Derpy Hooves and Little Strongheart were sitting in the royal office of Princess Celestia at Canterlot Palace after being reprehended by the royal guards. Derpy Hooves angrily looked at Princess Luna who was present, who herself was quite embarrassed at the verbal thrashing she would more than likely endure from her sister. Princess Celestia was still busy raising the sun for the day and the wait only made the tension build even more. Inevitably, Princess Celestia arrived. She looked very cross.
“Can someone please explain to me why your two Wranglers attacked and stole from Lucas and Pinkie Pie?” she fumed at Princess Luna.
Derpy glared at Princess Celestia the whole time as she yelled at her boss.
“Sister, please I was only doing what-”
“Save it,” interrupted Derpy Hooves. “It was I who egged her on about it, and-”
She was then stopped by the stinging pain on her right cheek. Princess Celestia rubbed the scoff she left on her golden shoes and put her hoof back down.
“You do not speak until spoken too,” she hissed at Derpy.
“Okay, now that you’re speaking to me, I was just telling you that I was the one that formulated the plan about taking the Numbers.” Princess Celestia could barely hold in her rage as the arrogant pony continued her story. “These Number hunters are going to find every one of those humans and any other pony with a Number on them, I and my partner included. If anything you should be commending my acts, but instead I’m getting slapped in the face.”
“It’s funny that you mention that,” said Princess Celestia, “because one of my students, Applejack, sent a letter courtesy of Orion explaining some other things about the Number hunters.”
Princess Celestia took and used Derpy Hooves’ confiscated D-Pad tablet as the visual aid, showing all the pictures of the ponies and humans that she named.
“Apparently, the Vegas agents have hired two ponies, twins and apple cider salesponies Flim and Flam, to work as Number hunters for them, having attacked but were beaten by Orion and Helena, who wrote that bit in Applejack’s letter. Then, Applejack and her brother Big Macintosh were attacked and beaten by two of the Vegas agents, Diana Constantine, Ms. Queen, and Chase Simons, Mr. King. Applejack claims that they took no Numbers from them, and merely fought them to find out and I quote, ‘the secret to beating them,’ unquote.”
Derpy was mildly fascinated by this news.
“Applejack and Big Macintosh were able to knock down their life points to 700 in their last duel, but only with the assistance from the Numbers they had. Had you taken their Numbers prior to their duel, they wouldn’t have stood a chance. It seems that your actions to try and take the Numbers would’ve done more harm than good.”
“With all due respect, Princess, if these people can’t even defeat my partner and I in a duel with Numbers, then they certainly won’t stand a chance against those other Hunters. With your permission, I would like to resume my mission-”
“Absolutely not.”
“Can I finish?”
“…Continue.”
“I would like to test anyone who owns a Number. If they can defeat us, then we can pass them off as fit to face the Vegas quartet and we will let them be. If they can’t beat us however, it would only be fair that they surrender any Numbers they have to us: someponies who can properly wield them in Vegas’ presence.”
Princess Celestia found herself stunned by Derpy Hooves’ eloquent speaking and logic of her statement. Perhaps it was her crossed eyes that kept Princess Celestia from taking her seriously, but she made a well reasoned argument. No wonder Princess Luna made her one of the most decorated Wranglers in her arsenal. After thinking long and hard, she finally came to a decision.
“Agent Derpy Hooves, I have carefully examined your argument, and I shall allow you to continue your so called 'mission' of retrieving Numbers if needed, but only the condition that you return Lucas and Pinkie Pie their Numbers.”
“What?!?”
“You will return their Numbers to them. If you would like to duel them again, you’re free to do so, but this time, don’t sandbag them with your façade.”
Derpy knew that there was going to be compromise in this exchange of ideals, and if she was going to be able to continue doing what she thought was right in the long run, she’d have no choice to accept.
“I understand, your highness.”
“Great. But first, Little Strongheart, can I speak to you?”
Little Strongheart got up out of her seat and made their way out to the hallway. Derpy then shot a glance at Princess Luna and then smiled at her. Princess Luna gave a gracious smile, thanking her for taking her beating.
“You’re a good agent, Derpy. I knew I made the right decision in bringing you on.”
“So what else is new?” asked Derpy playfully.
____________________________________
Rainbow Dash and Gilda were walking out along the edge of the Everfree Forest, hoping to find Twilight and Zecora, which is where they usually roamed.
“Oh man, we’re gonna take down Twilight so good, squealed Rainbow Dash, “and Zecora’s gonna say something like, ‘Oh wow, you two are great, you’re…’”
“you’ll make it to the top; just you wait?” finished Gilda.
“Yeah, like that. Nice save there.”
“Meh, I have my moments.”
They both pounded their fists/claws.
“You know, I still haven’t gotten to duel Alex yet,” said Rainbow Dash a little sullenly.
“I sure hope that we can fly again sometime soon.”
“Don’t sweat it, buddy. He’ll come around. I’m sure of it.”
Suddenly, they heard a cracking sound from one of the nearby trees. Falling from the tree was a man in a black polo and khaki pants. Despite his surprising and unexpected folly, he was still able to land nimbly onto the ground. He had dark blonde hair that Rainbow Dash was easily able to identify.
“Ryan!” she shouted at him in a rather friendly tone that somewhat startled Ryan.
“Oh, hey,” he said.
“Are you okay?”
“No, I’m just fine.”
“The trees in the Everfree Forest can be really old and break easily.”
“I see.”
Then a voice called out from behind him. “Ryan!”
Suddenly, a man with grey hair jumped out of another tree. They all knew it was Mark, the leader of the Vegas Bureau. He was wearing a black dress shirt, slick black pants, black shoes, and a long black jacket. He approached the trio.
“You know this… thing?”
“Yeah,” Ryan answered.
“We met at that party last night after I dropped my wallet and she saved it.”
Mark’s sight then shot towards Rainbow Dash. “So you’re the one filling my colleague’s head with that nonsense about the Numbers?”
“Why, you-” Rainbow Dash then tried to tackle Mark, but he instead deflected Rainbow Dash’s attack with incredible ease, sending her back into the ground.
“Your so called ‘surprises’ will not work for me. I am the leader of an intergalactic group of duelists/fighters. I would suggest that you stop attacking me in the future to prevent yourself from further humiliation.”
Rainbow Dash fumed at his words, but knew that he had a point, so she flew back to Gilda’s side.
“Okay then,” said Gilda trying to defend her friend’s honor.
“You think you can toss my friend around like that? Then let’s see how you two lame-o’s can square off against us in a duel.”
“A duel you say?” asked Mark. “You realize that by facing me and my partner you risk the possibility of losing your Numbers?”
“I do.”
“Good, because that’s not how we play. Not right now, that is.”
“What?” asked Rainbow Dash and Gilda at the same time.
“By playing you two, we would also risk the possibility of losing our Numbers. But if you still want to duel us, then here we are.”
“Well here WE are!” called Rainbow Dash. “Let’s roll!”
____________________________________
As preparations were being set for a riding duel, Rainbow Dash decided to lead off the relay. Ryan chose to go first for his team. Rainbow Dash unsheathed her duel disk. Ryan however activated his D-Pad in a very peculiar way. The tablet started to glow a bright white. Ryan threw the disk out about 15 feet in front of him. The small, squarish disk then morphed into the shape of a car.
Once the light subsided, the car was revealed to be a 2011 Dodge Challenger. Rainbow Dash and Gilda were dumbstruck by this sight. Mark did the same thing to his D-Pad tablet, but his car was a Black 2012 Audi R8 GT. After Ryan adjusted his wrist dealer so that the deck slot rested perpendicularly on the top of his wrist, Ryan got into the car and drove it next to Rainbow Dash, forming their starting line. Ryan pushed a button where the radio would be that activated the Speed World 2 field spell. Rainbow Dash crouched into stance, ready to speed off as soon as the green light gave her a go. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
*BEEP*
Ryan floored the acceleration. Rainbow Dash had effortlessly pushed off and sped as fast as she could. However, Ryan was easily catching up to her, his massive horsepower proving to be more of a match than she could handle. Ryan overtook her by about a foot, allowing him the first turn. Rainbow Dash was stunned that someone could beat her in a game of speed, but how he would compare to her in a game of Duel Monsters was anyone’s guess.
“DUEL!” they both yelled.
Ryan and Mark vs. Rainbow Dash and Gilda
Round 1: Ryan vs. Rainbow Dash
Ryan’s Turn: R:1 RD:0 Ryan summons Alien Skull (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1800)
Ryan places 1 card face down and ends his turn.
Status: Hand-4 Life-4000 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-1
Rainbow Dash’s Turn: R:1 RD:1 Rainbow Dash summons Caam, Serenity of Gusto (ATK: 1700 DEF: 1100). Rainbow Dash attacks Alien Skull.
Ryan’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3900
Ryan activates Alien Brain, taking control of Caam, Serenity of Gusto when a Reptile-type monster of his is destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard.
Rainbow Dash places 2 cards face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-3 Life-4000 Monsters-0 Face Down Cards-2
Ryan’s Turn: R:2 RD:2 Ryan tributes Caam, Serenity of Gusto to summon Cosmic Horror Gangi'el (ATK: 2600 DEF: 2000). Ryan attacks Rainbow Dash directly, but Rainbow Dash activates Negate Attack.
Ryan then activates the speed spell Angel Baton, drawing 2 cards and discarding 1.
Ryan places 2 cards face down and ends his turn.
Status: Hand-2 Life-3900 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-2
Rainbow Dash’s Turn: R:3 RD:3 Rainbow Dash activates her own Angel Baton, drawing 2 cards and discarding 1. When Gusto Grif is sent from her hand to the graveyard, she can special summon a Gusto monster from her deck, choosing Gusto Codor (ATK: 1000 DEF: 400). Then, she summons Gusto Gulldo (ATK: 500 DEF: 500). Rainbow Dash tunes Gusto Codor with Gusto Gulldo to synchro summon Daigusto Sphreeze (ATK: 2000 DEF: 1300).
When Gusto Gulldo is sent from the field to the graveyard, Rainbow Dash can special summon 1 level 2 or lower Gusto monster from her deck, choosing Gusto Falco (ATK: 600 DEF: 1400). Next, she activates her trap card Blessings for Gusto, sending Gusto Grif and Gusto Gulldo in her graveyard to her deck, shuffling it and special summoning Caam, Serenity of Gusto from her graveyard. Rainbow Dash tunes Caam, Serenity of Gusto with Gusto Falco to synchro summon Daigusto Grif (ATK: 2100 DEF: 1300). Rainbow Dash tunes Daigusto Sphreeze with Daigusto Grif to accel synchro summon Sonic Rainboom Phoenix (ATK: 3300 DEF: 2500). Rainbow Dash attacks Cosmic Horror Gangi’el.
Ryan’s Life Points: 3900 -> 3200
Rainbow Dash ends her turn.
Status: Hand-3 Life-4000 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-1
____________________________________
“That was a nice play there, kid,” said Ryan.
“Wow, thanks,” said Rainbow Dash surprised by his compliment.
Enjoy it while it lasts, thought Ryan.
____________________________________
Ryan’s Turn: R:4 RD:4 Ryan summons Alien Ammonite (ATK: 500 DEF: 200). When Alien Ammonite is summoned, he can special summon a level 4 or lower Alien monster from his graveyard, choosing Alien Shocktrooper (ATK: 1900 DEF: 800). Ryan tunes Alien Shocktrooper with Alien Ammonite to synchro summon Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar (ATK: 2600 DEF: 1900). Next, Ryan activates Rainbow Life, discarding 1 card to gain life points in place of damage this turn.
Ryan then activates his face down Call of the Haunted, special summoning a monster from his graveyard, choosing Alien Grey (ATK: 300 DEF: 800). Next, he activates “A” Cell Scatter Burst from his hand, destroying Alien Grey and distributing A-Counters amongst Rainbow Dash’s monsters equal to the destroyed monster’s level (A-C.: 0 -> 2). Because “A” Cell Scatter Burst isn’t a speed spell, Ryan would take 2000 damage, but because of Rainbow Life, he gains 2000 life points instead.
Ryan’s Life Points: 3200 -> 5200
Ryan then activates the effect of Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar, removing 2 A-Counters from Sonic Rainboom Phoenix and destroying it. Rainbow Dash activates Card of Last Will, drawing 5 cards if a monster she controls was destroyed. Ryan attacks Rainbow Dash directly.
Rainbow Dash’s Life Points: 4000 -> 1400
During the end phase, if Sonic Rainboom Phoenix was destroyed by an opponent’s card, she can banish one WIND synchro monster in her graveyard to special summon it and inflict damage to his opponent’s life points equal to half of the banished monster’s ATK, choosing Daigusto Sphreeze. Rainbow Life is still in effect.
Ryan’s Life Points: 5200 -> 6200
Also, since it’s the end phase and Rainbow Dash is 2 cards over the hand size limit, she must discard 2 cards from her hand. Among them is Gusto Grif. Rainbow activates its effect again, summoning Gusto Thunbolt from her deck (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1200).
Ryan ends his turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-6200 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-0
____________________________________
“That was pretty good too,” complimented Rainbow Dash. “But this duel is as good as won… for me, of course.”
Rainbow Dash could barely make out the confused look on Ryan’s face through his side mirrors.
____________________________________
Rainbow Dash’s Turn: R:5 RD:5 Rainbow Dash summons Gusto Egul (ATK: 200 DEF: 400). Rainbow Dash tunes Gusto Thunbolt with Gusto Egul to synchro summon Daigisto Gulldos (ATK: 2200 DEF: 800). Next, Rainbow dash activates the speed spell Synchro Return, special summoning Daigusto Sphreeze from the banished zone. Rainbow Dash then activates the effect of Daigusto Gulldos, shuffling 2 Gusto monsters from her graveyard to the deck and destroying a monster Ryan controls, choosing Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar. Rainbow Dash places 1 card face down. Rainbow Dash attacks Ryan directly with Daigusto Sphreeze.
Ryan’s Life Points: 6200 -> 4200
Rainbow Dash then attacks Ryan directly with Daigusto Gulldos.
Ryan’s Life Points: 4200 -> 2000
Rainbow Dash then attacks Ryan directly with Sonic Rainboom Phoenix.
Ryan’s Life Points: 2000 -> 0
Rainbow Dash wins the round. During the end phase, Daigusto Sphreeze is banished due to Synchro Return’s effect.
Status: Hand-4 Life-1400 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-1
Ryan will switch with Mark, and will pass nothing on to him.
____________________________________
As Rainbow Dash zoomed by, she pulled down her lower eyelid with her hoof and stuck her tongue out. Mark merely looked on as the cyan blur passed him by. He then casually got in his car and sped up after her. It wasn’t a while before he eventually caught up with her.
“Accel synchro summon,” said Mark observing Sonic Rainboom Phoenix.
“Pretty awesome, huh?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“I remember the first time I did one.”
Rainbow Dash looked a bit unsure of what to make of that statement at first.
“I also remember the looks of fear in my enemies’ eyes every time I completed one.”
Rainbow then understood completely, and she looked very nervous as a result.
____________________________________
Round 2: Mark vs. Rainbow Dash
Mark’s Turn: M:6 RD:6 When Mark’s opponent controls a monster and he doesn’t, he can special summon T.G. Striker from his hand (ATK: 800 DEF: 0). Mark then normal summons T.G. Catapult Dragon (ATK: 900 DEF: 1300). Mark activates T.G. Catapult Dragon’s effect, special summoning a level 3 or lower T.G. tuner from his hand, choosing T.G. Jet Falcon (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1200). When a level 4 or lower monster is special summoned, Mark can special summon T.G. Warwolf from his hand (ATK: 1200 DEF: 0). Mark tunes T.G. Catapult Dragon with T.G. Jet Falcon to synchro summon T.G. Hyper Librarian (ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800). When T.G. Jet Falcon is sent to the graveyard as synchro material, Mark inflicts 500 points of damage to Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash’s Life Points: 1400 -> 900
Mark tunes T.G. Warwolf with T.G. Striker to synchro summon T.G. Wonder Magician (ATK: 1900 DEF: 0). When T.G. Wonder Magician is synchro summoned, Mark can destroy one spell or trap card on the field, choosing Rainbow Dash’s face down card. With T.G. Hyper Librarian’s effect, each time a synchro monster is synchro summoned, Mark draws 1 card. Mark tunes T.G. Hyper Librarian with T.G. Wonder Magician to accel synchro T.G. Blade Blaster (ATK: 3300 DEF: 2200). Mark places 1 card face down. Mark attacks Daigusto Gulldos.
Rainbow Dash’s Life Points: 900 -> 0
Mark wins the round.
Status: Hand-2 Life-4000 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-1
Rainbow Dash switches off with Gilda, and will pass Sonic Rainboom Phoenix on to her.
____________________________________
Rainbow Dash zoomed back to the starting line and handed her card off to Gilda. “Don’t worry, Dash. I’ll finish him for you.”
“That’s what you do best,” cheered Rainbow Dash, still looking a bit scuffed from the last attack.
They both pounded hooves before Gilda sped off. Ryan was standing by watching her go.
“So, kid,” called Ryan.
“My name isn’t ‘kid.’ It’s Rainbow Dash.”
“Rainb- Can I just call you Dash?”
“Uhh, sure.”
“Seriously, you did very well back there.”
“Thanks. It feels kinda’ strange being that you’re my enemy and all, but that feels good coming from you. By the way, I loved the combo you pulled with the Rainbow Life back there.”
“Thanks.”
“By the way, why didn’t you use any Numbers?”
“I could ask you the same question.”
“I dunno. I guess I wanted to see how well I could do without them. How about you?”
“Same.”
“Wow. Oh hey, that reminds me.”
Rainbow then pulled a card from her extra deck with her teeth.
“Here, I think this belongs to you.”
She then whipped her head and let go, sending the card flying in his direction. Ryan caught the card and saw it was one of his Numbers that he lost a few days ago: Number 149: Alien Tentacles.
Ryan was actually at a loss for words. “But you… I…”
“Don’t sweat it, dude. That Number suits you better anyway.”
Ryan could only help but stare at the card for a while.
Meanwhile, Gilda had trouble catching up to Mark in his car, but eventually caught up after he slowed down a little. Gilda was the first to speak.
“You play a mean game, Mr.”
“Well, playing nice certainly doesn’t win duels, now does it?”
“That’s right, so I guess it’s time for me to get a little mean.”
Final Round: Gilda vs. Mark
Gilda’s Turn: G:7 M:7 Gilda summons Ally of Justice Searcher (ATK: 1400 DEF: 100). Next, she activates the speed spell Lightning Rod, destroying one card she controls, choosing Ally of Justice Searcher. When a monster is destroyed by a card effect, Gilda can special summon Meklord Emperor Skiel from her hand (ATK: 2200 DEF: 2200). Gilda tries to activate its effect to equip a synchro monster onto it, but Mark activates T.G. Blade Buster’s effect, removing itself from play by banishing 1 T.G. monster in his graveyard. Gilda attacks Mark directly with Sonic Rainboom Phoenix, but Mark activates Damage Diet, halving the damage he takes for this turn.
Mark’s Life Points: 4000 ->2350
Then, Gilda attacks Mark directly with Meklord Emperor Skiel.
Mark’s Life Points: 2350 -> 1250
Next, Gilda activates Speed World 2’s effect. By removing 4 speed counters (SpC.: 7 -> 3), she can inflict 800 points of damage for each speed spell in her hand. She has 2. Damage Diet halves this damage.
Mark’s Life Points: 1250 -> 450
Gilda places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-2 Life-4000 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-1
____________________________________
Mark chuckled a little, unsettling Gilda.
“This duel was over before it even begun,” he said.
____________________________________
Mark’s Turn: G:4 M:8 During Mark’s standby phase, T.G. Blade Buster is special summoned from the removed from play zone by its effect. Next, he activates the speed spell Silver Contrails, increasing its ATK by 1000 (ATK: 3300 -> 4300). Mark then activates the speed spell Final Attack, doubling T.G. Blade Buster’s ATK (ATK: 4300 -> 8600). Mark attacks Sonic Rainboom Phoenix. Gilda attempts to activate Magic Cylinder, but Mark activates T.G. Blade Buster’s effect, discarding one card to negate Magic Cylinder’s effect. The attack goes through.
Gilda’s Life Points: 4000 -> 0
Mark wins the round.
Mark and Ryan win the match.
Gilda came down with a horrible crash. Rainbow Dash flew to the site of the accident, while Ryan looked on, a small hint of concern on his face. Gilda lay in the middle of the road, groaning in pain. Mark rode up next to her. He got up out of his car, which morphed back into his D-Pad tablet as soon as he shut the door. He picked the tablet off the ground and began typing up some information.
“Rainbow Dash,” he said aloud. “Deck: Gusto. Attribute: WIND. General Types: Psychic and Winged-Beast. Play Style: Special summoning monsters from deck by recycling monsters from graveyard to deck or sending them to the graveyard to make for easy synchro summons. Gilda. Deck: Ally of Justice/Meklords. Attribute: DARK for Ally’s, but varies with Meklords. General Types: Machine. Play Style. Ally’s cripple users of LIGHT monsters with their effects, while Meklords equip opponent’s synchro monsters to themselves, maximizing their ATK.”
Ryan then stopped typing and put his tablet away. Ryan walked up and went to pat Gilda lightly on her stomach as both a sign of respect for a duelist, and to show his concern with her well being. Rainbow Dash nodded at Ryan, who in turn nodded back. They both began to walk away.
“What was that that she gave to you?” asked Mark as they walked.
Ryan wordlessly handed him the Number that Rainbow had given him.
“Are you fucking stupid?” he asked him. “You know what she’s doing to you, right?”
Ryan took his verbal slaughter without batting an eyelash. Normally, his instincts would have told him to say, “Go fuck yourself,” but he knew doing so would result in catastrophic consequences.
“She’s trying to butter you up. She’s trying to get you to trust her with her bullshit stories and turn you against us. You aren’t going to turn against us, are you Ryan? Because you know and I both know what will happen the second you turn your back on us. You will lose everything, and you will never get to see your son again!”
Silence.
“Well?”
“No sir. I will not defect.”
“Good. You will not use that Number. I don’t want you to start seeing that as a reminder of her.”
Mark began walking again.
“No,” Ryan replied.
Mark stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face Ryan.
“What did you just say to me?”
“Whether she gave me a Number for the intent to change my allegiance or not doesn’t matter; she still gave me a Number. If we plan on gathering more Numbers and completing our mission, it would be in the best interest of the group to use what Numbers we have, or in my case, the Numbers we feel comfortable with.”
Mark was sorely impressed by Ryan’s reasoning.
“You know, I like that. I guess it’s no wonder why they made you a Mr. Jack.”
“I do my best, sir.”
“Good. Keep ‘em coming.”
Ryan knew that what he was doing short term was wrong, but if he could save Joel, he felt that the ends would eventually justify the means. He saw the pain on his defeated opponent’s faces and looked upon them with apathy, because for all the pain they felt, he knew that it didn’t compare to the pain of losing a son. But now, he had a thorn in his side: Rainbow Dash.
After many months of being in the Vegas Bureau, he never considered the ruin he might have left previous worlds visited after taking the Numbers that its inhabitants had. But now, after meeting and conversing with one of this world’s inhabitants, he now started to feel guilty for any irreversible pain that he caused anyone else in the past. It only made the temptation of treason all the stronger.
For as much as he wanted to ensure the welfare of his son, he couldn’t help but consider what he’d lose in the process: the safety of an entire world, and the trust and respect of the one creature who reached out to him. A creature that he could actually consider… his friend.