Duelists of the Friendship Cup
Dedication Through Light and Darkness – Sunset vs Twilight (Part 1)
The afternoon sun was obscured by the clouds, brief waves of light shining down on Canterlot High. On the back fields, grass rustling in the wind at her feet, Sunset looked over at the Crystal Prep bench. Twilight rose to her feet, pushed her glasses up, and walked out onto the field. Sunset watched her go, her eyes wide.
“I’m… dueling Twilight?”
“Will the Canterlot High duelist please take her position on the field?”
Sunset jerked at the loudspeaker and jogged up to her side of the dueling field. Opposite her, Twilight reached down and activated her duel disk, the card tray projecting in a beam of purple light. Sunset looked down at her own disk and turned it on, the material card tray swinging into place. She raised her head and took a breath.
“Hey!”
Twilight looked up at her.
Sunset nodded. “May the best duelist win, right?”
Twilight’s nose twitched. “Indeed.”
“And now, let the final duel of the day begin!”
-Sunset Life Points: 8000-
-Twilight Life Points: 8000-
The portraits on the display screen flashed and stopped with Sunset’s lit up. “Sunset Shimmer will take the first move.”
“Right…” Sunset looked down at her deck as her opening hand ejected. She reached down and fanned out her cards. “I summon ‘Harmony Guardian Magnanimity’.” A shimmering mirrored portal appeared in the ground in front of her. From it rose a pale-skinned warrior woman in jagged, crystalline blue armor. She spun on one foot and reached to her waist to draw a rapier, brandishing it twice and then planting the tip on the ground (1200/800).
Sunset took a breath and looked up at Twilight; the other girl just watched her, waiting.
She’s not Twilight… she’s not Twilight.
Sunset lifted two cards from her hand and held them out. “Using the Scale 3 ‘Harmony Guardian Risus’ and the Scale 5 ‘Harmony Guardian Magia’, I set the Pendulum Scales!” She swung her hand and placed the cards on the far ends of her duel disk. The disk lit up in red light and gleamed.
Two columns of light, one pale pink and one lavender, rose on either side of Sunset. In the pink column rose a warrior woman in rounded pink armor, a pair of crossbows hanging from her waist. In the purple column was a warrior in smooth purple armor with a gnarled wooden staff strapped to her back.
“Using the cards in my Pendulum Scales, I can now Special Summon monsters from my hand or face-up in the Extra Deck, as long as their levels fall within the Scales!” Sunset announced. She held up her cards. In the pillars of light above, Risus and Magia held their hands out and sent out beams of light that swirled together to form a portal in the air. “Pendulum Summon!” She brought her hand down and placed the cards on her disk. “From my hand, I summon ‘Harmony Guardian Gracia’ and ‘Harmony Guardian Honestas’!”
The portal above Sunset flashed and two streaks of light shot out and impacted her field. From one came a warrior in green armor carved in the shape of forest plants, pink hair streaming down her back. She took hold of a whip coiled at her waist and let it unfurl to hang from her hand (900/1800). The other light faded to reveal a warrior in bulky orange armor, kneeling behind a large broadsword embedded in the ground. She stood up and lifted up the sword, dirt flying as she swung it twice and then rested it on her shoulder (1800/300).
Magnanimity lit up blue between the two monsters. “When I Special Summon a Harmony Guardian monster while Magnanimity is on the field, I can activate her effect and draw one card.” Sunset drew and flipped her card over. “I’ll activate it immediately, the Spell card ‘Harmony Jewel’. This lets me send Gracia from the field to face-up into my Extra Deck. In return, I can draw a card.” Sunset withdrew Gracia’s card from her disk and slid it into the Extra Deck slot, then reached to her deck and drew.
“I activate the effect of Magia in my Pendulum Zone. Once per turn when I have two Harmony Guardian monsters in my Pendulum Zones, I can retrieve a Harmony Spell card in my Graveyard to my hand, but I can’t activate it for the rest of the turn. I’ll take back the Harmony Jewel I just used.” Sunset removed Harmony Jewel from her Graveyard slot.
“Then, I use Harmony Guardian Risus’ Pendulum effect, letting me return a card on my side of the field to the hand. I’ll take back Harmony Guardian Magia.” The pillar of purple light faded as Magia turned into an orb of light and swirled into the ground.
“I set one card and end my turn.” Sunset lowered her duel disk.
Across the field, Twilight drew her first card. “Very well.” She looked at her drawn card and reached over to her hand. “I activate the Spell card ‘Solar Recharge’. I will discard ‘Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior’ to draw two cards, and then the top two cards of my deck are discarded.” Twilight lifted her two cards from her deck and two more retracted into her duel disk.
“I summon ‘Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner’.” Twilight placed the card on her duel disk. Rays of light shone from the ground as a woman in white robes materialized, scarves fluttering in the air (1000/1000). “I then use Lumina’s effect. By sending ‘Felis, Lightsworn Archer’ from my hand to my Graveyard, I can revive Garoth.”
Next to Lumina appeared a man in gleaming white and gold armor, a large polearm in his hands (1850/1300). Twilight leaned forward. “Garoth, attack Harmony Guardian Magnanimity!” Garoth hefted his polearm and charged across the field, the tip pointed at Magnanimity.
“I activate my face-down Spell card!” Sunset swept her hand out. “It’s a Quickplay Spell called ‘Harmony Shock’, and I can activate it by sending a Harmony Guardian on the field to the Extra Deck. Once I do, I can destroy a card on the field. I send Honestas to the deck and destroy Garoth!”
Honestas faded away, leaving an orb of electricity behind. The orb shot into Garoth’s polearm, making him convulse and collapse, shattering as he hit the ground.
Twilight frowned and reached back to her hand. “I set two cards and end my turn.” The two holograms materialized in front of her. Lumina lit up in a golden aura. “At the end of each of my turns, Lumina sends the top three cards of my deck to the Graveyard.” Twilight’s three cards retracted into her disk, and light came from her Graveyard slot. She looked at her screen and extended a finger to tap an icon. “The effect of ‘Wulf, Lightsworn Beast’, activates since he was discarded by a Lightsworn effect. I summon Wulf to the field.”
A glowing portal appeared next to Lumina and an anthropomorphic wolf in white and gold armor stepped out, a large axe over its shoulder (2100/300).
-Twilight’s deck: 27 cards-
Twilight lowered her duel disk. “Your move.”
“Thanks.” Sunset drew, turned her card over, and smiled. “I activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Journal’.” A large brown book appeared in front of Sunset, its cover bearing a shield emblem with six jewels around a pink star. “This Spell lets me pick two Harmony Guardian monsters from my deck. You choose one of them to add to my hand, and the other goes face-up in my Extra Deck.” Sunset tapped her duel disk’s screen. “I pick ‘Harmony Guardian Magnanimity’ and ‘Harmony Guardian Pietas’.” The journal’s pages flipped open to display images of the two monsters.
Twilight closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “I doubt it matters, but I choose Pietas for your hand.”
“Why would it not matter?” Sunset replied. Twilight’s response was to open her eyes and wait. Sunset’s duel disk ejected the card and she picked it up. “Whatever, nevermind then. I activate Harmony Guardian Pietas in my empty Pendulum Zone.”
A column of light rose beside Sunset again. In it hovered a warrior in pale blue armor, its plates designed in swirling curves. A long spear with a jagged blade hung over her back.
“I activate the Pendulum effect of Pietas. Once per turn with another Harmony Guardian in my other Pendulum Zone, Pietas can target and destroy one face-down Spell or Trap card on the field.” Sunset pointed. “I choose the left face-down!”
The card flipped over and rose up, revealing ‘Glorious Illusion’. Pietas held out its hands and fired a blast of lightning into the card, shattering it.
Twilight frowned as she lifted the card from her duel disk to discard it. “That card could have revived one of my Lightsworns.”
“Really?” Sunset let out a breath. “Lucky guess for me then.”
“If you say so,” Twilight muttered.
Sunset narrowed her eyes but didn’t respond. She picked a card from her hand and set it on her duel disk. “I summon ‘Harmony Guardian Magia’.”
In front of Sunset materialized the purple-skinned warrior, her armor forming a six-pointed crest of spikes on her back. She reached back to take hold of the staff on her back and brought it forward, a pink crystal on the tip glowing (1500/1300).
Sunset looked across at Twilight. Does she even recognize what that card is? True, it was an armored warrior in purple armor, but the overall aesthetic was immediately recognizable as Twilight Sparkle. If the other Twilight noticed the similarity, she didn’t show it. Her expression was the same as before; mild irritation.
“And now, I call on the power of my Pendulum Scales!” Sunset extended a hand into the air. “Using the Scale 3 Risus and the Scale 5 Pietas, I Pendulum Summon!” A swirling portal opened between the two columns of light. “From the Extra Deck, Honestas, Magnanimity, and Gracia! I summon you back to the field!” Three streaks of light shot out of the portal and struck the ground before Sunset, fading to reveal her three monsters.
“So that’s how Pendulum Monsters work.” Twilight raised her eyes and looked between the two monsters floating in the air above Sunset. “When they leave the field, they go to the Extra Deck face-up instead of the Graveyard. Then when you conduct a Pendulum Summon, you can summon those face-up Pendulum Monsters back to the field.”
“Yup, as long as I have two monsters in the Pendulum Zones with Pendulum Scales that their levels fall between.”
“And the card in your Pendulum Zones, they are considered Spell cards, not Monster cards, while in those card zones?”
“Yup, that about sums it up.” Sunset nodded and allowed herself a smirk. “Cool, huh?”
Twilight’s head snapped down to glare at her. “I was going to say it flies in defiance of this game’s established rules, but I can tell that isn’t a concern to you.”
Sunset’s expression soured. “Be that way, then. Since I just Special Summoned Harmony Guardian monsters, the effects of Magnanimity and Magia that were already on the field activate, and I’ll use them in that order. Resolving backward, Magia’s effect lets me take a Spell card from my Graveyard and put it on top of my deck. I’ll take back Harmony Shock. Then, Magnanimity’s effect lets me draw a card.”
Sunset picked up Harmony Shock, put it on top of her deck, then immediately took it back out and put it back on her duel disk. “I activate the Spell card Harmony Shock again, and use it to destroy Wulf by returning one of my Magnanimities to the Extra Deck.”
Magnanimity dissolved into sparkling crystals; electricity generated between them and fired out to shock Wulf. The beast exploded in a shower of sparks.
“Alright!” From the stands behind her, Rainbow whooped. “That’s how you do it!”
Rarity smiled. “Well done, indeed! Give her what-for!”
“You got it!” Sunset thrust her fist in the air, donning a confident smile. “I have four monsters ready to attack, and I’m not holding back.” Lowering her elevated hand, she pointed at Twilight’s monster. “Harmony Guardian Honestas, attack Lumina!” Honestas swung her broadsword behind her and charged.
Twilight put a hand on her duel disk screen and tapped. “I activate my Trap card ‘Lightsworn Barrier’.” A field of white light manifested over Lumina. “With this card on the field, each time one of my Lightsworn monsters is attacked, I negate that attack by sending two cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard.” Honestas’ sword struck the barrier over Lumina and it was flung back, landing in front of Sunset.
“My Trap is Continuous, so any other attacks you try will be negated as well,” Twilight said. “Though I will still need to pay the cost to use its effect.”
That’s exactly what she wants, too. Sunset bit her lip. That’s her strategy; keep sending her cards to the Graveyard to set up plays. I’m not helping her. “I end my Battle Phase.” She reached to her hand. “I activate the Spell card Harmony Jewel. I return Harmony Guardian Gracia to the Extra Deck and draw a card.”
Sunset looked at her new card and then turned attention back to her duel disk. “I then use the effect of Harmony Guardian Risus and return Harmony Guardian Magia to my hand. That will end my turn.”
“Good.” Twilight drew. She looked over her hand and raised her eyes to Sunset. “Thank you for explaining the capabilities of Pendulum Monsters for me. I needed to confirm their mechanics before I could begin working on shutting down usage of them.”
Sunset narrowed her eyes. “How do you plan to do that?”
“One thing at a time. I activate Lumina’s effect, and discard ‘Shire, Lightsworn Spirit’ to revive my Wulf.” Lumina held her hand out and conjured a golden portal through which Wulf stepped. “Then I offer Lumina as tribute, to summon ‘Celestia, Lightsworn Angel’.”
Lumina dissolved into light that swirled in a mass of feathers. From the swarm came a winged warrior with long, blue hair, holding a staff with a glowing orb of light on the end (2300/200).
“Celestia’s effect activates when I summon her by tributing a Lightsworn monster. By sending four cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard, I can destroy two cards on the field.” Twilight lifted her head. “I destroy the cards in your Pendulum Zones!”
Celestia held out its staff and fired two beams of light. The light struck Pietas and Risus and they exploded in rays of golden energy.
“My Pendulums…” Sunset scowled. “I can summon them back next turn as long as I can set a new Pendulum Scale.”
“On your next turn, maybe, but it’s still my turn.” Twilight reached to tap the screen of her duel disk. “One of the cards discarded by Celestia was ‘Lightsworn Judgment’, which allows me to add a monster from my deck to my hand when it is sent to the Graveyard.” She raised her head and looked between her two monsters. “Next, I attack and destroy Honestas with Celestia.”
Celestia pointed her staff again and a beam of golden light fired, piercing Honestas. “Then, Wulf attacks Magnanimity.” Wulf hefted its club and ran, slamming it into Magnanimity and sending her flying into the air to shatter.
-Sunset Shimmer Life Points: 6600-
“I set a card and end my turn.”
-Twilight’s deck: 19 cards-
Twilight looked across at Sunset and shifted her eyes back and forth. “Your field is empty, now.”
“Maybe, but I’ve got an Extra Deck full of monsters ready to go!” Sunset drew and grinned. “And this is where the comeback starts.” She held her card into the air. “I activate the Field Spell ‘Harmony Academy’!”
The ground behind Sunset cracked and split open. A large crystalline schoolhouse rose behind her, its banners and doors bearing a crest with six colored jewels around a pink star. It finished rising into place with a thud, the crystal shimmering.
“With this Field Spell in play, once per turn if I have no cards in my Pendulum Zones, I can place one of the monsters in my Extra Deck in the Pendulum Zone, but its effects are negated for this turn.” Sunset reached to her Extra Deck and withdrew a card. “I’ll take Harmony Guardian Magnanimity and place her in the Pendulum Zone. And I’ll follow that by placing Magia from my hand in my other Pendulum Zone.”
Sunset looked up as her two monsters floated into place above her. “And now with the Pendulum Scale set, I Pendulum Summon!” Her Extra Deck glowed as her hand hovered over it. “From my Extra Deck, I Pendulum Summon Harmony Guardians Gracia, Magnanimity, Risus, Pietas, and Honestas!” Her two Pendulum Monsters held their hands out and conjured a swirling portal between them.
“No, you don’t.”
Sunset lowered her head. “What?”
Twilight pressed a finger to her duel disk’s screen. “I activate my Trap card ‘Vanquishing Light’.” Her card flipped up and lit up in white light. “By offering a Lightsworn monster as tribute when you attempt to summon monsters, I can negate the summoning and destroy them.” Twilight raised her eyes to look at Sunset. “I offer Wulf as tribute, and negate your Pendulum Summon!”
Wulf was drawn back into the hologram of the Trap. The Trap condensed into an orb of light that shot across the field and rose into the portal of Sunset’s summoning. The portal shone and exploded, rays of light shining from the dust.
Sunset grit her teeth as she watched the portal’s remains fade. “Fine. But unless you plan to draw another copy of that Trap, I’ll just perform another Pendulum Summon next turn and they’ll all be back!”
Twilight sighed and shook her head. “I barely even understand how those cards work and yet I seem to know more about them than you do.”
“What do you mean?” Sunset snapped.
“Look at your duel disk and find out.”
Sunset lowered her eyes and saw her would-be summoned cards sliding into her Graveyard slot from the Extra Deck compartment. “Why are they being discarded?”
“It’s a basic rule of summonings.” Twilight pushed her glasses up her nose, her eyes closed. “As you said, when a Pendulum Monster would otherwise be sent from the field to the Graveyard, it goes to the Extra Deck instead. However, the rulings on the negation of a monster’s summoning states that when a monster has its summon negated, it is considered to have been in its place of origin at the time of that negation.”
Twilight opened her eyes. “Your Pendulum Monsters were in the Extra Deck when you tried to summon them and I negated that play. Thus when they are now destroyed, they are sent to the Graveyard like any other card would be.”
Sunset’s eyes widened. “But… I had five of them…”
“Yes, you did, and in overextending yourself so recklessly you made yourself vulnerable to counter-play.” Twilight shook her head. “That’s the error in ‘high risk, high reward’ playstyles – inevitably the risk fails to deliver on the reward.”
“I don’t need you to lecture me on how to play!”
“Very well. Continue your turn.”
“I will!” Sunset looked at her hand and scowled. I would if I had any good moves to make! This is my only card left! She sighed and lifted her card. “I set a monster in defense mode. I then use the Pendulum effect of Magia to return Harmony Jewel to my hand.” Sunset took her from the Graveyard slot, looked down at it, and took a breath. “That’s all. I end my turn.”
Twilight drew, watching Sunset evenly. “I’m actually disappointed.”
“About what?”
“I expected to win this duel, but I was anticipating more of a challenge before we got to that point.”
Sunset’s eyes widened before narrowing into a glare. “What did you say?”
“It merely took two cards to completely derail your Pendulum strategies and wipe out your field. You’ve exhausted your resources too quickly and have little in the ways of recovering them. The only card left in your hand is Harmony Jewel, and you can’t afford to give up a monster in your current state. You’ll have no options left once the cards on your field are gone.”
Twilight reached to her hand. “And I have just the means to make it happen.” She held her card in the air. “I bind together the power of four Lightsworn monsters with different names in my Graveyard, in order to Special Summon ‘Judgment Dragon’!”
The dark clouds overhead flashed and a shadowed form flew out of them. Rays of light pierced the clouds and illuminated it, a massive white dragon. It landed behind Twilight with a thud and roared (3000/2000).
Twilight raised a hand and snapped her fingers. “I pay a thousand Life Points to activate Judgement Dragon’s effect. Every card on the field other than Judgement Dragon itself is destroyed!”
Judgment Dragon’s mouth glowed brightly, particles of light gathering in its maw. It snapped its head down and fired, streams of light swarming the field. Sunset’s Pendulums monsters were struck and exploded, while her facedown card flipped up to reveal Gracia, who shattered as the light hit her. The light blasted through the walls of Harmony Academy and the crystal structure collapsed into dust. On Twilight’s field, Celestia and the card hologram of Lightsworn Barrier were hit and burst into shining particles.
-Twilight Life Points: 7000-
Sunset stared at her, her mouth hanging open. “How could you?”
“Even with no Extra Deck monsters to summon, your Pendulum Monsters are a concern. I wasn’t about to leave them in play in case you—”
“You think I care about that!?”
Twilight frowned and paused her explanation.
Sunset’s face twisted in disgust. “You just destroyed everything on the field.”
“Yes.”
“Including your own cards.”
“You have few monsters left in play to attack with, so my Trap is irrelevant, and Celestia has no supportive effects after her initial summoning. I would have little usage for them if they remained in play, whereas Judgement Dragon’s effect has cleared out your field. Compared to that advantage, two cards is an acceptable cost.”
Sunset’s hands shook. “How can you think that way?” she hissed. “That’s not how a real duelist treats her cards!”
“Oh?” Twilight’s lip curled. “And how should a duelist treat her cards, Sunset? Should we make up our own cards and ask our friends to please let us use them no matter how unfair it is?”
“If you have something to say then say it!” Sunset snapped.
“Fine, I will.” Twilight crossed her arms. “You have no business playing Duel Monsters. You cheat and use fake cards to play, making up their powers as you go along. The most baffling part of it is that the students and teachers at your school let you get away with it.”
On the sidelines, Sunset's friends shared looks of confusion. Applejack scratched her head. “How the heck does Twilight know that those Pendulums aren’t real? Ain’t no one but us supposed to be able to remember them?”
“I’m a cheater?” Sunset replied, glaring. “You have no room to talk! I’ve spent all day watching Crystal Prep duelists use cards my friends and I can’t hope to get our hands on, nevermind knowing how they work or how to counter them!” She clenched her fist. “My cards symbolize the bonds I’ve forged with my friends. They’re unique and special, they’re proof of how far I’ve come!”
“How far you’ve come? Look at your duel disk. You’re supposed to be the best duelist this school has to offer, aren’t you? From the way the cards stand now, you’re about to lose in four turns.” Twilight snorted. “Your friend on the bench is barely even ranked, and she lasted almost as long as you against Lemon Zest and did more damage to her before she lost.”
She peered closer at Sunset. “I think this duel has been rather revealing about you, actually. Without your cheating to support your plays, your deck ran out of steam and was shut down with barely any effort. You’re not a champion, Sunset. You’re a fraud.”
On the sidelines, Radiant Hope frowned. “What are they talking about?” She leaned forward to the microphone, then stopped as Sombra calmly reached his arm out and clasped his hand over it.
Sunset huffed. “You accuse me of cheating because I have cards you don’t know about? Then I say Crystal Prep is cheating for using entire rulesets we don’t know. What’s the difference?”
“That’s not the same thing!” Twilight scowled and stamped a foot. “For one thing, we train hard at Crystal Prep, we actually have to build our decks and get the cards for them, the same as Canterlot High duelists. Everyone who’s here, from either school, has worked hard to refine their skills and make it this far. Except for you. You didn’t earn a spot in this tournament. You faked your way to the top.”
“No, I didn’t. I can’t, not anymore.” Sunset sighed and looked down at her duel disk. “However I got these cards, they’re all I have.” She raised her head. “You call me a cheater, Twilight, but this entire duel I’ve been playing you fair and square, on just my own skills.”
“Is that so? Then it seems I’m right after all; without trickery to help you win, you can’t keep up with the rest of us. In which case there’s nothing left to do but play out this result.” Twilight thrust her hand out. “Judgment Dragon, attack her directly!”
Judgment Dragon opened its jaws and channeled light into its mouth. A beam of light fired across the field and washed over Sunset, sending her tumbling backwards.
“I end my turn by sending four cards from my deck to the Graveyard via Judgment Dragon’s effect.”
-Twilight’s deck: 14 cards-
-Sunset Shimmer Life Points: 3600-
Twilight lowered her duel disk. “I only need to draw a monster with at least six hundred attack points on my next turn, and it and my Judgment Dragon will end this duel. Draw and make your final move.”
Kneeling on the ground, Sunset’s fingers dug into the grass. She stared at her hands, eyes narrowed. “I can’t lose… I can’t…”
“Why do you care?” Twilight asked. “You didn’t bother to enter this tournament in past years. And now that you’re here you complain that we have cards you can’t measure up to. You made the choice to enter and you could have just walked away at any time. Why does the Friendship Cup suddenly mean so much to you now when you never entered before?”
“Because…” Sunset inhaled deeply. “My friends are counting on me… they want to win this tournament. I have to win, for their sake.”
“Their sake?”
Sunset’s eyes widened. That voice…
“Do you really mean that, Sunset?”
Sunset slowly raised her head and saw the edge of her arena booth in front of her. She grimaced and put a hand on the railing, closing her eyes. “Yes. They’re counting me… if I lose this duel…”
“From the looks of things, that’s exactly what’s about to happen.”
“No. I can beat her. I can…” Sunset took a breath. “If I could… could…”
“Could what?”
Sunset licked her lips. She cracked open her eyes and saw a single card on her field.
“Do you want to win, Sunset?”
Sunset swallowed heavily and nodded. “I have to.”
“And what would you be willing to do for that victory?”
“…Anything.”
Sunset raised her eyes to look across the arena. Only shadows were there to see, her dueling booth alone in the darkness. She looked back at her field and the single card there.
“Then you know what you need to do.”
A bead of sweat rolled down Sunset’s face. Her breathing heavy, her chin quivering, she slowly reached out her hand.
“For my friends.”
She clenched her eyes and let her hand fall on the card.
Rays of red light shone up between Sunset’s fingers and the card began to smoke and crackle.
Twilight frowned. “Sunset?” In the stands, Canterlot High and Crystal Prep students alike were whispering to each other.
Sunset was kneeling on the grass, her head down.
“Is she giving up?” Fluttershy whispered.
Rarity pursed her lips. “The poor dear, she did her best.”
Celestia looked at her phone. “It’s been almost two full minutes.” She looked over the table. Sombra removed his hand from the microphone and looked at Hope, giving her a nod. She leaned closer to it.
“Sunset Shimmer has thirty seconds to take her turn. If she does not, we will deem this match a surrender and victory—”
A pillar of flame erupted from around Sunset.
The watching students screamed. Twilight’s breath caught and she took a step back. Sombra’s eyes widened and he snapped his head to the field.
The flames faded, embers glowing in the air. The grass around Sunset was scorched black in a perfect circle, smoke rising and blowing away. Sunset stood up, her head down, hair billowing, and lifted her arm above her head. The embers and smoke swirled around her and were drawn into her deck.
Sunset slowly raised her head, her hair whipping in the air behind her.
Pinkie whimpered. “Guys? Tell me I’m not seeing what I think I’m seeing.”
“Ah wish Ah could, Pinkie. Ah really wish Ah could.”
Rarity’s hands shook in her lap. “I remember those eyes…”
Twilight gaped. “S-Sunset?”
Eyes glowing bright red, Sunset lowered her arm and put a hand on her deck. “My turn.” She didn’t look away from Twilight as she drew her card, flipped it over, and placed it on her duel disk. “Activate Spell card, ‘Infernal Harmony’. Two Light-attribute Harmony Guardian monsters in my Graveyard are banished.”
The holograms of Gracia and Risus flew out of Sunset’s duel disk and dissolved. “Then, two Dark-attribute Harmony Guardian monsters are added to my hand.” Her deck lit up red and shuffled, the cards ejecting from the top.
Sunset grabbed her cards and held them out, the glow in her eyes intensifying as she spoke. “Using the Scale 3 ‘Harmony Guardian Compassio’ and Scale 9 ‘Harmony Guardian Infernal Juniperus’, I set the Pendulum Scales!” She swung her hand down and placed the cards on her disk.
Pillars of light, red and teal, erupted from the ground beside her. In the red pillar was a warrior woman in gold armor, a shield and sword in her hand, red and yellow hair flowing down her back. In the teal field was a warrior in green and purple armor, her helmet forming a visor across her eyes. A flail with a flattened metal disk for the head hung from her hip.
“Using the cards in my Pendulum Scales, I can now Special Summon monsters between their Scale levels from my hand or face-up in my Extra Deck!” Sunset thrust her hand up. “Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monster servants!” A crackling portal opened over her head and streaks of light shot onto her field.
“From the Extra Deck, Harmony Guardian Gracia, Harmony Guardian Magnanimity, and Harmony Guardian Magia! I summon you in defense mode!”
The streams of light vanished and Sunset’s three monsters appeared kneeling in front of her.
Sunset stared at Twilight, her eyes still bright red. “I now tune my Level 4 Harmony Guardian Infernal Juniperus with my Level 4 Harmony Guardian Gracia.”
“What!?” Twilight shook her head. “You can’t! Monsters in the Pendulum Zones are considered Spell cards, they can’t—”
“Harmony Guardian Infernal Juniperus’ special ability,” Sunset interrupted coldly. “When it is in my Pendulum Zone, I can conduct a Synchro Summon using Juniperus and a Level 4 Harmony Guardian on my side of the field.”
Juniperus turned into four glowing green rings and began to encircle Gracia, sparks of energy crackling between them. The rings caught fire and Gracia lit up in a bright red aura.
“I align the spirits of the guardian of kindness and the fallen guardian of inspiration, and open the dimensional gates to call on the harshest of dark musicians!” The rings circling Gracia contracted around it and a column of flame erupted up from them.
The light in Sunset’s eyes flared up. “Synchro Summon! Awaken, Level 8, ‘Harmony Guardian Infernal Ariette’ (2300/1300)!”
The flame pillar receded to reveal a creature hovering in the air, leathery purple wings keeping it aloft. It was a female humanoid being, its skin purple and covered by violet and dark green armor with a silver star on the shoulders and its gloves. A red gemstone set in the middle of its chestplate gleamed brightly. Long purple hair floated in the air behind it, streaks of silver light shooting down the strands. The warrior held out her arms and a massive trident appeared in her hand, crackles of purple energy shooting between the tips.
As the new Synchro monster slowly lowered to the ground behind Sunset, Twilight stared up at it in shock, her mouth hanging open. “This is impossible…” She lowered her eyes to Sunset. “How are you doing this? Sunset!”
Her eyes pulsing with red light, Sunset’s response was to curve her lips in a cruel smile.
Sunset...is like Yuya. Sunset, snap out of it!
Sunset...just for the live of God shut up. You sound like a whiny selfish child. It's also sad when the robot makes a better point.
It's not fair that Crystal Prep has cards that people at CHS dont? Wow. Just...Just wow. First of all, they still paid for their cards or opened plenty of buster packs to get them. Anyone dedicated to the game at CHS could do the same if they were willing. I may not like it when I'm playing against someone who has 3 copies of a $70 card, but it's not cheating since they chose to fork over the money to get the card.
SECOND, IF THEY ARE CHEATING BECAUSE THEY HAVE CARDS NO ONE ELSE HAS THEN WHAT THE HELL DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT YOURSELF? Yeah, whatever point you might have been trying to make is undermined when you are knowingly using a deck that no one else has because it was magical given to you. Then when someone with a very inexpensive deck takes you down what do you do? You cheat even more as if it will somehow prove a point. Oh yeah, also going evil because why not
As the duel heats up, and a duelest falls to their darkness, we humble readers eagerly await the next chapter!
Crap, Sunset is going Zarc on Twilight, that never ends well for anyone. I'm glad Sunset got all the anger out of her system by saying Twilight and Crystal Prep's unfair advantages and pushing CHS around is basically just cheating, and Twilight is being a sore sport for daring to accuse Sunset of cheating with Pendulums. I do not have a good feeling about how this duel will end though.
Yeah, completly fair play Sunset.
9384599
Ah, as much as I hate to say this about Robo-Twi, she is correct. Sunset is using a deck that technically doesn't exist and has a magical filter on it so people will forget about it as well as except its existence. It's also a deck that can filter and change itself in order to help its master win regardless of skill. If that's not cheating I don't know what is
9384619
So one person from a school has an advantage against her opponents, compared to an entire school with better cards and more training that basically bullies another school on a yearly basis. I still say Crystal Prep is the bigger cheaters with bad attitudes.
oh so that's where the sirens went up...
looks like Sci-Twi is gonna get a bad time.
So not only do we not get an idea of how the deck has changed as well as how Sunset normally plays it, but now its changing yet again? That seems like really bad story telling.
Also, while I have a problem with this tournament it's mostly due to the idiocy on Canterlot Highs end. They are the ones with the only fusion monster rule which feels like they have actually discouraging their students from getting better decks. Or since the are going up against a pro school instead of a school more at their level if play. Or for not giving their students a handicap to make it more fair for them as well as more challenging for Prep students. However in terms of game play, both sides up until this point have been playing fairly.
Also... Your friends are counting on you? They seemed pretty resigned to their defeat even talking about things they'd rather be doing. I got more of an impression that, other than Rainbow, theyd be ok if you threw the match so they could all go home. Let's not forget a line Sunset said during the original Frienship Games: The win wouldnt matter if the other side thinks they cheated. Think about that.
Lastly, I think this is the last duel. Mainly because the only two characters who have gotten any characterization are dueling. Sunset just wants to do her best. That's it. There's no threat that the student body might hate her again or desire to win back their trust. This isnt even the last match with the score tied to add to the pressure. As for the emotionless robot, all she wanted was to fully understand Sunsets monsters. How they work...and she has. She has no interest in magic like the original so I fully expect her to logically conclude that Sunset continued to cheat before returning to her powering station to recharge.
9384592
Yeah, after that outburst, I really cant root for Sunset to win or anything really. I'm just not as invested in any of these characters like I was in the original
9384626
Well that's how tournaments sometimes work. You dont know who your dueling against and they might have a better deck than you. However I would argue this: all of their cards exist. A student has the potential to get them. While the students at the Prep have more money, they still had to get the cards and learn how to make the most of them.
I just think it's a lot more fair than what Sunset is doing right now. Also I dont believe it's right to cheat just because you think the other side has an unfair advantage. How would that make you any better than how you perceive them to be?
9384592
You know I think the story is following more on the anime logic over the real world logic where their only certain types of cards that rarely shown (Example blue eyes only has three in that world) and she's pissed off that the school just easily gets these worlds ultra rare and impossible to find cards, over just the real world equivalent and that's what she was meaning by they were having an unfair advantage while they have to find the type of cards they get the most common and not well while they manage to get ultra rare, and nearly impossible to find cards, but two their bitches that stating sunset cards are fake cause she's never seen them. So it just pushed her over the edge.
Oh come on..... Drakey......... actually you know what? I'm done. I am actually done and leaving this story. This has been a trainwreck since the first loss.
9384693
Well, you may have a point with you anime logic. But allow me to make a counter point: its something Sunset should have been prepared for. At the start of this story, Sunset knew this would be hard and that her opponents would have better cards. It's cheap but not cheating.
Let's look at it from this point of view. When Kiba used his Blue Eyes, I cant remember when anyone ever accused him of cheating just because he had cards no one else did. Nor did they accuse him of cheating when he had a God card. Because people went into the duel knowing it would be difficult. Let's also use GX as an example. When Aster used his Destiny Heroes, I dont remember anyone accusing him of cheating. Same goes to Jaden with his Neos cards. I believe the anime logic is that since these cards were made and being played they exist. Therefore it's not cheating. They maybe rare, hard to find, or even one of a kind, but it's not cheating.
Whe it may be unfair, those students still had to do some legwork to get them. If this is anime logic than those students went through hell and high water to locate the cards they wanted before forking over a ton of money. Might sound unfair but it's not a cheat. If Sunset had a problem with this she should have talked to Principal Celestia BEFORE this began since she knew CP had cards like that.
And I believe I already made my feelings clear on how I think Sunset is cheating. Only this time she can actually be called out on it by someone who is actually playing the game fairly
9384710
While I'm not on board with the first duel comment I do see where you're coming from. Both stakes and characterization have been sorely lacking. While the first story worked hard to fix some of the problems the first movie had this one just feels inferior to the Friendship Games. It feels more like it was done with a checklist next to it in order to build tension, but it feels forced and thus hollow. Hopefully you will find better stories.
At for me, I'll do what I almost always do and see this trainwreck till the end
9384740
Thing is I side with Sunset's point but you know. Maybe don't have Twilight focus on only the cheating aspect. Maybe have her dig at the still painful past and that's why they're allowing her Pendulums to be registered.
"That's nothing. Wait until you hear about Link Summoning."
The Canterlot duelists looked to the announcers' table. Their principal smirked and leaned in towards the microphone. "No relation."
"For one, you were using a ruleset I didn't know."
As for this latest development... Oh, Twilight, you have not even begun to see the bullhonkery protagonist powers can produce. This boss has officially turned red. Good luck with that.
I side with Sunset here. In a world where one side gets ultra rare cards like its opening a pack with random cards, vs a side where finding rare cards is like finding a blue eyes in the anime, that's not fair. So if Sunset's cheating then so is Crystal Prep.
9384792
So, what your saying is that it's ok to cheat when you think there is an unfair advantage over you. Not talk to the officials in charge of the event to see if they can do something to make it more even or just suggest not doing the tournament since its idiotic.
I'm not saying to never cheat, but it shouldn't be your first option like it is here
I really, really hope that we get a blogpost with all those new cards. (Also, the pendulum effects of Magia and Pietas here don't seem to be up-to-date anymore.)
9384792
I'm a bit in the middle here. In the anime, cards were made up all the time. Yugioh GX was proof enough of that with the Neo-Spacians and all the Neos fusions.
However, even though it's Sombra and not Cinch (great choice btw, author), having a school that's legitimately pay to win show up and start beating down on a school that doesn't have much in the way of decent cards is not only not fair, but it's also bullying in the worst way. Basically one of those "Hey, lookit me, I'm better than you!" kind of situations.
Now, I'm not saying that the author made a bad choice, because it makes for a fantastic underdog story. But I do hope that Canterlot High takes a look at the way Crystal Prep is running the game and takes some lessons from it by allowing more than fusion monsters in the future, so the students have a chance to learn from it all.
9384942
Actually those were real cards. Remember that Kiba had a contest and Jaden won. His cards were made and launched into space only to land in front of their creator. Its bull, but the cards were really made
Oh now you've done it Twilight.
I think I can sum up my reaction to the chapter as follows:
i.imgur.com/J0tUGXq.png
"Uh..."
Okay, more coherent now.
Even accounting for Pendulum monsters not being very intuitive to follow, and the writing style giving almost no insight into a given duelist's strategical thoughts (even without that, the duels so far work fine, as they are all existing cards we are familiar with. Or, if we are not, we can look them up), this was a migraine of a duel to follow. I kind of knew it would be, as towards the end of DotAC, the Harmony archtype kind of got that way when Twilight's support for them increased. Still, any hope I had for a gentle ease-in was dashed quickly. Normally with these duels, I like to take my time, looking up the card effects as we go, keeping track of hand sizes, all that. Here? I gave up after the first turn. This turned into the bad kind of anime duel. The kind where "everything DOES fit within in its own rules, but it's such a headache to keep track of you're better off just talking the duel at face value and not thinking about it". It's a kind DotAC and this have avoided almost completely, so I'm dispirited to see it in full effect here.
Somehow, I didn't quite expect to see Sunset basically give into her demons. Probably because I hadn't spent time on my expectations beyond "Sunset has to win for the tournament to continue as normal". I guess it at least gives us a shake-up, though it may be a little late to save face, if I'm being frank.
The problem the story is facing, is basically that it lacks a soul, even though its trying to have one. Too much edgy Yu-Gi-Oh stuff, not nearly enough sincere goodness of the human (pony?) soul of MLP. Mostly in neither Twilight nor Sunset being characters we can relate to, feel empathy for or enjoy to read about. Very hard to get by without one of those three. DotAC could have done with more of the Pony side in tone and characterisation and gentleness, but it was still there almost as much as desired. Here, the dwindling continues.
I feel kind of bad being this nitpicky. Clearly I want to see how this ends, coming back after each update and all. I'm trying hard to not lose that excitement.
But, it's not easy. Whatever the intent, the story is feeling sloppy and misguided more and more. I'm hoping the shakeup can turn things around. And maybe this is all part of some grand master plan that will feel right by the end. But if so, it's not making the weight any less excruciating.
9384989
Yeah who would have guessed it would be so easy to get Sunset to revert back to her former ways. Clearly Twilight beating her with legitimate cards and calling her out on being a cheater was going too far
9384987
Ah! I actually had forgotten, lmao.
Still, alot of the synchro monsters and stuff were made up on the spot after a tuner magically appeared in Yusei's or the other's hand during a draw. So there is precedent for it. A bullcrap precedent, but one all the same.
9385008
I think Sunset giving into her demons like this was pathetic. As Brony said: nothing is at stake. We might have seen the others giving their all, but they seemed content when all was said and done. None of them were on their knees crying or making Sunset promise to win this for them. If she loses, well nothing would have happened. It would just be over and Sunset might learn a lesson along with her friends. Maybe even talking to Celestia about changing their opponents to another school so they could be on more even groups for the Cup. But instead she goes bad just way too quickly and easily.
As for Twilight she seems to have gathered enough info on these broken cards. Her goal never seemed to be to win. So win or lose it feels like she's still going to come out on top.
9385049
True but that was normally against foes who were also using bullcrap magic with higher than normal stakes. Like the Dark Signers for example.
9385058
Oh, I didn't say I really agreed with it. Just that it caught my attention. Albeit not for good reasons. I think I hadn't considered it because DrakeyC is normally much more, well, subtle and nuanced with characters grappling with their inner demons then this. We're a fair way away from Twilight Falls, Sunset Dawns, anyway.
9385049
9385081
Here's an even earlier example of cards literally created out of, well, magic: Timeaus, Critias and Hermos from the Waking the Dragons/Doma arc. I doubt anyone minded really, as at the time, the notion of fusing them with a monster to make an equip monster, or fusing with a Trap to make a monster, was new and uber-cool. Plus, you know, the world was at stake with everyone at risk of losing their soul and the world being reset.
And on the topic of enemies using magic for their decks too, though it's not, like, fully confirmed, I think we can all agree Dartz did that. Consider that his cards are all Orichalcos-themed, which should not logically exist or be printed. More so, the blatant overpowered-ness of his cards which are very clearly designed to make full use out of the "back row" feature (remember, Yugi only beat Shunorus due to Critias using Mirror Force's effect, allowing the reflected attack to hit "instantaneously" and bypass Aristeros' and Dexia's effects to have their Attack or Defence be 300 points higher then whatever monster they engage in battle with. Basically The Wicked Avatar's effect). The others Doma members synergized with the Seal of Orichalcos, sure, but their decks could still function without them perfectly fine. Dartz's could only exist with the Seal as it is in the anime. Same goes for hiding Mirror Knight Calling in the back row; without Kaiba using Ring of Destruction to take it out, his strategy of using Kaiser Glider and Different Dimension Dragon to take out the Mirror Knights with ATK equal to the monsters they fight wouldn't have worked, as they would have kept recovering their shields (and, presumably, shielded one another too). I could go on, but you get my point. Dartz really started the trend of "supernatural antagonists with overpowered supernatural decks", with that same duel also having Yugi do kind of the same in a pinch. Never again was there another case of such dread and impossibility against an otherwordly enemy with a supernatural deck until Yubel. That duel was basically the Dartz duel of GX, anyway.
...it kind of says a lot about the story at this point that we've wandered off onto talking about actual Yu-Gi-Oh anime, doesn't it?
So...with everyone going on about the duel and how Sunset's pulling a Protagonist Card, I have to say that, despite everything, I can appreciate that you still shown Sunset as still having the drive to win. Sure, she isnt as manipulative or as 'evil' as before, but she hasn't had the whole 'wanting to change who she is' that the mainstream Sunset has had.
So, basically, Sunset still hasn't changed. Her drive to win hasn't been tempered by her desire to protect, but its her own selfish desire to prove the other Twilight wrong.
That and the use of the Sirens as cards to symbolize this, unintentionally done or not, is a good call. (The fact they're used as Tuners for Synchro Summons is hilarious in hindsight.) Especially since they constantly taunted her in their movie about her supposed bond (at the time) with the HuMane group.
9385123
Yeah, it does I'm afraid. I'd love nothing more to say great things about this. But all I can see are the plot holes staring back at me and wondering why people are thinking the Crystal Prep students are cheating instead of voicing how broken this whole tournament is
9385171
So you're saying if you were playing a game that you're normally good at, not TOURNAMENT CHAMPION level but at the least you could enter and hold your own.... and then all of a sudden this smug little shithead comes along with this fresh new weapon you won't get for at least another two months and beats your team because he paid money to gamble and win the best shit..... you don't consider that shit cheating? Or at the least STUPIDLY unfair?
9385899
Well having something that no one else does or not made for the public is cheating...but that's not what's happening here. All of the cards, while expensive, are neither one of a kind nor withheld. To me cheating in Yugioh is tampering with your opponents deck, having a sneak peak at their hands, stacking your deck in a certain way to ensure a perfect hand. Its actually something I wrote about in the side story collab for the story.
Just having better cards does not equal cheating. It unfair and utterly insane that CHS decided holding these games was a good idea but it's not the Prep students fault. They are the ones in training to go into the pros. Not to mention no one has a gun pointed at the head of CHS to force them to do the. The students could simply not register to play showing the facility how unpopular this all is. Or if they were forced just forfeit and not give them what they want.
As for Sunset, she is the one who went to yugiohcardmaker.com and created her own deck there and is playing with it like it's real. She also has one of the memory flashing devices from MIB so no one questioned her. Now someone is standing right in front of her pointing out that her deck isnt real. She never had to spend money making it nor did she have to work on making sure it was balanced. Then she decides to use her magic to cheat more, claiming it's for her friends who all took their defeats with what she is lacking: maturity.
Seeing a lot of back and forth on this... on who's cheating and whos not.
The thing is with Crystal Prep... they are using cards that Canterlot doesn't use... but from what i recall, that's a choice. They dont play to the higher stander rules... as it gets to complicated for them, and take the fun out of the game for them. Its a choice, and they Friendship games is Tournment Level... so ALL cards are fair play
The group was able to get XYZ and Synchro rather fast... so its implied they had them, or the school loaned them out.
Derpy attempted to Synchro in the last story... so if Derpy can get them and use them, the other sure as hell atta (No Offence Derpy, you adorable little thing you)
And while Sunsets cards are 'Fake'
the magic just gave her the newest cards so her Pendulum cards fair... just not the magical one of a kind and phantom summoning.
So Sunset is the one technically cheating
Okay, I for one was really championing this story, seeing as it inspired me to start a whole unofficial semi-canon midquel anthology, but right now it feels like it's going in a completely wrong direction.
I'll admit, in terms of the game I really didn't like the constant Extra Deck additions, though after hanging out in Dueling Nexus for a time Xyzs kinda started to grow on me (real fond of Evilswarm lately). That is to say I was fine with CHS having the Fusions only rule during the Autumn Crown tournament, but I start to feel that maybe they should have lifted that limitation immediately after Sunset's fall from power, seeing as I always felt she was the one championing that limitation for her own ends.
Also getting some mixed messages: Are the elite Crystal Prep students supposed to be in the right? That they're better than CHS based solely on the fact they're have the finances to afford the best stuff? That CHS should just give up and accept their ass-kicking by their superiors? That's pretty Randian if you ask me. Given how the first THREE duels were all for Crystal Prep it's kind of pushing that message.
I was actually excited to see what Sunset's Harmony Guardian Pendulums could do, that she no longer needed to use magic, let alone dark magic, to cheat her way to the top, that it would just build up Twilight's resentment that she'd been showing since the start of the story, and she'd have an impossible victory moment based more on her good nature thus maybe have some sort of dark influence infect Twilight instead. But nope; having Sunset procrastinate and revert back to her old ways to win. I know this is an alternate reality, but this feels like a huge character assassination for Sunset Shimmer if going the redemption arc.
I get that in the real world maybe it's more about your financial circumstances on how you make it in tournaments, but isn't the point behind the anime and manga (haven't watched the franchise since the Dark Signer Arc of the 5d's era though) similarly to MLP/EqG about hope and belief and that the cards are more an extension of the duelist wielding them rather than just overpriced bits of cardboard?
I'm sorry, but so far this is starting to feel less like a tribute to the fictional Yu-Gi-Oh, and more of a badly conceived real-world message on the actual card game.
9384585
I got that vibe too. Even pulled up Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon's summoning on Youtube for the music that played.
9386921
Still, Twilight had no right talking to Sunset like that. A Duelist cherish their cards no matter the vaule or Rarity.
Uh-oh. Sunset Satan makes a comeback. I hope she knows what she's doing because Twilight is going to get it.
Oh hell, Aria as a Synchro, force and damage speed. Perhaps Sonata is the fusion, spunky and curving around, with Adagio as another Xyz for creative and cunning?
See, I thought this was all meant to be akin to the more fictional Yu-Gi-Oh, as in the anime and manga; that a specific person seems to be the only one around who is using a specific archetype, and cards are such a valuable commodity that they have bloody armed escorts (just look up Yu-Gi-Oh GX) for shipments.
What with the duel disks with super-advanced holographic technology, shadow games, schools specializing in a game and people having used extra deck cards specific only to their chosen archetype (which as of the duel between Pinkie and Lemon Zest ended with Zest having a Morphotronic deck, but her Synchros involving representatives of the Tech Genus (T.G.) archetype), the story seems to have veered too close to actual "realism" of the real-world game instead of the whole concept of a card game influenced by the supernatural.
Would it be in bad taste if this seems appropriate for Sunset?
Oh wow and here I thought it'd be Sci-Twi who would succumb to the dark side but The Demon is back to make this Duel even more high-stakes.
9395811
Agreed. He hasn't really bad mouthed anyone plus he hasn't really tried to use Twilight at all or at the very least a whole lot.
Uh-oh...Sunset has had enough.
Hello, Aria!
nicely done; also:
Juniper Montage, eh? I approve
...and now we have Aria: can't wait to see what other EQG antagonists we'll see here; also, nice touch with the chant
Dang Si-twi is savage