they all yelled.
Applejack and Big Macintosh vs. Diana and Chase
Applejack’s Turn: Applejack summons XX-Saber Boggart Knight (ATK: 1900 DEF: 1000). When it’s normal summoned, Applejack can special summon an X-Saber from her hand, choosing X-Saber Anu Piranha (ATK: 1800 DEF: 1100).
Applejack places 2 cards face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-2 Life-8000 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-2
Diana’s Turn: Diana activates Painful Choice, adding 5 cards to her hand from her deck. Applejack picks one of them, and the others are sent to the graveyard. Applejack chooses Harpie Lady 2. Diana then summons Harpie Lady 2 in defense position (ATK: 1300 DEF: 1400).
Diana places 2 cards face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-3 Life-8000 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-2
Big Macintosh’s Turn: Big Macintosh summons Scrap Beast (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1300). Next, Big Macintosh special summons Scrap Orthos, as he controls a Scrap monster (ATK: 1700 DEF: 1100). When this card is special summoned, Big Macintosh must destroy a Scrap monster, choosing Scrap Beast. Next, he activates Double Summon, summoning Scrap Chimera (ATK: 1700 DEF: 500).
When its normal summoned, Big Macintosh can special summon a Scrap tuner monster from his graveyard, choosing Scrap Beast in defense mode. Big Macintosh overlays Scrap Orthos and Scrap Chimera to xyz summon (ATK: 2100 DEF: 1500). Big Macintosh activates Number 50: Black Corn’s effect. By detaching 1 xyz material from it, he can send a monster with ATK equal to or lower than Number 50: Black Corn to the graveyard and inflict 1000 points of damage to his opponent. Harpie Lady 2 is sent to the graveyard.
Diana and Chase’s Life Points: 8000 -> 7000
Big Macintosh places 1 card face down and ends his turn.
Status: Hand-1 Life-8000 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-1
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“Moderately impressive,” said Chase. “Now watch this shit.”
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Chase’s Turn: Diana activates her trap card Hysteric Party, discarding one card to special summon as many Harpie monsters as possible from her graveyard, choosing Harpie Lady 2, Harpie Lady 1 (ATK: 1300 DEF: 1400), and Harpie Girl (ATK: 500 DEF: 500). Next, Diana activates her other face down card Inferno Reckless Summon, special summoning as many Harpie Girls from her deck as possible. Chase then summons Wind-Up Soldier (ATK: 1800 DEF: 1200). When a Wind-Up monster is summoned, Chase can summon Wind-Up Shark from his hand (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1300). Once per turn, Chase can increase the level of Wind-Up Warrior by 1 and increase its ATK by 400 (ATK: 1800 -> 2200).
Chase then activates the effect of Wind-Up Shark, increasing its level by 1. Chase overlays Wind-Up Shark and Wind-Up Warrior to xyz summon Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja (ATK: 2400 DEF: 1700). Next, Chase overlays the three Harpie Girls to xyz summon Number 96: Dark Mist (ATK: 100 DEF: 1000). Finally, Chase overlays Harpie Lady 1 and Harpie Lady 2 to xyz summon Number 166: Preying Steel – Katana Mantis (ATK: 2000 DEF: 1500). Chase attacks XX-Saber Boggart Knight with Number 166: Preying Steel – Katana Mantis. Chase activates Number 166: Preying Steel – Katana Mantis’ effect. By detaching one xyz material from it, it gains 1000 ATK during the battle phase (ATK: 2000 -> 3000).
Applejack and Big Macintosh’s Life Points: 8000 -> 6900
Chase then attacks X-Saber Anu Piranha with Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja.
Applejack and Big Macintosh’s Life Points: 6900 -> 6300
Chase then attacks Number 50: Black Corn with Number 96: Dark Mist. When Number 96: Dark Mist battles a monster, Chase can detach 1 xyz material to halve the ATK of the monster it battles and increase Number 96: Dark Mist’s ATK by that amount (ATK: 2100 -> 1050) (ATK: 100 -> 1150). Applejack activates Attack Invulnerability, preventing Number 50: Black Corn’s destruction. Battle Damage is applied normally.
Applejack and Big Macintosh’s Life Points: 6300 -> 6200
Chase places 2 cards face down and ends his turn. During the end phase that Number 166: Preying Steel – Katana Mantis’ effect was used, it loses 2000 ATK (ATK: 3000 -> 1000).
Status: Hand-2 Life-7000 Monsters-3 Face Down Cards-2
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“Oh my,” gasped Big Macintosh.
“3 Numbers in one turn,” gasped Applejack.
“Eeyup,” said Chase with a smirk.
“Hey,” cried Big Macintosh, “that’s my line.”
Applejack then shook her head to snap out of her fear.
“Aw, horse apples,” exclaimed Applejack. “I can’t let myself get scared over a couple of measly Numbers.”
“Oh?” queried Diana. “And you think you can fight your way out of this?”
“Watch me.”
____________________________________
Applejack’s Turn: Applejack activates Pot of Greed, drawing 2 cards. Next, she summons X-Saber Galahad (ATK: 1800 DEF: 800). Then, she activates her trap, Gottoms’ Emergency Call, special summoning 2 X-Saber monsters from her graveyard if she controls an X-Saber, choosing XX-Saber Boggart Knight and X-Saber Anu Piranha. Applejack overlays X-Saber Galahad, XX-Saber Boggart Knight, and X-Saber Anu Piranha to xyz summon Number 151: Golden Bramble – Forest Troll (ATK: 3500 DEF: 0). Applejack attacks Number 166: Preying Steel – Katana Mantis. Chase activates Negate Attack, but Big Macintosh activates Trap Jammer, negating the trap and destroying it. Chase then activates Number 166: Preying Steel – Katana Mantis’ effect. By detaching one xyz material from it, it gains 1000 ATK during the battle phase (ATK: 1000 -> 2000).
Diana and Chase’s Life Points: 7000 -> 5500
After Number 151: Golden Bramble – Forest Troll attacks, Applejack must detach one xyz material from it or switch it into defense position. Applejack detaches an xyz material.
Applejack places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-2 Life-6200 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-1
Diana’s Turn: Diana tributes Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja and Number 96: Black Mist to summon Harpie’s Pet Dragon (ATK: 2000 DEF: 2500). Next, she activates Monster Reborn, special summoning another Harpie’s Pet Dragon from her graveyard. Chase then activates his trap card, Upgrade, raising the levels of all monsters on their side of the field by 1. Diana overlays both Harpie’s Pet Dragons to xyz Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings (ATK: 3000 DEF: 2000). Diana attacks Number 50: Black Corn, but Applejack activates Waboku, preventing battle damage and destruction. Diana activates Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings’ effect. By detaching one xyz material from it, she can destroy all other monsters on the field during the opponent’s next end phase and inflict damage equal to the controller(s) of each monster equal to the ATK of those monsters.
Diana places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-5500 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-1
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“Oh boy,” peeped Applejack.
“Don’t you worry, sis,” said Big Macintosh. “I can defeat these two clowns.”
Chase felt rather amused that he was just called a clown.
“Ya sure, big brother?” asked Applejack.
“Eeyup.”
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Big Macintosh’s Turn: Big Macintosh activates his Pot of Greed, drawing 2 cards. Then, he tributes Number 151: Golden Bramble – Forest Troll to summon Scrap Golem (ATK: 2300 DEF: 1400). Once per turn, with Scrap Golem’s effect, Big Macintosh can special summon a level 4 or lower Scrap monster to any side of the field, special summoning Scrap Chimera to Diana’s field. Big Macintosh tunes Scrap Golem with Scrap Golem to synchro summon Twin Scrap Dragon (ATK: 3000 DEF: 2200).
Next, Big Macintosh activates his Monster Reborn, special summoning Number 151: Golden Bramble – Forest Troll from the graveyard. Big Macintosh sets one card face down. Next, he activates Scrap Twin Dragon’s effect, destroying his card to target 2 cards his opponent controls and return them to the hand, choosing Number 40: Gimmick Puppet – Heaven’s Strings and Diana’s face down card. Big Macintosh attacks Scrap Chimera with Number 151: Golden Bramble – Forest Troll.
Diana and Chase’s Life Points: 5500 -> 3700
Big Macintosh then attacks Diana and Chase directly with Twin Scrap Dragon.
Diana and Chase’s Life Points: 3700 -> 700
Big Macintosh then attacks Diana and Chase directly with Number 50: Black Corn, but Diana activates The High Priestess’ Staff from her hand, negating the attack, ending the battle phase, and inflicting 500 points of damage to Applejack and Big Macintosh.
Applejack and Big Macintosh’s Life Points: 6200 -> 5700
Big Macintosh ends his turn. During Big Macintosh’s end phase, Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings’ effect activates, destroying all other monsters on the field and inflicting damage to the controller of any of those monsters equal to their ATK (ATK: 3500 + 3000 + 1050 = 7550).
Applejack and Big Macintosh’s Life Points: 5700 -> 0
Diana and Chase win.
“Damn,” said Chase as he observed the beaten and sprawled out bodies of his defeated enemies. “We could have taken their Numbers all along.”
“Calm down, Chase,” scolded Diana. “We got what we came for.”
She then typed up notes on her D-Pad tablet that was mounted on her wrist dealer.
“Applejack:” she said aloud, “Deck: X-Saber. Attribute: EARTH. General Types: Warrior and Beast-Warrior. Play Style: Swarming the field with monsters for quick and easy synchro and xyz summons.”
“Big Macintosh:” said Chase typing into his D-Pad tablet, “Deck: Scrap. Attribute: EARTH. General Types: Various. Play Style: Self-Destructive effects that activate the effects of other monsters in this archetype. Are you good, Diana?”
“Ready.”
They walked down around the outskirts of Ponyville to look for more opponents. Chase then plucked an apple from a nearby tree and took a very large bite almost all the way to its core.