> Yu-Gi-Oh! P†H
>  by moviemaster8510
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: On the Eve of Destiny
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The city of Chicago was always as alive at night as it was in the day, and this couldn’t be truer during the evening on the precipice of summer. Navy Pier was bustling with locals and tourists as they shopped from store to store, the IMAX Theater especially packed with teenagers and young men and women clamoring to see the premiere of the newest Godzilla feature. The streets were bustling with cars, bicyclists, and walking citizens as they headed to their individual destinations underneath the shimmering starry sky.

Just south along Lakeshore Drive was the titular Soldier Field, its classic stone exterior being gate for the modern glass-and-steel structure that made up the arena. Inside, fans filled the seats as they watched and cheered for two men chasing each other about an immaculate medieval castle, almost as if it came from a regal fairy tale.

One of these men wore an ornate red t-shirt and custom jeans that clung snugly to his muscular body. On his left wrist was a brown-colored device with what appeared to be an Apple iPad of a matching color fastened inside of it, although it was slimmer and around an inch or two shorter than an iPad. On the right side of the device itself was a deck of cards with a light-brown backing with a spiral design in a darker brown in the center. The slot the cards sat in ran along the downward-right diagonal edge on the top-right side of the device.

Hovering close beside the long back side of the device and following its every move was a circular disk with bright, technicolor lights shimmering inside it. Two bright white strips of light were visible on the left and right sides of the disk. Coming from each side were two black blades with glowing jade-green edges of different lengths. The blade on the right was the shortest, containing three rectangular outlines upon it, while the left blade held four. Both blades had rounded triangular tips on their ends, the right blade pointing up and to the right, the left pointing down to the left.

On the rightmost zone of the right blade and the leftmost zone of the left blade were two cards, the top halves orange and the bottom halves green. The card on the right zone featured artwork of a small creature with brown, branch-like limbs and a body comprised of a bush, a pair of big, innocent looking eyes appearing from the center. On the left zone, a large, seafoam-green-colored insect with wings made up of pink flower petals was on the card’s art.

Hiding Bush
Pendulum Scale: 5

Garden Guardian
Pendulum Scale: 8

However, both of these creatures stood beside the man, the three of them looking up at their opponent in annoyance, who stood at the edge of the balcony of the high center tower of the castle, smiling down on them.

His apparel consisted of a black buttoned shirt, crumpled black pants, and a ratty black trenchcoat. He wore a similar device on his own wrist, complete with the bladed disk, albeit his was a sparkling black, as well were the edges of his blades. On the leftmost zone of the right blade was a purple card, whose artwork featured a detailed marionette of a green-haired girl in a purple robe and holding an ornate purple staff riding a hideous dark-blue wooden dragon puppet. The monster on the card perched itself upon the tower’s roof, being held up by glowing purple strings that faded away as the ascended to the night sky.

El-Shadoll Midrash:
ATK: 2200
Lvl.: 5

“What’s Jacob going to get out of this?” asked a black-haired emcee with a flamboyant white suit, standing inside the castle’s courtyard as seen from the numerous holographic screens inside the stadium. “How is he going to counter Rich’s monster?”

“Here’s how,” Jacob spoke under his breath, putting his fingers atop his deck. “My turn! Draw!”

The crowd cheered as Jacob whipped his arm out, a card held inside his fingers.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, approaching Soldier Field on Lakeshore Drive from the north was a black, armored truck careening through the streets as a pair of police vehicles followed its path, likewise attempting to avoid the traffic congesting the street. Keeping a close watch were a pair of helicopters from above, their spotlights trained on the fleeing truck. Leading right in front of the truck before both front tires was a biker in all black apparel, riding a matching Victory Cross Roads 8-Ball motorcycle. On his left wrist was a bulky device on his wrist that had a large, empty slot inside of it on top.

For as agile as the police were in their pursuit, the truck and the biker was just as, if not, more elusive through the traffic, not letting the police have an inch towards them as they began to fall back behind the criminals.

“Any nearby units on South Lakeshore Drive,” a male officer in the first car reported, “requesting back-up. We have two robbers, suspected to be armed, driving south on Lakeshore Drive and passing by Soldier Field.”

Further down south, at the McCormick Place, a lone man knelt down low on the walkway connecting the east and west buildings, directly over the southbound lane of Lakeshore Drive.

The man was dressed in a tight black jumpsuit with large, metallic boots with large soles, black gloves with metal plates on the palms and front of the fingers, as well as a black jacket cut off at the middle of the abdomen. His hair was long and silvery, minus the slim black and red streak that ran down the right side that draped over his shoulder. His left arm was lifted close to his face as he observed a device on his arm with a large screen.

“…in possession of stolen cards and around one-hundred-thousand in cash,” the transmission statically sounded off on the man’s device.

“Kieran,” clearly called a woman’s voice from the device, the sound of a motorcycle distinctly in the background, “they’re coming.”

“Yes,” the man named Kieran answered, “I know. Question is, are you ready?”

“Yes. Just about to exit off of the Stevenson Expressway now,” she said.

“Good. There’s a biker among them. Take him out. I’ll handle the truck.”

“Copy that.”

“We have to go now. Best of luck, Alice.”

Without waiting for a response, Kieran pressed a button on the lower left hand side of the device, shutting it off. Standing up from his spot, he saw the red-and-blue flashing lights come towards him in the distance. Turning his body away towards the south, he closed his eyes and listened as the sirens and helicopter blades come closer and closer.

The helicopters trailing the truck and motorcycle suddenly spotted Kieran standing on the McCormick Place walkway, shining their spotlight on him.

“That’s…” commented one of the pilots.

Kieran’s eyes shot open as he took a running start towards the lane, following the traffic. Thrusting off the edge, he leapt off the building and towards the speeding traffic below. Falling closer to the street, Kieran kept a stoic face as he prepared himself for his landing. Right at the last possible moment, the motorcycle and truck were visible beneath him.

With the sole of his left boot hitting the roof of the truck and sticking with a magnetic clang, as well as his hands sticking to the roof, Kieran let out a grunt as the truck swerved to realign itself, nearly hitting a van beside it.

“Oh my god!” shouted a police officer. “It’s them. It’s the Guardiaboliques!”

Kieran kept his hold of the truck’s roof as he saw the headlight of a black Kawasaki Concours motorcycle merge onto Lakeshore from the highway, smirking as he watched its safe appearance. The motorcycle and its rider reduced its speed, managing to avoid the other cars while they maneuvered around it. Finally, the rider was right on the robber’s motorcycle’s right.

While the rider’s physical features were hidden by their black outfit and full-headed helmet, there was a patch upon the left shoulder was completely indistinguishable to the robber. It was a blood-red crest featuring a light-brown goat’s skull with bright, sparkling gold wings. She also wore a device on the top of her wrist that held a deck of cards, the bottom ends aiming to the right.

“You–” stammered the robber. “You’re–”

“You don’t need to remind me,” Alice’s voice interrupted through her helmet. “However, it seems you need a reminder of what happens when you cross the law.”

“A reminder? From you?!” the man laughed. “I think it’s you who needs to be reminded about–”

“Then let’s stop wasting time,” she said, pressing a brown card-backing icon on the bike’s electronic dashboard

Flipping face-up and enlarging itself upon the screen was a green card with an artwork featuring an empty stretch of racetrack with streaks of bright-colors running all about it.

“Speed World X,” she shouted, “set on!”

On the dashboard of the robber’s motorcycle, the Speed World X card appeared, much to his confusion and apprehension.

“Riding duel,” an electronic voice spoke, “standby.”

At both times, two thin slots opened up on both riders’ motorcycles’ gas tank as their headlights began to shimmer with technicolor effects. An aura spread out along most of the area, brightening the area and sharpening the colors of every object and thing that was covered by it.

“Fine,” the robber grunted, reaching into his front right pocket and pulling out a deck of cards, which were placed inside the device on his wrist. “The boss is going to love to see one of you guys in our custody anyway.”

“Not if you’re held by the police, we won’t,” Alice chided.

“Shut up! Let’s get this over with.”

“Yes…” she hissed.

Both decks inside the slots of both devices on both duelists’ wrists shuffled with unintelligible speeds, and once it was done, the two duelists drew five cards from the deck and slipped them into the sides of their devices, holding their hands firm.

“…let’s.”

“Riding duel,” the computer responded, “commence.”

“DUEL!” the both of them shouted.

================
Grunt:
LP: 4000

Alice:
LP: 4000
================
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Jacob looked up at Rich, the former sporting a determined grunt while the latter looked down on him with a smug, cocky grin.

================
Jacob:
LP: 400

Rich:
LP: 2000
================

With his new hand, Jacob held three cards. Seeing a card lying upon the ground with an ornate brown “A” for a backing, Jacob quickly somersaulted towards it, picking it up and looking at it, his eyes widening at the sight.

“Action card!” shouted Jacob, holding it out as it glew lightly. “Exhaustion!”

A much larger image of the card appeared before Rich on the tower, the art featuring a silhouette of a human figure squatting down and panting, causing Rich to step back in shock.

“This lets me target one monster my opponent controls,” shouted Jacob, “and negate its effects until the end of the turn, the only one being your El-Shadoll Midrash!”

Rich looked up to see as a green glow surrounded his monster, causing its grip on the castle to loosen as the strings holding began to lower lazily down. As the monster struggled to hold on, the crowd cheered as Jacob pulled two wholly orange cards from his hand.

“With my pendulum scales already set at 5 and 8,” explained Jacob, as a bright 5 appeared over his bush monster and an 8 above his insect, “I can special summon any number of monsters from my hand whose levels are six and seven.”

“Don’t tell me,” shouted the emcee and riling the crowd up, “is he going to–?”

“That’s right! Pendulum summon!”

With his declaration made, the area of the arena began to turn blue as the outline of a many-pointed star appeared in between two blue pillars that surrounded Jacob’s two monsters. Once Jacob placed his two cards on two zones on his blades, a red portal opened between the two pillars, allowing two orange auras to fly out of it and land on the ground. The auras took the form of two massive, gray-barked trees with a small, leafy moustache, three-braided vines for a beard, and a pair of glasses. 

“Come!” shouted Jacob. “My Sylvan Sagequoias!”

Sylvan Sagequoia
ATK: 2600
Lvl.: 7

“Can’t let that happen,” grunted Rich in a raspy English accent. “I activate my trap! Shadow Barrier!”

With a wave of his arm, a face-down card before Rich flipped up from the top and stood upright, showing the design of a robed man casting a translucent purple shield with his outstretched hand.

“This turn,” Rich explained, “one DARK attribute monster I control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects!”

A purple sphere formed around Rich’s monster and the spire of the castle. With its balance almost lost, Rich’s monster pushed against the inner wall of the shield for stability.

“Now even if you attack me,” Rich declared, “I’ll still have more than enough life points to spare for the next turn!”

“Is that so?” Rich asked confidently.

“What!”

“Normally, I would not be able to special summon again because of your monster’s effect, but thanks to Exahaustion, I can. Now,” he yelled, throwing his right hand to the sky, “I shall overlay my two level 7 Sylvan Sagequoias!”

Both of Jacob’s monsters returned to a wispy aura form and danced towards the sky in a spiral before fall back towards the ground, a swirling red aura forming at the ground before Rich.

“With these two monsters, I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

Both auras flew in, changing the aura to a bright, white circle. Flying from the circle was a massive jade-green bird with golden wings with red tips. Its tail was made from palms and its head was flowing with long blades of grass and branches with cherry blossoms blooming from them. Two lights also orbited around the bird at a slow and steady rate. With a piercing shriek towards Rich, the bird stood between Jacob and the tower, eyeing its prey.

“Here we go!” finished Jacob. “Orea, the Sylvan High Arbiter!”

Orea, the Sylvan High Arbiter
ATK: 2800
Rnk.: 7

A black card featuring the giant bird was set over Jacob’s two copies of his Sylvan Sagequoias on the leftmost zone of the right blade from the disk. Jacob ran up the bird’s tail, the avian bowing itself to level its back for him to mount it. Grabbing the flowery wreath that was wrapped around its breast, Orea flapped its wings, carrying itself and Jacob up to the top of the castle tower, where Rich was watching with sheer nervousness.

“I activate the effect of Orea!” declared Jacob, grabbing the last card in his hand, an orange card featuring an elf with golden, floral armor, and inserting it into a slot along the back end of his arm device. “By sending a plant type monster to my graveyard, I can look at cards from the top of my deck equal to the level of the monster I sent and return those cards to the top of the deck in any order. My Sylvan Flowerknight was level four, so I look at four cards.”

Jacob drew four cards and began to quickly rearrange them before fanning them back in and slipping them onto his deck.

“Next, I activate the other effect of Orea,” continued Jacob, sliding a copy of his Sagequoia out from underneath his other cards and putting it in the graveyard slot. “Once per turn, I can detach one xyz material from this card to excavate up to three cards from my deck. I choose one!”

One of the orbs of light melded into the bird's beak, and it let out a piercing shriek that emitted a light aura like a ripple from its mouth. Drawing a card from his deck, he revealed it to his anxious opponent, revealing an orange monster card featuring a trio of cartoony, anthropomorphic peas inside a pod that hung from a tree branch.

“Since my Sylvan Peaskeeper is a plant type monster, I must send it to the graveyard, but for every plant type monster sent to the graveyard by this effect, I can return that many cards from the field to the owners hands.”

“That means…” growled Rich.

“That’s right,” Jacob answered. “Orea, return El-Shadoll Midrash back to his extra-deck! Sylvan Gales!”

With its golden wings glowing, Orea flapped its wings at the draconic puppet, the sparkling wind blowing it off the tower where it disappeared in a shrinking ball of light that popped like a light bubble. Rich seethed, his field wide open now.

“Let’s end this!” Jacob shouted. “Orea, attack Rich directly! Timber Talons!”

Throwing its wings up, Orea descended upon the tower. Rich looked left and right, searching for an action card, only to find none. Orea’s talons crashed into the castle, sending brick, rock, and even Rich flying backwards. Rich yelled out in pain as he landed on his back and slid to a stop.

Rich’s Life Points: 2000 -> 0

Jacob wins

The crowd began to cheer as a holographic display of Rich’s depleted life points as well as one of Jacob’s victory spread throughout the stadium, the audience cheering wildly as a result. Suddenly, the castle and the other scenery began to fade into gold sparkles. Before the castle where Rich was lying could fade, Orea grabbed him in its talons and flew down as the rest of the castle disappeared.

Orea landed to the ground, which also faded away to reveal a massive glass surface with a titanic machine featuring two orbs shining magenta beams of light held by a blue, fluorescent beam suspended underneath. Upon letting go of Rich and letting Jacob slide off of it, the machine slowly powered off, causing Orea to fade away.

Jacob removed his monster from the zone on his blade, allowing both blades to fade into the disk as it too powered down, the light inside it dimming until it turned completely off. Placing his hand on the disk, Jacob pulled it away and lifted it up, using it to wave to the thundering applause of the audience.

“And there you have it folks!” shouted the emcee, walking over and holding up Jacob’s other arm. “Jacob comes out of this outstanding duel the victor. Come on everybody, let’s really give him a hand!”

The crowd cheered louder as Jacob continued waving to the many, adoring fans.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran managed to make it to the roof over the driver’s side of the truck, still struggling to hold on as the vehicle swerved to both avoid traffic and the policemen trying to catch it.

================
Grunt:
LP: 800

Alice:
LP: 4000
================

Up ahead, the Alice was behind the robber, but a monster was floating right between them. It appeared to be a massive praying mantis clad in bronze, oriental armor and a matching red headdress.

Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 9

“Strong…” the robber stammered. “So strong…”

“Cao Cao, attack!” shouted Alice, pointing the robber out. “Take out his remaining life points! Red Scythe Slash!”

The giant insect lifted its armored and bladed forelegs up and brought them down upon the robber as he barely managed to keep control of his bike as it wobbled from the blow, grunting in exasperation as he did.

Grunt’s Life Points: 800 -> 0

Alice wins.

A jet of steam burst out from the sides of the motorcycle, reducing its speed significantly. As he pulled over to the shoulder of the road where his bike finally stopped, Alice and the truck went speeding by as a police car parked behind him. As a male officer got out, the robber banged his fist against the fuel tank of his bike in defeat.

Up ahead, the truck finally kept a straight and steady course, allowing Kieran to grab the edge of the roof and swing into the window, shattering it and kicking the driver in the face, sending him flying into the passenger side door. With swift reflexes, Kieran fell onto the now occupied seat and grabbed the steering wheel, preventing it from ramming another car on his right.

With the other driver unconscious and the biker having been arrested, Kieran began to shift towards the right lanes near the shoulder. Alice, observing this, stayed close to the left side of the truck’s door. At that moment, the door swung open, forcing Alice to juke out of the way while Kieran held the door open.

“You got this?” shouted Kieran.

“Not if you don’t hurry!” she responded.

Without a word, Kieran shifted the truck into neutral gear and pulled the handbrake on the car. As the truck reduced in speed, Alice reduced her speed as well, staying in line with the truck. Pushing off the step to the truck’s door, Kieran leapt off and landed perfectly in the passenger’s seat behind Alice.

Swerving sharply out of the truck’s way, Alice sped off down the road, taking a sharp right at East Hayes before disappearing into the traffic. Further behind, two police vehicles parked behind the stopped truck while two more went on in search of the two vigilantes. Two officers from one car ran to the truck’s passenger side door, handcuffs in their grasp, while one officer from the other walked towards the back with a crowbar and a pistol.

The officer put his ear to the door gently, hearing no signs of life inside. He then tried the handles on the doors and gave one a turn, seeing that it was unlocked. Swinging the door open, he aimed his gun inside, but the inside was empty, save for the few stacks of bills and a briefcase lying inside.

As the other two police officers dragged the still unconscious robber away, the last officer looked to the sky, unsure whether to thank the Guardiaboliques for their help, or curse them for obstructing their justice.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Alice and Kieran sped up to the front what appeared to be an abandoned factory, the brown brick walls, towers, and chimneys cracked or even partially crumbled away. Not a soul was inside the parking lot save for the two of them. Once Alice parked her bike and set the kickstand, she and Kieran dismounted.

“Great work today, Alice,” Kieran spoke.

“Thanks,” she responded, twisting the screws holding her license plate with a pair of coins.

“You’re off tomorrow, I take it?”

“Yes,” she answered as the plate fell to the ground with a clatter, revealing another one underneath. “I have… school tomorrow, and one of my friends is performing in the school musical tomorrow, and then we’re going to an after party at a nearby park.”

“…Interesting. This is that Yurik kid you like to talk about, right?”

“Yeah,” she said, removing her helmet to reveal a head of medium, black hair and slight freckles on her cheeks. “He’s playing the Emcee in…”

“Cabaret? Hm. I wish him the best of luck.”

“You know,” she pressed on, unzipping her body suit and shedding it off along with the wrist device holding her deck, revealing a forest green t-shirt and thick blue jeans, “you’re supposed to say, ‘Break a leg.’”

“…Yes, I know.”

Picking up her suit and her fake license plate, she folded them up roughly and handed the pile to Kieran, who grabbed them in both hands.

“Have a good time,” he said, almost as if it were an instruction.

“I always tend to,” Alice replied with a shrug.

Kieran bid her farewell with a nod and walked to the doors of the entrance to the factory. Alice clicked open the right case along the back end of her motorcycle. She pulled out a leather jacket and quickly slung it on.

Placing her helmet back on her head, she mounted her bike and turned it on, watching from afar as Kieran walked inside the factory, disappearing behind the large, metal doors. With a turn of the key, the Kawasaki came back to life and allowed Alice to leave. Circling around, she headed back to the road that would take her back home.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Alice quietly rode through the suburban streets of Naperville, knowing full well that children as well as adults were sleeping for the next day of school or work. And with a warm pre-summer breeze flowing through the air, she could assume that some peoples’ windows would be open and hearing her motor. However, she finally made it to her driveway, scooting her and her motorcycle up towards the garage.

Pulling a small remote from her jacket pocket, Alice pressed a button and watched the metal door lift open. The sound of rolling tires came up behind her, making her instinctively look behind her. A black car slunk up the street, passing her house and moving a couple more down before parking on the opposite side of the road.

Alice looked curiously at the car, only to see someone stepping out of it. Whomever it was looked to be a man who wore a black suit coat, a pair of black slacks, slick black shoes, and a fedora hat. Curiosity soon became suspicion as the man pulled out a small wooden box from his inner pocket and gently dusted it off with his hand.

Stopping before the door, he reached into his inner pocket again and produced a small envelope. Kneeling down and placing the envelope on the mat before the door, he weighted it down with the box, standing back up. Alice watched the man look down at the box for several seconds before he turned around and walked back to his car.

Fearing being seen, Alice turned back her gaze to her long-opened garage and walked her motorcycle inside. Neither seeing nor suspecting Alice, the man stepped back into his car and unceremoniously drove back down the street, leaving his mysterious package behind.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Within a bedroom, lined with posters of various bands and musicals, namely those of Peter Gabriel and The Talking Heads, as well as a red dueling wrist-device with a deck inside, a matching red iPad detached from the device and plugged to a charging chord, a red-and-silver blade disk on his desk, and an acoustic and electric guitar both on stands beside the desk, an older teenager slept snugly upon his back on his bed.

His long brown hair was strewn across his pillow, the long bangs on the right and left side of his hairline draping over his ears. While only his shoulders up were visible past his covers, he didn’t appear to be wearing a shirt. The late-spring night’s air didn’t seem to bother him, and neither did Alice’s bike, nor the man who dropped off his package at his door.
> Episode 1: When Worlds Collide, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun came up very early, as expected during this time of year. The birds chirped loudly as they flew about, their day having long begun. Despite the bright sun’s rays beaming through Yurik’s window, he still continued to sleep contently underneath his covers. His bedroom door creaked open, still not managing to wake him.

Creeping inside on tiptoes was a skinny young man around Yurik’s age, wearing a black vest over a white t-shirt along with light-grey jeans, and black socks. His sandy-brown hair was finely combed atop his slender face, giving him the look of a gentleman. In his hand, he held the wooden box and envelope left at their doorstep.

“Yo, Yurik,” the man said in a low-pitched voice, loudly knocking on the jamb of his door, “mail call.”

Yurik stirred in his bed before stretching himself into an upright seated position, groggily addressing the young man in the room.

“Did you say mail?” Yurik wondered, rubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes.

“Must be a secret admirer or something,” the man responded. “I guess girls have a thing for people who dress in drag on stage.”

Yurik produced a raspy, tired chuckle, outreaching his hands towards the man for the box in his possession.

“Walt!” called an alto-female voice from down the stairs. “You aren’t waking Yurik yet, are you?”

“Kind of need to, mum,” he called back. “Looks like someone sent him something late last night.”

“What?” shrieked the voice of a young girl. “Yury got a present?! No fair!”

Running into the room was a dark-brown haired eight-year-old girl wearing pink pajamas with a matching top and bottom. In one bound, the girl landed on Yurik’s bed and sat Indian style on top of the covers over his shins. Yurik groaned as his legs tried to support her weight.

“Evey,” scolded Walt towards the girl.

“You got a present?” called the woman’s voice as she came closer to the room. “From whom?”

Stepping further into the room was a curly blonde-haired woman a round face and a pointed chin, wearing a navy-blue v-neck sweater and light-blue pants.

“Dunno,” Walt answered, walking towards Yurik in the bed, “he hasn’t even gotten it yet.”

Putting the box and envelope in Yurik’s hand, Yurik looked about the people in his room with an awkward chuckle. On the back of the envelope was written, “To Yurik Clayer” in neat cursive. Gently having torn open the seal, Yurik removed the paper from inside, unfolding it and reading it aloud.



“Yurik,

By the time you get this, you will have graduated from high school. I wish to say that I am very proud of you and I know you’ll be able to change the world with your talents.

Your Father,
A. Clayer”



Yurik gasped upon reading the last four words, the paper falling from his hand and to his lap. Walt and his mother were equally shocked, their mouths slightly agape as they watched the paper slide off the bed and to the floor.

“Dude,” whispered Walt as he walked over and picked up the paper and read it himself.

“A gift…” Walt wondered, looking down at the box, “…from my dad?”

Yurik suddenly clutched the box like an animal protecting its meal, taking Evey on his bed aback. With his hands cupped over the box, Yurik gently lifted the lid off, acting calmer once he realized the box’s contents. Inside was a pendulum monster card featuring artwork of a lavender winged-unicorn with a purple mane and tail streaked with magenta flying through an ethereal space. Upon the top of the card in sparkling foil letters: Twilight Alicorn.

“Hey,” Walt asked. “What is it?”

“Yeah!” Evey shouted, crawling over Yurik to look as well. “Let me see.”

Yurik tilted the card out towards Walt and his mother so that they too, as well as Evey, could see clearly.

“Twilight Alicorn,” read Yurik aloud. “Pendulum effect. Any effect damage you take becomes zero. During either player's turn, special summon this card in face-up attack position. You can only use this effect of Twilight Alicorn once per turn. Monster effect. Once per turn, you can target two monsters in your pendulum zones: special summon those targets. During either player's turn: select one unused pendulum zone on your side of the field; place this card on that pendulum zone. You can only use this effect of Twilight Alicorn once per turn. Level seven dark-attribute spellcaster-type, 2500 attack, 2100 defense.”

Yurik let out a half sob and half giggle, touched by the present he had received. Evey had even calmed down, completely understanding of Walt’s sudden feeling of sheer happiness. Walt and Evey’s mother clasped her hand over her heart, also touched by the gift.

“Wow,” Walt said in a somber tone, “you must be lucky that your dad still remembers to give you presents.”

Walt suddenly turned to Walt, looking frightful as if he had offended Walt with his gift.

“What?” Yurik stammered. “I… I don’t–”

“Relax!” Walt chuckled, walking over to Yurik and slapping him lightly on the shoulder. “I’m just busting your balls. Now, come on. We have a lot to do today, and we don’t need you smelling like pits.”

As Walt turned to leave the room, Yurik let out an embarrassed chuckle as he closed the gift box up.

“Evey,” instructed her mother, “come on, let Yurik get ready.”

“‘Kay!” she responded, hopping off Yurik’s legs and onto the floor. “Cool card, Yury!”

Yurik let out a more genuinely charmed chuckle as he watched Evey leave the room. With her body no longer weighing him down, Yurik turned to the edge of the bed and walked over to where his dueling device was, revealing a baggy pair of sweatpants. Taking another look at the card, he finally resolved to insert the single card onto the top of his deck inside the slot.

“Well?” queried Walt’s mother, “you heard the man. Hop in the shower.”

“Sounds good.”

Walking to the doorway of his room, and about to pass Walt’s mom, he leaned over and pecked her on the cheek. Genuinely surprised by his gesture, even as he continued down the hallway, she rubbed her cheek as she turned out of his room, walking in the opposite direction.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt sat on a couch in his living room with a bowl of Cheerios placed on his hand, watching the news intently as a moderately attractive anchorwoman with reddish-brown hair covered the latest stories.

“Last night,” she reported, “a high-speed robbery was thwarted by the police with the assistance of the vigilante group known as the Guardiaboliques.”

Walt kept chewing and chewing his cereal, too transfixed by the helicopter footage of Alice defeating the other motorcyclist and Kieran swinging into the truck to realize that he could swallow.

“Reports say the two men involved with the robbery, both brothers, Mitch and Cory Williams, had stolen a case of rare, expensive duel monsters cards as well as one-hundred-thousand dollars in cash.”

Yurik came down the stairs, fully clothed and his hair done. His dress consisted of a black long-sleeved shirt with a blue, short-sleeved shirt jacket over it, a decal of large silver wings with loose feathers adorned on the back. He was also wearing a pair of khaki pants with the sleeves of a black hoodie sweatshirt wrapped around the waist, the back end of it draping down to behind his calves. His long hair was tied back into a pony tail, his two long bangs hanging just beside the outer corners of his eyes. A single strap of a large, crammed, black backpack was slung over his shoulder.

As Walt continued watching the report with the intensity of a child watching cartoons, Yurik walked into the kitchen across the foyer and helped himself to ripe, red apple in a bowl filled also filled with bananas and oranges. Walt’s mother came downstairs shortly after, the sound of the TV drawing her attention to it. After watching the figures that were Kieran and Alice ride safely away from the abandoned truck, she sighed and rolled her eyes in disgust and walked into the kitchen as Yurik leaned against the island counter as he at his fruit, his bag rested on a rotating chair with high legs.

“Ugh,” she groaned, eyeing the TV once again. “The nerve of those people.”

“Yeah,” Walt grunted, clearly having heard this song and dance before, “how despicable of those guys to properly do a job the police hardly can.”

“Walt, I can’t believe you support those criminals.”

“Yeah, as opposed to the ones who are supposed to protect our streets and not using their power to abuse-

“Walt!” exclaimed Yurik, dropping his hand on his shoulder and stopping him. “Please, let’s get to school before we start another pointless argument.”

Walt peered up at Yurik, clearly able to tell through his inverted face that he was smiling and excited to get going. Walt, seeing this, relaxed as well and gave a smirk back.

“Yeah,” Walt quietly relented, “can’t start Yurik’s big day on something like this.”

As Walt headed to the sink, his bowl of browned milk tilted into his mouth, Yurik slung his backpack over his shoulder and stepped towards the door, apple in the other hand. Setting his bowl in the sink, Walt walked over to the door where Yurik was waiting.

“Wait!” cried Evey’s voice.

She came running down the stairs wearing a sky-blue t-shirt and a white skirt that covered over her knees, wearing a pink backpack. Charging at Yurik, she hugged around his thighs and squeezed herself at him.

“Bye, Yurik,” she bid. “I’ll see you after the show!”

“Yeah,” laughed Yurik, bowled over by her support as he patted her back and ruffled her hair. “I’ll see you all there.”

“Well?” Walt asked picking up a large army-green backpack and a black camera bag from inside the foyer by the door. “Nothing for me?”

“…Oh yeah,” Evey coyly responded as she turned to hug Walt as well, which he returned.

“Aha,” he sighed, also patting her back, “there we go.”

“I’ll see you tonight,” called Walt’s mother.

“Park early,” Yurik warned with a chuckle.

“Have a good day, you two.”

Yurik and Walt opened the front door and made their way out. Inside, Walt’s mother breathed a disappointed sigh, keeping her expression constant until the storm door closed. Yurik and Walt turned right from the driveway to the sidewalk, briskly taking their walk to school.

“Hey!” shouted a female voice as the clacking of shoes hitting asphalt sounded to their left.

Yurik and Walt turned to see Alice running across the street, wearing a black tank top with small roses decorated on the right side on the front, as well as a long, dark-gold skirt and black slippers. A small green backpack was strapped over both shoulders. She looked very happy to see both of them as she put herself in between the two.

“Alice,” greeted Yurik, just as chipper as she was. “Morning.”

“Good morning to you too,” Alice chirped. “So, ready for the big night?”

“I’ve been ready since the beginning of the semester.”

“You bet he is,” Walt quipped in. “You should see his ‘dress’ rehearsals.”

“Walt,” Yurik whined.

“Relax, man. I’m not spoiling anything.”

“Well, please don’t,” begged Alice. “I’ve never seen Cabaret before. Yurik, what’s it even about?”

“Well,” Yurik answered, stepping out further in front and walking backwards to face his two friends, throwing his arms about for theatrical flair, “it’s about a young dancer and singer named Sally Bowles, who performs at the Kit Kat Klub in Berlin, hoping to find love and fame amidst the rising threat of the Nazi regime.”

Alice giggled perkily as Yurik stepped back in line between her and Walt.

“You must be really excited for this,” she responded.

“How can I not? I get to play the best character in the show!”

“Certainly, best dressed too,” mumbled Walt.

“Walt!” Yurik snapped, jerking his neck to him.

“Hey, man, calm down. Why don’t you just show Alice your new card?”

Yurik calmed down as he looked away and up to the sky, suddenly remembering his gift that morning. Sliding his backpack down to his upper arm, he unzipped the back zipper and ruffled the body of his dueling device inside, shifting it to expose his deck better.

“New card?” asked Alice. “What kind of card?”

With a careful slip, Yurik drew the top card of his deck and handed it to Alice, who looked at it with a small sense of amazement.

“Twilight Alicorn?” she asked. “Cool. Where’d you get it?”

“It was a graduation present from my dad. Mom found a box on our doorstep. Must’ve been dropped off last night. Weird, huh?”

“Yeah…” Alice responded, suddenly sounding dodgy upon remembering the man that dropped it off. “If it’s from your dad, why didn’t he want to come and say hi? Don’t you wish he would come to see your play?”

“He’s a really busy guy. He must have sent someone to drop it off for him.”

“Huh. I see…”

Yurik looked off towards Alice, who seemed genuinely upset by his response.

“Alice,” cooed Yurik, placing his hand upon her shoulder, creeping the other behind Walt. “You have no reason to worry. I already have the best family and friends that I can ask for coming.”

Yurik then grabbed both Walt and Alice by their outer shoulders and pulled them close.

“Tonight’s going to be friggin’ awesome!” shouted Yurik up to the sky.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The house of the auditorium was filled with people and the aisle between the stage and the last row of empty seats were lined with video cameras stationed on tripods. At the foot of downstage left was Walt, a Canon 7D camera mounted on a Manfrotto as he quickly changed out an SD card from the slot with a new one. Closing the card reader door and turning his camera back on, he pressed the record button as he readjusted his focus.

Even as he continued, a trio of tiller girls appeared from stage right, giggling and cheering as they put themselves in line. Their costumes consisted of black, gray bowler hats with black bands and a rose pinned to the side, black fingerless gloves, black-and-red garters and thigh-high stockings, small, white feathers on the backside, and sparkling black high-heeled shoes. Their faces were powdered white, their eyelids were brushed with pink and blue, and they each held onto a bamboo cane.

Once Walt’s focus was set right where he wanted it, another trio of similarly dressed girls came in laughing and whooping shrilly. They began their dance as the orchestra in the pit played a very ragtimey ditty as the girls continued to wow the audience. Evey, her mother, and Alice were in the middle of the floor level seating, giggling with entertained faces, roaring into full blown laughter with the audience as the dancers showered the first few rows with confetti.

Walt carefully blew confetti away from his camera, as it fluttered towards the lens. The girls engaged in shaking their bodies and buttocks at the audience, titillating them further as streamers unraveled from the ceiling and draped the stage. The dancers continued kicking and shimmying when a girl with blonde, curly hair in the center front line broke away towards the center edge of the stage.

“Erraten wer?” the oddly tenor-man voice questioned cheekily, removing his hat from his wig as a sign of greeting, revealing it to be the Emcee, played by none other than Yurik.

The crowd ooed loudly and applauded as Yurik laughed at their shocked reactions. Evey, her eyes wide with surprised, turned to her mother and pointed at Yurik, wondering if she could notice Yurik in his costume. Alice was completely aghast, caught completely off guard by the transformation. For good measure, Yurik trotted over to Walt and turned his outer left thigh towards him, pointing at it suggestively. Walt made a reach, only for Yurik to slap it away and wag his finger at him impishly.

Walt returned to his camera and carefully filmed Yurik as he returned to join the other five dancers. The dance went on as the audience continued laughing and applauding Yurik’s showmanship. The song then began to slow down as they made their way to center stage, returning to two lines of three, posed with their hats in hand and facing the side of the stage.

A drumroll sounded as the streamers began to fall from the ceiling and Yurik and the other girls turned to face the audience and put their hats back on, canes still firmly in hand. When the drumroll turned into a marching beat, Yurik and the girls flipped their hats around, removed the bands, and tilted the hats back, making them resemble army helmets. The lighting turned from colorful to starkly blue, the six on stage being saved from becoming silhouettes by a spotlight.

Once again, the Yurik and the girls faced the side of the stage, but began to goosestep with their canes held at their shoulders like rifles. The girls marched in a half circle, walking back to the other side of the stage as the beat of the drum became faster. Yurik, however, broke apart from them and marched about in a circle, riling the crowd up with even more cheers.

Yurik finally marched offstage as the spotlight faded away, the only lights being the lighting up the back wall. Two men in street-clothes costumes ran across from the opposite side of the stage, shouting, “Juden! Juden!” Once they completed their run, the tiller girls, marched to the opposite side, getting a final applause from the audience. Following them was Yurik, his corset shed from the waist down and his hat and wig perched on the hook of his cane, his hair tied back in a bun.

The drums ceased, allowing Yurik to laugh fiendishly as he made his way back offstage. Waiting there was a skinny woman costumed in a black dress, short, dyed-black hair, and a beauty spot on her left cheek, putting her hands up for a dual high five. Once Yurik was safely enough offstage that he could break character, he clasped her hands together and laughed a more controlled and genuine laugh, still making his way to his dressing room.

The woman looked longingly at him as he disappeared behind the doors, but as other actors began to pour onstage for the next scene, she pulled herself away to join them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik, Walt, and Alice briskly walked through the half-empty parking lot. Walt had his camera bag in his right hand, his tripod bag in his left, and his backpack on his shoulders. Yurik, wearing his old outfit, had his own backpack on as he tried wiping off the excess makeup he missed after the show with a small, stained towel.

Both of them and Alice laughed heartily as they walked up to a large black van. Alice ran up ahead as she unlocked the back doors, opening them up for Yurik and Walt. The both of them packed their bags inside, Yurik still wiping his face.

“Yurik,” chided Alice, “you’re going to scratch up your face if you keep rubbing it.”

“Just a labor of love,” he tweeted, folding up his towel.

“You can wash up when we get to the bonfire,” Walt advised, pulling a pair of black goggles from his backpack. “I’m sure they’ll have water or a bathroom.”

“Aw, I think he should have come to the bonfire in makeup,” suggested Alice.

“If they would have let me borrow the costume,” said Yurik, “I totally would have. However, I’m both famished and in dire need of a drink, and I’d like to get there sooner than later.”

“Seconding that,” Walt spoke, walking back to an old Harley Davidson Sportster nearby and affixing his goggles over his eyes. “Hey, Walt, if you get there before me, can you get my duel disk from my bag?”

“You got it!” called Yurik with a goodbye wave.

“Come on!” Alice spoke, already holding the front-passenger door open for Yurik. “I’m getting a bit hungry too.”

“Then drive, baby, drive!” he responded, hopping into the seat.

Alice climbed in as both she and Yurik closed their doors and fastened their seatbelts. Starting the car on, Alice immediately put the car in drive and drove through the empty spot ahead of them, pulling out in front of Walt, forcing him to stop abruptly.

“Darned kids!” he shouted in an exaggeratedly wizened voice, shaking his fists.

Walt could hear the two of them laughing through the opened windows, unable to stifle a laugh himself. Driving through the parking lot to Mill Street, the two vehicles made their way to the bonfire for a congratulatory celebration.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

As predicted, Alice and Yurik managed to pull into the parking circle of the forested Seager Park before Walt, although he was only a few vehicle lengths behind. The bright light of the bonfire was clearly visible from behind the trees and over the hill, and loud music could be heard through the crack in the windows of Alice’s van. Going up the hill and looking for a close, available spot, Alice turned to see monsters attacking one another in various places around the park; it appeared that some were dueling to pass the time.

Alice managed to find a spot near the southern end where a path bending around the trees would take them right to the heart of the party. Before Alice could even shift her car in park, Yurik hopped out and back to the back of the van. Opening up the doors, he found Walt’s backpack, unzipping it open and pulling out the parts to his ebony duel disk: the body (and deck), the tablet, and the blade disk.

Walt parked right beside the van, intentionally just missing Alice as she came around to help Yurik. Walt dismounted and pried his goggles off at once, walking over to the back of the van and tossing them in, right next to his disassembled duel disk.

“You know,” Walt said to Yurik as he picked up the main body to his duel disk, “I should’ve told you that if I were going to arrive roughly the same time as you, I would have done my duel disk myself.”

“Well,” Yurik responded with an innocent shrug, “I can’t really do anything based on should’ve.’”

Walt pressed an eject button on the right end of the left side of the duel disk next to the slot for his tablet, the entire end shifting further to the left. Walt then picked his tablet up and slid the bottom end into the port on the right side of the slot. Upon being satisfied with the click the port made, Walt pressed the eject button again, the left end slid in place and held his tablet inside firmly. Finally, he picked up his blade disk and laid the bottom of it along the back side of the duel disk, where it stuck on magnetically.

“Ready?” asked Walt to both Yurik and Alice.

Both of them were too constructing their duel disks, finishing with the connecting of their disk blades, Alice’s being colored, forest green, to the side of their disks.

“Ready,” Yurik said with an enthusiastic nod.

Without further words, the three of them walked up to the path, following it to the heat and glow of the fire and the loud pop music playing. A bing then came from Walt’s machine and the screen went alight. On it, a bar with the green label “Mom” on it read: “If you see drinking, come home.” Walt huffed a chuckle out.

“Apparently,” reported Walt, “Mom is worried about us all getting wasted.”

“Well,” Yurik spoke up, “if I can find a way to get wasted on pizza and Pepsi, that’s exactly what I’m going to do!”

Yurik curled his upper body into a ball and clenched his fists tight, a squeal passing through his toothy smile.

“Come on!” shouted Yurik, breaking into a run. “I’m tired of waiting!”

“Hey!” shouted Walt, picking up his speed with Alice. “Come on, wait for us!”

As the path began to unwind and straighten to the open area of the park, an expanse of trees further off, Yurik slowed his speed to a fast walk, looking out for friends as he made his way straight to the picnic area, where he could already spot boxes of pizza on the benches and coolers and buckets of ice, bottles, and cans right next to it.

Yurik observed the events happening all at once: the basketball games at the court to his left, along with a few duels happening, and to the right, the large bonfire, a mosh of people dancing around it, and a couple more duels. He couldn’t decide which to do once he got something to eat.

As he made his way to the benches, the girl he saw after his dance was already walking towards him with a can of Sprite and a slice of cheese pizza on a napkin in her hands. Her once dyed hair was now colored red and her dress consisted of a green scaly-designed t-shirt and deep-blue jeans. Upon seeing her, she lit up, jogging up towards him. Seeing her approach, he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Mary,” he gasped.

“Yurik!” she greeted. “It’s about time you showed up.”

“Walt and his crew needed some help striking after the show.”

“Oh, okay. I sure hope they got my good side.”

“Hehe…” he awkwardly chuckled.

Mary cocked her head to the side, confused by his reaction.

“What’s… that supposed to be?”

“I just think it’s funny that you think that you even have a bad side.”

Mary chuckled, calmed by Yurik’s remark.

“Thanks, Yurik. But with Walt, I can’t imagine that they could film a bad side anyways.”

“Why, you’re just too kind,” called Walt’s voice.

Yurik looked behind himself while Mary peered over his shoulder to see Walt and Alice approaching.

“Walt,” spoke Mary, “did you just get here too?”

“Yeah,” Walt answered. “Apparently, we weren’t hungry enough to run.”

“Well, we have plenty of pizza left. Want to come?”

“Yes, please,” Yurik responded with gusto, but keeping himself by his friends.

Mary turned back towards the benches and led Yurik, Walt, and Alice towards them, where others were hanging out. As others left with their pizza and drink and passed by the four of them, they greeted Yurik with either a wave or a high five, each one followed by a variation of, “great job.”

“So,” Mary wondered, “Alice, did you like the show?”

“Oh, very much so!” she replied with a nod. “You really have a great voice.”

“Thanks a lot, but I don’t think I’ll ever be as good as Liza.”

“But pretty close,” Yurik responded.

“I really liked your first one a lot,” continued Alice. “Mein Herr, right?”

“Yep. That one is fun. But to think, we have one more show on Sunday, and then…”

Mary stopped in her tracks, prompting the others to stop as well.

“…and then it’s over,” Yurik finished, also feeling the weight of his realization.

Mary sniffled, consumed in nostalgia and reflection.

“And to think that four years could go by so quickly…”

Yurik laid a hand on Mary’s shoulder, mildly surprising her.

“Mary,” he assured her, “don’t think that this ends after we leave here. We’re all still going to be friends for a very long time, and you can believe that.”

Mary looked back up and tried bringing a smile back.

“Now come on,” Yurik beckoned, patting her back, “let’s enjoy our party.”

Mary smiled, breathing out a sigh of relief as she continued to lead Yurik, Walt, and Alice to the food. Alice looked to the right to see a single monster, what appeared to be a silver-colored dragon with luminous scales. As it and the lit blades from their blade disks faded inside the machine, the two duelists walked up and shook each other’s hands. Her eyes widening up, she impulsively grabbed Yurik by the right wrist and ran towards the open field with him.

“Yah!” Yurik shouted, offset by the force of Alice’s tug. “Alice? What are you–?”

“Twilight Alicorn,” she said. “You haven’t used it today at all, have you?”

“N– No, but–”

“Great, because I’m going to be the first duelist you use that card against!”

“Alice!” Yurik continued to shout, disoriented by his weaving body as it was forced into the crowd gathered around the field and near the bonfire, nearly knocking several of them over. Finally, Alice let Yurik go as she ran to an end of the playing field, causing chatter amongst the onlookers.

“Hey,” called a man in the crowd, “Yurik’s here!”

“Who’s the girl?” wondered another.

“What’s going on?” called a woman.

“Hey everyone,” called Alice. “I’m a friend of Yurik’s! He wanted to show me the new card he got as a present today!”

The crowd was suddenly in an uproar over this news, each one wondering what this new card Yurik could have gotten. Walt and Mary pushed into the crowd so they were at the very edge of the playing field. Yurik, seeing the commotion caused by Alice’s actions, knew that he was going to have to duel her before he could eat. Then, realizing the show he would be able to put on, he looked at this deck inside his duel disk.

Twilight Unicorn, he thought to it, you think we can do this?

As if he received a positive answer, he pulled his blade disk from the side of his duel disk and placed his fingers on the center button on top.

“Alright, Alice,” Yurik spoke with a smile, “let’s hurry this up so I can get some pizza.”

“Hmph,” she huffed, removing her own blade disk from her duel disk, “don’t count on it. I’m going to enjoy this.”

“So will I,” he said as both of them pressed the buttons on their devices.

Both of them threw them out like Frisbees out to the right, where they began to fly in orbit back to them and passing each other. Inside the center, particles of different colored lights began to swirl inside the fan chamber as it spun. Upon completing its orbit, the two disks stopped immediately beside the back side of the duel disks, the slots of light facing out to the left and right.

A bright, intangible shape of light shot out of both sides of the disk before they formed into the two blades, the lights fading down to reveal the black surfaces and the seven total zones, the outlines of the blades matching the colors of their duel disks. Striking final poses, a flashing red banner appeared on both duelists’ screens as the cards in their decks were quickly shuffled.

“Connection complete,” a voice said. “Yurik Clayer vs. Alice Ross, initiated. Draw.”

As instructed, Yurik and Alice drew five cards from their decks, ready to begin their match.

“I don’t want this duel to end until I see that monster of yours!” she shouted.

“Neither do I, so let’s get this rolling!”

“DUEL!” they both shouted.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Alice:
LP: 4000
================

“Yeah!” cheered Walt, his iPhone out and recording the video. “Get ‘er good, Yurik.”

“Yeah, Yurik,” goaded Alice, “get me good. I’m giving you the first turn, so let’s see you go.”

Yurik looked down at this hand, his eyes widening upon his luck. In his hand were three pendulum monsters, one of which was his Twilight Alicorn. The other two even had the proper scales to allow him to pendulum summon.

Very nice, thought Yurik. Right off the bat here. Let’s not waste any time then.

Yurik gabbed two of his pendulum monsters from his hand, leaving his Twilight Alicorn along for the time being.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 4 Unioncorn of Water and scale 8 Unioncorn of Earth,” Yurik declared.

Placing the two cards on the outermost zones of his blades, two blue pillars of light lit up beside Yurik on the inner edges of the field. Inside the beam on Yurik’s left, appeared a blue unicorn with webbed, amphibious appendages, the one in the right pillar being another unicorn which seemed to be made of dried mud and had grassy patches on its body as sort of an armor. A 4 and an 8, respectively, appeared over both monsters inside the pillars while the multi-pointed star appeared in the sky.

Unioncorn of Water
Pendulum Scale: 4

Unioncorn of Earth
Pendulum Scale: 8

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 5 through 7!” Yurik continued.

“Is he gonna’ do it?” asked a bystander.

“Will we see his new monster?” wondered a woman.

“Here it comes,” whispered Alice, an excited smile on her face.

“Pendulum summon!” shouted Yurik. “Come to me! Twilight Alicorn!”

“It’s happening!” shouted various people. “He’s gonna’ do it!”

Yurik, excitement coursing within him, slammed his card atop the rightmost zone on his left blade. A red portal began to open up over the center of the battlefield. The others watched intently, waiting for Yurik’s monster to appear.

Then, a red beam the width of the portal itself shot out from both sides of the portal, the bottom end colliding with the ground at tremendous force, knocking everyone nearby off their feet and to the ground, including Yurik and Alice. Nearby, the other party goers screamed as the earth violently shook and they lost their balance.

“What…” stammered Yurik, crawling on his back as he looked up into the sky as the pillar raised higher and higher without stop, “what’s happening?”

“Impossible,” Alice spoke. “The solid vision can’t be this strong without a generator.”

The pillar continued to blast into the ground, vibrating the ground hard and scaring everyone around.

“Yurik!” shouted Alice. “Stop the duel now!”

Yurik already began taking his two pendulum cards off his duel disk while large red text on his screen reported, “ERROR!” As he reached for his Twilight Alicorn card, he found an invisible force repel his hand away. Yurik tried pushing in as hard as he could, but his hand would not be able to touch the card.

“Yurik!” screamed Alice.

“I can’t!” screamed Yurik, becoming terrified himself.

Yurik pressed hard until the force hurt his hand, tears running down his face. Looking back at the beam, he and Alice watched as the beam grew angelic wings while the outline of a unicorn was visible inside, leaving them in a sense of sheer awe. Walt and Mary stood up, as the others who managed to get up ran to their cars to escape. Walt continued to film the chaos as he felt Mary tugging his arm.

“Walt!” she shouted. “We need to go, now!”

“You go!” he shouted. “I need to be here!”

Without a second try, Mary broke with the others to the parking lot, sprinting in with the mass of other terrified people. A booming whinny was heard inside the pillar as the wings began to wave for flight, the wind it caused beginning to extinguish the bonfire. Walt continued filming to the best ability his trembling hands would allow him.

Yurik, having given up trying, could only look up as the wings rose even higher, preparing to fly. With a tremendous thrust, the wings of the pillar flapped down causing the bottom of the pillar to rise quickly into the sky and out of sight, ceasing the tremors in the earth. At that moment, both duel disks shut off, the blades merely disappearing rather than receding into the blade disks, causing the Twilight Alicorn card to fall to the ground.

Yurik and Alice stood up slowly and woozily, floored by what they had experienced. Walt kept on holding his camera to the sky as Yurik bent back over to pick his card up and place it back in his deck, followed by his blade disk, which he placed back on his duel disk.

Mary, as well as several others who hadn’t left yet, either got out of their cars or stopped running and looked up into the sky, wondering just what went on.

“What the hell was that?” Alice asked to no one in particular. “What happened?”

“I don’t know!” Yurik screamed back, frightening Alice. “It wouldn’t let me remove the card! I don’t know why! Walt…”

Yurik and Alice turned to Walt, who continued to look up into the sky and film from his phone.

“Walt,” Yurik begged, “what are you doing? What are you looking…”

Yurik and Alice, both looking up, were also amazed to see a bright magenta star in roughly the same spot as where the pillar flew up. The remaining people in the parking lot noticed it too, wondering if it was really still over. To everyone’s horror, the star began to spread out in size, forming an ever growing ring.

Inside the ring was an expanse of green, and as the ring grew even further out, more features began to be revealed: mountains, deserts, lakes, an ocean, and city lights. The ring appeared to form a planet in the sky, the sight of which brought fear back into the hearts of those in the parking lot. As the others continued to drive away, get into their cars, or even find them, Mary looked back to the park for a second, and ran right back.

Walt and Alice gazed in agape-mouthed terror as the earth-like planet became more whole, appearing to be the same size of the moon. The planet appeared to consist of a large landmass in the center, surrounded by smaller islands. Yurik, unlike his two friends, stared up at the planet, oddly mesmerized and transfixed.

“What…” Mary wondered aloud, stumbling towards Walt, Alice, and Yurik. “What is that?”

Once the planet seemed to have completely formed, six streams of light, each one a different color, orbited from around the plant from different sides. The beams then looked to be heading towards Earth, plummeting straight at it. Walt, realizing that enough was enough, put his phone back into his pocket.

“Guys,” he shuddered, “run.”

Mary, Alice, and Walt ran to the parking lot, leaving Yurik behind, who continued to look up into the sky, his eyes clouded by swirling magenta lights. While five of the beams bent off and flew towards a different direction, a lavender colored beam headed straight towards Yurik’s position.

Walt, realizing that there were only two others with him, looked back to see Yurik staring up at the sky, almost completely unaware of the beam careening straight towards him. Walt launched himself back to Yurik, hoping that he could push him away before the beam could strike him.

“Yurik!” Walt shouted. “Move, you idiot! Get ou–”

The beam landed right in front of Yurik with tremendous force, knocking both him and Walt back, their bodies rolling on the ground. The blast tripped Alice and Mary to their knees, their eyes shimmering with concern over the fate of their friend. With his hands kept safely over his head. Walt tumbled to his knees and laid upon his stomach, stopping himself. Looking up, he found Yurik’s body, laying unconscious on the ground.

“No…” whimpered Walt. “Yurik!”

Picking himself up, he ran towards Yurik’s body, as did Alice and Mary. Walt slid to his knees and cradled Yurik’s body in his arms, putting his ear to his chest. After agonizing moments, Walt heard a beat and a breath, making him chuckle with relief.

“He’s still breathing!” laughed Walt, tears in his eyes. “Come on, someone help me get him to the hospital.”

“Let’s take my van,” suggested Alice.

“I’ll take the legs,” spoke Mary. “Alice, you open the doors for us.”

Walt hoisted Yurik under his arms while Mary held him under his lower back and behind the knees. Meanwhile, Alice looked to the crater left from the beam’s blast, her eyes on an odd shape inside of it.

“Alice!” called Walt.

Brought out of her trance, she ran back to follow Walt and Mary, who were already well on their way to the van. Running ahead, she pressed the unlock button on her remote and held the passenger door open for Yurik. Propping Yurik onto the seat and strapping him in, Alice began to walk backwards towards the park. Walt turned to Alice, turning confused by her heading back to the park and not her car.

“Alice?” Walt asked.

“Something else…” she said, pointing back to the park. “There was something else in that crater…”

Walt and Mary looked at each other unsure by what Alice could have been talking about.

“I’ll go and see,” Walt said, already moving to jog, “Mary, keep Yurik close.”

“Got it,” she responded.

Walt and Alice ran back down the path and to the crater, the desolation of the party serving to further unnerve them. Having made it back, the smoke and dust from the blast had already cleared away, and illuminated faintly by the remaining coals of the fire was a familiar, but strangely alien body inside the pit.

It was a pony-like creature very similar in appearance to the one on Yurik’s Twilight Alicorn card: lavender coat, a horn, wings, and a purple Hime cut in its mane and tail. However, the pony more closely resembled a plush doll than a horse, and a six-pronged magenta star was emblazoned on its flank. Its eyelashes also gave it a striking female appearance.

“What the hell is that thing?” wheezed Walt, completely overridden by surprise.

Without responding, Alice hopped into the shallow hole after it, almost bumping into Walt. It didn’t seem to show signs of stirring, but its chest visibly rose and fell with its breaths.

“Alice!” hissed Walt. “What in God’s name do you think we’re doing?”

“I’m trying to rescue it!” she hissed back.

“You don’t even know what that thing is!”

“It certainly looks like the monster on Yurik’s card. I’m not sure why that is, but if this thing came from that planet up there, we should take care of it properly, and not whomever will if the police find it.”

Walt, his sore spot having been hit, jumped into the crater, treading carefully as not to hit the alicorn nor Alice. As he and Mary did with Yurik, they each picked the pony up by both ends, but with the slope of the crater serving as a hurdle, they managed to hoist it onto the grass, where it limply rolled to its back. Both managed to climb out of the hole and hoist the pony back into their arms again. With heaves and grunts, Walt and Alice hoisted the pony to the van.

Mary, hopping up and down, scared and horribly confused, watched as Walt and Alice came down the path with the pony in tow, frightening her even more.

“What is that?” she shouted.

“All we can gather is that it’s from up there,” Walt growled. “Would you kindly open the back for us?”

Mary obediently ran to the back and opened the doors open for Walt and Alice, who carefully slid the still unconscious pony onto the floor of the back side of the van, carefully avoiding the bags and cases still inside.

“What now?” asked Walt as he reached for his goggles.

“We’ll drop the pony off at my house,” Alice reasoned. “I’ll look after it. Then I’ll let you drive Yurik to the hospital. Just follow me, okay?”

“What about me?” asked Mary.

“Just go home, Mary,” Walt spoke as he closed the back doors. “I’ll keep you posted about Yurik. Just get some sleep and we’ll let you know everything.”

Mary, conflicted about leaving Yurik, looked down and about, unsure how to answer. Finally, she gave Walt a nod and ran to her car, sobbing loudly on the way. Walt looked back to Mary, wondering himself if he made the right decision.

The sound of Alice’s van starting and immediately backing up, shocked Walt into running forward to avoid being hit. Walt ran back to follow the van, unsure what was happening, or where Alice was if her van was being stolen. With no Alice in sight, Walt could only watch as Alice’s van sped out of the lot and turned left into the street.

“What the…” Walt whispered.

Running to his bike and slipping his goggles on, he reached into his pocket, only for him to find his keys missing, not even hearing a jingles as he rummaged throughout his vest.

“No!” Walt shouted, looking out to the street. “This can’t be happening!”

Hearing Mary’s car, a 2008 Mercedes-Benz behind him, he ran out to it, forcing Mary to a stop. He knocked madly on the window, signaling Mary to roll it down.

“What happened?” asked Mary.

“Change of plans,” he spat, opening the door and sitting in. “Lost my keys. Follow Alice. Something’s not right.”

Without a word, Mary punched the accelerator and sped out of the park, leaving Walt’s bike the only vehicle left in the lot.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Alice sped down the expressway as fast as the perplexed traffic could allow her. She took occasional glances to Yurik, making sure he was still out. Many cars had pulled over to the side of the road to see the planet up in the sky, but the cars still driving were dangerously under the speed limit, wanting to see while still going to their own destinations.

A electronic beeping sounded through the van’s digital radio, and a single name appeared on the display: Kieran. Pressing the green phone icon on the screen, a timer started up, connecting the call.

“Alice,” spoke Kieran.

“Yes,” Alice spoke, “I know. I was right there when it happened too. And I think I may have the cause of it sitting next to me in the van.”

Silence.

“Kieran?” wondered Alice.

“What’s their status?” he finally asked.

“He’s unconscious. That beam that came down near us struck right in front of him. It’s a miracle that he’s even alive.”

“Is he dying?”

“Negative. He’s fine. I also have whatever came down from that beam in the back too.”

More silence. Alice stayed patient this time. At this time, Mary’s Mercedes sped around the traffic, coming up to right behind Alice’s van. Able to see their faces, her eyes grew scared and trapped.

“Oh no,” she groaned.

“What is it? Police.”

“No. I had to ditch Yurik’s friends in order to bring them to you.”

“Who? Them? What are you talking about?”

“That Yurik kid,” she quickly reported, her voice cracking further into desperation on each word, “he’s the cause of all this. I had to take his friends key’s to make sure he didn’t follow me, but it seems he hitched a ride with a friend. I wasn’t able to take his phone, and now he might call the police on us–”

“Alice! Calm down. Just get to HQ with this kid safely. We’ll deal with his friends.”

“Just don’t kill them, whatever you do… they’re my friends too.”

Another bout of nothingness.

“How much closer?” he asked.

“About a mile or so.”

“See you in three.”

The low-beep on the stereo signaled the end of the call. Alice wiped her eyes and kept her attention to the road. Seeing the exit she needed, she swerved right into it, Walt and Alice following close behind.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Alice rode down the forest-laden road, continuing to see the headlights of Mary’s car in her rear-view mirrors. Coming up to the straight road, she saw the gate to the factory coming up ahead, continuing her fast speed towards it. Walt and Mary came to the straight road themselves, seeing the upcoming gate. Walt, suddenly realizing something, widened his eyes.

“Stop the car!” he shouted.

Mary screeched the brakes, the car wavering from the back as the forward force was pushing on it. Walt and Mary watched as  Alice’s van continued to pull away.

“Walt, what was that for?” asked Mary. “They’re getting away.”

“No,” Walt responded, taking off his seatbelt. “They’re here.”

“Here? Where’s here?”

Walt looked ahead, feeling a pang of unease and mistrust shoot into his gut, but he had a very good idea of where Alice brought Yurik and the alien pony. Walt opened the door and stepped out of the car.

“Walt?” Mary questioned. “Where are you going?”

“Go home, Mary,” Walt told her. “If this place is what I think it is, I don’t want you to be a part of this.”

“Why? What do you think it is?”

“Mary,” he demanded with a cold stare. “Go home. I’ll let you know how everything turns out. And whatever you do, do not call the police.”

Before Mary could protest any longer, Walt shut the car and ran down the road to the gate of the factory. Behind him, Mary’s car stood on the road before she slow pulled a three-point turn and headed in the opposite direction. Walt, looking at the duel disk still on his wrist, prepared himself for what was going to come ahead.

Hang in there, Yurik, Walt thought. I’m coming.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik’s eyes fluttered open, finding them staring up at a florescent light. His head was sore, and the bright light wasn’t helping. Shielding his eyes from the light, he tried sitting up, finding his muscles sore. With a groan, Yurik tried looking around him, only to find a void of darkness past the ovular shape the light above illuminated. Yurik’s uncomfortable grimace became one of trembling fear as he couldn’t understand where he was. Managing to step to his feet, he looked around, trying to find some sign of life.

“Hey!” he shouted. “Where am I?”

The sound of stirring came up behind him, leaving Yurik to look down to the source. Seeing the alien pony struggling to stand to its feet, his legs lost all feeling, making Yurik crumple back to the floor on his back. Breathing fast and whimpering, Yurik’s legs flailed wildly as he tried pushing himself away.

As the pony’s face lifted up and it opened its eyes, the fear Yurik felt turned to wonder and amazement, transfixed by its appearance. As the pony’s vision came too, it laid its eyes on Yurik, widening in shock at his alien appearance to it.

“Ah!” the pony shrieked in an alarmingly human-female voice.

Yurik, alarmed by her scream, shot to his feet, nearly stumbling back over to the shock. Yurik watched as the pony backed herself into the darkness. Yurik, both fascinated and slightly sympathetic towards the frightened creature, slowly approached it, keeping his hands up as a sign of piece.

“Stay back!” she ordered, continuing slink further back.

Upon words audibly coming from her mouth, Yurik froze in his tracks, his mouth open and slack jawed.

“You…” muttered Yurik, “you can talk?”

The pony, recognizing Yurik’s speech, too stopped.

“You can understand me?” she wondered aloud.

Yurik scanned the creature fuller, noting the similar appearance to the card he received from his father. The pony, realizing his harmless intentions, stepped cautiously towards him.

“Wait…” he said, pointing at her. “You look just like–”

The loud echoing clunk of a light turning on behind them sounded off, making the two of them turn to the noise. The back of the room lit up, revealing their room to be even larger than they had thought. As more lights turned on behind them and getting closer, their space looked to be a large, glassy surface which looked to be the width of a football field.

The activating lights continued down the length of their space, both Yurik and the pony followed their gaze to the end of the room. Along the tall walls, the second floor looked to be nothing but a band of tinted windows. Upon discovering that they were essentially in the middle of the room, which also had the length of a football field, they looked down at the other end of the room to see if something was uncovered there.

Standing there were two people, both of whom, made Yurik gasp loudly. One of them he recognized immediately as Alice, who held a red duel disk and blade disk in her right hand. The other was familiar for a completely different reason. With his long silver hair with a black streak, and wearing a gray long sleeved shirt with the top two buttons undone, and black pants, as well as a constructed duel disk on his left forearm, Yurik recognized him distinctively as well.

“You’re awake,” Kieran spoke. 

Words tried to form in Yurik’s mouth, while the pony looked on at the now approaching Kieran and Alice with caution. Yurik’s apprehension only increased his anxiety as he to tried to find the strength to back away.

“Do not be afraid,” assured Kieran. “You’re safe here.”

“Who are you?” yelled the frightened pony.

“The Guardiaboliques,” Yurik managed to speak to himself. “Chicago’s so-called guardian devils.”

“My name,” the silver-haired man greeted to the pony, bowing to her as he and Alice stopped, “is Kieran. Seeing as how you can speak our language, would you mind telling me your name?”

The pony looked unsure as she looked about, unsure of how much to trust him.

“I’m…” she struggled. “I’m Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twilight. I see…”

“You see what?”

Kieran looked to Alice, and after returning his glance, she threw the red duel disk and attached blade disk to Yurik, who barely managed to catch it in time, his mind revolving around everything else going on.

“Alice!” shouted Yurik. “Tell me what’s happening! Why are you with the Guardiaboliques? Why did you bring me here?”

“I’m sorry, Yurik,” she answered, sincerity bleeding from her voice. “This is the only place I could take you too.”

“What she means by that,” Kieran spoke up, “is that in the wake of what happened here tonight, this is the only place we could keep you two safe for the time being.”

“Safe?” Twilight asked. “Safe from what?”

“Twilight, you are on a world completely different from your own. We have no idea how or why you came here, but all we know is that it is all… because of him.”

Kieran pointed at Yurik, with Twilight looking at him with a sense of confusion and betrayal.

“What?” cried Twilight. “What do you mean?”

Feeling equally betrayed, he looked to Twilight with wet, pleading eyes.

“I don’t know what he’s talking about!” he shouted, then turning back to his friend. “Alice, what is he talking about?”

“Yurik,” cried Alice, “please, I–”

“It’s nothing I could expect you to believe me here, but there is something that must be attended to first.”

“What?” stammered Yurik. “What do you–”

“Judging from Alice, who witnessed the event, the beam that transported Twilight and her world here was caused after you played that new card that you received this morning. Whether it was intentional or not, Yurik, it seems you have been blessed with an amazing power, but whether you’re fit to wield that power is still a question unanswered.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I believe the power that you wield rests… within the card you were given this morning.”

Yurik gasped, looking at the duel disk in his hands. Suddenly, it all came back to him. The beam, the wings, the unicorn’s head, and just glimpses of the planet forming before his mind blanked out.

“No…” Yurik said. “I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it! I won’t!!”

“Then I believe you have made up your mind,” Kieran responded, stepping towards Yurik.

Yurik stood paralyzed as Kieran glowered over him. Reaching for Yurik’s duel disk, Yurik instinctively pushed him hard in the chest, forcing him back. Kieran recoiled only a step, watching as Yurik hugged his duel disk tight to his chest. Yurik looked to Alice, who continued to stand in her place, as if it was her solemn oath to remain by Kieran’s side. Yurik’s tears welled up in his eyes.

“Does that card mean something to you?” Kieran asked.

“Of course it does!” cried Yurik. “It was a gift from my dad!”

“Then prove you’re worth its inheritance.”

“What do you mean? I just want to go home!”

Tears finally began to stream down Yurik’s face, making Twilight feel nervous for his sake, her ears drooped and her mouth in a sad pout.

“Duel me first,” ordered Kieran. “If your power is enough to best me, I will let you leave here with your card to do whatever you wish. If you cannot prove yourself, your card shall belong to me, and there will be nothing more to it.”

Yurik's tears faded, his face morphing into an angry scowl.

“I won’t let you!” Yurik snapped.

“Then do it!”

“Fine! I accept!”

In a moment’s rage, Yurik detached his blade disk from his duel disk and threw it out to his side. Kieran did the same thing, leaping back and running further back to give themselves space. Passing Twilight, Yurik ran backwards as he placed the duel disk on his arm, a band clasping around it.

The two blade disks circled around each other and stopped beside their owners’ duel disks, glowing bright with a neon-rainbow aura. The blades formed out from the side lights, Kieran’s blades together looking to form a more trapezoidal shape. Both duelists decks were then shuffled inside their slots.

“Connection complete,” sounded an electronic voice from both duel disks. “Kieran vs. Yurik Clayer. Draw.”

Both duelists drew five cards from their decks. Twilight stared out at Yurik, unsure of his and Kieran’s intentions about their “duel.”

“Select field spell,” called a voice on Kieran’s duel disk, shocking Yurik.

“Field spell:” declared Kieran, “Judgment Hall! Activate!”

“A field spell?” asked Yurik.

A whirring noise sounded underneath, making Yurik and Twilight look down to realize their surface was glass, and they were looking down at the cylindrical machine with the two large metal orbs as one of the ends tilted up towards the glass ceiling below.

“No way!” Yurik shouted. “A solid vision generator!”

Magenta beams shone through the orbs and onto the glass, covering it in light. Once the light faded, a blue-tile floor had appeared, with a red carpet laid down the center where Yurik and Kieran stood. The light began to spread to the walls and ceiling, changing them into ornate marble. Pillars also rose up from the floor extending on both sides of the hallway. Twilight marveled at the sight.

“What kind of magic is this?” she asked.

“Twilight,” Yurik instructed, “go off to the side. This could get messy.”

Twilight, feeling the weight of concern in his voice, quickly trotted to a space in between two pillars, watching intently as the field finished forming.

“Alice,” spoke Kieran.

Alice immediately walked to the next space to the right from Twilight, keeping herself at the center between the two.

“That is it then,” Kieran said. “Your test will begin now, Yurik.”

Yurik clutched his hand into a fist, prepared to fight.

“Then let’s stop wasting time,” growled Yurik.

“DUEL!” the two of them shouted.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Kieran:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll let you take the first turn,” said Kieran, “but that only means that you cannot conduct your draw phase this turn.”

Yurik looked at his hand nervously. With his card now on the line, his deck would need to come to his aid like it never had before. But with his head swimming with questions, one question became more important than all the others: would he himself be able to come to his own aid?

Twilight anxiously observed, still haunted by the alien world and creatures that surrounded her. The only one she could look to for any kind of comfort was Yurik, who still continued to look for a way out of the situation he was forced into.

“Stalling won’t do you any good,” Kieran stated. “The only thing that can help you now is your deck. You better hope that it will.”

Yurik looked to Alice, her face looking indifferently and solemnly at the center of their dueling field. Unsure of Alice's alliegance, Yurik felt hope draining from him fast. Taking a deep breath, Yurik placed a set of fingers on a card in his hand and pulled it out, swiftly placing it on the right zone of his left blade.

“I normal summon Light Pony!” Yurik declared.

A bright, blue-ringed portal formed at the ground. Leaping out of the indigo void was a small, white, glowing horse with a flowing mane and tail that looked to be made entirely from light itself. With a loud whinny, the monster stood in an offensive stance before Kieran, protecting its master from him 

Light Pony
ATK: 1600
Lvl.: 4

Yurik looked a touch more at ease with his monster there for him, a more indifferent frown on his face. Twilight, on the other hand, was stunned with her mouth agape at the seemingly-impossible feat that Yurik had performed.

He brought that monster to life with his card! Twilight mused exasperatedly. What kind of magic are these creatures capable of?

Unable to focus on the pony to the right of him, Yurik’s mellowed nerves allowed him to calmly pluck two purple colored cards from his hand and slip them both into a slot on the bottom end of his duel disk below the tablet. Instantly, two large card backings materialized onto the floor between Light Pony and Yurik in a digital whir.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn!” he finally declared.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 2

“Just what is this?” Twilight asked, still confused and flustered. “How are you even doing this?”

“This is dueling,” Kieran answered, still without any hint of being amazed at the talking mythical creature in front of him. “It is the clashing of two souls wanting to make a difference for their future. Yurik here is fighting to protect his power, and I’m dueling him to see if he's worth owning it.”

Twilight shuddered, frightened by Kieran’s coldness and seeming apathy.

“Yurik,” called Kieran, “you have been granted a great power, and it would be a true shame if I would have to take that power from you. But if you want to prove me wrong, show it on my next turn!”

Kieran placed his fingers atop his deck, the thumb prepared to pinch the top card.

“My turn!” he shouted. “Draw!”

With a whip of his arm, Kieran drew his card from the top of his hand. Glancing at the card, he grabbed another card from his hand, the recently drawn card still in his grasp.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 3 Guardia Gatler and the scale 6 Guardia Tank,” Kieran declared.

Placing both of his pendulum monsters on the outer zones of his blades' zones, two large machines rose from the ground from pillars of blue light on both sides of Kieran’s field.

The one on Kieran’s left looked to be a large, black, seated Gatling gun with what appeared to be a long, dragon’s skull armoring itself over the barrel. On Kieran’s right, there appeared to be a black tank with a demonic, ash-blackened skull for the turret, the gun shooting out from the skull’s nose. Above the Gatling gun was a bright number 3, while the tank had a bright 6 above it.

Guardia Gatler
Pendulum Scale: 3

Guardia Tank
Pendulum Scale: 6

“I can now special summon any monsters from my hand whose levels are 4 through 5,” he further explained, pulling two monster cards out from his hand.

The entire room began to turn blue as the gigantic, multi-pointed star formed in an ethereal space on the ceiling.

“Pendulum summon!” he cried out as he placed both monsters on the zones directly next to his blade disk.

At that moment, a red portal opened, two dark-purple trails of energy flying out of them and landing directly in front of Kieran.

When the light faded, the auras gave way to reveal two fiendish looking creatures. The one standing directly in the center zone was dark-red, very skinny and had a long snout. It knelt down on one knee with a sizeable rifle in his grasp, a belt of bullets strapped across its chest. The other one standing to its right was a pudgy, but large blueberry-colored giant with razor-sharp teeth and snug overalls.

“Come,” Kieran beckoned, “Guardia Sniper! Guardia Sentry!”

The dust from the magnificent summon finally cleared, revealing all four of Kieran’s cards in full clarity.

Guardia Sniper
DEF: 2000
Lvl.: 5

Guardia Sentry
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

Twilight was in complete awe and confusion. The rules and mechanics of Yurik and Kieran’s game were becoming more foreign and more fantastical by the second, and she could not know what would happen or how. Meanwhile, Alice bravely continued to stare Yurik down, expecting him to make a counter. Yurik chuckled, albeit nervously, but felt safe in doing so.

“An impressive display of monsters,” Yurik complimented, “but your Sentry’s ATK is a bit lower than my Light Pony’s.”

“Is that so?” Kieran asked, shocking Yurik.

“What?”

“Now, I activate the effect of Guardia Gatler! Once per turn, I can target one Fiend-type monster I control, and have it gain 800 ATK until the end phase, and I choose Guardia Sentry.”

“Oh no,” winced Yurik, trembling at his predicament.

Both Yurik and Twilight fearfully watched as the chubby demon bounced his way to the gun and hopped up, landing in the seat and barely managing to fit.

ATK: 1500 -> 2300

“Attack!” shouted Kieran, his monster grabbing both handles with its fingers on the triggers. “Guardia Sentry! Attack Light Pony!”

“Attack?” questioned Twilight.

The barrels of the massive gun aimed itself at Yurik’s monster, which trembled in fear at its dismal fate. Twilight, realizing what was happening, widened her eyes and mouth wide in pure terror.

“Stop it!” shouted Twilight. “It’s just a defenseless pony!”

“RPM Requiem!” declared Kieran.

With a squeeze of the triggers, the barrels began to spin and whir loudly. Once the humming reached shrill levels, a barrage of ammo launched out of the machine and towards Yurik’s monster as it let out one final, scared, whinny.

“NO!” Twilight shouted.

“I activate the effect of Light Pony!” Yurik shouted, his voice filled with a sudden determination. “Once per turn, I can negate the attack of an opponent’s monster! Shimmer Call!”

Bursting forth from the ground, a bright yellow barrier rose up between Yurik’s monster and the oncoming rounds from Kieran’s monster’s gun. The bullets all hit the barrier, phasing into nothingness upon contact. With the last bullet hitting the barrier, it shattered like glass before fading away into sparks that floated to the ground. To both Yurik and Twilight’s relief, Light Pony was left unscathed.

“Alright,” panted Yurik, “I’m safe now.”

“Safe now?” questioned Kieran, restoring Yurik’s dread. “I still have one more monster left to attack.”

“Huh? But you cannot attack in def–”

“I use the effect of Guardia Sniper! This card can attack while it’s in defense position, using its ATK for damage calculation.”

Kieran’s other monster lifted its rifle up, keeping it up with its other hand and taking aim through the scope fixed atop it.

DEF: 2000 -> ATK: 1000

“But my monster still has higher ATK!” shouted Yurik. “There’s no way it can attack.”

“With the effect of Guardia Sniper,” explained Kieran, “it can attack the opponent directly, even when they control a monster.”

“No way!”

Through the crosshairs in Kieran’s monster’s scope, it set its target at Yurik’s heart.

“Wait,” Twilight shouted, “what?”

“Guardia Sniper,” ordered Kieran, “attack Yurik directly. Sure Shot Blast!”

With a pull of the trigger, the rifle fired off its bullet and hit Yurik straight in the chest, knocking him backwards off his feet with a loud, sharp grunt. Twilight gasped loudly as Yurik fell, groaning in pain.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3000

“Oh no!” Twilight cried, tears falling from her eyes.

As she ran to Yurik’s aid, he stopped her by quickly sitting up and tapping the center set card from his spell and trap card zone on the screen of his duel disk's body.

“I activate my trap:” spoke Yurik, finally managing to step up, “Picking Up Pieces."

A purple colored card flipped up, revealing art of a blue vase cracked all over.

"When I take 1000 or more damage through a direct attack…” he explained, placing his fingers atop his deck, “…I draw one card.”

With a whip of his hand off his deck, a single card was pinched within his fingers that he quickly added to his hand after an inquisitive glance. Twilight cocked her head to the left, confused over his nonchalant reaction to being shot. Yurik turned to face her, frightening her again as she took one cautious step back.

“I’m okay,” breathed Yurik, giving her an honest smile. “I’m going to be okay, okay?”

Twilight, surprised to see his capacity for gentleness, pursed her lips lightly, her eyes wide and wondering. Kieran hissed, unhappy with Yurik’s nearly replenished hand and remaining monster. Regardless, he selected one purple card from his hand and threw it inside the slot, where it appeared behind his Guardia Sniper back-up.

“I set one card face down,” he said. “Now, I can activate the effect of Guardia Tank in my pendulum zone.”

“What was that?” Yurik exclaimed, returning to a state of apprehension.

“During the end phase, I can target one monster my opponent controls and destroy it.”

Yurik’s teeth were clenched, knowing that nothing could save his monster now. He then watched as the gun of the tank aimed itself at the now-fearful pony. Twilight’s mouth dropped open as the barrel locked itself on with its target, knowing that it would soon be destroyed.

“Go!” shouted Kieran. “Guardian Tank! Destroy Light Pony!”

The inside of the barrel glowed from dark red to a bright white as a mortar fired out from the gun of the tank, going right online with Light Pony. Upon making contact, both the mortar and Yurik’s monster exploded in a burst of sparks and dust that blew roughly into Yurik, forcing him to shield his face and lean into the wind.

“Light Pony!” cried Yurik, his voice choking with sadness.

Twilight stood still with trembling lips and moist eyes as the dust began to clear away.

“I end my turn,” Kieran stated simply as he could finally see Yurik through the smog.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4000    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 4 – 5    Spell/Traps: 1

Yurik finally uncovered his eyes, seeing the empty field before him as well as the two monsters awaiting for him in the next turn. Yurik’s arms drooped to his sides, demoralized with the loss of his monster. Twilight wanted to speak, but her mind couldn’t tell whether to be sad or furious.

“Why?” she finally wheezed out. “Why would you kill a defenseless creature like that?”

Kieran turned to Twilight, whose stare still unnerved her.

“Defenseless?” wondered Kieran. “I understand you are unfamiliar with this world and dueling, but do know that everything about this duel is merely a simulation.”

“What…” she stammered. “What do you mean?”

“There is no reason for you to be upset,” Alice told Twilight, keeping her eyes focused on Yurik. “The monsters you see before you are holographically rendered images of the monsters that appear on the cards these two are holding. Think of it like a game of chess brought to life.”

“Chess? How does this game have anything to do with chess?”

“It’s simple,” resumed Kieran. “Pieces do battle with other pieces, taking down each other to reach the king and finish them off. These monsters are our pawns, our rooks, knights, bishops, and queen, and we are the kings.”

Twilight’s breathing became quicker as she realized how accurate his analogy was. Meanwhile, Yurik glanced down at his hand, looking at the new card added to it from the last turn. One of them was his newest monster: Twilight Alicorn. Yurik tensed up upon seeing the card that put him in his current spot, but the card then glimmered slightly. Almost as if Yurik could understand the card’s language, he relaxed himself and looked determinably at Kieran.

“There is no difference between the wooden pieces on a board and the monsters that do battle on our zones,” Kieran said.

“No,” Yurik responded quietly, distracting both Kieran and Alice, “you’re wrong.”

Twilight’s surprise returned with Yurik’s sudden statement.

“What was that?” asked Kieran.

“These monsters are not just wooden pieces to be thrown to the side once they’re finished. They are my allies, my comrades. They are the ones that give me strength when I have none of my own.”

Twilight couldn’t help but find a sweetened smile appearing on her face, moved by Yurik’s speech. While Kieran looked passively at Yurik’s resolve, Alice couldn’t help but be surprised by Yurik’s mounting energy.

“My monsters are my friends who I need as much as they need me. That’s why we can’t let you toy with us any longer. I’m not going to let you have your way with me; not if my deck and I can say anything about it!”

Yurik placed his hand on top of his deck.

“My turn!” he shouted. “Draw!”

With a whip out of his arm and a turn of the wrist, Yurik looked at the card he drew: a pendulum monster.

“Yes,” he whispered loudly.

Grabbing another pendulum monster from his hand, he held his cards out for Kieran to see.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale three Unioncorn of Fire and scale nine Unioncorn of Night,” Yurik declared.

Yurik threw both cards onto the outer zones of his blades. Much like with Kieran’s monsters, two equine creatures rose from the ground in blue pillars. On Yurik’s left was a bright-yellow unicorn with a tail and mane formed entirely from fire. On Yurik’s right was a pitch black unicorn with a red eyes and a deep-purple mane and tail that radiated like a clear night sky. Appearing above the fiery unicorn was a bright number 3 while a number 9 appeared above the dark unicorn.

Unioncorn of Fire
Pendulum Scale: 3

Unioncorn of Night
Pendulum Scale: 9

“I can now special summon any monsters from my hand whose levels are 4 through 8,” he continued to shout.

The room began to turn blue again and the star began to appear over Yurik’s field.

“Pendulum Summon!” Yurik called. “Come to me, Twilight Alicorn!”

“Twilight Alicorn?” questioned Twilight.

Once Yurik threw the card onto his center zone, the red portal formed, and a lavender colored aura flew out from it and landed right before Yurik, producing a blast of dust that concealed it further. Kieran’s eyes widened a bit, intrigued by being before Yurik’s newest monster.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

Once the dust cleared, Twilight could not contain her shock, surprised to see how much the monster’s likeness mirrored hers. Despite looking much more like a large horse and being much more muscular, the monster shared Twilight’s lavender coat, her purple mane and tail as well as its cut. It also bore the six-pronged star marking on her flank.

“That... pony,” Twilight thought aloud. “It looks just like… wait.”

She then remembered Yurik’s words when she first saw her.

“You look just like–”

“…me,” she finished.

As Yurik stood confidently with his monster, both Kieran and Alice looked in amazement at the very first appearance of Yurik's monster, as well as the resemblance it bore to Twilight.

“Just where…” she wondered. “Where did this thing come from?”
> Episode 2: When Worlds Collide, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a tiring, but determined run, Walt had finally reached the gate to the Guardiaboliques’ factory hideout. The gate itself was closed, blocking Walt’s entrance. Undeterred, Walt shed his vest off and wrapped it around two bars, grabbing both ends. Putting his feet onto the bars, he pulled on his vest while pushing down on his feet. Sliding the vest up little by little, Walt took another step up the bars, effectively climbing up the gate seemingly without issue.

Making it up to the top, Walt sat carefully along the thin bar as he threaded his vest through the bars so he could apply a similar maneuver on the way down. Grabbing hold of it, Walt hopped off, sliding down the bars and keeping control by bouncing into the bars. Getting close enough to the bottom, he let his vest go, landed on the ground with a crouch to cushion the fall, and ran ahead to the factory, almost nothing in his way.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

================
Yurik:
LP: 3000

Kieran:
LP: 4000
================

Kieran looked up at Yurik’s Twilight Alicorn, and the monster in return gave Kieran a defiant huff. Alice and Twilight both stared in amazement at it as well. Yurik, his monster finally out to protect him from Kieran's monsters, worked his frown into a cocky smirk.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

Unioncorn of Fire
Pendulum Scale: 3

Unioncorn of Night
Pendulum Scale: 9

Both of Kieran's monsters, even the pendulums, looked upon Yurik's brand new monster with extreme caution.

Guardia Sniper
DEF: 2000
Lvl.: 5

Guardia Sentry
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

Guardia Gatler
Pendulum Scale: 3

Guardia Tank
Pendulum Scale: 6

A beeping sound came from a skull-shaped pin on Kieran’s shirt, breaking his concentration. Holding it down, he looked up, almost as if to give his attention to something else than what he was doing.

“Yes?” he replied.

“Someone broke in,” called a man’s voice, whose voice could be heard faintly by Alice. “It must be one of those friends of that kid in there with you who followed us.”

Alice couldn’t withhold a nervous gasp, leading Yurik to pay close attention to the conversation.

“What of the other one? The girl driver?” asked Kieran.

“She dropped the boy off and drove away. He looks like he’s on his own.”

“That’s fine. Subdue him and bring him to me upon my orders.”

“Oh no, Walt,” whispered Alice, covering her hand over her mouth.

“Walt?” shouted Yurik, staring at Kieran. “Is that Walt?”

“I don’t know,” Kieran said simply. “But you needn’t worry. He can’t help you now.”

Yurik, feeling blame for Walt’s imminent danger, returned his face to a scowl. Twilight could see the passion that was blazing inside of him upon knowing what would be happening to his friend, and she was both intimidated and impressed by it.

“And now,” shouted Yurik, “the effect of my Unioncorn of Fire in my pendulum zone activates! Whenever I pendulum summon monsters, this card inflicts a hundred points of damage to you times the total levels of pendulum monsters pendulum summoned to my side of the field.”

Already, a swirling flame began to spiral around the monster’s horn.

“Twilight Alicorn is a pendulum monster,” continued Yurik, “and its level is seven, so that’s means 700 damage will be inflicted to you!”

“Hmm,” grumbled Kieran.

“Singe Spell!” Yurik yelled.

The flame from the monster’s horn shot out at Kieran’s chest, the shot engulfing his torso and knocking him to the ground with a grunt from Kieran.

Kieran’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3300

“Also,” Yurik added, “the effect of my Unioncorn of Night activates in my pendulum zone! For every pendulum monster that’s pendulum summoned to my side of the field on my turn, I can draw one card.”

Without the need for an explanation, Yurik drew one card from his deck and added it to his hand triumphantly. Kieran flipped himself to his feet, standing before Yurik once more. At that moment as well, Kieran’s Guardia Sentry, looking frightened at Yurik’s monster, ran over to Guardia Sniper, standing in front of it defensively.

“Not a bad play,” Kieran complimented, motioning to his monsters, “but it won’t do you that much good. My Guardia Sentry’s effect makes it so that you cannot target other Guardia monsters I control except for this one. So even if you take it out, I’ll still have my Guardia Sniper the next turn.”

“Not once I’m through with it,” Yurik responded.

“What?”

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn!” declared Yurik.

The horn on Twilight Alicorn’s head began to glow bright like a beacon, a whinny booming from its mouth.

“Once per turn,” Yurik explained, “I can target two monsters in my pendulum zones and special summon them to my field.”

Kieran gasped, truly amazed by the monster’s effect.

“Outstanding…” he muttered.

“Come on!” beckoned Yurik. “Summon Shine!”

Both Unioncorn of Fire and Night were encased in a magenta aura before they both vanished with a sparkling burst, all before reappearing right beside Twilight Alicorn on the monster zones.

“Let’s go!” shouted Yurik. “My Unioncorn of Fire and Unioncorn of Night!”

Unioncorn of Fire
ATK: 1600
Lvl.: 4

Unioncorn of Night
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 4

“He now has two level four monsters,” commented Kieran to himself. “Does he plan to xyz summon?”

“Now’s our chance!” shouted Yurik. “Unioncorn of Night, attack Kieran’s Guardia Sentry!”

No! Kieran thought, his eyes widening at the outlandish strategy. He plans to wipe my entire field!

A smoky black aura formed around the unicorn’s horn, shooting out in a spiraling beam of purple light, heading right towards the terrified demon.

“I activate my trap! Guardia Scrapshield!” shouted Kieran, motioning his hand at his face down card, which flipped face up to reveal art of a wall constructed from firearms and war machinery. “During the turn I activate this card, when an attack position Guardia monster I control would be destroyed by battle, I can destroy one Guardia card in my pendulum zone instead! I destroy my Guardia Gatler!”

Upon the declaration, the Gatling gun hopped in front of the plump demon and intercepted the unicorn’s spell, where it exploded into a burst of sparks, fire, and bits of metal. Kieran placed the Guardia Gatler card inside a slot on a frontal slot on his blade disk, now done with it.

“However,” reminded Yurik with a smile, “you still take the battle damage.”

The debris cloud from the explosion wrapped around both of Kieran’s monsters and struck him, sending him sliding back on his feet with a grimace on his face

Kieran’s Life Points: 3300 -> 2800

“You’re up, Unioncorn of Fire!” called Yurik, pointing at his opponent’s monster. “Attack Guardia Sentry!”

Much like its effect, fire swirled around the unicorn’s horn and shot at Guardia Sentry, frightening it once again.

“I destroy Guardia Tank to prevent my Guardia Sentry’s destruction!” declared Kieran, slipping his last pendulum monster from his zone and into the slot on his blade disk.

Guardia Tank rolled in front of Guardia Sentry and Guardia Sniper, the unicorn’s attack striking the tank and destroying it in a similar fashion. The flames and debris from the attack washed onto Kieran, who shielded his face and groaned as he felt the heat all over his body.

Kieran’s Life Points: 2800 -> 2700

“Now, for real this time,” ordered Yurik. “Twilight Alicorn. Destroy his Guardia Sentry once and for all! Bright Burst Magic!”

A ball of magenta light shone on the end of Twilight Unicorn’s horn, sparks of similarly colored light forming around it and melding into the light. Rearing its head back, Twilight Alicorn threw its head forwards and launched a lightning-laced beam at Guardia Sentry.

With nothing to protect it, the monster curled itself up for protection, but the beam blasted into the monster, sending it flying and yelling out where it burst into yellow sparks. The beam continued its path towards Kieran, where the beam completely passed through his entire body, the strength of the attack blowing him away and grunting loudly.

Kieran’s Life Points: 2700 -> 1700

“Wow,” Alice spoke, “what a play!”

Twilight was too stunned to speak. She didn’t know exactly what Yurik did, but it seemed like he finally had some control over the situation.

“I’m not quite done yet,” Yurik spoke. “Now, I will overlay my level four Unioncorn of Fire and Unioncorn of Night!”

Yurik’s monsters, respectively, transformed into red and purple auras that flew up and spiraled into the air. As they flew back down, a red portal opened up at the ground before Yurik.

“With these two monsters,” continued Yurik, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

Both monsters flew inside, only for a slew of flames to erupt out shortly after. Appearing from the fire was an alicorn, similar in appearance to Unioncorn of Fire, but it appeared much more masculine and muscular, and its wings were doused in flames, and two light orbs flew around it slowly. It also was adorned with a crown atop its head and a bright-red cape that looked unaffected by the fires.

“Light it up, Allicorn King of Fire!” exclaimed Yurik.

A booming whinny from the new monster completed its grand entrance.

Allicorn King of Fire
ATK: 2200
Rnk.: 4

“Wow,” Twilight whispered to herself. “This is incredible.”

“So you attack with your monsters first and then you xyz summon?” clarified Kieran. “That’s quite the strategy on you, Yurik.”

“But it’s not over yet,” spoke Yurik. “I will activate the effect of Allicorn King of Fire. Once per turn, when my opponent has taken battle damage this turn that does not exceed 2000, I can detach one xyz material from this card.”

Yurik did so, sliding his Unioncorn of Night from underneath his monster and slipped it into the graveyard, causing one of the orbs circling the monster to meld into the creatures horn with a bright light.

“Then,” he went on, “I can inflict damage equal to the battle damage you took this turn.”

Kieran’s eyes shot open, as did Alice’s, both knowing exactly what that meant.

“That’s another 1600 damage,” she answered.

“And it’s coming right at you!” responded Yurik to Kieran. “Battle Backdraft!”

The fiery alicorn’s horn glowed bright, and from it, a wave of fire swept throughout the hall and into Kieran knocking him off his feet once again, the blistering temperature making Kieran shout out as his body hit the floor and slid to a stop.

Kieran’s Life Points: 1700 -> 100

Alice and Twilight stood dumbfounded, highly impressed with Yurik’s ability to reduce Kieran’s life points from a full count to merely 100. Yurik, feeling victory in his grasp, panted excitedly with a smile on his face.

“I end my turn,” Yurik finally declared.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 3000    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 1

Kieran struggled to get up, feeling sore from the barrage of attacks that he had endured. Alice was just amazed that Kieran of all people would be reduced to such a state by one of her school friends, all because of the assistance of one card.

“Is that strong enough for you?” Yurik questioned.

“As a matter of fact,” spoke Kieran, “it isn’t. My life may be at 100, but my life is still at 100. I can, and will still fight.”

“Please!” Twilight shouted. “Just let him go! He’s fully capable of protecting ourselves! Can’t you see that?”

“Yurik is a strong opponent, I will wholeheartedly give him that. However, if he wants to prove his strength to me, he must reduce my life to zero and leave nothing more. That is the agreement.”

“Twilight,” Yurik assured her, “just leave him be. I’ll be sure to get him next turn.”

“Cocky fellow, aren’t you? Greater men have fallen to such vices, young Yurik, and if you continue that attitude, you will not be an exception. But perhaps I should make an example of you. My turn! Draw!”

Kieran drew a card from his deck, looking up at it. Without adding it to his hand, he threw the card into the front slot of his duel disk body.

“I activate Guardia Recycle!” he shouted.

A card phased onto the floor face up, depicting a magnet crane picking up pieces of what looked like a destroyed Guardia Gatler.

“With this card, I can target up to two Guardia face-up pendulum monsters in my extra deck and shuffle them into my main deck.”

Two cards ejected from the slot on the front of Kieran’s blade disk, which Kieran grabbed and placed onto the top of his deck, which began to shuffle itself immediately.

“Then,” Kieran continued, placing his fingers on his deck, “I can draw that many cards from my deck!”

Kieran drew two cards in one swipe, adding them to his hand. Browsing through his new selection, he picked out another pendulum monster from the lot, but the card’s orange top half was now colored yellow.

“I place the scale 6 Guardia Tower in my pendulum zone,” he spoke, placing it on the left most zone of his left blade.

Rising from the ground, but without a blue pillar surrounding it, was a tall, slender bell tower with white bricks and gargoyle rungs along the corners, reaching almost as high as the ceiling.

Guardia Tower
Pendulum Scale: 6

Guardia Sniper strapped its rifle over its shoulder and began to climb the rungs of the tower, both confusing and shocking Yurik and Twilight.

“What is it doing?” wondered Twilight.

“As long as I control Guardia Tower, due to its effect,” Kieran clarified, “my Guardia Sniper cannot be targeted by battle or card effects, and it also gains 400 ATK.”

“What was that?” shouted Yurik.

Guardia Sniper made it to the top of the tower, hiding behind the brick ramparts of the tower and aiming his gun down on Yurik’s field.

ATK: 1000 -> 1400

“Now, Guardia Sniper,” commanded Kieran, “target his Twilight Alicorn. Fire upon my mark!”

Through the crosshairs of Guardia Sniper’s rifle, the points were set at the monster’s chest.

“What are you doing?” Yurik asked incredulously. “My monster still has higher ATK.”

“Whoever said I was attacking your monster this time?” asked Kieran.

“What was that?”

“With Guardia Tower’s other pendulum effect, I can destroy one monster my opponent controls up to twice per turn, and then inflict damage equal to my monster’s current attack each time when I do.”

“No way!”

“That’s not good!” Twilight cried out.

“You’re not the only person with tricks up their sleeve, Yurik,” admonished Kieran. “So now, you will face defeat from above. Now, go!” he shouted, pointing at his monster’s target. “Destroy Twilight Alicorn! Mach Mark!”

Guardia Sniper pulled the trigger, a tail of yellow light following the bullet headed for Twilight Unicorn.

“Watch out!” shouted Twilight.

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn!” declared Yurik. “Once, during either player’s turn, I can target one unused pendulum zone on my side of the field and place Twilight Alicorn on that pendulum zone. Now your effect is wasted!”

Kieran gasped, surprised at yet another ability that Yurilk’s monster possessed. Twilight Alicorn’s horn charged up with light before it quickly disappeared in a bursting lavender bubble, suddenly appearing on the very left of Yurik’s field.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

Guardia Sniper’s bullet pierced through the ground where Twilight Alicorn stood, nothing else seeming to happen.

“And now that my monster’s in the pendulum zone,” explained Yurik, “your monster’s effect can no longer target my Twilight Alicorn, since it’s now treated as a spell card.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, happy for Yurik’s monster’s protection.

“Hmph,” Kieran chuckled. “How perceptive of you. However, I still have one more shot with my Guardia Sniper, and your Allicorn King will not be so lucky.”

Yurik hissed, knowing that to be fact.

“Take aim!” shouted Kieran, his monster pulling the bolt back and loading another round. “Target Allicorn King of Fire!”

The crosshairs were set at the monster’s chest just like before.

“Mach Mark!”

With a pull of the trigger, the bullet sped down and arced up towards the monster’s chest. Piercing through its body, the alicorn made a desperate whinny as it burst into sparks.

“No,” groaned Yurik.

“And don’t forget the damage,” Kieran reminded.

Twilight seized up with a shocked expression. Yurik awaited for the bullet as it came towards him, only for it to bounce off a translucent magenta shield that appeared in a pulse upon the bullet’s impact before disappearing.

“What?” Kieran exclaimed.

Yurik was just as surprised as Kieran was, as were Alice and Twilight. A huff to Yurik’s left brought his attention to Twilight Alicorn, which bobbed its head several times, pointing its muzzle at Yurik’s card. Yurik looked at his card, and once he understood, he smiled, looking up at Kieran.

“Twilight Alicorn’s pendulum effect,” explained Yurik. “Any effect damage that I would take becomes 0.”

Kieran bared his teeth, visibly getting annoyed with Yurik and his card’s tricks. Twilight let out an amused chuckle seeing Kieran brought to such a state by a teenager.

“It matters little,” said Kieran. “Guardia Sniper still has its attack, and not even your Twilight Alicorn can protect you from this.”

Yurik huffed exasperatingly, having forgotten.

“Guardia Sniper, attack Yurik directly!”

Guard Sniper once again cocked the bolt on its rifle, taking aim at Yurik’s heart.

DEF: 2000 -> ATK: 1400

“Sure Shot Blast!”

A pull of the trigger and a bullet was shot from the monster’s gun, shooting Yurik through the heart, and making him moan and wheeze in pain, standing on now trembling knees.

Yurik’s Life Points: 3000 -> 1600

“Your monster’s effects are very useful,” Kieran complimented, “but once it goes into the pendulum zone, it leaves you wide open.”

“Just end your turn and get on with it,” hissed Yurik.

Kieran, without further response, grabbed the last two cards from his hand and slipped them into the frontal zone of his duel disk body, two large card backings phasing onto the field in front of Kieran.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn,” he declared.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 100    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 1    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 2

Twilight grimaced, unsure how Yurik would pull himself out of the predicament he was now in. Kieran looked down onto his display screen, observing Yurik’s Twilight Alicorn on it and reading its effects.

Oh, he thought. So it can also special summon itself from the pendulum zone. However, my Guardia Tower is keeping my Guardia Sniper safe… that is, unless Yurik can find a way of getting around it.

“My turn!” Yurik called out as he drew a card from his deck. “Draw!”

Yurik placed the card in his hand before he pointed his right hand at his Twilight Alicorn.

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn,” Yurik began. “Once per turn, I can special summon it from the pendulum zone to my field in attack position.”

Much like it had done the first time, Twilight Alicorn’s horn lit up before it disappeared in a bright bursting bubble, then reappearing in front of Yurik.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Now then…” he muttered.

Yurik grabbed the newest card he drew from his hand.

“I activate Dispel Spell!” Yurik shouted, a green card featuring a robed man with an ornate staff destroying a green card with a beam from the jewel on his staff. “When I control a Spellcaster-type monster, I can destroy one face-up spell card on the field, and the only one left to choose from is your Guardia Tower, now your Sniper’s protection is gone!”

Twilight Alicorn shot a green colored beam from its horn, aimed right at the base of Guardia Tower. With a tremendous explosion, a massive chunk was blown off the side of the building. Unable to support itself, the building began to topple over with the confused Guardia Sniper on top of it.

Before the it would become too steep, Guardia Sniper ran to the side of the tower opposite the fall and jumped off, sliding down the side of the building as the other side of Guardia Tower propped itself against the wall of the hall. Guardia Sniper leapt from the building and back to the floor as the tower, now useless, faded away in bright sparkles.

“Now there’s nothing that can save your Guardia Sniper now!” declared Yurik. “Attack, Twilight Alicorn. Take out his Guardia Sniper with Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn shot her sparking magenta beam at the now defenseless monster, who appeared to take its imminent destruction with a brave, stoic face.

“I activate my trap!” responded Kieran. “Guardia Ironarmor!”

A purple card flipped up from the ground, revealing demonic monster clad in a thick, heavy, but shiny armor. As such, the armor appeared over Kieran's monster in a bright flash.

“I can equip this card to a Guardia monster I control!” explained Kieran. “Now it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, but its effects are negated and it cannot attack.”

I thought so, Yurik thought with a grunt.

The spell continued its path, merely bouncing off the thick plating and off into the corner of the hall over Alice and Twilight. Both of them screamed and covered their heads as bits of debris landed all about them, the smaller pieces hitting them.

“Kieran!” yelled Alice. “Be careful.”

Yurik, hearing Alice clearly this time, turned to her, feelings of betrayal resurfacing as she looked to Kieran.

“Who…” he tried to call out. “Who are you?”

Alice turned to Yurik, confused by his remark.

“Just who are you?! What are you doing with the Guardiaboliques?” he continued asking vehemently. “Why are you letting him do this to me? Walt even had to chase after me and now I don’t even know what you’re doing to him out there. It’s like I can’t even trust you anymore!”

“Yurik, please, I–”

“The real Alice I knew would never let any of this happen to me or my friends.”

“Yurik, I’m still me. You can believe that, can’t you?”

Yurik laid his arms at his side. Twilight looked at Yurik with sympathy, already knowing that a friendship once shared by the two was in jeopardy.

“I…” Yurik finally muttered, “…don’t know what to believe in now.”

Alice whimpered, crushed by Yurik’s distancing from her. Twilight sighed sadly, noting that their relationship was now damaged.

“I end my turn,” Yurik said.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 1600    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 1

Yurik looked to Twilight Alicorn before him, which turned its head gave him a reassuring huff, noting its undying support. Yurik then stared to Kieran, letting him know that with or without his friends by his side, he still had something worth fighting for.

“You show great concern for your friend,” Kieran said, looking up and noting Walt’s probable location. “I will assure you that no harm will come to him, this I can promise on my life.”

Yurik continued to stare Kieran down, unmoved by his guarantees.

“However,” he continued, “he cannot interfere with this duel. Alice also knows this as much. There’s too much riding on this duel for sentiment to enter into it. You must understand this, one way or another.”

Yurik snarled at Kieran, angered by his apathy.

“So, now,” concluded Kieran, “you shall finally understand the true strength of a true chosen one. My turn! Draw!”

Kieran drew a card, now the only one in his hand. Despite his situation, Kieran’s determined face told anyone in the room that he had just what he needed.

“I activate my continuous trap!” Kieran shouted. “Guardia Rebirth!”

Another purple card flipped up, with an infinity insignia in between the card’s title and art, which featured a somewhat decayed Guardia Sentry crawling out from the ground.

“This card lets me special summon a fiend-type Guardia Monster from my graveyard in attack position, and I choose my remaining Guardia Sentry!”

A purple portal with an oily black vortex grew out of the ground, and popping out of it was Kieran’s Guardia Sentry, which landed on the ground beside the armored Guardia Sentry.

“I’m not sure what your purpose is here,” Yurik spoke, “but your monsters are not strong enough to take on my Twilight Alicorn, and without your Sniper’s effects or ability to even attack, he can’t really do anything at this point.”

“You’re right,” Kieran responded, “but I still have my normal summon to conduct, and I have all I need to summon my ace.”

Yurik tensed up, knowing what he meant.

“You don’t mean–” he wondered

“Yes,” confirmed Kieran. “I tribute my Guardia Sentry and Guardia Sniper!”

As Kieran removed both cards from his zones, both monsters on the field burst into sparks, leaving Kieran to place his other monster, a pendulum monster, onto his monster zone.

“The behemoth who leads the army of darkness,” chanted Kieran, “come forth and crush all that stand in our way!”

Appearing from a bright, shining portal was an extremely large and muscular demon, clad in gold armor, a regal red cape, a sheathed claymore made of bone, and ram-like horns upon his head.

“Advance summon!” concluded Kieran. “Guardia General!”

The monster roared at Yurik and Twilight Alicorn, causing Alice and Twilight to cover their ears, the latter being much more scared than the former. Yurik breathed through his clenched teeth, knowing the pain he would soon be put through.

Guardia General
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

“There’s nothing to protect you or your monster now,” warned Kieran. “Activating its effect now will be just as good as forfeiting the duel, but it is moot. My Guardia General’s effect inflicts damage equal to the ATK of whatever monster it destroys.”

Twilight gasped in shock.

“But that means–” she spoke.

“No matter what decision you make,” interrupted Kieran, “you will receive 3000 points of damage.

Yurik stood devastated, feeling all hope of victory draining from him.

“This is the end,” Kieran stated. “Guardia General, attack Twilight Alicorn! Infernal Slash!”

Guardia General unsheathed its massive sword, a trail of fire following it. With a bellowing roar, the monster raised its weapon over its head and swung down at Twilight Alicorn, who fretted anxiously as its destruction came upon it. Yurik, seeing the terrified expressions both his monster and Twilight next to him shared, suddenly became focused and furious.

“Farewell!” bid Kieran.

“NO!” Twilight screamed.

“I’m not letting you!” Yurik shouted. “I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect, placing it in my pendulum zone!”

Twilight Alicorn vanished and reappeared on the left side of Yurik’s field in bright bursts, leaving Yurik’s field wide open.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

“So you still wish to save your monster?” Kieran exclaimed. “It is pointless! Guardia General, attack Yurik directly.”

The demon’s sword continued its descent, but Yurik was still determined.

“I activate my trap!” Yurik declared, revealing a purple card with a silhouette of a man encased in a purple aura. “M. Brace! When a monster declares a direct attack, this card halves the battle damage!”

Kieran peered ahead with widened eyes, amazed by Yurik’s counter. As a purple aura coated him, Yurik crossed his arms over his face as the blade of Guardia General collided into the ground in a blast of flames, the thrust launching Yurik off his feet as he screamed in agony.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1600 -> 100

Yurik fell to the ground and rolled hard upon the carpet of the hall, sliding to a stop on his stomach.

“Hmm,” Kieran hummed, “it seems you’ve guaranteed yourself one last chance. I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 100    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 0

Yurik managed to get to a kneeling stance, looking up at the bloodhungry monster that stood on Kieran’s side.

“Now both of our life is at 100,” Kieran remarked. “And to think, you were so ready to snatch victory like it was your birthright. And now, you end up at the same point as I am. However, this does not mean this is the end for you, not anymore. I managed to get to this point on a mere 100 life points, let’s see if you can continue fighting on the same level.”

Yurik, somewhat uplifted by Kieran’s words, looked at his hand, containing two monsters: Pegassist of Wind, featuring a green pegasus with a white mane and tail and strong wings, and Pony of Night, which shared the same design as Unioncorn of Night, but minus the horn.

I have one turn left, mused Yurik, his face contorting more into sadness, but I cannot do anything with this. They aren’t strong enough to withstand Guardia General’s ATK, and I’m not strong enough to withstand its effect. I don’t even have the support of my friends to keep me fighting.

Alice, still concerned for her friend, clasped her hand over her heart, hoping for a miracle to occur. Twilight, on the other hand, could see the desperation in Yurik’s face, and looked at him with a near equal sadness.

It’s over, Yurik thought, bowing his body and head down in defeat, eyes watering. Dad… I’m sorry…

Yurik closed his eyes, letting the tears stream down his face as he tried to hold back his cries. Kieran looked at his opponent without changing his expression, but his eyes revealed a sense of pity. Yurik let out a few sobs, wallowing in his loneliness and doubt.

“You can do it, Yurik!” shouted a voice from the sidelines.

Yurik’s sadness seemed to stop in that instant, and looking back up and to the right, he could see Twilight, looking up at him with clenched teeth and wet eyes. All eyes, including Alice’s and Kieran’s, were on her, surprised by her outburst.

“Twilight,” growled Kieran, “stay out of this.”

“No!” she cried. “I won’t! Yurik, I know you can do it! I believe in you!”

Yurik, overwhelmed by Twilight’s support, sniffled and blinked, a few more tears leaving his eyes. At that moment, he began to slowly stand on his feet. Alice, having withheld enough guilt, stepped forwards.

“Come on, Yurik!” called Alice. “Get up! You can still win!”

Kieran glanced to Alice with a foreboding glare, but kept his attention back on Yurik, who stood strong and resolutely, wiping his red eyes and nose with the sleeve of his shirt.

“You’re very blessed to have your friends by your side,” Kieran said, “but support alone won’t let you win. You have one last turn to try and take away my remaining life points. I expect to see you use the skills and luck that have gotten you this far. So do not disappoint me, Yurik. If there was any time to prove your worth it is at this moment!”

Yurik’s rage and fury began to return, his scowl becoming wider and fiercer.

“Damn straight,” grunted Yurik, his fingers on his deck. “My turn! DRAW!”

With a tremendous whip of his arm, Yurik glanced at his card: a spell card. With widened eyes, Yurik could tell that this card might be the trick to get him what he needed.

“I activate Pony Switch Shuffle!” he shouted, placing his card into the frontal slot, showing art of silhouettes of a unicorn, pegasus, and a horse running towards a bright star. “Now, I can shuffle two monsters who have Unioncorn, Pegassist, or Pony in their names from my hand into my deck.”

With the remaining two cards in his hand being a Pegassist and a Pony monster, Yurik added his entire hand onto the top of his deck, which began to shuffle itself.

“Then,” Yurik continued as his deck stopped shuffling, “I draw two cards.”

Yurik pinched the top two cards of his deck and drew them out. Looking at them, a wholly orange card and a spell card, time seemed to stand still for Yurik, completely floored by his luck. Glancing back at Kieran, Yurik unnerved him by switching his face back to his cocky smile. Twilight gazed on, wondering just what he would pull off.

“I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect,” Yurik began, “special summoning it from my pendulum zone in attack position!”

Twilight Alicorn teleported from the side of the field to before Kieran’s monster, it’s stance in a fighting position.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“I equip Twilight Alicorn with Horn of Reborn,” Yurik declared, activating his spell card with a cross-insignia above the art, which featured a green-glowing unicorn’s horn. “When this card is activated, I can target one Unioncorn, Pegassist, or Allicorn monster in my graveyard and special summon it, and I choose Unioncorn of Fire!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn glowed green as it shot a beam at the ground, opening the purple-and-black portal on the ground, Unioncorn of Fire hopping out of it and landing beside Twilight Alicorn.

Unioncorn of Fire
ATK: 1600
Lvl.: 4

“Next,” Yurik exclaimed, pulling out the last card in his hand, “I normal summon Pegassist of Water!”

Placing his final card on the zone on his blade, a pool of water appeared in the space to Twilight Alicorn’s left, and leaping out of it was a blue pegasus with a kelp-green mane and tail. The horse no fur, but a slick amphibian skin, and its wings were webbed, much like a frog’s feet.

Pegassist of Water
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“Two level four monsters,” commented Kieran. “Neither of his monsters are stronger than my Guardia General. He’ll have to xyz summon now.”

“I now overlay my level four Unioncorn of Fire and Pegassist of Water!” shouted Yurik.

Unioncorn of Fire and Pegassist of Water transformed into red and blue-colored auras and spiraled around each other, and back towards the ground as a red portal opened up on the floor.

“With these two monsters,” stated Yurik, “I construct the overlay network. Xyz summon!”

Both auras flew inside, the center shining brightly. Flying from the portal was a red unicorn whose coat and white mane and tail were soaking wet. Attached to its back were clouds of steam shaped like wings. Like the previous xyz monster, two orbs flew around its body.

“Let’s end this, Allicorn of Steam!”

Landing on the ground, a wave of warm vapor spread out where it stood.

Allicorn of Steam
ATK: 1900
Rnk.: 4

“Still not strong enough,” Kieran thought aloud. “What could this monster’s effect be?”

“I activate Allicorn of Steam's effect,” Yurik responded, removing Unioncorn of Fire from underneath the card and slipping it into the graveyard slot.

One of the orbs melded into the alicorn’s horn, producing a bright light.

“By detaching one xyz material from it, I can halve the ATK of one monster on the field and increase the owner’s life points by the ATK reduced. I halve Guardia General’s ATK! Vaporous Spray!”

The horn on Yurik’s monster began to drip profusely with water before a wave of hot vapor launched out of it, hitting Guardia Guardian in the chest.

ATK: 3000 -> 1500

The demon growled in pain as the remaining steam flew around the monster and towards Kieran. The vapor felt warm and comfortable on Kieran’s skin, causing him to sigh in slight relief.

Kieran’s Life Points: 100 -> 1600

Despite Kieran’s life points being partially replenished, Kieran breathed in annoyance at the ATK his monster now had.

“This is it!” Yurik shouted. “Now, Alicorn of Steam, attack Guardia General! Boiler Bomb!”

The alicorn shot a ball of steam from its horn, striking Kieran’s monster once again in the chest, but the force exploding it into yellow sparks. The steam hit Kieran, and it now felt uncomfortably warm.

Kieran’s Life Points: 1600 -> 1200

“And now,” bellowed Yurik, “Twilight Alicorn, attack Kieran directly! Bright Burst Magic!!”

Twilight shot its signature beam at Kieran. Before it could strike him Kieran found it in himself to let out a contented sigh. The blast struck Kieran hard, throwing him off his feet as he slid on his back down the hall before coming to a stop.

Kieran’s Life Points: 1200 -> 0

Yurik wins.

The ornate, but demolished hall in the room began to erode in yellow sparks, bringing the room back to normal. Yurik stood panting and looking at his two monsters, who were still around. Both of them turned to Yurik and gave him a nod, their mouths formed into a slight smile.

Weakly chuckling, Yurik grabbed both his monsters off his zones and placed them in their proper places, his two xyz monsters inside the slot on his blade disk, and the remaining cards in his hand, graveyard, and spell and trap zone in his deck. Finally, both monsters disappeared along with the rest of the simulated hall.

“You did it!” Twilight cheered as she galloped to Yurik.

“Yurik!” cried Alice, also running to him.

Before the two of them could properly congratulate him, Yurik collapsed to his knees, scaring the two of them into stopping.

“Yurik?” Twilight questioned, reaching her right forehoof out.

Yurik turned to face Twilight slowly, who reared back as he turned his whole body to her.

“Twilight,” he sighed.

After a couple seconds of awkward silence, Yurik, leaned towards Twilight and wrapped his arms around her neck, sobbing into her mane. The reaction almost made Twilight jump in sheer fright, but heavily refrained, wanting to let Yurik have some comfort.

“Thank you,” he cried. “Thank you for believing in me.”

“You’re…” she tried to speak, searching for the right words as she rubbed his back. “You’re very welcome. I knew you had it in you.”

Alice stared at the two with a smile, her heart warmed by her show of affection. The sounds of walking alerted the three of them, however, seeing Kieran walk up to Yurik. Twilight pulled away from Yurik and set herself between Kieran and Yurik.

“Hold on there,” she ordered with a stern face. “Before anything else happens, I want to know. Where am I? Come to think of it, where are my friends?”

Kieran looking at Twilight with equal sternness, reached up to the pin on his shirt. Twilight watched him carefully, making sure nothing funny was going to happen.

“You still have the man named Walt in your custody?” he asked the person on the other line.

“Affirmative,” the voice on the other line eventually responded. He's on the second floor lounge.

“We’ll be right up.”

Letting go of the pin, Kieran looked back down to Twilight and Yurik.

“Come,” he spoke. “I’ll explain everything with him.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt sat atop a desk inside a small room similar to that of an office lounge. His kicking the back of his heels against the side visibly annoyed a much burlier man in his early thirties wearing a green camo tank top, black shorts, and brown biker boots. His face was as muscular as his biceps, and he was entirely bald.

The man stared at Walt as he stared back at him with a taunting glare, continuing to kick the desk, going in and out of rhythm for added effect. Walt's duel disk also sat atop the desk, rattling atop it with every kick.

“You’re just asking to get decked, ain’t ya’?” the man queried in a raspy and surprisingly tenor voice.

“Hey,” Walt chided, “whatever brings Yurik here faster.”

“I said he’s coming. Hold your horses…”

“Well, I don’t have that either, so that’s two things you owe me.”

The man clenched his fist, struggling not to send his captive flying through to the next room. However, a door opened, and Walt stopped himself immediately. Yurik stepped inside, seeing Walt immediately. Yurik ran inside, nearly breaking into tears once again as he embraced Walt, happy to be reunited with him.

“Hey,” cooed Walt, “you didn’t think I forgot about you, huh?”

“So, you’re Walt?” Twilight spoke up.

Walt looked down from Yurik’s shoulder to see Twilight looking up at him, smiling at his caring nature.

“Whoa!” he shouted, backing away in reflex. “It’s the pony. How are you doing, little fella?”

“I can understand you, you know,” Twilight spoke, giving Walt a slightly-offended glare. “No need to talk to me like I’m some pet.”

Walt stumbled backwards into the wall, making him trip and fall onto his rump. The muscular man was even caught off guard with Twilight’s speech, shuffling to the other side of the room. Twilight walked over and observed the panicked stranger, confused by both his and the other man’s disposition.

“Can someone please explain to me why everyone around here is acting like they’ve never seen a pony before?” she demanded

“That isn’t the case at all, Twilight,” spoke Kieran’s voice as he and Alice stepped into the room.

Immediately, Walt, seeing the famous leader of the Guardiaboliques, managed the strength to stand.

“Oh my God,” he gasped. “You’re Kieran! As in the Kieran!”

“Walt, I’m more than happy to indulge into your fandom of the Guardiaboliques, but our guest here deserves to know what has become of her and her world.”

Kieran walked to the table and picked up a remote control. Pressing the power button it on, a flat-screen TV mounted to the wall already had the news. On it, an anchorwoman was reporting breaking news of the planet’s appearance, as well as showing archive footage of the planet in the sky, as well as amateur videos showing its appearance. Yurik, having not seen the planet before, began breathing heavily, putting a hand over his mouth

Twilight, intrigued by the television, walked up to it and observed the footage carefully. Kieran began to change the channels, showing other news networks covering more or less the same thing. Walt, finally stood up, standing next to Yurik and

“That’s…” Twilight muttered. “That’s Equus. How… is this possible?”

“We are not entirely sure ourselves,” Kieran answered. “Yurik, Walt, and Alice were at the site of where it all happened. Perhaps they can tell you better than I can.”

Twilight turned to face Yurik, Walt, and Alice, who all looked unsure of themselves, wonder how they could tell her this fantastical story.

“My friends and I were celebrating an after-party for our school’s musical,” Yurik began. “People were dueling there for fun, and when a field was left open to us, Alice convinced me to duel her and try my new card.

“Right when I summoned it, a big beam shone from the portal where it was supposed to appear from shining high into the sky. The others, fearing the worst, ran away. Once the beam had gone away, we looked up…”

Twilight cocked her head as Yurik failed to continue on with the story, putting his hand on his head for an oncoming headache.

“And then… all I remember is waking up here.”

“That’s when the planet began to appear,” continued Alice. “Once it had formed, we saw as six beams flew from the other side of the planet and flew towards our planet. One of them landed right in front of Yurik and knocked him unconscious… You were lying inside of the crater.”

Suddenly, Twilight realized something making her eyes and moth go wide open.

“Wait a minute,” Twilight interrupted. “You said six beams? And they came from Equus?”

“Yes, she did,” responded Kieran. “Considering you came from one of those beams, I assume these other five beams are your friends that you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes! Do you know where they are?”

Kieran took a deep breath before answering.

“Unfortunately, the other beams had landed nowhere remotely near here. In fact, we don’t know where they landed yet.”

Twilight’s ears drooped and an upset grimace appeared on her face.

“Oh no,” she shouted, running in place. “My friends are stuck on an alien planet! I need to find them!”

Twilight galloped out of the room, hyperventilating as she did.

“Twilight,” called Yurik, reaching out to her, “wait!”

Kieran quickly stepped out of the room watched Twilight head down the hall.

“And where do you think you’ll go?” Kieran shouted.

Twilight stopped in her tracks, the words making sudden sense to her.

“You’re as stuck on this alien planet as they are,” he explained. “You just happen to be lucky enough to have been found by us.”

“You?” Twilight yelled, turning around and revealing her angry expression. “You mean the ones who kidnapped someone, kept them from their friends trying to rescue them, and then tried to steal from them?”

“Twilight,” Kieran said, approaching her slowly, “I understand that our methods may be viewed as questionable, but I give you my word that we do what we do for the good of our fellow man.”

“Stay back,” warned Twilight, her horn glowing slightly.

“I’m more than willing to extend that privilege to you and any inhabitants of Equus…”

“Stay back!”

Twilight’s horn was already shining a bright white, making audible charging noises.

“…but you have to trust me and the Guardiaboliques if you–”

“I said…”

Twilight’s horn produced a ball of energy that Kieran was just nimble enough to dodge as it passed his face, blasting a hole in the wall at the end of the hall.

“What was that?” shouted the bald-headed man.

Popping out of the lounge was the bald man with a pistol set and aimed at Twilight, as well as Yurik and Walt. Seeing the pistol aimed at the intimidated Twilight, Yurik shouted out and stepped in front of the man's aim.

“Stop it!” shouted Yurik at the armed man. “Don't hurt her!”

“Did you see what she almost did to Kieran?" the man yelled back.

“Marcus,” Kieran spoke, putting his hand up, “at ease.”

With a dissatisfied tick with this tongue, Marcus placed his gun back into a holster at his side. Yurik continued to block the man's path. Twilight, seeing this, began to feel afraid again, but she was now biting her lip as she tried to control the inevitable sobs coming.

“Twilight,” Kieran said, approaching her once again, “We are not the enemy. We want to help you. We have the means with which to find your friends, and we will.”

Kieran knelt down to Twilight, who was bowing her head to conceal her tearing eyes. With a gentle hand, Kieran placed his hand on the side of Twilight's upper neck.

“All you need to do is trust us.”

Twilight, knowing it couldn't be hidden, jumped onto Kieran and hugged him tight, with Kieran returning it with a loving embrace.

“There, there,” he cooed. “Everything will be alright. We'll make everything alright.”

Yurik, Walt, Alice, and Marcus watched as Twilight was consoled. Yurik, empathetic towards her feelings of confusion and uncertainty, clenched his fist, knowing what he had to do.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Back inside the lounge, Twilight and Yurik sat on the couch, Yurik petting down Twilight's back. Alice and Marcus sat on the couch set next to theirs. The TV was still playing the news, covering the arrival of the planet of Equus seemingly without end. They watched as Walt paced about the room, on the phone with someone.

“Yeah,” Walt assured the person on the other line. “We all went over to Mary’s house to chill, and now we’re just waiting for most of this to blow over.”

Alice watched Walt carefully as he constructed his lie.

“Mom,” Walt pressed. “We’re all fine. We’re all down in the basement playing tabletop Duel Monsters. We’ll call you when we’re on our way home. Okay?”

Yurik looked up to Walt and nodded, glad to hear that Walt’s story went through.

“I love you too, Mom,” he finished. “We’ll make it home. Bye.”

Walt hung up his phone and placed it back into his pocket.

“And Mary’s good?” asked Yurik.

“I haven’t talked to her yet,” he said. “I’m still trying to find a way to tell her what’s going on without telling her about the Guardiaboliques. I mean, she dropped me off about half a mile from this place when we were following you.”

“Then tell her,” Kieran’s voice spoke up, Walt turning his head to see him in the doorway.

“What was that?” Walt wondered.

Kieran stepped in further, placing his hands on Walt’s shoulders.

“Our security cameras caught you and her in her car long before she stopped to let you go ahead on foot,” explained Kieran. “I can’t assume that she’s so dim that she wouldn’t be able to piece together what this place really is, or if we can even trust her to keep quiet if she does know.”

“Whoa,” Walt spoke, backing up from Kieran’s grasp, “you’re not suggesting…”

“I won’t resort to drastic measures… if it can be helped. If you’re in contact with her, I’m requesting that you tell her as much as she needs to know that she gets the majority of the truth and that she won’t run to the police.”

Walt looked off to Twilight and Yurik, knowing the probably consequences of letting either of them into the possession of the police.

“Yeah, okay,” he agreed, pulling out his phone from his pocket. “I’ll do it. Just give me a little space, yeah?”

Kieran took a step back as Walt browsed through his contacts, finding Mary’s number and calling it. Placing his ear to the phone, he listened for the ringtone before it almost immediately picked up.

“Hello?”

“Mary, it’s Walt,” he confirmed.

“Walt! How’s Yurik? And what about that pony we picked up?”

“They’re just fine, but Mary, I need you to listen very carefully, because I’m not going to pull your leg on this, and honestly, you might have already figured it out.”

“What?” Mary half chuckled. “Did Alice take them to the Guardiaboliques headquarters or something?”

“…Yeah, that’s exactly what happened.”

A long bout of silence came between them.

“Hello?” Walt queried.

“Are you being serious right now?” wondered Mary.

“Dead serious. We’re inside their headquarters as we speak. In fact, Alice is even one of them.”

“What?” Mary questioned.

Alice, infuriated that Walt would sell her out like that, angrily marched to him before being grabbed by her arm by Kieran. Looking to him, Alice watched Kieran slowly shake his head “no.” Alice looked back, waiting to see how Walt would get himself out of this.

“Yeah,” confirmed Walt. “Just imagine what the police or the government would do to Yurik and that pony if they discovered their connection to that planet’s appearance. If anything, we’re really lucky that one of the Guardiaboliques is our friend.”

“Okay, I get it. Wow, Jesus… So, what did she… or they do to them?”

“Nothing. They both woke up and they’re just fine. They’re just keeping them hidden from the police for the time being and letting them heal a bit. Like I said before, do not call the police about ths, but now I’m telling you: do not tell another soul about this.”

“What? No, no! Of course not!”

“Because, I just want to warn you, they, the Guardiaboliques, I mean, they got your car on their security cameras when we came here.”

More silence.

“So, I should really not tell anyone huh?” Mary asked in a nervous chuckle.

“Would heavily advise against it,” Walt said. “Listen, they told me that as long as you’re cool with them, they’ll be cool with you. Alright?”

Twilight watched on, awaiting the guarantee of her and her friends’ safety underway. Meanwhile, behind them on the TV, the display began to fade into static.

“Alright,” Mary finally agreed. “I just don’t want anything funny happening to me and my family because of this.”

“There won’t. Oh! Hey, before I hang up, I have to ask one more favor of you.”

“Yeah?”

“I had to keep my mom from worrying about Yurik, and I told her that we were riding the storm out at your home to calm her down. If for any reason anyone asks where Yurik, Alice, and I were or anyone gets suspicious, tell them we were at your place, okay?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered.”

“Great, Mary. You’re a true pal.”

“Anything for my fellow pals. Do you know when you’ll have the first edit from last night up?”

“Hopefully before the end of the weekend. Hopefully…”

“Either way, don’t worry about it. You’ve got a lot on your plate alr–”

“Kieran!” called Marcus, pointing at the TV. “You need to look at this!”

Walt, hearing the severity in his voice, looked behind him quickly, appearing on and off the TV’s static was what appeared to be a white unicorn’s head with a long, flowing mane of green, pink, blue, and purple.

“Sorry,” Walt quickly spoke, “gotta go, buh-bye.”

Walt hung the call up and placed his phone back into his pocket as he and Kieran stepped closer to the TV, wondering what that was.

“Princess Celestia?” Twilight wondered.

“Who?” Yurik asked.

“Shh,” hushed Kieran, knowing she would begin speaking soon.

“Hello,” the horse spoke in a stern, but motherly voice. “My name is Princess Celestia of the planet Equus. It has come to my, as well as your attention that our planet has mysteriously appeared outside of yours. As well, seven of its inhabitants, who all happen to be very close to me, have disappeared an appeared on your planet in various parts.”

“Seven?” wondered Twilight aloud. “Did does that mean Spike is here too?”

“What I’m asking is that the inhabitants of your planet help me in retrieving my little ponies and bring them back home. However, it is very important that they all be gathered together, as it is far too dangerous for them as well as for the rest of us in Equestria for them to be alone. I shall handsomely reward whomever completes this task with whatever they wish. We have no quarrel with your world and are peaceful creatures. All I want is for my ponies to return home safely.” 

Princess Celestia sniffled and wiped her tears from her eyes with her arm, putting Twilight in another sad disposition. Yurik and Alice looked on amazingly at Celestia, who appeared more horse-like than Twilight did, but had very beautiful curves on its face, giving her a look of elegance. The screen began to turn fuzzy as an image of six ponies and a purple bipedal lizard with a green underbelly appeared on screen.

Yurik and the others scanned each of the ponies shown, noting their features: a blue pegasus with a cropped mane and tail colored like the rainbow, an orange pony with a ponytailed blonde mane and tail and a brown Stetson, a joyous pink pony with a fluffy pink mane and tail, a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane and innocent eyes, and a white unicorn with a curled purple mane and tail and a heavily made up face.

“This is what each of them looks like,” said Celestia, “if this is any help to you. I wish to be at peace with your world however long we are stranded here. Please prove this to me by helping me bring my little ponies home. Thank you.”

The image of the horse went away and back to the news, the anchors on TV absolutely stunned by what had happened. The TV then shut off, Kieran placing the remote back on the table. Twilight looked back to Kieran, wondering what he would say in response.

“We’re currently tapping into every satellite across the globe as well as searching every news outlet across the world for the whereabouts of your friends,” Kieran assured her. “Once we get word about where each beam landed, as well as any possible sightings of your friends nearby, we’ll go and find them.”

“But…” Twilight wondered, getting off the couch to follow Kieran, “what about travel? How are we going to–”

“We have the means,” interrupted Kieran.

“And money? Won’t that cost–”

“It’s no object.”

Twilight looked down, thinking of any other possible setbacks she would need to know.

“And I’ll be coming too,” Twilight spoke determinably. “Forgive me for saying this, but my friends won’t trust you guys as you are. If they see me with you, they will.”

“That wasn’t negotiable,” Kieran said, “but I’m glad to see we’re on the same page.”

Twilight’s face melted into a flat frown.

“The location of the craters will not be very difficult,” spoke Kieran, pacing towards the doorway, “but pinning your friends down might. It will take some time, but you can use that time to train, learn of our world and our ways, how to duel. That is what you will be doing for the time being.”

“Well,” Twilight mentioned, “what about Yurik and the others?”

“Alice and Marcus will be able to assist you. However…”

Kieran turned to Yurik, surprising him.

“Yurik,” addressed Kieran, “you earned the right to keep your Twilight Alicorn card and the power it holds. However, after all that has happened, what course of action do you plan to take?”

“I vote to join you too,” Yurik answered, his clenched hand raised level to his face. “As the protector my Twilight Alicorn card, as well as being the cause for all of this, well, I feel like I’m indebted to making sure I reunite Twilight with her friends safely.”

Twilight smiled warmly, happy for Yurik’s alliance.

“I sure as hell can’t let my bro get away from me again,” Walt spoke up, “so I’m coming along as well.”

“I cannot allow that,” Kieran responded.

“What?” both Yurik and Walt responded.

“Yurik, you’ve proven your worth against me, and you’ve accepted the invitation that you’ve earned. I know nothing of Walt except that he is your friend. I cannot allow someone like that to become a part of my beloved Guardiaboliques.”

“Give him a chance!” Yurik professed. “Just like you did with me! That’s it, let me duel him!”

“I gave you a chance because you wielded an amazing power that you showed that you could harness. Walt has no such help, and I cannot allow just anyone to join my faction like this is one of your high school musicals.”

Kieran began to walk to the doorway, when Yurik contorted his face in anger.

“How about this,” Yurik threatened, “either both of us join or none of us do.”

Kieran stopped in his tracks. Twilight gasped, realizing the eggshells Yurik tread on.

“Is this what you really want?” asked Kieran.

“What I want is for you to give my friend a chance,” Yurik answered. “Walt’s a very strong duelist, and I don’t believe I’d be as good of a duelist as I am if it weren’t for him.”

“Then what do you propose that we do?” wondered Kieran, looking back at Yurik and Walt.

Yurik glanced to Walt and gave him a nod, Walt nodded back, knowing Yurik would have his best interests in mind.

“Let me duel him,” Yurik said to Kieran. “You dueled me to test my strength. Let me do the same.”

“Hey, man,” Walt said to Kieran as he went to Yurik’s side. “If the man wants to get his ass kicked, then just let him.”

Yurik smirked at his remark. Kieran however, stood still and sized Walt up. Twilight looked between the two of them, wondering whose side would get their way.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran, Alice, Marcus, and Twilight stood along the side wall of the dueling arena where Yurik and Walt stood before each other. Each one had their duel disks on their arms as they awaited for Kieran to let them begin.

“You may begin whenever you’re ready,” Kieran remarked.

Twilight stared at Walt, unsure what a person like him could do against Yurik and his new ace monster.

“New card or no new card,” Walt said, “there’s no way I’m letting you get the better of me.”

“As much as I’d like to say you’re wrong,” Yurik said, “I’m hoping you’re right.”

“But I’m not hoping,” Walt said, removing his disk blade from his duel disk, “I know it!”

Both Walt and Yurik threw their blade disks out as the shot around each other and back towards their owners, where they stopped beside the back side of their duel disks and lit up in an array of colors. The lights on the sides of the blade disks shone bright as the light formed into a solid mass that formed into the zoned blades. Finally, both duelists’ decks were shuffled inside their slots.

“Connection complete,” spoke a voice on both computers, “Yurik Clayer vs. Walt Faber. Draw.”

As instructed, Yurik and Walt drew the top five cards from their decks, now ready to begin.

“I’m not looking for anything fancy,” Walt said, holding his left arm close to his face for dramatic effect, “I just want a simple, quick duel.”

“Nah,” Yurik disagreed with a smug smile, holding his own duel disk out, “I want to enjoy this, so let’s have a little fun, shall we?”

Twilight looked between the two of them, wondering which one would come out on top.

“DUEL!” both Yurik and Walt shouted.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Walt:
LP: 4000
================
> Episode 3: The Spark Between Friends, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“DUEL!” both Yurik and Walt shouted.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Walt:
LP: 4000
================

“I don’t suppose you would mind taking the first turn,” Yurik spoke.

“Nah,” Walt replied, “I can handle that. Let’s get this ball rolling.”

Kieran kept his eyes on Walt, wondering what kind of deck and strategy he had for himself. Twilight watched him as well, unsure how he could counter a duelist as strong as Yurik. Alice looked to Walt with hope, wondering if his abilities would be able to satisfy her superior. Walt picked a single card from his hand, holding out to reveal it.

“I normal summon Tungsten Wolfram,” Walt declared, placing the card on the right zone of his left blade.

Appearing from an opening blue portal was a beefy wolf-like creature with curled horns, hooves, and fur that glowed a soft yellow.

Tungsten Wolfram
ATK: 500
Lvl.: 3

“When this card is normal summoned,” explained Walt, “it automatically changes itself into defense position.”

Rearing its rump up while lowering its front half down, the creature snarled at Yurik before settling in its stance.

ATK: 500 -> DEF: 2000

“Next,” Walt spoke, grabbing a spell card, “I activate the continuous spell card Coil Construction.”

Placing the card in his front slot, the card appeared face-up on the field, revealing a screwdriver, hammer, and wrench floating in the air and constructing two half-built tesla coils.

“During each of my standby phases,” Walt spoke to Yurik. “I can place one Tesla Counter on this card. I don’t think I need to tell you what happens from there.”

Kieran crossed his arms, observing the field Walt was setting for himself. Walt then picked a purple card from his hand and slid it into the front slot.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” Walt concluded as a card backing phased right beside his face up spell card.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spells/Traps: 2

So it looks like Walt’s already setting up for his ace monster, Yurik deduced, looking at this hand, which already contained a couple monsters, a couple of traps, and a single spell card. However, he thought, I can’t destroy his monster or his spells and traps at this moment. I think I’ll start on the defensive.

“My turn!” called Yurik, swiping a card from the top of his deck. “Draw!”

Yurik looked at his card, and was surprised to see Twilight Alicorn already, his eyes widening, first with shock, then with disappointment.

Not quite yet, Yurik thought as he placed his ace monster card back into his hand, opting for another.

“I set one monster face down,” declared Yurik, placing the card on the zone face out with the top end turned to face the left.

A card backing of a card in a similar position phased onto Yurik’s side of the field. Kieran observed this strategy with a touch of scorn in his eyes.

This isn’t anything like the strategy I saw facing him, he thought. Is he seriously trying to set his opponent up to win?

Yurik shot a glance to Kieran, noting his furrowed expression. Ignoring it, Yurik grabbed his two traps and set them both inside his frontal slot on his duel disk, the card backs phasing on the floor before him.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn,” he stated.

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 2

Walt forced out a bellowing laugh, arcing his upper body back for dramatic effect. Twilight groaned as she began to see Yurik’s plan in the same light that Kieran did.

“So you’re just waiting for me to get my tesla coils?” Walt asked. “It’s as if you want me to win!”

“I’m not letting that happen,” Yurik responded. “Kieran won’t want to see a complete shutdown by either of us, especially one that’s intentional.”

“Well, the way you’re playing, bro, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.”

Kieran locked his eyes on Walt, his glare going unnoticed by him.

Walt seems to be extremely confident in his abilities, Kieran speculated. However, it’s as if he’s forgotten what he’s fighting for. If Yurik does indeed throw this match for his friend, he’ll destroy any chance Walt has in joining our ranks. However…

Kieran looked back to Yurik, his brave expression wavering slightly with a lack of assurance.

He seems scared now, continued Kieran. It looks as if he’s trying his hardest with what he’s been given thus far. That, or he’s scared that there’s a façade of his that I’ll uncover.

“Come on, Yurik,” muttered Twilight, bobbing up and down with nervousness.

“Let’s go!” shouted Walt, gripping the top card of his deck. “My turn! Draw!”

Walt drew the top card of his deck, looking up at it. Without adding it to his hand, Walt pointed towards his face-up spell card with his right hand.

“During my standby phase,” Walt explained, “one Tesla Counter is added to my Coil Construction card!”

Appearing from a bright, sparkling light coming from the surface of the card was a small tesla coil that stood upright on the bottom of the card.

Tesla Counters: 0 -> 1

With that effect taken care of, Walt slammed his drawn monster card onto the left zone of his right blade.

“I summon Tungsten Paladin!” shouted Walt.

Appearing from a blue portal and jumping out from it was a humanoid warrior with glowing, oblong-shaped golden armor and two blinding-white swords. Its helmet concealed all of its facial features, giving it an even more threatening look as it took its offensive battle stance.

Tungsten Paladin
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 4

A deck with monsters with high ATK and DEF, observed Kieran. An interesting strategy, but how far can he expect to go on that?

“Go!” declared Walt, pointing at the sideways face-down card on Yurik’s side of the field. “Attack Yurik’s face down monster! Slashing Shine!”

With an abnormally fast sprint, the warrior charged at the card with its swords crossed, ready to cut its opponent like shears. As the card came closer towards the monster, the card flipped face up, still on its side. The card glowed as a horse made entirely from dirt and mud with a grassy mane and tail appeared over the card, its legs spread wide in a defensive crouch.

Earth Pony
DEF: 2100
Lvl.: 4

“Oh, crap!” shouted Walt, shocked to see the value of Yurik’s monster’s DEF.

“Wait!” cried Twilight, looking to Kierand and Alice. “What happens now?”

“Just watch,” grumbled Marcus.

The dirty pony turned itself around and lifted its hind legs in the air, aiming them at the golden warrior’s swords. As the warrior swung its blades and the pony bucked its legs, the pony successfully pushed the warrior back, sliding it away about ten feet. With a long leap backwards, the warrior stood back in line with Walt’s other monster.

“I don’t get it?” asked Twilight. “What happened?”

“That’s just it,” explained Alice. “When an attacking monster’s ATK is equal to its target’s DEF, nothing happens. Neither monster is destroyed and neither player takes damage.”

“For future reference,” spoke Marcus, “say if Yurik’s monster’s DEF was higher; neither monster would be destroyed, but Walt would take damage equal to the difference.”

“I get it,” Twilight sighed thankfully. “So they’re both safe.”

Marcus nodded in response, somewhat glad to see her learn the game so quickly. Walt merely looked at Yurik’s monster as it looked him down, huffing impatiently at him.

“When Tungsten Paladin declares an attack,” Walt explained, “it switches itself into defense position, and it cannot change its battle position, except by a card effect.”

Walt turned his card on his zone 90 degrees to the left, the warrior kneeling down and crossing its swords over its chest in response.

ATK: 2100 -> DEF: 200

Yurik nodded, knowing this as much. Walt picked up a purple card in his hand and set it inside his frontal slot.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” Walt declared.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4000    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 3

Kieran observed Walt with scrutiny once again.

He set a card that was in his hand since the beginning just now? Kieran wondered. What does he plan to accomplish with that?

Walt looked confidently at Yurik, not betraying a single thing about his intended strategy. Yurik however smirked proudly at Walt with a slight chuckle.

“So the only thing really protecting you now is your Wolfram, right?” Yurik asked.

“I’m not putting anything past you at this point,” Walt said, “but more or less, yeah.”

“Then I suppose you’re in for a surprise!”

Twilight kept her eyes to Yurik, awaiting his next move.

“My turn!” Yurik announced. “Draw!”

Yurik looked to his card, seeing a monster card in his hand, making him gasp in positive surprise. Placing the monster in his hand, he grabbed a spell card from his hand and showed it to Walt.

“I activate my quick-play spell Rearing for Charge!” he declared, placing the card into the front slot. “This card switches a defense monster into attack position, and the monster I choose is my Earth Pony!”

Kieran, Marcus, and Twilight gasped, shocked by the bizarre strategy as Earth Pony stood to its hind legs and kicked the front ones out with a loud whinny.

DEF: 2100 -> ATK: 600

He’s using a spell card to change the battle position of his own monster? Kieran thought. Just what is the purpose?

Kieran then looked to Walt, who sported a very foreboding expression which alerted Kieran.

Wait! he realized.

“Now,” explained Yurik, grabbing his recently-drawn monster from his hand, “I activate the effect of Pegassist of Earth!”

There was something to that, mused Kieran.

“When a monster I control has its battle position changed by a card effect, I can special summon this card from my hand!”

Yurik placed the card onto the zone next to his Earth Pony card, and from the blue portal opening beside the monster came a pegasus with a similar body, mane, and tail structure but had wings that were made from sheets of rock, unfurling them wildly as it took its pose.

Pegassist of Earth
ATK: 300
Lvl.: 4

“That’s not all,” continued Yurik. “Now I activate Pegassist of Earth’s effect. When it’s special summoned by its own effect, I can change the battle position of one monster my opponent controls, and I choose your Tungsten Wolfram!”

“So that’s why he did that!” Twilight commented.

“Not a bad play, there,” agreed Marcus.

Pegassist of Earth reared onto its hind legs and forcefully thrust the front hooves onto the ground, causing a chunk of the Earth to spring up from under Tungsten Wolfram, causing it to bounce off and to its feet in a seemingly offensive stance.

DEF: 2000 -> ATK: 500

Walt groaned and bared his teeth at the predicament that he now found himself in.

“And now his monsters’ ATKs are stronger than Walt’s monsters,” spoke Alice. “Amazing.”

Twilight looked to Yurik in reverence, heavily surprised at this ingenuity.

“Now,” Yurik shouted, pointing to Walt’s Tungsten Paladin, “Pegassist of Earth, attack Tungsten Paladin! Shale Shears!”

With a tremendous flap, shards of rock shot out of Pegassist of Earth’s wings and soared into Walt’s warrior, where it disappeared with a painful yell and a burst of sparks which blew through Walt, which he shielded with his right arm.

“You’re up, Earth Pony!” called Yurik. “Attack Tungsten Wolfram!”

Earth Pony galloped out at Walt’s remaining monster, which growled threateningly as the horse came closer.

“Also,” added Yurik, “with Rearing for Charge’s effect, my monster gains an extra 700 ATK during this battle phase when it attacks.”

Earth Pony glowed a touch orange as it continued its attack.

ATK: 600 -> 1300

“No way!” gasped Twilight.

“Say goodbye to your monster, Walt!” Yurik called out.

“The only one saying goodbye is you, dude!” Walt shouted. “I activate my face-down quick-play spell card, Silhouette Shadow!”

Everyone, both human and equine alike on the sidelines gasped in complete surprise as a green card flipped face-up from the ground, featuring the figure of a dragon rendered as a black shape by a bright light behind it.

“This card allows me to reduce a monster’s ATK to 0 until the end phase,” Walt declared, “and I’ll choose your Earth Pony.”

An open-faced lamp with black barn-door shutters pulled out towards the light’s direction appeared in a collection of sparks behind where Earth Pony once stood and turned itself on. Depsite the extremely bright light being shone in Walt’s direction, he stared at the still charging horse as the light shone behind it, rendering it a black figure like the monster on his spell card.

ATK: 1300 -> 0

“Wait!” cried Twilight., looking to the other humans for an answer. “Can’t he stop the attack?”

“The attack target hasn’t changed,” Kieran responded. “The attack must continue.”

“Oh no. Yurik…”

Earth Pony still went on as Tungsten Wolfram ran at its now weaker prey, a hunger in its smile.

“Not today!” shouted Yurik, pointing at one of his set cards in his spell and trap zone. “I activate my own trap, Ponedurance!”

A trap card flipped up to reveal art of a horse headbutting a large, android-like machine, a blast of white light coming from the impact.

“This card lets me target one Pony monster I control,” explains Yurik, “and for the rest of that turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle and any damage with battles involving it is reduced to 0.”

“Figures,” Walt replied with a gentle sigh. “Another stalemate.”

As both Earth Pony and Tungsten Wolfram collided with each other, they both fell to the ground, each one blown back by the other’s force. With nothing left to do, the monsters returned to their sides of the field, each looking each other down. Twilight sighed, glad to see that neither player had lost much.

“Impressive,” Kieran commented, getting Twilight to turn to him.

“What was impressive, Kieran?” she asked.

“Walt knew that Yurik would attack this turn, and that’s why he set his spell card last turn and not the turn previous. Not only that, but he knew Yurik’s intention with using his spell to change his monster’s battle position. He really knows his friend and his deck well. Hmm…”

Twilight, both impressed by Walt’s strategic thinking and the increasing possibility of Walt’s acceptance into the Guardiaboliques, chuckled with a crooked smile. Yurik then plucked his Twilight Alicorn from his hand and reached for the two monsters on the zones on his blades.

“Now,” Yurik proclaimed, “I release my Earth Pony and Pegassist of Earth!”

Removing the cards from his blade, the two monsters faded away from the ground up in sparkles at the same time, promptly placing his ace onto the right zone of his left blade.

“Advance summon!” Yurik shouted. “Come to me, Twilight Alicorn!”

A ball of magenta light grew out from the ground where it burst like a bubble, revealing Twilight Alicorn standing strong and proudly before Walt and his remaining monster.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“I end my turn,” Yurik finally concluded.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 1

Yurik, despite, having his ace out and ready, looked at Walt’s face-up spell card with unease and caution.

His Coil Construction’s going to gain another counter next turn, Yurik planned. Once that happens, I’m going to be in big trouble.

Walt, even with Twilight Alicorn looking at him with an intimidating scowl, couldn’t help but crack a smile towards his friend.

“Yo, Yurik!” called Walt. “I’m glad to see you got your monster out so fast. Now, I can duel a completely different you.”

Yurik, noting the affability in Walt’s voice, smiled in response.

“Yeah,” Yurik agreed. “And now, my new ace monster can now battle your ace.”

“I’m sure he’s looking forward to it,” Walt laughed.

Twilight, unsure what Yurik was referring to as Walt’s ace monster, turned to Alice.

“What is he talking about?” asked Alice.

“Just watch,” she responded.

Twilight turned her attention back to Walt, who continued to banter with Yurik.

“Well,” added Yurik, “by the looks of it, I’d say Alicorn Twilight is itching to take it on. I don’t think you should keep her waiting.”

Walt, slightly surprised by his statement, resumed back into a confident smirk.

“Alright, buddy,” he said. “You asked for it. My turn! Draw!”

Walt whipped a card out, looking at the monster he drew and smiling wide at it.

“And now you shall have your wish,” Walt spoke to Twilight Alicorn.

“Here it comes,” muttered Yurik, an excited grin on his face.

Adding his card to his hand, Walt aimed his outstretched right hand at his face up spell card, looking straight into Yurik’s eyes.

“During my standby phase,” Walt spoke, “my Coil Construction gains another Tesla Counter!”

Another small tesla coil appeared on the card right in front of the first one

Tesla Counters: 1 -> 2

“Now,” Walt declared, “I activate Coil Construction’s effect, destroying itself!”

The card beneath the two tesla coils glowed a bright yellow before it shattered into small, bright bits. The two tesla coils, with nothing to support them, also burst in a similar manner.

“Huh?” Twilight questioned. “Why would he do that?”

“I can think of a couple of reasons…” responded Marcus.

“When my Coil Destruction is destroyed,” Walt explained, “I can add a number of Tesla Coils from my deck to my hand equal to the number of Tesla Counters on it when it was destroyed.”

“That means he’ll have two,” Alice commented.

Walt’s deck began to shuffle inside its slot, and once it stopped, two cards slid out from the top, which Walt grabbed. Without adding them to his hand, he revealed them both to Yurik.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 1 Tesla Coil and scale 4 Tesla Coil!” called Walt.

“So they were pendulum monsters!” deduced Twilight.

“And did he say scale one and scale four Tesla Coils?” wondered Marcus, equally surprised.

Walt set both cards on the outer zones of his blade, the number underneath the blue gem on both cards being 1, and the number under the red gem being 4. Rising from the ground in blue pillars of light were two much larger tesla coils that whirred with functionality as a bright 1 appeared over the one on Walt’s left and a bright 4 appeared over the one on Walt’s right.

Tesla Coil
Pendulum Scale: 1

Tesla Coil
Pendulum Scale: 4

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 2 and 3,” Walt declared, picking out the two remaining cards in his hand. “Pendulum summon!”

Placing both monsters on the centermost zones he could with his Tungsten Wolfram still in play, the red portal and star appeared in the air above Walt’s field. Flying down from the portal were two yellow auras that collided on the ground from both sides of Tungsten Wolfram.

When the dust began to clear, two new monsters had appeared. One was a shining blue eel with razor sharp teeth, a glowing underbelly, and matching spots along the top of its body. The other was a bright green bird with a glowing red underbelly, its plumage sparkling like an endless barrage of static.

“Tungsten Steel Eel!” shouted Walt. “Tungsten Quetztatic!”

With firm poses, the monsters both stood beside Tungsten Wolfram.

Tungsten Steel Eel
ATK: 1400
Lvl.: 3

Tungsten Quetztatic
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 2

As Twilight and Marcus marveled over the swarm of Walt’s monsters, Kieran continued to stare Walt down.

So now he has no cards in his hand, he thought, he has two monsters with under 1500 ATK, and one set spell or trap card. But he can’t be done… not by a long shot.

“Now,” explained Walt, “the effect of Tesla Coil in my right pendulum zone activates. When I pendulum summon monsters while it’s on that zone, I can draw a card for each monster pendulum summoned!”

“No way!” Twilight responded. “Now he’s filling his hand back up.”

Two lighting beams shot from the left Tesla Coil and connected to Walt’s deck. He pinched the top cards of his deck and drew two cards, the beams following them before they faded away, allowing Walt to place him in his empty left hand.

“Then,” continued Walt, “I have the effect of Tesla Coil in my left pendulum zone.”

“There’s more?” Marcus questioned. “Jesus, how many tricks does this kid have?”

“As long as this card is in this zone, all Thunder-type monsters or Tungsten monsters I control gain 500 ATK.”

“And it strengthens them?” Twilight wondered.

“Hmph,” Alice chortled to Kieran, nudging him on the arm. “Perhaps Walt is a strong duelist after all, isn’t he?”

Kieran refused to respond, watching as five beams of lightning shot out from both devices and melded to form five beams of lightning that connected from machine to machine. As this went on, all three of Walt’s monsters glowed with yellow energy.

Tungsten Wolfram
ATK: 500 -> 1000

Tungsten Steel Eel
ATK: 1400 -> 1900

Tungsten Quetztatic
ATK: 1000 -> 1500

“However,” Walt said, “these monsters won’t be staying around for long.”

“About time,” Yurik said, getting pumped for what was about to come.

“I tune my level 3 Tungsten Wolfram and Tungsten Steel Eel with my level 2 Tungsten Quetztatic!”

“Tuning?” Twilight questioned. “What’s does that mean?”

“Looks like that bird of his is a tuner,” Marcus said. “He’s going to synchro summon.”

“Synchro summon?”

Tungsten Quetztatic glowed into a bright-white shape before it burst, leaving only two small orbs of light that both spread out into glowing rings that aligned with one another. Walt’s two remaining monsters hopped up into the rings, becoming nothing but orange, glowing outlines of their bodies with glowing lines to define their other features. Three white stars formed a line inside each of their bodies.

“The lustrous light of my soul,” Walt chanted, “cast all shadows away with your radiance!”

A beam shot up from the ground and through both rings, expanding into a bright, greenish-white pillar.

“Synchro summon!” shouted Walt.

The pillar of light gave way to the monster now formed inside, spreading away to reveal a large dragon with two large white horns, its body seemingly made out of a smooth metal that bent and stretched flexibly as if it were skin. It’s main body was a glowing, golden yellow with a spotless and muscular white underbelly that matched its wings.

“My beacon of victory!” concluded Walt. “Tungsten Dragon!”

Walt’s monster roared loud at both Yurik and Twilight Alicorn, signaling its complete preparedness to fight.

Tungsten Dragon
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 8

The noise of the dragon’s roar made Twilight cover her ears uncomfortably. Marcus and Kieran looked at Walt’s monster with slight awe, while Alice smiled to see his strongest monster out and ready.

“And now,” Walt explained, “the Tesla Coil in my right pendulum zone increases its ATK by 500, as per its effect.”

The skin on Tungsten Dragon’s body began to illuminate as the lightning beams of the Tesla Coils connected with one another.

ATK: 2700 -> 3200

Yurik, being able to see Walt’s own ace monster facing his own, gained a warm smile on his face, one that was also shared by Walt.

“So now our monsters can formally meet,” Walt said.

“Yeah,” Yurik joked, “if by ‘formally meet,’ you mean ‘fighting brutally against one another.’”

“That too.”

“Hehe, whatever the case, my monster’s ready, Walt! So come on, Tungsten Dragon!” he shouted, throwing his arms to the side. “Just try and take down my Twilight Alicorn!”

Tungsten Dragon, irked by Yurik’s taunts, roared angrily at both him and Twilight Alicorn, Twilight only wincing as she prepared herself for its cry.

“Easy there,” Walt cooed. “It’s time to show her what you’re made of.”

Kieran looked to Yurik, unsure of how he would respond based on his pleasant, fulfilled smile.

“Battle!” Walt shouted. “Tungsten Dragon! Attack Twilight Alicorn! Incandescent Inferno!”

With a bright glowing in its mouth, Tungsten Dragon reeled its head back, charging up for the attack. Throwing its head forwards, a bright beam shot out of the dragon’s mouth, heading straight for the nervous looking Twilight Alicorn.

“Yurik!” shouted Twilight.

“You might not have been here for my duel with Kieran,” Yurik spoke, “but now you can learn my monster’s effect first hand!”

Yurik pointed his arm at this sole monster.

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn!” shouted Yurik. “Once per turn, I can place this card on an unused pendulum zone I control!”

“Oh, right!” Walt shouted, remembering its effect from the previous morning’s reading.

With a glow of its horn, Twilight Alicorn vanished from the monster card zone and placed itself on the very left side of Yurik’s field.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

“However,” Walt reminded with a wider smile, “now that your field is empty, I’ll just change the attack target to you!”

“Yurik!” Twilight loudly scolded.

The beam shot out much faster towards Yurik with nothing to protect him. The beam landed right at his feet, blowing the ground up from the floor and blasted Yurik back as she screamed in pain, where he and several large chunks of debris rolled to the floor roughly before coming to a stop.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4000 -> 800

Kieran frowned in disappointment as Twilight and Alice looked on with concern. Yurik managed to stand in a weak crouching position as he reached for the screen of his duel disk’s tablet.

“I activate my trap:” he groaned, “Wicked Windfall.”

The card’s art depicted a demonic silhouette handing two glowing cards to a wounded soldier in battered armor.

“When I take battle damage from a direct attack,” he explained, “I can draw a card for every thousand points of damage I just took.”

“3200 damage?” Twilight concluded. “That’s three cards!”

“But first,” Yurik spoke, finally standing to his feet, “I’ll chain the effect of my Pegassist of Water.”

“Huh?” Alice thought aloud. “That monster again?”

“Whenever I take battle damage from an attack,” he continued, “I can special summon this card from my hand.”

Yurik placed the last card of his hand onto the left zone of his right blade, and from the blue portal that formed before him, the furless blue pegasus with the webbed wings and kelpy mane and tail appeared on the field.

Pegassist of Water
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“Furthermore,” Yurik said, “when I special summon my monster this way, I gain life points equal to half of the battle damage I took.”

Kieran’s eyes raised in intrigue as Yurik’s monster faced him and unfurled its wings. With a mighty fanning of its wings, a misty gust flew into Yurik’s face, providing him with a relieving cool breeze that replenished him.

Yurik’s Life Points: 800 -> 2400

“And finally,” Yurik responded, “the resolution of my Wicked Windfall.”

Kieran kept his eyes on Pegasisst of Water as it turned back while its master drew three cards at once from his deck.

So the Pegassist monsters special summon themselves when a certain situation occurs, Kieran speculated, and then has a secondary effect that’s related to the first. Interesting deck you have there, Yurik Clayer…

Walt, impressed at his friend’s ability to bounce back from his monster’s attack, huffed with a smirk.

“Always with the gimmicky effects,” he chortled.

“Hey!” Yurik shouted, taking offense to his comment. “Don’t be talking smack about my cards! They’ve kept me fighting for this long!”

“Oh, that’s what you call that? Then let me remind you that you need to fight harder.”

Yurik grimaced at Walt’s remarks as he continued drilling him.

“If what I hear is true about you being able to defeat Kieran with that new monster of yours, taking 3200 damage right off the bat is a really poor way of proving that you had the clout to do such a feat.”

“And now my life is at 2400; I’m still fighting strong!”

“And what if you didn’t have that card with you? Would you have still put Twilight Alicorn on the sidelines and take that attack head-on again?”

“Yes! I’ll do everything in my power to prevent its destruction!”

Walt, genuinely shocked by Yurik’s proclamation of his defense, gasped silently before returning to his cocksure demeanor.

“Hmph,” he sighed. “You’re a foolish man, Yurik…”

Yurik clenched his fists, the rise Walt was getting out of him being seeing visibly by Alice and Twilight.

“Let me tell you about foolish,” Yurik responded. “I was beating Kieran by a 3000 to 100 lead just about a half hour ago. Despite the disadvantage he found himself in, he still held just as strong a will to fight as I did and continued to go all out against me.”

Twilight gasped again as she watched Yurik unclench his hand as a wave of hope seemed to wash over him.

“I’m not going to willingly conserve my own life at the cost of my comrades;” Yurik stated, looking to both Twilight Alicorn and Pegassist of Water, “I never have, and I never will. They’re the ones that give me strength when I have none, much like you, Alice, mom, and Evey have done. I’d give my life defending the lot of you, but as long as I have breath in my lungs, blood pumping through my heart, and at least one life point to my name, I won’t give up!”

Walt was visibly moved by Yurik’s speech, which also positively affected Twilight, Marcus, Alice, and even Kieran, allowing small smiles to be drawn onto their faces.

“Tell me,” Yurik asked with finality, “does that sound foolish to you?”

Yurik stood, waiting for an answer from Walt, who let out a small pre-responsive chuckle.

“Incredibly,” Walt finally responded.  

Yurik and Twilight’s mouths hung agape, stunned by Walt’s seeming dismissal of his principles.

“But,” Walt clarified, “brave and caring men have often not been anything but fools. If you think you can still fight this fight and be the shield for your monsters to carry on, to each their own, man.”

Yurik, understanding Walt’s cynical, but accepting response, nodded with a smile on his own face. Twilight, mystified by Walt’s words, kept her lips slightly pursed as she pondered them. Walt took one card from his hand and slipped it inside the front zone of his duel disk.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” Walt concluded.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 2 – 3    Spell/Traps: 2

“Wow,” Twilight sighed, feeling winded by the conversation

Yurik finally used the opportunity to look at this new hand, containing one spell, one pendulum monster, and one trap card.

I don’t have any xyz monsters in my extra deck that I can summon with you, Yurik strategized as he looked at the monster in his hand, and nothing else here is going to help me take out Tungsten Dragon by next turn, but if I don’t do something, it’s going to take me out next turn.

“Hey, Yurik!” called Walt. “My dragon and I are getting antsy! Don’t let all that talk of yours go to waste by calling it quits now!”

“Can you give me a second?” Yurik snapped back with an exaggeratedly belligerent tone. “I’m thinking!”

Walt put his hands up defensively and turned away from him, sporting a silly frown on his face. Kieran couldn’t help but note how well the two of them seemed to talk to each other, his eyes fully open and engaged in their seeming chemistry.

So looks like I’m going to need one hell of a lucky draw, thought Yurik. But like hell if I’m not going to take it and have all those words back there mean nothing.

“Here I come!” he announced.

“About time,” Walt joked. “It’s getting late, and I was about ready to fall asleep.”

“Well, you better prepare for it, because I’m going for a knockout. My turn. Draw!”

Yurik drew his card out and peered at it, glad to see what he had acquired.

“I activate my spell card Unioncornity!” Yurik began, showing his drawn card, whose art featured the figure of a unicorn flying out from a duelist’s deck on their duel disk. “This card allows me to add one Unioncorn monster from my deck to my hand. And the one I choose is…”

Yurik’s deck shuffled for only a few moments before a single card slipped out from the top of it, which Yurik picked out and revealed it to Walt, showing him a pendulum monster with a jade-green unicorn running with gusts of wind alongside it on the art.

“…Unioncorn of Wind!”

Walt leaned in, wondering the strategy that Yurik could pull with the monster he chose.

“Unioncorn of Wind…” he thought aloud. “Oh… I see.”

“Next,” Yurik called out, pointing at Twilight Alicorn with his left arm, “I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect, special summoning itself from my pendulum zone in attack position!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn glowed bright before it disappeared and reappeared in magic bursts of light at the center of Yurik’s field.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

With Yurik’s second Unioncorn monster in his right hand, Yurik grabbed his other pendulum monster from his hand and revealed them both to Walt.

“Now, I set the pendulum scale with the scale 5 Unioncorn of Wind and scale 8 Unioncorn of Light,” Yurik declared.

Yurik placed both monsters on the outermost zones of his blades, causing two pillars to appear on both sides of Yurik’s field. Rising from the ground inside the blue pillars were the jade-green unicorn, its coat tattooed with swirling-dark green designs, as well as a strong, shimmering white unicorn with a brightly lit mane and tail. A number 5 appeared above the green unicorn and a number 8 appeared above the white one.

Unioncorn of Wind
Pendulum Scale: 5

Unioncorn of Light
Pendulum Scale: 8

“What the…” Walt whispered, his eyebrow raised in confusion.

Marcus too looked slightly unsure of Yurik’s intentions for the move he just made.

“However,” Yurik spoke, “pendulum summoning is not my goal here. I activate another effect of my Twilight Alicorn!”

“Another one?” sighed Walt with slight agitation.

“Once per turn, I can target two monsters in my pendulum zones and special summon them to my side of the field!”

Walt, astounded by this effect, stepped forwards with an agape mouth, wanting to see it for himself as closely as possible. Even Marcus had gasped at the power that Yurik’s monster held.

“I now special summon my Unioncorn of Wind and Unioncorn of Light!” Yurik announced. “Summon Shine!”

Twilight Alicorn strained as its horn began to shine, causing both monsters in Yurik’s pendulum zone pillars to be covered in a magenta light. Both of them disappeared and reappeared in a similar manner to Yurik’s field, the green unicorn being placed next to Pegassist of Water and the white unicorn standing next to Twilight Alicorn.

Unioncorn of Wind
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

Unioncorn of Light
ATK: 1900
Lvl.: 4

“Three new monsters,” Marcus gasped in awe, “just like that. That card is incredible!”

“And three of his monsters are level four,” Kieran commented. “Neither of them are stronger than Walt’s Tungsten Dragon. He’ll have to xyz summon.”

But what will he summon? Twilight wondered.

Walt watched wearily as Yurik turned his head to his Pegassist of Water and his Unioncorn of Wind, knowing exactly what would be coming his way.

“I now overlay my Unioncorn of Wind and Pegassist of Water!” Yurik declared.

His blue pegasus and green unicorn transformed into wispy blue and green auras that began to fly up and about in the air before flying down towards a red portal opening up on the ground.

“With these two monsters,” Yurik continued, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The two auras flew in, making the portal turn bright. Flying out from the portal was a strong alicorn stallion with a forest-green coat and black stripes along its body, as well as two orbs of light orbiting around it. Its mane and tail appeared to be flying out from their bases and swirled around like a tornado without end.

“Come on!” called Yurik. “Allicorn of Typhoons!”

The monster refused to land, instead hovering above the ground and using its massive wings to keep itself afloat.

Allicorn of Typhoons
ATK: 2300
Rnk.: 4

Walt shielded his face from the strong gusts being produced by Yurik’s new monster’s wings.

“Amazing,” Walt groaned to himself as his body continued to be pummeled by wind. “And to think how much a single card can change someone’s skill.”

Twilight couldn’t help but look at Yurik’s monsters with a touch of concern.

“Wait,” she spoke, turning to Kieran and Alice, “I don’t understand. Yurik’s monsters are still weaker than Walt’s. What is he supposed to prove with this?”

“Just sit back, Twilight,” advised Alice, “and let Yurik work his magic.”

Yurik turned to his flying alicorn with a prepared smile.

“Ready for this, buddy?” he asked it.

The horse, turning its head to face Yurik, gave a positive snort and bobbing of its entire head and neck.

“Good,” he responded back. “I now activate Allicorn of Typhoons’s effect!”

Yurik slid Pegassist of Water from underneath his card and slipped it into his graveyard, an orb circling around the monster and melding with its horn.

“Once per turn,” explained Yurik, “I can detach one xyz material from this card to destroy one spell or trap card my opponent controls…”

Walt made an uncomfortable ticking sound with his mouth, knowing which card would be subject to destruction.

“…and the card I choose is the Tesla Coil in your left pendulum zone!”

“That’s right!” realized Twilight. “It’s just like the last duel!”

“And now that my monster’s in the pendulum zone,” explained Yurik, referring to Kieran’s Guardia Sniper, “your monster’s effect can no longer target my Twilight Alicorn, since it’s now treated as a spell card.”

“Since it’s treated as a spell card,” concluded Twilight, “it can be destroyed like one! Nice play, Yurik!”

With its horn still glowing bright, Allicorn of Typhoons flew out towards Walt’s card at tremendous speeds. Flipping its lower body forward around 90 degrees, a ball of yellow light shot out of the alicorn’s horn as it flapped its wings out at the tesla coil, the gusts melding with the spell to form a comet with a windy tail.

The beam crashed into the metal contraption, bending and breaking it beyond repair as both it and the spell disappeared in a scattering of gold sparks.

“But there’s more!” exclaimed Yurik. “When Allicorn of Typhoons successfully destroys a spell or trap card with its effect, it gains 500 ATK until the end phase.”

The glowing around the returning alicorn’s horn wouldn’t cease as it began to cover its entire body.

ATK: 2300 -> 2800

“And now that your Tesla Coil is destroyed,” Yurik mentioned, “your Tungsten Dragon’s ATK returns to normal.”

Tungsten Dragon merely growled in response as its ATK was lowered.

ATK: 3200 -> 2700

“I see!” Marcus shouted. “Not only did he use his monster’s effect to increase its own ATK, but he also decreased Walt’s monster’s ATK.”

“And now Tungsten Dragon’s ATK is lower than Allicorn of Typhoons,” concluded Twilight.

Walt, despite the situation, found himself smiling and laughing loudly, much to the confusion of Twilight and Walt, but not to Alice, Kieran, and Yurik.

“Nice try there,” complimented Walt with a tinge of sarcasm, “but as you should know, my Tungsten Dragon cannot be destroyed by battle or a card effect once per turn, so even with your monster’s increase in strength, my monster will still survive by next turn.”

“You know,” Yurik said with an equally cocky grin, “that would be true… if it wasn’t.”

“Wait,” Twilight queried, “what?”

Walt, realizing more was yet to come, widened his eyes and pursed his lips.

“I activate the continuous spell card Pony Power!” Yurik cried out, revealing his spell card and throwing it into his duel disk’s front slot.

Phasing just above the ground was a face-up spell card with the infinity marker below the card name featuring art of a galloping horse, a galloping unicorn, and an alicorn flying alongside a pegasus, each one glowing with energy.

“With this card,” Yurik went one, “as long as I have a Unioncorn, Pegassist, Pony, or Allicorn monster on my side of the field, all monsters I control gain 200 ATK for each monster I control.”

“That’s three monsters,” observed Alice.

“That means each monster gains an extra 600 ATK,” responded Twilight. “But that means…”

All three of Yurik’s monsters glowed with a similar energy surrounding them, each one staying silent as their ATKs were raised.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500 -> 3100

Pegassist of Typhoons
ATK: 2800 -> 3400

Unioncorn of Light
ATK: 1900 -> 2500

“…they’re now stronger than Tungsten Dragon!” Twilight finished.

“Now’s the time to shine!” Yurik declared. “Go! Allicorn of Typhoons! Attack Tungsten Dragon! Horrorcane!”

With a glowing of its horn and a reeling back of its wings, the monster flapped hard, causing a massive wall of water come crashing right towards the direction of Walt and his monster. Tungsten Dragon instinctively threw its wings out to the wave, deflecting it as it protected Walt from its force, wincing as it endured the hit for him.

“Your monster isn’t destroyed,” spoke Yurik, “but you still take damage.”

Water escaped from under Walt’s dragon’s wings as a small sheet washed over Walt, knocking him down to the ground on his back, the water submerging him.

Walt’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3300

The water finally receded away, leaving a visibly weakened and tired Tungsten Dragon before Walt.

“And now that it survived its first attack,” said Yurik, “battle! Twilight Alicorn, attack Tungsten Dragon! Bright Burst Magic!”

Yurik’s last attack position monster charged its horn and with a hop in its front legs, it shot out its magenta beam as the landed back on the ground, the beam shooting straight at Walt’s monster. The beam hit its target, producing a fiery, smoking blast that covered both Tungsten Dragon and Walt.

Walt’s shouts of anguish could be heard as the hot cloud enveloped him, but both Twilight and Marcus were too impressed with the strategy.

“He…” muttered Twilight, “…did it. He actually did it.”

Kieran and Alice however, looked to the cloud, feeling something odd coming soon. After a few moments of silence, a pair of gold-and-white wings pierced through the smoke and flung their way out, fanning the smoke away and revealing Tungsten Dragon and Walt, standing relatively unharmed from the attack.

Walt’s Life Points: 3300 -> 2900

Marcus and Twilight gasped in surprise.

“Tungsten Dragon’s alive?” she questioned.

“What?” Yurik cried out. “How is that possible?”

“You’re not the only one who can do tricks,” Walt told him, pointing at a trap card featuring art of a thin, transparent sheet covering what appeared to be Tungsten Paladin. “I activated my trap, Tungsten Coat.”

Yurik groaned, knowing just how much more difficult defeating Walt’s monster would now become.

“I can equip this card to a Tungsten monster I control,” Walt explained, “and once per turn, the equipped monster can’t be destroyed by battle. So now, it will take three hits to take my monster down.”

“No…” Yurik muttered. “No way…”

“So looks like that ends that. So come on, Yurik. My monster wants to have another go!”

Grimacing hard, Yurik took out the final card in his hand, knowing that there really was nothing left for him to do.

“I place one card face down,” he said, sliding his final card inside the front slot of his duel disk. “During the end phase, my Allicorn of Typhoons’s ATK returns to normal.”

ATK: 3400 -> 2900

“I end my turn,” Yurik finally concluded.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2400    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 2

“Man,” chided Walt, “tough break. And to think, you really almost had me there!”

Yurik felt angered with his failure, feeling like he would come to breaking his promise very soon. Kieran could tell that Yurik was breaking, feeling a sense of disrespect for him.

It seems that every time Yurik plans a counter, Kieran devised, Walt already has another counter at the ready. Walt is in a very strong position at the moment, and the only thing Yurik could use at this point is his one face down card. Could it possible that Walt is even stronger than Yurik?

Yurik clenched his empty fists, ready to take on whatever Walt was prepared to dish out. Twilight, Alice, and Marcus both looked on between Yurik and Walt, waiting to see which resilient duelist would hold out the longest.

“Alright, Yurik,” Walt shouted out, placing his fingers on his deck, “here comes the thunder! My turn! Draw!!”
> Episode 4: The Spark Between Friends, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walt continued to stand bravely before Yurik with his newly drawn card. Although he was outnumbered, he was far from being the weakest duelist at the moment.

================
Yurik:
LP: 2400

Walt:
LP: 2900
================

Yurik stared out intently at Walt’s hand, wondering what kind of card he must have drawn, his monsters prepared for the onslaught that would more than likely occur.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 3100
Lvl.: 7

Allicorn of Typhoons
ATK: 2900
Rnk.: 4

Unioncorn of Light
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 4

While the strength of Yurik’s monsters were nothing to scoff at, Walt’s Tungsten Dragon looked upon the three monsters as if they were nothing more than a snack to it.

Tungsten Dragon
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 8

Tesla Coil
Pendulum Scale: 1

Walt peered at his newest monster in his hand, smirking with delight as he did.

“Yurik,” called Walt. “Do you think Kieran is going to allow me in now?”

Yurik glanced to Kieran, who peered at him with unhopeful eyes.

I have no doubt in my mind, Yurik thought. But if I lose like this in front of Kieran, will he still let me in, yet alone keep my Alicorn Twilight card?

Yurik knew that no duelist would be allowed to let up at any moment, but upon looking at the nervous Twilight by Alice’s and Marcus’s sides, he knew he would lose something else if he was defeated now.

“Walt,” spoke Yurik, “you’re a great duelist, and I can tell that Kieran sees great potential in you. However, I think he’s eyeing you better than he is me now.”

“That’s good, right?” he questioned with his arms out, gesturing to Yurik that he was stating the obvious. “We’re both going to be in the Guardiaboliques together then!”

Yurik spotted a shimmer in Kieran’s eyes, reading from it that at the rate the duel was going, this would not be the case.

Dammit, Yurik hissed in his mind. How do I tell him what’s going to happen? If I say that I’ll be rejected if he beats me like I am, he might not play as hard, and I’ll screw everything up for the both of us.

With nothing else to say or do to help him, Yurik forced a smirk to his friend.

“Yeah,” he replied warily. “The both of us… together.”

Kieran squinted harder at Yurik in scolding manner for his naiveté.

“Then hold still so I can end this!” shouted Walt, picking out the monster card from his hand and placing it on his blade. “I summon Tungsten Voltarantula!”

Popping out from the blue portal that appeared beside Tungsten dragon was a large, shiny blue spider with a large yellow star on its thorax and metallic pincers on the mouth.

Tungsten Voltarantula
ATK: 1300
Lvl.: 3

“He got a monster that strong?” Yurik muttered fearfully.

Twilight looked back at Walt’s newest monster, blinking with disbelief.

“Strong?” she asked herself. “It doesn’t look very strong.”

“That monster isn’t for going against Yurik’s monster,” Alice explained. “It’s for helping Walt.”

“What do you–”

“I now activate the effect of my Tungsten Dragon!” Walt declared, pointing up at his monster. “Once per turn, I can equip a level three or lower Tungsten monster to it, and I choose my Voltarantula!”

With a cheerful squeak, the arachnid hopped up onto Tungsten Dragon’s chest and clung on, causing a yellow aura to cover Tungsten Dragon.

“When a monster is equipped to Tungsten Dragon through its effect,” Walt continued, “it gains ATK equal to the ATK of the monster equipped to it.”

“So that’s what Yurik meant by that!” Twilight realized. “Now Tungsten Dragon’s ATK is going to become 4000!”

Tungsten Dragon roared loudly as the energy coursed throughout its entire body.

ATK: 2700 -> 4000

“Now my monster’s ATK is even stronger than any of yours,” Walt elaborated, “and with the combined effects of my Tungsten Dragon and Tungsten Coat, my monster is practically invincible!”

Yurik huffed in anguish, feeling his end coming closer and closer.

“Let’s see you try and defend your monsters now!” Walt shouted. “Tungsten Dragon. Attack Unioncorn of Light! Incandescent Inferno!”

With the glowing of the giant spider on its chest, Tungsten Dragon inhaled deeply and blasted its beam of energy at Yurik’s monster, the light now infused with blue light that matched the spider’s body.

“Yurik!” shouted Twilight.

“I’m not letting that happen!” responded Yurik. “I activate my trap, Allicorn Call!”

A purple card flipped up, featuring art of an alicorn covering a horse in a bright aura that came from its horn.

“When a monster I control is targeted by an attack,” Yurik clarified, “this card lets me target one Allicorn monster I control and increase the attack target’s ATK by the original ATK of that Allicorn monster until the end phase of this turn. That means my Unioncorn of Light gains 2300 ATK!”

“No way!” Twilight gasped.

“Incredible!”

“Sorry,” Walt shouted, “but that will not do! I activate my counter trap, Candid Camera!”

Walt quickly waved his hand over his field, allowing a trap card with a curved-arrow icon under the card’s title to appear, the art featuring a security camera aiming its lens at a face-up trap card.

“When my opponent activates a trap card during the battle phase,” explained Walt, “this card negates that card’s activation, shuffles it into the deck, and then my attacking monster gains 500 ATK during damage calculation.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Yurik shrieked.

Twilight and Marcus gasped at Walt’s maneuver as they watched a security camera on a metal arm extend from out of the card’s art and focus on Yurik’s trap card. With a bright glimmer in the lens, Yurik’s trap card glowed brightly before it became a loose shape of light that shrunk to the size of a card and slid into Yurik’s deck, which began to shuffle itself. A similar glint appeared in Tungsten Dragon’s eye as it continued to breathe out its beam of energy.

ATK: 4000 -> 4500

“4500 ATK?” Twilight cried out. “That’s insane!”

“Tungsten Dragon!” declared Walt. “Finish your attack and destroy Unioncorn of Light!”

The dragon’s breath finally made it to Yurik’s monster, who crouched down as a final forms of defense as the attack hit it. It’s painful whinnies were quickly silenced as the monster burst into bright sparks.

“Unioncorn of Light!” screamed Yurik. “No!”

Tungsten Dragon’s blast wouldn’t let up, covering Yurik in hot, blinding light that burned nearly every inch of his body, making him wail out even harder.

Yurik’s Life Points: 2400 -> 400

Yurik slid to a stop far from his other monsters. As Yurik slowly got up, he looked at Walt with unyielding pity. Twilight shuddered as her eyes wavered, saddened for Yurik for the loss of his monster. With the battle over, Tungsten Dragon’s ATK had returned.

ATK: 4500 -> 4000

“And now that a monster has been removed from your field,” Walt reminded him, “the ATK of your monsters goes down from your Pony Power card.”

The glowing of Yurik’s monsters returned as their ATK was drained.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 3100 -> 2900

Allicorn of Typhoons
ATK: 2900 -> 2700

Yurik finally made it back to the playing field, standing with his hands on his knees for support. Kieran monitored Yurik’s signs of tiring and weakness with additional scorn.

“Next,” spoke Walt, holding up a spell card, “I activate the continuous spell card Dismal Charge.”

As Walt slipped his card inside his duel disk’s slot, the enlarged version of the card, which showed art of Tungsten Dragon with bolts of lightning coming down from its outstretched wings, appeared face-up on Walt’s back row of the field. Yurik gasped, knowing that this card put him in an even tighter bind.

“During each of my end phases,” Walt explained, “I can send one monster equipped to my Tungsten Dragon to the graveyard and inflict 500 points of damage to my opponent!”

Twilight frowned at Walt, stepping out from the others she was with.

“That’s too bad for you!” Twilight yelled out. “Yurik can just put his Twilight Alicorn into his pendulum zone, which reduces the effect damage to 0!”

“That’s very perceptive of you,” complimented Walt, “but it still doesn’t matter, because cards and effects cannot be activated in response to the effect’s activation.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“It means,” answered Yurik, “either I place Twilight Alicorn on my pendulum zone right now as a chain to his card’s activation, or I don’t and take 500 points of unavoidable damage…”

Walt smirked at his situation, but Yurik was not so easily disheartened.

“…which is exactly what I’m going to do!” concluded Yurik. “I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn, placing it inside my unused pendulum zone!”

Twilight Alicorn disappeared and appeared on Yurik’s left side of the field in two short pops of magenta light.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

“Wait,” Twilight wondered, still confused, “if you can’t activate cards in response to his spell card, how can your monster stop the damage?”

“Because a monster’s pendulum effect is a continuous-type effect,” Alice explained. “That means that it’s not an effect that’s activated, it’s an effect that stays in effect as long as the card’s in play.”

“I see!” she exclaimed, turning back to Yurik. “Good move there, Yurik!”

Walt grimaced, his victory stalled once again.

“That’s fine!” Walt called out. “Now your monster loses more ATK now that your other monster’s left the monster card zones.”

Allicorn of Typhoons’s body glowed again as its ATK was lowered.

ATK: 2700 -> 2500

“Plus,” added Walt, “my monster’s still packing a walloping 4000 ATK, and not one of your monsters can even scratch that right now. Not only that, my Voltarantula’s effect gives the monster equipped with it the effect of piercing damage.”

Yurik grunted in frustration once again.

“No matter which way I attack your monster,” Walt reminded him, “it’s going to hurt. Either way, best of luck to you. I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2900    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 1    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 3

“Piercing damage?” questioned Twilight.

“That means even when a monster attacks a defense position monster,” explains Walt, “which wouldn’t inflict damage onto the attacked monster’s controller, this effect inflicts battle damage equal to the difference between the monster’s ATK and the other monster’s DEF.”

“What? Yurik’s going to take damage again?”

“Unless he can find a card that can save himself, yes, he will.”

Incredible! Twilight thought. Walt has all of his bases completely covered. His monster is nearly impenetrable, and he’s left Yurik’s field almost completely empty. All Yurik has on his side is luck now.

“Come on, Yurik!” cheered Twilight. “I know you can do it!”

Yurik, hearing Twilight’s support, felt a joyful giggle rise in his throat, gaining the hope to continue on despite his seemingly impossible odds.

“I’ve got too much riding on this duel to stop here,” Yurik responded, reaching his hand towards his deck. “I’ve still got life points, so I still have a chance! My turn! Draw!”

Yurik looked up into his hand to see a monster card, but upon seeing the monster card he was given, he just barely managed to hide his excitement and keep a serious face.

“I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect,” Yurik spoke, “special summoning it in attack position from my pendulum zone!”

As Yurik had said, Twilight Alicorn teleported itself back to the center of Yurik’s field, taking its place with Allicorn of Typhoons.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 3100
Lvl.: 7

“And now Pony Power increases my monsters’ ATKs again,” he told Walt.

The two monsters glowed, now strengthened by each other’s presence.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500 -> 2900

Allicorn of Typhoons
ATK: 2500 -> 2700

“Now,” declared Yurik, sliding the final card from underneath his xyz monster out and putting it in the graveyard, “I activate Allicorn of Typhoons’s effect, detaching its last xyz material to destroy one spell or trap card you control and have my monster gain 500 ATK as a result until the end phase, and I’m choosing to destroy your Tungsten Voltarantula equipped to Tungsten Dragon!”

The last orbiting sphere of light melded into the alicorn’s horn as it soared out towards Walt and fanned a mighty gust at the center of the dragon’s chest, casting a spell that flew inside with the wind and blasted the blue spider mounted onto it. The spell forced Tungsten Dragon back, but it caught itself by the claws on all four of its limbs as it tried to recover.

ATK: 4000 -> 2700

The glowing on the Allicorn of Typhoons’s horn spread over its entire body as it returned to Yurik’s side of the field.

ATK: 2700 -> 3200

“Now both of his monsters are stronger than Walt’s!” Twilight exclaimed.

“But they still won’t destroy it thanks to his monster’s effect and his Tungsten Coat,” Kieran dismissed. “Just what is the purpose of this struggle?”

“I’m going to continue fighting,” answered Yurik furiously, having overheard him. “Now, Allicorn of Typhoons, attack Tungsten Dragon!”

With a flapping of its wings and a glow of its horn, another wall of water barreled towards Tungsten Dragon and Walt. While his dragon’s wings shielded most of the wave, much of it still passed through and washed over Walt, knocking him down to the floor.

Walt’s Life Points: 2900 -> 2400

“Finally,” declared Yurik, “attack Tungsten Dragon, Twilight Alicorn!”

With a charge of its horn, Twilight Alicorn fired off a pillar of magenta light that struck Tungsten Dragon. While the dragon managed to weather though it, the spell split off into six beams around the dragon’s body and redirected their aim at Walt, who tried to stand back up. The individual beams struck Walt at the joints of each of his limbs, his chest, and his stomach, thrusting him back further with a painful yelp.

Walt’s Life Points: 2400 -> 2200

Yurik looked at the card in his hand one last time, ensuring that he’d be able to defend himself for one more turn. With a reluctant sigh, Yurik faced Walt once more.

“During the end phase,” Yurik concluded, “my Allicorn of Typhoons’s ATK goes back to normal.”

A soft green glow appeared around the green-and-black alicorn.

ATK: 3200 -> 2700

“I end my turn,” he finally said.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 400    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 1

“If Walt can summon another level three or lower Tungsten monster,” Walt said, “this duel is as good as done. If he draws a spell or trap, there’s still a chance for Walt to continue defending himself and driving Yurik into a corner.”

“We’ll see,” Twilight responded. “I think Yurik has something planned that not even we see coming.”

Walt smirked at Yurik, feeling the duel reach an interesting stage.

“Nervous about what I’m going to draw?” asked Walt.

“As a matter of fact,” Yurik admitted, “I am. Whatever you draw could very well mean the difference between winning or losing this duel.”

“I have to say though, man,” Walt admitted with a much calmer and friendly face, “this is probably the most fun dueling that I’ve ever had in my life.”

Yurik and Twilight perked up, surprised by this statement.

“I mean,” chuckled Walt, “I’m dueling in front of Kieran of the Guardiaboliques and impressing the everlasting hell out of them! How much more cool could this be?”

“Perhaps joining them,” Yurik said, which finally got a surprised reaction out of Walt. “You really are a very skilled duelist, Walt, and I think you would make a perfect addition to the Guardiaboliques.”

Walt, touched by Yurik’s honesty, gasped once again.

“You really think so, man?” he wondered.

“I really know so, man,” replied Yurik. “You have a great eye for detail, you’re very loyal, and you have the right sense of justice and morality that the Guardiaboliques are looking for.”

Walt smiled, unable to hold a chuckle in.

“Oh,” added Yurik, rubbing the back of his head, “and you’re a pretty good duelist, and stuff…”

Walt let out a laugh, completely won over by Yurik’s humor and sincerity. Kieran looked to Twilight and Marcus, both of whom looked to Yurik with a similar smile, agreeing with every word of his. Kieran couldn’t help but smile a little as well, knowing Yurik’s kind words about Walt to be spot on. Alice sighed, feeling that Kieran had just made a right decision.

“So, hey,” Yurik said, “whether either of us wins or loses here right now, let’s just have a hell of a good time, huh?”

“Right on,” Walt agreed, putting his fingers onto his deck. “That’s all I want right now in this moment! My turn! Draw!”

With only a simple glance, Walt already moved his card to the blades of his blade disk.

“I summon Tungsten Jouleyfish!” he declared.

Another blue portal appeared to the right of Tungsten Dragon once Walt’s card had been placed onto his blade. Floating out from the portal was a light-blue man o’ war jellyfish whose tentacles appeared to be strands of glowing wires while the bladder of the creature was shaped very much like a halberd’s head.

Tungsten Jouleyfish
ATK: 700
Lvl.: 2

“Next,” Walt continued, “I activate the effect of Tungsten Dragon, equipping my Tungsten Jouleyfish to it and having it gain ATK equal to Tungsten Jouleyfish’s ATK!”

The jellyfish flipped to the left and began to shift towards Tungsten Dragon’s wrist, where its tentacles wrapped around the arm and formed a luminescent band, the blade-like bladder now a weapon for it. With a testing slash, Tungsten Dragon managed to stand to its back legs, holding its arms and balled fists up in a fighting stance.

ATK: 2700 -> 3400

“I guess that’s it then,” responded Yurik. “I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect, placing it on an unused Pendulum Zone of mine!”

Twilight Alicorn quickly zapped itself back to the left side of Yurik’s field, Yurik sighing in relief as a result.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

“Hmph,” Walt chortled, “of course you won’t make it easy. Battle! Tungsten Dragon, attack Allicorn of Typhoons! Stinging Slash!”

The dragon began to charge at Allicorn of Typhoons, who braced itself, knowing the fate it was about to meet.

“Yurik!” shouted Twilight. “Do something!”

“Sorry, Typhoons,” muttered Yurik, solemnly closing his eyes.

Yurik then took his only card from his hand and revealed it to Walt, showing a monster card of a plump, brown, furry body with only a pair of large eyes for a face, stubby hooves and a short brown mane and tail.

“I activate the effect of Kuripony from my hand!” he called out.

“That’s what you drew?” Walt shouted out.

“When a Pony, Unioncorn, Pegassist, or Allicorn monster I control is attacked by an opponent’s monster, I can discard this card and reduce the battle damage to 0!”

Yurik quickly placed his card into his graveyard slot, and appearing in a puff of golden sparks was the strange, spritely Kuripony, bouncing around in the air until it floated in front of Allicorn of Typhoons. With a hard punch, Kuripony and Allicorn of Typhoons were both slashed by the Tungsten Jouleyfish latched onto Walt’s dragon. Both creatures burst into similar gold sparks that flew into and around Yurik in a strong gust.

“Thank you, Kuripony,” he whispered with a genuinely grateful smile, “Allicorn of Typhoons.”

“And you survive yet again!” congratulated Walt. “However, minus your Twilight Alicorn and your Pony Power, your field and hand are completely empty. Unless you can draw a card that can beat me next turn or even stall once again into the next turn, this will be your final chance. I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2200    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 1    Pendulum Scale: -    Spell/Traps: 3

“I’m not even going to wait!” Yurik called. “I can’t stand to! Here goes!”

Yurik gripped the top card of his deck with his thumb and index and middle fingers.

“My turn!” he cried. “DRAW!!”

Kieran, Alice, Marcus, and Twilight waited with an equal sense of impatience, unsure what card Yurik might have drawn to either win or lose the game. Yurik, glancing up at it, easily worked a smile onto his face, unnerving both Walt and Kieran.

“It was my final chance,” Yurik stated, “but it was the only chance I needed! I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect, special summoning it from the pendulum zone in attack position!”

Twilight Alicorn teleported back onto the center of Yurik’s field, ready to finish its opponent off.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Finally,” he resumed, revealing his drawn spell card, “I activate my spell card Spell of Banishment!”

Walt seized up immediately, knowing at this very moment that he would lose. Yurik threw his card into the front slot of his duel disk, a green card featuring art of an alicorn manifesting a dark portal from it horn with a fiendish-looking monster stuck inside it phasing onto the ground.

“I can activate this card when my life points are below 500,” Yurik explained. “While I control a spellcaster-type monster, I can target another spellcaster-type monster that I control or exists in my graveyard and one monster my opponent controls and banish both targets.”

Marcus and Twilight both gasped at the stunning effect.

“But wait!” Twilight exclaimed to Marcus. “I thought Tungsten Dragon couldn’t be destroyed by card effects!”

“Destroying and banishing are two completely different things,” Marcus responded. “Even with Walt’s cards’ effects, they do not protect Tungsten Dragon from being banished.”

“No way… but that means…”

“I banish my Allicorn of Typhoons in my graveyard to banish Tungsten Dragon!” Yurik decided.

A bright, purple-rimmed portal with a black vortex opened on the ground besides Twilight Alicorn. Slithering up from the portal was the smoky apparition of Allicorn of Typhoons as it lost its shape and began to form a green aura with a black outline around Twilight Alicorn’s horn.

“Twilight Alicorn,” commanded Yurik, “send Tungsten Dragon into oblivion!”

With a small charge of its horn, Twilight Alicorn shot its green-and-black spell past Tungsten Dragon, causing a large, starry portal to appear behind it. Walt stepped back as the edge of the portal spread out to just at the toes of his shoes.

With a tremendous force, Tungsten Dragon and Tungsten Jouleyfish were pulled into it, the former roaring in finality as the portal closed up, leaving an awestricken Walt wide open to Twilight Alicorn’s mercy.

“It was a blast, Walt,” bid Yurik, “but this is where it ends. Now, battle! Twilight Alicorn, attack Walt directly!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn began glowing a brightness that was matched by the unkempt fury on its face.

“Bright Burst Magic!!”

The magenta beam blasted out from the winged unicorn’s horn, with Walt standing straight and unflinching as it came closer to him. The spell struck Walt in the torso, sending him off his feet and through the air.

“Aha!” he painfully laughed. “Dammit!”

Walt tumbled back to the ground, but managed to roll onto his back as he stopped, looking up at the ceiling lights and settling down from the end of a tight, climactic duel

Walt’s Life Points: 2200 -> 0

Yurik wins.

Yurik quickly placed his Twilight Alicorn card back into his deck, allowing the blades of light coming from the blade disk to recede back into the disk, which allowed Yurik to connect the blade disk onto the side of his duel disk. Yurik, Alice and Twilight ran to the still motionless Walt as his blade disk turned off on its own, the blades receding into the device, which cluttered softly to the floor without the duel disk’s support.

“Walt,” shouted Yurik, reaching Walt at the same time as Twilight and Alice, “Walt! Are you okay?!”

Yurik reached down to grab his hand, only to have it slapped away by a snickering Walt.

“Dude,” he continued to giggle as he sat himself up, “it kind of defeats the purpose of kicking someone’s ass if you help them up right afterwards.”

“Just shut up and take my hand,” Yurik demanded with a smile and another outstretched palm.

Walt finally clasped Yurik’s and hand and pulled himself to his feet, Yurik brushing off his shoulder.

“Man,” Marcus responded, applauding to Walt, “that was truly amazing.”

“Walt,” Twilight gasped, approaching them both, “Yurik, you’re both amazing!”

“Indeed they are,” Kieran responded as he walked up to the five of them. “They both have great levels of dueling skill, and I can really see the camaraderie between the two of you. I do think it would be a grave mistake on my part to keep you apart.”

“So…” Twilight wondered. “Does that mean…”

Kieran nodded to affirm his answer.

“Yes,” he stated, “the both of them are officially affiliates of the Guardiaboliques.”

Yurik, overwhelmed with joy by this news, groped Walt in with his left arm and managed to pull Alice in with his other arm, jumping up and down, laughing, and spinning about with the two of them in his grasp.

“This is awesome!” he shouted. “My two best friends in the Guardiaboliques together!”

Twilight observed them with a smiling face, glad to see that everything was beginning to work itself out at this moment.

“Just wait until I tell mom!” joked Walt.

“Yurik,” Kieran interrupted, stopping their celebration, “Walt, Alice. I know you have homes and families to return to now. You are excused for the night. I’ll see you to the exit,” he said with a motioning of his hand to the exit door. “Follow me.”

“Wait!” Twilight called out, trotting in front off Kieran to stop him. “Aren’t I coming with them?”

“Twilight,” Kieran responded as if he were talking down to a child, “I highly recommend that you stay with us here until we find your friends. We have all the resources you need here: food, water, a bed, all the information you could ask for–”

“Can’t I get any of that with them?”

“We also provide you with security. You’re safe with us.”

“What about my comfort?”

Kieran raised an eyebrow, prompting Twilight to explain herself.

“I’ve only been on this world for a little over a couple of hours, Kieran. Whether I’m safe here or with them is yet to be determined. I can’t thank you for the help that you’re providing me, Kieran, but I think I’d be more comfortable staying with Yurik and Walt.”

Kieran stared at Twilight intently, hoping that his look would change her mind.

“Are you really set on doing this?” he asked. “Out there, people are going to be looking for you. You don’t know them, and if they find you–”

“Then I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For right now though, I feel like I’d be safer and more comfortable staying with Yurik.”

Kieran, knowing that she wouldn’t change the alicorn’s mind, sighed and walked to the door.

“Very well,” he calmly relented. “You shall join Yurik and the others on the trip back to Naperville. Come. Follow me to the garage.”

Before Twilight could follow Kieran, she turned to Yurik and Walt and gave them both smiling nods. Yurik, surprised by the level of trust she already had in him, couldn’t help but blush, unsure of what he had gotten he and his friend into. Regardless, Kieran and Twilight were almost to the door, and Yurik, Walt, and Alice all jogged ahead to catch up.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Alice’s van pulled off the highway and into the Freedom Dr. exit. Walt was sleeping against the window on the front passenger’s side seat. In the very back with Twilight, along with their backpacks and Walt’s equipment was Yurik, gently petting the sleeping Twilight. To keep from shifting about, he kept his back to one side of the van while his foot pushed against the other.

As they reached the T-intersection of Diehl Rd. and Freedom Drive and stopped at the light, Alice nudged Walt awake, where he shifted himself up with an exhausted groan.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Alice tossed a small ring of keys onto Walt’s lap, continuing to look ahead at the light, expecting it to change.

“You left your bike back at the park when you followed me there,” Alice responded. “I’m sorry.”

“You… you stole my keys?”

Their conversation began to be picked up by Yurik, who cocked his head and kept his focus to them.

“I would have given them back to you in the morning,” excused Alice. “I would have told you that you dropped them in the crater when we were picking Twilight out of it.”

“Why the hell would you do that?” Walt asked, raising his voice. “Did you intend to strand me at the park back there?”

The green arrow came, allowing Alice to turn left towards Naperville Rd.

“I’m sorry, okay?” she exclaimed back. “I didn’t want you following me to the headquarters and knowing I was part of the Guardiaboliques. I didn’t want our friendship tainted by that.”

“Alright,” Walt grumbled sarcastically, “finding out that my friend is a vigilante, that’s bad, but stealing my keys and leaving me alone at an abandoned park in the middle of the night, that’s where we hit the grey area.”

“You don’t understand, do you?”

Twilight, awoken by the car and the argument, shifted her body towards the front.

“What’s going on?” she mumbled.

“Guys,” Yurik spoke, “you just woke up Twilight.”

Walt and Alice, realizing what they were doing, relaxed back into their seats, Walt still visibly bitter at Alice.

“There might be police and other authorities monitoring the crash site,” Alice mentioned, getting Walt to jerk his head towards her again. “I’ll have to drop you off nearby so they won’t spot Twilight.”

Walt threw his arms up into the air and let them flop back onto his lap.

“So, what,” he asked, “is my bike going to get confiscated now for being near this thing?”

“I highly doubt it, Walt,” Alice assured him.

“Best case scenario, I’m going to get a ticket for leaving it there.”

“If that happens, I’ll vouch for you. Just explain to them that you were running to your friend’s house and took a ride with me because you lost your keys and they’ll more than likely let you off the hook.”

Twilight looked at the sudden animosity between Walt and Alice with some caution as Walt sulked back into his seat.

“Get ready,” Alice warned Walt as they turned onto Plank Rd. “We’re almost there.”

As expected, the red-and-blue flashing lights of police vehicles were clearly visible from the park, making Walt squirm in his seat.

“Walt,” scolded Alice, “if you want to be a part of the Guardiaboliques, you’re going to have to nut up in front of the police. What we do almost always involves police intervention, and if you can’t handle that, I’d have to let Kieran know.”

Walt, feeling a sudden fire burning inside of him, unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed the handle to the door.

“Drop me off here,” he demanded.

Alice slowed the car down to a stop on the side of the road, Walt opening his car door and jogging out to the park’s parking lot. Twilight could only see as far as her angle and the windshield would allow her.

“Alice,” wondered Twilight, “does Walt have astynomiaphobia?”

“What?” Yurik asked.

“A fear of police officers,” Alice clarified. “Yeah, a bit.”

“Why? Do the police officers not like you guys?”

“No, not at all. In their eyes, it’s their job that we’re doing.”

“Well, that’s silly! If you guys want to help them, they should let you.”

“It’s just the law of the land here, Twilight,” Yurik mentioned. “And when Walt has had as bad experience with the police as he’s had, it’s only natural that he’d developed a fear for them.”

“But why? What happened?”

“It’s very… personal to him,” Yurik could only say. “It also doesn’t help when he sees police negligence on the news and internet so often. But he trusts the Guardiaboliques because they have a sense of justice that’s not corrupted by power. They uphold the right as they see the right.”

“But not every police officer is corrupt. Most of them want to uphold real justice too.”

“I know that. But the very last thing Walt wants is to meet one that is…”
________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt slowed down his jog as he approached the driveway to the parking lot to Seager Park, which was already blocked off by police cars as several officers were investigating the scene of what happened. Walt saw a middle-aged guard with a pointy, black soul patch beneath his bottom lip patrolling the entrance and bravely walked up to him. Noticing him, the guard already began to shoo Walt away with his fanning hands.

“Hey,” he ordered, “this area is off limit to civilians!”

“Sir,” Walt mustered, “I left my bike here, and I came to get it back.”

“Oh, yeah? What kind of a bike is it?”

“1998 Harley Davidson.”

The guard turned his torso to the left as well as his head, peering out to see the bike still where he left it.

“Yeah, we have it,” he responded. “Any idea why you left it here? ‘Gainst the law to just leave your bike parked here overnight, you know?”

“Yeah,” Walt sputtered, feeling his nervousness start to take hold of him. “I’m… I’m a student at Naperville North, and there was an after-party here for the school musical when that planet appeared in the sky. My friends and I were frightened by its appearance and we drove off back home for safety. I thought I lost my keys in the scuffle, so I hitched a ride with my friends to go a friend’s house while the whole thing blew over. I remembered that I left my keys in my bag and I came back to get my bike.”

“Really? Reports also state that there was a beam of light that came from this area prior to the planet’s appearance. Would you care to tell us what happened?”

The officer already began to pull out a notepad from off his waist, eager to get a story from him.

“Please, sir, I’m extremely tired and I just want to get home and in bed.”

“I see,” he said with genuine disappointment as he hooked his booklet back on. “You mind if I see your license and proof of insurance before you go then?”

“Is that really necessary, sir?”

“Just a checkup. You do have them, do you?”

Walt, feeling cornered, pulled his wallet from his pants and fished through the pockets, pulling out the plastic ID and his paper Allstate insurance card.

“Thanks,” the officer said with a pleasant smile. “Let me just run this through real quick and I can let you on your way.”

The officer went back to his car to run his information through his computer. Walt, feeling relieved that he had sated the officer, sighed with relief.
________________________________________________________________________________________

“What about you?” Twilight asked to Alice. “What made you want to become part of the Guardiaboliques?”

“Me?” Alice queried, seriously surprised by the question. “It’s not so much I wanted to join them. I had to.”

“Huh?” Yurik questioned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Kieran saved me a long time ago, even before we first met, Yurik. I felt indebted to him, and he agreed to let me join the Guardiaboliques while it was still very young. I moved to Chicago right then, and that’s when I met you and Walt.”

“So… our friendship…”

“Yurik, our friendship was very real. I just wasn’t the quite the person you and Walt thought I was, and like I told Walt, I’m sorry about lying to you. I just didn’t want to put the Guardiaboliques in danger… or you guys.”

Yurik, weighing in Alice’s words, heavily considered them and realized that she was indeed right.

“Alice,” Yurik spoke, “I’m sorry for getting angry at you during my duel with Kieran.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” she told him. “I stood and watched as your back was to the wall. It wasn’t until Twilight cheered you on that I went and did something. What I did was really crappy as a friend, and I don’t want to do that anymore. Can you forgive me?”

Twilight turned to look up at Yurik, waiting for his answer.

“Of course I forgive you, Alice,” he responded. “I don’t want to work alongside you untrusting of you.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Alice sighed.

Just then, the repeated flashing of light came in through the windshield. Alice turned to see a motorcycle pulling a U-turn and going west down the road towards the direction of Walt and Yurik’s home.

“Looks like Walt got his bike back,” Alice said with a shifting of her car’s gears. “Hold on, you two.”

Alice let off the brake and began to make her way down the road, picking up speed to ensure that Walt wouldn’t be too far ahead.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt’s motorcycle and Alice’s van came down the somewhat deserted street to their home. Few people stood on their lawns and looked up at the alien planet that was now in their sky. Alice watched as Walt pulled into the driveway of his house, the garage door opening up, allowing Walt inside. Alice came up to the driveway as well, stopping itself before the garage’s entrance, Yurik and Twilight keeping themselves firm on the floor of the can.

“Well,” she asked, “how are you going to get Twilight inside without your mom or sister noticing?”

Yurik groaned, having been unable to provide answer.

“I can teleport into one of your guys’ rooms,” Twilight responded.

“Teleport?” Alice wondered. “You mean… like how Yurik’s monster could teleport between the field and the pendulum zones?”

“I can,” Twilight said. “All unicorns and alicorns are highly magical beings, and few of them are proficient in teleportation, such as myself.”

“So that beam you used to attack Kieran…” Yurik responded.

The knocking on the side of the van startled Alice, Yurik, and Twilight.

“Hey,” Walt hissed. “I got stuff I need loaded out. Help me!”

“Just stay here,” Yurik instructed Twilight. “Just keep Alice company for a few minutes and I’ll signal you in. Look for three flashing lights.”

With that, Twilight climbed into the front seat next to Alice while the back doors opened, Walt on the other side. His camera bag, backpack, and tripod stand were all slung onto his shoulders as Yurik slid out the back, grabbing his own backpack, using his free hand to close the doors behind him.

Twilight and Alice watched as Yurik and Walt got to their front door, already being greeted by the latter’s flustered looking mother, who anxiously motioned them inside.

“I was worried sick about you guys!” she cried. “Do you know how late it is?”

“Too late to be waking up Evey,” Walt whispered with a stern expression as he closed the door behind him.

“Mom?” cried Evey’s voice. “What are you…”

Evey was in her pajamas when she came down the top flight of stairs to see Walt and Yurik with their mother as well. Walt’s mother ran her hands through her hair, embarrassed over what she had done.

“Walt!” she happily squeaked. “Yury!”

Running down the stairs, Evey ran to Walt, who hoisted her up and let her hang her arms around Walt’s neck in a welcoming embrace.

“At least someone is happy to see her brother in one piece,” he guffawed, pursing his lips as he spoke to Evey.

Walt’s mother crossed her arms and looked away as Walt laughed with Evey.

“Evey, honey,” her mother stated, picking her up from Walt’s grasp. “It’s too early for you to be up. Go back to bed.”

“But I haven’t gotten to say ‘hi’ to Yury yet!” she pouted.

“Evey,” Yurik breathed, “please listen to your mother.”

Without another word, Evey and her mother were already ascending the stairs, leaving Walt and Yurik alone in the foyer with their things.

“Help me get the tripod to the attic,” Walt requested.

Yurik suddenly thought of something, standing still even as Walt was grabbed his bag and camera case.

“Walt,” asked Yurik, following him up, “do we have a spare mattress up in there?”

“Yeah,” Walt answered back. “Why– oh…”

Without muttering anything else, Yurik grabbed both of their own backpacks and hiked up the stairs in bounds of two steps. As Yurik passed his and Walt’s bedroom doors, he placed his backpack beside his door and Walt’s backpack next to his camera bag beside Walt’s bedroom door where Walt was waiting with this tripod.

Yurik looked up to see the attic door in the ceiling as well as the string that dangled down from it. With a tiny hop, Yurik grabbed the string and pulled down walking further into the hallway as the door slowly swung down, stopping at moderately steep angle.

Walt flipped out the bottom half of the wooden stairs that connected with the rest of them, letting them touch the ground softly. Yurik sidled out from the side and grabbed Walt’s bag, going up the stairs with it.

“You got this?” Walt asked.

“Yes,” Yurik assured him. “Go to bed now.”

“Okay, then. See you when you get home from work.”

Yurik widened his eyes and opened his mouth to a toothy grimace upon the sudden reminder as he turned up to the stairs again.

“You know,” Walt said, pointing upwards, “all things considered, I don’t think there’s going to be many people at Blast because of… yeah.”

“Still,” Yurik excused, “there might be a chance. Goodnight, Walt.”

Yurik disappeared up the stairs, refusing Walt a rebuttal. With a slight shrug, Walt picked up his camera bag and his backpack and slipped into his room just before Walt’s mother could exit Evey’s room. Seeing the opened attic, she peaked up inside, listening for signs of life, hearing it as Yurik set the tripod down.

“Walt?” she quietly asked. “Yurik?”

“Yeah?” Yurik answered. “Just putting Walt’s tripod away.”

“Okay. Don’t forget to close the attic back up when you’re done.”

“Of course, mom.”

“‘Kay then. Goodnight, Yurik. Congratulations anyway for tonight.”

With a slight silence, a soft response had come.

“Thanks, mom.”

With that finished, she slipped around the staircase and wearily walked to her bed room further down the hall. Upstairs, Yurik pulled out his phone and walked towards the attic’s sole window. Opening it up, he switched his phone to its flashlight switch, holding it out as long as his arm could reach. Inside the van down below, Alice and Twilight were engaging in small talk, when the three flashing lights became visible from the tall room above.

“Well,” Twilight said, getting out of her seat and walking to the back of the van, “it was nice getting to know you, Alice. I expect we’ll see each other soon?”

“As soon as Kieran calls with something,” she responded. “So, yeah, I guess we’ll see each other then.”

Twilight bid her farewell with a gracious nod. Turning to the back of the van, she focused herself as her horn glowed a bright pink. With a bright burst of an enchanted aura, Twilight had disappeared. Alice, shocked to see this in real life, quickly turned to the source of the light, seeing as another bright flash up above had Twilight appearing in the air and swooping in through the window. Alice smirked, wondering what Yurik’s reaction would be upon seeing Twilight appear like she did. With a start of the gas, she pulled out of Walt’s driveway to make the short trip back to her home.

Inside the attic, Twilight and Yurik groaned as Twilight was splayed over Yurik on the floor. Twilight quickly picked herself up and stepped aside to let Yurik up.

“Twilight,” hushed Yurik, “I have two others inside the house who are trying to sleep. I don’t want them finding you… not yet at least.”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight replied with genuine remorse. “I’m more comfortable teleporting to places that I know about.”

Yurik finally stood to his feet, dusted himself off and walked to the right of the attic where a mattress laid on its side was resting.

“It’s fine,” Yurik responded, grabbing it and sliding it towards the center of the room. “Let’s get your bed set up. Sorry if I can’t let you share a room with Walt or I.”

“No, I understand,” she said. “Do people come up here normally?”

“Not as often as they do our rooms. Besides, you have plenty of spaces to hide if someone does come up.”

“Okay then,” he said, trying to set it down, only for it to fall from his fingers. “No, no, no!” he shouted.

Before the mattress could land, Twilight managed to catch it in a magic magenta aura that held the mattress up before gently setting it down. Yurik stood shocked at Twilight’s ability.

“I’m not going to get used to that,” Yurik breathed.

“I’m sure the more time we spend together,” she assured him, “you will.”

“Alright… I’m going downstairs to get you a pillow and a blanket. I’ll be right back.”

Yurik quickly descended the stairs as quietly as a mouse, allowing Twilight to lie on her mattress and set her head down to relax. With a few steady breaths, her eyes closed as she drifted into slumber.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight opened her eyes to the sound of something climbing the roof directly above her. With her sleep not having completely enveloped her yet, she managed to easily sit up out of the bed, only to find at blanket over her entire body minus her head, the covers sliding down as she sat up. Looking down, she also managed to find a pillow underneath where her head had been.

Gasping at this sight, she felt the steps directly above her as they seemed to settle at the front end of the roof. Twilight grumbled slightly as she walked out to the ajar window and opened it further, peering outside and beginning to turn her head to the right, seeing a body sitting atop the roofs

“Twilight?” Yurik’s curiously asked as he looked down on her.

“Yurik?” whispered Twilight. “What are you doing out here?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I come out here when I’m feeling stressed. I can come down if you want,” he said, already beginning to crawl to the downwards slant to the roof on his left.

“Hold on,” Twilight excused. “Is there anyone out now?”

“Not that I can see. Why?

“Because I’m going to join you,” she said, climbing out the window already.

“Twilight, wait!”

Twilight didn’t listen, and with a gentle leap, she swooped up to the roof with a flapping of her wings as she settled on her feet on the flat surface of the section of roof, lying herself on her stomach beside Yurik’s left side. Looking up at the sky, she finally got her first real look of her planet in the sky, her eyes falling back to the sheer awesomeness of it.

“Wow…” whispered Twilight. “I still can’t believe that’s Equus.”

“It must be like how the first astronauts saw Earth from the moon,” Yurik responded. “It’s breathtaking.”

“I wonder…” she spoke, before she looked forlornly at the ground.

“You wonder what?”

Yurik noticed that Twilight’s eyes began to well up with tears as she looked up to him.

“I wonder if my friends are out there looking at Equus like I am.”

Yurik, not wanting to hear Twilight’s cries, leaned towards her and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him.

“Please don’t cry, Twilight,” Yurik pleaded. “In all honesty, I’m scared too. Because of me, Walt and I are wrapped up in this mess and I don’t want anything bad happening to him… I don’t want anything bad happening to any of my friends. I mean,” he said, turning to her, who already seemed somewhat calmed down by his words, “we are friends, aren’t we?”

“Well,” she said matter-of-factly, “of course we are. I find it difficult to believe that I would want to stay the night at the house of someone who wasn’t a friend of mine.

“Hehe…” he chuckled, letting go of her back and hugging his knees towards his chest. Fair enough.”

“I just want you, Walt, and the rest of our allies at the Guardiaboliques to be strong with me. The more support I feel from you guys, the better I’ll feel.”

“Hmph,” Yurik chuckled, letting his legs go and letting them hang off the edge of the roof again. “You’re probably going to need to learn how to play Duel Monsters soon.”

“Hmm?”

“Walt and I will take good care of you,” he assured her, “but I highly doubt Kieran is going to allow him and his men to take on the brunt of the work.”

“What? Absolutely I’m going to help! If that means learning how to play a card game such as that… in fact,” she giggled, realizing something, “that sounds much more like a fun activity than a challenge!”

Yurik smiled at Twilight’s sudden fervor, a couple more chuckles escaping his lips.

“Huh?” she asked. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he quickly answered. “I just love duelists with that level of enthusiasm. Just promise me that when you try out whatever new deck you get, I get to be the first person to test you on it.”

Twilight smiled back, enamored by Yurik’s equal enthusiasm.

“It’s a deal,” she said, extending her hoof to Yurik.

With an equal amount of energy, Yurik gripped Twilight’s hoof and shook it once firmly. With their agreement settled, the two of them looked out into the sky and up towards Equus with a new sense of ease and tranquility.

“So,” asked Yurik, “what kind of deck were you thinking of running?”

“I have no idea!” Twilight exclaimed. “There’s still so much to the game itself that I don’t even know!”

Yurik and Twilight laughed quietly, careful not to wake the other neighbors. Twilight, feeling more comfortable and trusting around Yurik than ever, unfurled her right wing and gently wrapped it around Yurik’s back, the bar resting on his shoulder.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik carefully climbed down a wooden structure that ran along the side of their house, keeping his eyes on the ajar window to his right. With nimbleness, Yurik stepped on the sill of the window, opening the window wider, and slowly dropped in. Yurik quickly tip-toed through the hallway, turned a corner and walked to his open bedroom door, stepping inside and closing it behind him.

With his talk with Twilight easing his burden slightly, he looked to his deck that was placed on his desk. Walking up to it, he picked the top card up, looking at Twilight Alicorn upon it. Yurik then looked out to the window and the night-shrouded world outside of it.

Dad, Yurik wondered. I don’t know why this card you gave me made all of this happen, but… thank you. I know that with this card, I’m going to save Twilight and her friends.
> Episode 5: Better Living Through Chemistry, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The alarm on Yurik’s phone slowly woke Yurik, still exhausted from the previous night’s events. His sore muscles only served to remind him of the reality of it all, dashing any chances that it was nothing more than a carefully constructed dream. Yurik turned his body out of bed and walked to his phone beside his deck. Going onto Safari, he went to the Blast Fitness website and looked up the schedule for the day, only to be greeted with a single message where the list of classes were supposed to be.

All classes on Saturday, May 17th are cancelled due to… unexpected events.

Yurik sighed despondently, with nothing else to do, and knowing he wouldn’t get back to sleep, walked to his dresser. Opening the drawers and rummaging through the contents, he pulled out a pair of black gym shorts and his light-grey school gym shirt. Looking back onto his phone, he went to the website for his bank, putting in his username and password. Yurik nodded to see that his account had amounted to just under a hundred dollars.

$92.41.

Not a penny out of place, Yurik thought.

Grabbing a single-strap backpack and stuffing his phone, wallet from the dresser, and a ring of only a couple of keys, he slung the backpack over his shoulder and walked out of his bedroom. Before he could turn towards the stairwell to the first floor, he looked up at the attic entrance, sealed up and keeping its great secret hidden. Yurik smiled, reaching up on the ends of his toes and giving the doorway a gentle scratch.

“Sweet dreams,” Yurik whispered.

Feeling better with himself, he gently strode through the halls and down the stairway to his destination.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The Faber house’s garage door opened, emerging from it on a black bicycle was Yurik, his left hand on his handlebar, the right holding a garage door opening remote. As he and his bike left the driveway, Yurik pressed it’s button once again, allowing it to close behind him as he rode off the driveway and onto the street.

As Yurik began to hook the remote onto the strap of his backpack by the metal clamp that was screwed onto the back, a young woman emerged from the front door of Alice’s house. Sure enough, Alice ran to catch up with Yurik’s bike, wearing a grey tank-top and grey sweatpants.

“Hey!” Alice panted as he slowed himself to a comfortable jogging pace for Alice. “You’re up and about. Good for you. Kieran would like this.”

“I’m normally up by this time anyway,” Yurik told her. “Zumba class usually starts in about a half hour, but the classes all got cancelled, so I’m out running to the store.”

“Really? What for?”

“I need to feed Twilight some form of breakfast when she wakes up. I know she’s from another world, but I don’t see how I can go wrong with apples or carrots.”

“You should ask her this when she does wake up.”

“Hopefully, it’s nothing I can’t get here on Earth, or nothing I can’t afford. I mean, canceling my class doesn’t help me any in that regard.”

“That’s right, speaking of…” she suddenly exclaimed, pulling her shirt partially up to reveal an envelope wrapped by the waistband of her sweatpants.

Alice slid the parcel from her pants and handed it to Yurik.

“What’s this for?” he asked.

“It’s from Kieran!” she answered. “He thought he should still contribute to her well-being. There’s one for each of you! See ya’!”

Nearly without any warning, Alice turned left at a four-way intersection making Yurik break hard as he was about to speed past the stop sign. Stopping only half a foot above the line, Yurik looked right, then left, watching Alice continue her jog down the other street. Not a car was nearby the intersection, allowing Yurik to take the time to observe the envelope and its contents.

Yurik pulled three pieces of paper from the envelope. The first was a business card with nothing but a phone number printed inside of it. The other two items were identical paper checks, one written out to Yurik Clayer and Walt Faber from a Ms. Stella Carmichael, each in the amount of 2,000 dollars.

Yurik felt something block his breathing as he carefully examined the numbers, commas, and the decimals on each check clearly. Realizing that this wasn’t a joke, he felt frozen in place at the intersection, completely unaware of–”

*BEEEE*

A Nissan Xterra was directly behind Yurik, its driver angrily blaring his horn at Yurik’s clumsiness. Yurik immediately hopped onto his bicycle with a tremendous start, spinning the pedals as fast as his feet and the gear he was set on would allow.

“Sorry!” he shouted with a flustered, embarrassed blush on his face and a weak backhanded wave. “Sorry, sorry!”

Yurik continued straight down the street, heading towards the next street he would need to turn on to get to the market.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik stepped inside his house from the side-garage door, pulling out a Jewel bag filled with farmstand bags of Fuji apples and carrots. The sound of sausage sizzling in a pan wafted through the floor of the house, and feet could be heard stepping around inside of it. Before Yurik could enter the kitchen, Evey had stepped out from inside the foyer, overjoyed to see Yurik inside the house at this time.

“Yury!” she cheered. “I thought you had class today.”

“Me too, Evey,” Yurik answered with equal enthusiasm, stepping inside the kitchen with Evey following him in, “but then all the classes got cancelled because of that planet that appeared up there last night.”

“Yeah! I heard that big white alicorn will grant the wish of whomever finds those other ponies from up there! One of them even crashed around here somewhere! What if we find it?”

“Evey,” scolded her mother, turning away from the stove, “we are not bringing one of those aliens into our house, I don’t care how peaceful they are!”

“But suppose one was lying at our doorstep begging for our help,” Yurik prodded, placing his bags of food on the counter. “Would you turn her down then?”

“I would stay by her side until the police could handle it.”

Yurik instinctively looked around for Walt, knowing a ruckus would be caused by such an answer.

“Say,” Yurik asked as innocently and coyly as possible, “where’s Walt?”

“He’s upstairs editing the musical. He’ll be down for breakfast,” she responded with a more genuine smile. “I know how rare it is that we’re all here for breakfast.”

It was at this time that Walt and Evey’s mother noticed the apples and carrots on the counter across from the oven.

“Yurik,” she wondered, “you’re not doing what I think you’re doing with those, are you?”

“What?” Yurik asked, keeping up his oblivious façade. “I wanted to put some apples in the pancake batter and I thought we were out of carrots.”

“Are you going to try and catch one of those ponies?” asked Evey, louder than what Yurik was expecting.

“No, Evey,” Yurik chided, feeling a cold sweat on his brow and a nervous smile on his face, “this is just a big coincidence.”

Evey’s mom sighed with exhaustion. Between staying up and watching the shocking news the previous night and not getting nearly enough sleep as a result, the last thing she wanted was a heated argument about Yurik’s supposed fib.

“Give me one,” she demanded passively. “Go tell Walt the sausage is almost ready.”

“‘Kay then,” Yurik responded, sneaking a ripe apple as well as Alice’s envelope into his grasp. “You can make my pancake last. I think I dropped something in the attic last night and I need to find it.”

“Already planned on it,” she responded, as if this wasn’t news to her.

Yurik ran up the stairs with his apple concealed behind the opposite side of his body facing the kitchen. Walking up to the attic entrance, he pulled the string and the stairs down, flipping the bottom set down to the floor. Before he ascended, he knocked on Walt’s door and slid his check underneath the door.

“Breakfast is almost ready,” he warned him.

Yurik climbed up the stairs, Walt barely running into the attic steps as he stepped outside his room with the check in his grasp.

“Yurik!” he shouted up. “Be careful!”

Walt then looked down at the check he had received and saw the amount written on it. Walt immediately tensed up, unsure what the meaning or the origin of this small, but significant, windfall.

Between the noises down below and Walt’s yelling, Twilight slogged her head up to see Yurik coming at her with an apple in his hand. Recognizing the fruit, she used all of her strength to appear perky and thankful for the breakfast she would receive.

“Is that for me?” she asked him.

“Yeah,” Yurik responded guiltily. “I know you speak the same language as us and all, but I wasn’t sure what you kind of ponies ate, so I took a shot in the dark with an apple.”

“Oh,” she said, already lifting it up towards her mouth. “Thank you.”

Twilight sniffed the air as she chewed her food and tested the flavor of the apple. Immediately, something felt off about the smell.

“Is that meat you’re cooking?” asked Twilight.

“Yeah,” Yurik responded. “We humans are omnivorous, but we can’t consume raw meat, so we need to cook it in order for it to be edible.”

Twilight looked at Yurik with an unsure and skeptical look on her face.

“I mean,” Yurik said, feeling offensive, “we don’t eat ponies, so…”

“I wasn’t worried about that,” she said. “In all honesty, we’re a little omnivorous too. We drink milk, consume eggs, and some pegasi I’ve heard of have fish in their diets.”

“Really?” asked Yurik as she continued eating the apple.

“But I was just kind of bewildered is all; that a race as intelligent and advanced as yours needs their meats cooked before consumption.”

“Yeah, I think you’ll be getting to know us a lot more during your time here,” Yurik said with a slight chuckle. “Speaking of, I have some errands to run today, and mom’s going shopping a little later this morning while Evey, my sister, is doing her dance class. You should be able to–”

“Wait,” Twilight interrupted, “your last name is Clayer right? I heard it on from that device on your arm last night. And Walt’s last name was different. That means…”

“Yurik!” shouted Walt from the foot of the attic stairs.

“Listen,” Yurik quickly spoke to Twilight, “Walt will still be here while we’re gone, so you can check out the house for a bit before we come back. I need to see what Walt wants real quick.”

Yurik stood back up and ran back down the stairs to the house, leaving Twilight to come to a conclusion that seemed to trouble her the more she thought about it. In the hallway, Yurik met a flustered and confused Walt, who held his check up to Yurik as the only statement he needed.

“Yeah,” Yurik explained quietly. “Alice gave one to each of us; two-thousand each. They were from Kieran to help us with taking care of Twilight.”

“And how are we supposed to explain to mom that we somehow became two-thousand dollars richer once she sees our accounts?” hissed Walt.

“I’ll have to call Kieran about that. I think she also gave me his phone number.”

“Neither of us are depositing anything until we come up with a cover story. I mean, who’s this Stella Carmichael broad?”

“Again, I have Kieran’s number. I’m sure he has a plan for it.”

“Then get to it.”

“Walt!” shouted his mother. “Yurik! Breakfast!”

Yurik and Walt looked back at each other with slight determination.

“Settle this after breakfast,” ordered Walt as the two of them made their way to the stairs.

“I’m going out a little later. I can do it in private then.”

“Even better,” he said, still sounding nonplussed.

From up in the attic, Twilight, seeing the attic door still down, flipped the stairs back over with her magic and lifted the door up, closing it and concealing herself.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik exited his garage in his casual attire and backpack on his bike, the back of his waist-tied hoodie underneath his rump on the seat as it rode off down the street. Promptly after Yurik and his bike, a Kia Forte sedan next to Walt’s motorcycle backed out from the garage, following the same path that Yurik traveled on. Walt stood at the living room window, watching as everyone left to do their business for the day.

With both vehicles out of sight, Walt jogged up to the stairs, climbed up them, and went through the hallway, hopping up and pulling the string to the attic door, swinging around it and flipping the bottom steps down.

“The coast is clear Twilight!” Walt called up.

Immediately, the clip-clopping sound of hooves traveled towards the stairs, where Twilight eagerly trotted down the stairs, much to Walt’s surprise. Twilight took a breath and gleeful sigh as she looked about the halls and their very comforting sky-blue color.

“Wow, Walt,” Twilight complimented, “your house looks very nice.”

“Thanks,” Walt said. “And you… go down the stairs very well.”

Twilight giggled at the awkward compliment.

“It’s as if you think we don’t have stairs in Equestria,” she joked, already heading down the hall to see the rest of the house.

“If you want,” yelled back Walt, “I’ll let you tool around on my iPad when you’re done.”

“That sounds great, Walt. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Finally, Twilight disappeared at the end of the hallway, going off on her own. Walt stood purposelessly in the halls before he realized he was still standing in his spot. Leaving the attic stairs open, Walt went back inside his room to continue his work.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Standing beside his bike in a vacant Red Lobster parking lot, Yurik looked around him as he dialed the numbers from Alice’s envelope, which he held with a vicious pinch. As he put the phone to his ear, he stuffed the note into his back pocket, listening in for the dial tone. After only a single ring, the connection had been made.

“Where are you?” Kieran’s voice asked.

“You knew it was me–” he began to ask.

“Where are you?”

“I’m standing right next to a cop, alright!”

“Don’t make me ask you again.”

“I’m at a Red Lobster, and it’s not open yet, so no one’s around. Don’t worry, I’m not stupid.”

“I know you’re not, just don’t act like it. Either way, what did you need me for?”

“You… well, Alice gave Walt and I two checks for two-grand. Not that I don’t appreciate it and all, our mom checks into our bank accounts every day. I just want to know what story we should tell her and who this Stella person is who supposedly ‘wrote’ these checks for us.”

“Like you said, you’re not stupid. I’m sure whatever story you tell her will clear up. Do you have any ideas?”

Pulling the phone from his ear, Yurik breathed out with a sense of frustration, but then put the phone back to answer him.

“I was thinking about it being a graduation present from Alice’s ‘godparent,’” he replied with a shrug. “And… she gave Alice some money and she wanted to support us too. I don’t think Alice has a godparent, so I think it won’t be too suspicious”

Silence went on the other line.

“Hello?”

“I was merely thinking about it,” Kieran said. “My apologies. And no, Alice has no real godparents. Just be sure to let her in on the story and everything will be alright.”

“Thanks. And there was one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“What plans have been made for Twilight and dueling? I mean, she might be able to use a duel disk with her magic, but I just wanted to know: Is there going to be a duel disk for her that she can use properly?”

“As a matter of fact, a duel disk is being created and modified for each pony that was shown on last night’s newscast, including a miniature for that dragon.”

“And decks?”

“We thought it would be best if we let them choose upon bringing them along with us when we find them. However, one is at your home right now, so you and Walt have a perfect opportunity to find the right deck for her.”

“I see… either way, that’s all I needed. I’ll let you go now.”

“Very well.”

“Thanks for–”

With a click on the other line, the connection had ended. Yurik pulled his phone away and looked at the screen as if offended by the text that simply read, “Call Ended.” Shaking his head in dismissal, Yurik rode from the Red Lobster parking lot and west of it, monitoring the traffic on the intersecting street ahead.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt leaned intently into the screen of his Macbook Pro, editing the footage from Cabaret on Premiere Pro. As he clicked, dragged, and cut footage on the timeline, the only thing about him that seemed to move at all was his breathing chest and his blinking eyes. A pair of Bose headphones on his head seemed to all but erase the world around him. Even as Twilight walked into his room, he didn’t mind her at all.

“Walt,” she began to say, “your house is wonder…”

Her voice mumbled off as she realized Walt wasn’t listening to her, yet alone hearing her. Twilight used the silence to look about the room, which was covered all over with film posters, many of which appeared slightly abstract and abnormal. Having seen enough, Twilight turned back to Walt.

“Walt?” she asked again.

Still, no answer. With a disrespected frown, Twilight pulled the left headphone off his ear, making Walt jump in fright, spinning in his office chair to see Twilight standing before him with an equally shocked expression.

“Sorry,” Twilight began, rubbing the back of her head with her hoof, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“A simple tap on my chair would have been sufficient,” Walt panted.

“Like I said, I’m sorry. I just wanted to say that your house is wonderful.”

“Oh. Thank you. I too am sorry that you’re only confined to one room of it, and it happens to be one of the dirtiest.”

“I don’t mind, actually. I’m just enjoying your and Yurik’s company more than I dislike my accommodations.”

Twilight then peered over to Walt’s computer screen, transfixed and amazed by his technology.

“What is that?” she asked, walking over to it. “It’s just like those things we saw Princess Celestia on last night.”

“Those were televisions,” Walt explained. “This is a computer, and they’re more like the duel disks that Yurik and I use.”

“What do you use these for, then?”

“The better question is,” Walt said, “what aren’t they used for? You can use them to browse the internet, create documents, listen to music, watch movies, or even what I’m doing, editing them.”

Walt scrubbed the playhead over the timeline of his editing software, mystifying Twilight with what she was seeing. However, she noticed a familiar person on the preview on the upper right hand corner of the screen.

“Wait!” Twilight asked. “Stop! Who’s that guy in the suit?”

“Who?” Walt asked with a sly smile. “Him?”

Walt posed on a perfectly creepy still of Yurik dressed and painted in his Emcee costume and makeup, producing a wide, open mouthed smile as he danced with two women in traditional German dresses and blonde pigtails.

“Is that…” she gasped.

“Uhuh,” Walt said with a devilish nod.

However, Twilight seemed to find Yurik’s flamboyant appearance rather uplifting and funny, as told by her ever growing smile.

“Yurik performs in musicals?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Walt said, feeling disappointed at his short-lived reveling. “But, uh, me and my friends shot all of this.”

“And you’re filmmaker?”

“Yeah,” he responded with higher confidence. “I’m just busy right now editing all of our stuff from last night’s performance. Sorry, if I’m not much of an entertainer.”

“That’s quite alright. I understand how fun a job can be if you’re having fun with it. Besides, what I wanted to do right now is to learn Duel Monsters.”

Walt suddenly grew a confused and off put expression.

“Huh?” he questioned. “How can you do that? You don’t even have a duel disk or even a deck yet.”

“I thought that maybe I can learn using Yurik’s deck and play you. You know, just without the holograms, hehe…”

Walt sighed. By the beaming grin on Twilight’s face, she looked ready to learn with a tremendous eagerness, she was going to learn how to play one way or another.

“Listen,” Walt said, walking over to his desk where an iPad with a narrower screen was charging on a chord, which Walt detached, “you can tool around with this for a while.”

He also grabbed a stylus with a soft rubber ending, handing both over to Twilight.

“I have the full Duel Monsters Rulebook and Guidelines on here,” Walt said. “You can read that while I work.”

“Wait a minute,” Twilight wondered, dumbfounded again. “You can read books on these?”

“It’s more convenient than reading them on a laptop computer like mine, but yeah–”

Walt felt the tablet being snatched from his hands, already floating in Twilight’s grasp.

“Eee!” she squealed with delight. “I promise I won’t hurt it.”

“Just don’t try folding it like a book,” he instructed gravely. “Swipe the stylus across the screen when you want to go to the next page.”

“Thanks, Walt,” she said, hopping onto his bed and setting herself down. “I think I can handle it from here.”

Twilight began to swipe and tap the stylus over the iPad’s display, nearly seamlessly navigating herself to the Duel Monsters rulebook as if she had owned it herself. Walt, seeing that she was where she needed to be, set himself back to his desk.

“And if you can’t,” Walt sighed under his breath, “the Guardiaboliques owe me a new iPad.”

Walt clamped his headphones over his ears and reached for his mouse, resuming his previous job while Twilight preoccupied herself with hers.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik rode his bike from the parking lot of a long strip mall with only a couple of fast-food restaurants surrounding it. Yurik looked up at the various signs and titles of the stores and the contents inside through the windows. Upon seeing the sign he was looking for, reading “Card Comp,” he braked his bike to a stop beside a handicapped parking sign, dismounting it, spinning the bike around, leaned it onto his kickstand, and locked the bike around the sign.

As he walked up to the store, his phone rang. Stopping as he pulled his phone from his pocket, he looked on the caller ID to see it was Walt. Smirking, Yurik tapped the green phone icon on the display and put the phone to his ear.

“I’m at Card Comp now,” Yurik spoke, sidling the window of the shop. “Also, I called up Alice, and she agreed to vouch for my story.”

“Wait…” Walt asked. “What story?”

“About our checks. That Stella woman is going to be a godparent of Alice’s, and those checks are graduation presents that she gave us too.”

“Jesus,” Walt hissed. “Do you really think that’s going to hold up with mom?”

“As long as Alice plays along like I know she will, it should.”

“Yurik… Could we at least have talked about this together before we settled on something?”

“I called Kieran to ask how we were supposed to explain his checks, and he told me to come up with an answer. That’s the first thing that came to my mind and…” Yurik tossed his arm up in an exasperated fashion, “…he thought it was solid. I guess I got a little carried away and told Alice right afterwards. I’m sorry.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Whatever, man,” Walt said, sitting at the desk in his room while leaning back on the chair. “I guess that’s our story and we’re sticking to it. But you’re going to have to explain this to mom if she starts getting suspicious.”

“I know,” Yurik said on the other line. “I wouldn’t throw you under the bus like that.”

Behind Walt on his bed, Twilight continued to skim through Walt’s iPad, practically addicted to the new piece of technology. Suddenly realizing Walt was on the phone with Yurik, she perked her head up.

“Is that Yurik?” she asked. “I want to talk to him too!”

Before Walt could respond to Yurik’s assuring words, the phone was torn from Walt’s hand and flew towards the side of Twilight’s face, the receiver held to Twilight’s ear.

“Yurik!” she said. “I’m talking to you from this device! Isn’t that great?”

“Twilight,” Yurik said to her, “it’s a bit hard to hear you. I think you might have the phone upside down.”

“Really?”

Twilight spun the phone about so that the receiver was now at her mouth and right-side up.

“Better?” she asked.

“Much,” Yurik said, the louder noise proving to shock Twilight as her head jerked away from the phone with a twitching ear. “Anyways, I was just going to ask what Walt wanted.”

“Here, I can tell you!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik listened in on Twilight’s words as she told him, carefully listening for any others around him.

“Walt let me read the rules on that Duel Monsters game you guys play,” she said, “and I just skimmed over the bits I learned or figured out on my own from last night, and I just finished the rules a couple of minutes ago. I was just asking that now that I know how to play the game, can I borrow your deck and play with Walt?”

Yurik was unable to finish the last sentence Twilight had spoken, heavily impressed by her supposed learning ability.

“Yurik?”

“I’m sorry,” he responded. “Did you say you read the entire rulebook?”

“Yeah! And I wanted to borrow your deck so I can play Walt.”

“Wow… okay. Actually, here’s what you can do. Go onto Safari, that’s the icon of a blue compass with a white arrow, and go onto cardcomp.com searching for decks. I’m actually at one right now, and I needed to pick up some things there, and while I was there, I thought I could look at some possible decks for you to own.”

“Really? You’d do that for me?”

“Yeah, sure. You should be learning to play with your own deck as opposed to using someone else’s. You’re going to want to look up the available decks at the Naperville location, because that’s where I am now. I’m sure Walt can help you.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Alright,” Twilight chirped. “Then that’s what I’ll do! I’ll see you when I get home, Yurik!”

Twilight giggled as she lobbed Walt’s phone to him, who nervously managed to catch it with both hands. Sighing with relief, Walt put the phone back to his ear.

“Quite the character, she is,” Walt said.

“I’m sure you’d be too if you were on a relatively peaceful alien world with new technology,” replied Yurik.

“Fair enough, I guess…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Twilight might need some help while I’m picking up our cards. Can you please take a break for a bit and help Twilight out. I owe you big time for doing this for me.”

“Yurik,” Walt chided, “you don’t have to worry about jack. Just have a good time in there.”

“Call me when you find something.”

“Of course. See ya’.”

Yurik heard the phone click off, allowing him to put the phone back into his pocket and walk into the store without fear of revealing himself or Walt to any nosy passersby.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

A cashier handed Yurik two paper sleeves of cards that read “Clayer, Yurik” and “Faber, Walt,” along with a serial number upon them. Yurik gave a nod to the cashier as he slipped the cards behind him into his backpack, heading for the front aisle of shelves where decks were stored.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Roughly half an hour had passed as Yurik continued to browse the shelves of cards inside the store, making mental notes of each one that seemed moderately suitable for someone like Twilight, ignoring the ones that appeared completely incompatible.

As he wandered the store to find another shelf, his phone had rung again, the caller ID identifying the caller as Walt once Yurik looked at the screen.  Pressing the green icon again, he put the phone to his head.

“Yes?” he asked.

“We found three potential decks,” Walt said. “One of them honestly looked pretty good, but it’s expensive.”

“Yeah? And what’s that?”

“It’s this new Mechjic deck.”

“Right,” Yurik said, looking at a display featuring a trio of gold armored android-like magicians and wizards in robing of a cybernetic design. “This looks to be deck they really want to push. What were the other two?”

“One was called Maganimal.”

“Yeah, I saw that one on the shelves. The effects are okay, but the monsters look really tacky.”

“And the other one was a Crystic deck.”

“Hmm… I didn’t see that one. Perhaps someone already bought it.”

“Then I guess you’re going to have to choose between the expensive good deck and the tacky-looking inexpensive deck. Did you make up your mind?”

Yurik looked up at the display for the Mechjic deck, seeing a large text display for the price reading, “Only $79.99!” Yurik cringed a bit, then looked to the shelf where the Maganimal deck would be. Yurik stared at the shelf for a while before he heard Walt’s voice.

“Hello?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Yurik sighed, heading to the counter, “I’ve made up my mind. I’m coming home right after.”

“‘Kay then.”

Walt hung up the phone, allowing Yurik to conduct his business with an available clerk whose attention was caught.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight stood on her hind legs inside the attic, her front hooves on the sill of the closed window as she stared cautiously at Walt and Evey playing together in the front yard as their mother watched them from the driveway. Twilight seemed to heavily enjoy watch the two of them frolic and laugh, even if she couldn’t join them herself. As feelings of nostalgia crept into her heart, imagining the laughter of her missing friends from Equestria, she began to feel lonely and afraid once again, beginning sulking underneath the window.

“Yury’s home!” cheered Evey’s muffled voice through the window.

Suddenly, Twilight shot up to the window to see Yurik and his bike riding up to the house on the street and turn into the driveway, Walt’s mother stepping aside for him to ride in. Twilight stepped away from the window and to the side of the attic doorway, barely refraining from hopping up and down on her front hooves.

As she heard the sound of shoes walking up from the stairs and to the hallway beneath her, she felt her front hooves run in place, too eager to see the deck she had received. Finally, the door to the attic was lowered along with the bottom steps, allowing Yurik to jog up them in twos, quickly meeting the excited Twilight circling him like a dog greeting its owner.

“Yurik!” she said. “I want to see! I want to see what deck you got me.”

“Well,” Yurik said, almost as if disappointed in himself as he reached into his bag, “I got you what I could. I still hope you like it.”

Twilight herself looked a bit disheartened as Yurik pulled out a taped-shut plastic case with a deck inside. Nonetheless, Twilight kept up her appreciative smile.

“That’s quite alright,” Twilight said, taking the box from Yurik’s hand and removing the tape. “I’m sure whatever you got me will be just…”

Twilight couldn’t finish her statement as she removed the cards from the opened box and read them, most of the card titles reading “Mechjic” on them. She jerked her head up to Yurik with an astonished look on her face. Yurik merely shrugged, as if his gift were merely nothing. Twilight squealed, nearly dropping her new deck and ran over to give Yurik a hug.

“Thank you so much, Yurik!” she exclaimed. “I can’t wait to use these!”

“Shh,” Yurik hissed, kneeling down to Twilight’s level. “You still have two people in this house that can’t know you exist yet.”

“Oh, right…” she nervously billowed out, “sorry.”

Twilight, much calmer than before, gave Yurik another thankful hug, which Yurik was happy to return.

“I’m certain you’ll help save your friends with a deck like that,” Yurik said, rubbing her back.

Suddenly, Yurik’s phone began to go off, slightly confusing him. Looking at his caller ID, he recognized the number as Kieran’s from the number. Patting Twilight off of him, he stepped away from her and answered the call.

“You’re safe?” Kieran asked.

“I’m in my attic with Twilight,” Yurik responded. “Also, I got her a deck that she seems to like.”

“That’s good to hear. What is your and Walt’s schedules this weekend?”

“Well, I was planning on going to tonight’s performance of Cabaret at school while Walt films.”

“I see. What about tomorrow?”

“I actually perform that night and Walt is helping with streaming that performance online.”

“So, it seems Sunday is out of the question. Is there any way you could find a way out of going tonight?”

“What are you asking me?” Yurik asked, walking further into the attic away from Twilight.

“I want to test you all in action duels, including Twilight. If you say she has a deck, I want her to test out her duel disk. The sooner we can get this done, the easier it will be for all of us to find her friends. I also want to explain our progress on our search, and I cannot do this over the phone.”

Yurik, hearing about the prospect of participating in an action duel, put his free hand over his open mouth and jumped up giddily, trying to get his excitement out of his system, much to the very perplexed. Once he finally com

“Well, I don’t think Walt and I can just bail without a good reason to that we can really back up.”

“That’s alright. I’ll contact Alice. I know a reason she can give.”

“Really? You think she can do it?”

“I know she can. Just be sure to let anyone else you know about it when Alice tells you and Walt.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll just have to find out. She’ll plan everything out. I’ll see you then.”

With a click on the other line, Kieran ended the call. From behind, Twilight approached him, her head cocked in uncertainty.

“Yurik,” she asked him. “What’s going on?”

“I think we’re heading back to the headquarters,” he responded. “Just read over your deck and be ready when we need to leave.”

Yurik walked over to the stairs and walked down them calmly, leaving Twilight alone with her deck. Taking Yurik’s words to heart, she walked over towards her mattress with her deck as Yurik shut the attic doorway behind him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik walked outside his front door to the front of the yard where Walt and Evey were playing and their mother just watched them.

“Yo,” Walt asked in a mocking manner, implying he knew the answer, “what took you so long?”

“I put our cards in our rooms, and then I got a call,” Yurik explained. “It was Mary, just calling to see how we’re holding up since last night.”

Yurik continued to walk closer to Walt until his face was right near to his ear.

“We’re going to HQ today,” Yurik whispered very softly. “Just follow Alice’s lead.”

Walt looked confused by the news, but refused to question him for fear of revealing them both.

“What did he say?” Evey asked Walt.

“Aha,” Walt laughed nervously, “nothing. Nothing you should worry about.”

“So,” Walt’s mother said, “now that you’re all here, I wanted to ask you: what does everyone feel like for dinner?”

“Are the Hawks playing tonight?” asked Yurik.

“No,” Walt said, “tomorrow.”

“Then I’m fine with whatever,” he told Walt’s mother.

“Why did you want to know that?” she responded.

Unbeknownst to Walt, Yurik, and Evey, Alice ran from her front door and towards their house, confusing Walt’s mother.

“I just thought that pizza would have been good game-time food, is all,” Yurik said.

“Yurik!” shrieked Alice. “Walt!”

Yurik and Walt, understanding what was happening now, turned to Alice with a feigned sense of concern as she stopped before the two of them, panting.

“Alice,” Yurik consoled, “what happened! What’s the matter?”

“Getting… three free… tickets… to see… Bon Jovi tonight… is the matter,” Alice breathed in sheer exhaustion.

Walt and Yurik acted stunned to this news, the latter most of all.

“Are you serious?” Yurik asked, getting nearly as excited as Alice appeared.

“No,” Alice panted, “I’m screaming like an idiot towards your house because I like messing with you!”

“I’m sorry,” Walt’s mother objected, “but Yurik and Walt are attending tonight’s performance of Cabaret.”

“Mom,” Walt argued, turning to face her, “I can call up the guys and let them know they’ll be down a man. Yurik doesn’t even need to be there!”

“Please don’t make me beg,” Yurik groaned.

Walt and Evey’s mother looked reluctant about the situation, but their pleading faces and Walts case made it more difficult to deny them.

“I’m guessing you’ll be driving them?” she asked.

“So we can go?” Yurik responded.

“Yes,” she relented, “just be sure to let your friends know you aren’t going to be at the school!”

“YEAH!” Yurik and Walt both screamed in excitement. “Oh, this is going to rock!” Yurik shouted.

As Yurik and Walt celebrated, Evey approached her mom with a touch of sadness in her face.

“So does this mean we’re eating alone again tonight?” Evey quietly whined.

“I’m afraid so,” her mother said. “Don’t worry, when you’re their age, you’ll understand.”

Walt suddenly broke away from his faux celebration as he looked back to his mom.

“Oh,” he mentioned, “but before we leave, we need to stop at the bank.”

“Why?” wondered his mother, “I doubt you’ll be needing that much cash.”

“I don’t plan on withdrawing, I’m making a deposit.”

“A deposit? Of what?”

Walt turned to face Yurik and Alice, who, while looking apprehensive of explaining their newly-given money to Walt’s mom, knew that it would have to be done sooner than later. Yurik drew a long sigh and opened his mouth to answer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and Walt walked out of their front door to Alice’s van in the driveway, each one carrying a bag for their duel disks as well as their checks. Walt’s mother promptly saw them out, confused by their extra baggage.

“Really?” she asked. “Do you need to bring your duel disks?”

“They have this cool turf field in front of the Hofbräuhaus,” Walt explained. “We’re going to get pumped up before the show!”

“Just don’t and go spending all that money in one place. That should go into your savings!”

“Come on,” chided Yurik, “we’re going to need some spending money.”

“Fine, just don’t take out more than a hundred.”

“No promises!” Walt dismissed with a wave of his open hand.

From the attic window, Twilight read the sign, preparing herself to get inside Alice’s van with her deck in her magic grasp. Watching as Yurik and Walt stepped inside and closed the doors, Twilight’s horn charged up bright, and with a burst of light, she and her deck disappeared, another flash appearing inside the van, which went unnoticed by Walt’s mother as she walked back into the house.

“Welcome aboard,” Walt greeted her as she set herself on the van’s floor.

“I hope she didn’t see me,” said Twilight with a pang of worry.

“Whatever,” Yurik brushed off. “If she did, she probably thought one of us were taking a selfie.”

“Oh,” Twilight accepted. “…What’s a selfie?”

“So,” Alice asked, “are we all ready to ‘rock?’”

“Let’s go!” Walt ordered.

With everything settled, Alice’s van pulled out of the driveway onto the street. The air was rather comfortable inside the van, their lies having been sufficient in evading suspicion. The calm silence was broken as Yurik turned to Alice with a betrayed look on his face.

“Really?” Yurik exclaimed. “Bon fricking Jovi?! You absolutely suck, Alice!”

Twilight looked somewhat offended by the way Yurik spoke to his friend, but she seemed to take it in stride, as told by her gleeful giggles.

“I had to make the story halfway convincing, you know?” she asked. “But you know who doesn’t suck? You two guys. You really pulled it off there! You guys were born to be in the Guardiaboliques.”

Twilight sighed, knowing that their confrontation was merely in jest.

“So,” spoke Walt, “what’s the plan?”

“I’m sorry,” Alice responded in a snarky tone, “but didn’t Yurik tell you?”

“No, actually. He warned me about going to HQ today and then you came along to pick us up.”

“Well then, since you asked, we’re going to test you guys out for action duels; see how well your bodies are tuned up.”

“Action duels?” Walt shouted, jumping out of his seat. “You guys have a solid vision generator?”

“Of course we do,” Alice responded with a chuckle. “It’s actually the best way to train the other Guardiaboliques.”

“That’s going to be so awesome! I want to go first!”

“Well, since you’re so eager, and have already dueled Yurik, how’s about you take me on?”

“Yeah! …Wait, what?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

From an observatory window on the very center of one of the longer walls of the dueling hall of the Guardiaboliques headquarters, Yurik and Twilight watched in complete wonder as the duel between Walt and Alice seemed to draw to a close, while Kieran watched with simple intrigue.

================
Walt:
LP: 600

Alice:
LP: 500
================

The inside of the hall was set to look like a cliff-laden jungle with an Aztec pyramid at one of the ends, where Walt was flying atop the back of his Tungsten Dragon above the foliage, escaping Alice, who stood atop of her iron clad praying mantis monster, Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord, which flew at the yellow dragon from the trees.

Tungsten Dragon
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 8

Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 9

“Cao Cao,” ordered Alice, pointing at Walt’s monster, “attack Tungsten Dragon!”

“If you’re just going to whittle my life points away,” Walt taunted, “you might as well quit while you’re behind.”

“But I’m not,” she declared, pulling a card from her hand that featured a brown “A” on the backing, “because I won’t. I activate the action spell card Jungle Fever!”

Whipping the card into her spell/trap slot, a card appeared, featuring cartoony green vines attacking a black human figure in an explorer’s outfit.

“Another action spell?” Walt shouted.

“Just found it right before I came up here,” Alice said, “and this card reduces the ATK all non-EARTH attribute monsters on the field by 500.”

“500? But that means…”

“I’ll have just enough to finish you off.”

Suddenly, a swarm of insects flew up from the trees and swarmed around both Walt and Tungsten Dragon, who swatted at the buzzing cloud in annoyance and discomfort.

ATK: 2700 -> 2200

“Now,” Alice concluded, “finish him off, Cao Cao! Red Scythe Slash!”

Flapping its wings even harder than before, Alice’s giant insect flew towards Tungsten Dragon, its bladed arms raised up to slice. With a hard metallic clang against Tungsten Dragon’s abdomen, Walt faltered off his dragon and fell down towards the pyramid below, screaming in both fear and pain from the recoil of the attack.

Walt’s Life Points: 600 -> 0

Alice wins.

Despite its body writhing back from the fall, Tungsten Dragon managed to catch Walt in its claw and hugged it close to its body as it fell backwards, its face contracted in preparation for its rough landing.

“Walt!” Yurik and Twilight both shouted.

Alice, in slight nervousness, watched high in the digitized sky as the back of Tungsten Dragon collided with the top of the pyramid, sliding down it with Walt still held tight in its grasp as it slid down and into the trees behind it, coming to a stop.

Walt opened his eyes to find that he was unharmed, and as he sat up upon the chest of his dragon, it looked up to him, smiling gleefully to see its master alive and well.

“Atta’ girl,” Walt cooed, rubbing the chest with his hand.

The dragon shifted its head towards Walt’s face and give it a gentle lick, slightly covering his torso, cheeks, and the front of his hair in saliva. Walt couldn’t help but laugh in wonder, too impressed that he could pet his dragon and get licked by it.

The field began to fade away as Alice landed besides Walt and Tungsten Dragon with her own monster, sliding off its back as it faded along with more of the field, revealing the bleak and industrial hallway in its original form. Walt finally managed to hop off of his monster as both it and the monster’s saliva faded away from the field, leaving it barren once again once the generator ceased moving or functioning.

“Hey,” Alice said, offering her hand, “nice one back there.”

“Heh,” chuckled Walt, still winded by the unforgettable experience, but managing to shake her hand, “you too.”

“I take it that that was your first action duel?”

“And I hope it’s not the last.”

“I’m sure it won’t be.”

Walt and Alice made their way to the exit doors, continuing to chat about the duel they had completed. Up in the observation chamber, Kieran was talking with Yurik and Twilight.

“He should be here any moment,” Kieran assured the two of them.

“I sure hope so,” Twilight said, “I can’t wait to see my duel disk.”

Just then, two sliding doors opened, revealing a smaller, younger looking man with short black hair, a tight dark-gray t-shirt, blue jeans, and black fingerless, leather gloves. In his hand, he held a magenta-colored duel disk with a blade disk attached to the side and a deck already inside the proper slot, as well as a wide sock whose color matched Twilight’s coat with a gold tip.

“Yurik,” introduced Kieran, “Twilight. This is Donald Crowe. He’s our technical specialist and hacker extraordinaire.”

“Hi hi,” he excited greeted in a light English accent, reaching out for Yurik’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you both at last.

Yurik shook Donald’s hand, who then moved to shake Twilight’s hoof.

“Nice to meet you too, Donald,” she greeted. “Is that my duel disk there?”

“Ah?” he asked, unprepared for the topic shift. “Oh! Yes, this is yours. Now,” he explained, presenting the device before her. “Kieran had told me about your ability to use magic, so I didn’t have to make that many adjustments. In other words, everything is in place where it normally would be on a duel disk.

“However, the one major difference is that I’ve coordinated the blade disk to be placed a few inches from your chest when it is active. Also, the extra deck slot will be facing away from the body so the cards won’t be so close to your chest when you take them out, granted you have an extra deck, of course.

“I do have a little of everything in my extra deck,” Twilight responded.

“Hm?” questioned Kieran. “Even fusions?”

“Those purple monster cards? Yeah, I have a few.”

“I see,” accounted Donald, “then this will definitely come in handy for you. But like I said, the duel disk functions like it always would. You have a matching iPad D that’s connected with your duel disk. However, I would like a few minutes of your time before the duel, to fine tune the placement of the blade disk to your preferences.”

“That sounds reasonable,” answered Twilight. “Let’s get going then!”

“Follow me to the lab,” Donald requested, motioning his arm to show her the way.

Twilight followed Donald out of the room, just as Walt and Alice entered in, each with content smiles on their faces.

“Wow, Walt,” Yurik joked, “way to totally blow it.”

“Hey,” defended Walt, “you try playing her!”

“I would love to, Walt,” he responded, walking to the exit, “but Twilight’s almost ready for me, and I have to go and duel her, so… have fun with that!”

Yurik quickly slipped out of the room, taking any chance for Walt to defend himself away from him. Alice laughed at Yurik’s defensive maneuver while Kieran looked out from the observation window, waiting for both Yurik and Twilight to arrive inside the room.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik stood in front of the center of the room, staring down at the opposite door where Twilight would eventually emerge from with his duel disk on his arm. From up in the observation balcony, Kieran, along with Alice and Walt, watched the door, expecting Twilight to walk inside at any moment.

Finally, the door opened up, and Twilight calmly walked inside with her duel disk and specialized sock over her right hoof, looking Yurik dead in the eyes with determination, Yurik giving her the same response. Finally, Twilight stood before Yurik at the center of their arena, ready for the game to begin.

“This is it,” Twilight said, “but I’m going to warn you right now, I’m really good at these types of games back home, so don’t even think about taking me lightly just because I learned this game this morning.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Twilight,” Yurik responded. “I never let up on anyone, even for newbies.”

“Newbie, huh?” she replied with a smug, playful smirk. “Prepare to eat those words, buster!”

“Not on my life!” responded Yurik, detaching his blade disk from his duel disk.

Twilight detached her blade disk from her duel disk’s body with her magic, and the both stared each other down, awaiting the field they would be playing on.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the observational balcony, Donald stepped inside the room with an iPad D in his hands.

“Now,” he wondered aloud, looking at a display on the screen featuring several different icons of various locations upon it, “what field should they play on?”

Kieran, Walt, and Alice turned to see him approach the window with this tablet still in hand.

“I’m sure whichever you choose will be sufficient,” Kieran remarked.

“Fine then,” decided Donald, pressing the icon featuring a seemingly endless expanse of skyscraper roofs with colorful playground structures connecting them, “action field: Parkour Park!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the dueling room, Yurik and Twilight looked below as the solid vision generator tilted and whirred into life, shining purple beams that reflected into the glass floor where the stood. The floor began to shine brightly as Twilight and Yurik found themselves elevated off the floor, only to find them both standing on a concrete surface.

All around them, more buildings rose from the ground, some rising higher while others stayed below them. As the building where Yurik and Twilight stood finally came to a stop, the sky and the rest of the atmosphere began to cover the ceilings and walls, completely removing any traces of the dueling hall from sight. As this happened, various structures began to connect each of the buildings seemingly at random, from monkey bars, tubed slides, plastic chain bridges, among others.

With the field seemingly set, both Yurik and Twilight tossed their blade disks out, where they circled around each other and returned to their owners, Yurik’s stopping at the top side of his duel disk, while Twilight’s stopped about four inches away from and about three inches below the center of her chest. Both of the blades phased out of the lights from the sides of the duel disks, fully taking form with a total of seven zones each as their decks shuffled inside their slots.

“Connection complete,” a computerized voice announced. “Yurik Clayer vs. Twilight Sparkle. Draw.”

As instructed, each duelist drew five cards from their decks, Twilight’s hand being held in a magic aura just above the right blade.

“And now it begins…” Twilight spoke.

“Let’s go, Twilight!” Yurik shouted. “Action…”

“DUEL!” Yurik and Twilight both shouted together.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Twilight:
LP: 4000
================

At that moment, a sphere with shining golden cards appeared in the sky, soon bursting as the cards scattered over the numerous rooftops in a random fashion.

“Get her good, Yurik!” Walt cheered for his friend, supporting himself with his hands on the glass.

Alice and Kieran observed stoically as they awaited for either player to make the next move. Donald appeared to be neutral as well, observing data on his iPad screen while occasionally looking out at the duel in front of them.

“I’ll take the first turn,” announced Yurik, walking back to the end of the building, glancing backwards to see a red halfpipe slide down to a building about seven feet away and ten feet down. “And with that, I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 5    Life: 4000    Monsters: 0    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 0

Twilight gasped with disbelief as Yurik ran off and jumped onto the slide feet first, disappearing from Twilight’s sight as he zoomed down to the next building. Twilight ran after him and peered over the building’s edge as Yurik shot to his feet upon reaching the next building over, ran over, and picked up a card with a brown “A” backing, turning back to face Twilight with a confident smirk.

“So that’s how you want to play, huh?” Twilight asked. “Fine then. My turn. Draw!”

With a magic aura over her deck, a card was plucked out from the slot with the aura placing the card into her floating hand. Quickly observing her hand, Twilight levitated a single pendulum monster from it.

“I place the scale 4 Mechjic Helium in my pendulum zone,” Twilight said, laying the card in the rightmost zone of her right blade.

Appearing on the left side of Twilight’s field was a green cyborg in a white robe and a dull-red scepter.

Mechjic Helium
Pendulum Scale: 4

Alice and Walt marveled at Twilight’s new deck while Kieran squinted with expectance.

Mechjics? he questioned. This match should prove interesting.

“Now,” explained Twilight, “I use the pendulum effect of Mechjic Helium. This card lets me normal summon monsters with one less tribute than necessary.”

“No way!” Alice exclaimed. “Yurik, why would you leave your field open?!”

Twilight’s monster held its now shimmering staff to the sky, a plethora of stars appearing in them.

“And the monster I choose is…” Twilight exclaimed, picking a monster from her hand, “Mechjic Lithium!”

Placing her card on the rightmost zone of her left blade, another android appeared from a blue portal that appeared before Twilight, which was covered in a cyan, glowing armor and a silver robe. Mystical markings were printed on the hands and fingers of its metallic hands and forearms.

Mechjic Lithium
ATK: 2200
Lvl.: 6

“Jesus,” Walt gasped from inside the balcony. “Do you think we gave her too strong a deck?”

“There is no strong or weak decks,” Kieran responded, looking adamantly at Yurik, “only strong and weak duelists.”

Walt, understanding completely what was meant by this, looked out to Yurik, who looked slightly disappointed, but not disappointed enough given his current situation.

“Battle!” Twilight declared, flying up a foot or so and pointing out at Yurik below. “Mechjic Lithium, attack Yurik directly! Alkali Assault!

The markings on the magician’s outstretched fingers began to glow bright until a small blue ring with similar markings appeared at the fingers’ tips, aiming at Yurik. Just then, a bolt of lightning shot out from the ring’s center towards Yurik.

“Dude…” Walt gasped.

Right before the bolt could hit Yurik, a bright burst of light appeared between him and the spell, deflecting it away much to Twilight’s confusion.

“What?” she shouted.

The light suddenly sprouted wings and took the form of a pegasus with a brightly shining mane and tail, which served to surprise Walt, Alice, and Donald in the observatory.

Pegassist of Light
ATK: 1700
Lvl.: 4

“What is this?” Twilight asked. “How did you summon a monster on my turn?”

“I activated the effect of my Pegassist of Light,” Yurik responded. “When my opponent declares a direct attack, I can special summon this card from my hand and end the battle phase.”

“Huh… Very well then.”

Twilight picked up one purple card in her hand and slipped it into the back slot of her duel disk.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” she said as the enlarged card backing appeared behind her monster.

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 1    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

Yurik ran up a rickety rope bridge to the next building forwards, Twilight fluttering herself forwards, he monsters and set card moving with her. Yurik spotted yet another action card at the center of the building, running to it and standing guard over it, turning to face Twilight yet again.

“What is he doing?” Kieran pondered to himself. “He already has an action card, but he can’t have another.”

At that moment, Kieran read the strategy and gasped slightly.

“I see,” he said. “He’ll have another action card to use once he uses the one he picked up.”

Back inside the arena, Twilight was flying above the building Yurik had previously been on, keeping a close eye on Yurik and his intentions.

“I knew someone like you would be useful with that deck,” Yurik complimented, “but I know my deck has enough strength in it to still take yours on.”

“I’d like to see,” Twilight challenged. “You might be very surprised.”

“Fine then. I’m really good with surprises. My turn! Draw!”

Yurik drew his card, surprised to see what he had with him. Taking another card from his hand, he presented both cards to Twilight, already knowing what was about to happen.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 3 Armored Unioncorn and scale 8 Unioncorn of Light!” he declared.

Yurik placed both cards on the outer zone of his two blades, causing two pillars of light to appear on both sides of Yurik’s field. The right pillar housed the same bright, white unicorn from Yurik’s duel with Walt, while the other unicorn in the left was a bit larger and stronger, and its dark grey coat were covered by an ebony-black armor. A bright 3 and 8, respectively, appeared over both of Yurik’s monsters.

Armored Unioncorn
Pendulum Scale: 3

Unioncorn of Light
Pendulum Scale: 8

Twilight stared out at the armored unicorn, mystified by the new monster that Yurik was wielding.

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 4 through 7,” Yurik spoke.

The multi-point star began to appear in the darkening sky as Yurik grabbed one monster card from his hand.

“Pendulum summon!” he shouted.

As he placed his card onto his blade, a red portal opened up beneath the center of the star, a magenta beam crashing down to the ground from it. With a wave of its wings, Yurik’s ace monster blew the smoke and dust surrounding it away, revealing itself almost immediately as it stared down Twilight’s monster.

“Come to me, Twilight Alicorn!” concluded Yurik.

Twilight looked warily at the alicorn monster, almost as if looking at a warped reflection of herself.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Now,” Yurik proclaimed, throwing his hand up into the air, “I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn! Once per turn, I can target two monsters in my pendulum zones and special summon them to my side of the field!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn began to glow as a similar aura began to cover the monsters on both ends of Yurik’s field.

“I special summon my Armored Unioncorn and Unioncorn of Light,” he continued. “Summon shine!”

The two encased monsters suddenly vanished along with the aura, the two of them suddenly appearing beside Twilight Alicorn and Pegassist of Light.

Armored Unioncorn
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 6

Unioncorn of Light
ATK: 1900
Lvl.: 4

“Whoa,” Walt exclaimed, looking at Yurik’s Armored Unioncorn, “a monster of his that isn’t level four? Color me impressed! This must be one of those new cards he got today.”

“But two of his other monsters are level 4,” Alice commented. “And both of them are the light component of his deck’s archetypes. That means…”

Twilight grimaced, bemused by the situation she was now in.

“I now overlay my level 4 Unioncorn of Light and Pegassist of Light,” Yurik declared.

Both of Yurik’s mentioned monsters morphed into two yellow beams of light that spiraled around each other in the air as a red portal formed over the gap between the two buildings where Yurik stood and Twilight hovered above.

“With these two monsters,” continued Yurik as both beams flew inside the portal, “I construct the overlay network. Xyz summon!”

A bright shining light erupted from the red portal, a large, white alicorn mare with a golden tiara and plating over the bars of its wings emerged from it. Its mane and tail, just like the monsters used to summon it, was a flowing wave of light. Two orbs of light orbited around it as it gracefully set itself down from the air with massive beats of its wings.

“Show yourself,” Yurik announced, “Allicorn Queen of Light!”

Setting its hooves down, the alicorn mare flared its wings out, casting a bright light onto Twilight and he monster.

Allicorn Queen of Light
ATK: 2400
Rnk.: 4

“Wow,” Donald said to Kieran, “you told me this guy was special, but this is still pretty amazing.”

“Calm yourself, Donald,” Kieran advised. “Just wait until you see the Mechjics in proper use.”

Donald looked back out to the glass, wondering what Twilight would do in response.

“Now,” Yurik ordered, “battle! Allicorn Queen of Light, attack Mechjic Lithium! Sharp Shine!”

With a bright glow from the white alicorn’s horn, a shard of light shot out from it, heading straight towards Twilight’s monster.

“My Mechjic Lithium cannot be destroyed by battle,” Twilight explained.

As promised, the spell struck Twilight’s monster, but did not seem to harm it as it recoiled back from the spell’s strength.

“However,” she said with a wince, “I take double the battle damage from battles involving it.”

The cyborg spellcaster began to glow bright and spark up before it discharged in a fiery pop, throwing Twilight back several feet with a pain-riddled grunt.

Twilight’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3600

Twilight flew back to her monster, looking at Twilight Alicorn with foreboding feelings

“Twilight Alicorn,” shouted Yurik, “you’re up! Attack Mechjic Lithium!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn shot a beam at Twilight’s monster. Once the beam hit it, the android glowed bright as its discharge struck Twilight. However, Twilight felt a much bigger shock with this blast, her vision changing as she was hurled back.

A dark cave–

Twilight came to, realizing she was falling before swooping down then up at the field, straightening her mane and taking relaxing breaths.

Twilight’s Life Points: 3600 -> 3000

“What…” she panted. “What was that?”

“Twilight!” called Yurik. “Are you okay?”

Twilight jerked her head to Yurik, not wanting him to worry.

“Uh, yeah!” she responded. “No problem. That hit was sure a doozy!”

Twilight uncomfortably chuckled to Yurik’s oblivious content.

I’ll need to tell Kieran about this, she deduced.

Yurik, seeing nothing else to the turn, reached for a single trap card in his hand and placed it inside the proper slot on his duel disk.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” Yurik finished.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 4000    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

Twilight was still completely floored by the vision she had just seen, unable to slow her breathing.

What just happened? she asked herself. I don’t know where I was, but I feel like I was physically there for that moment after that attack. Just… what is up with Yurik’s card?

“Twilight!” called Yurik. “You were so eager to make me eat my words and now you look like you’re having a panic attack. Do you need to call it quits here?”

Twilight, realizing what she was in the middle of, shook her head of her worries.

That’s right, she decided. I have a duel to win now. I’ll focus on my visions afterwards.

“I’m fine, Yurik!” called Twilight. “Just wait until you see my next move! Ready?”

Yurik grinned in anticipation, as did Walt and Alice from the balcony. Donald looked more mystified by it all while Kieran kept his stoic frown.

“My turn!” Twilight called. “Draw!”

As Twilight’s card was drawn from her deck through her magic, she glanced up at it, only for a feeling of sheer adrenaline rush into her mind. A blue dot formed on the card, only for it to link to the center card of her hand in a similarly colored line, which then linked to the right card and then the left at a breakneck piece. With the connection and her purpose clear, Twilight’s eyes suddenly looked to Yurik, which bore into his with extremely confidence that completely shocked Yurik greatly.

“I place the scale 9 Mechjic Mercury onto my last pendulum zone,” declared Twilight.

Her magic threw the card onto the rightmost zone of her left blade, and from the blue pillar that formed on Twilight’s right side of the field, a swirl of liquid metal swirled out and formed into a fully metallic humanoid being with a metallic cape and a metallic staff, its only other defining features being electronic circuits running over its body and the two yellow slits it had for eyes.

Mechjic Mercury
Pendulum Scale: 9

Just then, another pillar formed around both Mechjic Helium, with a 4 appearing high above it while a 9 appeared above Mechjic Mercury in the pillar.

“Now that I have two monsters in the pendulum zones,” explained Twilight, “I can special summon any number of monsters from my hand whose levels are 5 through 8!”

The sky began to darken as the lined star appeared over Twilight’s field high above.

“O magic machines,” chanted Twilight, “show thee a power when sorcery and science become one! Pendulum summon!”

With a single wave of her aura, the entirety of Twilight’s hand was placed on the available zones on her blades. Yurik watched in fright and amazement as a red portal opened below the star and launched three yellow beams of light that landed on the front lines of Twilight’s field, creating a wall of light that obscured Yurik’s vision, as well as those in the observatory, making all but Kieran block their eyes, who was entranced by Twilight’s sudden passion.

The light faded, revealing a nearly full wall of monsters. The first was a purple coated android with a black-and-white checkered robe, the second a shiny brown armored robot with a golden robe, and finally, a cybernetic magician with and terribly rough and unpolished, but shiny armor, a white robe, and a silver staff.

“Appear!” Twilight commanded. “Mechjic Nitrogen! Mechjic Copper! Mechjic Silicon!”

Standing straight and firm, Twilight’s four monsters stood defensively for their master behind them.

Mechjic Nitrogen
ATK: 2400
Lvl.: 7

Mechjic Copper
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 7

Mechjic Silicon
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 5

“No…” shuddered Yurik. “No way. Look at how strong she is.”

“I’m not done,” Twilight said, pointing her hoof to the shining silvery cyborg. “I activate the effect of my Mechjic Silicon. When this card is summoned, I can reduce its level up to the number of monsters currently on my side of the field. There are four monsters, so I will reduce its level to 1!”

Donald, Walt, and Alice gasped at the ability, each one concluding something awful.

“Does that mean…” Walt wondered.

A counter appeared next to Mechjic Silicon that featured its ATK and level. At once, a flash covered the entire display before the level on the counter changed from 5 to 1.

Mechjic Silicon
Lvl.: 5 -> 1

“Now,” Twilight declared, “I tune my level six Mechjic Lithium with my level one Mechjic Silicon!”

Mechjic Silicon leapt up into the air before it burst into a single star floating about in the air. As Mechjic Lithium leapt up, the star changed into a green ring that transformed Twilight’s monster into its orange-lined outline with six stars lined up inside of it. A bright beam passed through the center monster before the beam grew out to the width of the green ring.

“Synchro summon!” called Twilight. “Mechjic Gold Cyber!”

Appearing from the beam was a massive, muscular cyborg with golden armor and a golden staff with a spiral-cut crystal on the end of it, flexing its chest in an attempt to intimidate Yurik.

Mechjic Gold Cyber
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 7

“I activate the effect of Mechjic Gold Cyber!” Twilight declared. “When this card is synchro summoned, I can draw one card for every other spellcaster type monster on my field, which means I draw two cards!”

With another appearance of her aura over her deck, two cards were pulled out from the top of it, which were promptly added to Twilight’s hand.

“And now she has more ammo,” Alice commented. “And she still has another opportunity for a summon.”

“Next,” Twilight continued, all to Yurik’s complete exhaustion and disbelief, “I will overlay my level 7 Mechjic Copper and Mechjic Nitrogen!”

The two monsters transformed into an orange and a purple aura as the swirled about each other and flew down towards a red portal at the center of Twilight’s field.

“With these two monsters,” Twilight went on, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

Upon the two auras flying into the portal , a slender, but tall android in silver armor with a silver staff with a similar crystal head to Mechjic Gold Cyber’s, a pair of light orbs floating around the monster.

“Appear!” Twilight ordered. “Mechjic Silver Cyber!”

Standing more proud and reserved than Twilight’s gold-armored behemoth, the silver-plated robot pointed its staff at Yurik offensively.

Mechjic Silver Cyber
ATK: 2500
Rnk.: 7

“I’m not finished quite yet,” persisted Twilight.

Yurik reeled back, completely in denial that Twilight could do more this turn. Walt and Alice walked closer to the glass, wanting to see Twilight’s imminent act for herself.

“Finally,” Twilight explained, pulling a green card from her hand and revealing it, “I activate the spell card Mechjic Fusion!”

“Impossible!” Yurik shouted as he put the card into her duel disk. “There’s no way!”

“This card lets me target two Mechjic monsters who are on my field or in my pendulum zones that are listed as the fusion material monsters on a Mechjic fusion monster card and special summon it, treating this special summon as a fusion summon!”

“Just…” Yurik wheezed, his wobbling knees buckling underneath him, “how?”

“The monsters I will fuse are my Mechjic Helium and Mechjic Mercury in my pendulum zones.”

Right then, both of the monsters on the ends of Twilight’s field began to stretch out into a black portal that warped the space around them, where they swirled together into a nearly endless string inside the portal. Suddenly, a bright light shone out of the portal, Yurik too spellbound to cover his eyes.

“Fusion summon!” Twilight declared. “The ultimate future! Mechjic Platinum Cyber!”

Floating out from the portal was an illustriously armored cyborg that dwarfed the other two on Twilight’s field, as well as carrying a large scepter with an ornate circular piece upon the top.

Mechjic Platinum Cyber
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 10

Kieran could not help but gasp at the outstanding feat that she had just accomplished. Walt, Alice, and Donald were also aghast at what Twilight was able to accomplish, as well as what Yurik now had to go up against.

Pendulum summon, accounted Yurik incredulously, synchro summon, xyz summon, and fusion summon… all in the same turn?

Yurik looked up to Twilight, who looked down upon Yurik and his now meager field of monsters with a sense of ease and assurance as she stood behind her own field of monsters.

Twilight, Yurik continued to muse, my god…
> Episode 6: Better Living Through Chemistry, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yurik continued to stand trembling before Twilight and her new set of monsters, all of which dwarfed his in terms of strength.

Mechjic Platinum Cyber
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 10

Mechjic Gold Cyber
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 7

Mechjic Silver Cyber
ATK: 2500
Rnk.: 7

Yurik’s own monsters looked up towards the cyborg magicians, each one with a loyal and defensive flare in their eyes, looking as if they wouldn’t allow them to touch Yurik on their lives.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

Armored Unioncorn
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 6

Allicorn Queen of Light
ATK: 2400
Rnk.: 4

Walt, Alice, Donald, and even Kieran were completely on edge as Yurik saw himself in a seemingly inescapable scenario. Twilight continued looking at Yurik with a scolding smile as he tried to find a counter strategy.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Twilight:
LP: 3000
================

“This is the power of the deck you gave me,” Twilight told him. “And now you’re going to taste its raw fury.”

Almost on the drop of a hat, Yurik’s expression changed into determination that rivaled Twilight’s, completely surprising her.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“I activate the effect of Allicorn Queen of Light!” Yurik declared, removing a card from underneath his xyz monster and placing it in the graveyard slot. “By detaching one xyz material from this card, I can place one Swords Counter on one face-up monster you control, and I choose your Mechjic Platinum Cyber!”

“No way!” Twilight shouted.

One of the orbs circling Yurik’s monster fused with its horn, causing it to glow. With a loud whinny from the white alicorn, clouds appeared in the sky above Twilight’s metallic android. Swords made of light began to rain down with the blades pointed down and surround the monster, Twilight shielding herself fearfully as a few landed near her.

Swords Counters: 0 -> 1

“These Sword Counters only stay on a monster until your next end phase,” explained Yurik, “but any monster with a Swords Counter on it cannot declare an attack.”

“What did you say?!” Twilight shouted.

“And just like that,” Walt sighed with relief, “Yurik blocks her.”

“Even with all of that,” spoke Alice. “He still finds a way out.” 

“Just like you,” Yurik shouted at Twilight, “I’m not done! I activate the effect of Allicorn Queen of Light once again.”

“Unbelievable!” exclaimed Twilight. “It can activate its effect twice in a single turn?”

Yurik slid the last card from underneath his monster as the last of the orbs flying around the alicorn merged with its horn.

“Now,” declared Yurik, “I place a Swords Counter on Mechjic Gold Cyber!”

With a glowing of Allicorn Queen of Light’s horn, more swords fell down from the cloud and gated the mechanical magician in.

Swords Counters: 0 -> 1

Twilight was stunned to see both of her monsters completely useless as they were now.

Even with all of those summons, Twilight mused, he still finds a way to easily protect himself. I knew I shouldn’t have underestimated him, but…

Twilight scowled, staring at Yurik’s weaker Armored Unioncorn.

…never again!

“Battle!” commanded Twilight. “Mechjic Silver Cyber, attack Yurik’s Armored Unioncorn! Aggressive Gust!”

The remaining sorcerer aimed its staff at the plated horse, a silvery whirlwind formed forming around the crystal getting bigger and bigger. The twister then spread out away from the staff towards Armored Unioncorn.

“Yurik!” shouted Alice through the glass.

As the tornado struck Yurik’s monster, the armored unicorn kept its ground as it refused to budge from its spot, seemingly unaffected by the spell.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Once per turn,” Yurik explained, “my Armored Unioncorn cannot be destroyed by battle, so my monster is safe.”

Twilight hissed in bemusement at the situation.

“Still,” she reminded him, “you take the battle damage.”

The strong gusts blew past Yurik’s monster and into him, making Yurik groan as he shielded his face, his clothes violently waving in the wind.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3600

Once the attack finished, Yurik took another calm and relieving breath, glad to have survived such a dangerous turn with minimal damage.

“Of course,” Yurik reminded Twilight, “your monsters will still be immobile during until your ‘next end phase.’”

“I realize,” Twilight grumbled. “But I’m still not going to quit; not by a long shot! I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 3000    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

“So now what?” Donald wondered to himself aloud. “Yurik’s strongest monster is still weaker than Twilight’s weakest monster, and unless he wants those stall tactics of his to work, he better come up with a way of either summoning a stronger monster or strengthening the ones he has.”

“I know Yurik will come up with something,” responded Walt. “He usually does.”

“Usually is a far cry from always. All that matters is that ratio of failure.”

“And knowing him, it’s pretty small.”

“Walt,” Kieran stepped in, “Donald. Stop arguing at once. It is Yurik’s turn now. We shall see if he can come up with something here.”

Walt and Donald quieted themselves and turned back to the duel inside the arena. Alice kept a close watch on Yurik the whole time, her eyes slowly squinting as they expected much from him.

“Alright,” said Yurik. “Let’s bring these guys down a notch. My turn! Draw!”

With a whip out with his hand, Yurik glanced at his new card, adding it to his hand.

“I activate the effect of Armored Unioncorn,” Yurik declared. “Once per turn, I can equip this monster to a monster I control and have it gain 600 ATK.”

“Does that mean…” Twilight responded with a touch of anger.

“I equip my Armored Unioncorn to Twilight Alicorn!”

With a high leap and a loud whinny, Armored Unioncorn sent himself up into the air. To Donald and Alice’s surprise, the monster’s body glowed bright before fading away in a scattering of sparks, leaving its armor behind. The armor then flew over towards Twilight Alicorn, it now glowing bright as it set itself on top of it. The brightly lit armor shifted about so it could now fit onto Twilight Alicorn, dimming back down to reveal its newly steel-clad form.

ATK: 2500 -> 3100

“Now it’s stronger than Twilight’s strongest monster!” exclaimed Donald.

“Like I said,” Walt quipped, “pretty small.”

“Twilight Alicorn!” shouted Yurik. “Attack Mechjic Silver Cyber! Bright Burst Magic!”

Yurik’s monster launched its magenta beam from its horn at Twilight’s monster, striking it and causing it to explode. The smoke and flames blasted towards Twilight, making her shield herself as she too was blasted towards the next building behind her, yelping as she landed and slid down on her stomach on the floor.

Twilight’s Life Points: 3000 -> 2400

Twilight weakly stood to her feet while Yurik nodded in appreciation for her strength to continue the fight. Twilight, although her coat looked slightly dirty and ruffled, smiled at Yurik, making him grimace.

“I activate the effect of Mechjic Silver Cyber,” Twilight explained as a purple-and-black portal formed on the ground. “When this monster is destroyed while it has xyz material, I can special summon those monsters that were attached to this card as xyz material from the graveyard.”

“Whoa!” yelled Alice. “No way!”

“Come on back!” she shouted. “Mechjic Nitrogen! Mechjic Copper!”

Two light auras flew out from the portal, where they formed into Mechjic Nitrogen and Mechjic Copper and took their place on Twilight’s field, the latter kneeling and crossing its arms over its chest.

Mechjic Nitrogen
ATK: 2400
Lvl.: 7

Mechjic Copper
DEF: 2600
Lvl.: 7

Yurik bared his teeth slightly as Twilight’s field was strengthened.

“Next,” Twilight said, “the effect of my Mechjic Platinum Cyber activates. When a Mechjic monster I control is destroyed, I place one Chemic Counter on it.”

The top half of Mechjic Platinum Cyber’s chest began to glow as it flexed its torso out.

Chemic Counter: 0 -> 1

Yurik looked on Twilight’s field with absolute scrutiny.

The strongest monster that can attack right now is her Mechjic Nitrogen, Yurik planned. However, I know she isn’t going to let those monsters be on their own for long.

“I switch Allicorn Queen of Light into defense position,” Yurik spoke, turning the card on his zone 90° to the left.

As such, the white alicorn sunk to the shins of its forelegs, keeping its stance in its back legs.

ATK: 2400 -> DEF: 2000

Yurik then took one card from his hand and slid it face down inside the spell/trap slot of his duel disk, the enlarged backing appearing on the left of his other face down card.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he concluded.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 3600    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 3

“Hmph,” Twilight chortled, “that was pretty good how you were able to destroy my xyz monster...”

Yurik frowned in response.

“…but, I still have plenty more for you to deal with. My turn! Draw!”

Twilight looked at the monster she drew, surprised to see what she had been given. She then turned back to Yurik with an excited smile on her face, making Yurik anxious once again.

“I activate the effect of my Mechjic Gold Cyber!” she began. “Once per turn, I can banish up to two Mechjic monsters in my graveyard or face-up in my extra deck equal to the number of monsters I would need to tribute in order to normal summon a monster, and then I can normal summon that monster without tributes.”

“Jesus,” Yurik rasped.

“I banish my Mechjic Helium and Mechjic Mercury in my extra deck to normal summon Mechjic Calcium!”

Twilight placed her monster on her final monster card zone, and on the empty space on Twilight’s field, another mechanical humanoid wizard appeared from a blue portal, its armor and robe dull, but extremely white.

Mechjic Calcium
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 7

“Huh?” Walt shouted. “Three level 7 monsters?”

“What are you bringing out?” grumbled Yurik.

“I overlay my level seven Mechjic Nitrogen, Mechjic Copper, and Mechjic Calcium!” Twilight proclaimed as all three monsters transformed into auras that swirled about each other in spiral above a red portal before her field. “With these three monsters, I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

As the three strands of light flew into the portal, another bright explosion emerged from it. Appearing from the light was a massive android with a dull-black armor that highly resembled coal.

“Appear! Mechjic Carbon Cyber!”

The monster held its arms out, the fingers on its hands all curled and aimed at Yurik.

Mechjic Carbon Cyber
ATK: 2200
Rnk.: 7

Yurik stood warily, yet confusedly at Twilight’s new monster.

“It took three level 7 monsters to summon it,” he pondered, “and that’s all the ATK it has?”

“Not quite,” Twilight answered, shocking Yurik. “There’s a reason his ATK starts off so low. Just like carbon, it takes patience and effort before its true value is realized.”

“You don’t mean…”

“I activate the effect of Mechjic Carbon Cyber,” she declared as she removed a card from underneath her monster and placed it in her graveyard. “Once per turn, I can detach one xyz material from this card, and when that happens, this card gains 1000 ATK.”

“1000, she said?” shouted Walt.

“That will make Twilight’s monster the strongest,” Donald concluded, “even with Twilight Alicorn’s ATK change.”

One of the three balls of light orbiting Twilight’s monster melded into its chest, making its whole body become encased with light. As the light continued to shine, Kieran looked oddly and impressed at Twilight as her horn began to glow. Yurik watched with awe as the light faded away, revealing the same monster, but with its black armor now a milky glass-like rock.

ATK: 2200 -> 3200

“Next,” said Twilight as she pulled a card with an “A” backing from her hand, which showed two black dragon silhouettes charging one another, “I activate the action card Duel or Die!”

Yurik was completely astounded by this, gasping loudly.

“An action card?” he shouted. “Where did you get that?”

“While you were looking at my monster’s transformation just now,” she said. “I found that action card at your feet.”

Yurik looked down, heavily surprised to find the action card once beneath him to have disappeared.

“I knew you’d just pick it up after you used the one you picked up, but I couldn’t let that happen, so now I activate its effect. This card switches a defense position monster on your side of the field into attack position, and then that monster and one other attack position monster I control must battle if able.”

“But that means...” spoke Yurik.

“Allicorn Queen of Light is changed into attack position!”

At once, Yurik’s white alicorn stood back to its feet, ready to attack against its will.

DEF: 2000 -> ATK: 2400

“Now,” Twilight shouted, “battle! Mechjic Carbon Cyber, attack Yurik’s Allicorn Queen of Light! Diamond Destruct!”

Twilight’s monster held its arm and open hand up, a sword made of diamond appearing inside it. Once it grabbed a hold, the cyborg charged Yurik’s monster.

“Sorry,” called Yurik, revealing an action card featuring a human silhouette juking out of the way of a blue ball, “but you just wasted it. I activate my own action card, Avoid! This card will negate your attack, protecting my monster!”

Allicorn Queen of Light unfurled its wings, ready to fly up and evade the attack.

“I’m not wasting anything,” Twilight responded. “I activate my counter trap, Mechjic Malfunct!”

Twilight’s set card flipped up revealing an android spellcaster running at a set card as it was struck by lightning from the end of its scepter.

“While I control an attack position Mechjic monster,” explained Twilight, “I can negate the activation of a spell or trap card you control and destroy it.”

“Oh no!” Yurik exclaimed.

Mechjic Gold Cyber, despite still being surrounded by Sword Counters, aimed its staff at the digital projection of Yurik’s action card and produced a bolt of lightning that struck the card, nullifying it.

Yurik glanced to the right, seeing another action card atop the building beside him, the two rooftops connected by a set of monkey bars. Yurik ignored it and ran to his roof’s edge.

“Hold on!” cried Yurik as he leapt over the street far below him.

Walt and Alice breathed heavily in as they saw Yurik jump, but were relieved upon his feet landing firmly on its edge, allowing him to continue his run to the action card. Twilight smirked as her horn glowed. Before Yurik could grab the card, a magenta aura covered the card before it was flew from his hand and away from him.

“No!” he shouted.

Yurik, knowing what had happened, continued his run to the next building, which was elevated by a story and connected via a plastic rope bridge. Yurik sprinted on it to the next building’s edge until he heard the frightened whinny of one of his monsters, making him turn around to see something that truly terrified him.

With scared eyes, Yurik saw as Twilight Alicorn and Allicorn Queen of Light flew for their lives towards Yurik from their original spot. Twilight’s Mechjic Carbon Cyber was right behind the latter, swinging its sword at it. The blade struck the alicorn, disintegrating it in a cloud of yellow sparkles that flew at Yurik.

“Allicorn Queen!” screamed Yurik.

The cloud of sparks flew into Yurik, knocking him off his feet and right beside the action card he was running for.

Yurik’s Life Points: 3600 -> 2800

Twilight added her newly acquired action card to her hand while Yurik rolled over and picked up his. Twilight frowned sadly for the loss of Yurik’s monster as he stood to his feet and looked at Twilight crossly.

“Yurik,” she spoke as she and her monsters flew up towards Yurik’s new spot, “if it’s any consolation, the action card I picked up wouldn’t have saved your monster, but I’ll activate it now. I activate the action card Speedy Swap.”

An enlarged version of the card appeared before Twilight, showing a silhouette of a hand with the backings of and action card and a normal card floating above the palm.

“When I activate this card,” Twilight said, “I draw one card.”

Twilight pulled a card from the top of her deck and looked at it before placing it into the spell/trap card zone.

“I place one card face down,” she said. “During this end phase, your sword counters are removed from my monsters, allowing them to attack next turn.”

At once, the swords of light surrounding Mechjic Gold Cyber and Mechjic Platinum Cyber faded away, freeing them from their bondage.

Sword Counters: 1 -> 0

Sword Counters: 1 -> 0

“I end my turn,” Twilight said with a relieved smile.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 2400    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

“Damn,” Walt breathed. “If that monster continues to strengthen up, it will reach 5200 ATK.”

“Yurik has his work cut out for him,” remarked Kieran. “He still has his Twilight Alicorn and a decent number of spell and trap cards. His fight is far from finished, but he’ll have to use his cards wisely if he wants to survive.”

Walt turned back to Yurik as he faced Twilight on their battlefield.

“Yurik!” he yelled. “Don’t let her get to you! You can still do this!”

Yurik, seeing Walt from the corner of his eye banging the glass, looked back to his Twilight Alicorn, who nodded to him encouragingly.

“Come on!” Yurik shouted as he jogged up to his monster, who knelt down on all its fours as Yurik mounted it. “My turn! Draw!”

With a whip of his arm, Yurik added the card to his hand and grabbed onto his monster’s armor with his free hand. At once, Twilight Alicorn turned to the left and galloped off the building and spread its wings, flying out away from Twilight.

Undaunted, Twilight flapped her wings and soared out to follow Yurik and his monster, her three monsters following close behind. Feeling stable on the back of his steed, Yurik looked at his hand, noting the pendulum monster he had received.

“I place my scale 3 Unioncorn of Fire on the pendulum zone,” Yurik declared, putting the card onto the leftmost zone of his right blade.

Appearing far beside him and his monster in a bright blue burst was Yurik’s yellow unicorn with the mane and tail made of fire.

Unioncorn of Fire
Pendulum Scale: 3

Hmm, Twilight thought with an observant squint. Not yet…

Yurik gently tugged Twilight Alicorn’s mane to the left, who obediently u-turned to face Twilight and her monsters.

“I wouldn’t like to see what happens when that platinum monster gets any more Chemic Counters,” Yurik planned aloud, “and I think I can take my chances with your Gold Cyber! Twilight Alicorn, attack Mechjic Platinum Cyber! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn charged Twilight’s monster as its horn glowed bright and the mechanical magician held its staff in front of itself defensively. The magenta beam blasted out of Twilight Alicorn’s horn, destroying Twilight’s monster as the debris and resulting explosion blew into Twilight, making her shout out again.

Twilight’s Life Points: 2400 -> 2300

Twilight soared out from the dust cloud with her two remaining monsters back towards Yurik, who quickly noted an extra card in her hand that she didn’t have previously, becoming even more perplexed when neither card in her hand had an “A” backing upon it.

“How did you draw an extra card?” he asked.

“You see,” Twilight explained, “you made a wise decision to destroy my Platinum Cyber, as its effect allows me to special summon a Mechjic monster from my deck by removing two Chemic Counters from it. However, when it’s destroyed by battle, I can draw one card for every Chemic Counter placed upon it.”

“Ah, I see. In that case, I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 2800    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 1    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 3

Walt grimaced at Yurik’s seemingly desperate situation, Alice and Donald taking note.

“Walt,” Alice questioned, “what’s wrong?”

“Yurik’s situation is what’s wrong,” he responded. “All he has on his field now is his Twilight Alicorn, and all of her other monsters can attack now.”

“Don’t forget,” spoke Donald, “Yurik still has two face down cards at his disposal.”

“But do you think Twilight is going to let him use them?”

“Hey, I’m just trying to be optimistic. After all, he is your friend.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Walt asked angrily, standing up and facing him.

“Both of you,” Kieran scolded, “knock it off. Let us see how Yurik will be able to escape this one.”

The two of them, giving each other another hostile looks, finally looked back to the field where Twilight was just about to start her turn.

“My turn!” declared Twilight. “Draw!”

Twilight looked to her card as she solemnly closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Yurik,” she whispered. “I activate the effect of Mechjic Gold Cyber, banishing my Mechjic Platinum Cyber in my graveyard to normal summon Mechjic Neon without tributes!”

Twilight placed her card onto her monster card zone, and from the blue portal that appeared on her field, an android with glowing red armor and a glowing green robe carrying a glowing purple scepter.

Mechjic Neon
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 5

Yurik breathed through his clenched teeth, knowing he’d be in a tough spot soon.

“Next,” continued Twilight, placing a card from underneath her xyz monster inside her graveyard slot, “I activate the effect of Mechjic Carbon Cyber, detaching one xyz material to increase its ATK by another 1000.”

The penultimate orb circling Twilight’s monster melded with its chest, making it glow brightly and then dim again, the plating of the monster now much clearer, allowing Yurik to see the machinery inside of it.

ATK: 3200 -> 4200

“Battle!” Twilight shouted. “Mechjic Carbon Cyber, attack Twilight Alicorn! Diamond Destruct!”

Twilight’s monster produced another sword from thin air, but with a winding of its arm, Mechjic Carbon Cyber tossed its sword at Yurik and Twilight Alicorn, the spinning blade locking on with its target.

“Dude!” Walt shouted, running up to and putting his hands on the glass.

“I activate the effect of Armored Unioncorn equipped to my Twilight Alicorn,” Yurik responded as the card ejected itself from the spell/trap zone, allowing Yurik to reveal it to Twilight. “When a monster equipped with this card would be destroyed, I can banish this card instead!”

Yurik threw the card into his graveyard slot, causing the armor on Twilight Alicorn’s body to morph into an ornate black shield that flew into the path of Mechjic Carbon Cyber’s blade.

“But you still take battle damage,” reminded Twilight.

The sword collided with the shield, producing an explosion that blew Twilight Alicorn and Yurik back, Yurik screaming as he lost his grip of his monster and fell towards the rooftops.

Yurik’s Life Points: 2800 -> 1700

“Yurik!” Alice and Walt shouted in unison.

Twilight Alicorn managed to catch Yurik as it too fell, wrapping its forelegs around him as they plummeted towards a particularly long roof. Yurik’s monster managed to maintain its fall and pull up from the ground.

“And now that your monster is no longer equipped,” continued Twilight, “your monster’s ATK goes back to its normal 2500.”

Twilight Alicorn’s body collided with the rooftop, forcing it to let Yurik go as they painfully rolled onto the roof.

ATK: 3100 -> 2500

“And now Mechjic Gold Cyber is stronger than Twilight Alicorn,” Donald commented. “This might prove difficult for Yurik.”

Yurik got to his knees to see an action card right in front of him, reaching out to grab it. A magenta aura encased it and pulled the card away from Yurik, making him look to his right. Twilight swooped down with her three monsters at Yurik and Twilight Alicorn’s spot on the roof, forcing the two of them to run to the opposite end. Twilight and her monsters landed hard on the roof, spraying dust and bits of rock around themselves. Yurik continued to run, seeing another action card before him.

“Mechjic Gold Cyber, attack Twilight Alicorn,” Twilight declared as the dust began to clear from around her and her monsters. “Amazing Updraft!”

Pointing its staff at the fleeing Twilight Alicorn, a golden colored twister shot out from the crystalline end and flew out towards it.

“I activate the action card: Miracle!” declared Yurik, holding the card behind him and revealing it as he ran, revealing a happy silhouetted human surrounded by stars. “This card prevents my monster’s destruction and reduces the battle damage by half!”

“Then I chain the action card, Spell Sniper,” she replied, making an enlarged spell card appear featuring a spell card in the crosshairs of a sniper’s lens. “This card allows me to negate the activation of a spell card during the battle phase and destroy it.”

“What!?”

A short beam of light shot out from Twilight’s enlarged action card and struck the card in Yurik’s hand, Yurik groaning at the sting from the force on his hand. Regardless, Yurik managed to bend over, pick the next action card up and add it to his hand, stopping and turning back towards Twilight with his lone monster. Looking at his new card, he grimaced, realizing that this card wouldn’t save his monster.

“The attack still continues,” spoke Twilight galloping up towards him. “Say goodbye to your monster, Yurik.”

Yurik watched as the golden gales came even closer, making him wince in fear.

“I activate the effect of my Twilight Alicorn!” cried Yurik. “Once per turn, I can place this monster into an unused pendulum zone of mine! Twilight Alicorn, hurry!”

Twilight Alicorn shone its horn bright and disappeared, making Twilight sport a reluctant scowl for what she would do next.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

“I activate my counter trap, Swing Breaker!” she shouted, a trap card flipping up with art showing a newton’s cradle with the swinging end ball shattering as it went up. “When a pendulum monster is placed on the pendulum zone while another card exists in the other pendulum zone, I can target one card in either pendulum zone and destroy it!”

“No!” screamed Yurik. “Impossible!”

“The card I destroy is… Twilight Alicorn!”

Twilight Alicorn appeared onto the pendulum zone in a bright magenta bubble, only for its body to begin glowing. Yurik screamed loudly and Twilight Alicorn watched in horror as it grew brighter and brighter, and with a loud painful whinny, Twilight Alicorn burst into sparks fading away into nothingness.

“Huhu…” Yurik shuddered with watering eyes, his buckling legs forcing him to his hands and knees. “No…”

Twilight looked sternly and sympathetically at Yurik as he gently sobbed on the floor. Walt, Alice, Donald, and even Kieran had their mouths pursed open in pure amazement at what Twilight had managed to do.

“I’m sorry I had to do that, Yurik,” apologized Twilight, “but it had to be done. Your field is now empty, and my Mechjic Gold Cyber has yet to make its attack. Now,” she said with a slow blink, “let’s end this. Mechjic Gold Cyber, attack Yurik directly. Amazing Updraft.”

Twilight’s monster’s golden tornado shot and wound out towards Yurik, who still appeared paralyzed with sadness. Just as the gusts could connect, Yurik clenched his fists and teeth with his eyebrows slanted horrifyingly steep.

“I activate my trap!” Yurik shouted, shooting to his knees and pointing at one of his trap cards with this hand, “Sorcerer’s Salvation!”

The card featured a pink bubble with the shadowy figures of three magician-like monsters appearing behind it. From the balcony, all four humans leaned closer to the window, surprised by Yurik’s sudden energy.

“By banishing two spellcaster-type monsters in my graveyard,” explained Yurik, “I can negate your monster’s attack and end the battle phase.”

Twilight’s mouth went agape, shocked that the battle would still not be over.

“I banish my Unioncorn of Light and Allicorn Queen of Light in my graveyard!” he shouted.

At the moment before Mechjic Gold Cyber’s attack could strike, a pink, sparking bubble appeared inside the vortex of the tornado, which spread out and burst, making the twister dissipate. Twilight scowled as Yurik stood to his feet, no longer daunted by the loss of his monster. However, she did something that both surprised Yurik and herself: she gave a warm smile to Yurik.

“Good job, Yurik,” she said. “I knew you had it in you.”

Yurik’s serious frown too turned into a smile, happy by her friend’s accepting attitude.

“You know,” he responded. “This duel is getting pretty serious now.”

“I know!” she responded. “Isn’t it fun?”

“Huh?” Yurik responded, his frown returning. “How is this fun? We’re being tested right now, and I just lost my Twilight Alicorn. If I can’t even protect it, how will I–”

“Yurik,” chided Twilight with a light giggle, “sometimes, your monsters end up getting destroyed; its all part of dueling. All that matters is how you keep fighting with what you have.

“Besides, I’ve summoned two xyz monsters, a synchro monster, and a fusion monster, all in just a couple of turns. The fact that you’ve lasted this long, and even managed to destroy a couple monsters of my own, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

Yurik gasped, touched by his friend’s compliments. He then looked at the two spell cards in his hand. As meager and nearly hopeless as it was, he looked back to Twilight with a confident expression, knowing he’d make her, himself, and those watching proud.

“I’ll do my best,” he said.

“Good,” Twilight cooed, setting a card in her spell/trap slot. “I place one card face down and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 2300    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

Yurik looked at his deck, praying to it that it could deliver a miracle to him.

I have one last chance of achieving something here, Yurik accounted. Unless I can draw my Unioncorn of Water here, or something equally as good, I’m finished.

“Here I go,” shouted Yurik. “Watch me! My turn! Draw!”

Yurik whipped his card out, and added it to his hand. Yurik stared at his card for what felt like an eternity as Twilight, Walt, Alice, Donald, and Kieran awaited to see what he drew. With a smile, Yurik tilted his head up and looked to Twilight.

“I end my turn,” he decided.

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 1700    Monsters: 0    Pendulum Zones: 1    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

Twilight’s mouth dropped open, astounded by Yurik’s declaration. Inside the balcony, the others were on the edge of their seats, wondering what Yurik could be thinking.

“Is that it?” she asked. “Are you giving up?”

“You heard me,” responded Yurik. “I end my turn.”

Twilight gasped again, reading the situation clearly.

I get it, she thought. This is just like his duel with Walt and how he summoned Kuripony. But he can’t now; he doesn’t have a single monster on his field. So what do you have, Yurik?

“I’m not taking any chances!” she exclaimed, her magic aura appearing over her deck. “My turn! Draw!”

Twilight didn’t even wait to see the card before she added it to her hand, already reaching for the only monster she had left.

“I normal summon the tuner monster Mechjic Radium without tributes!” she declared, placing her monster one of the two available monster zones.

Appearing beside Twilight’s monsters was a glowing green android with a matching glowing robe, floating in the air just above the ground.

Mechjic Radium
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 5

“When Mechjic Radium is normal summoned without tributes,” Twilight said, “I must decrease this card’s level by any value between 1 and 4, and so I’ll reduce its level by 4!”

A counter appeared next to the green cyborg, showing its original level as it began to revert.

Lvl.: 5 -> 1

“Next,” continued Twilight, removing the third card from underneath her xyz monster, “I activate the effect of my Mechjic Carbon Cyber, detaching its last xyz material to raise its ATK by 1000 once more!”

The last of the orbs surrounding Twilight’s monsters merged with its chest, and as the light spread throughout its body, it quickly faded away to reveal that the armor on Twilight’s monster was now cut expertly like a fine jewel.

ATK: 4200 -> 5200

“Also,” Twilight mentioned, “if there are no xyz materials attached to this monster, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.”

“What was that?!” Yurik exclaimed.

“But first, I will tune my level 5 Mechjic Neon with my level 1 Mechjic Radium!”

Mechjic Radium transformed into a bright blue star that flew up high, where it became a green glowing ring that descended down upon Mechjic Neon, changing its form to its orange outline with five stars line up inside its body. A small beam of light shone down into Mechjic Neon’s outline before the beam spread out to the outer edge of the green ring.

“Synchro summon!” she chanted. “Appear! Mechjic Iron Cyber!”

The beam faded away to reveal a robotic sorcerer in shining, spotless armor, a shining robe with white lining, and a steel scepter.

Mechjic Iron Cyber
ATK: 2600
Lvl.: 6

“This card also cannot be destroyed by battle through its effect,” reported Twilight, “not that it matters.” 

“I wonder why it would too,” replied Yurik. “After all, you already had two strong monsters at your disposal. Not sure why you need a third.”

“Because I’m not going to fall for that. I saw how you managed to stay afloat with your Kuripony, but I’m making sure that you can’t try and trip me up with a similar tactic.”

Yurik smirked, impressed by Twilight’s intuition.

Smart cookie, he thought.

“Let’s end this!” Twilight commanded. “Battle! Mechjic Iron Cyber, attack Yurik directly! Full Energy!”

Standing still on Twilight’s field, Mechjic Iron Cyber threw an impressive punch toward Yurik, a shadowy figure of its arm flying out towards Yurik, who smirked at her attempt to win the duel. With a quick whip of his hand from his hand and back onto his blade, he placed a monster facing left on one of his monster zones.

“I special summon Mirror Pony with its effect!” he called out.

The pony that appeared onto the field from the blue portal was completely smooth and metallic, its mane and tail made from very fine wires that resembled hair.

Mirror Pony
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 4

“When my opponent declares a direct attack,” clarified Yurik, “I can special summon this card from my hand. Then I can destroy the attacking monster.”

“Huh?” honked Twilight.

“And your monster only protects itself from destruction via battle, not by card effects, so it now goes bye-bye!”

“No way!”

The phantom fist of Mechjic Iron Cyber collided against Mirror Pony, which suddenly flew out in the opposite direction from Mirror Pony’s chest towards Twilight’s monster, hitting it and blasting it away in a collection of yellow sparkles.

“Not like you can do that again!” Twilight shouted. “Mechjic Gold Cyber! Attack Mirror Pony! Amazing Gust!”

Pointing its scepter at the metal horse, a gold tornado flew from the crystal and covered it, where it too faded into sparks with a loud cry. Yurik shielded himself from the ones that flew towards his face.

“This is it!” yelled Twilight. “Mechjic Carbon Cyber, attack Yurik directly! Diamond Destruct!”

The android’s sword appeared it the monsters outstretched hand, and with a wind back and a massive step forwards, it struck the sword’s blade at the ground just at Yurik’s feet, producing a tall cloud of dust as the ground beneath Yurik caved in.

“Yurik!” Walt shouted.

Twilight flew up and peered into the hole as best as she could with the thickness of the dust. Unable to find Yurik anywhere, she bit her lip in a guilty panic. Alice and Walt looked nervously on, unsure of the fate of their friend.

It was then that they heard grunting coming from the edge of the roof, only to see Yurik hoist his torso up over the building’s edge and balance himself on, crouching to ease the soreness his body felt all over.

Yurik’s Life Points: 100

“What?” Twilight wondered. “How did you survive that attack? My monster had much higher ATK!”

“Yeah,” confirmed Yurik, as he walked the edge of the building with the drop into the streets and the hole in the roof on both sides of him, “you’re right. However, I may have activated a few cards that saved my ass.”

“How’s that?”

“First,” he stated, jumping back to the non-broken floor and pointing at an open space on his field, revealing a trap card, “I activated my trap, M. Brace, halving my battle damage when my opponent declares a direct attack.

“Next,” he further explained, pointing at a space next to the trap card where a spell card appeared with a glowing human silhouette with its arms over its chest, “I chained my action card, Pinch Healer, which increased my life points by 1000 before the attack hit me, bringing me to 2700.”

Twilight’s eyes and mouth widened open, understanding it.

“Your monster was at 5200,” concluded Yurik. “This means that half of that damage was only 2600, leaving me 100 to spare.”

“Just like when you dueled Kieran,” she mused aloud.

“Yes. And much like with Kieran, I survived more turns than I probably ought ta’ have.”

“Well, you survived yet another turn from me, but I’m still not going to make it any easier for you.”

Yurik perked his head up, unsure what Twilight meant by this.

“I activate my continuous trap, Mechjic Reflect!”

A purple card flipped up before Twilight, showing Mechjic Carbon Cyber’s full-diamond form protected by a human-shaped aura.

“With this card,” she clarified, “I can target one Mechjic Monster I control and have it become unaffected by my opponent’s card effects, and the one I choose is Mechjic Carbon Cyber!”

A translucent sheet appeared before Twilight’s monster and wrapped itself around it, melding and bending to perfectly fit in the contours of the monster’s body, increasing its sheen.

I see, Yurik devised. Now that monster of hers is completely invincible with that card of hers. Not that it matters…

Yurik looked at the lone spell card in his hand, contemplating his strategy.

Whether she used that card on either her Gold or Carbon Cyber, the strategy I need next turn will defeat her regardless.

Twilight, feeling confident with her field, showed the backing of her hand’s final card before she slipped it into the spell and trap card zone.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” she finished.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2300    Monsters: 2   Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

Walt clasped his hands together and placed them over his mouth, intently watching Yurik as he would make his undoubtedly final move.

“Come on, Yurik,” Alice sighed.

Kieran and Donald watched with intensity, finding their blood pumping as the duel reached its conclusion.

“So,” Yurik spoke, “this is my last shot, huh?”

“It is,” agreed Twilight. “I’ll be sure of it.”

“Really, now? You’re that confident.”

“My deck hasn’t exactly failed me thus far. I want to see if your deck will honor you all the same.”

“I see. It usually hasn’t but…”

Yurik looked to the deck in his slot, placing his fingers on his deck.

“…I guess we’ll find out. My turn! Draw!”

“I activate my trap:” Twilight quickly announced, “Mechjic Ultimatum!”

Yurik jerked his head in shock on Twilight’s words.

“During this turn,” explained Twilight, “you must declare an attack this turn or take 1000 points of damage. That,” she added, “or find some other way to take down my remaining 2300 life points.”

Then I really have no choice, Yurik realized. All that’s left is…

Yurik glanced up at the card he drew, his eyes widening at his unbelievable luck.

“That’s fine with me,” Yurik called back, “because you’re going to lose this duel anyways!”

Twilight gasped at this insane statement, but kept her smile up, seeing if his words would hold true.

“I place Unioncorn of Water in my last pendulum zone,” he declared, placing the card on the rightmost zone of his left blade.

Arising from the ground from a small pool of water that formed on the right side of Yurik’s field was a blue, furless horse with a kelpy mane and tail, as well as a long, spiraling seashell for a horn.

Unioncorn of Water
Pendulum Scale: 4

At that moment, two blue pillars formed where Unioncorn of Fire and Unioncorn of Water stood, a 3 and a 4 appearing over both monsters respectfully.

“I don’t understand!” spoke Twilight. “There are no numbers between three and four. You cannot pendulum summon with those monsters.”

“Not yet I can’t.”

“Not yet?”

“I activate the effect of Unioncorn of Water! By negating the effect of a FIRE attribute monster in my other pendulum zone, I can double Unioncorn of Water’s pendulum scale!”

“What?”

Another pool of water formed beneath Unioncorn of Fire, its legs buckling weakly as its mane and tail were extinguished, leaving only short, burnt bases of hair. Meanwhile, Unioncorn of Water began to shine with a blue aura as the pointed star appeared in the sky.

Pendulum Scale: 4 -> 8

“Unbelievable,” muttered Twilight.

“With that,” declared Yurik, “I can special summon monsters from my hand or face-up in my extra deck whose levels are four through seven!”

Yurik’s Twilight Alicorn card ejected itself from the front slot of Yurik’s blade disk, which Yurik grabbed with a winding out with his right arm.

“Pendulum summon!” he exclaimed, placing his monster back onto his monster zone. “Come back to me, Twilight Alicorn!”

A beam of magenta light soared down from the red portal that opened up, and once it struck the ground, Twilight Alicorn’s wings blew the smoke and dirt away, facing Twilight’s monsters with an urge to battle.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Since Unioncorn of Fire’s effect is negated,” Yurik told Twilight, “its effect to inflict damage to you can’t be activated, but Unioncorn of Water’s effect still activates. When I pendulum summon monsters, this card increases my life points by the total levels of pendulum monsters pendulum summoned to my side of the field times 100. Twilight Alicorn is level seven, so I gain 700 life points.”

A strand of water flew out of Unioncorn of Water’s horn an swirled towards Yurik, spiraling around him as Yurik felt the damp, cool sensation on his body.

Yurik’s Life Points: 100 -> 800

“Next,” Yurik continued, “I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn, special summoning two monsters from my pendulum zones to my side of the field. Summon Shine!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn glowed bright with magenta as Yurik’s pendulum monsters glowed similarly as well.

“Let’s go!” called Yurik. “Unioncorn of Fire, Unioncorn of Water!”

With a pop from their positions as well as two more pops beside Twilight Alicorn, both Unioncorn of Fire and Unioncorn of Water were on the field.

Unioncorn of Fire
ATK: 1600
Lvl.: 4

Unioncorn of Water
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“A WATER and a FIRE attribute monster?” Twilight suspected. “That can only mean…”

“I now overlay my level four Unioncorn of Fire and Unioncorn of Water!” exclaimed Yurik.

The two monsters became a red and blue beam that spiraled about around each other as a red portal opened up on the ground.

“With these two monsters,” Yurik declared, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

Once the two beams flew into the portal, the wet, red alicorn with the mane, tail, and wings made of vapor, as well as two light orbs around it, flew out of the portal and soared around the building freely.

“Come on!” called Yurik. “Allicorn of Steam!”

The monster flew back up and landed right beside Twilight Alicorn, both monsters poised and prepared to fight.

Allicorn of Steam
ATK: 1900
Rnk.: 4

“Next,” spoke Yurik, removing a card from under his xyz monster, “I activate Allicorn of Steam’s effect! By detaching one xyz material, I can halve the ATK of a monster on the field and increase its owner’s life points by the amount of ATK lost, but first…”

Twilight seized up as she watched Yurik reach for the last card in his hand. 

“I activate my quick-play spell card Sheer Scald!” he continued, revealing a spell card with a massive explosion of steam surrounding Allicorn of Steam in the center. “When I activate my Allicorn of Steam’s effect, this card changes the effect of increasing the afflicted monster’s owner’s life points by the monster’s lost ATK and instead inflicts damage equal to that amount!”

“What did you say?” she shouted.

“I’ll use the effect on your Mechjic Gold Cyber! Go! Sheer Scald!”

One of Allicorn of Steam’s orbs of light melded with its horn, and with a whip of its head, the alicorn shot a mighty blast of steam at Twilight’s monster, hitting it firmly in the chest.

ATK: 2800 -> 1400

The steam passed around Twilight’s monster and struck Twilight with equal intensity, forcing her back as she grunted excruciatingly to the intense heat.

Twilight’s Life Points: 2300 -> 900

“That’s it!” Yurik cheered. “Now, Twilight Alicorn, attack Mechjic Gold Cyber and finish Twilight off! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn and shot its beam at Twilight’s monster, exploding it as the beam shot through the monster’s chest. The beam continued on as it blasted through Twilight, Twilight’s screams of pain replaced by the odd feeling she had felt earlier in the duel.

A blue, starry candle with a white flame–

Twilight landed on her back, too stunned by the vision to grunt as her back landed on the ground and slid backwards.

Twilight’s Life Points: 900 -> 0

Yurik wins

Yurik smiled proudly at his victory while the others in the balcony looked at Twilight with nervousness as she didn’t move a muscle from her spot. Yurik, spotting this, instantly contorted his face in fright as he ran over to her, his breaths shuddering with each step.

“Twilight!” he screamed. “Twilight!”

Sliding to his knees, he scooped Twilight into his arms and gently shook her.

“Hey,” he croaked, feeling more nervous by the minute. “Are you okay?”

With a few more shakes, Twilight blinked twice and looked at Yurik, suddenly feeling his arms around her back and seeing Twilight Alicorn approaching them from behind Yurik.

“Huh?” she queried. “What’s going on?”

“Twilight!” Yurik sighed, hugging her tight. “Please don’t scare me like that again!”

Twilight, still confused about her two visions, couldn’t focus on Yurik’s comforting embrace or the field around them as it began to fade away. She did look at Twilight Alicorn as it gave her an approving nod before it faded away along with many of the other buildings.

As the building holding Yurik and Twilight began to lower itself to the arena’s floor, Kieran eyed Twilight with a sense of uncertainty and enigma.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the Guardiaboliques lounge, Kieran, Yurik, Walt, Alice, and Donald surrounded a slightly embarrassed Twilight in a semicircle on the couches, the others looking sympathetically at her.

“And that’s all you saw at those times?” Kieran interrogated.

“Yes,” answered Twilight, “but I don’t understand. Not only do I fail to see the connection between the cave and the candle, I don’t know why being attacked by Twilight Alicorn triggered the visions. Stranger still is that I was attacked two other times by Twilight Alicorn and I didn’t have a single vision.”

“Yes,” agreed Donald, “but upon further speculations, I happened to notice a slight pattern in the appearance of your visions.”

“And what’s that?” asked Walt.

“When she was first attacked by Twilight Alicorn,” he responded, “she had lost 600 life points. Now, the other two times, she lost another 600 and then only 100. It wasn’t until she took an even higher amount of 1100, which was the amount you would have lost had you had more life points, that she experienced another vision.

“My guess is that the visions appear if Twilight takes battle damage involving Yurik’s monster and takes higher and higher amounts of damage. Regardless of this pattern, the fact that she experiences these visions at all because of that card is very troubling.”

“I’m sorry,” Yurik butted in. “I don’t know why my card continues doing things like this.”

“Perhaps it’s a message from your father,” Kieran guessed. “You claim that this card was a gift from your father, but his whereabouts are unknown. This only raises my suspicions that your father has some knowledge of all that’s happened in these past twenty-four hours.”

Yurik gulped at Kieran’s accusations, which Kieran instantly noticed.

“However,” he added, “they are only just suspicions and nothing more. It’s merely my intuition. What’s more, is that we have no idea whether these visions are an omen or even a great prophecy. Perhaps your father entrusted that card to you because he knew you could properly use its powers.”

Yurik smiled, feeling more at ease with this scenario.

“But again,” Yurik responded, his high decreasing, “it’s only your speculations.”

“Correct. Until we can actually find your father, our guessing is only that. All we can do is piece this puzzle ourselves with what we’re given.”

“Hey!” Alice blurted out, wrapping her arm around Yurik’s neck. “Change of subject! Yurik, you did really great back there!”

Twilight, coming to terms with the mystery set before her, was happy for Alice’s distraction, smiling warmly up at the two of them.

“Yes,” she agreed, “you were incredible, Yurik. Thanks to that duel, I feel much more confident about finding my friends.”

“Speaking of,” Walt interrupted, “any news on where Twilight’s friends are?”

“As a matter of fact,” Kieran said, turning on the television behind Twilight with a remote, “this was the other reason I brought you here today.”

Donald also began fidgeting with his tablet, the display on his screen appearing on the TV, displaying a map of the United States with a sky-blue circle around the peninsula of Florida.

“Dude,” Walt gasped, realizing where the place was.

Zooming the map on his tablet, Donald produced a satellite view of a series of amusement parks along the area of the screen on the television.

“One of them wound up in Disney World?” exclaimed Walt.

“Not quite,” answered Kieran pointing to the screen. “News reports say that a blue beam from the planet Equus crashed just outside Disney World in Orlando, Florida. However, it’s here that we found the first reported sightings of the pony that crashed here.”

“What do they say?” asked Twilight.

“Nearby claimed that the pony they saw roaming around was… pink.”

“Pink? That must be Pinkie Pie!”

“Yes, quite. Our team has been sorting through every kind of social media posting relating to this pony, as well as early online local magazine and newspaper articles to pinpoint when and where these sightings have taken place. That way, we can read an approximate pattern from these sightings and intercept your friend ourselves once we get a more concrete idea.”

“Wow, that’s actually pretty smart of you guys.”

“Thank you,” Donald said with an insincere bow.

“But what about her other friends?” asked Yurik. “Aren’t you doing the same for them?”

“There’s a major problem about this,” Kieran said. “This Pinkie Pie, other than Twilight here, is the only other pony who’s found their way to Earth by ending up in America; the others having been reported as crashing onto foreign countries.

“As well as employing the same methods as we are for Pinkie Pie, we still need to translate their tweets, Facebook posts, whatever we can find, but even then, searching for their accounts and posts aren’t as simple there as it is here. All we can tell you is to trust us and be patient. Can you do that for us, Yurik?”

“Of course I can!”

“Then until we solve the pattern of the one known as Pinkie Pie, I see no reason as for you to stay. Yurik, Walt, Alice, Twilight, the four of you are dismissed. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Kieran stepped out of the room and closed the door, leaving Yurik and his friends to their own devices. Twilight her mouth formed in a serious line, nodded posthumously to Kieran, acknowledging the effort and care he was putting into the search for her friends.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Alice drove down the highway in her van towards home while Walt leaned his head against the window, sleeping soundly with his arms crossed together. Yurik and Twilight both sat together on the van’s floor, Yurik gently petting Twilight’s mane and neck as she stared down at the ground, where four duel disks were set.

“Yurik,” Twilight softly spoke, “I’m sorry for destroying your Twilight Alicorn during that duel.”

“Huh?” Yurik questioned, taken slightly aback by her apology. “Twilight, you shouldn’t apologize. You were right back then. My monsters will get destroyed eventually when I duel, and I shouldn’t be so wrapped up in it.” 

“I mean, I shouldn’t have been so callous about it. I know how much your cards mean to you, but I think that’s what makes you such a good duelist… and a great friend.”

Yurik turned his head to Twilight, wondering what she would say to back this claim up.

“The fact that you care so much for protecting your monsters as if they were your own family, it must hurt seeing one of them go like that. I also feel that you think the same way with Walt and Alice, because they, along with your deck, they are your family, aren’t they?”

Yurik glanced at the deck on his duel disk on the floor of the van.

“It’s the closest thing to a real family I have at all,” he admitted with a fond smile.

Twilight looked up to Yurik with shimmering eyes, her guess confirmed.

“So…” she said, “it’s true.”

“What’s true?” he replied, suddenly looking slightly suspicious.

“That you’re an orphan.”

Yurik sat up, slightly off put that she came to such a conclusion.

“How do you–”

“Like I said this morning,” she enlightened, “I noticed that both of you have different last names, and yet you live in the same house as Walt and his family. Now that you say what you just said about Walt and his family being the closest thing to a family that you have, that must mean that your real family is… somewhere else, right?”

Yurik sighed as he leaned back and folded his hands behind his head, resting the back of the head on them and the side of the van.

“My dad isn’t dead, you know,” he joked. “How else could he have given me that card?”

“But why?” she prodded. “Why aren’t you living with him?”

“Well, you see, my dad is actually part of an ongoing world-traveling anti-violence movement. He didn’t want me to grow up moving from hostile country to hostile country my whole life, so when I was born, he moved me here to Naperville, someplace where I could live a nice, comfortable life. At least, that’s what mom– well, Walt’s mom tells me.”

“What about your mom? Is she dead?”

“You know? I never knew about her, nor was I never told. I always just considered Walt’s mom my mom, and I’m okay with that, because I know I have a dad, and I know I have a mom.”

“Do Walt and his sister have a dad?”

“Yeah…” said Yurik with a more somber tone, “but we tend not to talk about him.”

“Oh…” she responded, getting the hint. “I’ll stop there.”

“I understand,” he replied, sitting back up. “It’s natural for you to want to get to know me and Walt. I don’t want to sound presumptuous, but as of now, we’re all you have until we find the rest of your friends, right?”

“Right… Even with the Guardiaboliques helping us, I still feel nervous for my friends from home…”

Twilight felt tears form in her eyes until a hand laid itself on her back.

“You shouldn’t be,” Yurik said. “In all honesty, I’m worried for their sake too, but after seeing the way you fought today, I’m confident that there’s no force that can stop us now.”

Twilight looked up and smiled at Yurik.

“Thank you, Yurik,” she whispered. “I know I can count on you all.”

Yurik continued to pet Twilight’s coat as she settled back down to her stomach. Yurik looked back at his and Twilight’s duel disks on the ground near Yurik’s feet.

We will save them all, Yurik settled. This I swear on my life…

Yurik turned to the windshield of Alice’s van, looking out for any familiar landmarks that would let him know how much closer to home they would be.
> Episode 7: Big Top Terror, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the dead of night, an empty and meager amusement park was set along the side of the road and surrounded by various chains of restaurants and stores. There wasn’t a sign of light or life in the park from its lamps along the paths to the ones that illuminated the roller coasters, the go-karts, and other rides. However, one spot was still very much alight: the red big-top tent that served at the park’s centerpiece. While the outside world didn’t seem to care or listen, loud music boomed through the tent’s tough hide, which suddenly transitioned into a fast snare roll.

“Ladies and gentleman!” shouted a younger man taking the center platform inside with a microphone to his mouth. “Do we have a show for you!”

The man dressed himself in a bright-red tuxedo jacket with a yellow tropical-themed shirt and a very loose blue tie, as well as a pair of red pants and black loafers. His short, dyed, orange hair was mostly hidden underneath his black top hat, which he held by the brim.

“Introducing for the very first time to not just this stage, but to the very world, please give a very warm welcome to our brand new star…”

As he waved his hat upwards behind him, two men in all black attire tilted the spotlight up towards the ceiling, revealing a pink pony with a puffy pink mane and two yellow balloons and a blue balloon emblazoned on both sides of her flank standing atop a diving platform. She stood on her hind legs and waved at the non-existent audience as if there were indeed a standing ovation just for her.

“…Pinkie Pie!”

“Weee!” she shouted as she leapt off and towards a trapeze rigged towards her with a weak string.

Pinkie Pie swung over the emcee on the platform and towards a rope further away. Letting go of the wooden bar, she wrapped her arms around the rope and swung over the stands, kicking her feet about excitedly as she began to swing back to the stage.

Loosening her grip, Pinkie Pie swayed herself towards the ground, landing on all four hooves and sliding besides the emcee on his stand.

“Isn’t she amazing, folks?” he screamed excitedly. “WOOO!”

Pinkie Pie giggled as several others in the stands, including a man and woman in matching leotards, several elaborate clowns, and a burly bald man in a red leotard applauded the feats that Pinkie Pie could accomplish.

“Heeheehee!” Pinkie Pie giggled. “This is awesome Billy! And you say were already performing tomorrow?”

“Yes, Pinkie,” cooed Billy. “You’re going to make us all so proud!”

“I like making people proud! But not as much as making people laugh! Tomorrow’s going to be a proud-laughter day! I just know it!”

“Yes,” Billy agreed with a warm smile, “so do I. So do I…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

On the stage of a school auditorium, a group of costumed females emerged from a groups of applauding performers on both sides of the stage. Walking up to the front, the females took a bow to the rabid crowds of their parents and peers. On the walkway just below the stage’s edge, Walt panned across the line of girls, making sure to get every single one.

As the girls broke apart and joined the two groups on both sides of the stage, a man in a brown trench coat and suit costume walked up alone, another round of applause erupting from the house.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside Walt’s bedroom, Twilight and Alice viewed Walt’s laptop’s screen as the man in the trench coat walked off to the side to let the next two actors take their bows. Appearing on both sides from backstage were Mary and Yurik, dressed in their final costumes as Sally and Emcee, respectively, getting roars and cheers from the audience.

“Woo!” she yelled, clopping her front hooves together as Alice too whooped in support. “Go, Yurik!”

Mary and Yurik took their bows, both Mary and Yurik evidently trying to fight the tears as the final moments of their final high school musical performance were running out.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The rest of the cast and extras gathered into two lines, clasping their hands together and engaging in to simultaneous bows.  With a final wave to the audience, the two lines backed away as the large red curtains closed on them, the audience’s cheers not letting up. Once the actors were entirely concealed, Walt hit the record button on his camera, ending the shot and the stream.

As the performers clamored to the dressing rooms, Yurik and Mary stood still, each wiping their eyes of tears. While Yurik let out a couple of amazed and relieved chuckles, Mary’s sobs were unquestionable. Yurik patted Mary’s back in consolation. Mary then leaned herself onto Yurik and hugged him tight. Yurik was quick to return the embrace, savoring the moments he had left with her that night.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight and Alice laughed as the stream ended, Twilight already beginning to show Alice out.

“That was fun, Alice,” said Twilight, “but you should probably be going before Yurik and Walt get back home.”

Realizing that Alice wasn’t moving from her spot, Twilight turned her head to see Alice’s face glued to the screen.

“Alice,” scolded Twilight, “didn’t you hear me?”

“I heard you,” Alice said, clicking on a video in the recommended section. “I think I might have just found one of your friends…”

“Really?” she suddenly exclaimed, hopping back onto Walt’s seat. “Who?”

Alice let the video she clicked on play out, allowing her to see what appeared to be Pinkie Pie swinging on a rope over a crowd of electrified spectators, who all gasped with excitement as she passed over their heads.

“Alice?” asked Twilight with rising intensity. “Where is this?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik emerged from a crowd of waiting friends and family members, searching for his own. It didn’t take him long before he saw Walt, Evey, and their mom, Walt holding his camera back and his tripod case. His smile returned as Evey ran up to him, allowing him to lift her up to his shoulder and walk her back to her mom and Walt.

“Great job again,” congratulated Walt’s mom. “Are you sad it’s over?”

“Yeah,” sighed Yurik. “But man, Mary was a mess. I had to spend some time trying to calm her down; that’s why I’m late.”

“Well,” Walt said, “we’re all going to miss this, aren’t we?”

“You still did a great job, Yury!” squeaked Evey.

“Thanks, kiddo…” said Yurik.

Just then, Yurik’s phone rang in his pocket, making him set Evey down and pull the phone from his pocket, seeing that it was Alice who was calling.

“Hold on,” Yurik excused himself before walking towards a small dining hall in the back.

Yurik pressed the green icon on his phone, putting it to his ear.

“Hello?” he asked.

“We found one,” spoke Alice.

“Found one?”

“One of Twilight’s friends,” she revealed.

“You what?” Yurik nearly shouted.

“I left the video on Walt’s laptop. Call me as soon as you watch it.”

Alice hung the phone up, and with only a moment’s hesitation, Yurik quickly walked down the hall where his family was waiting.

“So,” Walt’s mom suggested, “where do you want to spend your celebratory din–”

“I need to get home,” Yurik interrupted, as he passed by.

Walt’s mother and Walt, distressed by Yurik’s urgency, quickly followed Yurik outside
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt and Yurik entered inside the former’s room, Yurik shutting and locking the door behind him. Walt flipped his Macbook open and typed in his password, instantly being greeted to the YouTube page that Alice had left.

“Billy Bonnaroo Show,” read Walt aloud. “5/18/14”

“Is this the video?” asked Yurik.

“Yeah, but…”

Walt hit play regardless, and from the shaky phone camera that served as the point of view, the emcee Billy motioned his hat to the ceiling, revealing Pinkie Pie on the diving platform. Both Yurik and Walt’s eyes were agape as they saw Pinkie Pie perform, swinging over the crowd of excited spectators.

“And this guy is just showing her out in public?” asked Walt.

“She seems to be enjoying it at least,” Yurik responded with an unsure shrug.

“That’s not the point. This video already has over 50,000 hits, so it’s not like this is being kept under wraps. This guy’s going to have police all over his ass if he keeps parading her around like that.”

“Regardless,” he said, pulling his phone out, “Alice told me to call her once we saw.”

Hitting the number for Alice, Yurik paced about the room, awaiting for her to pick up. After only half a dialtone, Alice answered.

“You saw that, right?” she spoke

“Of course I did,” replied Yurik. “What now?”

“That circus is located about a mile or two west of Disney World. It’s called Bonnaroo Bonanza. We’re going to need to get there as quick as possible if we want any chance of rescuing Pinkie Pie before the cops come in with some kind of warrant.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Tomorrow afternoon, at the absolute latest.”

“Aha…” Yurik nervously laughed, “don’t forget, this is finals week for us, and we can’t just skip out on that!”

“I know. Wouldn’t that make a great excuse?”

Yurik paused, unsure where Alice was heading with this. Walt turned around and looked at Yurik, also unsure of what this break meant.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Your children are alright, Mrs. Faber,” Kieran lowly spoke through a Bluetooth speaker, sitting in the driver’s seat of a large van with Alice, Walt, Yurik, and Twilight.

Kieran was wearing a formal white shirt and black pants outfit with his silver hair stuffed in a brown wig. Yurik and Walt each had their school backpacks and a duffle bag that was only filled a quarter way, making it sag.

“Please,” begged Walt’s mother with humor in her voice, “call me Bette.”

“Very well, Bette. Your children and their friend Alice came to our house after school with her friend for a studying cram and sleepover. They will be back right in time for school the next morning. I can assure you that.”

Yurik and Walt laughed, impressed by Kieran’s mimicry.

“Well…” Bette groaned. “That’s fine. And I can reach you on this number?”

“Of course. We’ll be in touch.”

“Yes, well, thank you very much Mr. Wilson.”

“Take care, Bette.”

Kieran pressed the end call button on his steering wheel and reached up for a pair of sunglasses in a compartment in the roof.

“Do you have all your things?” asked Kieran as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

Yurik and Walt nodded as Kieran looked behind him.

“Good,” he responded, his hand on the door handle. “Let’s go.”

Kieran, Walt, Yurik, and Alice stepped out of the car onto the runway of O’Hare airport, the driver’s side door set right beside the stairway doors to a small, but sleek private jet. As the four of them ascended the steps and inside with their bags, Twilight slunk on the floor of the van towards the driver’s side door, hoping not to be seen by a valet that stood by, awaiting the arrival of those on board so he could escort it off the runway.

Once Alice, the last in line, stepped into the jet, the door/stairway began to slide up and close. At the last second, Twilight quickly charged her horn and vanished in a bright flash. The valet looked behind him to see nothing there, only for a burst of light and zapping noise to emit from inside the plane. The valet turned quickly back to see nothing there. Grumbling in delusion, he opened the driver’s door and started the car.

Inside the plane, which was white with blue carpeting, as well as a miniature bar and fridge in the back, Twilight was near the front with Alice and Yurik, breathing in and out in fast succession at her close call with being spotted. Walt looked out the window of the plane to see the van driving off on the runway.

“I think it’s safe to say that he didn’t see us,” Walt said. “I think we’re all clear.”

“The control tower will be the judge of that,” Kieran remarked, walking to the cockpit.

Twilight, fully recovered from her adrenaline rush, walked around to observe the plane, impressed by its luxurious nature.

“Whose is this?” asked Twilight. “This isn’t Kieran’s is it?”

“It is,” Alice responded. “If you want the resources to begin a citywide vigilante movement, you better have the means to do so.”

“So along with that entire factory… just how much money does Kieran have?”

“Enough.”

Twilight looked wondrously to Kieran as he entered the cockpit, closing the door behind him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran’s plane flew high among the clouds. With only an hour into the flight, each of the passengers lounging in their seats. Walt’s headphones were plugged in while he watched Much Ado About Nothing through Netflix on his computer. Alice managed her deck on her tray table, which appeared to consist of insect-type monsters with supporting spells and trap cards.

Yurik walked to the fridge in the back and grabbed a can of Coca Cola and a schooner glass hanging upside-down from a metal rack. He popped the can open and walked to his seat. He passed by Twilight, whom he caught looking out the window with a slightly fearful grimace on her face.

“Twilight,” he questioned, “what’s wrong?”

His voice shocked her a little as she turned to see him facing her.

“Yurik,” she sighed. “You startled me. I’ve just never flown in something like this before. I have my own set of wings, so I’m not used to flying while in this… metal tube.”

“Truth be told,” Yurik said, “it’s one of the safest ways to travel. You have little to no traffic up here, and you’re not confined to a road, but you probably know all about that, right?”

“I suppose… at the same time, I’m also in control. To place my life in someone else’s hands–”

“Twilight,” Yurik chuckled, taking the seat behind hers, “this is Kieran we’re talking about. I say that we can trust him.”

Twilight smiled, almost forgetting this fact.

“Yeah…” she replied. “I guess you’re right.”

Yurik smiled, looking down at his relatively untouched soda.

“Are you thirsty?” Yurik asked.

“Hm?” Twilight answered. “A little, I think.”

“Then here,” he offered, reaching his can and glass around her seat towards her, “take my coke.”

“Coke?”

“It’s called soda,” Yurik explained. “It’s a carbonated drink, and coke is just a variation of it.”

“Oh, I see. We do have sodas on our world too, so… Thank you, Yurik. I think I’ll take you up on that.”

Twilight took the can and glass from Yurik’s grasp, carefully pouring so the head would not spill over the glass. Yurik laid back in his own seat and looked up at the ceiling, while Twilight lifted her filled glass to her lips and sipped, which stretched into another smile at its refreshing taste.

“This is very good,” Twilight said, turning back to Yurik’s seat. “Where do you get this?”

“It’s a very common drink,” Yurik said. “Just don’t drink too much.”

“I understand. It still tastes pretty sugary, so I won’t drink a lot of it.”

“That’s good…”

“What do you think we’ll do when we get there?”

“I assume we’re going to check into some kind of motel to plan everything out. What we do from there is more than likely Kieran’s call.”

“Then… just sit back and enjoy the ride at this point?”

“Sounds like a great plan…”

Yurik snuggled himself into his seat, his eyes shut in preparation of a nice nap. Twilight continued to imbibe her cola, taking much more frequent and much greedier sips.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran’s plane descended down towards and open runway of the Orlando International Airport, the late-afternoon sky and waters a purplish orange and the grass and palm trees a peerless shade of green. Yurik and Walt looked down at the sight, excited to see Florida and all its majesty.

In Twilight’s seat, five empty Coca Cola cans were scattered on the floor, another two standing upright on Twilight’s tray table. With her glass half empty, she brought the glass to her mouth and chugged the remaining liquid, wiping her mouth with her arm. Twilight pressed her face against the glass of the airplane, surprised to see the ground coming up so quickly.

“Are we here already?” asked Twilight.

“I believe so,” Yurik responded, his bags slung over his shoulders. “You might want to…” he mentioned, circling his finger at Twilight’s garbage, “get cleaned up before we leave.”

“Oh!” she exclaimed, crumpling her seven cans into a compact ball and grabbing her glass. “Of course!”

Twilight hopped out of her seat and towards the miniature bar, tossing her can-ball into a blue bin and putting her glass bottom-up in the small sink beneath the clean glasses. Yurik rolled his eyes with an amused smile and stood by the door where Walt and Alice were waiting.

The plane touched down on the runway, slowly slowing its speeds towards a black limo that was parked much further down. Kieran smirked as he slowed his plane down even more, merely rolling it towards the vehicle ahead where an Asian valet awaited them. Once it stopped, Kieran deployed a switch, allowing the step doors of the plane to drop down and allow the three humans to step off.

Twilight hid behind the wall to the right of the door, peering inside to get a good look at the limo’s interior. As Walt, Yurik, and Alice piled in, scooting themselves towards the front, Kieran emerged from the cockpit, walked to the door, and stepped down to the car as well. Once Kieran put himself in, the valet closed the door, walking towards the driver’s seat. Twilight charged her horn and vanished in a flash, the subsequent burst of light inside the limo going unnoticed by the valet before he opened his door to the steering wheel.

With a start of the engine, the valet drove off carrying the four humans and, unbeknownst to him, the equine stowaway.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The limo drove down the highway, Twilight peering out the windows at the tropical trees and relaxing atmosphere. Yurik and Walt smiled warmly at Twilight’s new experience as she took it in head on.

“This place is beautiful,” remarked Twilight. “Pinkie Pie must have really found herself in a nice part of the world.”

“Hey,” Yurik chuckled, “Chicago’s not that bad either.”

“Except during the winter,” said Walt.

“Hmm. Touché.”

“So,” Twilight asked Kieran, “what’s our plan right now?”

“We’re making a stop first,” Kieran said. “Once we get to a motel, we’ll discuss our plans from there. This first part will only need to involve myself.”

“Where’s this first stop?” Twilight asked.

“Hmph…” he responded with a smile. “To Bonnaroo Bonanza, of course.”

Twilight gasped, unsure of what this plan would involve, but she settled herself down upon letting her trust in Kieran take over. With a changing of lanes, the limo went onto the exit from the freeway.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran’s limo began to pull into the Bonnaroo Bonanza’s parking lot, which was swarming with happy families and children heading towards their cars to leave, having enjoyed their day.

“Kieran,” whispered Twilight, “we can’t just come and get Pinkie Pie with all these people around.”

“I don’t plan to,” he simply spoke. “Just stay here and don’t be seen.”

The limo pulled up to the curb near the park’s entrance, Kieran scooting towards the door. Straightening his wig as the car came to a complete stop, he opened the door and walked to the gate, where he could see the brightly dressed Billy shaking the hands of his guests as they left.

Kieran put on a pleasant smile as he stepped up to the gate, getting a negative reaction from the usher’s and those in the ticket booth.

“Sir!” called a red-headed female employee. “You can’t go in without a ticket!”

“The park’s set to close anyways!” called a male employee.

Kieran ignored them, stopping just shy of the gate where Billy’s attention was now draw to him

“Sir,” Kieran called to Billy. “You run the Pinkie Pie show, correct?”

“Yes, we do,” Billy replied with a bright smile before immediately changing to canned sadness as he put his hand to his heart, “but the park’s closing soon, so there won’t be any more shows today.”

“Could you do a request for me and my associates, then?”

Billy somewhat off put by Kieran’s persistence, changed to an annoyed frown.

“The park is closed, sir,” he spoke. “You’ll have to come back tomor–”

Billy’s words were stopped once Kieran pulled out his wallet and produced about a dozen hundred-dollar bills, his mouth along with the other employee’s opened wide.

“As I wanted to say,” Kieran said, putting the bills back into his wallet and into his pocket, “is that my coworkers and I are staying in Florida for the night, and we did not have time today to attend the show as regular guests. However, we were really hoping to see Pinkie Pie before we left, and we’ll do anything for you guys to put on a show.”

Kieran patted his wallet, both to entice the already shivering Billy and to ensure that no one pickpocketed him for revealing such money in public.

“I…” stammered Billy, looking at Kieran with a mixture of guilt and excitement, before the excitement won over. “What time would you like to come?”

“Will ten tonight be sufficient?” Kieran asked with a smug air. “After all, your other performers must rest for the next day’s show.”

“They will be fine! Entertaining others is of higher concern to us!”

As long as the price is right, of course, thought Kieran. “Thank you very much. You are most kind.”

“I will personally let you in. Just be here on time.”

“We wouldn’t for the world.”

“That’s great to hear! I shall see you and your associates in a few hours!” Billy dismissed with a gracious bow.

“Thank you again. We will be here at ten.”

Kieran turned around and walked away from the elated Billy and towards the limo, a normal and unassuming smile. Kieran opened the door and sat himself next to Twilight, whose eyes were already prying Kieran for answers and results.

“So what’s going on?” asked Twilight with vigor. “What happened?”

“I merely tossed in the bait,” Kieran responded. “He merely bit without a care in the world.”

“So what then?”

“I’ll explain at the motel.”

The valet driver put his car into drive and went to exit the parking lot, its exit slow as a steady stream of guests young and old left the park and to their own cars for the day.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Pinkie Pie sat in a small bedroom featuring a child-sized bed and a wardrobe, reading a magazine and flipping the pages every couple of seconds. Suddenly, Billy burst into the room, a beaming smile plastered on his face.

“Pinkie,” he shouted, “great news!”

“That already sounds way better than ‘good’ news!” she equally eagerly responded.

“A private group wants to come and see our show tonight! They’ll be here at ten!”

“Really?” she asked, shooting up onto her feet from the bed and onto the floor. “That is great news.”

Pinkie tried to force a smile for Billy, but even he could tell that she was straining to keep it genuine.

“Pinkie Pie?” he asked her, rushing to her side and kneeling down. “What’s wrong?”

“Well,” Pinkie Pie admitted, “I’m really thankful for you letting me stay over with you and letting me perform in your show, it’s just…”

“It’s just…?” he tried to squeeze out.

“It’s not quite as fun without my friends…”

“Pinkie,” Billy gasped in a hurt voice. “How could you say that? Aren’t I your friend?”

“Of course you are, Billy!” she responded with a tight, squeezing hug, “but I was talking about my friends from Equestria. I think they got sent to this place too, and I don’t know where they are!”

Pinkie Pie’s hug became tighter as she let out a few sobs. Billy looked genuinely heartbroken as he saw tears run down Pinkie Pie’s face. Billy soothed her by gently rubbing up and down her back, ending her cries but not releasing her hug.

“I’m sure like any good friend,” Billy assured her, “they are looking for you, and I’m sure if they try hard enough they will. Just know that as long as you’re here with me, you’re safe. I will protect you.”

Pinkie Pie found the strength to release her grip on Billy’s waist and looked up to him with a genuinely sincere smile.

“Thanks a bunch, Billy,” she said.

“Don’t mention it, kiddo,” responded Billy with a pat on her back. “Now, come on. Let’s do one more rehearsal before our show.”

“Okay!”

With a jolt, Pinkie Pie galloped out of the room, leaving Billy alone inside of it. Standing up, he exhaled a futile and sympathetic sigh, the difficulties of her friends finding her nearly impossible.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight lied on her stomach on the king-sized bed of their clean, but cramped motel room while Yurik, Walt, and Alice sat on the edges, facing Kieran, who was blocking the television at the room’s front.

“Billy will meet us at the gate at ten,” explained Kieran. “I assume he will escort us to the tent. This way, we won’t have to break in while we’re in the cover of night when the park is closed and deserted.”

“Brilliant,” Twilight whispered.

“Alice, Yurik, and Walt will pose as coworkers of mine coming to see the show while on a business trip. I almost certain with the money I showed Billy at the gate and the way he reacted to it, he won’t ask many questions about what we do, if at all. In any other case, I will do the talking. Just be sure to be ready for when it’s time to actually take Pinkie Pie for ourselves. That is where you come in, Twilight.”

“Me?” she asked, sitting up and pointing to herself with her hoof.

“However, it will all depend on how well your flying and magical capabilities are.”

“My… magical capabilities?”

“Twilight, you wouldn’t by chance know invisibility spells, do you?”

“Of course, but they require a lot of magic to wield and can be physically exhausting. I can certainly try, but it depends how long I’ll be needing to travel.”

“A mile by air at the most.”

“Hmm…” she pondered, her hoof tapping her chin, “it shouldn’t too much a problem…”

“Excuse me,” Yurik said, “if Twilight knows this spell, how come we couldn’t just use that spell when getting Twilight from the car to the plane or from the limo to this room?”

“Yurik,” she informed, “invisibility is actually a much more advanced spell than teleportation. You’re talking about rendering every molecule in your body and perhaps anything else inside you completely transparent, whereas teleportation is merely rapid kinetic movement of the entire body from one place to another.”

“What about just teleporting here and there if invisibility burns too much energy?”

“I would need to see the inside of the tent with my own eyes so I can teleport back and forth between here and the park; that’s how teleportation works in general.”

Yurik groaned, feeling belittled by his lack of understanding.

“Well,” he clarified, “if that’s the case, once you get here, will you be able to teleport us all back to the motel once we get Pinkie Pie?”

“I’m going to be burning a lot of energy flying here already on an invisibility spell,” Twilight said. “I might only have enough energy to get one, maybe two of you back to the motel before I’ll need to recharge to get the rest of you.”

“And how long would that be?” asked Alice.

“About fifteen minutes… at least.”

Yurik, Walt, and Alice sighed in disappointment, unsure what to do from there. Kieran kept silent, assessing the situation and making a plan. Upon coming up with one, he gently smiled and faced Twilight.

“Thank you Twilight, that’s all I needed,” responded Kieran, pulling his phone from his pocket and tossing it on the bed at Twilight’s front hooves. “I will be leaving my phone here. Alice will call the phone when we feel our meeting is coming to a close. Use your invisibility spell and teleport outside the room and fly to Bonnaroo Bonanza. I will provide you a map upon our departure.”

“But wait!” Twilight exclaimed. “How are you going to stall Billy while I’m resting? Who should I get first?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Yurik said. “You should save Pinkie Pie first; that’s the whole point of coming here.”

Twilight gasped as she turned to Yurik.

“Also, I think I might have an idea on how to stall him and give you enough time to recharge yourself, and I’ll need to bring my duel disk.”

Twilight realizing what would happen, nodded to him, accepting his strategy.

“And then?” asked Walt.

Kieran smirked, looking at him.

“We head out…” he responded.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

With the sun now set over the area, the still-disguised Kieran, Yurik, Walt, and Alice stepped out of the limo, back at the entrance to Bonnaroo Bonanza. Kieran smirked upon seeing Billy underneath one of the lamps that shone down from the ticket gate. A trail of lamps formed the directions to the big top further down. Upon seeing Kieran, Billy eagerly swung back the park gate and walked towards Kieran and the other three.

“Welcome!” Billy chuckled. “I’m glad you could make it… er, I’m sorry, I never caught your name.”

“My apologies back then,” Kieran said with a firm shake of Billy’s hand. “My name is Aaron Wilson, and these are my associates.”

Billy stepped over towards Walt, who stood beside Alice and Yurik in line to introduce themselves.

“I’m Walt,” he greeted.

“Hi, I’m Alice,” she responded.

“Yurik,” he said.

“It’s so great to meet you all!” Billy said to them, backing up so he could address them all.

“Yes,” Kieran responded, “and if it’s all possible, we would like to say a few words to Pinkie Pie after the show.”

“Of course, of course! Please, do follow me. We have a great show for you tonight!”

Billy quickly walked forwards into the park, leaving Kieran, Yurik, Walt, and Alice to match his pace, equally prepared to save Pinkie Pie as Billy was to have her perform. Walt looked at Billy with a sense of mistrust and unease as the continued to follow him into the deserted carnival.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

A spot light came inside the stage to the sound of a loud drumroll through the speakers surrounding the outer edge of the tent. While shrouded in the darkness, Kieran, Yurik, Walt, and Alice kept their eyes on the light, where Billy stood front and center with a lavaliere microphone clipped to his jacket lapel.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Billy announced. “Please, put your hands, or should I say ‘hooves,’ together for the one… the only… the amazing… Pinkie Pie!”

With a wave up with his hat, the spotlight sped up and house music began to kick on, revealing the pink earth mare Pinkie Pie standing on the diving platform. While Kieran, Walt, and Yurik applauded, each of them stunned by being able to see one of Twilight’s friends in the flesh, Alice shot out of her seat and cheered loudly as the lights came on to fully reveal her. Pinkie Pie looked down at the sole four attendees whose eyes were on her, a nervous sweat and smile appearing over her face.

There’s hardly anyone around, she thought, jumping onto the trapeze.

Swinging towards the rope, the lack of cheering continued to dampen Pinkie Pie’s spirits.

It’s so lonely, she mused as she grabbed hold of the rope and swung towards the stands where Kieran and the others were positioned.

As she began to swing over them, she looked down, only to see a glimpse of Twilight and the other four ponies and small dragon that she knew as her friends, making her eyes shoot open, her grip on the rope beginning to loosen.

“Twilight?” she wondered. “Rainbow Da–”

As she reached the arc of her swing, Pinkie Pie’s loosened grip slid her much further down the rope than she had wanted, which she noticed nearly instantly. Fearing for herself, she let out a surprised yelp and flailed her legs about, hugging the rope as tight as she could. Billy, Yurik, Walt, Alice, and several waiting carnies on the side gasped in terror as she began to swing low over the stands

Before she could strike Walt with her swing, Pinkie Pie yanked up on the rope, sending her just over Walt’s head and towards the center stage. Her shock began to subside as she let go of the rope and tumbled on the ground towards a fear-stricken Billy. Landing on her stomach, she quickly shot to her hooves and looked to the equally stunned Walt, Yurik, and Alice.

“Um…” she spoke with a nervous smile. “Tah-dah?”

Billy, realizing that both she and his guests were alright, laughed into the microphone.

“Isn’t she just amazing?” Billy shouted. “Let’s hear it!”

While Walt, Yurik, and Alice clapped solely out of principle, Kieran crossed his arms stared at Pinkie Pie as she took her place by Billy’s side, the latter affectionately petting her mane and neck.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight continued to lie on the bed, staring at Kieran’s phone as she waited it to ring, feeling more and more impatient as the seconds ticked laboriously by.

“Come on,” Twilight whispered. “What’s taking so long?”

The only noise that served to entertain Twilight was the room’s air conditioning system, making Twilight groan as the boredom continued to get even worse.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

With the show having ended, Kieran, Yurik, Walt, and Alice walked onto the floor of the circus tent towards the embarrassed Billy and Pinkie Pie at the center platform.

“Pinkie Pie,” Kieran spoke. “You weren’t hurt back then, were you?”

“Huh?” she perked up, gladdened by his caring for her well-being. “It’s okay, mister! I’ve taken falls way worser than that!”

Kieran looked oddly at Pinkie Pie’s choice of words, only to be approached by Billy.

“Aaron,” he acted with melodramatic sadness with a bow and his hat over his chest, “I’m terribly sorry for what happened during the show. Is there any way I could make it up to you all?”

Yurik, shocked to see his plan fall as perfectly into place as he wanted it, gasped, but then changed it to a smile as he approached Billy.

“In fact,” Yurik said, “there is.”

“Hmm?” Billy queried, his ears tuned to Yurik’s request.

“How open are you to suggestions?”

“Suggestions? Oh, I’m completely for suggestions! What do you suggest my good sir?”

Yurik looked to Kieran, who gave him an approving nod to go ahead with his suggestion.

“You see,” Yurik said with grandeur, “we are a non-profit organization to help provide the best in quality entertainment, which, in our humble opinion, is dueling.”

“I’m not sure what you’re getting across here,” Billy said, “but I do run a circus show here.”

“I’m fully aware,” Yurik responded. “However, my suggestion has not been made yet.”

“Then what is it?”

“What say you to introducing action duels to your… repertoire?”

Billy seized up at the suggestion, looking at Yurik as if he were crazy.

“B– B– But–,” he stuttered. “I cannot perform action duels! I do not have a solid vision generator!”

“That is why we have come to you. I wish to duel you and see if your establishment is worthy of a donation for you to earn your own.”

Billy, now seeing the opportunity before him, began to light up with sparkling eyes, Pinkie Pie looking cautiously at them.

“You mean…” he shuddered.

“Just imagine it,” Yurik egged further. “You and Pinkie Pie, locked in battle with your own monsters and flying about the tent. The audiences will go wild–”

“Alright, stop!” shouted Billy. “I accept! Pinkie Pie, will you please get my duel disk from my office?”

“Yes, Billy!” she responded, galloping off to do her keeper the favor.

Kieran watched as Pinkie Pie went off, then turning to Alice, instructing her with a nod. Pulling out her phone, Alice browsed for Kieran’s number, pressing the call icon and sneaking the phone back into her pocket.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The screen on Kieran’s phone went alight and its ringtone went off. Twilight, understanding the cue, shot to her hooves and charged her horn.

I’m coming Pinkie, she thought with a strain.

A magenta halo appeared before Twilight’s body, moving down it and rendering the body it passed invisible until she had completely vanished. From just outside the window, a bright magenta flash appeared with nothing appearing from it but the sound of flapping wings.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Pinkie Pie returned shortly after with a shiny, banana-yellow duel disk in her teeth. Slowing down to a trot, she went to Billy’s side and let go of it, letting Billy take it and place it upon his arm, a band fastening from the bottom and onto the forearm.

“Thank you, Pinkie,” he said. “Please stand back with Aaron and the others.”

“Okie doke, Billy!” she chirped, hopping over next to Kieran and Alice near the edge of the stage.

Walt stood behind them, glancing around with his eyes for Twilight’s possible entrance. Yurik stood before Billy about thirty feet away from him, his back close to the short wall separating the stage from the stands, his own duel disk on his arm.

“I’m guessing that we shouldn’t let up on each other, then?” Billy asked.

“Not if you want a free fifty-thousand dollar donation, you shouldn’t,” spoke Yurik. “Come at me with everything you have.”

“That’s fine by me,” he said, pulling his blade disk off his duel disk. “Prepare to be entertained!”

Billy whipped his blade disk out towards Yurik, while Yurik pulled his blade disk off and tossed it near Billy. The two blade disks circled about each other and returned to their owners and hovered beside their duel disks, their blades emitting from the lights on the disk’s sides. Both duelists’ decks shuffled inside their slots and stopped only a second or so afterwards.

“Connection complete,” said a robotic female voice. “Yurik Clayer vs. Billy Bonnaroo. Draw.”

Yurik and Billy each drew five cards from their decks, looking at each other with excited smiles on their faces.

“Uh, say, guys,” Pinkie Pie whispered, leaning towards Kieran, “what’s this dueling that they’ll be doing? And also, can I play too?”

“Sorry,” Kieran responded. “This is a game between Yurik and your friend Billy there.”

“Oh…”

Without warning, Pinkie Pie pulled a megaphone seemingly from nowhere behind her and aimed it at Billy.

“Good luck, Billy!” she screamed, forcing Alice, Walt, and even Kieran to cover their ears in sheer discomfort. “Duel his socks off!”

“I plan to, Pinkie Pie,” Billy said, still looking straight at Yurik with a smug smile. “Let us keep our audience waiting no longer! Let’s go, Yurik!”

“Yeah!” he agreed.

“DUEL!” the two of them shouted.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Billy:
LP: 4000
================

At that very moment, a purple light appeared inside the top of the tent, Twilight flying down towards Pinkie Pie and landing before her. Kieran, Alice, and Walt shielded themselves from the dust that Twilight’s landing picked up while Billy turned towards Twilight with a shocked expression. Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened upon recognizing Twilight, taking a heavy breath in.

“Twi–” she tried to speak.

“No time to explain,” panted Twilight in exhaustion.

Charging her horn once again, she stepped forwards and hugged Pinkie Pie. With a bright flash, both Twilight and Pinkie Pie disappeared, leaving Billy stunned and heartbroken as he stared at the space where they once stood.

“Pinkie Pie!” he shouted.

Suddenly putting two and two together, he scowled intensely as he turned to face Yurik, a triumphant grin already on his face.

“You tricked me!” he shouted. “You led her friends here to take her from me!”

“And I apologize,” Yurik responded. “However, if you think you deserve Pinkie Pie more than we do, then continue to duel me.”

“What?”

“If you win, we will return Pinkie Pie to your guardianship, no questions asked. However, if I win, we will leave with Pinkie Pie in ours. Again, no questions asked.”

Billy, turning back towards Kieran, Alice, and Walt, continued to seethe in betrayal.

“And why should I trust you after what you’ve just done?!” yelled Billy.

“If we wanted,” Yurik said with a straight, serious face, “that purple alicorn could have teleported us all away from here and left you completely high and dry.” 

Of course, he thought as he read Billy’s angered face, Twilight couldn’t have done that at all, but as if you would know about alicorn magic like we do.

“Also,” he continued, “only we know where that alicorn took her. If you try to leave and squeal to the cops at any point in time, you will never see us, nor your Pinkie Pie ever again, guaranteed. However, we are sporting men, and we are offering you a chance to take her for yourself.”

“Fine, then!” Billy angrily shouted. “I’ll accept your sick game. Now, take your turn!”

Kieran smirked with a proud huff, glad to see Yurik hold his own as he had done. As per Billy’s instruction, Yurik produced a single card from his hand.

“I summon Pegassist of Night!” shouted Yurik, placing the monster on one of his monster zones.

Appearing from a blue portal on the ground before Yurik was a jet-black pegasus with perfectly preened wings and a dark purple mane and tail, presenting itself with a loud whinny as it stared at Billy with its red eyes.

Pegassist of Night
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 4

With his monster out, Yurik grabbed two more cards from his hand and placed them in his spell/trap slot.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn,” he concluded.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside Kieran’s motel room, Twilight and Pinkie Pie appeared on top of the bed in a bright magenta flash of light. Twilight, exhausted from her travel, collapsed and breathed in and out on the bed. Pinkie Pie, now able to get a good look at her familiar savior, beamed and piled herself onto Twilight, who could only react with bulging eyes as the life was squeezed out of her.

“Twilight!” she cried. “You came for me? Aren’t you happy to see me? I know I am! Why aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Pinkie,” sighed Twilight. “I just burned a lot of magic getting to that circus and bringing you here. I need to rest up so I can get the others in a bit.”

“Others?” she asked as she slowly relinquished her hug.

“Those other humans besides Billy are our friends. They found me and took me in much like how Billy did. But I’m here to bring you back,” Twilight said with a smile, happy to see her friend’s face.

Pinkie Pie too smiled, but her mouth pursed up and her eyes went wide upon realizing something.

“Hey,” she said, glancing around the room. “Where’s Rainbow Dash? Or Fluttershy? Or Rarity? Or–”

“We’re not sure yet,” Twilight replied with more strength, managing to get to her feet. “You were the first one we were able to find.”

“Find? But we aren’t playing hide and seek here, Twilight, because how are we supposed to know where they’re hiding?”

“Those other humans have been looking for us; they know how. You can trust them.”

Twilight hopped off the bed and walked towards the window, leaving Pinkie Pie satisfied.

“Okay, Twilight,” she chirped, “I trust you to trust them. Can we just go back though?”

“What!?” Twilight exclaimed, jerking around to her. “Why?”

“I just want to say goodbye to Billy before we go.”

“Pinkie, we can’t.”

“Well, why not?” she asked with rising frustration.

“Because… I… we just can’t Pinkie. It’s too dangerous.”

“But Billy isn’t dangerous, Twilight. He’s actually a lot like me… if he was a guy… and he wasn’t a pony…”

“Pinkie Pie, we don’t have time to argue. I need to leave in a few minutes to go get the others so we can work on getting back home.”

“I understand Twi, but…. please let me have just one super-duper quick second to say goodbye to him. Please, Twilight. I owe him that much for helping me.”

Twilight opened her mouth, but kept from speaking upon seeing Pinkie Pie’s hurt face. Twilight’s ears drooped down as she looked down at the ground, unsure what she should do.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“My turn,” declared Billy, his fingers on his deck. “Draw!”

Billy glanced at the card in his hand, smirking at what he had with him. Grabbing both cards, he began to make his move.

“I set the pendulum scale with the sca–”

A magenta bubble appeared and immediately burst in front of Kieran, Alice, and Walt, heavily surprising the latter two as both Twilight and Pinkie Pie were now standing there, looking at both Yurik and Billy, who looked elated at her return.

“Pinkie Pie!” he cried, tears forming in his eyes. “You came back for me!”

“Actually, Billy,” Twilight responded bluntly, “I brought her back because she has something to tell you.”

Billy, as well as Walt, Alice, and even Kieran slightly gasped at this statement. Pinkie Pie took a few steps forwards as she looked Billy in the eyes.

“Billy,” she said, feeling more torn as she went on, “I really want to thank you for looking out for me these past couple of days and letting me perform in your show. But… I want to go with Twilight and her new friends.”

Billy choked at the words, stumbling backwards as if they were a physical blow to him.

“As much as I want to entertain people in your show, I need to help find my friends with them so we can get back home. It’s just… I came here to say… goodbye Billy. It's been fun.”

With stifled sobs, Billy tried to compose himself before her, but could not. Pinkie Pie frowned as he bowed his head down. Twilight shared a look of sympathy with Pinkie Pie, as Billy clenched his right fist.

“I’m sorry, Billy,” Yurik spoke, “but this had to be done sooner or later.”

With his open right hand, Yurik lifted it up and lowered it down towards the top of his deck.

“I surre–”

“STOP IT!” Billy screamed, scaring Pinkie Pie and Twilight, also making Yurik jerk his hand off of his deck. “I will not accept surrender from the likes of you! I’m going to bury you like you are me!”

With a crazed smile, Billy turned to face Pinkie Pie, who began to back away and hide behind Twilight.

“Just watch, Pinkie,” he demanded. “I’m going to defeat these thieves, and I’m going to save you from them! Then we can continue entertaining people for the rest of our lives. Just you wait!”

Billy returned his right hand to his cards, picking two cards from his hand and revealing them to Yurik.

“I set the pendulum scale with the rank 1 Parstival Carousel and the rank 5 Parstival Coaster!” declared Billy.

Billy slammed both cards on the outer zones of his blades, making two large blue portals appear on both sides of his field. On the portal to Billy’s left, a small merry-go-round with a horse bolted in all four quarters rose up to the ground.

On Billy’s right side, tracks began to snake around in an ovular shape with a three-car roller coaster train appearing on the rails before they connected together, forming a single circuit. The ceiling of the tent began to transform into a deep-blue sky as a bright 1 and 5 appeared over the merry-go-round and roller coaster.

Parstival Carousel
Pendulum Scale: 1

Parstival Coaster
Pendulum Scale: 5

“Now I can special summon any monsters from my hand whose levels are between 2 and 4,” he continued. “Pendulum summon!”

Billy took two more cards from his hand and placed them on the innermost zones of his duel disk, making the large star appear in the sky with a red portal opening up below its center. Two orange auras flew down from the portal and landed before Billy in a blast of dust that Yurik and the spectators shielded their eyes from.

When the debris settled, two monsters were now visible. The first was a very muscular and bald man in a blue leotard, tight matching boots, and an unnaturally stretched smile across his face towards the lobes of his ears. The second was a small tabby cat with a large red bow and an oddly blank expression, featuring half closed eyes and a slight frown.

“Take the stage,” called Billy, “Parstival Burly Milton! Parstival Buster Kitten!”

While Buster Kitten sat lazily on its rump, Burly Milton clenched its fists at Yurik and his black pegasus.

Parstival Burly Milton
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

Parstival Buster Kitten
ATK: 500
Lvl.: 2

Yurik stared out at Billy’s monsters with confusion, but with a sense of mistrust and uncertainty.

This guy just brings out two monsters much weaker than my own? Yurik pondered. Just what is he planning?

“I activate the effects of both my Parstival Carousel and my Parstival Coaster in my pendulum zones!” Billy exclaimed. “With both of these cards, I can special summon Happy Tokens to my opponent’s side of the field in defense position equal to the number of monsters pendulum summoned to my side of the field.”

Alice and Walt gasped loudly at this perverse strategy, Pinkie Pie gasping more out of confusion.

“Wait,” Pinkie Pie said rather casually, “what’s a token?”

“They are representations of monsters that appear on the field from a card effect,” responded Twilight.

“Oh, I get it! …Wait, what does any of that mean?”

“That means two per pendulum monster,” Yurik snarled, “meaning…”

“I summon four Happy Tokens to your side of the field!” finished Billy with a pointing of his finger.

Suddenly, two exit stalls rose from the ground inside Billy’s field beside his pendulum monsters. Just then, two life-sized inflated clown figures with painted laughing smiles bounced out of each of the exits to the rides and took their place on the remaining spaces on Yurik’s field.

Happy Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

Happy Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

Happy Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

Happy Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

“No way!” Walt shouted.

“Now Yurik’s field has been completely filled up!” commented Alice.

“I’m not done!” barked Billy. “I now activate the effect of Parstival Burly Milton!”

“There’s more?” Yurik grumbled.

“When this card is summoned to my side of the field, I can return one monster the opponent controls to the hand and then special summon one Happy Token to your side of the field.”

“Unbelievable!” Twilight sighed. “In just one turn, he’s going to completely seal Yurik up!”

Billy’s strongman monster charged at Pegassist of Night and grabbed it by the chest. With a massive heave, Yurik’s monster was sent airborne, a bright light appearing in the air where it had been sent. Appearing in its place was a single Happy Token monster as it landed feet first onto Yurik’s last monster zone, bobbling around before its position was set.

Happy Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

“And before I begin the battle,” addressed Billy, pointing to his Buster Kitten, “I’ll tell you about Parstival Buster Kitten’s effect. As long as it’s on the field, all Parstival monsters gain the effect of piercing damage.”

“Impossible!” Yurik shouted.

“Battle!” ordered Billy. “Parstival Buster Kitten, attack the Happy token to the left of the center one! Stoic Claw!”

Buster Kitten ran out towards its targeted monster, its expression never changing. Leaping up at the clown figure, its right claws glowed white as it slashed three cuts into the rubber, making the figure explode in fire and smoke. Yurik shielded himself from the blast as it blew into him, groaning as the flames produced a scorching sensation.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3500

“You’re up now!” commanded Billy. “Parstival Burly Milton, attack the center Happy Token. Showy Shove!”

Running up at the center token monster, Burly Milton checked into it and reduced it to a burst of yellow sparkles. Yurik braced himself as Billy’s monster charged straight into him, sending him flying and screaming off his feet as he fell to his stomach on the ground and ground to a stop.

Yurik’s Life Points: 3500 -> 2000

“Yurik!” shouted Twilight.

“It’s only his first turn…” Alice spoke grimly.

“…and he’s already drained half his life points,” continued Walt.

Billy chuckled as he saw Yurik lie still on the ground, making him shift into a full on laugh.

“I’m going to teach you for treading on my dreams,” Billy insanely giggled. “Just try and get up again so I can teach you some more!”

Pinkie Pie looked to Yurik with a concerned expression as Yurik struggled to move. She then stared out at Billy as he resumed his loud, mad laughter, hurt and frightened by what her friend had now become.
> Episode 8: Big Top Terror, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yurik managed to pull himself to his feet as Billy smiled devilishly, entertained by Yurik’s suffering and the congestion of his field.

Happy Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

Happy Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

Happy Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

Billy’s own field was beginning to fill the area of the tent between his the monsters on his field and the ride-themed pendulum monsters on both sides of his field

Parstival Carousel
Pendulum Scale: 1

Parstival Coaster
Pendulum Scale: 5

Parstival Burly Milton
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

Parstival Buster Kitten
ATK: 500
Lvl.: 2

Yurik turned and stood back before Billy, facing him with contempt, which Billy’s face told him he was eating up.

================
Yurik:
LP: 2000

Billy:
LP: 4000
================

“Also,” stated Billy, “just in case you were planning on it, don’t bother. My Happy Tokens cannot be tributed or used as material for a synchro summon.”

Yurik grunted, angered by this fact. With a confident huff, Billy took one card from his hand and placed it in his spell/trap slot.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he concluded.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4000    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 2 – 4    Spells/Traps: 1

Pinkie Pie stared at Billy, frightened by his now evil and malicious appearance.

“Billy,” she pleaded, “stop! Twilight’s my friend, and I need to–”

“I’m your friend!” he snapped, making her jump back in fear. “I’m not going to let these lying thieves take you from me!”

“That’s not your decision to make!” Twilight shouted. “Pinkie Pie belongs to her home!”

“Bonnaroo Bonanza is her home! And she’s going to make people laugh by my side for years to come! Now, Yurik, make your next move so I can finish you off quicker!”

Yurik hissed as he put his hand towards his deck, watching as Billy laughed at him once again. Meanwhile, Kieran ran to Twilight and Pinkie Pie, kneeling down to face the former.

“Twilight,” he asked, “how much more energy did you use bringing yourself and Pinkie Pie back here?”

“I’m sorry, Kieran,” she said, “Pinkie Pie refused to cooperate until she could come back to say she was sorry. It will be about twenty minutes before I’m fully charged up again.”

Kieran breathed through his nose, disappointed at this unexpected wrench in the plan. Pinkie Pie looked to Kieran and then the mad Billy again, her ears and mouth drooping as she contemplated the mistake she must have made.

“My turn!” Yurik shouted. “Draw!”

Yurik glanced at his card, glad to see what it was as he added it to his hand

“I place one card face down,” Yurik said, placing another card from his hand to his spell/trap slot, which appeared to the right of the other two set cards on the bottom half of Yurik’s field. “Next, I normal summon my Unioncorn of Night!”

Yurik placed his monster onto one of his unoccupied zones, and from a blue portal that appeared on the center zone to the right of a Happy Token, was the black unicorn with an ebony horn, dark-purple mane, and red eyes.

Unioncorn of Night
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 4

“Next,” Yurik spoke, revealing a spell card of a silhouetted pegasus flying over a galloping unicorn, “I activate the spell card Pegassistance! While I control a Unioncorn or Pony monster, this card lets me special summon a Pegassist monster from my with the same attribute as that monster!”

“What?” Billy shouted.

“In all honesty,” he responded with a smile, I have to thank you for returning my monster to my hand last turn. Otherwise, that spell would have been dead weight. Good thing that’s not the case, huh?”

Billy gnashed his teeth and grunted at Yurik.

“I now special summon Pegassist of Night!”

Yurik took the last card from his hand and placed it on the only available zone on his blades’ monster card zones, allowing the black pegasus to reappear on the field.

Pegassist of Night
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 4

“Now,” shouted Yurik, pointing at his target, “Unioncorn of Night, attack Billy’s Parstival Burly Milton! Curse of Shadow!”

A beam of black-and-glowing-purple smoke shot out of the unicorns horn and struck Burly Milton, shattering it into gold sparks. Billy gagged and shouted as both the sparks and spell blew into him.

Billy’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3500

Pinkie Pie watched as Billy was brought down to a knee from the strength of the attack, seizing her with fright.

“Wait!” she shouted. “Stop!”

“Pegassist of Night,” ordered Yurik, “attack Parstival Buster Kitten! Pitch Gales!”

The black pegasus flew up in the air and fanned its wings at the still emotionless cat, a ball of black swirling wind flying down towards it. The cat’s eyes opened a little wider, realizing its fate.

“I activate my trap:” Billy declared, pointing at his face-down card with his hand, “Parstival Protect!”

The card flipped up, revealing a purple face with artwork showing Burly Milton with a large white-and-red umbrella that deflected a white beam attacking it.

“When a Parstival monster I control is targeted for an attack, this card negates that monster’s destruction, saving my Buster Kitten!”

At once, a closed umbrella appeared in the Buster Kitten’s arms, making it quickly open the apparatus. The ball of wind struck the canopy, which bounced off and away from Billy’s monster.

“You still take battle damage,” reminded Yurik.

The sphere of gusts continued its path to Billy, where it enveloped him in its gales, throwing him off his feet with a scream.

Billy’s Life Points: 3500 -> 2200

“Billy!” shouted Pinkie Pie, running to Billy’s aid, much to Twilight’s shock.

“Pinkie,” called Twilight, “stop!”

“Why?” Pinkie cried back, stopping to turn to her. “Can’t you see that he’s hurt?”

“It’s just a duel, Pinkie Pie. Don’t worry about it.”

“How can I not worry about it when he’s down like that?!”

Billy’s grunts served to cease their argument, the both of them focusing on him as he slowly got to his feet, supporting himself with his hands on his knees.

“I…” he panted, “activate… the effect of Parstival Carousel in my pendulum zone.”

Just then, the merry-go-round began to rotate, the horses inside it bobbing gently up and down.

“Once, during my opponent’s turn,” chuckled Billy, “when I take damage, either by battle or a card effect, I can gain life points equal to the damage I took.”

Yurik huffed despondently. Organ music began to sound from the operating merry-go-round, a wave of blue energy wafting from the center of the ride and surround Billy, covering him a soft blue glow.

Billy’s Life Points: 2200 -> 3500

“My Parstival deck is nothing to scoff at,” Billy said. “I will continue to build myself up while I fill your field with Happy tokens. My field will run you down, and there seems to be nothing that can stop me!”

Yurik kept a brave face in front of Billy’s laughter, knowing he still had plenty of strength in him.

“I’m not done yet,” Yurik shouted out, ending Billy’s laughter. “I now overlay my level four Unioncorn of Night and Pegassist of Night!”

Both of Yurik’s monsters transformed into purple auras that began to spiral around each other in the air as a red portal formed on the ground.

“You’re deciding to xyz summon now?” Billy shouted, genuinely shocked.

“With these two monsters,” continued Yurik, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The two auras flew into the portal, where it morphed into a blackish void where a black alicorn with a dark-purple mane and tail, deep red eyes, an ebony tiara on its head, and two light orbs surrounding it jumped out.

“Appear!” beckoned Yurik. “Allicorn Queen of Night!”

The black alicorn folded its wings in, landing on the ground and staring daggers at Billy.

Allicorn Queen of Night
ATK: 2600
Rnk.: 4

“I now activate the effect of Allicorn Queen of Night,” spoke Yurik, removing both cards from underneath his card and putting them in the graveyard. “I can detach two xyz materials from this card when I have no cards in my hand…”

Both of the spheres of light around Yurik’s monster fused into its horn, making both it and the top of Yurik’s deck to glow brightly.

“…then,” resumed Yurik, his fingers over his deck, “I can draw two cards!”

With a whip of his arm, Yurik produced a pair of cards in his hand. Looking out the corner of his eye, he was surprised to see Twilight Alicorn among them along with another pendulum monster. Yurik placed both cards in his left hand, staring at Billy with finality.

“I end my turn,” he stated.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 2000    Monsters: 4    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 3

“Hmhmm,” chuckled Billy. “Of course, you weren’t able to destroy my Buster Kitten. That’s going to be a big problem for you, because the only card in my hand right now is all I’m going to need to defeat you.”

Twilight and Pinkie Pie gasped, stunned by the seriousness and sinister tone his voice had now slipped into.

“Truth be told, this show has been very boring,” he said, “so let’s cap it off with a bang! My turn! Draw!”

Billy drew his card, adding it to his hand without looking at it and reaching for his Buster Keaton card on his blade.

“I tribute my Parstival Buster Kitten,” he said, grabbing the card and slipping it into the graveyard slot, “to tribute summon Parstival Mane Blaine!”

Once Billy placed his card onto his now vacant zone, a curtain was raised up around Parstival Buster Kitten. A drum roll sounded before the curtain dropped, revealing an entirely new monster in its place. The monster was an anthropomorphic white lion with only a pair of baggy, ripped blue jeans on and a black mane.

Parstival Mane Blaine 
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 6

Pinkie Pie looked at the fearsome new monster as Billy began a bout of vicious victorious laughing.

I don’t understand, she thought, bringing tears to her eyes. The Billy I knew was fun… and this… game that they’re playing… it looks like fun, and so does Billy’s deck. Why is he being so mean?

“I activate the effect of my Parstival Mane Blaine,” spoke Billy. “Once per turn, I can banish one Parstival monster in my graveyard and have this card gain its effects until the end phase of this turn! And the monster I choose is Parstival Buster Kitten!”

“Of course,” Yurik growled.

Billy’s monster held its open, flexed paw out towards the ground, its claws and its pads glowing a bright white. From the floor directly beneath the lion’s paw, a white orb containing an icon of Parstival Buster Kitten rose up. The lion grabbed the orb and held it up to himself, squeezing it and popping it like a bubble, covering the monster’s hand, then arm, then entire body in a yellow aura. Mane Blaine roared with the power than now coursed through him.

“Now that it gains Parstival Buster Kitten’s effect,” Billy shouted, feeling his win coming every closer, “my monster now inflicts piercing damage!”

Yurik growled knowing what was to come from this.

“With this attack,” Billy cackled, “victory will be mine! Now, Battle! Parstival Mane Blaine, attack the Happy token to the left of Allicorn Queen of Night! Sleight Slash!”

The lion’s white paw began to glow bright white, reeling its arm back. With a loud roar, the lion swung its arm out at its targeted Happy Token, a large, wispy paw made of light soaring at it. Pinkie Pie covered her eyes and clenched her teeth, unable to see the final blow be dealt.

“Taste defeat, you bastard!” screamed Billy.

The paw struck the Happy Token, exploding it in a large burst of white that covered Yurik, making him yell from the intensity of the force and heat. Hearing the sound of his opponent’s anguish, Billy let out one last maniacal laugh.

“Now you know my strength,” Billy shouted, “as well as why you should never cross me!”

The only sound that Billy could hear following the trailing off of his echo was the sound of crying, but it didn’t seem to be coming from his opponent. Turning to his right, he looked to see Pinkie Pie with the wrists of her wet hooves against her eyes, her mouth open to let out her incessant sobs. Billy’s face instantly contorted in fear at her expression, gasping shakily.

“Pinkie Pie,” cooed Billy, feeling sad himself, “what’s the matter?”

“What’s the matter?” Pinkie Pie shouted, looking at Billy with furious eyes that pierced his heart. “You really hurt someone that was only trying to help me go home! All I wanted was to say goodbye and leave with both of us happy, but now, all I can say to you is… you’re just a big meanie!”

Billy gagged, knowing that his mad state had just tarnished Pinkie Pie’s impression of him as she resumed her crying.

“By the way, guys,” Yurik shouted, silencing Pinkie Pie, “I’m just fine”

The white cloud began to fade from around Yurik, revealing him standing strong and confident, albeit scuffed up.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1000

Pinkie Pie and Twilight smiled brightly, seeing that Yurik was still well and fighting.

“Huh?” Billy shouted. “I don’t understand! That attack should have ended you! My monster had 2000 ATK!”

“You might want to check that again,” Yurik said smugly, pointing at Billy’s monster.

Billy looked at his monster, shocked when he saw the stats his monster now had.

Parstival Mane Blaine 
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 6

“But…” Billy stuttered. “But how?”

“Simple,” Yurik said, pointing to a now visible standing trap card from the smoke featuring an alicorn striking an ogre-like monster and making it shrink. “I activated my trap, Sap Zap Magic. While I control a spellcaster-type monster when my opponent declares an attack, I can halve that monster’s ATK until the end phase.”

“Nice one!” Walt called back.

“Now Yurik can destroy Mane Blaine next turn!” commented Twilight.

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Go Yurik.

Hearing Pinkie Pie’s cheer, Billy began to tremble and growl, his eyes and teeth now brimming with hate and malice.

“You bastard!” he shouted at Yurik, surprising him. “I’m far from done! If you think your monster’s all it’s going to take to beat me, you’re an even bigger fool than I thought! I activate the original effect of Parstival Mane Blaine!”

Both of the lion’s paws began to glow brightly.

“When this card destroys a monster by battle, I can special summon a Happy Token to your side of the field!”

Mane Blaine crossed its arms and swung them out, a puffy cloud flying out to the unoccupied monster zone. Upon appearing over it, the cloud burst with a poof a Happy Token monster falling down from it and placing itself onto the zone and staying still.

Happy Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

Billy took the last card in his hand and slipped it into his spell/trap slot.

“I place one card face down and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 3500    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 2 – 4    Spells/Traps: 1

Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Walt, Alice, and Kieran looked at Billy with a sense of pity, each of which were invisible to his eyes as they stared Yurik down.

“Billy,” Yurik spoke as calmly and soothingly as possible, “why are you still fighting this? It’s clear Pinkie Pie is scared of you now. Do you really think she would want to stay with you after what you’ve shown yourself as?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” breathed Billy. “I’ve lost Pinkie Pie, and so now, I’m going to lose all of this!” he barked, spreading his arms out to refer to the tent. “All I have left is my pride, and like hell I’m letting you take that from me now!”

Yurik lightly gasped, along with Pinkie Pie and Twilight, intrigued by this new information.

“You mean…” Yurik suggested, “you’ll lose Bon–”

“Shut up and just take your turn,” demanded Billy. “I’m tired of waiting on you.”

Yurik furrowed his brow, acknowledging his defensive façade.

If I can draw a pendulum monster, thought Yurik looking at his nearly packed field, and the right one at that, I can bring my Twilight Alicorn to the field. However, I won’t be able to summon a single monster after that thanks to these tokens. But…

“Hurry up!” ordered Billy.

“Fine then,” he responded, reaching for his deck. “My turn! Draw!”

Yurik looked to see that he had another pendulum monster with him, the ranks sufficient enough to allow him to summon. However, he placed the card in his hand, looking back at the location of one of his set cards.

Now that your hand is empty, Yurik mused, it’s the perfect time to finally play this…

“I activate my set spell card Return Rising!” he shouted as he threw his arm up, a green card flipping up to show sheep being lifted up by a soft gust into a blue, cloudy sky. “This card allows me to shuffle as many monsters as I want on my side of the field into the deck and inflict 200 points of damage for each monster returned.”

“No way!” Billy shouted.

“I shuffle the three Happy Tokens on my field into the deck!”

A twister began to pick up, Yurik and his Allicorn Queen of Night keeping their ground as the gusts got stronger and stronger.

“But Tokens can’t be shuff…” spoke Twilight. “I see, he’s just removing them from his field!”

“And with three tokens,” summarized Alice, “that’s 600 points of damage.”

The winds finally picked the three happy tokens up, where they bobbled freely in the twister before they popped into golden sparks, which were picked up by the tornado as it began to move towards Billy. Once Billy was caught in the gales, he shielded his face as his body was bombarded with the shining fragments of the Happy Tokens.

Billy’s Life Points: 3500 -> 2900

“And now that my field is open…” Yurik stated, grabbing two of his pendulum monsters, “I set the pendulum scale with the scale 5 Unioncorn of Wind and the scale 8 Unioncorn of Earth!”

Yurik placed both cards onto the outer zones on his blades, making two blue pillars of light to appear on the sides of the field. Rising from the left and right pillars was Yurik’s tattooed jade-green unicorn and a craggy brown unicorn with long, blades of grass for a mane and tail. The dark-blue sky and the multi-pointed star began to appear along the tent’s ceiling.

Unioncorn of Wind
Pendulum Scale: 5

Unioncorn of Earth
Pendulum Scale: 8

“I can now special summon any monsters from my hand whose levels are 6 or 7,” Yurik spoke, grabbing his Twilight Alicorn Card. “Pendulum summon!”

Yurik placed his card onto one of his four available zones, making a red portal open beneath the star and shoot out a magenta aura that landed on the ground, blowing dust all about him. A fanning of the lavender colored alicorn’s wings blew away the smoke and revealed Yurik and the entirety of his battlefield.

“Come to me!” shouted Yurik. “Twilight Alicorn!”

Twilight Alicorn folded its wings back to its sides and gazed at Billy angrily as he did towards it.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

What does it matter? Billy thought with a grin. Even with his two stronger monsters, he’s still going to have trouble defeating me this turn thanks to my Parstival Carousel and the card I’ve got waiting for him.

“I now activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn,” Yurik declared, “allowing me to special summon two monsters in my pendulum zones to my field!”

“What!” shouted Billy. “Im– Impossible!”

“Let’s go! Summon shine!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn began to shine, covering the monsters in Yurik’s pendulum zones on the field in a magenta aura before they both vanished and reappeared on the monster zones on Yurik’s field.

Unioncorn of Wind
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

Unioncorn of Earth:
ATK: 600
Lvl.: 4

“Now,” declared Yurik, denying Billy a chance to comment, “I will overlay my level 4 Unioncorn of Wind and Unioncorn of Earth!”

Both of Yurik’s monsters became a green and orange aura that danced about in the air before the widening red portal forming on the ground.

“With these two monsters,” he exclaimed, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The two auras flew inside the red portal, the vortex inside now appearing white. Rising up from the portal was a muscular brown alicorn made of mud and rock with sheets of stone for wings. A crown made of branches and leaves was fused to its head, its regal appearance forever on its body. Two light orbs swirled around its body.

“Come on!” Yurik called. “Allicorn King of Earth!”

The brown alicorn widened its stance in a defensive fashion as it face Billy and his sole monster.

Allicorn King of Earth
DEF: 2600
Rnk.: 4

Billy stared incredulously at Yurik’s new monster for several moments, only for him to lean back with his hand over his face, letting out condescending laughs.

“After all that,” he shouted, “you’re putting your monster into defense position?”

“You shouldn’t be laughing,” Yurik said. “Yes, I’m well aware of your Parstival Carousel’s effect, but it still won’t hold a candle to the offensive might my monsters now possess.”

Billy continued to laugh at Yurik’s supposed foolishness.

“Come on, then!” Billy beckoned, flicking his hands towards himself. “Let’s see you try!”

“I’ll do more than that,” stated Yurik. “I activate the effect of Allicorn King of Earth!”

“Huh?”

“Once per turn,” he explained, removing a card from underneath his monster and putting the card into his graveyard slot, “I can detach one xyz material from it. So now, until the end of the turn, my monster can attack while it’s in defense position, applying its DEF in place of its ATK.”

“You…” Billy stammered, his whole body frozen and involuntarily shivering, “You can’t be serious!”

A single orb melded inside the horn of Yurik’s monster, charging it up with an orange colored energy that surrounded its entire body.

“Now,” commanded Yurik, “Allicorn Queen of Night, attack Parstival Mane Blaine! Lunar Spear!”

The black alicorn charged its horn, which glowed an ethereal blue before it shot out at Billy’s monster.

“I activate my trap, Parstival Balloon Bounceback!” Billy shouted, making a purple card flip up with art of a red balloon with Parstival Mane Blaine’s face on it intercepting the fist of a fiendish monster as it tried to attack Parstival Buster Kitten. “When my opponent targets a Parstival monster I control for an attack, I can shuffle one Parstival monster from my graveyard into my deck and negate the attack!”

From a purple-and-black portal that opened on the ground, a red balloon with Parstival Burly Milton’s face on it rose up into the path of the attack, the balloon popping and the spell dissipating once the beam had hit it.

“You’re up, Allicorn King of Earth!” rooted Yurik. “Attack Parstival Mane Blaine! Rock Rupture!”

The brown alicorn charged its horn with it aiming at the ground. Its magic struck, making the ground rise up from in front of the alicorn towards Parstival Mane Blaine. Once it reached the lion, the ground erupted, sending both the monster and Billy off their feet, showering and flinging rocks at them. Parstival Mane Blaine burst into gold sparks as Billy rolled to a stop on the floor.

Billy’s Life Points: 2900 -> 2300

Oh no, Billy thought, a shot of panic shooting into his face as he jumped to his feet. That’s what he was aiming for! If I don’t use Parstival Carousel’s effect, I’m finished!

“I activate Parstival Carousel’s effect in my pendulum zone,” Billy exclaimed, “gaining life points equal to damage I took this turn.”

The carousel began to twirl as the music slowly built up, the wave of blue energy that came from it caressing the anxious Billy and making him glow blue.

Billy’s Life Points: 2300 -> 2900

“Your turn, Twilight Alicorn!” commanded Yurik. “Attack Billy directly! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn and launched its magenta beam from it right at a terrified Billy, taking the shot straight in the stomach and shooting him out away from the playing field. Billy yelled in agony as he was sent flying, striking the ground and roughly tumbling down, a painful grunt leaving Billy’s lips each time he touched down. Billy finally stopped, lying hurt on the dirt.

Billy’s Life Points: 2900 -> 400

Yurik smirked as his opponent refused to get up while Twilight and Pinkie Pie cheered in jubilation at Yurik’s comeback.

“I end my turn,” he said.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 1000    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

Pinkie Pie looked to Billy, whose concern began to grow as he refused to stand up, his shuddering torso his only sign of life. Pinkie Pie’s ears drooped down as she couldn’t stand her guilt any longer.

“Billy!” she cried.

Pinkie Pie galloped out to Billy, much to Twilight and Kieran’s shock.

“Pinkie Pie!” shouted Twilight. “Come back!”

The pink mare refused to listen, slowing herself down to see Billy curling himself into a ball, sobbing profusely, his cries becoming loud enough for Yurik and the others on the sidelines to hear. Yurik, interested in Billy’s new attitude, walked over towards him, feeling a sliver of empathy for his foe’s current state.

“Just…” he wept. “Just go… take Pinkie Pie and leave. Just let me fall alone…”

“Let you fall alone?” Yurik asked. “What do you mean by that?”

“You aren’t from around here, are you?”

“No, we’re not. What does that have to do with anything?”

Billy sniffled, preparing to bare his soul to him.

“If you could see this place only a week ago…” spoke Billy. “Rides running with at most four people at a single time if I was lucky. Vendors standing and waiting every day for someone to buy a hot dog or some popcorn, eventually selling little to nothing at all.

Yurik breathed in deep, suddenly beginning to fully understand Billy and his madness.

“This park was nothing but a fish on the end of a fisherman’s hook,” Billy prosed, “gasping for air until the world eventually ate it for its dinner and would think nothing else of it.”

Billy managed to find the strength to sit Indian-style and face Pinkie Pie with a slight shimmer in his eyes.

“When I found you,” he continued, “and you showed me your abilities, my heart soared. For once in so many years, I saw genuine smiles on those people who actually found themselves bored enough to step into this tent. And you brought them in… all the full houses both yesterday and today… they were all because of you.”

Pinkie Pie’s tears began to form as she found it harder and harder to hold back her sobs. Twilight, Alice, and Walt even looked sympathetic in the face of Billy’s story.

“I’m sorry, Pinkie,” he began to break down. “I was so selfish… I just didn’t want to lose the one and only thing left that was keeping me and my park afloat.”

Pinkie Pie watched as Billy’s head dipped down, groaning in a failed attempt to mask his oncoming cries. Yurik, turning to Kieran, gave him a pleading look, not wanting to leave him in his despair. Kieran, without a second thought, nodded in approval. With a thankful smile and nod back, Yurik turned back to the seemingly inconsolable Billy.

“Listen,” Yurik said, getting Billy to look up to him, “we’re not leaving… not yet. You still haven’t proven that you’ve earned your solid field generator.”

Billy gasped, his crying having come to an end at this statement, now replaced with sheer confusion.

“But…” he responded. “That was all a lie… wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” admitted Yurik, “we’re not a charity. We’re just a bunch of kids trying to find these ponies to bring them back home. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have the means to restore your park to its former glory.”

Billy turned to Kieran, who gave him an honest nod in response.

“Huh…” Billy exhaled, feeling a surge of excitement rising in him, much to Pinkie Pie’s glee. “You mean–”

“Let’s finish this duel, Billy!” yelled Yurik, running back to his field with his three awaiting monsters. “It’s your turn, and I want to see this match to its end!”

Billy, a genuinely happy smile etching across his cheeks, jumped to his own feet and sprinted back to his field, sliding to a dramatic stop. Pinkie Pie galloped back to the sidelines to Twilight, who gave Yurik a proud grin.

“Good job, Yurik,” she whispered.

“I may not have a monster in my field or a card in my hand,” exclaimed Billy, “but with a little help from my deck, the possibilities are endless! My turn! DRAW!”

Billy’s draw was so vigorous that he spun in a complete, but graceful twirl. Regardless, Billy was smirking with delight at the card he had just drawn for himself.

“While my opponent controls at least three monsters,” Billy announced, “I can special summon this card from my hand!”

“What do you have there?” giggled Yurik.

Billy held his card up, which Yurik could see was a level 10 monster of some kind, making him a touch wary.

“Master of ceremonies,” chanted Billy, “appear on the stage and bring the curtain down on my foes!”

Billy placed the monster onto his monster zone, a smoky whirlwind rising from the ground as a result and growing in immense size. The twister burst, revealing a large humanoid creature completely covered in an armor painted like a tuxedo, along with a black helmet in the shape of a crushed top hat, as well as a sword with a hooked hilt like a cane.

“Let’s go!” called Billy. “Parstival Emcee – Insidious Caesar!”

Yurik stared upon Billy’s ace monster with both excitement and eagerness, wondering what kind of surprises the threatening-looking monster would hold.

Parstival Emcee – Insidious Caesar
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 10

Yurik grinned upon seeing the monster’s attack, as well as letting out a chuckle.

“Not bad,” Yurik complimented. “However, even with that monster’s ATK, it still won’t wipe out my life points if you attack any one of my monsters.”

“Hmph,” chuckled Billy, “who said I was going to be attacking one of your monsters.”

“What?”

“I activate the effect of my Parstival Coaster in my pendulum zone! Once per turn, I can target one Parstival monster I control and allow it to attack the opponent directly!”

“No way!”

“Yes way! Also, the card cannot be targeted by the opponent’s spell and trap cards, so that last set card of yours will probably do squat. With this attack, I’ll finally take you out!”

Insidious Caesar hopped up towards the roller coaster’s train, landing into the front seat of the front car. At that moment, the tracks of the roller coaster except for the ones directly beneath the car had vanished.

“Battle!” Billy ordered. “Insidious Caesar, attack Yurik directly! Show of Throes.”

The roller coaster sped forwards behind Billy, new track forming in front of the train while the track it passed over disappeared. The roller coaster then banked around and straightened itself right towards Yurik. The train picked up to tremendous speeds as it passed by Billy, blowing his coat out as he grabbed his hat.

“This is the end of the show!” Billy shouted as the train came closer.

Twilight and Pinkie Pie looked more impressed and enthralled than frightened as they turned back to Yurik to see how he would counter.

“I activate my trap,” Yurik declared with a wave of his arm, “Mage Miracle!”

Yurik’s card flipped up to reveal a blue-robed wizard deflecting a lightning bolt with a sparking blue shield.

“When my opponent declares an attack while I control a spellcaster-type xyz monster, I can pay life points equal to that monster’s rank times 200 and reduce the battle damage to 0.”

"It's a rank four monster times 200," calculated Twilight. "That's 800!"

“Amazing!” gasped Billy.

“Hurry,” cried Yurik as he threw his arm out towards his black alicorn monster, “Allicorn Queen!”

A blue aura formed around Yurik’s hand and wrist as the aura escaped his arm and flew towards his monster’s glowing horn, all while Yurik groaned from the life being drained from him.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1000 -> 200

The blue energy melded with Allicorn Queen of Night’s horn, allowing it to shoot a similarly colored beam at the tracks forming before Billy’s roller coaster. Once they hit, translucent-blue tracks shot out from the original and formed a half-loop just over Yurik’s head.

The train sped onto the magical rails and soared over Yurik and his monsters, blowing a blast of wind through Yurik’s clothes and hair. The wood-and-metal tracks reformed at the loop’s half loop, corkscrewing back upright and returning towards Billy and his field, where the original ovular circuit was formed anew. Twilight and Pinkie Pie sighed in relief at the close call.

“Hmm,” Billy moaned as his monster hopped out of the car and onto his field. “You might have escaped this time, but next time, you won’t be so lucky. I’ll just activate the effect again and bypass right through your field. But until next turn, I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 400    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: 2 – 4    Spells/Traps: 0

“Let’s go, Billy!” shouted Yurik, reaching for his deck. “My turn! DRAW!!”

Yurik looked out at his card, his eyes widened at what he considered his victory ticket. Twilight and Pinkie Pie leaned in, wondering how Yurik’s likely final turn would play out.

“I tribute my Allicorn King of Earth,” Yurik said, putting his monster and card beneath it into his graveyard slot, “and tribute summon Armored Pegassist.”

The muscular brown alicorn disappeared, and once Yurik placed his last card onto the monster zone where it had been, a dark grey pegasus in black armor appeared from the blue portal that opened upon that zone.

Armored Pegassist
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 6

“I now activate the effect of Armored Pegassist!” explained Yurik. “Once per turn, I can equip this card to a monster I control and have it gain 500 ATK, and the monster I choose is Allicorn Queen of Night!”

The grey pegasus shone bright before it disappeared, its armor left behind, only for it to float towards the black alicorn and down onto its back, neck, wings, and head, shifting and morphing for it to fit perfectly on. With a fortified whinny, Allicorn Queen of Night was ready.

ATK: 2600 -> 3100

Billy, realizing his end now, bowed his head, closed his eyes, and smiled humbly.

“Attack!” shouted Yurik. “Allicorn Queen of Night, destroy Insidious Caesar. Lunar Spear!”

The black alicorn’s blue glow on its horn mixed and swirled with black as it shot out at Billy’s monster, exploding it in a flash and wave of hot smoke, which Billy shielded his face from.

Billy’s Life Points: 400 -> 300

“This is it!” Yurik yelled. “Twilight Alicorn, attack Billy directly! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight shot its signature attack at Billy, striking him now in the chest as he flew back, but silently as he reveled in the intensity of the match he had played.

Billy’s Life Points: 300 -> 0

Yurik wins.

“He did it!” cheered Pinkie Pie, hopping up and down on her back legs while punching the air above her. “I don’t know exactly how he did it, but he did it!”

Twilight galloped out to Yurik as the monsters on both of their fields began to disappear. Kieran, Walt, and Alice walked up to him as well as Yurik removed his cards from his zones and attached his blade disk to the side of his duel disk once the blades receded back in.

“Nice job, man!” congratulated Walt.

“Yeah, really nice!” cheered Alice.

Yurik ignored them as he walked towards Billy as he lied on his back, his arms and legs spread comfortably out, and a smile on his face. Yurik stood over him and bent over, offering his hand. Billy, looking up to see the gesture, reached up and gripped his hand a pulled himself up with his blade disk and pendulum monsters in his hand, Yurik pulling up as well.

“You did real well back there, kid,” Billy spoke.

“You’re not too bad yourself there, mister,” Yurik responded.

Billy chuckled at the kind words, although he couldn’t help but feel odd and awkward about receiving them, sneering the corners of his mouth around as he put his blade disk to the side of his duel disk and put the two cards back into his deck.

“Well,” Billy said, brushing the dust and dirt from his pants and coat, “this could have gone a little better.”

“Yes,” scolded Kieran as he approached with Alice, Walt, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie, “it should have. However, it seems that all is well, and that you’re fine with us returning with Pinkie Pie, correct?”

Billy nodded with hesitation.

“Yes,” he softly relented. “As much as it pains for me to see her go, I will be happier knowing she’s in a place where she belongs. I’m sorry for causing you all so much trouble. However…”

He then turned to and knelt down to Pinkie Pie, petting her mane, which she felt more comfortable with now.

“…the one I owe a true apology is you, Pinkie Pie. I had no right to keep you here, especially when your own friends have come to rescue you.”

“Aw,” she squeaked, “it’s not a problem, Billy. As long as you’re sorry, and you truly meant it.”

Pinkie Pie bopped Billy on the end of the nose on her last two lines, causing Billy to smile at her unwavering happiness and energy.

“Before we leave,” Kieran said, pulling out a checkbook from his back pocket, “there’s something I owe you before we finally leave.”

Grabbing a pen from inside the book, Kieran began writing quickly on the first paper inside. Billy stood back up and turned to Yurik and Twilight who stood beside each other with an expectant look in his eyes.

“You take good care of her,” he requested.

“We certainly will,” agreed Yurik. “She’s in perfectly capable hooves.”

With a final scribble for a signature, Kieran tore the check from his book, walking up to Billy and presenting it on an open palm.

“Take it,” Kieran suggested, “as a token of our gratitude for your co-operation and a sign of leaving on good terms.”

Billy pinched the check in between his index and middles fingers and looked at it, the amount written making him gasp slowly, unable to believe what he was seeing.

$75,000

“But…” Billy said, feeling even guiltier now, “this is…”

“A bit more that fifty-thousand, yes,” interrupted Kieran, “but you might need the extra twenty-five to pay any debts or to be able to run the thing right now. You can even cash it in immediately if you wanted to. It will clear.”

“I…” Billy began to sob again, putting the check to his forehead as if wanting to feel its genuineness. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”

“Now,” Kieran said, looking upon Yurik, Walt, and Alice, “we will need to be leaving shortly. These three still have school the next morning. I will allow you to give your final goodbyes to Pinkie Pie before we leave.”

“Right…”

Billy knelt down once again and looked Pinkie Pie in the eyes. Pressing his lips together, he finally decided. He lifted his left arm with his duel disk up slightly and put his hands on his deck, sliding the entirety of it out.

“Please…” Billy croaked sadly, handing his deck towards her. “Take this with you.”

Pinkie Pie, shocked at Billy’s present, jerked her head up with an slack mouth.

“But,” she attempted to reason, “this is your deck.”

“No,” he responded, reaching further out, “it’s yours now. Now you’ll always have something to remember me by.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes began to moisten as she knew the time was coming short. Yurik put his hand out to Billy for the deck, which he easily placed in his hands for her. Pinkie Pie then leapt onto Billy and wrapped her arms around his chest, squeezing him tight for one last time.

“Thank you, Billy,” she wept. “You’ll always be the Billy I remember.”

Billy wrapped his own arms around her, savoring her soft coat and puffy mane against his cheek, tears running down his eyes.

“That’s enough,” Kieran said. “We must leave now.”

Billy let Pinkie Pie go, his hands running along her coat as she backed up towards Yurik and Twilight. Billy stood to his feet and backed away, separating himself further from her.

“Aaron,” spoke Twilight, “I should have enough magic to send us back to the motel.”

“Then we shall see you over there,” Kieran responded. “Everyone else, come.”

Yurik, Walt, and Alice turned to the exit to the tent but not before giving Billy one final wave. Twilight charged her horn as Pinkie Pie fanned her hoof at Billy, a bright, consoling smile on her face. Billy waved goodbye with a nervous breath as Pinkie Pie and Twilight were encased in a bright light before vanishing. Looking up, he saw as the feet of Alice and Yurik went behind the wall of the entrance, leaving him completely alone.

Billy looked back down at the check in his hand, it being the only thing left of Kieran, Yurik, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie. Billy slapped the check against both sides of his hand with a chuckle as he walked to an exit in the back, wanting nothing more than what would be a good night’s sleep.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

On Kieran’s plane, Walt and Alice laid back in their seats as they went off to sleep. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, bounced excitedly up and down in the aisle between the seats where Yurik and Twilight sat. The two watched as Pinkie Pie’s mouth moved to speak, only for nothing to come out. Yurik looked to Twilight confusedly, to which Twilight responded with a shaking of her head and a rolling of her eyes.

“Pinkie,” whispered Twilight, “when I said be quiet, I didn’t say you couldn’t talk. Just keep your voice down okay?”

Pinkie Pie stopped hopping and leaned her body and head towards Twilight.

“Okay, then,” she whispered with a smile. “I was just saying that I’m super glad to be with my friend Twilight and meet a bunch of new friends that will help save our old friends so me and my friends can go back to Equestria and continue being friends!”

“Now, Yurik,” spoke Twilight, “you wouldn’t mind if Pinkie Pie stays with us and Walt when we get back to Naperville, do you?”

“What?” Yurik hissed. “This pony is essentially flubber if it was pink and was a horse! There’s no way we can hide her!”

“I promise I’ll be good!” begged Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie promise. Pinkie promise!”

“Pinkie Pie, I don’t–”

“It’s okay, Yurik,” interrupted Twilight with a gentle hoof on his arm. “When Pinkie Pie makes a Pinkie promise, her word is as good as selling her soul to Tartarus itself.”

Yurik, still unsure of whether to trust Pinkie Pie with this, turned back to face her with an icy glare, only for her to cross over her heart with her hoof and stick the end of her hoof onto her right eyelid. Seeing into her honesty, Yurik kept his gaze up as he smiled.

“Alright,” he said, “you can stay.”

“YEA–” Pinkie Pie began to shout, only for her to close her mouth with her hooves.

Pinkie Pie opened her mouth as if to say, “Yeah,” only for no sound to come from her mouth. Yurik glanced over to see Alice and Walt stirring in their sleep.

“Well,” Twilight said, stretching her arms and wings, “it’s been a long day, and I’m dying to get some sleep.”

Twilight folded her arms underneath her head and leaned back, lying down and closing her eyes. Pinkie Pie walked further on down the aisle, looking for an empty seat of her own.

“You go on ahead, Twilight,” responded Yurik with a flick of his hand and then reaching for his backpack on the adjacent seat. “I still need to do a little studying before school.”

Yurik pulled out a Calculus book and flipped open to the latter quarter inside, looking at the equations and principles inside. Just then, Twilight’s head and hooves appeared over the back of her seat, facing Yurik.

“Can I help you?” she asked eagerly.

“Huh?” Yurik questioned. “Didn’t you just say you wanted to sleep?”

“I don’t mind, really. I’m used to pulling all-nighters very often in my world. Plus, if it’s to help you…”

“Hey,” Yurik spoke with an inviting shrug, “if you’re up to it, I’m glad for the help. Can you just grab you and me some soda while I get my study guide out?”

“Is coke okay with you?” she asked, trotting to the back of the plane down the aisles.

Yurik smirked at what he was sure would escalate into a very energetic night.

“Sure,” he responded as he watched her open the fridge.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

In the late night the next day, on the edge of a cliff on Mt. Takahata overlooking the cities of Kameyama and Suzuka as well as the Ise Bay, a single man sat alone. Wearing both a grey sleeveless sweater and a sleeveless, black, leather trench coat with a matching grey hood hung behind him, as well as black cargo pants and a pair of black hiking boots, his legs dangled over the edge where a vast landscape of trees awaited him.

A metal chain with five large, diamond shaped links and a blue and red gem on both ends of it was folded and hung with care on a carabineer on the right belt loop of his pants. As well, a long, triangular metal device was fastened atop his left arm, with two small slots on the slant closer to his wrist, a space containing a few cards on the longer slant to the left of the other one, and a slot for his deck that was attached to the device on the left side of his right wrist.

The man’s face and exposed arms were pale, but young, suggesting someone in his late teens or just beginning their twenties. His hair was messy, short, and blonde as it flickered in the high-altitude wind. A black cellphone was placed against the man’s ear conversing with someone.

“You say she’s already been taken?” the man spoke, slightly irate.

“There’s no other explanation,” the person on the other line spoke. “I just saw a video online showing a Billy Bonnaroo show in Jacksonville that morning without Pinkie Pie in it. She had to have been taken!”

“Matthew,” the man said, “calm down…”

“She would have been a steal too, but you just had to send us up to Japan, didn’t you?”

“Calm down!” the man said with more firmness. “The pony we’re looking for has been spotted all about this mountain region by various sources; finding her is going to arguably be the most difficult out of all of them, so we will stay until we do.”

“If someone has already taken Pinkie Pie, that must mean that they’re looking for the others like we are.”

“Then we will deal with them when they eventually arrive.”

“And when is that?”

“In due time, Matthew. In due time…”

Silence came up on the other line.

“Is that all, Matthew?” the man asked.

“No, Orpheus…” the man responded. “That is all.”

“Get some rest, then. Put your mind at ease.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Goodnight, Matthew.”

The man named Orpheus pressed the red call-end button on his phone, casually putting it back into his front-left pocket. With a push up from his arms, Orpheus hopped to his feet, getting a much clearer and wider view of the mountain range and the bright Japanese horizon.

“Where are you,” he softly whispered into the night, “Rainbow Dash…?”
> Episode 9: Orpheus and the Underworld
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kieran sat in a dark room at a desk with computer monitors partially surrounding him. Keeping his attention on the center monitor, he observed an aerial satellite view of Mt. Takahata with red dots connected all about the map in a random fashion with miniature dates and times inside them posted on the image of the mountain.

Looking off to a monitor to his left, featuring a document showing a document of dates, times, and latitude and longitude coordinates, Kieran right clicked his mouse on a desired spot on the mountain and added another red dot. Kieran typed in the date and time from the last line on the document’s list into the red dot, a red line drawing itself out to an end of the chain, this supposed sighting as random as the last.

Kieran then faced a monitor on his right, looking at a profile page with a frontal picture of Orpheus upon it, the name written on the line marked “Identity” being etched out with pen and sharpie. Regardless, Kieran stared upon the man’s face, noting its stunning familiarity.

“Good to meet you again,” he whispered to the screen. “Orpheus…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt and Yurik watched a clock in the small cafeteria where a nearly a hundred other students were sitting and eating their lunch. Many of the older students such as Walt and Yurik gathered around them as they counted down the final seconds to the end of the period.

“Four…” they all shouted, “Three… Two… One…”

The period-ending siren rang through the intercom, allowing the gathered seniors to cheer loudly as if they had ushered in the new year. Several students threw papers up into the air as Yurik and Walt hopped around and hugged nearby students.

“It’s over!” screamed one student. “High school’s finally over!”

Not much longer afterwards, Alice and Mary both ran in from a hallway of lockers carrying in an amp with an iPod connected to the auxiliary, blasting Turn Down for What from it. The others all cheered as the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors scrambled away from the room to their next classes, the music reaching a massive crescendo. Setting the amp down at a table, Alice and Mary joined Yurik and Walt in the dance, their bodies rubbing up together as they let loose to the beat.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik, dressed in blue-and-white swimming trunks, dove straight into the waters of Naperville’s Centennial Beach swimming pool, quickly flailing his arms to resurface, letting out loud, uncomfortable shouts to the laughter and cheers of the others gathered around the diving boards on the deeper end of the pool.

“Holy crap!” laughed Yurik as he waded the water. “That’s cold!”

Alice, in a green leaf-decaled bikini, and Walt, in a yellow swimsuit, stepped onto a green floating platform tethered to the pool’s stony edge.

“Let’s go to the island,” Alice spoke, pointing to a freely floating platform further into the center of the pool as she patted an item hidden in the bottom half of her bikini. “Be sure to tell Yurik.”

Without giving him a chance to respond, Alice ran towards the platform’s edge. Walt gave chase as she watched Alice dive flawlessly in.

“Hey, Yurik!” he screamed as he leapt up and pointed to the platform up ahead. “We’re going to the isla–”

Walt’s words were silenced as his body fell into the water, coming back up almost immediately after.

“Jesus Christ!” he screamed, stroking his arms and himself towards the island.

Yurik chuckled as he made his own way to the island, the others behind him jumping into the water as well, inspired by his bravery. Alice hopped onto the island and reached into her panties, pulling out an iPhone wrapped in a plastic Ziploc bag. Walt climbed aboard as Yurik stepped up on a ladder bolted to the side.

“Whoa,” Walt said, looking at the phone, “how did you get this here?”

“Save it,” Alice spoke. “We have confirmed two more of Twilight’s friends’ locations.”

“What?” Yurik whispered, huddling close behind Alice with Walt.

“Yeah,” she said, flipping through a page on the phone, going to a screenshot of the blue-pegasus with the rainbow-colored mane from Princess Celestia’s broadcast. “This is Rainbow Dash. She has been spotted in several spots over the last week in the Mt. Takahata region of Japan outside the city of Suzuka.”

After showing them the dotted and labeled map that Kieran had edited, Alice flipped down the page to show the orange earth pony with the brown Stetson hat.

“And this is Applejack,” Alice said. “Reports say that she has been spotted around an orchard in the Avon Valley, southeast of Glasgow, Scotland.”

“Are you suggesting that we get them both?” asked Walt.

“Mmm…” Alice hummed coyly, “maybe.”

“You’re talking about traveling literally over the entire world to do this, you understand, right?”

“Mmhm,” she said with a nod.

“And what story do you expect us to tell to our mom that will let us know where we are this whole weekend, because that’s how long it’s going to take us, I’m certain.”

“I already did,” she chirped proudly.

“What do you mean?” Yurik asked.

“I ‘might’ just have an ‘uncle’ who owns a lake house in the Ozarks that he’s ‘letting us use’ this weekend right before Memorial Day to celebrate our graduating high school.”

“Really? You told her all of that?”

“Yep, so don’t be surprised if you find all your stuff packed when you get home.”

“And…” Walt wondered, “what time do we plan on leaving?”

“Right after commemorative. If we leave early enough, we’ll arrive in Suzuka right before sunset.”

“And you’re sure we can be back home before Memorial Day?”

“Positive.”

Just then, Mary broke from the water’s surface beside the floating platform, looking up at the three of her friends.

“Hey,” she called out, frightening Yurik, Walt, and Alice, “what are you all talking about?”

“Uh,” Yurik chuckled nervously rubbing the back of his head, “stuff.”

“Oh, I see,” she responded in a jestingly accepting manner. “Mind if I join you in your talks of stuff?”

“Uh, sure!” Alice said without any fear in her voice. “Come on up!”

“Thanks, Alice.”

As she swam around to the ladder, Alice quickly leaned into Walt’s ear.

“We’ll talk about this more a bit later,” she hissed. “It’s already done.”

Mary then climbed the ladder, sitting next to Yurik and Walt in their circle with Alice, the two of them laughing to ease the serious situation out of their minds.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside Kieran’s jet, Yurik, Walt, Alice, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie sat in their seats while Kieran stood at the front near the cockpit door. On the floor near the bar and fridge were a large assortments of luggage and backpacks.

“I thank you all for coming to do this on such short notice after such a prolonged absence,” addressed Kieran.

“I really wouldn’t call three days ‘prolonged,’” quipped Walt, “but that may be just me.”

“Regardless, for you to be absent for three days and asking you to travel halfway across the world in a matter of hours on the day of your high school commemorative is unacceptable of me.”

“Well,” Twilight spoke, “we’re here now, so could you please explain the urgency of this trip?”

“Certainly,” he responded, pulling out a remote a pressing a button to make a screen and projector descend from the ceiling in the plane.

“Whoa,” Pinkie Pie muttered at the sight of this technology.

Pressing another button on the remote, a picture of Orpheus came on, slightly confusing Yurik, Walt, and Twilight.

“This,” explained Kieran, “is Orpheus. He is the leader of an extremely secretive branch of the Interpol fittingly titled ‘The Underworld.’ Originally, they were a covert group assigned to risky missions and cases that the actual Interpol found too hazardous to perform themselves. Just recently, The Underworld has been gathering information much like we have to try and capture the ponies for themselves to return them to Princess Celestia of Equestria.”

“For themselves?” Twilight asked. “If that’s the case, why aren’t we trying to team up with them to help, or better yet, have them help us?”

“Because I don’t particularly agree with the reasons he wants to return you all to Equus.”

“What?” Yurik responded, shocked. “Does that mean you know him?”

“For a time… yes. He was like a brother to me, and when we went our separate ways, him to The Underworld, I eventually to Guardiaboliques, we agreed not to meddle in each other’s affairs as a sign of respect.”

“Why? What happened?”

“When Orpheus was young, he was… gifted with a special entity that he decided to name... Eurydice.”

“Eurydice?” questioned Walt.

“I’m guessing Orpheus isn’t his real name?” asked Twilight.

“No,” Kieran answered. “It is merely a codename he had adopted for himself. Much like Orpheus ventured into the Underworld to bring his beloved Eurydice home, he does the same for her.”

“Her?” Pinkie Pie squeaked. “You mean this ‘entity’s’ a girl? I don’t think I’ve ever been a friend with an entity before!”

Kieran blinked his eyes, confused by Pinkie Pie’s statement before addressing the matter at hand.

“Pinkie Pie,” Kieran said, “Orpheus and Eurydice are not ones you want to be friends with. Together, they are very dangerous and he will try and capture you if he spots you, and he will target all of us in the Guardiaboliques if he knows you’re with us. And since I will effectively be interfering with The Underworld in order to get to the rest of your friends as I had agreed not to do, he will retaliate in kind.”

“But why?” asked Twilight. “What is this Eurydice? And why would he want to ‘capture’ us as you put it?”

“When Orpheus had first come into contact with Eurydice,” he told, “he had told me that Eurydice was a creature that lived in a far off world unlike ours, and that she wished to return.”

“A faraway land?” Twilight wondered. “Could that be Equus?”

“She couldn’t say. All that she could seem to remember is that she had traveled a long distance, and with the bond she had formed with Orpheus, she had acted as a familiar to him, granting him some of her powers that will make him very dangerous if you come across him.”

“But why should we fear him? Shouldn’t we be working together?”

“Again,” reminded Kieran forlornly, “the reason he wants to return you and the rest of your friends himself is because he can use the wish promised by Celestia to return Eurydice to her home, or at the very least, provide information of her origins. I imagine that Orpheus, Eurydice, and the rest of The Underworld will employ whatever means necessary to have you all in their own possession to achieve this now very-attainable goal.”

“And what are your reasons for bringing Twilight and her friends back home?” asked Yurik, standing up from his seat. “You brought Twilight, me, and Walt into the Guardiaboliques to help you help Twilight and her friends, but what is your reward, Kieran? What are we supposed to get out of this upon returning Twilight and her friends to their home?”

Kieran faced Yurik with a resounding silence as he formulated his answer.

“Because I wish for the Guardiaboliques and I to be free,” Kieran spoke, getting surprised reactions from Yurik, Walt, and Twilight. “Both Orpheus and I have equal senses of justice and right and wrong, which was the reason behind our truce. While he was granted the opportunity to enact his justice through legal means, I, as well as the other Guardiaboliques, have had to work as vigilantes; fighting against the law to fight and suppress crime.

“If we succeed in rescuing the rest of Twilight’s friends and bringing them to Celestia unharmed, I hope that the honor she will bestow upon us will allow the rest of the world to see us in a different light. That instead of working against the law, we shall be allowed to work for it, much like Orpheus has done. That is what I wish for; a future.”

Twilight, inspired by Kieran’s statement, smiled warmly. Yurik and Walt, also pleased by this, smiled and nodded in approval.

“I think that’s a very noble cause,” Twilight responded. “I’m certain Princess Celestia would be more than happy to see to your acceptance.”

“I’m glad that we see eye to eye,” Kieran responded. “I do believe it’s time we leave now.”

“Alright!” shouted Pinkie Pie, throwing her arms up in the air. “Road trip! …I mean, sky trip!”

Kieran pressed the button on his remote once again, raising the screen and projector in the plane back into the ceiling. Placing the remote back into his pocket, Kieran stepped into the cockpit to start up the plane.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

After many hours of flying, the lights of the cities that stood along the edge of Ise Bay, Suzuka included were finally coming into view as the sun began to set. Yurik and Twilight, their duel disks already on their wrists, looked nervously down at the mountain range west of the city they were flying towards, knowing that Orpheus and his men would be up there.

“You think you’re strong enough to face this guy?” asked Yurik.

“I could ask you the same question, Yurik,” spoke Twilight with a concerned tone. “If this guy is as dangerous as Kieran says he is, I don’t feel comfortable with either of us fighting alone if we’re caught by him.”

“I’m not going to worry,” he replied, drawing his top card and looking at it, showing itself as Twilight Alicorn. “As long as I have you with me, I won’t be frightened.”

Yurik closed his eyes, preparing his mind and body for the difficult mission that was to come. 
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sitting upon a cliff, Orpheus looked out a plane descending towards the city of Suzuka. He suddenly felt a hard beat in his heart, trying to breathe, but finding it stuck in his throat. As he kept his gaze on the plane, a blue aura crept out of the deck slot on his wrist device and took the faint figure of a winged deer.

“You feel them too,” an echoed female’s voice speculated. “They’re here, for the pony that’s hiding in this mountain.”

“Yes…” he whispered, calming himself down. “I can feel a strong magical presence in that plane. No doubt they brought a couple ponies with them.”

“You don’t think…”

“I know. He and whoever he brought will pay for showing his face here.”

“We should warn the others.”

“Right. I will bring you out when the time is right.”

“Yes,” she said, receding back within his deck, “Orpheus…”

Orpheus shot to his feet and grabbed his phone, putting it to his face.

“Everyone,” he spoke as he briskly walked into the trees, “we’re having company tonight. Prepare yourselves and await my orders…”

Putting his phone back, he broke into a split, disappearing into the darkness.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran’s plane touched down onto the runway, making Yurik gasp at the feeling of the bounce from the plane’s landing wheels. Twilight looked nervously as Yurik gripped the armrest of his seat.

“Yurik,” she asked, “are you okay?”

“Getting there,” Yurik responded. “I might have lied earlier. I’m pretty terrified right now.”

“Don’t be. We’re going to find Rainbow Dash and Orpheus won’t even know we’re here.”

“I certainly hope so…”

Yurik looked down at the runway as the lines passing went by slower and slower as the plane came to a gradual stop.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik, Walt, Alice, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie rode in the back of a limo with Kieran driving in the front-right seat. The humans each had their duel disks on their wrists, prepared and ready to use. Walt looked out the right window, watching the cars drive past on the right side of the winding, mountain road with unease.

“So on top of having Interpol on our asses,” Walt sighed, “we’re driving on the opposite side of the road.”

“Walt,” Alice spoke, “the more we think about facing Orpheus, the more unprepared we’ll actually be to fight him.”

“She’s right,” Twilight mentioned. “You don’t know exactly what you’re up against, and preparing for the worst isn’t going to do you any good.”

“You should go in with a big, happy smile,” Pinkie Pie eagerly suggested. “Maybe you should dance too!”

“Sure,” Walt groaned. “That won’t look suspicious at all.”

“I’ll come with you, Walt,” Pinkie Pie said, putting her arm around Walt’s back and arms. “You really look like you could use a big shot of happy right in your sad, flopping face!”

Walt, finding the audacious comment surprisingly amusing, puffed a long breath with a slight smile on his face, feeling more relaxed with each ounce of air he blew threw his lungs.

“That’s the spirit!” cheered Pinkie Pie. “It’s settled! This is going to be the biggest and bestest game of hide-and-seek ever!”

“Whatever floats your boat,” mumbled Walt.

Finally, the limo pulled up to a parking lot where a not a single car was parked. Leaving itself in the center, Kieran parked and got outside, checking the area about him. With a second close examination, he walked to left side of the car and opened the rear door silently.

“The coast is clear,” he said. “I wish to talk once more before our search.”

“Yeah,” Yurik sighed as he slid off his seat and onto the gravel driveway.

Twilight, Alice, Walt, and Pinkie Pie too came out of the car, each taking their own looks around for their safety. Kieran reached into his shirt pocket and held out his hand to produce two pins, which everyone but Alice looked upon curiously.

“As much as I dislike this,” Kieran said, “we’re going to need to split up if we want to try and find Rainbow Dash anytime soon. Alice and I will be partners, Yurik, you partner up with Twilight, and Walt and Pinkie Pie will be together. Walt, Yurik, take a pin.”

Yurik and Walt stepped forwards, picking a pin from Kieran’s hand and pinning it to their shirt-jacket and vest respectively.

“These will be tracking devices that I will use to follow you,” Kieran explained. “If either of your groups feel lost, press the pin once, and it will send a signal to me to come and find you. If either of us finds Rainbow Dash, hold the button down. This will tell Alice and I, as well as you through a blue light on your pin, to head back to the limousine and await your return. If you are in trouble, press the pin three times. If this happens, come back to the limousine at once if able. We will plan a rescue from there.”

Yurik and Walt felt iffy as the last instruction was given, not wanting to imagine confronting Orpheus or anyone else from The Underworld.

“Let us hurry,” advised Kieran, pulling his phone out. “The longer we stay out, the better our chances of being caught. Walt, Yurik, send yourselves and your partners out. We will take a minute to configure the tracking devices. Good luck to you.”

Yurik and Walt nodded before they turned towards the forested slopes with light stomachs. Mustering through the nerves, Walt and Yurik set out and split into two differing areas, soon going into the trees and becoming invisible to Kieran and Alice inside. After a final check on Kieran’s phone, seeing a red and a green dot on the maps where Walt and Yurik’s groups were located, both he and Alice trailed off in between the other twos’ paths.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt carefully stepped over fallen branches and leaves as he walked up in between tree trunks and looking about for either Rainbow Dash or anyone suspicious using the flashlight on his iPhone. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, felt content with bouncing up and down on her four hooves.

“Rainbow Dash!” called Pinkie Pie. “It’s me, Pinkie! Come on out!”

Walt, a pang of chilling fear running into his spine, grabbed Pinkie Pie by the tail and pulled her back down.

“Ow!” Pinkie Pie yelped rubbing the base of her tail. “Ouch, Walt. What was that for?”

“To keep you quiet,” hissed Walt. “If Orpheus hears us, we’re in big trouble.”

“I’m sorry, Walt. I won’t make another peep. Here, why don’t I piggyback you?”

Pinkie Pie hopped herself onto Walt’s back, making him grunt at the added weight. Despite this, Pinkie Pie was keeping quiet as promised.

“Alright,” he said, “this is fine.”

“Giddy up,” snickered Pinkie Pie.

Rolling his eyes, Walt kept walking slowly and carefully, watching and listening out for anything suspicious. As he walked by, a figure dressed in all black rose from the brush and pulled out his phone, holding it to his mouth.

“Confirmed sighting of Pinkie Pie,” he whispered. “Permission to capture?”

“Negative,” spoke Orpheus’s voice on the other line. “They’re luring Rainbow Dash out with her friends. If they manage to succeed, contact me again; I’ll take care of her.”

“…affirmative,” he relayed. “Where is your location?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I am keeping watch over Twilight Sparkle and the boy watching over her,” he spoke, sitting in a tree as he watched Twilight and Yurik pass by far beneath him. “Same deal. If she manages to bring out Rainbow Dash, that boy is mine. Make no mistake, Rainbow Dash is our most important pony here; she is our focus. Call me back with updates.”

Orpheus slipped his phone carefully into his pocket as he continued to observe Yurik and Twilight, being as still as a stone on the branch he sat on. Yurik shone his cellphone light around him while Twilight shone a bright light on the end of her horn, keeping a close eye for any other humans or anything rainbow-colored. As they came by, Orpheus placed a hand over his heart, feeling a small twinge of apprehension inside.

“It feels really weird not being tired this late at night,” Yurik commented.

“It’s just the jet lag,” assured Twilight. “Besides, it’s keeping you alert.”

“We’ll see.”

Yurik and Twilight ventured further, completely unaware that the branch that Orpheus had sat on was now completely unoccupied.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Dozing restlessly on the branch of a tree, Rainbow Dash, her multicolored mane and tail disheveled from a week of living in the wild, twitched herself about, both from the fear of being found and the discomfort of her makeshift bed. It was then that she heard the sound of footsteps coming closely towards her. Shooting her eyes open, her ears twitched as she waited and hid in her spot.

Walt appeared from the bushes and branches with Pinkie Pie still on his back, gently hopping down on him as if he were a horse himself. Rainbow Dash, seeing Pinkie Pie, found her jaw to go slack and tears to form in her eyes. With an equally quick transition, Rainbow Dash bared her teeth and reared to her hooves, ready to move.

“Pinkie Pie,” grunted Walt, “how much longer do I need to carry you?”

“Well,” Pinkie Pie responded, “you didn’t want me making much noise, so how am I–”

A rainbow-colored blur flew close behind Walt and snatched Pinkie Pie from his grasp, pulling him to the ground. Hopping back up, alerted by Pinkie Pie’e absence, he saw the body of Rainbow Dash with Pinkie Pie’s arms suddenly around her, pulling her down to the ground with her.

“Rainbow Dash!” cheered Pinkie Pie. “We found you!”

“Lemme’ go!” grunted Rainbow Dash. “We have to hurry!”

“I’ll say! The others are already waiting for us!”

Walt, amazed to see Rainbow Dash by him and his partner, slowly went into the trees where the two ponies were. Rainbow Dash looked back in horror to see the human approach, trying to wrench herself out of Pinkie Pie’s embrace, but to no avail.

“Pinkie Pie!” she squealed. “We have to hurry! One of those monkey things is coming!”

“Hey,” Walt shouted, “who’re you calling a monkey?”

“Oh, yeah!” Pinkie Pie squeaked. “Rainbow Dash, I want you to meet my friend Walt.”

Rainbow Dash turned back to see Walt right behind her, giving her an awkward frown and wave of his hand.

“Your friend?” questioned the blue pegasus.

“Yeah!” There’s also Yurik, Alice, and Kieran. Twilight’s also with us.”

“Huh? Twilight’s here too?”

“Yeah, we’re teaming up with these guys to help find our other friends.”

Rainbow Dash, confused, looked to Walt and then back at Pinkie Pie’s smile.

“So…” she asked. “Those guys that have been chasing me… they were trying to help?”

“They’re not part of us,” explained Walt. “They’re trying to capture you for the sake of their own leader. We wish to use more… humane methods.”

“Either way,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “since we found you, we can go back now! Walt, use that pin of yours!”

“Oh! Right…”

Walt pinched and held the pin on his vest, watching it turn blue, sighing in relief as he did.

“Come on,” Walt said, offering his hand. “Let’s hurry. I don’t want to be in these woods much longer.”

“Hmph,” Rainbow Dash rudely huffed, slapping Walt’s hand away, “you’re telling me. I’ve been here for a whole week. What’s it been for you? An hour?”

“And a half…” moaned Walt.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Lead the way, ‘Walt.’”

Walt groaned as he walked south through the woods looking at the various trees along the way to help him familiarize his and the ponies’ path to safety. Peering out from a tree further north, Orpheus peeked half of his body out to see Walt taking the two ponies with. With inhuman agility, Orpheus leapt west and then south, following their journey close behind.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and Twilight continued looking about the forest when the pin on Yurik’s shirt-jacket began to glow blue. Yurik pulled the shirt up and looked at the pin closer, seeing that it was indeed blue, making both Yurik and Twilight smile and chuckle with success.

“Looks like we found her,” sighed Yurik.

“Let’s hurry back,” Twilight spoke. “I’d hate to be caught by Orpheus at this moment.”

“Well,” Yurik said, already turning back with Twilight, “you know what they say about moving targets.”

“Um, yes? So?”

Yurik pursed his lips into a cheeky smile before he broke off into a sprint.

“Race ya’ back!”

While initially going at jogging pace, Twilight quickly caught on, giggling as she galloped towards him.

“Hey,” she called. “Wait up!”

As Twilight put herself beside Yurik, he quickened his pace to run alongside her, both making their way merrily back to Kieran and Alice.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie walked briskly up to a large clearing with around seventy yards to the set of trees. Walt stopped at the clearing’s edge and held an arm out, stopping Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, much to the latter’s annoyance.

“Hey,” she spoke, “why are we stopping? Don’t we have some guy chasing us?”

“Be quiet,” spoke Walt. “If we pass through this clearing, that will lead us wide open for an attack.”

“So, what do you suggest we do then?”

“We go around it to the right. This will decrease our chances of him being able to mobilize.”

“I can just fly, can’t I?” Rainbow Dash asked, already unfurling her wings and taking off and up through the clearing.

“No, wait!” he shouted, reaching out.

Just then, a bright red flash appeared from the right side of the clearing, accompanied by a spinning red, bow-shaped light flying out towards Rainbow Dash. Noticing this, she pulled up to a tight half loop, barely missing the light flying past her stomach by an inch or two.

With a terrified yelp, she soared back down to the bottom of the clearing with Walt and Pinkie Pie. Both of them were terrified as they stared out at the spot where the light had come from, the sound of chains rattling there.

“What was that?” Rainbow Dash screamed.

“It’s him,” Walt hissed. “He’s here. He’s found us. And now he’s waiting for us.”

“Walt,” Pinkie Pie whimpered, “what do we do?”

As Walt quickly sorted through the jumbled thoughts in his mind, he huffed defiantly, having come up with one.

“Pinkie Pie,” he said, “find me a large branch.”

“Here,” Pinkie Pie responded, hopping up high beside a tree and biting down on the nearest branch up.

With a hefty jerk, she brought the branch down and let go, smiling to Walt for her speedy delivery.

“Very nice,” Walt chuckled, as he broke off a four-foot staff for himself. “Here’s what we do now. “Pinkie Pie, stand on my left. Rainbow Dash, stand on Pinkie Pie’s left.”

“Why?” asked Rainbow Dash as she and Pinkie Pie quickly got into formation. “What is this supposed to do?”

“He’s waiting for us to run. If we run around the clearing, we run straight into him. If we run around the other way, we’re bound to come across more of his men. This way, I can shield you from his attacks as we make it through the clearing. If we make it there, the chances of him being able to target us will be much slimmer.”

“But,” she responded, realizing what Walt was implying. “He’s going to get to you first.”

“That’s why I needed the stick,” Walt rhetorically responded. “Just stay by each other’s sides and we may have a chance. Are you ready?”

“Yeah,” sighed Rainbow Dash reluctantly. “I’m ready.”

“Bright skies or foul weather,” Pinkie Pie spoke, “we all stick together.”

“That’s the spirit. On three.”

Walt held his stick to his right side, prepared to run. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash took their marks, ready to follow Walt on his desperate plan.

“One…”

Walt gripped his stick tight.

“Two…”

Walt closed his eyes, expelling all fear and doubt from his mind at that moment.

“Three!”

Shooting his eyes open, the three of them sprinted off to the other side of the clearing and to the forest. With a quick glance to his left, the ponies were sticking by his side as he had hoped. Walt heard the chains to his right, making him turn back. At the right edge of the clearing, Orpheus’s silhouette threw his arm out, a long chain with five large diamond-shaped links followed his arms motion. Walt gasped as he saw a glowing red crystal on the end of the chain draw a bow with its light and hurl it out towards Walt.

Walt took a swing of his stick, striking the red bow and shattering the branch just above Walt’s hand. In the trees, Orpheus yanked the chain back to him and caught the links between the red crystal and the left-most large link, pulling it taught as he aimed for Walt, who discarded his now useless shield as he continued to run with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

Perhaps if I… Orpheus plotted.

Pinkie Pie, scared out of her mind, began to quicken her pace, putting herself ahead of Walt and making her open to Orpheus’s aim. With a grunt, Orpheus threw his chain down with his right hand, sending the red-crystal-end out and forming another bow which flew out where Pinkie Pie would run to. Walt and Rainbow Dash, seeing her lead, both gagged in fright.

“Pinkie Pie!” they both shouted.

Rainbow Dash, seeing the oncoming bow about to collide with Pinkie Pie, threw her wings open and soared up and over her friend and flew in front of Walt, the bow now coming to her.

“No!” Walt shouted.

It was too late, as the center of the bow struck Rainbow Dash in the stomach, the bow stretching out and wrapping around the pegasus’s body and wings, the light forming into a red rope that kept Rainbow Dash bounded. Walt, seeing the pegasus fall, reached out, caught her, and hugged her tight, her weight sending him back and Pinkie Pie much farther ahead.

“Rainbow Dash!” cried Pinkie Pie. “Walt!”

“Just go back!” screamed Walt with intense conviction. “Save yourself!”

Pinkie Pie, hearing Walt’s desperation, picked up her pace as she zipped into the trees, safe from Orpheus and his chain. Walt continued to run, even with his pace brought down with the pegasus in his arms. The trees were only about ten yards away.

“Come on,” he panted. “Come on!”

Orpheus ran out from the trees and into the opening, swinging his chain to the left to send a red bow out towards the back of Walt’s knees. With only a few more yards to spare, the bow struck Walt right at its intended target, tripping and throwing Walt and Rainbow Dash to the ground, where they both tumbled and slid to a stop, Walt upon his stomach.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran, standing by the limousine with Alice, looked to his phone, only for the dot where Walt’s spot was to disappear, making him gasp. Just then, Yurik and Twilight ran towards the car and Kieran and Alice. Yurik looked about as he and Twilight came to a stop, unable to find Walt or the others.

“I’m guessing they’re not back yet?” Yurik asked.

“No,” Kieran responded grimly. “And I’m unsure if they will be back.”

“What? What does that mean?”

Kieran handed Yurik his phone, allowing him to see that Walt’s placement was nowhere to be seen on the map. Yurik shot his head up and looked to the part of the forest that he knew Walt and Pinkie Pie had entered.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt shot to his feet to continue running, only for a searing pain to shoot through his legs, bringing him to his knee and leaning on it. Walt, realizing that he would not escape, found the strength to turn around and face Orpheus, who stood before him from several yard away, his coat fluttering lightly in the night breeze with all five large links of his chain in his hand.

“You…” Walt hissed. “You’re Orpheus, aren’t you.”

“I am,” the man responded. “I’m sorry, but I cannot let you leave with that pegasus. We have spent far too much time in this mountain region looking for her just to hand her over to Kieran and his associates.”

“And now look what you’ve done,” Walt spoke, pointing to Rainbow Dash, her body still wrapped up and her entire face wincing and tearing with pain from both the tightness of the ropes and the sting of her fall. “Do you really think Princess Celestia is going to grant you and Eurydice your wish after you treat her ponies like this?”

“Eurydice… I see. How much else has he told you about me?”

“Shut up,” he spat, getting to his feet despite the pain from Orpheus’s strike. “Bastards like you make me sick…”

“Bastards like me? And what are you but a vigilante breaking the law by fighting crime when it’s not your right?”

“I don’t know,” Walt said, managing a slight smile. “You’ve allowed Kieran to do as he pleased for this long. I’d say that that makes you an accomplice.”

“Kieran and I promised each other that we would not stand in each other’s way. Your standing before me is a testament to that broken promise, and now…”

Orpheus let the chain in his hand fall down, catching it by the links between the right-most large link and the blue crystal. Holding his left arm with his wrist device up, Orpheus swung his right arm and chain back before he flung the chain to swing towards his wrist device. Once he let go, the chain stuck itself into a check shape with the links pulled tightly out, the red crystal and two large links on the right side, and three large links and the blue crystal on the left.

“…I must make an example of you,” Orpheus stated, a purple gleam running through the entire chain.

Walt gasped at what was now Orpheus’s duel disk.

“So,” Walt finally chuckled, “what is this? If I beat you, you’ll let me go?”

“No,” responded Orpheus. “You will not beat me.”

“Hmph, cocky bastard. My favorite kind…”

Walt took his blade disk off the side of his duel disk, tossing it up and catching it to hold it like a Frisbee.

“…I just love their faces when I win!”

Walt threw his blade disk out to Orpheus’s left, which span around his body and back to Walt’s duel disk, where it stayed beside it and shone its blades out through the lights on the side. At that moment, both players’ decks shuffled inside their respective slots.

“Connection complete,” a computerized voice. “Walt Faber vs… Unknown.”

Walt huffed through his nose as he stared Orpheus down. Rainbow Dash, her head positioned that she could see past Walt’s left leg, looked to Walt with a shimmering hope.

“Like I said,” Orpheus said. “You cannot win against me.”

“We’ll just see about that!” shouted Walt. “Let’s go!”

“DUEL!” they both called out.

================
Walt:
LP: 4000

Orpheus:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll take the first turn,” Orpheus decided, taking a single spell card from his hand already and revealing it, showing art of a wide, spectral river. “I activate the field spell Styx, River of Void Deep.”

Placing the card into the slot above the bottom slot on his odd duel disk, a wall of white, sloshing rapids began to rush from the trees and in between Orpheus and Walt.

Rainbow Dash screamed as the sound of the water crashed into her ears. Walt shielded his face from the drops of water that hit his body and face, while Orpheus stood perfectly still as the water splashed him and ran off his clothes like oil.

“Hoh!” Walt shouted, upon feeling the water hit his bare skin before rolled around and off Walt’s face, leaving it dry.

Once the water settled down, Walt looked at the newly formed field, completely unnerved by what he saw. The area inside the water was nothing but a slick void of black as white, tattered ghosts and spirits of humans and other unintelligible creatures floated within the current.

“That…” Walt shuddered, feeling his cheek, “so cold. What is–”

“This won’t be like any other duel you have ever fought,” warned Orpheus. “If you had merely let me taken the pegasus and be on my way, you might have been able to escape. However, I cannot forgive those that interfere.”

“Screw you! We’re trying to help them too! Who are you to get to refuse me that right?”

“The one who shall defeat you here and now.”

Orpheus took a second card from his hand and showed it to Walt, it being a monster card.

“I summon Charon, Ferryman of Void Deep,” he stated.

Orpheus placed the card on the center diamond-shaped link in the chain, a dark-blue glow surrounding it as the card stayed still. Above the ethereal river, a blue portal formed, Orpheus’s monster rising from it. Settling itself down on the waters was a grey skinned, faceless humanoid with beady blue eyes, a long white beard, and a black robe with a long oar in its hand as it stood on a long, wooden boat.

Charon, Ferryman of Void Deep
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 2

“I end my turn,” Orpheus concluded.

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

Walt bared his teeth at both Orpheus and his monster, the former returning his glare with a blank expression minus his furrowed eyebrows.

He wants me to attack, Walt planned. I know it. Of course something bad is going to happen if I do…

Walt then looked down behind him, seeing the frightened and bound pegasus looking up to him with hope draining from her eyes.

…but, he thought, if I don’t attack, that will only give him a better chance to summon a stronger monster. And if that guy has a duel disk like that, and he has the ability to make the damage real, I shouldn’t pretend that he doesn’t have that kind of strength.

“I’ll take you on!” Walt declared, pinching the top card of his deck. “My turn! Draw!”

Walt promptly added the card to his hand and took out another, his arm wound back to place it on his monster zone.

“I summon Tungsten Paladin!” shouted Walt, swiping his card onto one of his zones.

Walt’s golden-armored warrior appeared from a blue portal that hovered just above the river, standing with its swords pointing at Orpheus’s sole monster.

Tungsten Paladin
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 4

“Battle!” ordered Walt. “Tungsten Paladin, attack Charon, Ferryman of Void Deep! Shining Slash!”

Flying over the river, Tungsten Paladin soared at Orpheus’s monster with its swords held out in an “X.” Orpheus huffed through his nose, disappointed in Walt’s seemingly careless attack.

“I activate the effect of Charon, Ferryman of Void Deep,” he said.

“Here it comes,” grunted Walt.

From the back of Charon’s boat, a chain shot out towards the approaching warrior. With quick, unavoidable agility, the chains bound themselves around Tungsten Paladin and pulled him onto the boat. Walt and Rainbow Dash gasped in shock as Walt’s monster struggled to break free.

“What have you done to him?” yelled Walt.

“When a monster targets this card for an attack,” Orpheus explained, “I can banish both this card and the attacking monster.”

At that moment, Charon began to paddle himself towards the center of the river with his oar, his boat suddenly sinking with it and Tungsten Paladin inside.

“Tungsten Paladin!” he screamed.

He watched fearfully as Tungsten Paladin’s body writhed and disintegrated into a white, smoky form, soon limply floating in the river’s current as Charon continued to swim deeper into the depths.

“Also,” spoke Orpheus, “if I do banish our monsters, you can choose one of two options. Either you discard two cards, or you let me draw two.”

Walt hissed at Orpheus and his tactic.

“Just draw your cards, bastard,” he seethed.

With his fingers on his deck on the left side of his wrist, Orpheus drew two cards that he added to his hand.

“As a reminder,” said Orpheus, “because of Styx’s effect, any and all monsters destroyed or sent to the graveyard are banished instead, and neither player can special summon monsters in the banished zone, except with the effect of a Void Deep effect.”

“Damn you…” growled Walt.

“There’s nothing left for you to do now. End your turn.”

Walt, knowing that nothing would seem to faze him, grabbed two cards from his hand and placed them both inside the spell/trap slot.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn,” he said.

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 4000    Monsters: 0    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 2

“My turn!” Orpheus declared, his fingers on his deck. “Draw!”

Orpheus emotionlessly picked another card in his hand along with the card he just drew, revealing them both to Walt as pendulum monsters.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 0 Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep and the scale 7 Minos, Judge of Void Deep,” Orpheus said, placing his cards on the blue and red crystals on the end of his chain.

“Did you just say scale 0?” asked Walt in shock.

Rising forth from the river inside two pillars of light were a light-blue winged deer with eagle-like talons in place of the back hooves and eagle-like tail feathers and a ornately robed gray humanoid with only the two beady blue eyes for a face sitting on a wooden throne. Above Walt and Orpheus, the night sky turned a dark blue as a bright 0 and 7 appeared over both monsters in the pillars.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
Pendulum Scale: 0

Minos, Judge of Void Deep
Pendulum Scale: 7

The peryton looked at Rainbow Dash with a sense of greed, making Rainbow Dash confused as she acknowledged the monster’s odd stare.

“Let us make this short, Orpheus,” the peryton spoke in a deep female voice, turning her head to him, “before the others have the chance to arrive.”

“Yes, Eurydice,” he responded.

Walt’s shrunk as small as possible with a quivering open mouth.

Is this possible? Walt thought, looking at Orpheus’s deadly-serious eyes. I’ve heard of it, but it seemed too unbelievable to be true. Could this person really be able to talk with duel monster spirits?

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 1 through 6,” stated Orpheus, reaching for a single card in his hand. “Pendulum summon!”

Orpheus placed the card onto the center link on his chain, and from the red portal that formed underneath the star that appeared in the sky was a blue aura the soared down and landed on the surface of the river, where it instantly transformed into a white-robed, grey, blue-eyed humanoid with wings upon its feet and a winged staff in its hand.

“Appear,” called Orpheus, “Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep!”

Walt and Rainbow Dash looked upon Orpheus’s monster with caution, unnerved by its alien appearance.

Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 3

“I now activate the effect of Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep,” stated Orpheus. “Once per turn, I can banish this special summoned card to special summon a monster from either my banished zone or my pendulum zone.”

“Could he be…” Walt wondered.

Orpheus grabbed the monster from his link and slipped it into the bottom slot on the top of his wrist, making the monster on his field dive into the river and sink like a stone in its depths. He then grabbed his pendulum card off the blue crystal and placed it on the center link on his chain, making his peryton monster and the blue pillar it was in disappear.

“She who has crossed through space to this realm” he chanted, as a glowing whirlpool opened up before him, “stun your enemies with your majesty and then devastate them with your raw strength! Descend, Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!”

Orpheus’s blue winged-deer appeared from the watery vortex that opened up on the surface of the water, spreading its wings out to make its presence known.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

The peryton closed its eyes as its majestic wings glowed bright, confusing Walt as to what was happening.

“What are you doing?” asked Walt.

“Eurydice’s effect activates,” explained Orpheus. “This card gains 100 ATK for each of my banished monsters.”

Suddenly, the apparitions of Charon and Hermes appeared near the surface of the water, showing just the amount that there were.

ATK: 1800 -> 2000

“Now, battle!” ordered Orpheus with a point of his finger. “Eurydice, attack Walt directly! Spatial Talon Tearing!”

The peryton flapped its wings and sent itself airborne, soaring back down towards Walt with its eagle-legs aimed out at him. Walt grit his teeth at what was to come, much to Rainbow Dash’s horror.

“Walt, do something!” she screamed.

“I plan to!” he yelled back, whipping his arm to flip a digital green card up on his side of the field. “I activate my quick-play spell Silhouette Shadow! This card reduces a monster’s ATK to 0 until the end phase, and I’ll target Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!”

A bright light shone from behind Eurydice, making her a black figure in Walt’s point of view.

ATK: 2000 -> 0

Eurydice’s body phased through Walt like a ghost, leaving him completely unharmed. Realizing that its attack didn’t connect, the shadowy figure of Eurydice returned to Orpheus’s field.

“Hmph,” Eurydice’s voice chortled, “he’s actually got some prowess behind him.”

“Of course he does,” responded Orpheus. “He is one of Kieran’s after all.”

“Shut up!” Walt barked. “My deck is my own strength!”

“Then perhaps you can entertain me by showing me this strength,” he firmly goaded. “I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 1    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

Right then, Eurydice’s body returned to its solid, blue form, shaking its body from the abnormal feeling of its transformation.

ATK: 0 -> 2000

“You asked for it, you bastard,” growled Walt, his hand upon his deck. “My turn! Draw!”

Walt looked out at the cards in his hand, happy with what he had received. He then grabbed a single card from his hand and wound up his arm, preparing to activate it.

“I activate the spell card Tungsten AA Force!” shouted Walt.

Walt threw the card into his spell and trap slot, showing a green card featuring both Tungsten Wolfram and Tungsten Voltarantula flying out in a blue, electric aura.

“This card lets me special summon two level 3 or lower Tungsten monsters with the same level from my hand while I control no monsters,” he clarified.

Orpheus lowered his gaze and kept his scowl up as Walt plucked two monster cards from his hand, revealing them to Orpheus.

“I summon my level 2 Tungsten Wattllaby and Tungsten Quetztatic,” declared Walt as he placed both monsters on two of his available zones.

Rising from two blue portals that opened on the ground before Walt was his green-and-red bird as well as a small, bright-orange, kangaroo-like creature with yellow lightning bolts designed on its fur, both ready to do Walt’s bidding.

Tungsten Wattllaby
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 2

Tungsten Quetztatic
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 2

Orpheus let out a slightly disappointed moan through his lips as he saw Walt fall into his trap.

“I activate the effect of Minos, Judge of Void Deep in my pendulum zone,” Orpheus stated. “Once per turn, when my opponent summons a level 4 or lower monster, I can target one of those summoned monsters and banish it.”

The creature in Orpheus’s pendulum zone raised its arm out at Walt’s field in between the two monsters, waiting for Orpheus to decide which monster to target.

“I will choose your Tungsten Wattllaby,” he said.

The judge straightened its aim at the marsupial creature, and with a glowing-white hand, shot at white orb that sparked black bolts at the creature.

“I activate my trap, Tungsten Tease!” Walt shouted, motioning his arm to a trap card that flipped up, revealing Tungsten Quetztatic flying over a white beam that seemed to have been attacking it. “When a level 3 or lower Tungsten monster I control is targeted by a card effect, I can negate that effect.”

“Hmm…” Orpheus grumbled.

The white orb still continued its path, only for Tungsten Wattllaby to duck beneath the orb, avoiding it by mere inches. Walt even had to step aside as the orb struck the edge of the forest, producing a short, blinding flash before it vanished.

Walt’s monster looked curiously behind it, seeing a crater left from the attack. While Rainbow Dash sighed in relief at Walt and his monsters’ safety, Walt hissed at the real damage Orpheus’s monster had caused behind him.

“With my monsters now safe,” spoke Walt, “I activate Tungsten Wattllaby’s effect. This card allows me to double the levels of all level 2 Tungsten monsters I control.”

Tungsten Wattllaby tensed up its entire body as both it and Tungsten Quetztatic glowed a bright orange, powering them both up.

Tungsten Wattllaby
Lvl.: 2 -> 4

Tungsten Quetztatic
Lvl.: 2 -> 4

Walt smirked, his pieces now falling into place.

“I tune my level 4 Tungsten Wattllaby with my level 4 Tungsten Quetztatic!” exclaimed Walt.

The green-and-red bird flew up into the air where it curled up into a ball, suddenly spreading its wings and legs out to burst into four stars that formed into four green rings that formed into a pillar aiming at the ground. Tungsten Wattllaby jump into the rings, where his body was rendered into an orange outline with four white stars inside of it.

“The lustrous light of my soul,” Walt chanted, “cast all shadows away with your radiance!”

A beam shot up from the sky and through both rings and monsters, expanding into a bright, greenish-white pillar. Rainbow Dash looked wondrously at the light while Orpheus was still blank and patient.

“Synchro summon!” shouted Walt.

The pillar of light burst away, revealing Walt’s ace dragon, its golden skin glowing in the night.

“My beacon of victory!” concluded Walt. “Tungsten Dragon!”

The monster roared loudly at Orpheus and Eurydice, the latter shielded its face from the warmth of the dragon’s breath.

Tungsten Dragon
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 8

Rainbow Dash, seeing the monster under Walt’s control, smiled confidently.

“Aw, yeah!” she shouted. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

“I’m not done!” Walt spoke, grabbing the last card in his hand. “I now normal summon my Tungsten Voltarantula.”

Walt placed his monster card on the zone next to his Tungsten Dragon card, and from the ground through a blue portal that appeared was Walt’s blue, metallic spider.

Tungsten Voltarantula
ATK: 1300
Lvl.: 3

“Now,” Walt shouted, “taste my true strength! I activate the effect of Tungsten Dragon! Once per turn, I can equip my Tungsten Dragon with one level 3 or lower Tungsten monster I control and have it gain ATK equal to that monster’s ATK, and I choose my Tungsten Voltarantula!”

The spider jumped up and latched onto Tungsten Dragon’s chest, coating it in a yellow aura that made the dragon roar loudly at the moon as energy spread throughout its body.

ATK: 2700 -> 4000

“4000 ATK?” Eurydice hissed. “He really means to defeat us.”

Orpheus stayed silent, his gaze demanding Walt to continue his turn.

“Battle!” Walt ordered. “Tungsten Dragon, attack Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep! Incandescent Inferno!”

With a massive inhale and a glowing from the spider attached to Tungsten Dragon’s chest, Walt’s monster blew out a white beam from its mouth that engulfed Eurydice, making her scream before she vanished in the blast. Orpheus grunted as he shielded his face from the resulting blast, both hurt and saddened by his monster’s destruction.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 4000 -> 2000

Rainbow Dash whooped and laughed loudly at Walt’s success as Orpheus looked back up to face his opponent.

“How was that for strength?” Walt taunted. “Now your monster is banished with no way of returning.”

“Wrong,” Orpheus corrected. “My monster’s effect will bring her back.”

“What?”

“I activate the other effect of Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep! When this card is banished, I can special summon it back to the field once this turn.”

“No way!”

Another vortex appeared in the river, Eurydice flew out from the portal and landed upon her hooves and talons upon the surface of the river.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“And then its ATK increases with my two banished monsters,” reminded Orpheus.

Charon and Hermes’s spirits appeared in the river once again as Eurydice’s wings began to glow.

ATK: 1800 -> 2000

“She just keeps coming back for more,” joked Walt. “Well, next turn, she can have just that. I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

Rainbow Dash smiled smugly at both Orpheus and Eurydice, confident in Walt’s ability to win.

“You will pay for that,” Eurydice threatened with a venomous rasp.

“Calm yourself, Eurydice,” assured Orpheus, somewhat sating her. “Contrary to what Walt here thinks, he will not have a next turn.”

“What did you say, you cocky bastard?” Walt questioned.

“I have all the cards in my hand that will defeat you here and now. It would be pointless to conduct my draw phase. However, if I must defeat you, I must. My turn! Draw!”

Orpheus let his drawn card go, letting it fall face down to the ground, confusing Rainbow Dash on the ground.

“Hey,” shouted Walt, “what’s this?”

“Like I said,” Orpheus spoke, “all I need is what is in my hand now. I will prove that now with this, the final turn of this duel.”

Orpheus revealed a spell card in his hand to the still bemused Walt.

“I activate Culling of Void Deep,” Orpheus said, the card appearing on the field upon activation showing Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep sinking into the depths of a black river. “This card allows me to banish a monster card from my hand, and I will choose my Nyx, Night of Void Deep.”

“Banishing a monster from his hand?” Walt wondered aloud.

Orpheus slid a monster card featuring a black, blue-eyed humanoid on its art into his graveyard slot. At that moment, the white spirit of Nyx appeared beside Charon and Hermes, making Eurydice’s wings glow bright.

ATK: 2000 -> 2100

“I see!” Walt gasped. “He’s strengthening his monster. But,” he said, returning to his grin, “my monster is still vastly stronger than yours!”

“That may be true, but it’s all I need to defeat you,” Orpheus said, grabbing the last card in his hand. “I equip Eurydice with Scylla’s Dagger.”

Placing the card into his spell/trap slot, a large knife with a purple lock of hair tied to the handle rose out of the river and floated towards Eurydice, which she grabbed with her right talon.

“This card can only be equipped to a monster whose ATK is lower than that of a monster my opponent controls,” Orpheus explained.

“Yeah?” Walt wondered. “And what’s your point?”

“This will be my point. Battle! Eurydice, attack Tungsten Dragon!”

Eurydice flew up with the dagger gripped in her talon towards Walt’s monster.

“What?” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“Have you gone completely mad?” Walt shouted. “If you attack, you’ll be down to only a hundred life points.”

“That is not my aim,” Orpheus responded. “Now, continue, Eurydice! Treacherous Slit!”

Eurydice flew around the monster and with the knife held tight, she cut the back of the neck of the dragon, who seemed completely unaffected by it.

“When a monster equipped with Scylla’s Dagger would be destroyed in battle when the equipped monster declares an attack,” said Orpheus, “I can banish that card instead.”

“And you still take battle damage,” reminded Walt.

The dagger in Eurydice’s talon faded out into ash-like flakes, which soared out towards Orpheus’s chest and flew inside, making Orpheus gag in pain as he stumbled to his knees.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 2000 -> 100

“However,” Orpheus grunted, standing back to his own two feet, “Scylla’s Dagger’s true effect activates.”

“What was that?” asked Walt.

“When this card is banished by its own effect, the monster attacked by the equipped monster is banished.”

Walt suddenly seized up at this news.

“What?” he screamed. “Impossible!”

Walt watched with horror as the cut left by the dagger began to glow white spreading over Tungsten Dragon’s whole neck and body. Rainbow Dash too shuddered in fear as Walt’s monster roared in anguish over its impending demise.

“Tungsten Dragon!” cried Walt.

“Furthermore,” Orpheus added, “you take damage equal to that monster’s ATK.”

Walt was too stunned to scream as he saw his dragon, now a shape of light, condense into a single small star on his field.

“Goodbye, Walt,” bid Orpheus.

At that moment, the star exploded in a fiery mushroom cloud, blowing both Walt and Rainbow Dash away as he screamed loudly from the excruciating force and heat from the blast. Before Walt and Rainbow Dash could both crash into the forest, they fell into the crater left by Minos’s effect, tumbling limply down into it together before they stopped in its center.

Walt’s Life Points: 4000 -> 0

Orpheus wins.

With the duel over, the spectral river receded into the ground and Minos, Judge of Void Deep faded away from the field as he put both his Minos and Eurydice cards back into his deck. However, Eurydice continued to keep its form, standing beside Orpheus as they both looked into the crater where Walt and Rainbow Dash were lying unconscious.

“They did put up a decent fight,” Eurydice sighed.

“Still,” Orpheus responded, reaching for the phone in his pocket. “It wasn’t enough.”

Putting the phone to his ear and mouth, he looked up to the moon in the sky.

“Matthew,” he said. “I have the pegasus with me. She is not going anywhere. Also, I have a prisoner with us…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik paced about alongside the limousine, Kieran, Alice, and Twilight standing by each other nervously as they looked out to where Walt, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash would appear.

“Maybe…” stammered Yurik. “Maybe the pin fell off and he stepped on it! Or maybe the battery went dead or it malfunctioned!”

“Those pins are highly durable,” Kieran said. “Besides, if it was on the ground, Walt would have just pushed it into the soil. Secondly, those were fresh batteries I added to those pins. Whatever might have happened, we can only hope for the best.”

The sound of hyper panting came forth from the trees, and Twilight, Yurik, and Alice were initially ecstatic to see as Pinkie Pie came galloping towards them. However, without Walt or Rainbow Dash close behind, as well as Pinkie Pie’s saddened face, their faces became anguished and scared.

“Pinkie Pie,” spoke Twilight as her friend stopped and took fast massive breaths, “what happened? Where are Walt and Rainbow Dash.”

“Orpheus…” she sobbed, tears forming in her eyes. “He found us… and he got Rainbow Dash. Walt stayed behind to help her and told me to go ahead! I’m sorry…”

Pinkie Pie crumpled to her stomach and wept for the loss of her friends. As Twilight tried to console Pinkie Pie with gentle rubs of her back, Yurik shuddered as he looked to the forest where Pinkie Pie had come from. Baring his teeth and furrowing his brow, he began to walk out to the forest.

“I’ll take him on,” he growled, getting Alice and Kieran’s attention. “I’ll make him pay!”

Just then, Kieran’s arm wrapped over Yurik’s back and across his chest.

“No,” Yurik mumbled, realizing Kieran’s intention as he began to pull him back towards the limosine. “No! NO! NO!!”

Yurik flailed his body as he tried to wrench himself free. Alice and Twilight, seeing their friend’s fury, came towards him as well. Alice hugged him from behind around the waist while Twilight managed to cover him in her magic, floating him off the ground and keeping him from going.

“No!” screamed Yurik, continuing to jerk about as he tried to escape. “We have to go back for him!”

“There’s nothing to be done now,” Kieran said. “Like I had said, we will plan a rescue, but now is not the time.”

“Screw you! I’m not leaving him behind!”

“Alice, Twilight, Pinkie Pie,” he instructed, walking to the driver’s side of the car and opening his door, “get in the limousine.”

As Twilight walked to the door and pulling Yurik along with her, Alice and Pinkie Pie gave one last sorrowful look to the forest before following Twilight inside. Yurik, continuing to be pulled in, tried to anchor his feet on the top and the side of the doorway, only for Alice to slide his legs in, allowing Twilight to pull him inside.

“No, no!” he cried, his anger becoming that of sadness as he hung onto the side of the doorway with his hand. “Let me go!!”

Alice pulled both Yurik’s arm away and Yurik’s body in as Twilight’s aura wrapped around the door, closing it. With a start of the engine, Kieran quickly pulled out of the driveway to the forest and sped down the road back to the city.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus looked to Eurydice and put his hand tenderly on the side of her neck, making her ears drop down and her head tilt up as he scratched gently.

“You did very well, Eurydice,” he said. “You may rest now.”

“Yes, Orpheus…” she spoke as her body faded to a translucent blue shape.

The blue aura then was sucked back into Orpheus’s deck, leaving him alone with the battered Walt and Rainbow Dash. Grabbing his chain between the right large link and the blue crystal, it fell limp from beside his wrist device, dangling just above the ground.

Orpheus began sliding the large links through his open hand, folding it up before hooking the whole chain by the large links onto the carabineer on his belt. He then took one last look at Walt inside the crater.

“Brave boy,” he whispered, “but stupid.”

The wind began to pick up around Orpheus, along with a bright light shining down on him. Turning around and looking up, a helicopter lowered itself towards the ground inside the clearing, touching down to retrieve Orpheus and his two captives.
> Episode 10: Gazing into the Abyss, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kieran screwed off the gas hose from underneath the wing of his jet, tossing it to the side as he closed it back up and ran up the stairs to the inside of the plane. Sitting on the floor with his hands buried in his face and his back on the side of the seat was Yurik, with Alice and Twilight sitting beside him with a consoling hand and hoof on his shoulder. Pinkie Pie kept her head down and sobbed as she sat before Yurik.

“It’s over,” he cried. “Walt’s gone and so are our chances of getting home.”

“It’s all my fault too,” wept Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie,” assured Twilight, “it was completely beyond your control.”

“But it was!” she cried. “Walt came up with this idea for us not to get caught and I screwed it up and got Rainbow Dash caught instead. We might never even see them again!”

“That’s enough of that,” Kieran boomed, walking towards Yurik. “I guarantee you that Orpheus is not going to do anything to Walt. All he cares about is the ponies, and he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that he gets them… perhaps even trade Walt for them.”

“Whoa, whoa!” shouted Yurik, standing to his feet. “You’re not seriously considering–”

“If worse comes to worse, we might not have much of a choice. The absolute ultimate goal, mine or Orpheus’s wishes aside, is to ensure you ponies return to Equus.”

“But we like it with you!” spoke Pinkie Pie. “I’d much rather be with you than that nasty Orpheus that hurt Rainbow Dash and probably Walt.”

“Pinkie Pie,” shuddered Yurik, “please don’t…”

“Yurik, Pinkie Pie,” stepped in Twilight, “as much as I like it with Yurik, Walt, and the rest of the Guardiaboliques, Kieran’s right.”

“What?!” Pinkie Pie and Yurik both shouted, facing her.

“The whole reason Walt has been captured by the Interpol, the whole reason they’re in this faction to begin with… is because of us. We shouldn’t force ourselves to stay with the Guardiaboliques if it means Walt’s life is put into jeopardy.

“But that’s a great show!” Pinkie Pie chirped. “I watched it with Billy back at his place.”

“No, jeopardy as in he won’t be able to return home to his own family and friends. Regardless of who takes us back home, we get to go home. If we stay… Walt may not…”

Pinkie Pie, understanding Twilight’s words, drooped her ears with tears in her eyes, abhorred with the ultimatum she would have to make.

“So,” Yurik summarized weakly and sadly, “does that mean–”

“We aren’t deciding anything yet,” Kieran said. “I wish to come up with an option that allows us to have the ponies and Walt back… but Yurik, Pinkie Pie, if our hand is forced, you might be spending the rest of your time on Earth with Orpheus. We’re headed to Glasgow now. Try and come up with something in the next eight to nine hours.”

Kieran walked to the cockpit, disappearing behind the door. Yurik glanced to Twilight, who shared an equally forlorn look. Continuing to look into her face, Yurik closed his eyes and let out few more sobs and a pair of tears.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt’s eyes groggily opened, his vision blurry as he tried adjusting to the light. His sights appeared primarily grey, and upon gaining focus, he realized he was inside of a glass cell with grey walls. Sitting beside him was Rainbow Dash, whom he was slightly surprised to see was no longer bound. Regardless, she looked tired and miserable.

“You’re up,” spoke a voice that jerked Walt’s head to face the glass.

Standing at the glass was Orpheus, his wrist device no longer on his wrist, but his chain still attached onto his belt loop. Walt felt anger rise from the pit of his gut seeing him, and with a furious expression, he stood to his feet, walked to the glass, and slammed against it as hard has he could with his fists. Orpheus continued standing still, unmoved by Walt’s reaction.

“Amazing,” Orpheus said. “Even after taking a full 4000 damage from a duel with me as well as having his ACL struck while running for his life. You’re full of surprises, Walt.”

“How’s about you let me out of here so I can deliver a few surprises to your head!” barked Walt.

“And that’s why I’m not letting you out… yet.”

“Huh? Yet?”

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash shouted, standing up next to Walt. “Where are we? Where are you taking us?”

“As of right now, Rainbow Dash,” responded Orpheus, “we’re currently flying over Russia. Where we are taking you is entirely up to Kieran.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

Orpheus stepped closer to the glass so that his nose was only an inch from it, right in front of Walt’s own face.

“Walt,” he spoke, “I can assume that you have your own life back in Naperville.”

“Napervi– how did you–”

“We had to confiscate your duel disk and phone, and judging by the picture of you and your friends in front of your high school as your wallpaper–”

“You went through my phone?”

“Hand to God, the lock screen was as far as we got. Regardless, I could tell by that picture that you and your friends are very close to each other. Judging by your age and the time of the year, I would say that the three of you will be graduating shortly. Would you like to resume your normal life with them? Or would you rather me ship you off to a prison in your hometown for associating yourself with Kieran and the rest of the Guardiaboliques?”

Walt bared his teeth, not letting Orpheus see his intimidation.

“What does Kieran have to do with that?” Walt asked.

“Knowing Kieran, he too would want nothing more than to ensure your safety. If he’s as smart as I remember him to be, he will give me all the ponies currently in your possession in return for you.”

“What makes you think I should trust you?”

“You don’t need to. All that matters is that Kieran and I can trust each other to make the right decision.”

“Right decision my flank!” yelled Rainbow Dash, “After what you did to me and tried to do to Pinkie Pie, I won’t let you get anywhere near my friends!”

“I’m sorry,” Orpheus said, backing away from the glass, “that isn’t your decision to make. Excuse me.”

Orpheus stepped back to the door of the cell room and slipped through the door, concealing mostly everything on the other side before shutting it and leaving Walt and Rainbow Dash alone. Feeling desperation once again, Rainbow Dash fell to sit on her rump, tears forming in her eyes.

“I’m scared,” she sniveled. “I don’t want my friends getting taken by this crazy monkey!”

“Listen,” Walt said, kneeling down to her. “First of all, we aren’t monkeys, we’re called humans, and being one of them, I’d prefer it if you called us by our proper name. Second, I highly doubt Kieran is going to sell your friends out just for me… not if I have anything to say about it.”

“But… what about your home? Your friends and family?”

“What about them?” Walt asked. “Twilight and Pinkie Pie are my friends too. Sure, so are Yurik and Alice, who you would love, by the way, but I couldn’t live with myself knowing that my freedom was bought with your misery.”

“But… what are you going to do? That Orpheus guy said he was only talking to that Kieran guy.”

“And like I said, I find it hard to believe that he’ll willingly allow you and your friends to stay with him after he knows how he’s been treating us.”

“But… what do we do if he fails?”

“Hehe,” he nervously chuckled as he sat down on his rump and lied on his back. “Then I guess we’re going to be roommates for a while.”

Rainbow Dash, finding solace in Walt’s humor, let out a weak laugh before she walked over to him and curled up beside him, keeping each other warm. Walt, seeing the scared and weak look on her face, gently moved his hand towards the side of her neck and stroked, the sight of her melancholy making her feel sick.

At that moment, the door opened up with Orpheus walking inside with a cellphone in his hand. Walt and Rainbow Dash grumpily sat back up as Orpheus approached them, standing at the wall of glass.

“Stand up,” Orpheus ordered.

Walt looked up to meet Orpheus’s expectant gaze with lazy eyes.

“You know what?” Walt said with a condescending squint. “I kind of like my spot, so I think I’ll stay here.”

Orpheus squinted back at Walt, his disobedience clearly getting a rise out of him.

“I said stand up,” he growled.

“How about you sit down with me? It’s quite comfy, actually.”

Orpheus stayed silent, his patience slowly fading.

“Do you really want to stay in this cage? Do you not want to return to your friends and family”

“What I really want is for you to not treat these ponies like wild animals. Show some god-damned respect and maybe I can respect you in return.”

“Respect, huh? Let me show you my respect for you!”

Orpheus reached his hand out, Walt suddenly feeling a force wrap around his neck and lift him up so that his face was level with Orpheus’s. Walt gagged as he tried to pull whatever held him off, only for nothing to be there.

“Walt!” screamed Rainbow Dash.

“Here is what will happen,” Orpheus said, staring deep into Walt’s eyes. “I have your phone here, and you’re going to give me the passcode so I can call one of your friends to arrange a trade-off so I no longer have to deal with you.”

“Or what?” gagged Walt. “You’re going to suffocate me?”

Walt felt the grip on his neck tighten even more, but to Orpheus’s ire, Walt let out as loud and his powerful a laugh as his squeezed throat could allow. Orpheus, realizing his edge, let Walt go to fall to the floor, Walt gasping for air as Rainbow Dash rubbed his back in consonance.

“You know,” panted Walt, “if you wanted to talk to my friends… all you had to do was ask… you dumb bastard.”

Orpheus sneered at Walt as he put Walt’s phone on and swiped the screen, revealing a keypad.

“And it is…?” he prompted.

Walt, looking at Orpheus’s deadly eyes, breathed in as he thought of something to say.

“The passcode is…” Walt spoke.

“No, Walt!” pleaded Rainbow Dash. “Don’t do it!”

“Don’t do what?” asked Orpheus. “Return you and your friends home? Is that what you’re seriously asking Walt to do?”

“No,” Walt said, looking up at Kieran, “it’s okay, I’ve got this. The passcode is…”

Rainbow Dash looked nervously at Walt while Orpheus prepared his thumb to press the buttons.

“It’s…” Walt strained, before finally smirking. “You know, after you choked me, you might have just killed enough of my brain cells so that I no longer remember my passcode, so I guess that sucks to be you!”

“Hehe,” Rainbow Dash unflinchingly giggled.

Orpheus began to glare at Walt once again before his ringtone, which played the opening of Talking Heads’s Once in a Lifetime. Orpheus suddenly looked to the phone with genuine astonishment as he saw Yurik on the caller ID.

“Perhaps your friends are more sensible than you are,” spoke Orpheus as his thumb tapped the green phone icon, putting the phone to his ear.

“Walt?” Yurik’s voice queried on the other line.

“This isn’t Walt,” Orpheus spoke.

“This is Orpheus?” Yurik asked.

“Yes, I am. Also, I take it you’re Yurik?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik panted as he heard his friend’s prisoner’s voice for the very first time, Alice and Twilight anxiously observing him.

“What have you done to Walt?” he asked.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus stepped to the door with his back to Walt and Rainbow Dash.

“Your friends are safe,” he responded.

“BS!” shouted Walt through his cupped hands.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Hearing his friend’s voice on the line, he froze up.

“Walt?” questioned Yurik. “Walt, is that you?”

“As you can hear,” Orpheus said, “he’s been rather difficult here.”

“Eat me!” Walt shouted.

“I wonder why,” Yurik responded with an irked tone.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Regardless,” said Orpheus, peering from the corner of his vision at Walt, “if he continues his behavior, I might not have any choice but to incarcerate him and your friend.”

Walt looked back at Orpheus’s sideward glare, making him shrink away.

“All I want is the ponies that you have in your possession,” continued Orpheus. “If you comply, you and Walt will be able to return home as if nothing had happened. Of course, this all depends on how well Kieran keeps his end of the deal, which he recently hasn’t been very good at.”

“I won’t give you anything unless you promise me one thing,” said Yurik.

“Name it.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik looked visibly shaken as he was about to name his ultimate price, his guilt wavering him.

“If we give you Twilight and Pinkie Pie,” he demanded, “I want your word that you will treat them like you would any decent person. And the rest of the ponies that are out there, you better not harm them like you did Rainbow Dash.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus stopped his pacing as he considered Yurik’s condition.

“To be completely fair, Yurik,” he said, “once you give me those two, they, along with their other friends will no longer be of concern to you. You will have no idea what happens to the others after that.”

“Do you want me to hang this phone up right now?” questioned Yurik.

“That depends. Do you wish to see Walt in one piece again?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Understand this,” Yurik spat as he aimed his mouth directly into the microphone and pointed at his phone, “if I get even the slightest idea that these ponies will be harmed by you and your men in any way, shape, or form, you and your precious Eurydice can walk circles for absolutely nothing for the rest of your lives. How about that?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus’s eyes shot open as his goal was now hung in front of him.

“No!” snapped Orpheus.

Walt and Rainbow Dash were visibly impressed by Yurik’s apparent ability to finally put Orpheus himself under pressure, their eyes wide and lips pursed. Orpheus scowled his lips, his vulnerability betrayed.

“That’s low,” Orpheus growled to Yurik.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“While we’re on the subject of low,” Yurik responded sarcastically, “just how tight were those ropes that you bound Rainbow Dash with? How frightened did she look as she was rendered completely trapped and immobile?”

“I’m sending these ponies back to help someone dear to me!” boomed Orpheus. “And what does Kieran want? To make his vigilantism legal?

“Well, you see,” Yurik spoke, pacing about, “while Kieran’s goal is to help out millions of people, yours seems to benefit a number of those that I can count on one hand.”

“And how will it feel when Twilight can’t return home because someone continues to be in their way?”

Yurik stopped in his tracks, suddenly shot in the gut with Orpheus’s logic. Yurik placed his phone from his ear and stared at it, hardly unable to believe what he had heard.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Your friend here has been calling me a bastard ever since we first laid eyes back on Mt. Takahata,” spoke Kieran. “You’ve spent an entire week trying to gather her friends to try and return her home. I’ve been looking for how to return Eurydice for seven years. Do you think Twilight would like living that long from the comfort of her home? Wouldn’t you do everything in your power to ensure she could return home after that long if the opportunity represented itself?”

Walt, hearing in on the conversation, felt slightly empathetic as he approached the glass with Rainbow Dash

“All you and your friends are doing by withholding those ponies is not just keeping Eurydice from going home, but them too. So now I ask you, who’s the bastard here?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hey!” Yurik said. “If we keep the ponies, we can ask Celestia to send Eurydice home with them. We can compromise! Let the ponies stay with who they want to!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus stayed silent before he gave his answer.

“No.”

Walt and Rainbow Dash gasped upon hearing this response.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik stayed paralyzed as Orpheus continued to talk.

“What do you mean no–”

“This is a mission I must accomplish myself,” he said. “My decision is final. Either this trade happens, or you won’t see Walt or Rainbow Dash for a very long time.”

Yurik gulped, feeling fear mounting in his stomach again.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt and Rainbow Dash frowned as Orpheus walked back to the cage.

“Where are you headed?” Orpheus asked. “We will meet there.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik, realizing that the Guardiaboliques’s hands were now forced, began to sniffle as he tried to compose himself for his answer. Alice, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie watched as Yurik took in a deep breath.

“Just east of Strathaven, Scotland” he spoke, fighting his tears. “Southwest from Glasgow. The pony Applejack will be there too.”

Twilight and Alice hung their mouths open, realizing what was about to be done.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus, unable to hear Yurik’s sadness, stayed silent as he contemplated their meeting spot.

“Interesting,” he said. “You seem to have gotten a head start on us, so we will meet you there.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik nodded, a tear escaping from each eye.

“Yeah,” he breathed. “I guess you will.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I suppose that’s all then,” Orpheus said as he reached to turn end the call.

“Wait!”

Orpheus quickly put the phone back to his ear, ready to hear Yurik out.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I wish to hear Walt… to be sure he’s okay.”

Orpheus turned to Walt, who stared at him with fire in his eyes.

“Alright,” Orpheus quietly relented.

He approached the glass and pressed the front of the phone to the small holes where Walt could speak.

“I’ll let you say one thing,” Orpheus said. “Choose your words wisely.”

“Okay,” Walt responded with a nod.

Slowly putting his lips to the holes, he took in a deep breath.

“Yurik?” he asked. “Can you hear me?”

“Yeah,” Yurik’s voice called faintly through the receiver.

Walt looked up at Orpheus and then back down at Rainbow Dash before he took one last inhale and made his one statement.

“Don’t give that bastard an inch.”

Orpheus’s mouth hung open as Walt looked up to him with contempt.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik, feeling the honesty and brutality in his voice, stopped his crying as he kept the phone to his ear. Looking back to Alice and Twilight, he nodded to them, letting them know that it would not be over.

“Orpheus?” Yurik called.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Orpheus, can you hear me?”

Keeping his watchful gaze at Walt, Orpheus put the phone to his ear.

“What is it, Yurik.”

“We’re going to sleep on that trade-in,” he replied, making Orpheus squeeze Walt’s phone. “Call us back when we come up something we can actually all agree on.”

With a sudden beeping in Orpheus’s ear, he looked to Walt’s phone to see that the call had been ended. Orpheus furiously turned his head to Walt, who sported a confident grin with Rainbow Dash. Orpheus could only point at Walt as he searched for the exact right words to say.

“Listen here, you brat,” he hissed. “If this trade-off goes to hell because of what you just said, I’ll ensure you never see your friends and family again, you got it?”

“Whatever helps you go to sleep at night,” sighed Walt.

Fighting his urge to kill Walt completely, Orpheus stormed to the exit door, flinging it open with a flick of his wrist and slammed shut once his entire body left the room. Now alone again, Rainbow Dash safely let out a hearty laugh as she fell to the floor.

“That was a good one!” she chuckled.

“Yes,” spoke a voice, stopping Rainbow Dash instantly, “you really made his blood boil.”

Walt and Rainbow Dash turned to see Eurydice the peryton in her full form standing in the entryway. Rainbow Dash jumped back in fright while Walt bared his teeth at her.

“You,” growled Walt. “How badly do you want to get home that you want these ponies to suffer?”

“I don’t wish for them to suffer at all,” Eurydice claimed, a hoof over her chest. “Please do forgive Orpheus; he is not usually this callous. Ever since Equus appeared in the sky, he has been desperate to have Celestia grant him his wish to return me home. And while I want with all my heart to go back, I abhor the way he had taken you, Rainbow Dash.”

Walt looked at her with a skeptical sneer, which seemed to confuse Eurydice.

“Why do you look at me so?” asked Eurydice. “Are my words really that hard to believe?”

“You’re acting a lot nicer than when I was dueling Orpheus,” he said.

“And I apologize for that as well. It is true when Orpheus says I have been his companion for many years. With the promise made by Princess Celestia from Equus, I feel that these may be our final days together. Granted, I’m eager to return home, but I will still miss him. We are still great friends after all.”

“So what does that have to do with tying me up like a hog?” asked Rainbow Dash irately.

“About that, I only want to please my master in my final days of being with him, and if he wants me to hunt, I will do so with no holds barred. I just want him to think kindly of me before we part.”

Walt, still feeling unsure, but understanding of Eurydice’s words, gave her an exasperated shrug.

“So,” Walt said, “how’s that going to help when he takes the ponies from the Guardiaboliques? I don’t think a man with that kind of temper should be working with these guys.”

“Especially Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash mentioned. “She’s not going to like him at all.”

“Please, listen,” asked Eurydice. “I realize Orpheus has become quite volatile these past several days, but I will talk some sense into him. Perhaps we can reach an agreement like what your friend Yurik had suggested.”

“But why?” replied Walt. “Why are you helping us?”

“Because I trust that you can try and help me back home. Orpheus says that he wants to be the one to present Celestia’s ponies back to her, but I would be happier knowing that you and the ponies are somewhere safer and where you want to be.

“If I manage to succeed, will you promise me that upon saving the remaining ponies, you will include my return home as part of your wish?”

Walt, feeling the sincerity in her voice, nodded and smiled.

“Of course,” he said. “I would shake ha… hooves, but…” he croaked, pointing at the glass barrier.

“Not a problem.”

Eurydice reached forwards towards they glass, her hoof and arm phasing through it and presenting himself to Walt, who now leapt back in shock.

“Do we have an agreement?” Eurydice pressed on.

Walt, taking a moment to accustom himself to the sight, stepped forward and gently gripped her soft, but cold and damp hoof. Regardless of Walt’s nervousness, the peryton closed her eyes and smiled with satisfaction.

“Excellent,” she spoke. “I will be sure to talk to Orpheus immediately. Thank you, Walt Faber. Your loyalty and bravery will not be forgotten.”

Eurydice turned back to the doorway and began to glow bright before she quickly faded away. Walt, smiling at the progress that had been made, fell down and sat beside Rainbow Dash, who gave him a congratulatory wink.

“Don’t worry,” Walt cooed, petting her neck to her surprise. “We’ll get you out of here.”

Appreciating the feeling of his hand on her fur, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, drooped her ears, and twitched her front hoof as Walt continued to rub down her neck.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik sat in one of the airplane’s seats with a can of Sprite in his hand, taking small, careful sips as Alice sat by his side. Between sips, Yurik glanced at his phone on his tray table, staring at the screen and waiting for it to come alive with a ring.

“Yurik,” said Alice, “you need to stop this. Eventually, you’re going to have to make the decision again. We’re only an hour from Glasgow, and we need to come to a decision before then.”

“As soon as he comes up with something reasonable,” Yurik replied, taking a stronger gulp of his soda, “then a decision will be made.”

“Yurik, you heard what Orpheus said–”

“I know what he said! He clearly doesn’t want to make a simple compromise, so I shouldn’t see why we have to be the ones to meet his demands.”

“Because he has our friend, Yurik. We promised your mom that we’d be home by Sunday. It’s probably around nighttime on Saturday in Chicago right now, so we can’t afford to wait around on this much longer.”

Yurik looked to Twilight, who sat on the other side of the plane with Pinkie Pie, who looked to be looking out the window together to pass the time.

“Yurik,” Alice cooed, “I know how badly you want to help them, and they’re as much my friends as they are yours, but we also do need to think for their sake. They’ll still be going home, and I’m sure they won’t think badly of us humans all because of him.”

Yurik continued to stare at Twilight, unable to respond to Alice.

“Listen,” she decided, “once we begin to descend into Glasgow, and you haven’t heard from Orpheus by then, call him and tell him you’ve changed your mind and the deal’s on.”

“Yeah,” Yurik whispered, taking another greedy swallow of his drink.

Alice frowned, both feeling Yurik’s pain and admonishing his stubbornness. With an hour left before a final decision could be made, Alice leaned back into her seat and sighed sadly.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus sat in a small office room with a glass of whisky on ice. Staring up at screen of a map of Europe with a red dot flying towards the United Kingdom. Swirling the ice inside his glass, he took a sip, seemingly unaware as Eurydice faded into existence inside the room behind him.

“Where were you?” Orpheus asked calmly.

“I actually had a nice conversation with Walt and Rainbow Dash in the holding cell,” she proudly remarked.

“Hmph. Did Walt call you a b–”

“Actually, he was very kind to me. Perhaps if you had done the job humanely like they clearly have…”

Orpheus turned in his chair, facing Eurydice with an unamused expression.

“I had to do what I could to capture her,” Orpheus spoke. “And I don’t take kindly to people who intentionally screw with me to try and prove a point.”

“You want to hear a point? When our conversation had ended, Walt had promised me that he would see to my return to my home if he and his friends retrieved the remaining ponies.”

“Can you really believe him?”

“Yes, Orpheus, I can.”

Shocked by her response, Orpheus stood from his chair, placed his drink on his desk, and faced Eurydice.

“What was that?” he said.

“He’s not like you,” replied Eurydice, making him gasp slightly. “He’s not attacking you for his own pleasure. He genuinely cares about these ponies, and I feel that he’s more concerned with their return home than whatever reward Celestia has to offer him or whatever punishment he faces. I can believe that he’d extend that gift towards me because he feels doesn’t need it.”

“It’s not his business.”

“Twilight and Pinkie Pie willingly joined the Guardiaboliques with Yurik and Walt to find their friends. It’s absolutely their business. Why do you have to be so stubborn about this?”

“Because I don’t want what took me seven years to accomplish being done by anyone else, especially by him!”

Eurydice, stepped backwards in fright from Orpheus’s outburst, only for him to step back himself, regretful for his volume. Eurydice, seeing Orpheus calm once again, slowly stepped forwards.

“Orpheus,” she said, “you have done wonders to make my life on Earth as comfortable as possible, and I consider you a great friend. However, I don’t like how obsessive you’ve gotten over this whole thing. When I leave here, and you by extension, I want to remember the caring honorable Orpheus that did what he could for his friend, and not the one who harmed others for her.”

Orpheus looked at Eurydice’s shimmering, yet fiery eyes, letting him know all that he had at stake.

“What do you suppose I do then?” he asked.

“I think you know what you must do,” she said, her body beginning to glow. “What would the caring and honorable Orpheus do?”

With her words echoing off, her body flash in light before it disappeared. Orpheus looked blankly at the open spot where Eurydice had once stood, thinking of his decision. He then looked back to Walt’s phone, which lied beside his glass of whisky and melting ice.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik stared at his own phone on his tray table, counting down the seconds before he’d need to tell Orpheus his compliance. It was then that his phone rang, Walt’s name appearing on the ID. Yurik scooped his phone up and clicked the green phone icon, placing it against his ear.

“Is this still Orpheus?” Yurik asked.

“Yes,” he responded. “After some… careful consideration, I am willing to offer you a chance to return with both your friend Walt and Rainbow Dash.”

“What?” Yurik gasped, hopping from his seat and walking to the back of the plane. “What is it?”

From their seats, Alice, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie peered over their seats’ edges, wondering what Yurik was talking about.

“A single duel,” Orpheus said. “Between you and one other person of your choosing against me. It can be Kieran, your female friend, or even one of the ponies with you right now.”

“I… I see.”

“If you and your partner can defeat me, Walt and Rainbow Dash will be returned to you and the Guardiaboliques, and I and The Underworld will shift responsibility of rescuing these ponies to you. But, if you lose, you will take Walt with you back to Chicago and leave the ponies behind with me, no questions asked.”

Yurik stayed silent, feeling his stomach drop as the last words were spoken.

“Listen,” continued Orpheus. “I was convinced to make this decision. I am swallowing all of my pride with this gamble, and I expect the same amount of honor on your end. This is all I can be willing to allow for a compromise. Yurik, will you accept my offer?”

Yurik looking back at Twilight and Pinkie Pie, still watching him over their seats, before he smiled and turned his head back around.

“I accept,” Yurik responded. “Meet us in Scotland.”

Yurik clicked the red phone icon, placing his phone back into his pocket. Spinning halfway towards the front of the plane, he walked to Alice in her seat, who was unsure what had happened to allow Yurik to adopt a determined expression on his face. Stopping before her, he looked down to face her.

“Get your duel disk,” he simply said.

Twilight and Pinkie Pie looked at each other with confusion, but Alice gave Yurik a sly smirk, amused by what she assumed had transpired.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran’s plane landed on a runway at the Glasgow International Airport, both Yurik and Alice standing by the door with each of their duel disks on their arms. Over her sleeveless shirt, Alice wore a short-sleeved dark-green jacket cut just over her navel, along with two long, pointed coattails that ran down and out to the sides of the back of her knees.

The plane finally touched down upon the runway, allowing Twilight and Pinkie Pie to join her friends at the door. Yurik looked out at the city of Glasgow and its lights, which both warmed and chilled his spirits for the gauntlet that was about to be thrown.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Taking a large black van down Glassford Rd. east of Strathaven, Yurik looked out the window to search for the location where Applejack would be. Sure enough, on the right, a large, luxurious farmhouse surrounded by apple trees were visible. Kieran turned onto the path riding up to the driveway to where the house stood.

As Twilight and Pinkie Pie took a look for themselves, they were both surprised and elated to see Applejack herself, orange-coat and blonde mane and tail and all, standing at the deck of the house as she watched the limousine come up.

Even before Kieran could park the car, Twilight and Pinkie Pie scrambled out of the door and galloped to their friend.

“Applejack!” screamed Pinkie Pie with a bright smile on her face.

“Pinkie Pie!” Applejack called in an alto-Southern accent, running down the steps to the ground. “Twilight!”

The three of them threw their arms around each other as they each clamored each other with tearful greetings and sentiments. Yurik and Alice came out of the car next with Kieran exiting the driver’s side door, standing beside them.

Not much longer afterwards, a middle-aged man in a t-shirt and jeans walked out of the house and towards Kieran and the others.

“I can’t believe you guys are here!” Applejack cried.

“You better believe it!” Pinkie Pie chirped. “And that’s not all! Rainbow Dash is coming too!”

“Did you say Rainbow Dash?! Where is she?”

“It’s a bit of a story,” said Twilight uncertainly.

The man walked by the ponies and to Kieran, already extending his hand out.

“You must be Kieran,” the man spoke in a thick native accent.

“And you must be Kel,” Kieran said, shaking the man’s had.

“I have to say, you gave me quite a fright telling me you were coming for Applejack like you were. Until I heard her friends and she heard them, I knew you weren’t lying.”

“It’s perfectly understandable. We only wished to allow you to bring her to us instead of stealing her away.”

“Well, I certainly appreciate it!”

Kel then turned to Applejack with a forlorn glare, which she returned with a warm, caring smile.

“I guess this is goodbye, then,” Kel said with a shrug.

“Not quite yet,” replied Kieran. “We have another party coming shortly that we need to do business with.”

“Is that why, uh… those children have those duel disks on them?”

“Do you mind if we use that field over there?” asked Alice, pointing to a grassy area with about two groups of half-a-dozen budding trees. “We would rather keep this away from the house.”

“Why? You’re not doing anything shady, are you?”

Alice turned herself and began to walk to her suggested spot.

“Not exactly…” she said.

Yurik began to follow her, along with Kieran, Kel, and the three ponies. Applejack trotted to Twilight and leaned her head towards her ear.

“Say, Twilight,” she whispered. “Just what in the hay is happening now?”

“It’s a long story,” Twilight responded. “I’ll tell you when we leave.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Another black van began to appear out of Strathaven, riding up to the orchard where the Guardiaboliques were waiting. Turning into the driveway, the van continued driving until it finally stopped, its driver seeing Yurik and Alice standing beside each other behind a collection of budding trees with Kieran, Kel, and Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack standing on the sidelines.

Stepping out of the vehicle’s left passenger door was Orpheus equipped with his dueling device, who stepped aside with the door held open. Rainbow Dash came pouring out from the car and galloped to the ponies. Rainbow Dash wrapped her arms as tightly around them each as she could, tears streaming from her eyes.

“I missed you guys so much!” she wept.

“We missed you too,” Twilight sighed, “happy to see her friend again.

Yurik looked to Rainbow Dash with a sense of scorn as he redirecting his face towards Orpheus.

“Hey!” he shouted. “Where’s Walt?”

Promptly exiting the car was a man in his mid-twenties and short brown hair leading Walt out of the van, his hands held behind his back. Walt and Alice grimaced at Orpheus as he approached the makeshift dueling field with Walt and his captor.

“Rest assured,” Orpheus said, “your friend is not harmed. Consider him collateral until this deal of ours is settled.”

Yurik and Alice eased their glare, but still looked menacingly at Orpheus as the two of them came closer to the center between the two tree bunches. He and Kieran both shared a blank stare with each other with a mutual respect. Applejack looked to both Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who looked expectant at what was going to happen.

“Can someone please tell me what in Sam Hill is going on here?” she blurted.

“These three are playing a game to decide who we stay with,” Twilight simply answered.

“What in the hay does that mean?”

“Never mind. Just root for that guy and girl over there.”

Walt and his captor stopped on the left side of the supposed field and watched as Orpheus took his spot across from Yurik and Alice, whom Applejack studied for reference.

“What should our rules be?” Orpheus asked.

“4000 life points each,” said Yurik. “One turn per round in a clockwise fashion. Neither of us can conduct our draw phases or attack on our first turns. If either of our life points hit 0, you win. If your life points hit 0, we win.” 

“And as we agreed on the phone, this duel is for both the custody of the ponies Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, as well as the ones who will be allowed to search for the others.”

“Yes,” Yurik complied, then turning to face Walt. “Walt!” He shouted. “We’re going home! All of us!”

“That’s just what I want to see,” Walt replied with a smirk. “Knock ‘em dead, you guys!”

Orpheus stood still as he calculated these rules.

“Fair enough,” Orpheus responded. “I accept these terms and conditions. You can take the first turn in that case, Yurik. Do we all agree?”

“Yes,” Alice responded, removing her blade disk from her duel disk. “And how.”

Orpheus grabbed his chain from his side and whipped it against his dueling device, the chain forming into its check shape and a wave of purple light to shine through it.

“Go Yurik!” shouted Twilight and Rainbow Dash together.

“Take him down a peg or 4000!” cheered Pinkie Pie.

With Yurik detaching his blade disk from his duel disk, both he and Alice tossed their blade disks as the circled around Orpheus on both sides. Upon returning to their owners, the blade disks stopped along their duel disks and shone brightly, their blades sliding out from the lights on both sides of the disk. With that, all three duelists’ decks shuffled inside their slots.

“Connection complete,” said a computerized female voice. “Battle royale commence. Yurik Clayer and Alice Ross vs.… Unknown. Draw.”

Each duelist drew five cards from their decks, staring each other down.

This is it, Yurik thought. Here comes my true test to see if I’m worthy of carrying the Guardiaboliques's honor.

“Let’s go!” shouted Yurik. “I’m ready now!”

“DUEL!” the three of them shouted.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Alice:
LP: 4000

Orpheus:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll go first!” Yurik spoke, pulling two cards from his hand. “I set the pendulum scale with the scale 3 Unioncorn of Fire and the scale 4 Unioncorn of Water!”

Yurik threw both of his cards onto the outer zones of his blades, causing two pillars to arise from the ground on the sides of Yurik’s section of his and Alice’s shared field. Rising from the ground inside the pillars were Yurik’s yellow unicorn with a fiery mane and tail and his unicorn with blue, hairless skin and a kelpy mane and tail. The sky began to brighten into a dark-blue color as a three and a four appeared over Yurik’s monsters.

Unioncorn of Fire
Pendulum Scale: 3

Unioncorn of Water
Pendulum Scale: 4

Applejack hopped up from her front legs in shock, tipping backwards and landing on her rump on the ground.

“Holy guacamole!” she shouted. “Did he just do that?”

“Yes, he did,” Twilight responded, tossing Applejack to all four hooves with her magic. “And those ponies are not real. They’re only images.”

“They look pretty real to me.”

Orpheus glowered at Yurik for his play. 

“I don’t know what your strategy is,” he said, “but you can’t pendulum summon anything with a scale like that.”

“I’m well aware, Orpheus,” replied Yurik. “That’s why I’m activating my Unioncorn of Water’s effect. By negating the effect of a FIRE monster in my pendulum zone, I can double this card’s pendulum scale!”

“Hmm…”

Water began to spring up from underneath the yellow-unicorn’s feet, burning its mane and tail out and making the blue unicorn glow with power.

Pendulum Scale: 4 -> 8

“Pendulum scales?” Applejack questioned. “I can’t understand a lick of this and its makin’ my head hurt!”

“Just watch, Applejack,” said Twilight. “I will tell you later.”

Applejack huffed angrily, still feeling flustered and bemused, especially as a bright star appeared in the sky over the field.

“Now,” called Yurik, “I can special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 4 through 7! Pendulum summon!”

Yurik grabbed two cards from his hand and swiped his hand over his blades, placing two cards upon them. A red portal opened up in the sky, allowing a magenta beam and a green beam to soar down to the ground from it, blasting dust all around Yurik and Alice. Large lavender wings blew the dust away, revealing Twilight Alicorn with its wings still spread out intimidatingly, as well as a green pony with swirling designs on its coat.

“Come to me,” Yurik beckoned, “Pony of Wind! Twilight Alicorn!”

Widening their stances, both of Yurik’s monsters presented themselves to Orpheus.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

Pony of Wind
ATK: 1400
Lvl.: 4

Orpheus looked into Twilight Alicorn’s eyes before he suddenly felt his heart pound forcefully inside his ribs. Disoriented from the lightheadedness the sensation gave him, Orpheus swooned onto one knee. Kieran gasped slightly, as well did Walt’s captor.

“Sir!” the man shouted. “Are you–”

“I am fine, Matthew,” sighed Orpheus, getting back to his feet. “I will be fine.”

Something is very strange about that card, he thought, continuing to look at the lavender alicorn. It… too holds a strange power. And yet… he mused, turning to look at the observing Twilight Sparkle, that monster’s resemblance is remarkably similar to that pony. Just what is this card?

Rainbow Dash and Applejack were stunned by Yurik's monster's appearance and how closely it resembled their friend.

“Twilight?” Rainbow Dash quietly said. “Why does that monster look just like you?”

“I have no idea either,” she responded. “I know we'll try and solve that mystery once we get the rest of you.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued looked at Yurik's field in sheer perplexity.

“Now,” stated Yurik, “the effect of Unioncorn of Water activates. When I pendulum summon monsters while it’s on my pendulum zone, I gain life points equal to the total levels of pendulum monsters that were pendulum summoned times 100.”

The blue unicorn’s horn began to glow as water began to stream from it and around its body.

“Alicorn Twilight’s level is seven,” he explained further, “so I gain 700 life points.”

The water then flew towards Yurik spiraling around him as his body shone blue for a moment, the feeling refreshing him.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4000 -> 4700

“He’s planning on bulking his life points,” Orpheus commented. “He’s really trying to set himself up to win.”

“I now activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn,” shouted Yurik, “allowing me to special summon two monsters inside my pendulum zones! Go! Summon Shine!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn began to become wrapped in a magenta aura, a similar energy covering the two monsters inside his blue pillars. With an electrical pop, both monsters and the pillars disappeared, and both the yellow and blue unicorns appeared on Yurik’s field beside Twilight Alicorn and Pony of Wind.

“Let’s go, Unioncorn of Fire! Unioncorn of Water!”

Orpheus stared out at Yurik’s massive field of monsters as they prepared themselves to attack.

Unioncorn of Fire
DEF: 1200
Lvl.: 4

Unioncorn of Water
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“Four monsters in one turn?” speculated Orpheus, his eyes widening.

“Next, I’ll overlay my level 4 Unioncorn of Water and Pony of Wind!” declared Yurik.

At once, the blue unicorn and the green pony transformed into auras that swirled about each other over a bright red portal forming on the ground.

“With these monsters,” stated Yurik as both monsters flew inside the portal, “I construct the overlay network. Xyz summon!”

An alicorn emerged from the vortex, sporting a forest-green coat striped with black, as well as a mane and tail that looked to be blowing from the bases of its neck and tailbone as a smoky gust.

“Come on!” Yurik screamed. “Allicorn of Typhoons.”

A pair of auras floated around the monster as it took its place in between Twilight Alicorn and Unioncorn of Fire.

Allicorn of Typhoons
ATK: 2300
Rnk.: 4

Orpheus frowned at his difficult situation, leaving Yurik calm and confident as he took the last card from his hand with a smile.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said, slipping the card into his spell/trap slot, making a large card backing appear on the ground.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 4700    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

“My turn!” Orpheus spoke, his hands on a monster card in his hand. “While my opponent controls a monster while I control none, I can special summon Melia, Nymph of Void Deep from my hand.”

Orpheus placed his monster upon the center large link of his chain, and appearing forth from a blue portal on the ground was a grey female humanoid with only two beady blue eyes for a face, red hair, and a white robe.

Melia, Nymph of Void Deep
ATK: 600
Lvl.: 3

“When this card is summoned this way,” explained Orpheus, “it is banished when it leaves the field.”

“Damn,” hissed Walt. “Now it’s starting.”

“Then,” Orpheus said, removing his card from the link and making the creature disappear in a dark swirl, “I tribute my Melia, Nymph of Void Deep to tribute summon a monster from my hand.”

After sliding the card into his graveyard slot, Orpheus took another card from his hand and placed it onto the now unoccupied link on his chain. An ethereal, starry rend in the sky appeared just overhead, Orpheus leaning back up to face it as everyone nearby looked at it with awe.

“She who has crossed through space to this realm” he chanted as a starry portal opened in the sky, “stun your enemies with your majesty and then devastate them with your raw strength! Descend, Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!”

Orpheus’s blue peryton flew down from the special tear and gently set itself down upon the ground, calmly surveying Yurik’s monsters.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“So he brought out his ace on the first turn too?” growled Yurik.

Eurydice, looking at Twilight Alicorn for the first time, widened her eyes and gasped, shuddering.

“That monster’s likeness is that of the alicorn there,” she said with a fearful grunt. “I can also feel a great power exuding from it.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Orpheus said. “I have full faith that your strength outnumbers it.”

Eurydice nodded obediently, yet with a sense of skepticism. Yurik and Alice were both dumbstruck by what they had just witnessed.

“He spoke to his monster,” commented Yurik. “Does that mean that card is Eurydice incarnate?”

“And now the effect of Eurydice activates,” said Orpheus. “This card gains 100 ATK for every monster of mine that is banished. With Melia banished, my monster gains 100 ATK.”

Eurydice’s wings glowed bright as they absorbed energy from the unseen banished zone.

ATK: 1800 -> 1900

“Also,” he continued, “the effect of my banished Melia activates. When this card is banished after it was tributed for the tribute summon of a monster I control, as long as Melia stays banished, all monsters with the name as the tribute summoned monster gain 600 ATK.”

“What was that?” shouted Yurik.

“Which means that Eurydice gains another 600 ATK,” Alice answered. “Which means…”

A ghostly spirit of Melia, Nymph of Void Deep floated up from the ground and flew about Eurydice, showering her in bright blue sparkles before it disappeared.

ATK: 1900 -> 2500

“…both Twilight Alicorn and Eurydice’s ATKs are the exact same.”

Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie looked amazed at Orpheus’s strategy. Walt watched with bared teeth at the strength that Orpheus’s monster now possessed. Kieran and Kel looked flatly Yurik, the former expectant of his abilities.

Yurik and Alice breathed through his clenched teeth with nervousness and tension as he observed Eurydice in all her glory.
> Episode 11: Gazing into the Abyss, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Orpheus’s turn went on, Yurik and Alice stared warily at him, along with the many bystanders along the sidelines of the field.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 5

Already, his monster had already equaled in strength to Yurik’s ace monster, and it now dwarfed the other two monsters that Yurik had managed to summon on his own first turn.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

Allicorn of Storms
ATK: 2300
Rnk.: 4

Unioncorn of Fire
DEF: 1200
Lvl.: 4

The duel was still young, and while neither player had taken damage yet, Orpheus still had more to his own turn before it could end.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4700

Alice:
LP: 4000

Orpheus:
LP: 4000
================

“Now your monster is just as strong as mine,” Yurik commented. “I guarantee you that it will still defeat you.”

“We’ll see, Yurik,” spoke Orpheus, grabbing a pendulum monster from his hand, “but I’m not done. I place Minos, Judge of Void Deep into my left pendulum zone.”

Orpheus swiftly, but diligently put the card upon the red crystal on the end of his chain. On right side of Orpheus’s field and rising from the ground there was a large grey humanoid in a burly robe and sitting on a masterfully carved throne of wood.

Minos, Judge of Void Deep
Pendulum Scale: 7

Walt tensed up involuntarily at the sight of the monster, remembering it from his own duel with Orpheus.

“Yurik,” he shouted, “Alice! Watch out for that thing!”

“Silence!” shouted Orpheus. “Hints will not be allowed in this game.”

“Fine by me,” Yurik said, shifting himself down defensively. “I don’t mind a learning experience.”

“There is no learning here, Yurik. Either you succeed or fail; there is no trying again.”

Yurik frowned at Orpheus as the latter grabbed both of his cards from his hand and placed them in the slot above the graveyard.

“I place two cards face down” he said as the cards’ backings appeared on the ground, “and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 1    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 2

Alice smirked as she looked upon both of Yurik and Orpheus’s ace monsters.

“So your strongest monsters are all out,” she stated, reaching for her deck. “Let’s see if I can bring mine out to join you. My turn!”

Alice looked at the front card of her hand, delighted with what she had drawn. Picking it up, she slapped the card onto the right zone of her left blade.

“I summon Multiply Maggot,” Alice declared.

Rising from a blue portal in the ground was a large, pink, fleshy grub, its body aimed towards Orpheus’s body.

Multiply Maggot
ATK: 100
Lvl.: 3

Walt gasped as he realized what was about to happen. Orpheus sighed in disappointment as he looked at the defenseless looking monster.

“I activate the effect of Minos, Judge of Void Deep in my pendulum zone,” he said. “Once per turn, when my opponent summons a level 4 or lower monster, I can target that monster and banish it.”

“What was that?” Alice shouted fearfully.

“Minos,” ordered Orpheus, “send that monster away from here. Vicious Verdict!”

Minos raised its arm and aimed the palm of its hand at Multiply Maggot, shooting a white ball of energy at it. With a loud squeak, the insect was zapped inside the ball before the both of them vanished. Alice screamed nervously as she threw her hands on her head and flailed her body around, much to Orpheus’s displeasure.

“My Multiply Maggot!” she screamed. “What am I going to do?”

However, Yurik and Walt looked more bored with her routine as they rolled their eyes and sneered, putting Orpheus on edge once he realized what he had done.

“Just kidding,” Alice calmly said with a smile and a cease in movement. “Now you’ve allowed me to activate my monster’s effect! When this card leaves the field,” she explained, her cards in her deck shuffling themselves, “I can special summon two more Multiply Maggots from my deck!”

Two cards slid out from the top of her deck, allowing them to draw them both and reveal them to Orpheus.

“Now,” she said, “let’s bring these beauties out!”

With a frantic wave of her hand, Alice placed both cards onto her zones, two more giant pink grubs to appear on the field before her in the first one’s place.

Multiply Maggot
ATK: 100
Lvl.: 3

Multiply Maggot
ATK: 100
Lvl.: 3

“I’m not quite done yet,” Alice said, grabbing another card from her hand. “If I control two or more insect-type monsters, I can special summon the tuner-monster Silken Worm from my hand.”

Alice placed her next card beside the Multiply Maggot card on the left, and from another blue portal, a thin, white caterpillar spun its body around and squeaked as it made its arrival.

Silken Worm
ATK: 600
Lvl.: 3

“A tuner monster?” Orpheus questioned. “And she used me to summon it?”

“Now, that the pieces are in place,” said Alice, waving her hand across her field to refer to her three monsters, “I tune my two level-3 Multiply Maggots with my level 3 Silken Worm!”

Silken Worm shot a soft string from its front end and quickly wrapped it around itself, making it glow bright before it transformed into three stars that quickly floated towards the sky like balloons. The stars quickly disappeared and changed into three green rings that descended towards the ground.

“General of the insects,” chanted Alice, “obliterate the enemy forces with your magnificent military might!”

Alice’s Multiply Maggots hopped up into the rings, their bodies becoming two pairs of three stars inside the outline of their bodies that quickly faded away. The stars aligned to form a single line of six, a light beam passing through them before the light spread out, covering the green rings.

“Synchro summon!” Alice exclaimed.

Appearing from the beam was a monstrously large praying mantis in red-colored bronze armor as well as a headdress, its long arms plated with blades.

“Show yourself,” she finished, “Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord!”

The monster stood directly in front of Alice, allowing her to see the battlefield while also receiving her monster’s protection.

Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 9

Twilight and Rainbow Dash stared with their mouths agape at Alice’s monster.

“Oh, lord,” gasped Kel, still standing beside Kieran.

Orpheus looked upon Alice’s massive insect and Yurik’s alicorn, finding it within himself to smile.

“So now all of our ace monsters our on the field together,” he said, “but unfortunately, yours will have to wait until your next turn in order to attack.”

“I know,” Alice huffed in annoyance, grabbing one card from her hand before slipping it into her spell/trap slot, making a large card backing appear in front of her. “I place one card face down and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

Eurydice looked at Yurik, as he began to reach for his deck.

“I must warn you,” she said, shocking Yurik as he looked up to face her, “this is now where the duel shall begin. If you want to prove yourself worthy for the sake of your friends do not let up. But know this, Orpheus will not let up either, and you must employ all of your strength if you wish to defeat him.”

“Hmph,” Yurik responded with a smirk, “you act like I don’t already know this.”

“I never implied such a thing, but Orpheus is not like any duelist you have faced.”

“Eurydice,” scolded Orpheus, “let Yurik take his turn and learn for himself.”

“Yes…” she responded, shying down, “Orpheus.”

“My turn!” Yurik shouted, grabbing the top card of his deck. “Draw!”

Yurik promptly added the card to his hand, already eyeing his green-and-black alicorn.

“I activate the effect of Allicorn of Typhoons,” he shouted, removing a card from underneath his monster’s card. “By detaching one xyz material from this card, I can destroy one spell or trap card on the field, and I’ll choose your Minos, Judge of Void Deep in your pendulum zone!”

As one of the bright orbs circling around the monster melded with its horn, Applejack stood morbidly confused once again.

“I thought that thing was a monster, though.” Applejack squawked. “Are they just making up the rules as they go along?”

“Those monsters are also treated as continuous spell cards,” explained Twilight calmly, “so Yurik’s effect works.”

“Continuous spell cards? There are different kinds? Aw, the heck with it,” she mumbled, sitting down with her arms crossed, “I’ll just wait and see which one wins, that is if I know how they even did…”

Allicorn of Storms thrust forward with its horn glowing. Pulling to a quick stop and swinging the lower half of its body forward, it flapped its wings and shot a spell at the gathered gales, forming a bright, swirling ball that sped towards Minos.

Striking it, the judge let out a painful groan as it shattered away into sparks, the ball of wind and magic fading away with it. Orpheus stood perfectly still as the sparks blew into his face, which only continued to look at Yurik disdainfully.

“Yes!” whooped Yurik. “Now my future monsters are safe!”

“However,” Orpheus spoke, “you have only served to make my monster stronger.”

“What are you talking about? Your monster was just sent to extra deck, not banished.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Yurik. The effect of Minos, Judge of Void Deep states that when it would be sent to the extra deck, it is banished instead.”

“What?”

Eurydice spread its glowing wings as ghastly specters of Melia and Minos appeared on field beneath them.

“Eurydice’s ATK now goes up another 100 points,” Orpheus concluded.

The two spirits vanished, but Eurydice’s wings continued glowing.

ATK: 2500 -> 2600

“Oh no!” Rainbow Dash cried. “Now Eurydice is stronger than Twilight Alicorn!”

However, upon sighting Yurik and Walt’s still smiling faces, she resumed her confusion.

“Hey, uh,” she said to Twilight. “What’s going on? Why is Yurik smiling.”

“Just watch,” Twilight replied, a smug smile on her own face.

“There’s one more part to Allicorn of Typhoons’s effect,” called Yurik. “When this card successfully destroys a spell or trap card, it gains 500 ATK.”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash perked up. “But that means…”

“His monster’s ATK is higher than Eurydice’s!” chirped Pinkie Pie, hopping up and down.

Allicorn of Typhoon’s still glowing horn found the energy around it enveloping its entire body, making it whinny loudly into the sky.

ATK: 2300 -> 2800

Alright! thought Walt. Without his field spell card, Eurydice will have no choice but to go to the extra deck.

“Attack!” shouted Yurik. “Allicorn of Typhoons, destroy Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep! Horrorcane!”

Shining its horn bright and fanning its wings at Yurik’s monster, a massive wave rose up from the ground and threatened to swamp the field. Eurydice grunted as the wall of water crashed into her, disintegrating her into gold sparks. Orpheus kept his ground as he was rammed by the water, his feet sliding backwards ever so slightly as the wave continued to force itself into him.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3800

“Alright!” Walt cheered. “Eurydice is as good as gone!”

As the water began to settle, one of the larger puddles on the field began to glow brightly.

“What the–” Yurik wondered.

At that moment, Eurydice flew out from the puddle and landed back on the field, looking as strong and healthy as ever.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“What?” Twilight and Rainbow Dash shouted at the same time.

“How?” Yurik gasped. “How did Eurydice return?”

“By its effect, of course,” Orpheus responded.

“But that’s only when the monster’s banished!” Walt shouted. “Your monster was destroyed and sent to the extra deck! …Right?”

“The effect of Eurydice states that when it would be sent from the field to the extra deck, it is banished instead.”

“No… no way…”

“And by its secondary effect, when it is banished, it special summons itself back onto the field.”

Alice hissed at this setback.

“I am no monster to be trifled with,” warned Eurydice. “It will take much more than simple tricks to defeat me.”

“And of course,” reminded Orpheus, “the effect of my banished Melia is still in effect, as well as Eurydice’s other effect, increasing my monster’s ATK.”

Eurydice spread its radiant wings out as Melia and Minos’s spirits reappeared below them.

ATK: 1800 -> 2600

“So now your monster is still weaker than mine,” said Orpheus. “There is nothing left for you to do now.”

“Yeah, right,” Yurik begrudgingly agreed. “I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4700    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

“This is bad!” whined Rainbow Dash, her hooves on her head. “If Eurydice attacks Twilight Alicorn, it’ll destroy it!”

“Calm down, Rainbow Dash,” assured Twilight. “I guarantee you that Yurik will not let his monster go down so easily.”

“I sure hope not,” Applejack said. “If what you say is true about that Orpheus feller and him taking us, Yurik and Alice are gonna’ need to step it up.”

“But still,” tweeted Pinkie Pie. “It’s two on one! That’s one more person than Orpheus has to help him.”

“Wrong,” Kieran spoke up, removing Pinkie Pie’s smile. “Orpheus’s deck has the strength of two duelists. This is about as fair a fight as one could muster against him. Make no mistake, ponies, Yurik and Alice are facing a challenge unlike which they have ever seen.”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash, acknowledging Kieran’s words, turned back to look at the duel, unsure of how Orpheus would retaliate.

“My turn!” he shouted, his hand on his deck. “Draw!”

Orpheus glared at his card, already moving it towards his chain.

“I summon the tuner monster Orpheus, Bard of Void Deep!” he declared.

“A card named Orpheus too?” Walt shouted.

“And it’s a tuner…” growled Alice forebodingly.

Orpheus placed his monster onto the link to the left beside his Eurydice card, and from a blue portal that opened beside the peryton, was a black-robed grey humanoid with a lyre in his arm.

Orpheus, Bard of Void Deep
ATK: 800
Lvl.: 2

“Tuner monster?” gasped Twilight. “He can also synchro summon?”

Orpheus and Eurydice together… mused Yurik. Just what could he possibly be bringing out?

“I now tune my level 5 Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void deep with my level 2 Orpheus, Bard of Void Deep!” Orpheus shouted, throwing his hands up in the air.

The Orpheus monster leapt up into the air and let out a melodic strum of its instrument, becoming covered in light before it burst into two green rings that aligned back towards the ground.

“Queen of the underworld and the master of the harvest,” chanted Orpheus, “allow me to harness your power and reap my victory!”

Eurydice, flapped her wings and flew inside the rings becoming an orange outline with five white stars inside her. The outline faded away as a bright line pierced through the stars and spread out over and around the two green rings.

“Synchro summon!” shouted Orpheus.

The pillar faded away, revealing a white-skinned humanoid with large blue eyes, black hair, and a stoic expression on its visible mouth, as well as a greyish-green dress.

“Appear!” he concluded. “Persephone, Queen of Void Deep!”

The monsters floated gently onto the field on the left of the center spot of the field, frightening Yurik and Alice with her nearly human appearance.

Persephone, Queen of Void Deep
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 7

“When Persephone, Queen of Void Deep is special summoned to my side of the field,” explained Orpheus, reaching for his deck, “I can draw one card.”

Yurik and Alice panted as Orpheus threw his arm out, a card pinched in between his index and middle finger. Adding the card to his left hand, he pointed at the center of his field

“And since Eurydice has been banished by its effect,” he said as a bright whirlwind appeared on the center monster zone, “it is special summoned back to the field.”

A blue light swirled about and melded with the twister before it took the form of Eurydice, setting itself back on the ground beside Persephone.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“And with Orpheus now in the banished zone due to its effect with my other two monsters, including Melia, Nymph of Void Deep, its ATK increases by yet another 100.”

Spirits of the Orpheus monster, Melia, and Minos appeared underneath the peryton’s glowing wings.

ATK: 1800 -> 2700

Kel gasped loudly beside Kieran, gaining his attention.

“Unbelievable!” Kel said. “Even on his own, he’s toying with those other two like mere children.”

“Orpheus is one of the strongest duelists I’ve ever known,” said Kieran. “Despite Yurik and Alice being two of my best duelists, they absolutely need each other in order to have any chance of defeating him.”

“Oh…”

Twilight and the other three ponies looked fearfully upon Orpheus’s monsters as Orpheus looked upon his opponents.

“It’s a shame,” he said. “I expected more of a fight coming from two people. At least Walt forced me down to my last hundred life points.”

Yurik and Alice seethed at the insult, which Orpheus didn’t seem to acknowledge.

“Regardless…” he continued. “Battle! Eurydice, attack Twilight Alicorn. Spatial Talon Tearing!”

Twilight Alicorn took two wary paces back as Eurydice flew up into the air and rocketed back down with flexing talons preparing to strike.

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn!” shouted Yurik. “Once per turn, I can place this card on an unoccupied pendulum zone!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn flared up as it strained to hold its magic, suddenly disappearing from the field and reappearing on Yurik’s right side of the field.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

Yurik smiled to see his monster safe.

“So you evaded my attack,” Orpheus said. “No matter. There are still two others left to deal with. Eurydice, attack Allicorn of Storms!”

The blue peryton twisted itself towards the green-and-black alicorn, flipping its talons forward to strike.

“I activate my trap, Overlay Avoid!” shouted Yurik, his hand pointing to an overturning trap card with what appeared to be a knight with a full-body pearl armor glowing brightly. “This card lets me detach one xyz material from an xyz monster I control to prevent its destruction for the rest of the turn.”

A light orb quickly collided with Yurik’s monster’s horn, producing a shield that blocked Eurydice’s sharp talons, bolts of lightning showering down onto Yurik’s field.

“You still take damage, however,” spoke Orpheus.

The lightning began to hail down upon Yurik, making him scream loudly as he felt the bolts zap his entire body.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4700 -> 4300

Yurik limply fell to the ground, frightening Alice, Walt, Kel, and the ponies on the side of the field.

“Yurik!” shouted Walt, struggling against Matthew’s grip.

Yurik weakly got up, his body and clothes smoking an burned on several parts.

“What was that?” muttered Yurik, looking at the small streams of smoke on the his forearms. “I felt that… like I was really being struck by lightning. Who… who is this guy?”

“I’m not done yet,” said Orpheus. “Battle! Persephone, Queen of Void Deep, attack Unioncorn of Fire! Sweltering Seed!”

Aiming its arm at the yellow-unicorn, its hand glowed bright before red-hot seeds fired at it like rounds from an automatic rifle. The seeds destroyed the crying horse as it faded away into gold dust. Yurik groaned as the dust blew into his arm-shielded face.

“Furthermore,” said Orpheus, “is Persephone’s effect. When it attacks and destroys a defense position monster, damage is inflicted equal to the DEF of that monster.”

“Sucks to be you,” Yurik grunted, standing up back strong. “Twilight Alicorn’s pendulum effect reduces all effect damage to me to 0!”

“Oh?” Orpheus responded, genuinely surprised. “Then I shall fix that. I activate my trap, Stygian Winds!”

“What?!”

A trap flipped up on Orpheus’s field showing a waterspout forming on what appeared to be his Styx River field spell card.

“This card allows me to target one card in either person’s pendulum zone and banish it, and I’ll choose your Twilight Alicorn.”

From the wind blowing onto Yurik’s field, a black tornado formed, slowly moving towards a frightened Twilight Alicorn.

“I activate Twilight Alicorn’s other pendulum effect,” Yurik called out, “allowing me to special summon it onto my field in attack position!”

Orpheus let out the smallest of grimaces as Twilight Alicorn charged its horn and disappeared from the tornado’s path, making it disappear as well. Twilight Alicorn reappeared on the field beside Allicorn of Storms, breathing contently at its renewed safety.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Alright!” cheered Rainbow Dash. “Now Yurik’s monster is safe!”

Walt looked relieved as well, only to see Persephone aim its hand and Yurik once again, making him seize up as he realized what would happen.

“No!” he shouted. “Persephone’s effect!”

“And now that Twilight Alicorn has been removed from your pendulum zone,” warned Orpheus, “you will take that 1200 points of damage.”

Yurik was too stunned to move as seeds shot back out from Persephone’s hand and just at the ground before his feet, exploding the ground and throwing the shrieking Yurik up into the air.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4300 -> 3100

“Yurik, no!” yelled Alice.

“My orchard!” Kel screamed, looking at the sizable hole left by the assault.

Yurik landed forcefully upon the ground, lying still once he finally stopped rolling.

“Yurik!” cried Twilight, galloping out to him.

“Stop!” shouted Orpheus, keeping her still. “If you help him up, I will consider it a forfeit. This is his fight to face and his alone. If he cannot muster the strength to stand, then he has no right to have you with him.”

“You’re a monster!” she wailed, tears flowing from her eyes. “Is this how you’re going to win! By physically beating him into submission? What’s fair in that?”

“Twilight…” rasped a voice behind him.

She turned around to see Yurik, jerking his sore body up to his feet as he looked right at Orpheus. Orpheus looked blankly at him while Eurydice forced a smile for his ability to continue on.

“Here I stand…” growled Yurik. “Now continue your turn… or end it now… you bastard.”

Orpheus, the fronts of his teeth showing in anger, grabbed the only card from his left hand and into his right.

“Now that I know all your monster’s secrets,” Orpheus responded, “this will be a far easier match for me. I place one card face down,” he declared with an insertion of his card into his duel disk and its appearance on the field, “and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 3800    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 2

Alice continued to look at Yurik, whose knees continued buckling as he continued sliding his feet on the ground to find balance.

He hasn’t touched me yet, Alice responded. If I can somehow get his attention over to me…

“My turn!” shouted Alice, her hands upon her deck. “Draw!”

Peering at the card she had drawn, she smirked widely, a plan forming in her mind.

…and this just might do the trick.

“I activate the effect of Persephone, Queen of Void Deep,” stated Orpheus.

Alice’s smile quickly turned into one of shocked fright, unsure of what was about to happen.

“During the standby phase of my opponent’s turn,” he explained, “Persephone is banished from my field.”

“What!” she shouted. “Impossible!”

A pool of oily water opened up below the monster, where it casually sunk down into its depths and out of sight.

“But that means…” calculated Alice.

“That Eurydice’s ATK is increased by another 100,” he concluded.

Eurydice’s wings glowed bright as it brayed to the moon in the sky, overwhelmed by the boost in power it had received.

ATK: 2700 -> 2800

Alice stared with fearful eyes at Eurydice, feeling hope draining from her with each passing second.

No… she thought. Now its ATK is equal to Cao Cao’s. However… unless I do something, Yurik is going to continue being the brunt of Orpheus’s attacks.

Alice bowed her head as Orpheus read her, waiting for a decisive reaction. The ponies, Walt, Kel, and Kieran watched intently as well, wondering what kind of plan she had laid out. With a shooting up of her head, she looked at Orpheus with furious eyes.

“I can still destroy that monster of yours once and for all!” she stated.

Orpheus kept his head down and his frown strong, awaiting this supposed promise.

“I summon Malisquito!” she declared, placing her drawn card upon the zone next to her Cao Cao card.

Emerging from a blue portal beside the monster was a large, but horrifyingly skinny mosquito with an small abdomen.

Malisquito
ATK: 1400
Lvl.: 4

“I now activate the effect of Malisquito!” continued Alice. “Once per turn, I can target one monster on my opponent’s side of the field and reduce its ATK by 1000.”

Orpheus bared his teeth, already knowing which monster it would be.

“There’s only one monster you have,” Alice shouted, “and it’s Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!”

Malisquito flew itself over to Orpheus’s field and forcefully inserted its long needle into Eurydice’s chest, making her cry out in pain as the insect’s abdomen began to fill up with red.

ATK: 2800 -> 1800

“Furthermore,” Alice went on, “my monster gains 500 ATK.”

Orpheus continued to seethe as Alice’s monster slid the needle from the winged-deer’s chest and flew back to Alice’s field.

ATK: 1400 -> 1900

“Alright!” cheered Pinkie Pie. “Now both of their monsters are stronger than Eurydice!”

Applejack, a fire brewing inside of her upon seeing Alice’s furious face, couldn’t hold back her excitement.

“Go, Alice!” she cheered. “We know all y’all can do it!”

Eurydice swooned as it tried to maintain its footing, weakened by her loss of blood, scaring Orpheus genuinely.

“Eurydice!” he shouted, reaching out.

“Don’t worry about me,” she grunted back. “Just focus on the duel.”

Unable to keep his glancing eyes away from Eurydice, he shot the rest of his anger and attention towards Alice.

“Despciable,” he hissed. “To use my monster’s lifeblood to strengthen yours.”

“Yurik and I are doing everything we can to win this duel,” snapped Alice, “just like you. Pardon me if we use dirty tactics too.”

Orpheus clenched his fists, failing to compose himself before her.

“Now, battle!” Alice ordered. “Malisquito, attack Eurydice! Plague Lance!”

Shooting itself back towards Eurydice, Malisquito drove its needle deeper and harder into Eurydice’s chest, disintegrating her into golden sparks. The dust blew into Orpheus, the sting from it hitting his face making him groan.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 3800 -> 3700

“The effect of Eurydice activates,” he spoke. “When my monster would be sent to the extra deck, it is banished instead. Then, when it’s banished, I can special summon it to my field!”

A black-and-white swirling portal formed in the ground, Eurydice leaping out of it and back onto Eurydice’s field.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“And with Melia’s effect as well as its own,” resumed Orpheus, “its strength returns.”

The peryton’s wings shone brightly as it shouted out loud with the power it absorbed.

ATK: 1800 -> 2800

“Your remaining monster’s ATK is now equal to mine again!” shouted Orpheus, a maddening smile forming on his lips. “So end your turn now and let Yurik try and muster through his!”

“How about you shut the hell up and let me play!” barked Alice.

“What? Do you intend to tell me that you still have a strategy that can defeat me?”

“No. I’m just going to do it! I activate the effect of Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord!”

“What did you say?”

“Once, during my battle phase, I can tribute one insect-type monster I control to reduce the ATK of one monster my opponent controls by 1000 until the end phase.”

“No!” screamed Orpheus, now looking mortified. “You can’t!”

“I can!” exclaimed Alice. “And I definitely will! I tribute Malisquito to reduce Eurydice’s ATK!”

Cao Cao bent its body down and picked up Malisquito in both of its arms. Winding up and back, the massive praying mantis chucked the bug at Eurydice. Malisquito became coated in a thick green fog that formed a tail as it flew, striking Eurydice and disappearing. At that moment, Eurydice, heaving with illness and soreness, stumbled down onto the shins of its legs.

ATK: 2800 -> 1800

“Now that your monster has used its effect already this turn,” explained Alice, “your monster will now stay banished!”

“You’re relentless!” Orpheus shouted. “An absolute fiend!”

“Takes one to know one, bastard! Now, battle! Cao Cao, attack Eurydice! Red Scythe Slash!”

The large insect ran out onto Orpheus’s field, its bulgy eyes focused on its target. With its arms raised up, Cao Cao swung down upon Eurydice, but not before she smiled in respect before she exploded. The blast threw Orpheus off his feet as he yelled loudly in anguish, landing hard upon his back and stopping right where he landed.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 3700 -> 2700

The ponies and humans, even Kieran, stood slack-jawed over Alice’s accomplishment. Orpheus failed to get up, demoralized by the loss of his monster. Yurik stared bug-eyed at the fallen Orpheus, and then back at Alice. In response, she gave a short chuckle and a thumb-up.

“Yeah!” screamed Walt, jiggling about in Michael’s grip. “That was the bomb, Alice!”

An eruption of cheering sounded off from the ponies as Alice gave them a smiling thumbs-up as well. Kel, moved by Alice’s strength, applauded her. Kieran smiled and gave a nod to Alice in approval. Still down on his back, his shoulders and neck riddled with pain, a stream of tears flowed down the side of Orpheus’s head and onto his ears.

I’m sorry, Eurydice, he thought. I didn’t want you to go through that.

“What are you talking about?” an echoed voice boomed in his head, shooting his eyes open. “That’s exactly what I’m here for. You won’t disappoint me by losing, but you’ll certainly do just that by crying like a child as you are.”

“Eurydice…” he whispered.

“Get up and finish what you started, Orpheus! I will not accept you lying on your back for a second longer!”

Orpheus forcefully rolled himself onto his back, pushing himself up to his hands and knees, stopping the celebrating that came from the others. Wavering back onto his feet, Orpheus stood tired, but furious as hell as he breathed in and out through his teeth.

“Someone looks angry,” taunted Alice.

“You don’t even know half of it,” whispered Orpheus.

Alice huffed proudly, grabbing a card in her hand.

“I activate the spell card Treasure Trough,” she said, putting the card inside the slot, the art revealed on the field showing a wooden chest filled with torn and dirtied high-leveled monster cards. “I can activate this card by tributing a level 7 or higher monster I control, and I’ll choose my Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord.”

The monster began to glow bright before it burst like a bubble, leaving no trace of it, leaving Orpheus confused.

“Then,” she said with a flat palm raised up as a large gold coin appeared upon it from thin air, “I flip a coin. If it’s heads, I draw three cards. If it’s tails, an opponent draws three cards, and my opponent will be… Yurik!”

“What?” Orpheus shouted.

“Battle Royale rules,” she reminded him. “Each person is treated as an opponent, but since there are two, I’m choosing who my opponent is, so this card affects Yurik and me, not you.”

Orpheus gripped his fists tighter as Alice wound her arms back.

“Here we go!” she shouted, tossing the coin up.

A large dragon’s head and a dragon’s tail were embroidered on each side of the coin respectively. The other ponies watched as the coin bounced off the ground and landed back onto the tails side.

“Yes!” Alice cheered. “And now Yurik will draw three cards!”

“Wait!” wondered Orpheus. “That wasn’t intended for you?”

“Of course not! Now I’m sure Yurik will have all he needs next turn to defeat you, right, Yurik?”

“Yes, ma’am!” he called, drawing his three cards in one stroke of his arm.

“Good then,” she responded. “With that, I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4000    Monsters: 0    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

“You…” growled Orpheus, “you fool. You left yourself with only one set card and nothing else. Do you really expect your opponent to go alone?”

“He doesn’t need to,” responded Alice with an angry stare. “I have full confidence that Yurik will pull through for us because he’s a very strong duelist. That, and it’s his next turn. Ready, Yurik?”

“Ready,” he responded. “My turn! Draw!”

Adding the card to his hand, he grabbed a spell card and reeled his arm back.

“I activate Allicorn Enchant!” he shouted, the card on the field showing an alicorn with its horn glowing bright. “This card allows me to activate an Allicorn monster’s effect without having to detach an xyz material.”

Orpheus frowned his lips together as hard as he could, bowed his head, and closed his eyes.

“Those set cards scare me,” Yurik said, “so I will activate Allicorn Of Typhoon’s effect to destroy the center set spell or trap card!”

The alicorn’s horn began to glow bright on its own as it soared out towards Orpheus and shoot a green ball of energy at him, its wings flapping at the spell with the wind merging with it. As it came closer to his card, Orpheus shot his head up, his eyes opening as wide as they could.

“I chain my trap!” he shouted, throwing his arms to the card in his center zone. “Stygian Reborn!”

The card flipped up to reveal what looked to be Orpheus, Bard of Void Deep flying out from a bright portal in a black void.

“This card lets me target one of my banished monsters and special summon it, and I choose Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!”

“What did you say?” yelled Yurik.

A bright portal opened on the ground with Eurydice promptly flying out from it. Keeping its wings to its side, the winged deer landed safely on the ground, looking straight at Yurik and his field.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“And with my banished monsters, including Melia,” clarified Orpheus, “Eurydice’s ATK increases!”

Eurydice threw her wings out as they glowed, absorbing the energy from Orpheus’s banished monsters.

ATK: 1800 -> 2800

“Now that my trap has been activated,” Orpheus said with an insane grin, “your monster can’t increase its ATK! And now, none of your monsters can touch mine!”

The ponies gasped and sighed at the now failed attempt to defeat Orpheus once and for all. Yurik himself hissed in disappointment.

“Yeah,” he growled. “I suppose you’re right.”

Yurik then reached for a pendulum monster in his hand.

“I tribute my Allicorn of Typhoons to tribute summon Armored Unioncorn!” Yurik declared.

Removing his xyz monster from his zone while placing his monster upon the same spot at the same time, a blue portal opened on the field, a strong grey unicorn in black armor coming out from it and taking its place beside Twilight Alicorn.

Armored Unioncorn
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 6

“I see,” Twilight surmised. “Now Yurik plans to equip Armored Unioncorn with his monster so it will be stronger than Eurydice.”

“Wait,” Applejack piped up, “these monsters can do that?”

Twilight sulked in response. Yurik stole one glance to Alice’s field and then back at Orpheus and Eurydice. Grabbing two more cards in his hand, he threw them both into his spell/trap zone, both of them appearing onto Yurik’s bottom half of the field.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn,” he declared.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 3100    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 2

“Huh?” Twilight exclaimed. “Yurik! What are you doing?”

“I know what I’m doing, Twilight. Just let me continue this duel.”

A sinister giggling could be heard from Orpheus, bringing all attention from the field and on the sidelines to him. The others watched nervously as Orpheus’s laughter transformed into full blown laughter, the reactions from everyone else except Matthew becoming frightened anger.

“Do you really think I’m going to let you continue this duel after how you’ve treated Eurydice?”

“Orpheus…” whispered Eurydice, turning his head towards him.

“I don’t think you understand. Those that make a fool of me and attempt to destroy my chances of achieving my goal will be punished severely!”

“Orpheus,” Yurik responded carefully, “have you gone nuts?”

“Nuts?” laughed Orpheus. “I’ve spent seven years in circles trying to send my friend home, and now that the opportunity has come to me, you want to deny me that, and you call me nuts?”

“Orpheus, listen to yourself!”

Orpheus clenched his fists tight as Yurik continued his lecturing, his hands beginning to glow blue.

“Do you really think either of us are going to put these ponies in the care of a madman?”

“SILENCE!” he screamed, his voice inhumanly loud as his entire body glowed bright.

The force of his voice and powers, pushed both Yurik and Alice back, as well as the others on the sidelines having to cover their ears from the sheer volume of Orpheus’s yell. Eurydice herself looked scared at what her friend had become.

“I won’t have you insulting me or my intentions any longer, because once I defeat you, there will be no longer be a question as to these ponies’ fates! My turn! DRAW!”

Orpheus added the card to his hand, pointing his arm towards his field.

“During my standby phase,” he declared, “Persephone, Queen of Void Deep is special summoned back to my side of the field!”

A pool of water opened up beside Eurydice, allowing the green-dressed white humanoid to appear on the field again.

Persephone, Queen of Void Deep
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 7

Eurydice began to glow blue all over as her strength was partially drained.

ATK: 2800 -> 2700

“When Persephone is special summoned to my side of the field,” explained Orpheus, reaching for his deck, “I can draw one card!”

With a swing of his arm, a card was removed from the top of his deck, and upon seeing it, Orpheus let out another laugh, leaving Alice and Yurik anxious at what was to come.

“And like that, the tools to your defeat are now with me!” spoke Orpheus. “And I will enact it on the person who nearly killed my Eurydice.”

Finding Orpheus’s pointing finger going towards Alice, both she, Yurik, and Eurydice gasped.

“Orpheus!” cried Eurydice. “Sto–”

“I activate the spell card Calling of Void Deep!” he shouted, ignoring Eurydice as he put the card into his spell/trap slot, the art featuring an armored knight leaping out of a river. “This card lets me target one monster in either player’s graveyard and special summon it to their side of the field with its effects negated! And the one I choose is…”

A black-and-purple portal opened up on the field, and floating out from it was Alice’s ace monster: the giant armored praying mantis.

“…Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord!”

Alice gasped as her monster took the field once again, unsure of Orpheus’s intentions.

Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 9

“Next,” Orpheus said, a scary grin on his face as he gently slipped the card into his slot, “I equip Persephone, Queen of Void Deep with Scylla’s Dagger!”

“What?” screamed Walt.

The large knife with the purple hair tied to the handle rose up from the ground and towards his intended monster, which grabbed it in its hand.

“No!” cried Walt, jerking his body inside Matthew’s lock. “Please! Stop it! Stop it now!”

Eurydice, fully understanding Walt’s pain, looked to him with shuddering eyes.

“This card can only be equipped to a monster whose ATK is lower than that of a monster my opponent controls,” exclaimed Orpheus. “And now, taste its power! Battle! Persephone, Queen of Void Deep! Attack Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord! Treacherous slit!”

Persephone leapt up to and soared towards the giant mantis, its arm wound up to slice, much to Alice’s shock and confusion.

“What are you doing?” Alice yelled. “You’ll only be destroying your own monster!”

“The only one who will be destroyed will be you!” roared Orpheus.

Alice watched as Orpheus’s monster flew past Cao Cao and cut a deep gash into the side of its neck.

“While I’ll still take battle damage,” spoke Orpheus, “when the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle when it declares an attack, I can banish the card instead.”

The dagger in Persephone’s hand turned to a compressed cloud of ash that flew back to Orpheus, going into his chest where his heart was.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 2700 -> 2600

“However,” chuckled Orpheus, “the monster attacked by the equipped monster is banished.”

“What?” shrieked Alice.

Shen then watched as a bright light began to cover her monster completely before transforming into a small ball floating over the field.

“And then,” screeched Orpheus happily, “you take damage equal to that monster’s ATK.”

“No!” shouted Yurik, his eyes shrunken in fear. “Alice!”

Yurik turned his body to face her, only for the ball of light to self-destruct, blasting both Yurik and Alice back. Alice screamed as her body was racked with heat and pain, spots of her clothes burning and smoking. With a hard land, she rolled roughly on the ground before stopping.

Alice’s Life Points: 4000 -> 1200

“Alice!” screamed Twilight and Walt.

Yurik pulled himself up, only to see the seemingly unconscious heap that Alice was left as. Yurik, tears forming in his eyes, couldn’t feel his arms as they trembled violently.

“ALICE!” he cried out.

Eurydice, seeing her state, clenched her teeth and grunted regretfully.

“I’m not done yet!” shouted Orpheus. “Now that your field is open, Eurydice can now exact her revenge! Eurydice, attack Alice directly! Spatial Talon Tearing!”

Closing her eyes, Eurydice soared up into the sky and flew down towards Alice, who looked far too weak to respond.

“GOODBYE, ALICE!” Orpheus screamed.

Yurik stood frightened with his mouth agape, watching as Alice’s life points would soon hit 0 by Eurydice herself, much to the equal shock and horror to his friends who could only watch.
> Episode 12: Gazing into the Abyss, Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“GOODBYE, ALICE!” Orpheus screamed.

Eurydice continued to careen towards Alice, prepared to drain her of her remaining life points.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 5

================
Alice:
LP: 1200
================

The ponies on the sidelines stood fearfully as their friends faced their imminent loss. Walt struggled in Matthew’s grip as tried to reach out to them. Yurik grunted as Eurydice came ever closer, prompting him to grab a card in his hand.

“I activate the effect of Pegassist of Light!” shouted Yurik, winding his arm back.

“What?” shouted Orpheus, his glee changing to horror.

“When my opponent declares a direct attack, I can special summon this card from my hand and end the battle phase!”

“Impossible!” Orpheus cried out.

Yurik quickly placed his card onto his monster zone in attack position, but instead of appearing on his side of the field, the white pegasus appeared before Alice in a strong flash of light as it shielded her with its wings.

Pegassist of Light
ATK: 1700
Lvl.: 4

Eurydice pulled back inches from the pegasus’s head, flying back towards the enraged and frustrated Orpheus.

“Will you stop struggling?!” he bellowed. “I cannot allow Eurydice’s return to be anyone’s task but my own!”

“And I can’t allow these ponies to be under the guardianship of a psychopath!” spoke Yurik. “But you lost your opportunity to defeat us, now suck it up and end your turn!”

Orpheus growled loudly has his fists and teeth were clenched tightly in his frustration.

“I…” he relented, “I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2600    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

Alice, feeling rejuvenated from the morale boost granted by Yurik’s play, managed to stand to her feet. Panting, she turned her whole body to face Yurik.

“Thanks for the save there,” Alice said.

“Did I have any other choice,” chuckled Yurik.

“Hehe,” she weakly croaked. “Point taken.”

“Don’t give up, guys!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “You still got this!”

“Come on!” cheered Walt. “I want to take that one home with me!”

Rainbow Dash chuckled and rubbed the back of her mane, looking at Walt with mutual respect and admiration.

“I wouldn’t dream of blowing this,” Alice called back as loudly as her tired throat could allow. “I want nothing more than to take you guys with me.”

The ponies each nodded or gave an approving statement, their words mixing with each other’s.

“Great then,” Alice said as she reached for her deck. “My turn. Draw!”

Orpheus, his face still red with fury, reached his arm towards Persephone on his field.

“The effect of Persephone, Queen of Void Deep activates,” he said, “banishing itself until my next standby phase, where it will be special summoned back to my side of the field.”

The pool of oily water opened back up again underneath Persephone, making her sink back into its depths and disappear from the field once again.

“And now that another monster of mine is banished,” added Orpheus, his smile growing back, “Eurydice’s ATK rises again!”

Eurydice’s wings flared out and glowed bright, its strength restored with Persephone’s banishment.

ATK: 2700 -> 2800

“Now, Alice,” goaded Orpheus. “What will you do now?”

Alice hissed, knowing the severity of her situation well.

“I’ll do whatever I can,” she said, picking one of the two cards in her hand and revealing it. “Since I control no monsters, I can normal summon Bomb Beetle in defense position.”

Alice placed the card onto her center zone, and from the blue portal that appeared onto her field was a large, black dung beetle with a larger black bomb with an extremely short fuse carried in its hind legs.

Bomb Beetle
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 2

Orpheus looked upon its stats and gasped in disgust.

“0 DEF?” he shouted. “What is this?”

“Just a little thing to piss you off,” jeered Alice. “Now if you try attacking me with your Persephone monster next turn, you won’t be able to do jack squat with its effect.”

“Damn you!”

“Damn me? You’re so pathetic.”

Eurydice, hearing Alice’s insults, forced a frown on her face, which Alice couldn’t help but notice.

“And you’re alright with this?” Alice asked her, making her remove her façade and look genuinely surprised. “Do you like the fact that he’s going to these lengths to try and send you back home? You seem as if you’re trying to look like you do.”

“Shut your mouth!” ordered Orpheus. “You do not get to talk to her like that!”

“I’ll talk with her however I want! At least I’m not lying to myself.”

Eurydice, clearly affected by Alice’s words, tried her hardest to reveal her oncoming sobs. Alice’s prying eyes slowly became softer and less hurtful, further pushing the peryton into letting it all go. Walt and Rainbow Dash looked forlornly at her, feeling her own pain and anguish.

“You don’t need to do this, Eurydice,” cooed Alice. “If you let this all end right now, we promise we will allow Celestia to send you home along with the ponies. You have my word.”

“Just like I gave you mine!” Walt shouted.

Eurydice, turning to see Walt’s face and hear his voice, finally lost the strength to resist, letting her head drop down and her tears to roll down her face and onto the ground, her head bobbing with each hard sniffle she let out.

Orpheus, trying to look angered at what Alice and Walt had said, found himself biting his lip as his eyes began to moisten. Yurik and the ponies all frowned sympathetically as they watched her sob. As Kieran looked blankly upon the scene, Kel cocked his head in slight confusion.

“Did…” he wondered, “she just make that monster cry?”

Alice looked at Eurydice, waiting as Eurydice eventually mustered the strength to pick her head back up, her eyes still wet and reddened.

“It’s your journey home,” Alice encouraged. “You should be the one to decide how you get there.”

Orpheus, fearing Eurydice’s seeming betrayal, stepped forward towards her.

“Eurydice,” he professed, “I have spent seven years by your side trying to find a way to get you home. I want more than anything to be the one to achieve that. I don’t want all of that to go to waste.”

Eurydice slowly turned to Orpheus with her sad eyes, her pain visible for him to see.

“Please, Eurydice,” he sighed. “You are without a doubt one of the best friends I’ve ever had. I want to be by your side every step of the way home. Please, grant me that privilege.”

Eurydice turned back to Alice and Yurik, who looked to her in a way that beckoned her to make the decision they wanted her to. Breathing deeply in, she faced Orpheus once again, walking up to him and nuzzling her face into his chest, allowing him to stroke down her soft neck.

“Orpheus,” she said, “you have been a great friend to me, and I want nothing more than to let you be the one who gets me home. However… I wish for the ponies to be with the ones who are suitable to shelter them and save the rest.”

Yurik brightened up, stepping forwards.

“Does that mean…?” he wondered.

Backing herself away from Orpheus, she turned to face her two opponents with a serious and stoic face.

“As per your agreement with Orpheus,” she stated, “this duel shall resume.”

Everyone, Yurik, Alice, and Orpheus especially, gasped loudly.

“Eurydice…” spoke Alice.

“Alice,” she addressed, “Yurik. You have both shown yourselves to be a fine pair of duelists. However, being a fine duelist and the best duelist is a world of difference, one that will decide the fate of these ponies as you have agreed on.

“After this, two ponies and the dragon remain. It will take all of your wits and courage to retrieve them all, and only the strongest between us can claim that right as to who is suitable for such a task. Do you understand me?”

Yurik, looking once at the again determined Orpheus, looking Eurydice and nodded.

“I understand,” he responded.

“Very good,” she gladly spoke. “Alice, I believe it was your turn?”

“Yes,” she replied, “it was, but I have done all I needed to. I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 1200    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

Orpheus wiped his eyes with his bare forearm, keeping his brave expression up for his next opponent.

Thank you, Eurydice, he thought. I will not let you down.

Crouching himself down, he breathed in to store energy for his next set of words.

“Yurik!” shouted Orpheus, gaining his attention. “It’s clear Eurydice wants to see your all! Do not insult us by denying her that.”

Yurik, hearing a much friendlier tone in his voice, let out a smile.

“I never give anything less!” he spoke, reaching for his deck. “My turn! Draw!”

I was hoping that Orpheus would try attacking me next turn, mused Yurik, but he clearly wanted all of Alice. Now I’m going to need to use this thing.

Yurik looked at the card in his hand, putting it right into his left hand for later.

“I activate the effect of Armored Unioncorn!” declared Yurik. “Once per turn, I can equip this card to a monster I control and have it gain 600 ATK until the end phase, and I will choose my Twilight Alicorn!”

Armored Unioncorn suddenly leapt up high into the air, its body disappearing and leaving its armor behind. The armor then floated down upon Twilight Alicorn’s head neck and body, shrinking down and warping itself to fit properly on its body.

ATK: 2500 -> 3100

Orpheus hissed angrily, knowing what was to come now.

“Awesome!” cheered Pinkie Pie.

“Now Yurik’s monster is finally stronger than Eurydice!” Walt spoke.

Alice too looked proud of Yurik’s rising to the challenge. Eurydice, also knowing what this meant for her, winced as she prepared for destruction yet again.

“No hard feelings,” called Yurik sincerely.

Feeling the truth of his words, Eurydice nodded and smiled with closed, accepting eyes.

“Attack me, Yurik!” called Eurydice. “Prove you’re not afraid!”

“Since you asked nicely,” shouted Yurik, “Twilight Alicorn, attack Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn charged up its horn and launched its magenta beam at Eurydice, prepared both in body and mind, as it struck her and disintegrated her into gold sparks. The beam and the sparks continued their path as they crashed into Orpheus, pushing him down on his feet, sliding on the grass as he groaned to resist falling backwards.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 2600 -> 2300

Once the beam dissipated, Orpheus stood back up straight, observing the two tracks of dirt left by his boots. Ignoring them, Orpheus walked back towards his field, another stoic expression on his face. Stopping at the end of the tracks, he looked Yurik in the eyes as he did for him.

“Your monster might be stronger than mine now,” Orpheus said, “but its effect still keeps it alive! And now, Eurydice’s effect activates, special summoning itself after it has been banished.”

A bright portal opened in the center of Orpheus’s field, and Eurydice gracefully flew out and landed back on her hooves and talons.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“And then with Melia’s effect as well as Eurydice’s,” added Orpheus, “my monster’s strength grows back.”

Eurydice’s wings flared out and glowed brightly as it received strength from Orpheus’s other banished monsters.

ATK: 1800 -> 2800

“Still doesn’t have anything on my monster,” quipped Yurik.

“Don’t remind me,” groaned Orpheus. “Will that be it then?”

“Not quite,” Yurik said, reaching towards his Pegassist of Light monster. “I switch Pegassist of Light into defense position.”

Yurik turned the card 90°, Yurik’s monster lowered its upper body towards the ground in response, its wings unfurling open as a makeshift shield.

ATK: 1700 -> DEF: 1000

“With that,” Yurik stated, “I now end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 3100    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 2

Orpheus looked upon Yurik’s field, looking at Twilight Alicorn and its determined scowl egging him on to attack it.

Yurik’s field is quite fortified, planned Orpheus, and Alice’s is nearly barren. However…

He looked to see her set card still right at her feet behind her Bomb Beetle.

She has kept that card set since the beginning of the duel. Does she intend to lure me into a false sense of security and trigger her trap to finish me off?

Orpheus looked back to Twilight Alicorn, her eyes locking with his.

Regardless… the power that card holds is indeed great. I know I couldn’t accept this as a true victory if I didn’t defeat its wielder.

“So regardless of your pegasus’s battle position,” spoke Orpheus to Yurik, “it looks like you will take 1000 damage regardless this turn.”

Yurik stayed silent, keeping any hints of his strategy within him.

“Then let’s not delay,” stated Orpheus, his fingers atop his deck. “My turn! Draw!”

Orpheus gasped at what he had drawn, feeling a plan working itself together.

“The effect of Persephone, Queen of Dark Void now activates!” declared Orpheus, pointing at the ground with his arm. “During my standby phase, it is special summoned to my field!”

Rising out from a pool of water that sprung up beside Eurydice, Persephone had reappeared on the field.

Persephone, Queen of Void Deep
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 7

With one of Orpheus’s banished monsters back onto the field, Eurydice’s strength was once again depleted.

ATK: 2800 -> 2700

“When Persephone is special summoned to my side of the field,” exclaimed Orpheus, reaching for his deck yet again, “I draw one card!”

Looking up at the spell card he now drew, he aimed a sly grin at Yurik, who looked both confusedly and nervously at the new expression.

“It seemed that with your planned strategy,” Orpheus spoke, “you and your partner might have survived this turn, but with what I have drawn now, I can finally achieve the victory I deserve!”

Just what do you have? wondered Yurik.

“I activate my trap, Return of Void Deep!”

The purple card flipped up, revealing what looked like Orpheus, Bard of Void Deep looking back behind itself as Eurydice was dragged forcefully into a dark hole in the ground.

“By banishing a monster I control,” explained Orpheus, “I can target one pendulum monster anywhere on my field and add it to my hand.”

“What?” Yurik questioned.

“I banish Persephone, Queen of Void Deep to add Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep to my hand!”

Persephone sunk back into her pool of water as Eurydice became a light-blue aura that swirled about before it arced up and into Orpheus’s hand, forming as a card. Orpheus then grabbed his Eurydice card and another card in his hand as he presented them both to Yurik and Alice, shocking them and the ponies with what they knew he was about to do.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 0 Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep and the scale 8 Virgil, Poet of Void Deep!” he stated, winding his arm back.

With a single wave of his hand, the Eurydice and Virgil cards were placed upon the blue and red crystals. Two blue pillars formed on the ground on both sides of Orpheus’s field. In the left pillar, Eurydice rose up until her hooves and talons were on ground level. Inside the right pillar, a blue-robed gray humanoid with beady blue eyes, as well as a stone with a paper upon its surface in its left arm and a quill in its right hand rose up inside it. A number 0 and a number 8 appeared on the pillars of each respective monster as the sky glowed a dark blue.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
Pendulum Scale: 0

Virgil, Poet of Void Deep
Pendulum Scale: 8

Kieran and Kel looked genuinely surprised as Orpheus went through his turn.

“No way!” Rainbow Dash cried out. “Is Orpheus gonna’ pendulum summon?”

“I’m not sure,” said Twilight. “He has no pendulum monsters in his extra deck, and he only has one card in his hand. If he truly plans to pendulum summon, the card in his hand is going to have to be the one he intends to summon.”

Yurik looked upon Orpheus, who was now riled in anticipation of what was to come, which came out as anger.

“I activate the effect of Eurydice in my pendulum zone!” he shouted. “I can target up to two of my banished monsters whose levels are in between the pendulum scales of this card and another monster in my pendulum zone and special summon them, treating it as a pendulum summon.”

“No way!” shouted Yurik. “Impossible!”

“She had that kind of an ability?” wondered Walt.

Alice looked intensely at what Orpheus was about to do, amazed by the sound of the effect. The ponies gawked and gasped, unable to believe what they heard. A wind blew up from the ground as the multi-pointed star illuminated itself upon the ground.

“I can now special summon banished monsters whose levels are 1 through 7,” stated Orpheus. “Pendulum summon!”

The red star opened up on the ground between Orpheus and Yurik and Alice, and launching from it were two blue auras that arced up and landed on the center to center-right of Orpheus’s field. When the dust cleared along with the portal closing, the star disappearing, and the sky dimming down, two monsters were visible on the field.

“Appear!” called Orpheus. “Persephone, Queen of Void Deep! Minos, Judge of Void Deep!”

Sure enough, both the green-dressed humanoid and the one sitting on the throne were there for all nearby to see.

Persephone, Queen of Void Deep
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 7

Minos, Judge of Void Deep
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

Yurik stared at both monsters with a slack jaw, something which Orpheus seemed to ignore.

“Persephone’s effect activates again,” spoke Orpheus, “allowing me to draw one card when it is special summoned.”

As he had said, Orpheus drew his card and added it to his hand. He then threw his arm and head up in the air as he breathed in hard.

“I now overlay my level 7 Persephone, Queen of Void Deep and Minos, Judge of Void Deep!” he declared.

Yurik and Alice shuddered as they watched both monsters transform into two blue auras as they danced in the air around each other. Then, a cloudy dark blue portal formed on the ground, shocking his opponent’s yet again.

“With these two monsters,” he spoke, “I construct the overlay network. Xyz summon!”

Both auras flew into the portal, causing it to erupt into a single pillar of dark smog.

“The unquestionable lord of the underworld,” chanted Orpheus, “your domain is vast and your strength immense. Use your might to drag your enemies down into your murky pit!”

The smog formed and condensed until it became a tall, black humanoid with a long, wispy cloak covering its body, long, sharp fingers, and a skinny, pointed face with piercing red eyes and a devilish smile permanently affixed on its mouth.

“Ascend!” called Orpheus. “Hades, King of Void Deep!”

The monster spread its arms out wide, its fingers flexed and aimed at Yurik and his monsters.

Hades, King of Void Deep
ATK: 3000
Rnk.: 7

“Hades…” shuddered Yurik. “The god of the dead…”

Twilight and the others, as well as Walt and even Matthew holding him looked up at this monster. Disregarding Yurik’s shock, Orpheus reached for another card in his hand.

“I activate the spell card Imperial Summon of Void Deep,” he said, the art showing what appeared to be Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep standing before the silhouette of Hades. “While I control a rank 7 Void Deep monster, I can detach one xyz material from it to special summon a level 4 or lower Void Deep monster from my deck!”

“Incredible…” Yurik sighed.

Alice reached down towards her screen where the icon of her set card was, prepared to activate it. Yurik glanced over, seeing her finger hover over the icon.

“Wait!” barked Yurik. “Not yet…”

Alice, confused by Yurik’s reasoning, halted herself. She looked to him as he stared back towards Orpheus’s field, turning her own gaze to him.

“Also,” Orpheus added, “whenever an xyz material is detached from Hades, King of Void Deep, its effect banishes it instead of having it be sent to the graveyard.”

Yurik hissed, becoming more and more flustered by Orpheus’s turn by the second. Orpheus removed Persephone from underneath his monster and threw it inside his graveyard slot. At that moment, Orpheus’s deck shuffled up with a single card sliding out from the top upon finishing, which Orpheus grabbed with gusto.

“I special summon Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep!” he declared, slamming the card onto the link of his chain to the right of Hades.

A blue portal opened up on the ground, allowing the grey humanoid with the winged sandals and winged staff to appear beside Orpheus’s other monster.

Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 3

“Then, there’s Hades’s effect,” Orpheus said.

“Effect, you say?” gasped Alice.

“All other Void Deep monsters on the field gain 500 ATK as long as it’s on the field.”

Yurik gasped as a blue aura surrounded Hermes, his muscles evidently growing stronger.

ATK: 1500 -> 2000

“I now activate the effect of Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep,” stated Orpheus. “By banishing this special summoned card, I can special summon one banished monster or one in my pendulum zone.”

“Of course you are…” growled Walt.

“I banish Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep to special summon…”

Hermes transformed into a bright white light that quickly sunk into the ground, making Eurydice sink back into the ground inside the blue pillar, which disappeared shortly after.

“…Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!” he shouted.

From a bright portal opening on the ground, Eurydice flew high into the air before landing back down on the ground beside Hades.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“With both Melia’s as well as Eurydice’s own effect,” exclaimed Orpheus, “my monster gains 100 ATK for each of my banished monsters, which now includes Hermes, Emissary of Void Deep!”

Eurydice’s wings glowed bright as it gained more energy from the slew of monsters that Orpheus had banished, represented by the white spirits of Melia, Orpheus, Persephone, and Hermes

ATK: 1800 -> 2800

“And it also gains strength from Hades’s effect,” he continued, “giving it the strength necessary to trump your Twilight Alicorn!”

“No way!” shouted Yurik.

Eurydice’s body began to glow blue all over, her slender physique now growing much stronger than before, making her grunt with the power coursing through her.

ATK: 2800 -> 3300

“3300 ATK?” Applejack exclaimed. “That’s crazy!”

“Yurik…” mumbled Twilight fearfully.

“Next,” yelled Orpheus, sliding his Minos card out from under his monster and putting it in his graveyard slot, “I activate the effect of Hades, King of Void Deep! By detaching one xyz material from it and targeting one of my banished monsters, I gain its effects until the end phase! I will choose Persephone, Queen of Void Deep!”

Yurik watched as the spirit of Persephone rose to Hades’s level, floating towards it and covering its body like a blanket before fading away.

“And with another monster banished by Hades’s effect,” reminded Orpheus, “Eurydice gains yet another 100 ATK.”

Yurik and Alice stood exhausted as Eurydice’s wings beamed hotter than before, watching as Minos’s spirit waded the ground below them.

ATK: 3300 -> 3400

“Amazing…” sighed Yurik. “Just amazing…”

“Yurik,” growled Alice, “I hope you know what you’ve set up for yourself.”

“Yes,” he told her. “I’ve got this.”

Alice continued looking at Yurik incredulously as Orpheus’s turn was about to reach its peak.

“Battle!” he finally declared. “Hades, King of Void Deep, attack Pegassist of Light! Dismal Destroy!”

A ball of purple light formed in Hades’s hands, and with a flick of its wrists, it sent the ball out towards the frightened pegasus.

“I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect!” called Yurik. “Once per turn, I can add this card to my pendulum zone! Hurry!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn and disappeared from the field along with its armor, reappearing inside the pendulum zone without it.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

Twilight watched carefully as Yurik removed his ejected pendulum monster from his spell/trap slot into the slot of his extra deck inside his blade disk.

The orb eventually struck Pegassist of Light, the orb sucking the creature inside as if it were made of a liquid before the orb shrunk away into nothingness.”

“Even with Hades’s added effect from Persephone,” said Yurik, “my Twilight Alicorn’s pendulum effect reduces all effect damage I take to 0.”

“That is true,” said Orpheus, “but you have no monsters left on your field now, and Eurydice’s ATK is such that it can wipe you out with this last blow!”

“Bring it on,” muttered Yurik under his breath.

“Eurydice!” yelled Orpheus. “Attack Yurik directly! Spatial Talon Tearing!”

Orpheus flew up to the sky on its wings, and with one last flap, shot down towards Yurik, the others watching him with apprehension as he continued to stare his imminent defeat down.

“Goodbye, Yurik!” bid Orpheus.

“Yurik,” screamed Walt, “do something!”

At that moment, Yurik straightened himself out, shocking everyone, especially Orpheus, in his change of spirit.

“Not goodbye yet!” he shouted, aiming his arm towards an overturning trap card. “I activate my trap card, M. Brace! When my monster declares a direct attack, this card halves the battle damage!”

“Impossible!” shouted Orpheus, gritting his teeth.

Yurik shielded his face and chest with his crossed arms held out, just as Eurydice swung its body up and slashed at Yurik with a lightning-infused strike. The force from the hit sent Yurik flying back as he screamed loudly out from Eurydice’s own attack.

Yurik’s Life Points: 3100 -> 1400

Yurik twisted his body right before it could hit the ground, landing on his stomach and using the tips of his shoes and the palms of his hands to stop his sliding.

“Yes!” Twilight cheered. “Yurik made it! He really made it!”

Yurik weakly hopped to his knees and limped back to his spot with Alice, frightening both her, Walt, and Twilight.

“That’s not all,” he groaned with a smile. “I activate my trap, Picking Up Pieces.”

Yurik’s second card flipped up to show a cracked blue vase on it.

“When I take 1000 or more damage from a direct attack,” he said, his fingers pinching the top of his deck, “I draw one card!”

Yurik added the card to his hand confidently as Eurydice smiled and nodded at Yurik, impressed with his defense. Orpheus, however, clenched his fists tight and growled at Yurik.

“Damn you!” he rasped. “I can’t let your strength defeat mine! I just can’t!”

“Well,” said Yurik, “we each have one turn for you to prove us wrong. Let’s see if you can.”

Orpheus hissed as he grabbed the last card in his hand and placed it in his spell/trap slot above his graveyard.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he finally stated.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2300    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 1    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

Yurik turned to Alice and gave her a nod, letting her know all that she seemed to need. Looking at her opponent, she glanced to Eurydice, who also gave her a warm smile as well.

“Go Alice!” shouted Walt.

“Knock ‘em dead, Alice!” called Applejack.

With full confidence from nearly everyone around her, Alice reached for her deck.

“My turn!” she yelled. “Draw!”

Alice added the card to her hand and put her hand upon her Bomb Beetle card.

“I switch Bomb Beetle into attack position,” she spoke.

The insect narrowed its stance upon the bomb it was propped against, ready to move itself forwards.

DEF: 0 -> ATK: 1100

“I now activate the effect of Bomb Beetle!” she shouted. “I can tribute this attack position monster to have all players lose life points equal to my monster's ATK!”

“What did you say?” screamed Orpheus. “Losing life points is different from effect damage! You’ll be hurting yourself and your partner as well!”

“I don’t mind,” Yurik assured him. “As long as you go down with us, that’s all I care about.”

Orpheus shuddered as the beetle rolled the bomb out to the center of the entire playing field and stopping at the very middle. Gripping the fuse with its hind legs, it pushed the right one out, lighting the fuse and igniting the bomb, blasting Yurik, Orpheus, and Alice backwards onto their backs.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1400 -> 300

Alice’s Life Points: 1200 -> 100

Orpheus’s Life Points: 2300 -> 1200

Orpheus quickly stood himself up, angered at his current state, but still baffled by his opponents’.

“You…” he said. “You’re down to your final life points. What do you hope to achieve now?”

“Enough,” Alice simply stated. “Next turn, Yurik will beat you, and those ponies are coming home with us.”

“I’d like to see you try…”

“Certainly. I now normal summon Roly Bouldy.”

Alice placed her card onto her now empty center monster zone, and from the blue portal that formed on her field was a large pill bug made entirely from grey rock.

Roly Bouldy
ATK: 500
Lvl.: 3

“I end my turn,” she said with a wide smile.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 100    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Zone: –    Spell/Traps: 1

“Yurik,” asked Alice. “How’s your hand?”

Looking back at it, he had both an effect monster and a pendulum monster: Armored Pegassist and Unioncorn of Earth.

“Pretty good,” said Yurik. “If I can draw the right card, you think we have a shot?”

“A sure shot,” she confidently responded.

“Let’s see it then!” demanded Orpheus. “If you think you can defeat me this turn, than just try!”

Yurik, frowning in annoyance at Orpheus’s words, stepped forwards towards his field with his limp now mostly gone.

“I’ll do more than just try,” he said, reaching for his deck.

“Yurik!” chanted Pinkie Pie from the crowd. “Yurik! Yurik!”

“Yurik! Yurik!” joined in Twilight.

“Yurik!” added Walt.

Soon afterwards, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and finally Alice joined the encouraging callings of his name. Feeling their hope on his shoulders, Yurik gripped the top card of his deck tight, praying for a miracle.

“My turn!” he screamed, throwing his arm out. “DRAW!!”

Yurik caught a glimpse at this card: a spell card. Peering from the corners of his eyes, he gasped; the right spell card.

“I activate the spell card Unioncornity!” he exclaimed, throwing the card into his spell/trap slot to show a spell card with the shape of a unicorn leaping from the deck on a duelist’s duel disk. “This card lets me add one Unioncorn monster from my deck to my hand.”

Yurik’s deck shuffled and slid out a card from the top, which Yurik took and showed to Orpheus.

“I add Unioncorn of Wind to my hand!” declared Yurik.

Orpheus seethed, realizing what was to come.

“I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect in my pendulum zone,” shouted Yurik, “special summoning it to my side of the field in attack position!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn bright, zapping off the pendulum zone and appearing in front of Yurik.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

With his pendulum zones clear, Yurik grabbed his two pendulum monsters and revealed them to the still angered Orpheus.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 5 Unioncorn of Wind and the scale 8 Unioncorn of Earth!” proclaimed Yurik.

Yurik placed both monsters on the outer zones of his blades, summoning two pillars on both sides of his field. In the left pillar, his green unicorn with tribal markings rose up while the unicorn made of dirt with a grassy mane and tail appeared in the right pillar. The sky began to turn dark blue once again.

Unioncorn of Wind
Pendulum Scale: 5

Unioncorn of Earth
Pendulum Scale: 8

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand or face-up in my extra deck whose levels are 6 and 7!” declared Yurik, putting his right arm with his last card in his hand up into the air. “Pendulum summon!”

Yurik slammed his monster down on the zone to the left of Twilight Alicorn, making Yurik’s dark grey pegasus with black armor rain down in a purple aura from the red portal that opened up below the star.

“From my hand,” called Yurik, “I summon Armored Pegassist, and from my extra deck…

A card ejected itself from Yurik’s extra deck in his blade disk, which Yurik slipped onto the left zone of his right blade, causing another purple aura to come down and land to the right of Twilight Alicorn.

“…I summon Armored Unioncorn!” Yurik finished.

The grey unicorn with the ebony armor stood beside Twilight Alicorn, its counterpart on the other side.

Armored Unioncorn
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 6

Armored Pegassist
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 6

The ponies and Alice looked wondrously at Yurik’s newly summoned monsters, Orpheus staring at them in disbelief.

“That…” he spoke. “That’s the same monster that was sent to the… extra deck. He planned on putting Twilight Alicorn in his pendulum zone all along!” he realized.

“I shall now overlay my level 6 Armored Unioncorn and Armored Pegassist!” shouted Yurik.

Both monsters became swirling auras that spiraled in the air over a red portal that was forming below them.

“With these two monsters,” Yurik resumed, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

Both streams of energy flew inside the portal, making it shine a hot white. Flying out from the portal was a massively built grey alicorn stallion with black armor over its head, neck, body, and wings.

“Let’s go!” called Yurik. “Armored Allicorn Warlord!”

A huff of steam escaped the creature’s nostrils, freezing Orpheus up.

Armored Allicorn Warlord
ATK: 2500
Rnk.: 6

“Finally,” Yurik pressed on, much to the delight of Walt and the ponies on the sidelines, “I activate Armored Allicorn Warlord’s effect.”

Yurik removed both cards from underneath his monster and threw them both into his graveyard slot.

“By detaching two xyz materials from this monster,” he explained, “I can equip this card to a monster I control and have it gain 2000 ATK!”

“2000?!” squeaked Orpheus.

“And I will equip it to Twilight Alicorn!”

It’s body glowing bright, the grey alicorn vanished without a trace with its armor staying behind. Floating up and then down, Twilight Alicorn was fitted with the armor as it magically warped and shrunk itself to its size, giving it a much more fearsome appearance.

ATK: 2500 -> 4500

Orpheus’s face was a blend of terror and seething rage, its strength far outnumbering his monsters.

“4500 ATK?” Twilight spoke. “That’s 1500 points of damage if he attacks Hades! If this attack goes through, Yurik and Alice win!”

“Go, Yurik!” shrieked Pinkie Pie through a megaphone she seemed to acquire.

“Twilight Alicorn!” commanded Yurik. “Attack Hades, King of Void Deep! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight charged her horn, her magenta magical aura being mixed with black as the engravings of her armor glowed as well. With a hard whip of its head, Twilight sent her spiraling beam towards Orpheus’s monster. It was then that Orpheus let out small smirk, confusing Yurik yet again.

“Now you’ve done it!” he shouted, pointing at the ground below him. “I activate my trap, Stygian Pulse!”

The trap came up, its art showing Minos, Judge of Void Deep as his silhouette was wrapped in a fiery explosion.

“When my opponent declares an attack,” he explained hysterically, “I can banish one Void Deep monster I control and inflict damage to my opponent equal to its ATK!”

“Oh no!” screamed Twilight.

“Yurik!” shouted Walt.

“Alice?” Yurik questioned, turning to his partner.

“On it!” she relayed. “I activate my counter trap, Insect Infest!”

The card flipped up to show a swarm of locusts chewing on a non-distinct trap card.

“When my opponent activates a trap card, I can tribute one insect-type monster to negate its activation and destroy it!”

“What did you say?” bellowed Orpheus.

“Roly Bouldy!” she called. “You got this!”

Roly Bouldy curled itself into a ball and rolled quickly towards Orpheus’s card, colliding with it and bursting both it and itself into yellow shards that faded away.

“No!” cried Orpheus. “This can’t be happening!”

“It sure the hell is!” responded Yurik. “Twilight Alicorn, finish the attack! Go!”

The beam continued on its way and blasted a gaping hole through Hades’s chest, the energy and strength of it exploding it in a blast of fire and smoke. The hot cloud barreled into Orpheus and sent him off his feet down the field, screaming shrilly at the sky as he did.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 1200 -> 0

Yurik and Alice win.

Orpheus landed hard on his back and rolled about the ground, his limp body sending him to an uncomfortable spot. Eurydice turned around to see him lying still on the ground, frightening her as her eyes widened.

“Orpheus!” she cried. “Orpheus!

As Eurydice ran to his side, Orpheus’s chain fell from its place next to his duel disk and to the ground, his Eurydice, Hades, and Virgil cards slightly scattered from the fall. Yurik and Alice continued to stare at Orpheus, unable to believe that it was over.

“We…” Alice sighed, “…beat him.”

“We actually won,” Yurik responded.

There was even longer silence until Twilight hopped high into the air.

“They won!” she shouted out. “They defeated Orpheus!”

The ponies collectively cheered as they ran towards Yurik and Alice. Yurik, overwhelmed and taxed, feel to his butt on the ground, sitting down and panting.

“Holy crap,” he breathed, “we won.”

Pinkie Pie dove into Yurik and threw her arms around his waist tight. Twilight came over to him, with Yurik managing to put her arm over her neck and pull her close, Twilight nuzzling her face into his. Rainbow Dash and Applejack surrounded Alice and bombarded her with praise and congratulatory remarks.

Matthew, stunned at the turn of the duel, was too slack to hold Walt any longer as he slipped out of his grasp, running to his friends. Rainbow Dash, noticing him, flew away from Alice and threw her arms around Walt’s chest, Walt stroking her mane and back with his hands.

“We’re finally gonna’ stick together!” she exclaimed.

“I’m looking forward to it, Rainbow Dash,” Walt replied.

Orpheus held on to Eurydice’s neck as she lifted him up to his feet. As he watched Yurik and his friends celebrate, a pair of tears began to form in his eyes.

“Orpheus,” cooed Eurydice, “you have nothing to cry over. That was a splendid duel.”

Orpheus turned to her to hear her correctly, seeing her give a nod in confirmation.

“I’m very proud of you,” she said. “However, I think you have something to say to Yurik and his friends.”

Orpheus looked back at the scrum that accumulated around Alice and Yurik, Kieran and Kel now a part of it. Watching Yurik and Alice put their cards back into their decks and place their deactivated blade disks onto their duel disks, he squatted down and picked up his three cards and his chain.

With a single yank, the five links all managed to find their way over Orpheus’s hand. Once he hooked the chain to the side of his belt, he slid his cards into his deck and extra deck slot on his wrist device and walked to Yurik and Alice with Eurydice. Once the two of them noticed their coming, Twilight and Walt stepped aside to let them through.

“Orpheus,” spoke Yurik suspiciously.

“As we have agreed,” he responded, “the two of you have defeated me fairly. I shall now relinquish Rainbow Dash and your friend back into your possession. As well, you will be responsible for finding the remaining two ponies and dragon.”

Eurydice nodded, glad for Orpheus’s acceptance and honesty. Yurik, hearing Orpheus’s calmness in his voice, quickly let out an accepting smile.

“Thank you,” he said. “We accept it gladly.”

“Orpheus!” called Matthew, running over to the group that formed. “Orpheus, you don’t have to do this! They’re still part of the Guardiaboliques. We can still report them to the police back at their home and then we–”

“Shut your mouth, Matthew,” ordered Orpheus. “As of right now, the Underworld will not interfere with any matters concerning the Guardiaboliques, and all of their identities will not be disclosed to the United States police.”

Yurik, Walt, and Alice gasped at the news, as did Matthew, but far more violently.

“Sir!” he stammered. “You can’t be serious!”

“I am serious,” Orpheus responded. “As far as we’re concerned, they were never here.”

Orpheus glanced to Kieran and with a slight smile, gave him a respectful nod. Kieran, happy for his former friend’s cooperation, gave him a nod back.

“Who says you can’t help us, though?” wondered Yurik, surprising Orpheus and Matt. “If you can find Rainbow Dash like you did, perhaps you can still help us find the others! Just tell us where they are and we’ll be there! That way you can still be a part of helping Eurydice get back home.”

Orpheus and Eurydice both looked floored by Yurik’s words, smiling kindly at them. Matthew angered by Yurik’s words, stood behind Orpheus with his mouth just behind his ear.

“Did you hear that?” he shouted. “They hacked into our database! They should be punished immediat–”

“I accept,” Orpheus said, freezing Matthew in his shock. “You’re a good man, Yurik Clayer. Kieran, you’re lucky to have people like him with you.”

Kieran nodded and faced him again.

“I agree. And I apologize in advance for… peeking into your files.”

“Peeking?!” squealed Matthew. “I’ll see the lot of you–”

“You will do no such thing,” Orpheus spoke. “Our business is done here. I hope to keep be in contact with you shortly.”

Kieran approached Orpheus and reached his hand out.

“Until next time?” asked Kieran.

“I certainly hope not,” chuckled Orpheus, taking his hand firmly and shaking it.

Orpheus slipped his hand out and presented it to Yurik.

“You’re a very talented duelist, Yurik,” he said. “I hope to hear great things from you in the future.”

“First, Japan,” said Yurik, “then Scotland, then, the world.”

“I wouldn’t doubt that.”

Yurik and Orpheus took each other’s hands and looked at each other mutually as they moved them up and down.

“Before we leave,” Yurik said, “I have just one thing I want to ask you.”

“What is it?” asked Orpheus.

“What is your real name? I want to know.”

Orpheus huffed humorously, as if he was feeling cornered.

“Ron,” he muttered. “Ron Harper.”

Eurydice smiled with nostalgia as she heard her friends true name once again. With Yurik’s hand still firm around Ron “Orpheus” Harper’s hand, he gave it one last shake as he looked into his eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Ron,” spoke Yurik.

Orpheus nodded as he moved on to say his farewells to Alice, Walt, and the ponies. Eurydice stepped around him and faced Yurik. With a touched expression, she leaned her head down and gently stroked the side of her head up his face.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “The best of luck to you and your friends.”

As Eurydice moved to follow Orpheus to the others, Alice and Walt looked back at Yurik only for Eurydice to nuzzle her face into Alice’s, throwing her off guard. Yurik and Walt couldn’t stifle a chuckle as Alice lightly grabbed Eurydice’s neck to stay standing. With his biggest trouble behind him now, Yurik gazed up at the moon in the sky, entranced by its soft glow.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Dark blue graduation caps and the sound of teenagers and their parents cheering filled the air. On the turf of a high-school football field, hundreds of students in blue gowns and orange stoles jumped and screamed gleefully as their final seconds of high school had officially came to a close.

Yurik and an Asian female classmate hugged each other as they hopped up and down in jubilation. As the now-former students broke off to find their friends and family descending the stands to find them, Yurik weaved himself closer to the back, finding Walt coming from his row of seats. Yurik quickly hopped on Walt and ushered him further to the back.

“We did it man!” Yurik yelled. “We finally did it!”

“Now we can finally begin the better years of our lives!”

Walt and Yurik continued their journey, only to see Alice hopping up further down the aisle. As Yurik broke through the crowds he found both Alice and Mary standing next to each other, bright smiles on each of their faces.

“Alice!” sighed Yurik, hugging them both. “Mary! It’s finally over!”

Mary hugged Yurik’s arm tight, her tears streaming onto his sleeve.

“We’re still going to hang out this summer, right?” Mary asked.

“You better believe it!” Walt said. “What, you think we’re just going to go and never see each other again!”

“Walt!” called Bette from the crowd. “Yurik!”

“Hey, Mary,” Yurik said, pointing to the direction of Walt’s mother, “Mom wants to see us. I’ll call you!”

Mary waved farewell as Yurik, Walt, and Alice sifted themselves through the crowd. High up in the sky, hidden by the bottom of a cloud, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack sat as they peered over, seeing the three of them make their way to their mom, smiling as they watched their rite of passage for themselves. Finally, Walt and Yurik made it to Bette, the two of them hugging her as she laughed and sobbed at the same time.

“I’m so very proud of you two!” she wept.

“Congratulations, guys!” spoke Evey, tugging on Walt and Yurik’s robes.

“Thanks Evey,” Walt responded with a slightly muffled voice as it was caught in his mother’s bosom.

Bette looked over her boys’ shoulders to see Alice waiting for them, her eyes widening in realization.

“Oh, Alice!” she exclaimed. “Yurik, Walt, I want to take a picture with the three of you.”

“Sure thing,” agreed Yurik, backing up towards his friend with Walt.

Yurik stood in the center, with Alice on his right and Walt on his left. Giving them each a nod in preparation, the three of them faced Bette as she pulled her phone out of her purse, turning it sideways and steadying her arm.

“Alright, guys,” she advised, “big smiles.”

At once, Yurik, Walt, and Alice opened their mouths into a wide, happy shout as they whooped out again, and with a press of the button, Bette immortalized their celebration and friendship in a single shot.
> Episode 13: Holding On
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walt slept very soundly under his covers in his bed. Completely concealed by them and curled up beside his stomach was Rainbow Dash, her soft snores soothing Walt further. The hushed sound of an alarm coming beside Walt’s head on the desk, prying his eyes open.

Walt gently slid himself up and sat up with his back against his headboard. Reaching up and grabbing his phone, he clicked the center button on the bottom of the screen, revealing the time and date:

6:15
Wednesday, May 28

Walt groaned as he clattered his phone down on the dresser. Rainbow Dash stirred and squeaked through her nose as her snore was broken. However, Walt’s slipping back onto his bed and nudging the moaning pegasus with his hoof finally woke her up.

“Walt…” she quietly whined. “I’m still sleepy…”

“You need to go back into the attic,” he whispered. “Evey still has school and Mom has work, so they’ll be up soon. She usually knows I’m up and she’ll see you if she comes in here.”

“Ugh… fine just let me…”

Walt threw his comforter off of her, revealing her ruffled mane and tail and unhappy face. With a reluctant sigh, Rainbow Dash, facing Walt, lowered the top end of her body down, stretching her arms, legs, and body as her body vibrated from the tension. She then picked her body up and arched her stomach down with her legs, pushing her body towards Walt.

Walt gave Rainbow Dash hearty stroke and pat on her chest as he walked to his bedroom door, which she smiled at. With her body prepared, she gently hopped off the bed and followed Walt out. Walt opened the door and peered outside; not a soul to be seen. He then pulled the attic door down and pulled the bottom stairs down for her.

“I can fly, you know?” she giggled.

With a whoosh, Rainbow Dash flew from inside Walt’s room and into the attic without a sound. Walt quickly and quietly folded the bottom stairs back in and pushed the door up and shut, hopping up to push it closed. Upon his feet landing harder and louder than he thought was safe, he darted back into his room and diligently shut his door.

The door was not fully in, and with gravity’s pull, the door began to slide open gently, unheard by the tired or sleeping ponies above.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Evey grumbled out of her bedroom at the back of the Faber upstairs hallway, angered that her siblings could sleep in, no longer burdened by the toils of school. As she turned the corner, not bearing to look at Yurik or Walt’s doors, her eyes suddenly moved to the attic door which was mysteriously down. Evey, her downtrodden mood suddenly cheerful, stepped cautiously to it.

“Ooohh,” she exclaimed.

Tiptoeing across it, she looked up into it, unable to contain the imaginings of what could be up there. Giggling slightly, she jumped up and grabbed a hold of the bottom set of steps, the weight making her drop it as it barely missed striking the floor. Evey put her hands over her mouth, looking to Walt’s door, then Yurik’s, then peering down the hall for her mother.

With no fear of being caught left, Evey went up the stairs one step a second, keeping her neck and head up to see what the attic held. Finally, her head poked up to the floor’s level her eyes finally able to see past with two more steps. It was all the steps she needed before she stopped, completely stunned by what she had spotted.

Sleeping up on various spots on the floor were Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and a still squirming Rainbow Dash as she kept her eyes closed to go back to bed. Evey, both amazed and terrified to see the ponies there, gasped loudly. In reaction, Rainbow Dash rolled to her stomach and opened her eyes, facing Evey with a frightened look of her own.

“Oh no!” she spoke loudly.

Evey screamed as she stumbled backwards off her step. Rainbow Dash sprung up and soared through the room and to the attic entrance, waking the other three ponies instantly as a blast of wind rushed over them. Before the back of Evey’s head could hit the floor, Rainbow Dash grabbed her by the bottom of her shirt, swooped up and landed back on the ground. As Rainbow Dash panted, settling herself from the adrenaline she felt, Evey cowered and teared up in fright at the odd creature standing over her.

“Evey!” shouted Walt, bursting from his room.

He suddenly gasped to see both the attic door open and Rainbow Dash atop his sister.

“Walt!” cried Evey.

Yurik stepped out of his room too, horrified to see the attic open.

“Rainbow Dash!” hissed Walt. “Get back in the attic!”

“Your sister was about to fall!” defended Rainbow Dash as she stepped away from the terrified girl. “I needed to catch her!”

“Evey, why is the attic open?”

“I came out of my room and I saw it open!” she whined, running to his waist and hugging him tight. “I know I shouldn’t have gone up, but I just wanted to see!”

“Rainbow Dash!” spat Yurik. “Get into the attic before–”

Bette ran in from around the corner and spotted her three children and the blue, rainbow-mane-and-tailed pegasus before them. As her face and throat contorted into shock and horror, Rainbow Dash unquestionably flew back up into the attic, leaving Yurik and Walt dumbfounded at what their family had just seen.

“What was that?” screamed Bette, running around the attic stairwell.

“Mom,” pleaded Walt, “wait!”

“What just went into my attic?!”

As she tried to run up, her force was stopped by Walt’s hands around her wrist, stopping her. Upstairs, Twilight and her other three friends crowded in the corner away from the entrance.

“Twilight,” whispered Applejack anxiously, “do something!”

“I can’t!” she spoke. “The only other place I know is too far for me to send all of you!”

“Walt!” ordered Bette below. “Let me go this instant!”

“Mom,” shouted Yurik, “please, this isn’t what it looks like!”

“Is that one of the ponies? Was that what just went up there?”

“Mom, please!” cried Walt, yanking her back to the floor.

Bette, shocked by Walt’s act, slapped him hard in the face, Evey shrieking tearfully at the sight. Yurik used the opportunity to hop onto the stairs and block anyone’s entrance, earning their attention as they turned to face him. Walt rubbed his cheek and grit his face, fighting the sting.

“Move it, Yurik,” she demanded.

“Can you just let us show you!” he requested, tears forming in his own eyes. “They’re probably really scared right now because of you!”

“Scared? Yurik? Walt? What are you talking about?”

“I’ll show them…”

“Yurik?” Walt croaked, feeling betrayed. “Don’t!”

“…just don’t frighten them any more than they are!”

With nothing else to fall back on, Walt looked his mother in the eye as she turned back to him and nodded, asking her as well. Bette, honoring Yurik’s wish, moved back towards Evey and picked her up, holding her tight. Yurik, seeing as everything was set, turned his head up to the attic.

“Twilight,” he called, “guys. You can come down. She knows now…”

It took several painful moments before the soft patter of hooves came towards the entrance with progressively louder clops. Leading the way down the stairs was Twilight, revealing herself calmly, yet shamefully, to Bette and Evey. With her free hand, Bette covered her mouth and stifled her breath, staring at the unbelievable creature.

Following her down with equally somber expressions were Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, taking their place beside Twilight. Getting a good and silent look at them, Bette stood awe-stricken at the sight of them as Evey, now realizing what was standing before them, grew a wide smile on her face.

“Mommy!” she happily cried. “It’s them! It’s the ponies from that planet!”

“Yurik,” she breathed. “Walt. Why are these ponies in our house?”

Yurik inhaled slowly, piecing together a story that would still keep Walt safe.

“The night that the planet appeared,” he explained, “and when that purple beam had hit Seager Park, that beam… carried that one with it,” he said, pointing to Twilight.

Walt looked at Yurik warily, but refused to speak, lest he reveal them further.

“We didn’t want the authorities finding her and doing God knows what to them,” Yurik continued, “so we took her over to Mary’s house so we could nurse her back to health. That’s why we were up so late.”

“But what about the others?” questioned Bette. “They were on different parts of the world! How did you get them?”

“Well,” Yurik spoke, “those–”

“I went out and looked for them,” stepped in Twilight.

Bette’s heart skipped a beat as she heard the pony talk, hugging Bette tighter as she stepped back.

“Please, Ms. Faber,” said Twilight, “we don’t mean you or your family any harm. In fact, Yurik and Walt have been very good in keeping us company while I search for the others.”

“But…” she stammered. “How is that possible? For a creature like you to fly to all those places in only a week’s time?”

“That’s the thing. I didn’t fly. You obviously don’t know this as well as Yurik and Walt do, but unicorns and alicorns, such as myself, are capable of using magic, and that includes teleportation.”

Yurik, finally seeing where Twilight was going, smirked proudly

“Magic? Teleportation?” Bette responded. “That’s impossible!”

“I can give you a demonstration if you want,” suggested Twilight.

“The only thing that’s going to happen is that I’m going to pick up the phone and call the police and have them deal with you.”

Bette turned to walk towards the staircase, only for a flash of light to appear with Twilight standing where it had occurred. Bette screamed as she nearly stumbled backwards, frightening Yurik and Walt as Bette continued to clutch Evey tight.

“Mom!” shouted Walt. “Let her go before you drop her!”

“Walt’s right!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “We’re not going to hurt you or your family. Walt and Yurik are our friends, and so can you if you just calm down!”

“Mommy,” whined Evey, “please, I want to be with Walt now.”

Bette kept a fierce, protective eye on Twilight as she set Bette down, turning around to face the other three. As promised, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie stood still as Evey ran to Walt and stood by his side. Bette turned to Twilight, her only obstacle to the phone.

“Like I was saying,” Twilight spoke, “and just like what you saw, I have the ability to teleport great distances. I have been teleporting to all of the places where my friends have been seen and bringing them here until we are all here and we can return home.”

Bette stood motionless, still fearful of Twilight’s capabilities.

“Please, Ms. Faber,” begged Twilight. “We only have a few more of our friends to find. We will leave for our home as soon as the last one is brought back.”

“No,” Bette responded. “You’re leaving here today.”

Walking to the stairs and with a hard shove to Twilight, she ran down the stairs to a phone inside the kitchen. With another flash of light Twilight appeared in the kitchen as Bette grabbed the phone and began to dial three numbers.

“Please,” Twilight said, “you don’t have to do this!”

“Mom!” yelled Yurik, leaping down the stairs with Walt. “Mom, stop!”

“Hello,” Bette said into the phone, a look of anger in her eyes as she stared at Yurik and Walt, stopping them in her tracks. “I’m have some wild animals in my house and I need them removed immediately.”

Twilight, hurt by Bette’s terms, bit her lip as her eyes started watering. From the upstairs banister, Evey fearfully watched Bette’s conversation with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack.

“Yes,” responded Bette, “I thought of calling animal control, but this is a lot more… different. Could you please send some officers and a van?”

Yurik waved his hand behind him, calling Twilight over. Bette noticing Twilight trotting towards him, widened her eyes in fear.

“You!” she shouted. “Get away from him! I’m sorry,” she said back into the phone. “One of them just went near my children.”

“Hurry,” Walt hissed, “let’s get to the attic. I have an idea.”

Yurik, Twilight, and Walt went upstairs and began to usher Evey and the other ponies into the hallway.

“Evey,” instructed Twilight, “I need you to be a good girl and stay here, okay?”

Evey nodded in response.

“Don’t tell anyone else we’re in here,” she continued. “Everyone else, stay close.”

The ponies and humans huddled together with Twilight charging her horn. In a bright flash, all of them had disappeared. Bette, fearing the worst, trembled with the phone in her hand.

“Yes,” she hyperventilated, “my name is Bette Faber, please come quickly!”

Practically throwing the phone back on the base, she ran upstairs and into the hallway, seeing Evey standing there obediently.

“Oh, thank God,” she moaned, sliding on the floor and hugging her tight. “Where are Walt and Yurik?”

“Upstairs with the ponies,” she said.

Looking up at the attack door, Bette hopped up and grabbed the string, only for the door to stay shut when she yanked it.

“Give me my children back, you monsters!” she cried.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The ponies in the attic winced with every yank that she gave at the attic door, only for it to still not budge. Applejack looked to the door, only for the bottom end of the top half of the steps on the door to be roped to the support beams, keeping it steady.

“Well she doesn’t seem like a very nice person,” said Pinkie Pie.

“She’s only concerned with her kids,” said Applejack, “but she sure as sugar could be a little nicer about this.”

“Don’t bother,” Walt said. “She’s extremely protective of us. No matter how peaceful you say you guys are, she won’t trust you, and she won’t be happy until you guys are gone.”

“But what do we do?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We can’t stay up here forever!”

“Can’t we get Alice to drive us to the Guardiaboliques headquarters?” questioned Yurik

“Don’t be stupid,” hissed Walt. “The cops are already on their way. If they catch us, not only will they take the ponies, they’ll take us in, as well as the rest of the Guardiaboliques.”

“And I just can’t transport us all there,” said Twilight. “It already took a lot of magic sending all of you in here. Walt, you said you had an idea. What is it?”

“It’s simple,” Walt said, “but it’s the least harmful thing we can do at this point.”

“And what’s that?” asked Yurik.

“…A sit in.”

“A sit in?” questioned Rainbow Dash. “What does that mean?”

“It means we’re staying up here until the police and Ms. Faber meets our demands,” answered.

“What?” shouted Rainbow Dash. “What about breakfast?”

“Until this mess gets sorted out,” Yurik said, “we’re not doing anything.”

“The police will be here any minute,” Twilight said. “We should also stay away from the windows.”

“Right.”

Picking up her mattress with her magic, Twilight and Yurik already began moving towards the corner of the room to the right of the inside of the window, followed shortly by Walt and Rainbow Dash.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

A masculine hand knocked on the Faber household’s door. Bette had quickly answered it, opening the door for a middle-aged male police officer with a pointed black soul patch and medium length black hair.

“Good morning, Mrs. Faber,” greeted the officer.

“Yes!” she sighed, looking over his shoulder to see the van she had requested, along with his patrol car parked in the driveway. “Come right in! Would you like me to make some coffee? Oh, and please, call me Bette.”

“If you insist,” he said. “Where are these animals you were talking about?”

Bette walked behind him and closed the door, confusing the policeman.

“You probably wouldn’t have believed me over the phone,” she said, “but those animals… well, they’re actually those ponies from the planet up there.”

They officer looked at her inquisitively, if not, oddly.

“The ponies?” he questioned.

“Yes,” she answered. “My son brought it home from where they were having their school musical’s after party a week ago from last Friday. He and his adoptive brother, Yurik, have been taking care of it in secret after the pony has been finding more of her friends. I only found them here today.”

Suddenly, the officer calmly stayed silent, realizing something.

“Your son’s name doesn’t happen to be Walt, does it?” he asked.

“Yes!” she huffed, surprised. “Why?”

“Coincidence would have it that Walt ran into me after he left his motorcycle there that night while we were investigating the crater left there. Turns out there was more to his story than he wanted to tell me.”

“I’m very sorry about that,” she said, “Walt is very mistrusting around policemen. Can I still get you that coffee?”

“Please, and while I do, I can try and get your son to come down.”

As Bette stepped into the kitchen towards a Keurig machine, the officer relayed his new information into his radio set, cautiously going up the stairs. Looking up at the attic door, he tiptoed up to it, hoping for the ones up above not to hear him.

“I can hear you!” shouted Walt from above.

With no need to sneak any further, the officer stood still.

“My name is Officer Clark,” he responded back in a friendly tone. “Do you recognize my voice?”

“What makes you think I can tell one pig from another?”

“Saturday, May 17th,” Clark reminded him. “You came to Seager Park late that night and came to get your bike back.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Up in the attic, Walt and Yurik looked at each other, the former’s eyes and mouth open with sudden realization.

“Hi, Walt,” Clark called from below. “Nice to hear from you again!”

Walt hissed as he kept up his brave face.

“I can’t exactly say the same,” he finally responded.

“Can we just talk about this like grown men?” Clark requested.

“We’re talking!”

“No, I want to come up and talk, that’s all.”

“There’s nothing to talk about! We haven’t done anything wrong, so get the hell out of our house!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark stood perfectly still below the front of the door, hoping that by some miracle, someone would come down and talk and act calmly. Just then, Evey, now dressed in her casual clothing, sprinted past Clark and down the stairs with a backpack on her back. Looking down at the next level, he heard the sound of the coffee machine finishing the dispensing of his brew.

“I’ll be back, Walt,” he said, walking towards the stairs. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“Not planning on it, dick,” snapped Walt.

Clark sighed as he put his radio to his mouth.

“The kids have locked the attic door,” he reported. “Can’t get in.”

“Do you need backup, officer?” spoke a woman on the line.

“No, I think we can work something out. Over and out.”

“Mommy,” spoke Evey in the kitchen, “I’m going to miss the bus!”

“Mommy’s busy, sweetie,” she cooed. “You know where the stop is.”

With a kiss, Evey disdainfully jogged to the door and left.

“Have a good day!” she called out.

Placing his radio back, Bette carried a full cup of coffee to the table in the kitchen, setting it down next to a bottle of creamer, a glass container of sugar, and a spoon.

“I didn’t know how you liked your coffee,” she said, flustered.

“It’s fine,” he chuckled. “I prefer it black.”

“I just heard Walt upstairs. Terrible thing to say to you.”

“I hear worse every day,” he assured, sitting down and lifting his glass up. “Besides, I’m not too surprised to hear that coming from him.”

“What do you mean?”

Clark took a sip, savoring the flavor, and then swallowed

“When I checked Walt’s license,” he explained, “I couldn’t help but notice the last name Faber. I couldn’t put my finger on it until I got home that morning, and I realized that he’s the son of Colin Faber.”

“Yes? And?”

“You see, he was my boss when I first became a police officer several years ago. However, I too learned of the nasty things he had done and lost all respect for him after he finally left. I can’t blame your son for having a very jaded view of the police force after that.”

“Well,” she sighed, taking a seat to his right at the table, “I wish he could see that not all cops are like his father.”

“Still, you shouldn’t feel bad for Walt’s actions. He and I both understand where he comes from.”

“Do you have children, Mr. Clark?”

Clark took another sip; longer this time.

“Used to…” he said.

“Used to?” she questioned. “What happened?”

“Hit-and-run collision with another driver. Took them, and my wife.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t–”

“It’s fine,” he said, raising his glass for another swig. “Just understand that I know full well what it’s like to have a kid.”

“Pardon if I ask again…”

“Shoot.”

“How old were they?”

Clark took a much calmer sip of his coffee, now seeming to enjoy it.

“Ten and eleven year old girls,” he said. “Rambunctious little things… but they were the joy of my life.”

Bette frowned, disgusted with herself for making him reveal himself like that.

“Again, I’m sorry,” she spoke. “You didn’t have to tell me anything.”

“Again,” he responded, “it’s fine. It’s all been said and done; nothing can change that.”

“Did the guy at least get caught?”

“Strangely enough, he did. It was actually right around the same time that Kieran and the Guardiaboliques had emerged in the streets of Chicago.”

“Wait,” Bette realized, “you don’t mean–”

“Yes. Kieran himself had caught my family’s killer. I saw it on the news as I was mourning. I can still remember that moment of seeing that. Stunned, unable to believe what he had done. It was that moment that I realized my calling and became an officer of the law.”

“That’s good to hear,” she responded. “I’m glad to hear people like you with a real sense of justice take to the streets to fight crime.”

“Yes…” he sighed, taking a larger mouthful of his now warmed coffee. “In that case, I’d like to ask you something, Bette.”

“Yes? What is it?”

Clark put his mug down and stood up to Bette, crossing his arms.

“Why do you want these ponies out of your house so badly?” he simply wondered.

“Are you kidding?” she exclaimed, standing up to Clark’s level. “They’re living in my house and now they’ve kidnapped my children! And what does any of this have to do with justice?”

“Hmph,” he chortled. “From the sound of it, it’s the kids who are kidnapping them. And didn’t you just send one of your children off to school without a problem?”

“Are you making fun of me, officer?”

“Of course not. Have these ponies harmed your children in any way?”

As Bette tried to come up with an answer, she stopped, unable to provide a clear answer.

“I don’t… I don’t know!”

“You don’t know whether your children were ever hurt?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, have you noticed any bruises, cuts, any changes in their personalities or anything?”

“…No, but…”

“Also, have you noticed any… unfamiliar droppings in your house?”

“No, officer, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I want them out of my house!”

“It’s just that I’m trying to understand why, Bette. You claim they’ve never actually hurt any of your children, and it seems that the two you have in your attic care enough for them to lock themselves up with them. On top of that, they don’t seem to be causing you any disturbances and are not damaging your property in any way.” 

“What are you asking me to do? Just let them live here and allow them to do God knows what to my kids?”

“It’s not necessarily illegal for your kids to have the ponies with them in the house, being that their search and retrieval is open to anyone,” he said. “And according to you, you haven’t even noticed them until just this morning. These kids have clearly formed a strong bond with these ponies that they’re willing to go to these lengths for them to stay. Should they not get a say in whether they can be allowed to stay?”

“Of course not!” she shouted. “I’m their mother, and it’s my house, and my rules!”

Clark sighed disapprovingly at the last line.

“You know,” he responded, “that sounds like something your ex-husband would say before he was arrested.”

Bette chuckled in sheer shock.

“What did you say?” she asked. “What right do you have to talk to me like that?”

“I might be an officer,” he retorted, “but I know when to call bullcrap when I hear it. You claim to be for honoring people with a real sense of justice, as you put it, but you think flaunting your power to do whatever you think is right is honorable?”

“Who are you to question my parenting? I should call your department and get someone competent to do the job!”

“And what will your kids think of you after that?”

As Bette reached for the phone, she stopped, thinking over the scenario in her head.

“I guarantee you that in the police’s hands, those ponies will not be treated as nicely as I’d like to think your boys do. I think Walt has a good idea of this too. If you surrender those ponies to us, the two of them will never forgive you.”

Bette eased herself, her hand slipping further and further away from the phone.

“These ponies are alien to you;” he continued, “I understand that; they’re alien to us too. However, I have no reason to believe that they will harm your children or your family at all. Just give them a chance. I guarantee you that Walt, his sister, brother, and the ponies up there with him, as well you will be much happier if you let them in.”

Bette stood before Clark, trembling.

“Is everything okay, officer?” spoke the female’s voice on the radio.

“Everything’s fine,” sighed Clark, stepping away from Bette. “I’m working out a negotiation for the kids and their mother. I’ll call back soon.”

Clark hooked the radio back to his body, huffing dejectedly as he did so.

“Bette,” spoke Clark, “you wouldn’t mind showing me your husband’s card, would you?”

“My…” she wondered aloud, “husband’s card?”

“Yes. The one he always used in his duels.”

“I believe Walt has it… in his room.”

“I don’t think I’ll be getting on Walt’s side any time soon if I go inside there. You wouldn’t mind getting it for me, would you?”

“Let me see…”

Bette traveled upstairs as Clark stood in the kitchen with a content smile on his face. Looking down at the last bit off coffee in his mug, he picked it up by the cup itself and downed the rest of it, grunting at the now lukewarm feeling in his mouth.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt grunted as he heard a door open below, the ponies still smothering his and Yurik’s legs as they huddled in the corner of the attic.

“That bastard!” Walt hissed. “Now he’s going into my room?”

“Walt,” assured Yurik, “you don’t even know whose room he’s going in, yet alone if it’s him. It could be mom.”

“Either way, they have no business in there.”

“What if we can’t stop him? Can’t Twilight and her friends just teleport to Alice’s van? It’s practically across the street.”

“I texted her,” he said, “and she’s currently having breakfast with her friends downtown. We’d only find another way to blow our cover if either one of her friends saw them, even if Twilight and her friends could travel that far.”

“So,” Yurik sighed, taking his place back against the wall, “we can only hope for the best now?”

“Yeah,” Walt confirmed. “That’s all we can do…”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other nervously, unsure of how long their protest would actually last.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Here it is,” said Bette, handing Clark an xyz monster card to him.

Clark pinched the bottom end of it, admiring its artwork. On it was a muscular, black-robed, medieval-era man with thick, dark-blue armor underneath it. Floating in front of him were five black shields in a star pattern with white stars upon them. Two long claymores were held in its grasp.

“Sir William – Sentry Sheriff,” mused Clark. “I’ve always loved this card.”

“Really?” replied Bette. “How so?”

“Because it represented everything I first admired about your ex-husband. A strong defender of the weak.”

Clark looked once again at the card noticing one black star between the card’s title and its art.

“Five level 1 monsters to summon it,” he said. “This card’s strength is constructed with the will of the lesser. A savior to the scared and miserable.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you want with this card,” Bette responded

“Your son holds onto this card himself. That means that despite the hell he caused you and your family all those years ago, he still looks fondly upon what his father used to represent. It’s like the last shard of the honor and respect we all had for him is in that card.”

Bette looked to Clark, still unsure what he was going on about.

“Your children only have you left as their guardian,” he continued, “and all you have left is them. Please, do the right thing, as the Colin Faber I knew would.”

Bette looked upstairs to where the door to the attic might be, imagining the scared and hateful expressions her children and the ponies might have had. Bette then stared back onto the ground with a sigh.

“I’m sorry, officer,” she said. “You’re right. However, I don’t think the children are going to believe me when I want to come up and apologize. They’ll still see your van and assume I’m trying to trick them.”

“Well, I’m glad to see you’ve opened up,” Clark said, “but there’s still another question that I need to ask before I can leave you and your kids to your own devices.”

“What’s that?”

“How are you going to take care of these ponies? Feeding four ponies as a single mother is going to be very difficult to do by yourself.”

“I’m certain Walt and Yurik will help out,” she said.

“How do you figure?”

“You see, a couple of weeks ago, a relative of a friend of theirs gave them money for their high school graduation.”

“How much were the checks?”

“I believe they were… two-grand a piece.”

“Two-grand? She must really like them.”

“Actually,” she admitted, “I’ve never heard of her, and neither did they, for that matter. I merely assumed that Alice had told that person about Yurik and Walt and threw them a bone.”

“A bone made of gold…” mumbled Clark, his entire index finger wrapped around his chin.

“Why?” she asked. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Bette, how did your kids get the other three ponies?”

“They didn’t. According to one of them, she has the ability to teleport.”

“Teleport?”

“Yes, I even saw it myself. I know that it sounds crazy…”

“Listen, if I was told two weeks ago that a planet would appear outside ours, I’d call that person crazy. I can’t really say that anymore.”

“Anyway, she had traveled to where the other beams had landed and brought the ponies that came from them here and then brought them back when she had found them.”

Clark stood motionless, still deep in thought.

“Hello?” Bette responded.

“Tell me, Bette. Have your children taken any trips or have been away from your house over the past two weeks?”

“What? Why do you need to know that?”

“It’s just a theory…”

“What’s a theory?”

Clark looked seriously at Bette, prepared to drop his bombshell.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark knocked the door of the attic hard. Bette stood against Walt’s door, a hand over her mouth with moistening eyes.

“Go away!” shouted Walt. “I told you, we haven’t done anything wrong!”

“That’s where you’re mistaken Walt!” called Clark in the toughest façade he could muster. “I know you and Yurik’s secret!”

“What are you talking about? You’re crazy!”

“I know that you, Walt, and those ponies are part of the Guardiaboliques!”

Bette breathed in hard, waiting for the quick denial of Walt or Yurik, only for it to come from neither of them.

“What makes you think that?” Walt challenged.

“You see,” Clark responded, “me and your mom were talking about how you would manage taking care of the ponies yourselves. She tells me that you got a bunch of money from a Mrs. Stella Carmichael for your graduation, a relative of your friend Alice, she said. Tell me now, why would the distant relative of a friend give both of her friends two-thousand dollars like that?”

“You tell me!” shouted Walt.

“And then there are the trips you took these past couple of weeks. Both of them are also related to Alice in some fashion. First was your overnight study cram at her friend’s. The second was a trip to the cabin of another relative of hers.”

“What’s your point? Are you saying that we used those stories as covers to go and search for the other ponies?”

“You tell me!” called Clark, unable to hide a smirk.

“Sir,” called Twilight’s voice, through the floor “I can explain.”

“Are you one of them? The ponies that is?”

“Yes!” she responded. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m not sure if you know, but–”

“You have the ability to teleport, right?”

“Yes! Did Ms. Faber tell you?”

“She did, and I don’t believe a word of it.”

“What? I’m an alicorn! Unlike you, I actually know magic!”

“Hmph,” Clark chortled. “And that’s where you think you have the upper hand, do you?”

“What?”

“You think that because I’m ignorant of your abilities, you can make up whatever you want about your capabilities and I’d have to take your word for it, right?”

Twilight exhaled shakily, listening as her defense was quickly torn down.

“However, it still doesn’t add up. If you really had such an ability, why wouldn’t you just return the friends you’ve found to Equestria and save them the trouble of being kept up in some teenager’s attic?”

“My magic does have limits, you know!”

“Limits that still allow you to jump from Naperville to Suzuka and back, right? If that’s the case? Why not hide you and your friends somewhere really remote where we couldn’t find you until this all blew over? Let’s face it, you’ve been traveling to the world and find your friends all thanks to the man named Kieran.”

Twilight struggled to speak, trying to control her inevitable hesitation.

“It seems I’ve got you now,” he said.

Bette kept her breath held, scared for her boys’ safety.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Upstairs, Yurik slid onto his back, physically spent as their cover was now blown. Walt couldn’t muster the strength to stay angry, putting his hands over his eyes to prevent the others from seeing his oncoming tears.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked up at Yurik and Walt’s faces, respectively. Applejack and Pinkie Pie gave both of them tight hugs, knowing that their time would soon come to an end.

“Listen,” called Clark below. “I want this to be painless as possible. You open the attic right now, without any tricks, I promise you that your friends will be treated well with us. I might even be able to reduce your sentence to community service if you cooperate.”

Walt gave one look to Rainbow Dash and hugged her before he began to stand up and face the attic door.

“Hurry up!” called Clark.

“I’m coming!” shouted Walt. “I was just saying my goodbyes.”

“I’ll allow you to say goodbye when we come up.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark pulled his radio from his belt and put it to his mouth.

“Clark is opening the door,” he reported. “Do not send backup until I call for it.”

The sliding of rope could be heard upstairs as Clark put his phone away. The sound finally stopped, making Bette and Clark look up.

“Okay,” beckoned Walt wearily. “It’s open.”

Clark reached up and pulled the string on the door down, the door coming down with it. Walt solemnly stepped aside as Bette quickly flipped down the bottom steps and ran up. Seeing Walt before her safe and sound, she wept as she threw her arms around him in a tight, protecting hug.

“Walt!” she cried.

“I’m so sorry, mom,” he cried.

Twilight got off of Yurik and allowed him to stand up. As he approached Bette, Clark came up the stairs, finally seeing the saddened expressions of the ponies in the corner of the room, looking at him as if making a final plea to let them stay.

Clark himself was stunned to see the ponies for himself, gasping as he put his fingers over his mouth. Bette, also with a last-ditch mentality, spun to face Clark.

“Officer,” she begged, “please, spare my boys! They have such bright futures ahead of them!”

“It’s my fault!” exclaimed Yurik. “I only joined so I could help Twilight get back home!”

“I joined so I could keep my brother safe!” argued Walt. “I swear, we were going to leave as soon as they went home!”

“Please, sir,” Twilight spoke, “if it’s worth anything, take us instead! Just spare our friends!”

Clark looked to the faces of the three humans and four ponies looking at him with eyes that pleaded for mercy. It was then that Clark reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the Sir William – Sentry Sheriff card, presenting it to Walt and shocking him

“Hey!” Walt shouted angrily. “Where did you get that!”

“Your mother showed it to me on my request,” explained Clark. “You might not know me, Walt, but I began working for your father right up until he was arrested all those years ago.”

“And what are you doing bringing that bastard up?”

“I think the better question is, ‘What is a man who hates his father so that he keeps his most valued card?’”

Walt gasped, suddenly stumped.

“You see,” Clark said, “I highly respected your father up until we found out the person he had become, and to me, this card was his true badge of honor. I assume you keep the card for the same reason that I admire it; it represents the level of justice he used to uphold, the one memory of him you wish to keep.”

Walt stood still as he stared deeply at the artwork of his card, angering Rainbow Dash.

“What does this got to do with anything?” she shouted. “Aren’t you just going to arrest us anyways?”

“As a matter of fact…” Clark responded, a soft closed-eyed smile on his face, “no.”

A loud gasp escaped the lips of each of the other humans and ponies, floored by this statement. Bette stared at Clark, hardly prepared to hear what would probably be an outlandish explanation.

“Yay!” Pinkie cheered with tears streaming down her face as she hugged Twilight. “We’re off scot free!”

“But why?” wondered Yurik. “We just admitted we’re members of the Guardiaboliques! How is that–”

“I wasn’t even exactly sure you were until you admitted your guilt just then,” admitted Clark. “I just had a really nudging feeling that you were covering up your tracks with those checks and trips with your friend. There was just too much coincidence to ignore.”

“But what about my magic?” asked Twilight. “What made you so sure I was lying?”

“Oddly enough… cartoons.”

“Huh?” Walt and Yurik questioned at the same time.

“A friend of mine from the force suggested I try this show that he had grown fond of that I decided to watch. One of the ways the villain in that show covered his tracks was by making up fake rules of the power he possessed to lead people off his trail. I had a nagging suspicion that the same thing was happening here.”

Walt couldn’t help but let out one chuckle, extremely impressed with his reasoning.

“I still don’t understand?” asked Walt. “Why are you sparing us?”

“Do you really want to know?” asked Clark. “It’s because I have a debt to pay to the Guardiaboliques… as well as this family.”

Yurik and Walt continued to look confusedly at the officer before them, Twilight looking very invested with him.

“I had told your mother that a hit-and-run had killed my family,” he said, “and that Kieran himself had caught him and helped bring him to justice. I had told her that it’s what led me to becoming a police officer.”

“A police officer?” asked Yurik. “Didn’t you want to be a part of the Guardiaboliques?”

“Very badly, to be honest, but I didn’t want to risk a criminal record just to deliver justice, so I trained to become a police officer. I served under your father until his arrest, but I didn’t stop there. In fact, it only made my resolve stronger.”

Walt then watched as Clark’s fists clenched up, the Sir William card safely pinched in-between his thumb and above his index knuckle.

“I continued to serve the law and deliver justice where I saw fit,” he stated. “I aimed to be as legally-vigilant and cunning as Kieran, while still earning the respect that your father once did on the force. Walt,” he said, looking at him, “I can never know how hard it must have been for you to do that, and I know how mistrustful around us cops you are. Please just know that you can at least trust me.”

Bette, still unsure of whether to break down or smile, approached Clark.

“So…” sniffled Bette. “My children…”

“I haven’t said a word to my associates,” he answered. “I will not report either of them, or their friend Alice. I will just act as if these past few minutes have never happened.”

“What about us?” asked Applejack. “Isn’t Ms. Faber still sending us away.”

“I have decided,” she declared, “that I can trust you around my children, so until you find your friends, you’re free to stay in this house.”

The faces of the ponies brightened, the final good news finally having been given.

“Hooray!” cheered Twilight, hugging Yurik tight in celebration.

Walt continued to look at Clark with and blank and perplexed stare.

“But,” he asked. “What happens if they find out what you’re doing? You’re going to get in a lot of trouble.”

“Better me than you, kid,” he responded, pointing to both of them. “At least you’ll be getting these guys home safely now!”

Out of seemingly nowhere, Rainbow Dash surprised Walt with a hug from behind. Walt laughed as he playfully tried to wrestle out of her grasp. Bette watched with heartwarming bliss as Applejack and Pinkie Pie, came up to Yurik and embraced him while Walt and Rainbow Dash continued to play. Twilight, alone, approached Clark, looking up at him as he gave her the same respect.

“Thank you, sir,” she said with a bowing nod. “I’m certain Celestia would be very happy with you for doing this.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Clark responded. “And please, call me Clark.”

Twilight reached her hoof out towards him, and with an eager grip after moving Walt’s father’s card to his other hand, Clark shook it firmly.

“Twilight Sparkle,” she introduced. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you.”

“Twilight,” he sighed, taking in the smooth texture of her hoof and coat. “I’m glad to have met you too.”

Twilight soon set her arm down, freeing Clark. Looking back to Walt, who managed to break free from Rainbow Dash’s grip, he walked up towards him, getting both of their attention. With an outreached hand, he presented Walt’s card to him.

“You can have this back now,” Clark said. “Thank you for letting me see it.”

Walt, looking up to Clark’s eyes with a respectful and humble smiled, gently took the card from his hand and slipped it back into Clark’s pocket.

“Keep it,” Walt said. “Consider yourself the one who should be allowed to own such a card.”

Clark’s breath shuddered excitedly as he felt the flatness of the card in his jacket, but then faced Walt with a gladdened smile.

“I’ll take good care of it,” he promised. “Thanks, Walt.”

With a gentle ruffling of Walt’s hair, Clark stepped towards the attic, stopping before he could get to the first step.

“Hey,” he exclaimed forgetfully, turning back to Bette and reaching into another pocket on the other side of his jacket. “My card.”

Clark handed Bette a plain business card that contained his name, phone number, and email address, which she quickly glanced at, knowing what it was.

“If either of you need any help,” he instructed, “just give me a call.”

Walt and Yurik nodded, understanding his request.

“Will do,” Walt said.

“Thank you very much for your kindness,” spoke Bette. “I’m forever grateful.”

“I’ll see you all later,” he bid, saluting them all with a flick of his index finger.

“Bye, Clark!” shouted Pinkie Pie. “Thanks for being a super-duper swell policeman!”

By the time, each of the humans and ponies were waving Clark farewell, he had already disappeared from their sight under the ceiling to the floor below. Bette turned her head and looked at Yurik and Walt with slight regret in her smile.

“So…” Walt said, scared of his mother’s imminent reaction as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, “yeah, we’re kinda… Guardiaboliques, and stuff…”

“I know,” she responded, fighting tears. “I don’t care about that anymore. I’m very proud of you both for what you’re doing. All I want now is my family here with me.”

“I’ll be part of your family!” squealed Pinkie Pie, leaping towards her.

Bette whooped in shock as Pinkie Pie’s arms squeezed her torso, the latter beaming brightly. Then, at once, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack began to smother Pinkie Pie and Bette with their own embraces, laughing as they finally received her blessing.

Walt stepped up beside Yurik and put his hand on his shoulder. Yurik was too happy with how the situation turned out to face his brother, instead watching the ponies’ celebration with their induction into their house by their mother.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark stepped out from the front door and to his patrol car, getting relieved reactions from the people waiting outside the van.

“Finally!” spoke a tan-skinned female officer with dark hair. “What was taking you so long?”

“The negotiation, that’s what,” he grunted. “Also, if anyone asks, we were solving a pest problem.”

“What?” spoke a large, male African-American officer. “What about the ponies? What are we supposed to do with that?”

“They found a home,” Clark responded, as he opened his car door, “and the family found peace. I’d like it to stay that way.”

Before either of them could respond, Clark stepped inside his car and closed it shut. As he backed out of the Faber’s driveway, the two other officers rolled their eyes as they made their way into the van, leaving the Faber household alone.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Bette straightened her luxurious black dress with orange-hoop designs in her bathroom mirror. As she moved her styled hair into a proper placement, the sounds of shoes and hooves running on the floor in the hallway caught her attention.

“Bye mom!” called Yurik.

“We’ll be home Sunday night hopefully!” called Rainbow Dash.

Bette stepped out of the bathroom and through the hallway to the banister overlooking the first floor.

“Wait!” called Bette, stopping Yurik, Walt, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash as they stood in the foyer with backpacks and duffel bags in their hands. “I’ve got plans tonight! Who’s going to watch Evey!”

“Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!” Pinkie Pie squeaked coming from behind. “I can do it!”

“I’ll lend her a hoof,” said Applejack. “You go on and have yourself a ball, Ms. Faber. Your daughter’s safe with us.”

Bette hummed gladly at the suggestion, satisfied with their addition to her house.

“Thank you,” she said. “Please be sure she’s in bed by no later than ten.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Applejack said.

The two earth ponies then hopped their front legs onto the banister and looked down at their friends in the foyer.

“Bye, guys!” Applejack called. “Good luck!”

“Tell Fluttershy I said, ‘Hi!’,” shouted Pinkie Pie.

Yurik and Walt nodded with a giggle. The two of them walked outside from the front door as Twilight touched her now glowing horn to Rainbow Dash’s head, bathing them in light before they both disappeared.

With that settled, Pinkie Pie and Applejack galloped into the hallway, the sound of a door opening soon afterwards.

“Looks like you get to spend the night with us,” laughed Applejack.

“Best sleepover ever!” screamed Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah!” cheered Evey’s voice.

Bette huffed happily, walking down the stairs and into the kitchen. Standing above the phone, she glanced at Clark’s card, dialing the ten-digits upon the dialpad of the base without looking. Putting the phone to her ear, she waited for his voice to call. Upon hearing his voice, she perked her smile up. 

“Clark!” she said. “Hey, are you off work yet…? Great! What time should I meet you over…? Wait, you want to pick me up…? Oh, aren’t you just a sweetheart!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Alice’s van pulled out of the Faber house’s driveway and onto the street, setting its course for the next rescue ahead.
> Episode 14: Jungle Fever, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mary sat on her bed laxly early Friday morning, her eyes focused on her TV, an HDMI plug connecting it to her computer as it played an episode of Wilfred through Netflix. The front pages of playbills kept preserved in poster-sized frames rung around the entirety of her room save her door and windows. The floor was spotless with no sign of dirty laundry, loose change, or garbage of any kind.

Lying beside her with its back against her ribs was an Egyptian Mau cat, purring loudly as Mary scratched under its chin. Mary couldn’t help but giggle as the cat rolled itself to the other side of its body with its back arched up and its limbs stretched out, revealing its back-left paw to have been amputated.

As Mary continued to pet her cat, a tenor squeak sounded from the other side of Mary’s bed. Just as Mary turned to look, a fully-grown African Serval cat with a beautifully clean golden coat hopped up onto the bed, blocking Mary’s sight from her television. Mary quickly rubbed her free fingers with her thumb, the soft snapping sounds beckoning the cat over to her.

“I wouldn’t think to forget you, Johann,” she cooed.

The Serval prowled towards Mary and pressed his face into her cupped hand, sliding himself onto his side against Mary’s body, and purring himself. Looking at Johann’s pleasured face, as well as a scene on her TV with two men, one dressed in a grey dog suit, pulling out cats from a box on the side of the road, she then looked to her phone on her nightstand to the left.

As she reached over, the Egyptian Mau stood up with a disappointed squeak and walked easily to the corner of the bed and set itself back down. Grabbing her phone and lying back down, snuggling herself into Johann’s back, she browsed through her contacts until she came across Yurik’s number. With a couple more taps on her screen, she put the phone to her ear, listening to the dialtone as she awaited Yurik’s voice.

“Hello?” Yurik answered.

“Yurik!” she responded, chipper. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“I… was about to ask you the same thing.”

“Well,” she giggled, “I actually was calling you because I wanted to know how that alicorn of yours was doing.”

“Oh, Twilight? She’s doing really well! Why don’t you come over and say hi? I don’t think you two have formally met.”

“What?” she exclaimed, sitting up and being careful not to pull Johann off the bed with her covers. “You really think it’s safe for me to see her?”

“Sure! It’s a long story, but mom and Evey are in on it too, even the part where Walt, Alice, and I are part of the Guardiaboliques!” he whispered on the last statement.

Mary huffed loudly into her phone, shocked to hear such a thing.

“Oh my God!” she spoke, trying her hardest not to giggle. “She must have nearly killed you!”

“Nearly…” Yurik sarcastically confirmed.

Looking at the sun trying break in through her blinds, she kept her phone at the side of her head.

“Is it too early for me to come over now?” she asked.

“Not at all!” replied Yurik. “Evey just left for her last day of school, and mom’s getting ready for work.”

“And Walt?”

“When one of us is up, we’re all up. You can come over whenever you want. Just come right in and close the door quickly. Just because my family and you are in on the ponies doesn’t mean the rest of the world is.”

“Okay! I’ll be right over.”

“Sounds great. I can’t wait for you two to finally meet. See you soon. Bye.”

Alice hit the red phone icon on her screen and plopped it onto her bed. Sliding out and walking to the door, Johann plopped down from his spot and followed Mary, meowing loudly and frequently.

“I’ll be back soon, baby,” squeaked Mary, turning and rubbing the side of his neck. “Mommy’s just got something to take care of.”

Despite leaving the room and opening her linens closet for a towel, Johann still followed her, putting his front paws up on the side of Mary’s torso.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

With a slight opening in the door, Mary slipped into the Faber’s house and shut the door behind her. She was dressed in a blue-and-pink mottled short-sleeved blouse with a light, matching scarf around her neck, as well as a pair of loose, white pants and golden colored shoes. Bette, who stood in the kitchen and cleaning a cutting board in the sink, shut off the faucet and turned to see Mary standing in her foyer, jumping out of shock.

“Mary!” she panted. “What a pleasant surprise?”

“Hi, Ms. Faber,” greeted Mary. “Do you know where Yurik is?”

“I… uh… Yurik!” she cried up the stairs. “Your friend Mary’s here!”

“It’s okay, Ms. Faber. He knows why I’m here. I’m going to see how that pony is doing.”

“How that po– did Yurik tell you about them?”

“Actually, I was the one who helped load her into Alice’s van two weeks ago. I haven’t seen her since, and I wanted to check up on her. By the way, what did you mean by ‘them?’”

As Mary and Bette continued talking Pinkie Pie peered her head over the banister from the hallway, beaming brightly at the new person entering their house.

“Hey,” called Pinkie Pie, “who’s your friend?”

Mary, turning around and hearing Pinkie Pie talk, involuntarily hopped up and fell to the floor on her back, yelping shrilly.

“Oh, wow!” Pinkie Pie continued, trotting down the stairs and towards the petrified Mary. “Did I surprise you? That’s so cool! I like surprising others, and I like people who like surprises! Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie. Who are you?”

Mary, completely overwhelmed with the sight and sound of Pinkie Pie’s speech as the pony now stood over her, croaked with a crazed smile on her face. Just then, Yurik and Twilight appeared from the hallway, the former seeing his friend beneath Pinkie Pie.

“Mary!” he shouted, sprinting down the stairs.

Twilight quickly followed him, while Pinkie Pie continued to look at the woman she was pinning down.

“So your name’s Mary?” she asked.

“Pinkie!” called Twilight. “Get off of her! She’s a guest!”

“Oh, sorry Twilight.”

Pinkie Pie leapt off her front hooves and stood upright, backing away like a bipedal creature would, looking as natural as a human would. Mary slowly got up, staring oddly at the pink mare.

“You’ll have to forgive Pinkie Pie,” apologized Twilight, now earning Mary’s wide-eyed gaze. “She can be a bit… random.”

“Twilight,” greeted Yurik, pointing to her with his hand, “this is one of my good friends Mary McClaine. She was one of the first humans to ever see you, and she was also the one who played Sally in Cabaret.”

“Thank you, Yurik. Hello, Mary,” she said, turning to her. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m very happy to meet you at last.”

Keeping her eyes trained on Mary as she failed to respond, just starting to come to terms with what she was experiencing, Twilight perked up, realizing something.

“Oh, I see,” she said. “You probably had no idea that us ponies speak the same language as you, did you?”

“N– no,” she stammered, standing back up with weak, trembling legs. “That’s… that’s just incredible!”

“You wouldn’t mind if we all went upstairs together, do you?” asked Yurik pointing the stairway.

“No!” Mary responded, already coming up the stairs. “Let’s get right to it!”

Twilight looked up at Mary strangely cocking her head as she continued her journey without either of them.

“You’ll have to forgive Mary,” whispered Yurik. “She’s actually very happy about meeting you. She’s just never seen a pony talk like you do.”

“That’s fine,” Twilight sighed. “I tend to be more practical with what I’m used to as well.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary sat onto Yurik’s bed, browsing the rock band and musical posters that made up nearly every inch of his walls. Finally, Twilight and Yurik entered the room. Twilight hopped up onto the bed and sat facing her, startling Mary into turning her body as well. Yurik sat at his office chair and rolled towards his door, stopping to put himself between the two of them.

“Now, Mary?” started Yurik. “Are there any questions you’d like to ask Twilight?”

“Oh, God!” she sighed, recoiling from the countless number of them that flew into her mind. “Where do I begin? Well... I’m sorry about downstairs; that was rude of me. Please, let’s start over! I’m Mary, a friend of Yurik’s.”

Twilight chuckled as Mary reached her hand towards Twilight’s extending hoof, allowing Mary to shake it.

“As I had said,” Twilight replied, “it’s good to meet you too.”

“Well, I mean… I had no idea you were sentient and… you have more in your house! Where did they come from? Did the Guardiaboliques find them too?”

“We helped too, you know,” muffled Walt as he leaned against the jamb of Yurik’s doorway with a half-eaten apple in his fingers. “Hey, Mary.”

“Walt,” responded Mary. “Are there more here?”

“More of who?” Rainbow Dash answered smugly, appearing from around Walt as she walked into the room.

“Oh my God!” Mary squealed, her hands over mouth failing to conceal her smile. “My dad would kill to sit where I am right now!”

“Why?” asked Twilight cautiously. “Where’s your dad?”

“He lives in New York at an animal shelter, but he’s in Asia right now on a wildlife rescue mission. If he could see and meet you right now, it would mean the world to him!”

“What about your mother?”

“Mom lives here with me. She works as a consultant in Chicago, but she’s in Seattle on a business trip now.”

“So,” asked Rainbow Dash, “does that mean… your parents are divorced?”

“Yeah, but it’s kind of hard to keep a marriage like that up over such long distances. Oh, and not to say that they don’t love each other; they’re still very good friends, it’s just that they find it too difficult to be apart like that.”

“I… see?” Twilight responded.

“You shouldn’t worry about it. I’m happy, mom’s happy, dad’s happy; we’re all very happy!”

“Well, that’s good to hear!”

“How many more of you are there?” she asked, looking at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, whose head was peeking out from the doorway.

“There’s the three you see,” Yurik said, lassoing his finger around the room. “And then there’s–”

“What’s with all the commotion?” asked Applejack, stepping into Yurik’s room.

“Speaking of the devil…”

“Mary,” said Twilight, pointing to the two remaining ponies, “this is Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Guys, this is Mary. She’s a very close friend of Yurik’s and Walt’s.”

“Well,” greeted Applejack with a tip of her hat, “it’s mighty fine to meet y’all, Mary.”

“Wow!” sighed Mary, eyeing each of the four ponies in her vision. “You and the Guardiaboliques have already found three more of them?”

“Yes we have,” Yurik said proudly. “Then all we have left is Fluttershy, Rarity, and that dragon Spike… and then you guys go home.”

Yurik, looking more impressed than he was sad, turned his chair to face the wall and away from the others. Twilight grabbed the elevation pump on the chair a pull with her magic, turning Yurik back to her.

“Yurik,” assured Twilight, “even though we’ll be going back to our homeland, there’s no guarantee that we’ll also be returning to our world. If that’s the case, I have no doubt in my mind that Celestia and Luna will let us visit you when we want. Who knows? Maybe she’ll let you guys come over instead!”

Yurik smiled, comforted by her realistic words. Meanwhile, a buzzing and chime went off in Yurik’s pants, leaving him to pull out his phone and check what it was.

“Still, this is so incredible!” exclaimed Mary. “I still wish there was a better and easier way we could spend time together!”

Yurik smirked as he looked at his phone, handing it to Mary as she looked upon the screen.

“Perhaps there is,” Yurik said.

Mary kept close attention to the words on the screen as she read them.

Orpheus helped us find Fluttershy. Leaving for airport at 5. Be ready.

“Wait,” Mary responded, her mind swimming with questions, “who’s Orpheus? And what does this have to do with quality time?”

“I don’t know,” Yurik coyly suggested as he took his phone back, typing in a response. “You already know about us being in the Guardiaboliques, so I can’t see why Kieran wouldn’t let you come with us in this next mission.”

“Us? As in… Yurik, you’re crazy!”

“A bit,” he teased with a shrug, “but if you want to have a nice little trip this summer, now’s a perfect opportunity!”

“Where even is it?”

“Just sent the response, and it should be–”

A beep came into the air as the response was made.

“How does a rainforest in Brazil sound?” he asked.

Mary gasped, a smile slowly stretching her mouth wider.

“Are you serious?” she asked.

“Alice usually is about this kind of stuff,” he responded, dangling his phone in front of her face. “Does this sound good with you? You don’t need to feed Johann or the other cats?”

“No! No problem! I can do that before we leave! In fact…”

Alice bounced herself up from her seat and walked to the doorway.

“I’m sorry!” she puffed. “I need to get home and pack! It was nice meeting you all! I’ll see you at five!”

Before Yurik or Walt had the chance to wave, Mary was gone, the sound of Bette’s confused questioning towards her going on downstairs, followed by the sound of a door slamming shut.

“Wow,” exclaimed Pinkie Pie. “That woman belongs on a sundae, because she’s nuts! Or maybe she’s bananas… She’s a banana split of crazy!”

“Most actors are,” quipped Walt as he lobbed his apple core straight into Yurik’s garbage bin.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik, Walt, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash ran down the stairs, the latter two with their backpacks and bags for their clothes with them.

“Bye mom!” called Yurik.

“We’ll be home Sunday night hopefully!” called Rainbow Dash.

As they came to the door, Bette, wearing a black dress, came to the banister at the stairs.

“Wait!” called Bette, freezing the four of them in their tracks. “I’ve got plans tonight! Who’s going to watch Evey!”

“Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!” Pinkie Pie begged, walking up to Bette with Applejack by her side. “I can do it!”

“I’ll lend her a hoof,” said Applejack. “You go on and have yourself a ball, Ms. Faber. Your daughter’s safe with us.” 

“Thank you,” Bette responded. “Please be sure she’s in bed by no later than ten.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Applejack said.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie stood to their hind legs and looked over the railing to see their friends out.

“Bye, guys!” Applejack called. “Good luck!”

“Tell Fluttershy I said, ‘Hi!’,” shouted Pinkie Pie.

Yurik and Walt shared a comfortable chuckle as they took their belongings and walked out the front door, seeing Alice’s van parked in the driveway. As they walked towards the back, a flash of light was seen from inside the windshield, as well as a surprised scream from Mary in the front passenger’s side seat beside Alice. Opening the back door, they both saw Twilight and Rainbow Dash standing inside, both of them shaking their heads to snap them out of their dizzying trip.

“Oh wow!” shouted Mary, looking behind her. “You can even teleport?”

“There’s a lot that these guys can do,” Yurik said, throwing his bags onto the floor of the van with Walt beside two pairs of other bags. “I suggest we talk about it more when no one else can hear us.

Walt closed the back and walked to the passenger’s side door while Yurik went to the driver’s side, opening the doors behind Mary and Alice and stepping inside. With a shutting of their doors, Yurik and Walt let out a successful sigh as Alice pulled out of their driveway and onto the street.

“Guys,” said Mary, “again, I want to thank you for letting me come with you guys on this trip.”

“You don’t need to thank us,” Alice responded, “thank Kieran. He knew about you dropping Walt off at the headquarters that one time. He knew how good of friends we all are, so he saw no harm in accepting you to come.”

“Plus,” Twilight said, walking up towards the front seats, “I think this will be a great bonding experience for us, Mary.”

“I certainly hope so,” Yurik said, “because if this goes well, we’ll only have two more of you guys to find, and then you guys can go home.”

“Yeah,” sighed Twilight nostalgically. “Home…”

“But in the meantime,” blurted Alice, “let’s enjoy the time we do have together!”

“Alright!” Rainbow Dash cheered. “Let’s go save the rest of our friends!”

Yurik sighed, thankful for Alice’s diversion as he looked out the window, noting the traffic that began to accumulate on the roads.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside Kieran’s plane, Rainbow Dash looked out the windows, her wings involuntarily raised up as she looked at the clouds below her quickly passing by. Walt smirked as he noticed this, walking on up behind her as he crumpled up a wax-paper wrapper.

“Not used to flying unless you’re actually flying, right?” he asked.

“No,” she sighed. “If it weren’t for keeping hidden mostly, I’d be right beside this plane, the wind blowing in my face and rushing through my wings!”

“Yeah… The closest I can come to that is when I’m riding my bike on the highway. It’s a great feeling. However, at least there’s one thing that never changes.”

“Huh? What’s that?”

“The view.”

Walt and Rainbow Dash both took a relaxed sigh as they watched the billowy pinkish-blue clouds pass underneath them in the orange afternoon sky.

On the other side of the plane, Twilight, Mary, and Yurik sat around each other with burgers in each their hands. Twilight happily munched through her burger with a light-brown patty speckled with green and orange, holding it firmly with her magic. Yurik and Mary could only stare strangely as Twilight wiped her mouth with the bottom of the bun before taking bite of that part of her sandwich.

“Wow, Twilight,” Yurik spoke facetiously, “you never took me as a person who loves cheeseburgers.”

Twilight guzzled down her mouthful and washed it down with a gulp of Coca Cola.

“I also didn’t think that a human restaurant could make such a good veggie burger that I can eat!” she spoke.

“And you’re sure you don’t have a problem with us eating meat in front of you?” asked Mary.

“Well,” admitted Twilight with a sip of her drink, “a lot of the animals you eat for meat are sentient in Equestria, but I really can’t be mad at you without sounding like a hypocrite myself.”

“Why’s that?”

“Ponies are especially fond of sweets, and that includes cakes, pastries, you name it.”

“But…” Mary mumbled before she swallowed a recent bite of her salmon burger, “that would mean that you use… eggs? You ponies eat eggs?”

“Yes, we do. Even if they aren’t, they’re like baby chickens. If that’s the case, who are any of us to criticize you for eating… cows, or fish?”

“Well,” Yurik groaned awkwardly, “I’m glad you approve of our diets.”

Twilight took the last bite of her burger as her eyes went wide, looking as if she had overstepped her bounds.

“Oh, no!” Twilight exclaimed, fighting to pass the words through the mound of chewed slop in her mouth. “I’m sorry! I should have just said my piece and been done with it! Mmm! This burger sure is good! Where did we get these again?”

“DMK,” Alice answered. “I can’t eat beef myself, and I know you can’t eat meat of… well, virtually every kind, so we decided to go to a place where we all could be happy.”

“And I thank you for that!” she responded, pulling a second burger from a paper bag sitting next to her. “We might need to go back there before this is all over.”

Unwrapping the burger, Twilight began gobbling it much like her first. Mary turned to Yurik, who had taken a small, savoring bite from his bison burger as he looked back too.

“At least we learned something today,” she said with a shrug.

Yurik swallowed his bite, allowing his smile to form more naturally as he continued to look at her.

“We’re not the only ones learning something,” he said, standing up. “Walt! Put it on!”

“Is it time already?” he called back.

“Just do it before it gets too late!”

Walt stepped away from the window with Rainbow Dash and walked to the front of the plane, pulling out two remotes that were held to the wall by fitted platforms. Clicking a button on one remote, the projector and screen both descended from the ceiling, the former powering on and casting a blue light at the latter.

Alice drew a DVD case from Walt’s backpack and tossed it to him. As he opened it up, he crouched down to see a DVD player mounted to the wall. Pressing the eject button which turned it on, the tray of the machine slid out, allowing Walt to place the disc onto it, pushing the tray closed.

“Yurik,” asked Mary. “What are we watching?”

“Oh,” spoke Yurik, “a trip down memory lane is all.”

As Alice dimmed the lights down, Twilight and Rainbow Dash also paid attention to the screen, seeing as the movie started up and revealed four letters.

Beauty and the Beast: Magical Starlight Theater – Summer 2010

Mary let out a mix of a shout and a gasp, her body swaying due to the sheer shock.

“Mary,” asked Twilight, “what is this?”

“This, Twilight,” Yurik proudly responded, “is the very first show I did with Mary when she moved to Naperville after her 8th grade school year in New York.”

“And it’s thanks to Yurik and this show,” Mary sniffled, wiping her tears from her eyes, “that I was able to get through my parents’ divorce and make as many new friends as I did. This is awesome, Yurik.”

“Shh!” hushed Walt as the curtains parted on the screen. “It’s starting.”

As the instrumental prelude to the song Belle fluttered through the theater’s sound system, a younger Mary with her hair in a brown wig pranced upon the stage, much to Twilight’s sheer happiness and Rainbow Dash’s amusement.

Mary compelled herself to sit down with Yurik, who took another nibble of his burger as Walt, Alice, and the two ponies took their seats beside them and kept their eyes glued to the screen as Mary sung. As the chorus joined in, Twilight looked about for Yurik, only to not find him.

“Hey,” whispered Twilight in Yurik’s ear, “where are you?”

“I was playing Lumiere,” he quietly answered. “Don’t worry, you’ll like what you see.”

Twilight nodded in acceptance and continued to watch the slew of younger children sing the opening number with Mary right in the foreground, looking to enjoy herself very much.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

By the beginning of the afternoon of the next day, Kieran’s plane landed on the runway of the Governador Jorge Teixeira de Oliveira International Airport of Pôrto Velho, Brazil. The humans and ponies inside groggily stood up from their seats as they stretched their bodies, stretching their soon-to-be-released bodies from the plane.

“Finally,” moaned Mary, “a chance to stretch my legs.”

“Let’s not forget,” reminded Alice, “we’re south of the Equator now, so we only have a set amount of time before it gets too dark to be in the forests at night.”

“Do we at least know where we’re going?” asked Walt, his bags already in hand.

“Yes. Lucky for us, the sightings that Orpheus had picked up show them surrounding a specific area. That’s where we’ll search.”

“How big is the area, though?” asked Twilight.

“About a two-mile radius. We’re going to be doing some hiking, but if we can find the epicenter of where these sighting occur, chances are we’ll find where our pony has been staying all this time.”

“Sounds fine with me,” said Mary, already pulling her phone from her pocket.

“Kieran did allow us some time to change. I highly suggest you get into something a bit more comfortable for this hike: durable pants and short sleeved shirts are preferable, but just stick with one layer. Let’s get to it, guys,” she said, heading for her luggage in the overhead compartment. “The longer we need to stay here, the closer it gets to sunset.”

Without any more hesitation, Yurik, Walt, and Mary also went to their bags, pulling out just what they needed.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

A large SUV crawled along the open space within the forest, slowing to a stop as the expanse of trees and vines became too thick for the vehicle to travel any further. Once the car was parked, each of its four doors opened as its passengers and driver exited out and around to the other side of the car.

Kieran came from the driver’s seat wearing a greyish-green buttoned-up shirt and a thick pair of black pants, his long hair tied into a ponytail. Alice, emerging from the front passenger side door, wore a light-brown t-shirt with a pair of khaki-pants. Yurik and Mary came forth from the back driver-side door, Yurik wearing his regular clothing minus his blue shirt-jacket and black hoodie around his waist. Mary had a light-blue short-sleeved blouse with mustard-yellow pants.

Walt came from the back passenger-side door with only his vest removed, leaving nothing but his white t-shirt and black pants. From the back door, Twilight and Rainbow Dash hopped out with their own saddlebags on, five backpacks held in Twilight’s magic aura. With a gentle float, each of the bags made it to each of their owners’ hands. Twilight and Rainbow Dash joined the humans as they equipped themselves with their belongings.

“Here is what we will do,” said Kieran. “We will get into three pairs. Mary, you will accompany Alice and I for this.”

“Okay then,” Mary said, hiding her disappointment as she glanced to Yurik.

“Walt, Rainbow Dash, you will be a team, as will you, Yurik and Twilight.”

“Got it!” Rainbow Dash happily accepted.

“Sounds fine with me,” agreed Twilight.

“Lastly,” said Kieran, handing two operating iPhones to Yurik and Walt, “take these. These will let us know where you guys are?”

“Were the pins too flimsy?”

“No,” he gruffly responded. “This will just be an easier way to find this pony. Yurik, Twilight, you will scan the north perimeter of the sighting area. I’ve marked the borders on your map; make sure your dot doesn’t go outside the lines.”

“Simple enough…” breathed Yurik, looking at the map and their dot on the screen.

“Walt, Rainbow Dash, take the south perimeter. Alice, Mary, and I will walk straight ahead. We will all be able to see each other on each of our maps. Yurik, Walt, when you reach above and below the center of the circle, turn towards it and walk to it. We will meet you there.

From there, we will discuss our plan further. The time is 3:18 PM here, and the time of sunset will be at 6:45 PM. We have a little over three hours to find them before this jungle becomes too treacherous to stay. Let’s not waste any more time. Let’s go.”

Yurik and Walt began to walk their intended path, the former heading up and to the left, while Walt went down to the right. Their two pony partners followed them closely.

“Good luck, guys!” called Yurik.

“Call us if you find anything!” shouted Walt.

As they went further and further away from Kieran, Alice, and Mary, the silver-haired leader went straight east into the forest.

“Come,” he simply called.

Alice and Mary, who stayed close to each other, followed Kieran in through the deep and dark flora of the Amazon.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

An abandoned white barn with a red roof stood in the small clearing of the thick jungle that claimed it. Standing carefully atop the roof on the front end of the house was a boy of about 14 in a ragged white shirt and muddied red shorts. His skin was a dark-tan colored and his naturally black hair was both frayed and curled.

The boy carefully peered through a pair of binoculars with his left hand, his vision affixed on a winged yellow--furred creature with a long pink mane and tail flying just below the treetops. The creature was still hardly visible through the thick foliage, but bits of the creature’s pink mane and yellow wingtips were still easily distinguishable.

“Good job, Fluttershy,” he whispered, his hand reaching a revolver inside his right pocket.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary, Alice, and Kieran continued wandering into the forest, getting closer to their destination with each tired step. A noise of crunching leaves suddenly sounded to the left of the group. Instantly, Mary pulled out her phone and aimed the lens of its camera right at the noise where she thought she heard it. Seemingly at the same moment, Kieran’s hand caught Mary’s right wrist, nearly making her drop her phone.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he hissed.

“I was only taking a look, I swear!” squeaked Mary as the grip grew tighter.

“Do you take me as a fool? I let you on this mission as a favor to your friends, and I thought you’d be smart enough not to take pictures that can be seen by others back home, like your parents!”

“Okay, first,” Mary spat, ripping her arm from Kieran’s vice, “my parents, my dad especially, are very huge supporters of you guys. Second, I have a somewhat popular Instagram account, and getting good pictures involves focusing on just the right shot, and that’s how I pay attention to certain things better.”

Kieran glared at Mary, who refused to waver in his deathly stare.

“Fine,” he whispered, “but the second I hear that camera shutter sound, your phone is going right over my knee.”

“Deal,” she sarcastically agreed, continuing to look at her screen and the image her lens saw.

The three of them began to tread carefully, their eyes peeled for anything that they could identify as the pegasus Fluttershy. Mary glanced up at the treetops for anything, watching for any birds or bats that would try to distract her. There didn’t seem to be anything, until…

*click*

Mary gasped as she realized her mistake, as involuntary and habitual as it was. Kieran and Alice stopped dead in their tracks, the former looked both stunned and furious. Turning to Mary, he began to stride towards her. 

“What did I say?” he warned.

“Look!” Mary shouted, pointing up where she had taken her picture.

Kieran, humoring her, stopped and turned to look up, his mouth parting slightly as he saw a yellow equine with wings and a pink mane and tail standing stiffly and frightened in the trees. Alice looking up, managed to see Fluttershy as well. The pegasus saw them clearly too, her eyes wide and her bottom lip being bit down with fear.

“Well,” Kieran whispered, “I’ll be da–”

*CPOKH*

The loud crack of a gunshot rung through the trees. While Mary and Alice ducked for cover, Kieran crouched down while keeping his eyes on the pegasus as it darted behind herself and flew straight and away.

“Run!” ordered Kieran, sprinting through the trees after her.

Without question, Alice ran, catching up behind him. Mary jogged up, unable to convince herself to run.

“Hey!” she called out. “There’s a poacher near here!”

As Kieran and Alice became harder to see through the trees, leaving her stranded, she too broke into a run.

“Hey!” she cried. “Don’t leave me here!”

As behind and alone as she was, she panted with apprehension as she tried to keep her sights on Kieran and Alice further ahead. Meanwhile, Kieran looked up through the trees, just barely able to see Fluttershy losing them up above.

She’s flying in a completely straight line, he mused. She’s leading us right to the epicenter!

Just up ahead, the clearing and the barn were visible. Kieran slowed down his pace as he suddenly began to think about where the initial gunshot had come from. Alice continued her pace as she was about to run right into the open. Kieran grabbed her wrist as her feet and lower torso swung out through the edge of the clearing.

Seeing Fluttershy zoom into the ajar barn doors, Kieran looked up to see the boy looking at them with his gun aimed at him. The boy set his arm down while keeping a close, watchful eye over the two hiding behind the trees. Mary’s panting became audible as she came up to run into the clearing.

“Parada!” he shouted. “Caçadores furtivos não são permitidos aqui!”

“Não somos caçadores!” called Mary as she walked into the open, much to Kieran and Alice’s slight surprise. “Somos amigos com o Pégaso, Fluttershy!”

Even the boy himself looked stunned to see Mary speaking his language.

“Como é que um norte-americano, como você fala Português?” he asked.

“Meu pai faz parte de um grupo de resgate de animais selvagens em todo o mundo,” she answered, “e ele me ensinou que a língua quando eu era uma menina!”

The boy gasped, surprised to hear such an answer.

“Escuta,” she questioned, “você fala Inglês?”

The boy continued to look at her oddly before he came up with his answer.

“Yes,” he said. “Who are you?”

“My name is Mary,” she said. “And these are my friends!”

“I recognize the long-haired man!” he shouted. “He’s Kieran! You’re part of the Guardiaboliques, aren’t you?”

Kieran sighed as he stood, prompting Alice to walk out into the clearing with him.

“Yes,” answered Kieran, “and this is Alice. What Mary here said is true. We are friends with her friends Twilight Sparkle…
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“…Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie!” finished Kieran.

Inside the barn, Fluttershy’s ears perked up, surprised to hear her friends’ names.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“And who are you?” asked Mary.

“My name is Thiago,” he said. “Please, come inside, I want to show you something.”

Thiago placed his gun back into his pocket and ran along the top to a side window, swinging effortlessly inside. Mary, Kieran, and Alice looked at each other before they led themselves into the open barn door ahead.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt and Rainbow Dash continued searching about the area, noting the vast expanse of green trees and various animals calls around them. Walt pulled out the phone provided to him by Kieran and glanced down. His dot continued to be along the outside of the perimeter set on the map while Yurik’s dot moved in towards the center where Kieran’s dot was.

“What do you see?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I think Kieran and his group found Fluttershy!” he responded cheerfully, breaking into a run into the forest.

“Hey!” called Rainbow Dash. “Stick together!”

It wasn’t much longer before the two of them disappeared deep within the forest.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Upon entering inside the barn, the pungent smell of excrement was strong, making Alice gag and cover her mouth. Kieran and Mary didn’t seem to react in any way at all, as if they were used to the smell all their lives. Looking around them, they could easily detect the source, which froze them up in fear and shock.

Lying obediently on the floor were a pair of jaguars who looked upon them warily. Lying beside them was a brown deer who looked at them with equal caution. High in the rafters, monkeys, bats, birds, and rodents all looked down at the humans that had entered their home.

“Fluttershy and I saved them all,” Thiago said, standing in the back center. “They were all sick and or wounded when we found them. Had it not been for our efforts, a large portion of these animals would be killed by poachers or be dead already. She's been an invaluable help since I found her those couple of weeks ago.”

Mary looked slightly angered at the pair of jaguars in their cage as they snarled at her with spite and rage.

“Speaking of,” Kieran said, “where is she?”

“Um,” a timid voice cooed from the corner as she stepped out towards Thiago, “I’m right here…”

Mary looked at Fluttershy with even more disdain, noting the dirtied and messed state of her coat, mane, tail, and wings.

“You said that you knew her other equine friends?” Thiago asked.

“Yes,” spoke Alice. “We found four of them, and after her, all we have left is the white unicorn Rarity and the dragon Spike, and then they can return home to their world.”

“I see… being that you are really Kieran and you have brought the Guardiaboliques all the way to Brazil, I have no inclination to doubt you.”

Kieran nodded in resected, but didn’t seem to quell Thiago’s serious face.

“However,” he added, “I cannot let you take her from me.”

“What did you say?” shouted Kieran. “She doesn’t belong here with you!”

“The point is, she doe belong here. Every week, nearly a hundred animals in this very forest either die of disease, famine, or are killed by poachers or destroyers of the environment. Thanks to her, these animals actually have a chance to live.”

“Live?” asked Mary. “You mean in this litterbox you make them call their home?”

Thiago’s icy glare stared back into Mary. The jaguars, seeing him so angered, began to growl as they slowly stood to their paws.

“What was that?” he breathed.

“No!” Fluttershy shouted, running to the jaguars and petting them, her presence seemingly pacifying them. “Let’s not get into a fight, please.”

Mary, while standing stunned at Fluttershy’s ability, turned to her.

“Fluttershy,” reasoned Mary, “I know these animals can be in danger out there, but cramping them in a dirty barn is no way to keep them safe.”

“I know,” she whined, “but…”

Fluttershy looked at all the scared faces of the animals all up within the rafters.

“…they need me. Thiago can’t do this alone.”

“I can help,” spoke Mary. “Like I said earlier, my dad rescues animals like yours. He can help shelter them!”

“And how many do you think he’s going to release back into the wild to die if he comes?” Thiago queried.

“Thiago,” she shouted, “listen to yourself! You can’t just keep all the animals in the Amazon in here like this! Some of them are probably healthy again, and they need to be let back out! Right now, you sound like a child who wants to keep a stray kitten that they found!”

“I’m not just some kid! I am fully capable of helping them, and you want to send them back out to their deaths! If this is what you and your father consider rescuing, you two should be ashamed!”

Mary felt her fists clench instantly, her face morphing into a scowl, beginning to approach him.

“You little–”

Her path was suddenly blocked by the two jaguars that pounced in front of her and reared back, ready to attack if necessary. Fluttershy sat nervously with the deer, not wanting to intervene or interfere.

“You obviously can’t say that these animals don’t care for me,” Thiago taunted. “What makes you think that you and your friends are better guardians to these ponies than I would be?”

“Simple,” Mary responded. “Neither of us lets them sleep in their own filth.”

“And yet, I have kept these animals all in here safe from harm, and none have died in my or Fluttershy’s care.”

“These animal’s living conditions are even worse than that of a zoo!” shouted Alice.

“And you think you can care for them better!”

“I know we can!” shouted Mary

“Then prove it! Duel me!”

Mary stepped back, taken seriously aback by the demand.

“What are you saying?” she asked.

“That’s right,” he confirmed. “Only by defeating me will you show how much more fit you are to care for this pegasus. But if you can’t…” he said, snapping his fingers.

At once, each one of the animals looked down upon Mary, Kieran, and Alice, the mammals bearing their teeth angrily while the birds all spread their wings and ready to soar down.

“…we will have to escort you and your friends away from this place… all of them.”

“Do you really think we’ll allow you to do that?” asked Kieran. “One of our ponies is a master mag–”

“It’s alright, Kieran,” said Mary, whipping her bag out to her front. “This little brat needs to be taught a lesson big time.”

“Hmph,” Thiago chortled, “atta’ girl.”

“Mary,” spoke Alice, “let me fight for you. You aren’t even a true Guar–”

“No!” he called out. “The supposed ‘true animal guardian’ will fight me; I will accept nothing else.”

“Like I said,” Mary responded, pulling out her dark-orange duel disk from her bag and placing it on her arm, “he needs to learn a thing or two.”

The clasp of the duel disk slid around her arm as she removed the blade disk from the side of it. Both of the jaguars standing in front of her, walked back to Fluttershy and the deer, continuing to look at her menacingly as they left. Thiago smirked at Mary’s fervor as Alice and Kieran stepped backwards to the barn’s entrance, giving her ample room.

“Someone please bring my duel disk,” he said.

A black howler monkey hopped down from its spot on the rafters and swung off to a chest in the back corner of the barn. Throwing it open, he spotted a sand-colored duel disk with a small, scratched Android tablet in its center in place of an iPad.

Picking it up, the monkey lobbed it towards Thiago with a screech, signaling him. He turned back and caught it on the bottom side of it, already moving it towards his left arm.

“Thank you, amigo,” exclaimed Thiago.

The monkey shrieked again before it climbed up a set of crates and jumped back to the rafters with its respective others. The claps on Thiago’s duel disk came on as he pulled his blade disk out from it.

“We’re taking that pegasus home one way or another,” Mary declared. “This is just for your own good.”

“And this,” Thiago shouted, winding his arm and hand with his blade disk back, “is for theirs!”

Thiago whipped his arm and his blade disk to Mary’s side, Mary doing the same. Fluttershy watched with uncertainty as the disks flew back to their owners and hovered beside their duel disks. Brightening up, both of Mary and Thiago’s blades formed from the sides of the blade disks, straightening and solidifying so the seven zones were visible.

Fluttershy, scared by what was about to happen, crawled behind the deer and two jaguars towards Alice and Kieran. At that moment, both of the decks in Mary and Thiago's duel disks shuffled inside, setting the final preparations.

“Connection complete,” spoke the computerized voice from their duel disks, “Mary McClaine vs. Thiago Rocha. Draw.”

Both duelists drew five cards from their decks, fanning them out to spread their hands. Fluttershy was right beside Alice, who didn’t seem to notice her until the pegasus’s “psst” sounds attracted her attention.

“Um…” she whispered, “what are they doing?”

“They’re dueling,” Alice answered. “Don’t worry. What you’re about to see is only an illusion, per se.”

“An illusion?”

“Fluttershy!” yelled Thiago. “Get away from them before they take you away!”

“We’re not going anywhere until I drill you down,” barked Mary. “Now, Thiago,” she continued with a pointing finger, “let’s see if you can back up those words of yours.”

“Fine then. Bring it!”

“DUEL!” they both shouted.

================
Mary:
LP: 4000

Thiago:
LP: 4000
================

“Ladies first,” called Thiago. “I want to see what you think you’re made of!”

“So generous,” breathed Mary.

Mary reached for a spell card in her hand with a compass emblem below its title and art of sunset-laden plain with thin, winding trees set in two lines where several species of cats were.

“I activate the field spell Feral Fields!” Mary began.

Once she placed the card into the slot, the floor of the barn began to disappear as a bright white ring spread out, changing the dirt straw into golden grass. The ring spread about the walls and windows, eliminating the wood and turning it into a hot, African plain.

The monkeys and other animals perched and sitting on the rafters were shocked and surprised as the planks they sat on were now branches of trees that lined both sides of the field. Fluttershy looked wondrously at the undeniably cleaner and fresher atmosphere of Mary’s spell card.

“While this card is active,” explained Mary, “all non-beast-type monsters can only declare one attack per battle phase.”

Thiago continued to look at Mary with a blankly stern expression, unfazed by Mary’s strategy. However, he then looked out to see that the jaguars and deer were facing towards the plains, angered to see as they pawed at the invisible walls of the barn that kept them stuck inside. Looking up, many of the other animals felt, banged, and even ran straight into the barrier, fooled by the illusion.

“Do you see that?” Mary asked. “They want to go home, and yet here they are, ‘safe’ according to you.”

“Just shut up and keep going,” threatened Thiago. “This field spell is nothing like the harsh reality they will face out there.”

Mary growled, the boy’s ignorance eating away at her.

“Fine then…” she grumbled.

She then took out two pendulum monsters from her hand and revealed them to Thiago.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 2 Feral Lion and scale 9 Feral Kitten,” Mary stated.

Throwing both cards onto her pendulum zones, the sky began to turn dark blue as two blue pillars rose from the ground on Mary’s sides of the field. Rising up from the ground were a massive and beautifully groomed lion as well as a white kitten wearing a red collar with a golden bell around its neck. The star outline began to form into the sky as a number 2 and a number 9 appeared over both of their heads.

Feral Lion
Pendulum Scale: 2

Feral Kitten
Pendulum Scale: 9

“With these two monsters,” Mary went on, “I can special summon monsters whose levels are 3 through 8! Pendulum summon!”

Mary removed all cards from her hand and slammed them onto the monster zones on her blades, one of them being a pendulum monster. A red portal opened up underneath the star and shot out two orange beams that landed onto the ground, throwing dirt all around that they animals shielded their eyes from.

Upon the dust settling, two new monsters had appeared on the field: a black panther and a large tiger, each looking at Thiago with violent intents.

“Let’s go!” she called. “Feral Panther! Feral Tiger!”

The two cats let out a roar at Thiago, both scaring and impressing him immensely.

Feral Panther
ATK: 2400
Lvl: 6

Feral Tiger
ATK: 2600
Lvl.: 7

Fluttershy stood with wobbling legs, completely astounded that four cats had just appeared onto the battlefield. The two jaguars, seeing the tiger and panther before them, ran back onto the field and separated them from Thiago.

“Thiago,” called Mary, “I suggest you call your cats back. They have no business here.”

“Fine,” Thiago growled, then tilting his head to look down at the jaguars. “Guys, I’ll be fine. Just stay off to the sides for me.”

The two jaguars looked shocked and confused at Thiago’s order, but eventually complied as Thiago continued staring at them expectantly.

“Now that that’s out of the way,” resumed Mary, “I activate the effect of Feral Kitten in my pendulum zone. When I pendulum summon while its’ in my pendulum zone, I draw cards equal to the number of monsters summoned. That’s two, so now I…”

Mary pinched the top two cards of her deck and whipped her arm out, the two cards now held in her fingers.

“…draw two cards!”

Mary placed one card in her hand while still holding the other in her right, presenting the backing to Thiago for reference before sliding it into her spell/trap slot of her duel disk, the face-down card appearing on the ground at her feet.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” she concluded.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4000    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 3 – 8    Spell/Traps: 2

With this strategy, planned Mary, I will completely shut down this guy’s chances of attacking me. This duel is as good as won!

Thiago looked to Mary and saw her smiling confidently, his lips pursing in contemplation.

“What are you smiling at?” he asked.

“Just take your next turn and find out,” goaded Mary. “This duel is pretty much set for me.”

“You must think very highly of yourself to say you’ve already won after I haven’t even had a turn yet. Perhaps I’ll have you experience my power first-hand.”

Thiago placed his hand onto his deck and prepared himself.

“My turn!” he shouted. “Draw!”

“I activate my continuous trap, King’s Roaring!” declared Mary, her arm over her rising trap card that showed a lion’s mouth agape with harshly zigzagging lines escaping it. “While I control a beast-type Feral monster, I can negate one of your attacks each turn!”

Thiago couldn’t help but gasp, surprised by what Mary had accomplished. Even Alice and Kieran looked visibly impressed with her strategy, their eyes wide and their mouths slightly open.

“Now there’s no way for you to attack!” shouted Mary. “I’ll just negate one attack with King’s Roaring, and then thanks to Feral Fields, you can’t declare any more attacks unless you control a beast-type monster.”

Fluttershy wasn’t exactly sure what was happening and how, but she looked at her, just able to catch the side of her head and the corner of her smiling mouth, finding slight solace in her bravery and cunning. Despite this, Thiago smirked himself, catching Mary off guard.

“Yeah,” he admitted, “I don’t have any beast-type monsters in my deck, but the best part is…”

Thiago’s smile went wider, his breathing suggesting he was on the verge of laughing.

“…I won’t need to declare a single attack to defeat you!”

Grabbing a card in his hand, Thiago revealed it to be a spell card with a compass icon above its art, which appeared to be a stone pyramid with a gold idol of a serpentine dragon on the shrine at the very top of it.

“I activate my own field spell, Sacred Temple of the Idouros!” he declared.

Slipping the card into his duel disk, the ground began to rumble, causing the animals in the trees to scream and cry out loudly, the birds and bats flying about for their lives. Fluttershy hopped up and hovered above the ground as well, watching as something began to rise behind Thiago.

The large pyramid from Thiago’s card pushed out from the ground, the soil and grass rolling off it as the ground continued to shake. Finally, the pyramid raised itself twenty feet high before it came to a stop and the ground settled.

“What was your plan here?” Mary asked. “You do know that two field spells can be active at the same time now, right? Your situation still hasn’t changed.”

“As a matter of fact,” he teased, “it has.”

“What?”

“Just watch…”

While many of the flying animals flew back to the branches of the trees, several of them tried to land atop the pyramid to roost, only for their bodies to faze through the bricks. Thiago huffed disappointingly as they birds warbled angrily back to the branches of the trees where the rafters were.

“You see that?” Thiago shouted as he spun around, addressing each of the animals inside. “This world created is an illusion! Such nice places like this do not exist! The real world is far scarier than that, and far less safe!”

The animals listening to his voice cowered on their spots, huddling themselves in for their own protection. Fluttershy, seeing the creature’s reacting as they did, lowered her stance down, frightened for them as well as herself. Mary, Alice, and Kieran both frowned at the boys despicable deceits.

“Just watch me, my friends!” he continued. “I will show how far I will go to protect each and every one of you! I now activate the effect of Sacred Temple of the Idouros!”

The idol inside the shrine began to glow brightly, leaving Mary confused as to what was happening.

“Once per turn, I can add one Idouro monster from my deck to my hand at the cost of my battle phase.”

A beam of light shot out from the idol and into Thiago’s deck, making it shuffle before it stopped with a card ejecting from the top.

“And the monster I choose is…”

Thiago took his card and revealed it to Mary, showing a golden statue of a large manta ray with a clawed end on its tail, razor sharp teeth on its lobes, and its body spotted with dark stains.

“…Idouro Manta!”

Mary hissed, already feeling that his strategy would bypass hers.

“Next,” Thiago stated, taking another card from his hand, “I activate the continuous spell card Sacrifice of the Idouros!”

Once Thiago put his card into his duel disk, an enlarged version of the card appeared, showing art of an Incan priest holding a golden human heart in his hand before an altar. As the art on the card glowed brighter, the gold heart appeared and hovered over the card.

Sacrifice of the Idouros
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 1

“This card is treated as a monster card with 0 ATK and 0 DEF,” explained Thiago, “and can only be tributed in the tribute summoning of an Idouro monster.”

“But…” Mary stammered. “But that means…”

“I tribute my Sacrifice of the Idouros,” he said, removing the now-ejected card from his slot and putting it inside his graveyard, “so I can tribute summon…”

Taking his most recently added card into his right hand, he slammed the card onto his zone with the card turned to the left. Rising out from the blue portal that appeared on the ground was the massive golden manta ray, its body seemingly immobile.

“…Idouro Manta!”

The sight of the odd creature terrified Fluttershy as she ran to a bale of hay nearby her and took cover underneath, her eyes visible on the side of it as she continued to watch.

Idouro Manta
DEF: 2500
Lvl.: 6

Mary looked bewildered at Thiago’s monster’s stats, which only seemed to become stronger as she looked at Thiago’s smirking face.

“How did you…” she spoke. “How did you summon your monster into defense position?”

“One of the other effects of Sacred Temple of the Idouros allows me to normal summon monsters into defense position,” said Thiago. “As you can see, my monster’s DEF is higher than one of your monster’s.”

“So? You can’t attack me anyway, so what’s the point?”

“Let me show you then. I activate the effect of Idouro Manta! Once per turn, I can target one monster you control and reduce its ATK by 1000!”

“What did you say?” gasped Mary fearfully.

“And the monster I will target will be your Feral Tiger!”

At that moment, the ray sprung to life, flying over to Mary’s monster with flapping fins and then wrapping them both around the tiger. Mary and Fluttershy watched sadly as Feral Tiger roared as the life was squeezed out of it.

ATK: 2600 -> 1600

Idouro Manta let go, allowing the tiger to fall limply to the ground, much to Fluttershy’s horror.

“And now,” Thiago exclaimed, “I activate the other effect of Idouro Manta, allowing me to destroy one monster my opponent controls whose ATK is lower than my monster's DEF!”

“No!” shouted Mary.

“Also, if the destroyed monster was in attack position, you take damage equal to the difference between this cards DEF and your monster’s ATK.”

Impossible, Mary thought with shivering terror. It’s no different than declaring an attack, but it’s not an attack! My field spell and trap cards are useless!

“Go!” ordered Thiago. “Idouro Manta, destroy her Feral Tiger! Ray Razor!”

The fangs of the manta ray began moving about like teeth on a chainsaw, its body moving to the incapacitated tiger. The giant fish dug its head into the cat’s body, shattering it into golden sparks that flew into Mary, who grunted loudly as they struck her like hot shards of glass.

Mary’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3100

The animals around Thiago applauded and cheered, both impressed and gladdened by his taking of the lead. Fluttershy, however, flew out of the hay and onto Mary’s field, tears in her eyes.

“What…” she sobbed. “What did you do?”

“Like your friends had said,” Thiago spoke, “these creatures are not real. They cannot feel pain and are truly not killed. However, these animals can feel pain, and if they are let out into the world to be killed by sport, disease, or famine, they will die.”

Fluttershy backed up to the hay bale, frightened by Thiago’s words and the cheerful nature the animals adopted from them.

“If you want these animals to be safe, Fluttershy,” he said, “you will stay here and keep them safe with me!”

Fluttershy fell down onto her stomach and began weeping, unable to stand up to him in his state. For Mary, the pegasus’s cries only served to fuel her anger towards him and his selfish and harmful ways, as well as his strong monsters that still had more to do to her.
> Episode 15: Jungle Fever, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yurik ran through the forest, weaving through the trees and hopping over the roots, vines, and sudden rises in the earth’s elevation. Twilight stayed alongside him in the air, her wings flapping occasionally to pick up speed and stay above the ground.

“We should be there soon,” Yurik said.

“I sure hope so,” Twilight moaned. “Have they moved since we saw them?”

“I just checked. Not an inch.”

Twilight winced as she continued looking out ahead.

Come on, she thought. Please be alright.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary looked at Thiago and his field, which consisted of his terrifyingly-malformed statue of the manta ray.

Idouro Manta
DEF: 2500
Lvl.: 6

Mary’s field was now without her strongest monster, leaving only one inside on her field beside her pendulum monsters.

Feral Panther
ATK: 2400
Lvl: 6

Feral Lion
Pendulum Scale: 2

Feral Kitten
Pendulum Scale: 9

Thiago looked upon Mary with smug assurance, his life points already higher than hers.

================
Mary:
LP: 3100

Thiago:
LP: 4000
================

“It’s a shame,” Thiago said. “Your strategy was a pretty solid one. The only problem is that you chose the wrong duelist to use it on.”

Thiago took one card from his hand and slipped it face down in his spell/trap slot, the backing appearing at his feet.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said.

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 2

Kieran looked at Mary with a sense of disappointment and anger as he watched her scan the field. Fluttershy continued to stand beside Alice, fearful for Mary’s chances.

“Come on, Mary!” cheered Alice. “I know you’re stronger than that!”

“I know,” she responded, looking at Thiago’s grimly anxious face. “He probably knows that my Feral Tiger was a pendulum monster and I can just bring it back.”

The reminder only made Thiago grit his now visibly bared teeth.

“And that would just mean your monster will now go away,” she concluded with a smile. “My turn! Draw!”

Mary immediately added her newest card to her hand, now pointing at the center of her field with her hand as the sky darkened again and the star appeared overhead.

“With Feral Lion and Feral Kitten in my pendulum zone,” declared Mary, “I can special summon monsters whose levels are 3 through 8. Pendulum summon!”

Mary’s monster ejected itself from the extra deck slot of her blade disk, allowing her to remove it and throw it upon her open monster zone. The red portal opened up in the sky as a single orange beam flew down from it and landed on the field. The dirt and dust cleared to reveal Mary’s tiger which now returned!

“Welcome back!” she called. “Feral Tiger!”

The tiger snarled at the golden ray, prepared to tear it to shreds with its fangs and claws.

Feral Tiger
ATK: 2600
Lvl.: 7

“And with Feral Kitten’s effect,” Mary clarified, “I can draw one card because of my pendulum summoned monster!”

As he watched her draw her extra card, Thiago grunted angrily at his situation, knowing full well what was to come.

“Your deck may have bypassed my field spell and trap combo,” said Mary, “but thanks to it, I can still defeat you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he growled.

“Because of the effect of Feral Lion in my pendulum zone, all Feral monsters have the ability of inflicting piercing damage!”

“What was that!?” he shouted, but quickly reverted to a more calm, but irked demeanor. “Whatever. It’s only 100 points I’ll be losing.”

“Oh, it will be a lot more than that! Now, battle! Feral Tiger, attack Idouro Manta! Stripe Slashing!”

Feral Tiger reeled itself back and ran at Thiago’s monster. With its claws glowing slightly, it bound up and reeled its arm back. Landing upon the golden ray, the tiger slashed at the back of the monster, leaved three sizable gashes upon it, exploding it into gold sparks that blew hard onto Thiago.

Thiago’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3900

“And now that your field is empty,” shouted Mary, “my Feral Panther is free to attack you directly.”

“Alright!” cheered Alice. “She’ll take him down to 1500 if this connects!”

Kieran couldn’t help but smirk, feeling far more confident in Mary now.

“Feral Panther!” she shouted. “Attack Thiago directly! Black Blur Attack!”

Feral Panther now began to run at Thiago, who changed his nervous face to a smiling smug one.

“I activate my trap, Revival of the Idouros!” he shouted, throwing his arm at the field.

His card flipped up, showing art of a golden dolphin statue being risen from a black portal as four robed men stood around it with their arms raised in reverence.

“This card lets me special summon one Idouro monster from my graveyard with its effects negated, and I will choose my Idouro Manta!”

A black portal opened on the ground in front of Thiago’s trap, allowing the golden ray to rise out from it before Mary’s approaching monster.

Idouro Manta
DEF: 2500
Lvl.: 6

“Damn,” Mary hissed. “I halt my attack!”

Feral Panther turned to the left and sped around back towards Mary and her side of the field, standing back next to her tiger.

“Oh…” Fluttershy whispered sadly, hiding her mouth under her mane. “You were so close…”

Despite the situation, Mary took a sigh of relief, smiling back at Thiago.

“Well then,” she said, “now that your monster’s effects are negated, my monsters can’t be touched by yours anymore.”

“Not yet it won’t,” Thiago replied.

“What?”

“My Sacred Temple of the Idouros has another effect to it that will completely devastate you, and all that’s separating you from it is the end of your turn.”

Mary furrowed her brow at Thiago, something that seemed to pleasure him.

“That,” he added, “or you could surrender right now.”

“Like hell I will,” she growled.

She held up to cards from her hand and placed them both face down inside her duel disk, both of their backings appearing beside where her active trap was placed.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn,” she said.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 3100    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 3 – 8    Spell/Traps: 4
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt and Rainbow Dash continued running through the forest, looking for any and all signs of their friends’ locations. As they came to the downward slope of a hill they looked down to see a ravine further down with small stream running through it.

“Crap,” spoke Walt. “I don’t think I can jump that. Can you fly me over?”

Rainbow Dash sized Walt up with her eyes as he put his arms out to pick him up.

“I’d probably need some speed to do that,” Rainbow Dash planned, “but I can’t because of all these darned trees.”

“You can’t pick me up, you wimp?” he taunted, his arms still out. “It’s just a few feet.”

“Wimp? I’ll show you a wimp!”

Rainbow Dash flew up behind Walt and put her forearms underneath his armpits. With a heavy flapping of her wings, she managed to lift him up, her voice straining as she tried lifting him higher.

“Come on,” Walt egged on, “just get us to the other side before you pull something!”

“I’d like to see you try this…” she grunted.

She slowly pushed her body forwards, moving her and Walt forwards. Rainbow Dash huffed and puffed as she tried to keep her arms steady as they began to pass over the ravine. Looking down, they found a small pack of caimans looking up at them, spotting their next potential meal.

Rainbow Dash and Walt both shivered in fear at the sight of them, causing both Rainbow Dash and Walt’s arms to begin going slack. Walt suddenly noticed as his arms began to slip out from the blue pegasus’s.

“Rainbow?” he asked, the slipping becoming faster and faster. “Rainbow?!”

Right over the other edge of the ravine, Walt was dropped. Without the weight pulling her down, Rainbow Dash soared up, looking down as Walt hit the ground, which loosened beneath him and fell down into the gorge, taking Walt with it.

“Walt!” she shouted.

Unable to see it coming, her head smacked the back of a branch, rendering her body limp. Walt managed to grip onto an exposed tree root, his feet dangling beneath the caimans that swarmed below him, struggling to climb up the dirty walls of the ravine to get him. His attention was on Rainbow Dash, however, as she plopped to the ground, writhing her body as she tried to regain her senses.

“Rainbow!” Walt shouted. “Help! Come on, wake up!”

A growl and a snapping of jaws sounded off right below Walt’s feet, his feet scrambling up the side as he tried to climb. With the looseness of the soil and the moisture on the root, Walt continued to slip down as he continued to try his climb up, breaking more of the chasm away.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“My turn!” shouted Thiago. “Draw!”

He looked at his card, smiling and giggling to see that it was a monster.

“I now activate the second effect of my Sacred Temple of the Idouros!” he spoke, tensing Mary up. “Once per turn, I can fusion summon an Idouro monster from my extra deck using monsters from my field or in my hand as the fusion materials.”

“No way!” Mary shouted. “A field spell that can perform fusion summons?”

Thiago picked up his Manta card off his monster zone and added two more monster cards to it, one of them being a golden Amazon river dolphin and the other being a golden mermaid, revealing all three to Mary.

“I send my Idouro Manta, Idouro Boto, and Idouro Iara to the graveyard as the fusion materials!” declared Thiago.

Thiago threw all three cards into his graveyard, and at once the gold dolphin and gold mermaid appeared onto the field beside Idouro Manta. The three monsters then went bright and hot as if they were being put through a flame. They then liquefied as they swirled back towards the shrine, frightening Mary and Fluttershy.

“Mythical devil of the forest,” chanted Thiago as the three streams of gold melded with the statue on the altar, “come on thundering hooves and lash at those beneath you with your whip like lightning! Fusion summon!”

A bright light shone from the shrine as a massive ball of dripping gold floated out from it. Kieran and Alice even stood astounded as the sphere morphed into the shape of a centaur with a muscular equine body, a bulky human torso and arms, and a fearsome bat-like face.

“Appear! Idouro Besta Fera!”

The centaur lowered itself to the ground, the bases of its hooves landing with a tremendous thud that shook the ground.

Idouro Besta Fera
DEF: 3200
Lvl.: 10

“3200 DEF?” gasped Mary. “If this thing has the same effect as the last one…”

“I activate the effect of Idouro Besta Fera!” shouted Thiago, “allowing me to destroy one monster you control whose ATK is less than my monster’s DEF and inflict damage equal to the difference if it’s in attack position!”

Mary winced, preparing for the hard strike she would have to endure.

“Idouro Besta Fera,” he ordered, “destroy Feral Panther! Ferocious Flogging!”

The large centaur’s body moved, its hand grabbing a flaccid gold whip attached to its side and galloping at Mary’s monster.

“Also,” Thiago called, “when Idouro Besta Fera destroys a monster via its own effect, it inflicts 500 extra points of damage to you!”

Mary clenched her fist and her teeth in rage as the centaur reeled its arm behind itself.

“Taste my monster’s power!” he shouted.

The centaur threw its arm and the whip out, the end striking the panther, making it yelp in pain before it exploded in a burst of fire that engulfed Mary. Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves and let two tears stream down her eyes as Thiago laughed loudly.

“How was that 1300 points of damage?” he taunted.

“What damage?” Mary asked.

Thiago snorted in disbelief, watching as the smoke cleared from Mary’s spot. Her panther was gone, but a revealed trap card was left in its place, showing a translucent blue emblem of a clawed cat’s paw blocking a white beam from hitting Feral Tiger.

Mary’s Life Points: 3100

“What?” shouted Thiago. “A trap card?”

“That’s right!” answered Mary. “I activated my trap, Feral Barrier. This card prevents all Feral monsters I control from being destroyed by battle.”

“But your monster wasn’t destroyed by battle! You should also take the effect damage!”

“That’s just it. Along with that effect, I don’t take any battle or effect damage for the rest of the turn.”

“Wow…” sighed Fluttershy, genuinely impressed.

Thiago growled, balling up his right hand.

“Damn you…” he grunted. “You think you can continue protecting yourself like that?”

“I’ll do more than that,” Mary responded. “Just end your turn and I’ll show you!”

Thiago huffed, grabbing one card from his hand and slipping it face down into his duel disk.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he concluded.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 3900    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 2

I’m not out of the woods yet, thought Mary. I was able to protect my monsters once, but I know he won’t let me have that opportunity again. I’m going to need some more lucky draws. It’s all I have at this point.

Mary reached for her deck, prepared to draw.

“Is it really worth it?” asked Thiago. “Your monsters keep getting destroyed, while mine stay safe and strong. Before long, I’ll crush you and your deck, and you will prove to me that you aren’t fit to be a guardian of anything.”

“That’s what you don’t seem to get,” Mary scolded.

“What did you say?”

“There will always be something bigger, something stronger to try and take the life of another. Sometimes, they win and live, and sometimes, they lose and die. It’s all just a part of life, something you’re clearly too young and stupid to know anything about.”

“You shut your mouth and just take your turn if you want to die as you seem to wish.”

Mary breathed through her nose as she bit her lip, still fuming.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Rainbow Dash!” screamed Walt, feeling the tip of a caiman’s snout brush the sole of his kicking foot.

Rainbow Dash finally managed to roll over to her stomach, her vision coming to. She could finally make out Walt and his cries for help, her body being shot with adrenaline. Hopping up from her feet, she flew into the ravine and jammed her hoof into a caiman’s head with her back hoof, sending it up the river.

Two more reached up for Rainbow Dash, only for her two front hooves to catch them and knock their heads together, sending them sprawling to the floor. The two caimans skittered away from Walt and Rainbow Dash, prompting the remaining ones to follow them to their own safety.

Walt, still slipping, continued to struggle up and keep from falling.

“Quit kicking,” Rainbow Dash instructed as she flew beneath him.

Walt complied, allowing his feet to relax as he felt Rainbow Dash’s hooves beneath them.

“Come on,” she spoke, “pull.”

Walt pulled on the vine as Rainbow Dash pushed up on his feet, allowing him to climb up and back onto the ground. Walt rolled onto his back and panted, looking up at the sky as he could finally relax with the front of his shirt completely caked in mud. Rainbow Dash soon flew out of the ravine and landed beside him.

“Thanks a bunch, Rainbow,” he puffed. “Your head’s okay, right?”

“My head?” she asked, offended. “What about you? Those crocodiles didn’t get you, did they?”

“No, thanks to you.”

“So you’re okay? I’m okay! Let’s keep going then!”

Walt quickly got to his feet and began jogging into their intended direction, Rainbow Dash cantering beside him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I’m not gonna’ die,” she stated. “I’m going to live! My turn! Draw!”

Mary looked at her card: a regular effect monster. Smirking, she continued to hold on as she pointed out to her field again, the sky darkening and the star appearing in it.

“With Feral Lion and Feral Kitten in my pendulum zones,” spoke Mary, “I can special summon monsters whose levels are 3 through 8. Pendulum summon!”

Mary placed the newly-drawn monster onto her pendulum zone, making the red portal appear below the star, an orange beam flying down from it and colliding with the ground. The dust settled to reveal a cheetah standing and already poised to sprint.

“Let’s go!” cried Mary. “Feral Cheetah!”

With a snarl escaping its lips, the cat’s presence was enough to take Thiago aback.

Feral Cheetah
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 8

“And with Feral Kitten’s effect,” Mary said, whipping a card out from the top of her deck, “I draw one card!”

Mary looked at her spell card, her thumb obscuring all but the title as she added it to her hand. Seeing the stats of Alice’s newest monster, Thiago giggled as it became full-on laughter, which Mary didn’t seem to be bothered by in the slightest.

“You went through all that trouble for an extra card and another weaker monster?” he howled. “Are you really that desperate to struggle?”

“I’m not struggling here,” Mary responded. “I now activate the effect of Feral Cheetah! By reducing my monster’s ATK by 1000 until the end phase, it can attack the opponent directly!”

“What was that?” he shouted, instantly stopping his laughter.

Feral Cheetah purred as it prepared for the final arrangements to attack.

ATK: 2800 -> 1800

“Ooh,” Fluttershy cooed, amazed by the monster effect.

“Battle!” shouted Mary. “Feral Cheetah, attack Thiago directly! Hyper Pounce!”

Already, the cat went off speeding, only gaining speed with each stride.

“I activate my trap, Muiraquitã of the Idouros!” Thiago quickly shouted as a purple card with art of a golden amulet with an emerald center flipped up. “This card halves all battle damage I take this turn if I control an Idouro monster.”

The amulet appeared on Thiago’s chest just as the cat came leaping up at him. Once Feral Cheetah’s paws hit Thiago’s chest, a green pulse burst from the gem, throwing Feral Cheetah up into the air. The force was still enough to send Thiago onto his back as he rolled onto his knees as the feline behind him landed safely on its feet.

Thiago’s Life Points: 3900 -> 3000

Feral Cheetah ran back to its owner as Alice and Fluttershy both sighed in disappointment.

“What are you so miserable about?” asked Kieran.

“No offense to my friend,” Alice whispered back, “but Mary is completely outgunned by her opponent and he continues holding her back with ease. She could easily lose this for us.”

Fluttershy’s head, ears, and mouth drooped at Mary’s discouraging words.

“Given what she’s been able to do thus far,” Kieran said, “you should be very proud of her. She still has plenty of life points and many opportunities to win. Just continue giving her support as you’ve always done, and she might very well surprise us all.”

Alice and Fluttershy perked themselves up once again as they nodded in acknowledgement to Kieran’s words.

“You can do this, Mary!” shouted Alice. “We know you can!”

“Yeah,” peeped Fluttershy. “You go, girl…”

“Hmph,” sneered Thiago. “You’re really supporting this girl, Fluttershy? This woman who would want to send these animals to their deaths?”

“Oh…” she cowered, “I didn’t mean–”

“Don’t worry,” assured Mary, “this boy will learn in time just how childish he’s really being. During the end phase, my Feral Cheetah’s ATK returns to normal.”

Mary’s cat stood itself up straight, relaxing itself.

ATK: 1800 -> 2800

“I end my turn,” Mary finally said.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 3100    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 3 – 8    Spell/Traps: 3

“Childish you say?” asked Thiago. “It seems you still forget your place. It’s time for a real spanking. My turn! Draw!”

I need to get rid of those pendulum monsters, he mused. If she continues pendulum summoning, she might find a way to actually defeat me! Maybe the card I drew can…

Thiago looked at the spell card he drew, smiling gleefully at what he had acquired.

…no, he decided, will help me!
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and Twilight came across a marsh in a small glade of the forest, continuing to run past it, hearing the sloshing of the wet ground beneath him. A hissing sound was suddenly added up ahead. Yurik managed to glance from the left corner of his eyes to see a large anaconda lunge at his abdomen. With a shout and a jump to the right, the head of the snake missed him by inches. Yurik twisted his bag about so it was over his stomach as his back slid down the mud.

“Yurik!” shouted Twilight.

As she came forwards, the anaconda turned its head and jumped at her. Twilight shrieked as she sped up into the trees, lying atop a branch and hanging on for dear life, her four legs trembling uncontrollably. Twilight watched with shuddering whimpers as she watched the snake turned back towards Yurik and began to slither and skate through the watery land.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I activate the effect of Sacred Temple of the Idouros,” Thiago declared, pointing his arm behind him as a beam shot from the shrine and into his deck, which began to shuffle, “adding an Idouros monster from my deck to my hand! And the one I choose is…”

The deck finally stopped and ejected a card from the top of it. Thiago took it out and revealed it to Mary, showing a golden fish with an equine head as its art.

“…Idouro Piranu!”

Thiago added it back to his hand, keeping his recently drawn card intact.

“I equip my Idouro Besta Fera with the equip spell Javelin of the Idouros!” he shouted, slamming the card into his duel disk. “While equipped to an Idouros monster, my monster gains 600 DEF!”

“Another 600 DEF?” Mary shouted.

The golden spear appeared at the golden centaur’s side, and with robotic movements, the creature grabbed it with its right hand, sending a red energy coursing throughout its entire body.

DEF: 3200 -> 3800

“3800 DEF?” questioned Kieran. “Unbelievable.”

“Oh,” moaned Fluttershy, covering her eyes with her arms, “I can’t watch…”

“I now activate the effect of Idouro Besta Fera,” exclaimed Thiago, “destroying one monster you control and inflicting damage equal to the difference in its DEF and your monster’s ATK!”

Idouro Besta Fera slowly reeled its arm back, aiming and waiting for its master’s command.

“Idouro Besta Fera,” Thiago ordered, “destroy Feral Cheetah! Sunlight Spear!”

The centaur threw its weapon at Mary’s monster, who growled as it awaited its demise.

“With the difference in DEF and ATK,” calculated Alice, “along with its own other effect, Mary’s going to take 1500 points of damage!”

“Oh no…” Fluttershy squeaked.

Mary shielded herself as the spear struck her monster, the force and magical energy radiating from the spear in a red glow blasting it away, the golden, sparkling dust and bits of dirt crashing into her and bringing her down onto one knee as she weathered the explosion.

Mary’s Life Points: 3100 -> 1600

The warm and dirtied winds finally died down, and Mary stood to her feet as she roughly brushed herself off, looking straight into Thiago’s dazzled as he looked onto his screen. Upon it, he gazed at Feral Kitten’s pendulum effect on Mary’s side, chuckling as he did.

“I activate the next effect of Javelin of the Idouros,” he said. “When the monster equipped with it successfully destroys a monster through its card effect, I can destroy one face-up spell or trap card on the field, and I’ll choose your Feral Lion in your pendulum zone!”

“What?” she shouted. “No!”

The golden spear materialized back into Idouro Besta Fera’s hand, and with a hard chuck, the centaur threw its spear at the chest of Feral Lion, shattering it into sparks as well. Mary grunted as the sparks blew harmlessly into her. The spear formed back into the monster’s hand in a similar matter as before.

“And now there’s the effect of Feral Kitten,” added Thiago. “Now that there isn’t a Feral monster in your other pendulum zone, you have to shuffle that card back into your deck.”

Mary hissed with enraged eyes as her plan slowly began to unwind. The white kitten on the left side of Mary’s field screeched loudly in terror as it leapt back towards Mary, the cat turning into a smaller beam of light that flew into her deck, making it shuffle itself.

“And now you can no longer conduct any more pendulum summons!” he roared in laughter. “Let’s see you try and come back now!”

Mary looked at her lone tiger on her field, and then the two cards in her hand: her spell card and a pendulum monster. Fluttershy panted as she fanned her face with her hoof trying to keep herself together.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik kept his eyes on the anaconda’s head as it continued to approach him, crawling back as fast as his legs and arms would allow. The snake squeezed its body in as it prepared to lunge. As Yurik reeled his knee into his chest, aiming the sole of his foot at the tip of the animal’s nose.

Just as the anaconda jumped and opened its mouth wide, a magenta force covered the snake and threw it into the marsh. The terrified creature slithered out and into the trees away from Yurik. Twilight flew down from the tree and landed beside Yurik on the dry edge of the forest.

“Sorry about that,” Twilight sighed, picking him up with her magic.

Yurik groaned as he looked at the right-back side of his shirt and pants, seeing a long, sloppy stripe of brown coating it.

“No blood,” sighed Yurik, “but lots of mud. Ugh…”

“Come on,” called Twilight. “We can worry about that later!”

“Right…”

Yurik and Twilight ran back into the forest, the latter staying much closer to her partner.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Alice kept her eyes onto her last set card in her spell and trap zone, looking upon it like the last glimmer of hope that it was. Looking at Thiago with a regained sense of fervor, she widened her stance and moved her left arm towards her chest. Seeing Mary in her resilient pose, his laughing died down.

“You still haven’t had enough?” he asked. “Hmm. That’s fine. By next turn, it won’t really matter anymore. I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 3000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 2

“My turn!” shouted Mary, pinching the top of her deck hard. “Draw!”

Mary gasped happily at the card she was granted, staring at the large temple behind Thiago.

“I summon Feral Bobcat!” she shouted, putting her newly drawn card onto her monster zone.

From the blue portal that formed on Mary’s field, a bobcat with sandy-brown fur took its place beside Feral Tiger.

Feral Bobcat
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“And what do you think you’re going to do there?” Thiago asked, pointing at it. “That’s nowhere near as strong as your other monsters!”

“It doesn’t need to be,” said Mary. “I now activate the effect of Feral Bobcat! By tributing this card, I can destroy one face-up spell or trap card on the field!”

“Impossible!” Thiago shouted. “That means…”

“You spent a lot of time building up that field spell of yours, and now it’s time to tear it down!”

Feral Bobcat began to run out towards Thiago’s side of the field its body slowly turning into a shape of bright light.

“I destroy your Sacred Temple of the Idouros!” she shouted.

At that moment, Idouro Besta Fera threw its spear down at the transformed bobcat, causing both of them to shatter, much to Mary, Fluttershy, Alice, and Kieran’s shock and awe.

“You almost had it there,” teased Thiago, “but thanks to the final effect of Javelin of the Idouros, it can be destroyed in place of another face-up spell card, so my monster is safe!”

“But your monster’s DEF still goes back down!” spat Mary.

A stat counter appeared besides Thiago’s monster, showing its DEF as it was deducted.

DEF: 3800 -> 3200

“Regardless,” said Thiago, “my monster’s DEF is still stronger than your monster’s ATK, so you’ll still feel my monster’s wrath next turn!”

“Not if I do this,” Mary replied, turning her remaining monster card to the left.

Feral Tiger eased itself down onto its stomach, keeping its body calm and still.

ATK: 2600 -> DEF: 2200

“Hey!” Thiago shouted. “What are you doing?”

“Your monster can only inflict damage when my monster is in attack position, right?” she asked. “By switching my Feral Tiger into defense position, I’ll only take 500 damage from its other effect. That will easily give me one more turn to try and turn things around. With that, I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 1600    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 3

“So you’re putting your monster into defense position to protect yourself?” Thiago cried out. “What kind of guardian do you think you are?”

“The one that knows that I can’t save everything,” Mary answered. “My deck will answer me in time. It’s been faithful to me thus far.”

“Why should someone like you deserve anyone’s faith? You let your monsters get destroyed and save yourself! I should just end this duel right now!”

“If you do that,” growled Kieran, “we’re taking Fluttershy and leaving.”

“Like hell you will!”

With a snap of his fingers, the two jaguars on the side of the field prowled back towards Mary, Alice, and Kieran. Fluttershy seeing their scared faces, adopted and angry scowl and stood between the humans and the live cats.

“Listen here, busters!” she spat, frightening the cat’s into submission. “You really want to help this meanie that would keep you inside a cage for the rest of your life?”

“Fluttershy?” asked Thiago. “What are you–”

“You be quiet, you bully!” she barked back, redirecting her attention to all of the animals inside. “Listen, my friends, I’m sorry for keeping you in here. I know Thiago and I want you to be safe, but I don’t want to do so if it will make you all sad. You deserve to be free and live a happy life, because while the world can be scary and dark, it’s certainly a lot better than being stuck in a barn.”

The animals, touched by Fluttershy’s words, all looked to each other with shamed faces as they felt the invisible walls of the barn by the digitized trees behind them.

“No!” Thiago stuttered. “Don’t listen! I’m the one that kept you safe while you were sick and wounded! I’m the one that nursed you all back to health!”

“And we’re very grateful,” Fluttershy spoke, “but now it’s time for all of us to go home.”

Thiago clenched his teeth as Fluttershy faced where the door was and began walking towards it.

“Come on,” beckoned Fluttershy. “I want to see my friends.”

“Not yet,” Mary protested, stopping the pegasus in her tracks. “He still hasn’t learned yet. We will go when he finally gets it.”

Fluttershy, understanding Mary’s intent, turned back to face the dueling field with Alice and Kieran. Thiago grunted as he strained every muscle in his face and arms as Mary continued to stand in defiance.

“Get what?” he screamed. “That I should abandon these animals?”

“That you need to free them!” Mary shouted back. “They don’t belong here. You’ve done what you can for them, and now you need to let them play the rest out!”

“Silence! I will no longer let you talk down to me about my abilities as a guardian! And now that you’re letting me continue this duel, I will show you once and for all my true strength!”

Thiago reached for his deck, his body shaking as it prayed for the right card.

“My turn!” he shouted. “Draw!”

It was a monster, restoring Thiago’s insanely jovial laughter.

“This will be the end!” he shouted, reaching for the other monster inside his hand. “I activate the second effect of my Sacred Temple of the Idouros, allowing me to fusion summon an Idouros monster from my extra deck using monsters on my field or in my hand as the xyz material!”

Mary huffed expectantly, awaiting whatever was about to appear.

“Also,” added Thiago, “the effect of my Idouro Besta Fera allows it to be treated as three fusion materials for the fusion summon of an Idouros monster!”

“Huh?” choked Mary.

“And now,” he declared, grabbing his monster from his field and both monsters from his hand and revealing them, “I send my Idouro Besta Fera treated as three individual monsters, Idouro Piranu, and Idouro Keyeme to the graveyard as the fusion materials!”

Thaigo whipped all three cards into his graveyard. Appearing beside the centaur from bright pools of light on the ground were the golden horse-headed fish as well as a long, golden serpent. All three monsters glowed brightly as they melted, forming into a spiral that flew at and into the statue at the altar.

“What monster could he be summoning that would require five monsters?” Mary asked 

“Golden serpent of immense strength,” Thiago chanted, the a golden disk forming over the entrance to the shrine, “the time has come for you to descend and lay waste to all that dare to oppose you! Fusion summon!”

A shape pushed out from the disk, quickly forming into a massive draconic head that formed immediately, the rest of its body slithering out from the disk and around the sides of the pyramid twice. Fluttershy squeaked and curled up into a ball between Alice’s feet. The tail of the serpent slithered out, revealing a smaller, but similarly shaped head. The creature then looked back at Mary with both of its heads, their mouths slowly going alight.

“Arise!” finished Thiago. “Idouro Chan Chan!”

A puff of flames escaped each of their mouths, wrapping over their muzzles before they vanished, one right after the other.

Idouro Chan Chan
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 12

“What?” Mary breathed. “It’s in attack position? And it has 0 ATK? What the hell is he thinking?”

“I now activate the effect of Idouro Chan Chan,” spoke Thiago. “Once per turn, I can destroy one monster my opponent controls!”

The tail-mouth of the massive serpent began to grow bright red, filling with fire.

“I still won’t take damage since Feral Tiger’s in in defense position!” shouted Mary.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he responded. “When Idouro Chan Chan destroys a monster, damage is inflicted equal to the original ATK of that monster, regardless of what position it’s in!”

“No– No way!”

“Idouro Chan Chan, destroy Mary’s Feral Tiger and take out the rest of her life points! Final Fire!”

With the flames pouring out the dragon’s mouth, it finally blew out a massive fireball that headed straight towards the large cat.

“It’s over now!” he yelled.

“Not yet, it’s not!” Mary responded. “I activate my face-down quick-play spell card, Feral Nourishing Nip!”

The art on the card flipping up, showed a cloudy image of Feral Kitten rubbing its body against a leafy plant in pure bliss.

“When this card is activated, I can tribute one Feral monster I control and gain life points equal to its ATK!”

“What did you say?” shrieked Thiago.

“So now, Feral Tiger won’t be destroyed by your monster’s effect…”

Feral Tiger dipped its head down as it burst into a fog filled with crumbled, dried leaves, making the flames strike the ground just below, blowing the mist onto Mary.

“…and I restore my life points,” she concluded.

Mary took in a hefty whiff, enjoying the toasted scent of the slightly burned leaves as they gave her new life.

Mary’s Life Points: 1600 -> 4200

Fluttershy took a pleasant sigh of relief as the scent of the leaves reached her, relaxing her once again. Alice and Mary smiled slightly, impressed by Mary’s sudden comeback.

“Damn you…” gurgled Thiago. “Damn you, damn you.”

“So now that you’ve wasted your monster’s effect,” spoke Mary, “you can end your turn no–”

“Shut up!” Thiago yelled, suddenly smiling. “Your field is now empty, Mary.”

Mary held her breath, shocked to hear Thiago’s reaction.

“You probably thought I made a mistake in summoning my monster in attack position, don’t you?” he asked. “I didn’t! Just watch! Battle! Idouro Chan Chan, attack Mary directly!”

The gold creature’s true head lunged out from the pyramid and set it beside Thiago, its mouth igniting.

“Battle?” Alice questioned. “With 0 ATK?”

“The other effect of my Idouros Chan Chan now activates! When this monster declares an attack, it’s ATK is switched with its DEF until the end phase.”

The eyes of the serpent began to glow red as more fire began to swirl about inside its mouth.

ATK: 0 -> 4000

“4000 ATK?” gasped Mary.

“And now that you have no Feral monsters on your field, you cannot protect yourself with your King’s Roaring trap.”

“Oh…” quivered Mary. “Oh my god…”

“Idouros Chan Chan, devastate her! Molten Macabre Blast!”

The creature opened its mouth wide, a pillar of fire exploding out from its throat. Mary quickly put her arms to her face as the heat and force threw her off her feet, making her scream in agony as her skin felt the intense burning.

Mary’s Life Points: 4200 -> 200

Mary slid on her lower back, just managing to keep her torso up as she slid into a large rock positioned behind her and stopped abruptly. With something to rest on, Mary limply leaned back into the side of the boulder and breathed slowly.

“Oh no!” cried Fluttershy. “Mary! Mary!”

Mary opened her eyes to see Fluttershy set herself down upon her legs, nudging her legs as she looked into her eyes.

“Fluttershy,” she wheezed.

“Are you hurt?” she asked concernedly. “Please tell me you’re alright.”

Thiago kept his gaze at Mary, waiting for her to make her own decision.

“Fluttershy,” Mary softly spoke, “please…”

“You didn’t break anything, did you? Does it hurt anywh–”

“Fluttershy, please get off of me. I need to finish this.”

“Oh? Oh, I’m sorry…”

Fluttershy scuttled away as Mary pushed herself back and scooted up the stone, much to Thiago’s chagrin. Thrusting her body forwards from the rock, she finally got back up to her feet, walking back to her spot on the field. Alice and Kieran nodded in support of her strength while Fluttershy rejoined Alice’s side to see the rest of the duel out.

“So,” sighed Thiago, “you really still have faith in winning this?”

“I do,” she huffed. “If everything goes right next turn, I might finally prove my point.”

“What point do you think you have? All of your monsters have been destroyed by mine. Much like you want to do with these animals, you’re just sending yours out to die!”

“And much like what you do to these animals, you underestimate my monsters’ strength.”

“What was that?”

“Animals get sick. Animals get hurt. Many survive through it, some don’t. It’s just the way of life. It’s been going on since long before either of us were born. These animals have the ability to endure such hardships, much like my monsters.”

“How is that? They have been destroyed, there’s nothing left for them now!”

“Don’t forget, two of the monsters you destroyed were pendulum monsters, so they’re merely sitting in my extra deck, waiting to be summoned back again.”

“But you have no pendulum monsters on your field! I don’t know what delusion makes you think you still have a chance at victory, but there is no coming back from this.”

Thiago plucked his last card from his hand and slipped it into his duel disk.

“I place one card face down,” he said as the backing appeared on the ground. “During the end phase, my monster’s ATK returns to normal.”

Mary kept watch at the golden serpent, its stat counter appearing in front of it as it receded back towards the temple.

ATK: 4000 -> 0

“I end my turn,” he spoke.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 3000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 2

Just try and attack my seemingly defenseless monster, thought Thiago with a smile as he looked down at his set card. It will be the last mistake you’ll make!

Mary looked at Thiago as he formulated his plan.

There’s definitely something about that card he just set, Mary formulated. It’s obvious he’s luring me in to attack with his monster at 0 ATK. Either way, she thought, reaching for this deck. The last hope I have to win this duel will come from this draw. If I can do it, my victory is guaranteed!

Mary put her fingers atop her deck, turning to look at Alice and Kieran as they smiled and nodded in their approval. She then peered down to Fluttershy, who sported the bravest smile she could for her. With the strength she received from her friends, her fingers pinched atop the card.

“Here we go!” Mary shouted. “My turn! Draw!”

She looked up at her hand, yet another pendulum monster featuring a lion cub. The number that appeared beside the red gem on the side was a 10, making Mary gasp with excitement. With the card still in her hand, she reached for the other pendulum monster in her hand, grabbing it and revealing them both to a now terrified Thiago.

No! he thought. She already had another pendulum monster in her hand?

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 3 Feral Cougar and scale 10 Feral Cub!” she declared, throwing both monsters onto the outer zones of her blades.

Two pillars formed from the sides of Mary’s field as the sky grew darker and the pointed star faded in beneath the forming clouds. Coming up from the ground inside the pillars was a sand-colored cougar and the lion cub from her drawn card, a 3 and a 10 appearing directly above them.

Feral Cougar
Pendulum Scale: 3

Feral Cub
Pendulum Scale: 10

“While Feral Cub is in the pendulum zone,” explained Mary, “the pendulum scale of any other card in my pendulum zone is doubled.”

A blue aura surrounded Feral Cougar, mewing as it felt the energy upon it.

Pendulum Scale: 3 -> 6

“Her monsters in her extra deck were already level 7 and 8,” growled Thiago. “She can still summon them.”

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand or extra deck whose levels are 7 through 9. Pendulum summon!”

Two of Mary’s monsters ejected from her extra deck slot of her blade disk, allowing her to take them out with a whip of her arm, followed by a swipe over her blades, both monsters being placed onto her monsters zones. Below the star in the sky, the red portal spread out with two orange beams of light flying down from it and onto Mary’s field.

“Return!” called Mary. “Feral Lion! Feral Tiger!”

The dust finally settled to reveal both cats standing where they beams had landed, their threatening gurgles not affecting Thiago or his monster.

Feral Lion
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 8

Feral Tiger
ATK: 2600
Lvl.: 7

Come on, begged Thiago, trying to conceal his excited smile. Attack me. You know you want to!

Mary, ignoring him, grabbed her final card from her hand, smirking as she prepared to reveal it.

“I activate the spell card Call of the King,” she said, reaching her arm with the card facing him, “shuffling Feral Lion and Feral Tiger into my main deck to fusion summon one monster from my extra deck who lists both of those cards as fusion materials.”

“Impossible,” gasped Thiago. “She can fusion summon monsters too?”

“I now shuffle my two monsters into my deck!” she said, showing both of her monsters to him.

Once she placed them onto her deck, the cards began to shuffle and Feral Lion and Feral Tiger roared loudly, both fading into bright beams that flew out into the sky. Thiago looked nervously above as the sky began to darken with grey clouds.

“Ruler of the Feral domain,” chanted Mary, “retain your dominance and cast these intruders from this place! Fusion summon!”

A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky as the light formed into a massive white cat standing upright with subtle white stripes, its body sharing similarities of a lion and a tiger.

“Appear before me!” she cried. “Feral King Liger!”

The liger’s front paws fell forward and leaned up as it let a massive roar out into the sky, much to the sheer wonder of Alice and Fluttershy.

Feral King Liger
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 10

“3000 ATK?” Thiago questioned. “If this attack goes through, she’ll gain a perfect victory. Those hundred life points…”

“Battle!” shouted Mary, pointing her monster to its prey. “Feral King Liger, attack Idouro Chan Chan!”

The hybrid cat reeled back before it began its run at the massive golden serpent, tensing Thiago up as his life points were put into jeopardy.

“Come on, Mary!” cheered Fluttershy surprisingly loud. “You can do this!”

Thiago’s face scowled upon hearing the pegasus’s voice, looking back down at his field.

“I activate my trap, Resistance of the Idouros!” he shouted, showing art of Idouro Chan Chan curled into a tight coil. “This card lets me target an attack position Idouro monster and switch it into defense position.”

“What?” Alice gasped. “No way!”

“That will be more than enough to take out the rest of your life points!”

Idouro Chan Chan moved its body around the pyramid so that both of its heads were placed on the sides of the structure and two portions of its body were now set on the front, one on top of the other. The serpent hissed in a taunting manner as the cat continued its pursuit.

ATK: 0 -> DEF: 4000

“Ah!” screamed Fluttershy, her hooves on her cheeks. “Mary!”

“The effect of my Feral King Liger now activates!” Mary exclaimed, undaunted. “Any card this monster battles has its ATK and DEF reduced to 0 until the end phase.”

As Feral King Liger ran, it let out a roar with several visible pulses coming from its throat. The pulses struck Thiago’s monster, visibly affecting it as its grip around the pyramid grew more slack and weak.

DEF: 4000 -> 0

“What?” Thiago shrieked with a cracking voice. “It can’t be! Her monster’s actually stronger than mine! My Idouro Chan Chan…”

“Finally,” Mary declared, “when this monster attacks a defense position monster, this card inflicts piercing damage!”

“Impossível! Pare, por favor! Tenha piedade!!”

“Finish this, Feral King Liger! Slash of Pride!”

Feral Tiger lunged up at the serpent’s body at the temple’s front, it’s paw raised up high as it slashed down on both visible parts of its body, leaving large gashes on them that began to glow brightly. With gusto, the liger ran back as the serpent began to explode from the cuts in its body out like a massive fuse.

Thiago turned around to watch as his creature burst all about, blowing large pieces of the pyramid away with it. The explosions reached both heads, and as they glowed brightly, the two heads roared before they both exploded with a much stronger force, completely obliterating the temple. Thiago was blown onto his back by the force as he screamed out in anguish.

Thiago’s Life Points: 3000 -> 0

Mary wins.

Thiago landed hard as he slide to a stop in front of Mary. The animals around the barn cheered and applauded loudly, congratulating Mary in her victory. Mary stood petrified, still unable to grasp what she had done, even as the battle field setting faded away to reveal the interior of the barn. Fluttershy and Alice looked massively impressed while Kieran crossed his arms and smiled at a job well done.

“Holy hell,” breathed Alice. “She won.”

Mary sighed in sheer relief as she removed her fusion monster card from her zone and placed it into her extra deck. Thiago continued looking up at the roof, the noises of the animals around him muted in his reflection of his loss. The blades on both Thiago and Mary’s blade disks receded back into the light fixtures, Mary catching hers and placing it onto her duel disk while Thiago’s dropped to the ground.

“Mary!” shouted Yurik’s voice just outside.

“Fluttershy!” cried Twilight.

Fluttershy’s ears perked up at the familiar voice.

“Twilight?” she called out, looking to the entrance.

The door to the barn was pulled open, revealing Yurik standing there as Twilight galloped inside, both her and Fluttershy’s faces going alight as they saw each other.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight shouted, running up to her.

Fluttershy let out two choked sobs as she threw her arms open for her oncoming friend. Twilight spread her wings as she gripped Fluttershy tight around her torso, flying up in the air and twirling her around.

“Twilight!” wept Fluttershy, tears pouring down her face. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

Walt and Rainbow Dash soon entered the barn, the latter seeing Twilight and Fluttershy in their embrace.

“Fluttershy!” she shouted joyously.

Rocketing up to them, Rainbow Dash wrapped her arms around both of them, Fluttershy crying happily.

“I missed you so much!” Rainbow Dash spoke, trying to mask her own sobs.

Yurik and Walt looked up at their reunion with warm smiles. Walt looked down at Yurik’s back, noting the streak of mud all along his right side.

“You look like crap,” he greeted.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes yourself,” Yurik responded, seeing the entire brown front of Walt’s clothes.

Mary, seeing the two standing at the entrance, ran up to them and laughed, excited to tell them her tale.

“Guys!” she shouted. “You missed the best duel!”

“Duel?” asked Yurik.

“She was truly splendid,” piped up Kieran, walking towards them with Alice. “She really proved herself a very strong and steadfast duelist.”

“She kicked so much ass, guys!” said Alice. “You really missed out.”

“In fact,” Kieran said, facing Mary, “I think you might actually make an invaluable addition to the team.”

“Huh?” she asked him. “Are you saying…”

“I am inviting you to become a member of the Guardiaboliques, Mary. Do you accept?”

Mary looked down to see Kieran extend his palm for an agreement. With a smirk, she placed her hand atop the side of his and pushed down.

“I appreciate it,” she said, “but I don’t think I can survive another mission like this.”

“I understand,” he softly responded. “However, we will still be keeping an eye out for you. You have our deepest respect.”

“Thank you either way for bringing me along, Kieran.”

As Yurik and his friends continued talking, and the ponies fluttered down to the ground to talk, Thiago hadn’t moved from his spot, his eyes still up at the ceiling.

Even after all of that, he thought, she still turned out to be the strongest. Even after monster after monster was destroyed, she came back. Perhaps… these animals around me do have the same chance….

Thiago lifted himself up to a sitting position, alerting Fluttershy and the ponies at the back end of the barn as they watched him slide his duel disk off his wrist and next to his blade. Once he stood up and began walking to the door, Mary, Alice, and Kieran looked at him with suspicious contempt while Yurik and Walt looked much more passive. However, the angered faces of the former three died out when they saw the emotionally drained look on his face, especially as he walked around them as if they were never there.

The animals also watched Thiago as he made his way for the door, unsure of his intentions. Putting his hands on the door, he pushed it open, the orange late-afternoon sun streaming in. He wearily stepped to the other door, and with another push, it swung open allowing more light inside. With a slow turn, he looked to face the other humans, ponies, and animals inside the barn.

“You’re free now,” he spoke. “You are all well enough to live life where you belong. I’m sorry for…”

As he tried to continue his words, he bowed his head down and clenched his teeth and eyes, two tears escaping from them as they dripped down his nose. Immediately, the two jaguars walked up towards him in a line. Thiago could neither see nor hear them as his tears continued rolling.

Just then, one of the jaguars rubbed the top of its head against the front of Thiago’s waist, making him open his eyes as he watched the cat run its body against his in affection as it walked past him and out the door back into the wild.

Thiago watched as the second jaguar too rubbed its body against Thiago’s, purring loudly. Thiago couldn’t stifle a chuckle as he placed his hand atop the jaguar’s back, his fingers running through its fur as it walked away and out the door. Then, all at once, the rest of the animals began to pour down from the rafters and line up towards Thiago.

Fluttershy and Mary both watched from their respective spots as two howler monkeys climbed up Thiago’s legs and wrapped their arms around his torso before they ran off out of the barn. Fluttershy walked from her friends and towards Thiago as a toucan perched itself onto his shoulder and ran its beak against his cheek before flying away.

Thiago then felt Fluttershy’s head and mane come beneath his hand as she stood next to her. Mary watched in both relief and appreciation as she watched the two of them bid their animal friends farewell as they set back off into the wild.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary sat on Yurik’s bed as she watched a much cleaner, groomed, and happy Fluttershy be surrounded by her friends, including Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Yurik sat beside his friend while Walt and Alice stood out in the doorway.

“It’s good to have you back, Fluttershy,” stated Applejack.

“All we have left now is Rarity and Spike,” added Rainbow Dash, “and then we can go home!”

“And it’s all thanks to you guys,” Twilight said, looking to Yurik, Mary, and Walt. “I’m certain Princess Celestia will be very happy with the Guardiaboliques for all you’ve done for us.”

“It’s…” Yurik said, waving his hand, “it’s nothing, really. I’d feel terrible for not helping.”

“But let’s not forget Mary,” Walt said, motioning to her. “Without her, we wouldn’t have Fluttershy, even if we don’t know exactly how she did it.”

“I do,” Alice said.

The others chuckled affirmatively, as Mary stood up from Yurik’s bed.

“And I too was happy to help,” replied Mary. “I’m sorry, but I need to return home to feed my cats. I’ll see you all again hopefully.”

As she began to walk to the door, the soft coo of Fluttershy’s voice stopped her and turned her towards the pegasus.

“I’m…” she said, “I’m sorry if this sounds like too much…”

“Yes?” asked Mary.

“…Can I stay with you? I mean,” Fluttershy said, turning to her pony friends, “not that I stopped liking you guys…”

“Don’t be silly, Fluttershy,” chirped Pinkie Pie, “because that’s my job!”

“So… does that mean…”

“Fluttershy,” said Twilight, “whether Mary wants you to stay is her decision to make.”

“Of course you can,” Mary responded gleefully. “Like I said, my mom and dad are big supporters of the Guardiaboliques, and I’m sure they’d be more than delighted with the extra company.”

“Yes!” cheered Fluttershy, hopping up and hugging Mary tight. “I can’t wait to meet your family!”

Twilight and Yurik smiled happily at Fluttershy’s joy and Mary’s returning of the embrace.

“Trust me,” Mary laughed, “they won’t wait to meet you too.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary and Fluttershy stepped inside the former’s house, instantly being greeted by Johan as it meowed loudly and descended the stairs right in front of them. Fluttershy screamed with excitement as the cat walked up to her and sniffed her curiously.

“Oh, he’s so cute!” she squeaked, the cat now rubbing against her foreleg lovingly. “What’s his name?”

“Johann,” Mary answered. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the rest of them.”

Mary began walking up the stairs, Johann and Fluttershy eagerly following her.

“Where did you get the name Johann?” she asked.

“My father rescued it from a run-down shelter while he was on a mission in Johannesburg,” Mary responded.

As the three of them turned into the hallway, a collection of mews were heard by more cats awaiting them as they approached.

“Ah!” Fluttershy squealed. “Oh my goodness!”
> Episode 16: Unfriendly Fire, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The streets of Vienna were beginning to die down during the late night. While nightlife in the summer was still prevalent and abundant, it was around this time that many people relented to their exhaustion and retired to their homes for the night after a long night of drinking, clubbing, or listening to music.

Inside the bedroom of a large and luxurious white townhouse with the city, a small girl around ten years of age with short brown hair slept soundly under the silk covers of her bed. Lying beside her on its back was a white unicorn pony with a curled purple mane, a pair of sleeping blinds over her eyes. Beside the them on the floor and curled a dog bed was a small, purple dragon with green spikes on the top-center of its head.

Unbeknownst to them, a dark figure fell down from the sky and landed upon the roof of the next building beside it. The figure had a pair of wings on its back that slowed its fall and folded back in as the figure disappeared behind the roof’s edge.

Standing back up and walking to the very edge of the roof was an older-teenage man, whose body looked tall, but unhealthily skinny and pale. His torso was covered tightly by a black leather top with no sleeves and a long, ovular slit running down to just below his torso to just above his waistline.

A pair of tight, white, leather pants covered his legs all the down to his heels, which were tucked underneath a pair of comically large white Vibram FiveFingers shoes that fit his abnormally large feet. Covering the front of his legs down to the top of the knees and the back of his legs down to above the ankles was a black sash made of a silkier cloth.

The man didn’t have a trace of hair anywhere on his body, especially on his head. The man’s eyes were a piercing blue and his neck was adorned with a necklace with an emerald gem hanging from it. Attached to both of the man’s forearms were black-leather sleeves with ruby studs along the outside. On the outer side of the left sleeve, however, was a thick half-disk made of a shiny black rock, its length taking about half of his forearm in the center.

The man crouched down upon the roof’s edge and carefully examined the sleeping girl, the pony, and the dragon inside. He then looked up at the moon as it shone brightly in the sky. He looked back down towards the girl again, his eyes continuing to gaze at her. He then closed his eyes, his mind having been made up.

“No,” he whispered. “Not now…”

The man picked himself up and ran from the building and across the rooftops with inhuman agility. The little girl, who was left completely unaware of the man’s presence, rolled to her side and wrapped her arm around the pony’s stomach, snuggling herself closer to her.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik sat on his bed in his room alone and casually strummed a lively blues tune on an acoustic guitar. As the song began to mellow out, he lied down on his bed and continued to pluck away at the strings softly. His eyes were closed in a moment of bliss and tranquility in the growing night, blocking out the knocks that he received on his door.

“Yurik!” Walt shouted.

Upon hearing Walt’s voice, he quickly set the guitar onto his bed and hopped off his bed and to the door. Opening it up, he looked into Walt’s face, seeing his furious brow but cocky smirk.

“Unless you want to help find the last two,” Walt said, pointing the screen of his phone at Yurik’s eyes, “I suggest you answer your phone.”

“Phone?” asked Yurik, looking upon the message supposedly sent by Alice.

It read:

Pack several sets of clothes. Leaving for Vienna in about two hours.

“Vienna?” asked Yurik. “That’s where Rarity and Spike are?”

“All the way in Austria?” Walt huffed. “Yeah.”

“Not that I have any business buttin’ in your affairs,” spoke Applejack, approaching them from the back end of the hallway, “but what’s Austria like?”

“Austria, or Vienna more specifically, is a very beautiful country with a very rich culture and architecture. You know, a city clearly of your liking.”

“…Well, I can’t say it’s my kind of place, but it certainly sounds like someplace Rarity would fancy herself in, and boy do I mean fancy,” she hissed at the last words.

“So, she isn’t your cup of tea, huh?”

“I didn’t mean it like that! She’s a good pal, but she can really get carried away sometimes. And I don’t even like tea, so quit teasin’ me!”

“Yeah,” chuckled Yurik, pushing Walt from his doorway and too his room, “quit teasin’ her and get packing! You don’t want to make Alice angry too, do you?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Walt mumbled, turning back and heading to his closet.

The sound of hooves hitting the floorboards at an moderately-fast tempo sounded down the hall, the bouncing body of Pinkie Pie coming out and heading towards Yurik’s room while singing Fixer Upper.

“Looks like someone was just introduced to Frozen,” sighed Yurik, rolling his eyes playfully.

“I know, right!” asked Pinkie Pie. “We watched the movie while you were on your trip and it’s the best ice-witch-with-a-quirky-sister-who’s-in-love-with-this-nice-prince-who-turns-out-isn’t-a-nice-prince-but-there’s-a-guy-with-a-reindeer-and-a-cute-snowman movie ever!”

“You make it sound so enthralling. Is there something else you needed, Pinkie?”

“Oh? Oh yeah! I heard you’re going on another trip! Does that mean we get to watch Evey again?”

“Yes, and you’re going to spend a lot more time with her this time around; we’re going to be gone much longer than last time so–”

“YAY!”

Yurik placed his hands over his ears as he tried to shield them from Pinkie Pie’s shrill voice. Pinkie, realizing what she did, looked instantly remorseful.

“Sorry,” she spoke. “I didn’t mean ‘yay’ as in, ‘yay you’re leaving,’ I meant–”

“Don’t worry,” Yurik replied with a groan, rubbing inside his ear with his pinkie. “I got it loud and clear.”

Pinkie Pie beamed in response.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside Kieran’s plane, Yurik stared blankly out the window as he looked down upon the vast Atlantic Ocean as the sun began to rise. On the other side of the plane. Walt was watching a film on his computer as Rainbow Dash slept beside him on the next seat over. Alice and Twilight stood over by the mini fridge as both of them pulled out Jimmy John’s sandwiches and a soda, Twilight holding a pair each. The two of them couldn’t help but notice Yurik’s lonely demeanor and appearance.

“What do you think’s up with him?” asked Alice.

“I don’t know,” said Twilight. “He’s been kind of distant the last two days. Do you think he’s… scared?”

“Scared about what?”

“I’m not entirely sure. We should talk to him about it.”

“Fine.”

The two walked up to Yurik’s seat their shadows or the sound of their feet and hooves not affecting him in the slightest. Just as Twilight was about to open her mouth, Alice grabbed one of Twilight’s two sandwiches and threw it at Yurik’s face, shocking him upright.

“Alice,” he spoke wearily, picking up his sandwich from the ground, “what the hell?”

“Other than it being breakfast,” she said, “I want to know what’s up with you.”

“What’s up with me? What do you mean?”

“From not answering my text yesterday or being social with us now, it’s like you’ve been dreading this mission.”

“Wh… Why should I be?”

“Well,” spoke Twilight, “Rarity and Spike are the last of us that we need to save. I can imagine that you’re high-strung about succeeding, but I don’t think that’s the reason.”

“Huh? And what reason do you think you have?”

“…You don’t want us to leave do you?”

Yurik shuddered and his mouth widened in fear.

“No!” he shouted. “That’s not it at all!”

“Yurik,” cooed Twilight, “you don’t need to be upset about it. I know that once we find them, we’ll go home. That upsets you, doesn’t it.”

“Of course it upsets me! I really like you, Twilight. Hell, I like all of you guys! Just the thought of you saying goodbye… it hurts, but I know I can’t stop it…”

Watching Yurik come close to breaking down, Twilight lifted her hoof and set it on Yurik’s knee, calming him instantly.

“And I thank you for all that you and your friends have done,” said Twilight, moving the bottom of her hoof under Yurik’s chin and pushing up to have their eyes meet. “We would have never made it this far without you and everyone else’s help.”

“Yeah…” sighed Yurik, “I know.”

“And I really like you and your friends too. But like I said, I’m certain that it won’t be the last time we see each other after that.”

“I know, but I like having you around. It’s going to become far lonelier without you and your friends.”

“We’ll feel the same way about you, Yurik. But please, be strong for us like you have been.”

Yurik closed his eyes and sighed, relenting to Twilight’s encouragement.

“Alright,” he agreed. “I will be strong. For you, for Rainbow Dash, for everyone.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Now, how’s about you eat with both of us. We could use the company, you know.”

“Oh! Right, of course.”

Yurik squeezed himself into window seat, allowing Twilight to climb onto the one next to his with her sandwich. Alice carefully sat along the armrest, making sure Twilight’s tail was not pinned down beneath her.

The three began unwrapping their sandwiches, and as Yurik bit into his, tasting the pleasant umami flavors of his salami, he looked into Twilight and Alice’s faces as they took their own first bites of their breakfasts. Looking back at him with ease and togetherness, Yurik tore another chunk off his sandwich, gladdened by their company again.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The pale man stood still as a statue atop the Vienna Opera House, discreetly scanning the locals and tourists below as they idly and obliviously lead their lives. The sun was bright and the air was beautifully warm, and there looked to be that not a soul was inside, save for those dining during the very early afternoon.

As his eyes carefully looked down on the girl from the bedroom as she walked about with who appeared to be her mother, both of them dressed in meticulously made summer dresses, a large cloth bag in the older-woman’s hand. The two looked overjoyed in the company of each other, which was only strengthened by the merry nature of the crowd around them.

The pale man drew a longing sigh as they both walked into the inner city streets and away from his sights. As he stood up and looked to the next, rooftop upon which to follow them, a nagging feeling tingling in his body stopped him.

Looking northwest out into the sky, he could make out the shape of Kieran’s plane as it came over the city towards the airport. The man’s eyes followed the plane like a magnet, his sight bound to what was inside.

“There’s…” he muttered, “strong Equestrian magic coming from that aircraft. Could it be… that someone is bringing their friends?”

As the plane continued its descent, disappearing behind the tops of the buildings, the pale mane ran along the opera house’s rooftop, leaping swiftly over to the next set of buildings without being spotted by the others below him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the circular jade-green foyer of the townhouse, a moderately-elderly man in a spotless tuxedo opened the door for the little girl and her mother, the former already excitedly reaching into the cloth bag.

“Welcome home, Madame,” the butler spoke, giving a small bow.

“Thank you, Edmun…” the woman responded, cut off by the surprise tug of her bag by her daughter. “Tessa, please be careful!”

“Got them!” Tessa exclaimed, pulling out a pair of wooden boxes.

The girl giggled as she ran up the winding stairs along the wall and to the top floor sprinting into the hallway. Tessa’s mother sighed in exhaustion as she stood next to Edmund.

“So rambunctious she is,” he huffed.

“Don’t forget that I was her age once upon a time too,” she responded.

“And you were just as cheeky then as she is. It must run in the family I suppose… What were in those boxes?”

“Two gifts… for her friends.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Tessa burst into her room to see the white unicorn and the purple dragon sitting atop her bed and talking, suddenly shocked and slightly delighted by her return to her room.

“Rarity!” she called. “Spike!”

“Tess!” exclaimed Spike in a raspy child’s voice. “You’re home!”

“Tessa, darling,” replied Rarity in a posh, accented voice. “Did you enjoy your shopping trip.”

“Yes, I did,” she answered, “and I got you some gifts!”

Rarity was taken aback as Tessa presented her a box while Spike eager snatched it opening it up. With wide eyes, he pulled out a deck of cards.

“Oh, cool!” he shouted. “My own Duel Monsters deck!”

He quickly fanned through the cards, which appeared to be bipedal dragons of various sizes and colors adorned in armor and weaponry, each given the title of “Paladragon.”

“This is great, Tess!” he spoke, facing her. “Thank you!”

“Yes,” Rarity butted in, “this was nice of you to think of us but I–”

“It’s just I want to say thank you for staying with me. I just want to make you happy. I picked the decks out and bought them myself and everything!”

Rarity, feeling morally trapped, rolled her eyes slightly as she opened her box and pulled out a deck of her own. As she flipped through her cards, she was stunned to see all of them sparkling with a starry lamination over the fronts of each the entire cards. The cards appeared to resemble floating beings made of precious gems and metals. The monsters all seemed to fall under a single name: “Gemerous.”

“Oh, Tessa,” Rarity said, a clearly touched smile on her face. “I do thank you for this gift. That was exceptionally thoughtful of you.”

“And now that you have your own decks,” suggested Tessa, hugging both the pony and the dragon, “I should teach you how to play!”

“Alright!” exclaimed Spike, his fist in the air. “That sounds great!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and Walt stood outside a large crater in a field just off the road from Vienna. The two of them peered into it, looking for any kind of clues that might lead them towards Rarity and Spike. The only others around them were Kieran, Alice, a parked black van, and the occasional passersby on the road.

“So if this is the last of the ponies that we need to find,” said Walt, “this is undoubtedly going to be the hardest of them to find.”

“Really?” asked Yurik. “How so?”

“Just think about it,” he responded, pulling out his phone with a map on it. “The only couple of known sightings after Rarity and Spike landed happened roughly two hours afterwards. After that… nothing.”

“So that would mean that Rarity and Spike are more than likely in the city. I mean, it can’t be that easy to travel them away from the nation’s capital. We’ll just have to look in the city.”

“Yes,” Walt deadpanned, “that’s a great plan there. Let’s just knock door to door. ‘Hi, we’re just wondering if you have a white unicorn and a purple dragon in your home. Yes, I know we’re making Jehovah’s witnesses look sane by comparison, don’t remind us!’”

“I wasn’t talking about door-to-dooring it,” Yurik responded, pounding Walt in the shoulder. “We have a magical pony that can search for us.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

“How about we ask her that?”

Walt shrugged as he and Yurik walked back to the van, leading Kieran and Alice to prepare the door for them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“You want me to do what?” exclaimed Twilight.

Twilight sat in the aisle between the two back seats while Yurik, Walt, and Rainbow Dash sat inside in the van’s very back space. Kieran and Alice listened in with the back doors left ajar, leaving them just enough sight to see.

“I know this might sound a bit strenuous,” said Yurik, “but I think it’s the only way that we can find Rarity and Spike any quicker.”

“But you’re asking me to do not just one, but two difficult spells, Yurik. I don’t know if I’ll be able to.”

“Twilight, please. I wouldn’t ask of you to do something that I know that you couldn’t do. I have great faith in you that you can do this, and that’s why I’m asking you to do this.”

Walt and Rainbow Dash looked concernedly at Twilight as she tried to come up with a decision.

“Please,” egged Twilight madly, “can you repeat to me exactly what you think I need to do?”

“Look,” Yurik responded frankly, “you’re going to need to use an invisibility spell as well as a tracking spell; I get that! However, it’s either we do this, or we spend God knows how many days trying to search for your friends. If you can locate them, that will make not just our search easier, but our introductions to whomever are taking them in.”

“Huh?” asked Alice. “What do you mean by that?”

“Listen,” he said, turning his head in all directions to address everyone. “We’ll book a hotel room right by the Wiener Riesenrad. It’s right in the center of Vienna and it’s got a great altitude. From there, one of us will ride the ride, and that’s where you come in, Twilight.”

“Hm” she questioned, her head raising in attention.

“You will fly directly from the hotel and into the cabin where I’ll be. Once our cabin begins reaching the top, you can become visible again; I don’t think the people below will see you that from that far down. Next, you will use your tracking spell to detect Rarity’s magic, as she is a unicorn, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Once you pinpoint where you think Rarity and Spike are, keep a mental note of where you see this if you can. From there, we can get the directions to where this place is. You will need to do another invisibility spell for this. You will follow Walt or I to the location unseen by the others below and show yourselves to this person. Hopefully, they will be reasonable and allow us to take Rarity and Spike home once they see their good friend Twilight there. Any other questions?”

“Sounds good to me,” Alice said with a proud shrug. “I think we might have a shot at this.”

“It’s not a bad plan at all,” Kieran commented, “but there’s still a few factors.”

“I still don’t know,” Twilight said. “What if the place is far away? My magic is only so strong, you know.”

“I understand,” said Yurik. “I wanted to ask you earlier, but it seemed a bit awkward, but I guess now’s a better time than never.”

“What is it?”

“Are there any kinds of foods that you can eat that will increase your magical stability and endurance?”

“Like,” she responded, sporting a look of confusion, “what do you mean?”

“We have things like 5-Hour Energy that’s supposed to keep us up and about for a long period of time. I don’t want to start pumping caffeine into your body, so I wanted to ask if you know of any foods that can strengthen your magic.”

“Well… there aren’t exactly any foods that can help out in that, but one thing that can help is prolonged meditation.”

“Meditation?”

“Yes. Magic is essentially using your mind, and the more well rested my mind is, the stronger it will be.”

Walt and Yurik looked at each other, seeing in the faces if they were coming to the same conclusion.

“So…” said Walt, “we’re all just going to take a nap, then?”

“Whatever is best for you guys,” replied Twilight, “but we need to be well rested if we want this to work.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Walt and Yurik as they in turn looked at Twilight.

“Well,” Rainbow Dash said as she stretched her wings and limbs out, “I like this plan a whole lot. I think some shut eye could do me some good.”

Rainbow Dash plopped to her side and began snoring instantly, almost as if she was faking it. Yurik, Walt, and Twilight looked to Kieran, prompting him to fish his keys out from his pocket.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash and Twilight slept together on a queen-sized bed inside their very clean hotel room, the lights turned off with the sun streaming gently through the drapes. Walt sat at the desk with his earbuds in, browsing the internet upon his computer. Kieran lied face up on the bed, staring up at the ceiling and reflecting to himself.

Yurik stood over the ponies’ beds by the window, peering through the curtains and at the giant ferris wheel several blocks down as it slowly continued its perpetual spin. Just barely beyond the corner of Yurik’s vision, the pale human crouched down on the corner of a nearby building and carefully studied his features as well as he could in the dark room.

“Are they in there, Keifer?” whispered a harsh, echoed voice in the man’s head.

“Yes,” he quietly answered allowed. “As far as I can tell it’s the purple alicorn and the blue pegasus, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.”

“Very good. It seems there are others after them too, and they appear to be quite successful in finding them.”

“Should I ambush them? The atmosphere inside seems to be pretty lax.”

“Do not go,” the voice hissed, shocking him slightly. “It could very well be a trap. Besides, if you try and take them now, you will only have a certain amount of time to take Rarity and Spike before they try and catch you. As much as I hate to say this… but capture the unicorn and the dragon now, save the pegasus and the alicorn for later.”

“Of course… Master…”

Keifer was suddenly met with silence and isolation once again, leaving nothing but the soft wind to pass through his ears.

“I’ll take them all instead…” he growled.

With a hard turn, he ran along the building’s edge and away from the hotel, just as Yurik stepped away from the hotel room’s window and concealing it with the blinds again.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Tessa stood in the foyer of her home as her mother attempted to slip a fur coat onto the girl’s body. A man, who appeared to be the same age as the woman, stood next to Edmund as she watched them.

“Tessa,” the man instructed, “stop your fussing and let’s get going. We’re going to be late for the performance.”

“Sorry, dear,” the woman grunted, trying to slide the sleeves up her arm. “I’m afraid they’re a bit long.”

“That’s unfortunate, but we need to get going. My friend will be very upset with me if we are late.”

“I told you we should have had Rarity tailor it,” whined Tessa.

“Perhaps another time,” the man said, stepping to the door briskly and opening it for his wife and child. “We need to leave now!”

Rarity and Spike ran to the door just as Tessa was ushered to the exit by her mother.

“Farewell, Kate,” Rarity bid to the mother. “Farewell, Timothy, Tessa!”

“Goodbye, Rarity!” called Tessa happily as she was finally pushed from the exit. “Goodbye, Spike!”

Once Tessa and Kate were gone, Edmund stepped to the door and shut it closed. Rarity took a sigh as she turned and walked back to Tessa’s room.

“Oh,” she lamented, “I do wish we had a better way to say goodbye than that.”

“Don’t worry, Rarity,” Spike responded, stepping inside with her. “I’m sure we’ll have a perfect opportunity again.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer looked out over the balcony to the next building over to see Tessa stepping into her parents’ car, a black Audi. As the little girl stepped inside, the man smiled with genuine fondness. Watching the car finally pull away and into the street, he took a suddenly serious glance at the window to Tessa’s room.

“Soon,” he whispered. “Soon…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Early in the evening, Walt and Yurik stood in line for the Wiener Riesenrad, being next in line for the next available cabin. As it slowly came down with the door opening for the passengers inside to step out, Yurik looked over to where their hotel would be located. Taking his phone from his pocket, he raised it up with the screen facing the hotel room window, showing nothing but a bright, white display.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

From the open window, Twilight could barely make out the signal, but it was all she needed. With a glowing of her horn, her body began to slowly vanish into nothing.

“Good luck, Twilight,” whispered Kieran, a tinge of hopeful excitement escaping his stoic lips.

While invisible, a burst of wind and the fading sound of flapping wings signaled to Kieran, Alice, and Rainbow Dash that she was on her way.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt stepped into the stopped cabin, leaving Yurik to follow in after him. As he took the first step, he looked desperately at the platform and the crack in between it and the cabin.

“What seems to be the holdup?” a male attendant asked.

I’m sorry,” Yurik said, feigning anxiety, “I think I lost my phone in the crack.”

The attendant rolled his eyes at the sudden inconvenience. Yurik then heard a soft whoosh of wind go over his head as Walt the reached into his own pocket, pulling out an iPhone.

“Don’t worry, man!” called Walt as he held the device inside the cabin. “I got it!”

“Walt,” chuckled Yurik as he hopped inside, “you’re a lifesaver!”

With Yurik, Walt, and Twilight discreetly inside, the attendant shut the door and locked it shut. At once, the wheel began to spin around to the let the next set of people inside.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

After several minutes, Yurik and Walt’s cabin was just about halfway between the first quarter and the top of the way up. Walt, peering at Vienna as he could see it, took a long, calming breath.

“Ah,” he sighed, “and to think, so many cool things happened in here. The Third Man, The Living Daylights, Before Sunrise…”

“Twilight,” interrupted Yurik, “you can come out now.”

With a small burst of light, Twilight appeared in the center of the cabin between Yurik and Walt, the former woozily keeping to her feet.

“Hang in there, Twilight,” encouraged Yurik. “You can still do it, right?”

“Yeah,” she panted, “but I can only do it for about thirty seconds or so. I need enough energy to get back to the hotel and then get to wherever this place is.”

“Alright,” Yurik said, “do your stuff.”

The ferris wheel began to reach the very top, and Twilight stood herself into position. With her horn charging up, she grunted as she tried to maintain her magic. With a glowing of her horn, her eyes suddenly became a milky white.

The noises of the world were suddenly muted as Twilight’s vision increased dramatically in sharpness, the shapes of the buildings and people appearing more like an abstract image. She turned her body to search for any signs. Upon gazing on the south side of the cabin, she noticed a light blue speck in the distance just southwest of the nearby river, suddenly running to it and studying its location.

Her concentration increased as she tried to focus clearly on the building where the light remained. Once she had seen enough, her glowing stopped and the sounds and sights of the world returned to normal. Twilight swooned as she fell to her stomach, shocking Yurik and Walt.

“Twilight!” Yurik shouted, picking her up to her hooves. “Are you alright?”

“Just a little tired again is all,” she whispered.

“You can still teleport back to the hotel, right?” asked Walt.

“Yeah,” said Twilight. “This is really going well. The building’s actually not far from here.”

“That’s great,” Yurik sighed gratefully. “That makes our job so much easier now.”

With another shine from her horn, Twilight vanished from the car, the people on the ground and in the surrounding buildings none the wiser. With this part of the plan now over, Yurik and Walt were now free to enjoy the rest of their ride to the bottom.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and Walt crossed a bridge across the river towards a series of homes and other residencies as the sun finally set beneath the horizon. Yurik kept his phone out as he looked upon the map on his screen, watching as the arrow symbolizing their location moved closer to a red pin in the map.

Come on, Yurik thought. Where are you, Twilight? Are we getting closer?

High above them, Twilight fluttered over the street, continuing to stay with them at all times as she breathed in and out in exhaustion. Meanwhile, Keifer looked up at her from the rooftop of a west-side building, able to see Twilight’s aura clearly with snake-like eyes.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and Walt continued down the nearly deserted sidewalk of a street surrounded by townhouses and apartments. Just then, a whoosh was heard behind him with a gentle landing of hooves on the pavement.

“Come on,” whispered Twilight, “it’s that white building up ahead!”

Yurik looked up to see Tessa’s townhouse south and to the west of their spot with the black Audi still absent from its space. The two humans and pony quickly increased their pace and slowed back down to the door. Keifer, unbeknownst to the others below, ran briskly across the roof and to the next building giving him a proper view of the balcony to Tessa’s bedroom.

Yurik put his hand to a fist and gave a firm five knocks with the joints of his index and middle fingers. Walt put his ear to the door to hear the echoed noise of footsteps approaching inside. The footsteps stopped and it was only then that Yurik noticed a peephole in the door.

“Who are you?” asked Edmund. “What do you want?”

“We’re just here to reunite a couple of friends,” said Yurik.

With grace and nimbleness, Keifer jumped down to the balcony and tried to turn the knob to the door, only to find it locked. Inside, Rarity and Spike looked at Keifer’s shadow fearfully.

“Spike,” hissed Rarity. “Hide!”

Spike quickly glanced around the room, finding Tessa’s closet and running inside. Rarity then closed the door and turned the lock shut.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Edmund gasped as he saw Twilight appear, smiling up at him and panting as her form became full and clear.

“You’re…” the man struggled to speak, “Twilight Sparkle, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she said. “If it’s okay with you, can we come in to see my friends?”

“Of course!”

Edmund opened the door and motioned Yurik, Walt, and Twilight inside, quickly shutting the door.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

After a couple more unsuccessful turns, Keifer put his hand onto window and breathed regretfully.

“I’m sorry, Tessa,” he said.

Balling his hand into a fist, he punched through the window of the door and reached for the lock. Rarity screamed as she scrambled to the door.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The three humans and pony below heard both the shattering glass and Rarity’s scream. Yurik, Walt, and Twilight instantly ran up the stairs to the sound of the voice, leaving Edmund to try and catch up with his tired old bones.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer managed to unlock the door and open it, just in time to see Rarity try to open the bedroom door with her blue aura that came from her horn. Keifer threw his hand out and snapped his fingers, a purple ring of light soaring out from them and arcing around towards Rarity’s horn. It quickly wrapped itself around the horn and formed into an obsidian ring as the aura over Rarity’s horn dithered away.

“My magic!” she gasped, reaching up to feel the horn. “Why can’t I use my–”

Her thoughts were interrupted as she found herself yanked by an invisible force that sent her flying into Keifer’s arms. As Rarity screamed once again, Walt kicked in the bedroom door with a small explosion of wood and ran in with Yurik and Twilight. They all gasped to see Keifer’s form as well as the pony stuck in his grasp.

“Rarity!” shouted Twilight.

“Twilight?” the unicorn cried. “Twilight, help me!”

With a grunt, Keifer ran back towards the balcony with a shrieking Rarity in tow.

“Stop!” yelled Yurik. “Give her back!”

The others then watched incredulously as Keifer made an impossible high leap up to the rooftop of the next building, continuing to sprint away from them as they stopped and stared at the edge of the balcony.

“Jesus Christ!” wheezed Walt.

“Twilight!” shouted Yurik.

“On it!” she responded, charging her horn. 

She covered both Yurik and Walt in her own magic aura and flew to the adjacent rooftop, Yurik and Walt beside her. Landing with her, the three of them ran as fast as they could together to follow Keifer and Rarity.

Edmund managed to step into Tessa’s room, only to find it empty, the only differences being the broken window and the destroyed door indicating what had happened.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and Walt continued to track Keifer, who continued to keep ahead of them and Twilight as he effortlessly went from rooftop to rooftop. With each leap, Twilight’s magic kept them afloat above the alleyways and safely onto the next building over.

“Get back here!” Yurik barked.

Leaping over the streets, Yurik and Walt couldn’t help but feel a sense of vertigo as they looked down on the cars below. Twilight’s mind fought her body as it tried to rest itself, but Twilight only pushed harder, fighting the aching in her head, arms, and legs that struggled to stop her.

No, she ordered each of her muscles. I’m not letting you quit until we get Rarity back!

Soon, the chase was reaching the corner of another block of apartments as they reached the towering WIEN MITTE Mall. Much to Twilight, Yurik, and Walt’s sheer shock, Keifer ran straight to the building.

“What is he doing?” Walt shouted.

Keifer jumped off with Rarity screaming as her demise was sure to come. Yurik, Walt, and Twilight slid to a stop, only to watch with both terrified awe and sheer confusion as a pair of red wings with white bars sprout from the shoulders of the pale man and fly Keifer up to the top of the building.

“What the actual hell?” Walt gasped.

“What even is that thing?”

Twilight quickly snapped out of her shock and charged her horn.

“Stop!” she demanded to Keifer. “Stop, you monster!”

Twilight’s magenta aura wrapped itself around Yurik and Walt, and with a hard flap of her wings, Twilight soared after him. She watched up above as Keifer landed upon the mall’s roof, increasing her drive. Walt and Yurik looked back down to see with defeated faces as pedestrians and people inside their cars stopped and looked up at the sight they were witnessing.

His wings receding back into its shoulders, Keifer continued to run as Twilight rose above the mall’s roof, her horn beginning to glow even brighter.

“I said stop!” she screamed, a magic blast shooting straight at Keifer’s back.

Hearing the energy come towards him, Keifer turned his body around and tossed Rarity aside, where she fell to the floor with a shrill grunt. The spell struck Keifer straight in the chest where his necklace hung. The force of Twilight’s magic broke the rope holding it on, making it clatter to the ground.

As Twilight landed onto the ground with Yurik and Walt, Keifer’s body began to glow with a bright-red aura. The others watched with extreme caution as Keifer slowly stood to his feet and scowled at them with anger.

“Now you’ve done it,” he said. “You shall now witness my true form.”

Throwing his arms and out to the side, Keifer let out a roar as the glowing increased, covering his whole body in red. Yurik, Walt, Rarity, and Twilight shivered in fright as the human form of Keifer molded as if it were made from a thick liquid.

A long, thick tail with spines slithered out from Keifer’s lower back. His face grew out into a draconic snout with long horns extending from the back and top of his head. The five fingers and toes of his hands and feet merged into a beastly four and three, respectively.

His feet stretched horrifically back while the ends of his fingers and toes grew large claws with meticulously sharp points. Two wing shaped lights then flung out from his back, the heat and brightness forcing Yurik, Walt, and Rarity to shield their eyes with their arms, Twilight with her wing.

Keifer’s eyes shot open, revealing to large reptilian blue irises. Winding his arm back, he pressed his fingers together, whipping his hand out with a snap. Another ring flew out at Twilight’s horn from Keifer’s fingertips. Yurik peeked above his arm just to see the ring getting close.

“Twilight!” he yelled. “Look out!”

Twilight unfolded her wing only for the ring to wrap around the horn and form into a black and solid object. Twilight grunted and moaned as she felt the electrical surges of the ring’s magic run through her horn. Once the ring had fully formed, Twilight strained to cast another spell, only for nothing to happen, making her whimper in fear as she felt the vice.

“Twilight!” yelled Yurik, then turning to Keifer. “What have you done?”

“It’s true that unicorns and alicorns use magic, right?” Keifer asked.

Yurik, Walt, and Twilight both watched sadly and nervously as the light covering Keifer faded away, revealing him to be a white bipedal dragon with a dark-green underbelly and red-wings, his remaining human clothes and the object on his arm still upon his body.

“To properly restrain them,” Keifer continued, his form fully revealed at last, “I must rid them of the ability to use magic.”

“You…” Yurik stuttered and pointing, “you’re a dragon!”

“Oh, come now,” he responded, his right hand on is hip, “you were out rescuing a dragon, weren’t you? Does it really surprise you to see one in the flesh?”

“Are…” groaned Twilight, “are you from Equestria?”

“As a matter of fact, I am,” he said, adopting a much more serious tone. “And it’s certainly a much better sight than this scrapheap you so-called humans call a home.”

“Damn you,” growled Walt.

“Damn?” Keifer chuckled. “Your vernacular is still a bit foreign to me, but even I can tell that what you said was very spiteful. In my homeland, those are challenging words.”

Keifer widened his stance and raised his fists, making Yurik, Walt, and Twilight step back, making him chuckle hoarsely.

“Do you really think you’re going to interfere with me and not expect a retaliation?” he asked. “If it’s any consolation, you won’t feel too much pain at all.”

Yurik grunted, his left hand balling into its own fist.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the hotel room, a card inside the deck of Yurik’s duel disk which sat in his opened backpack began to shine a bright magenta, a loud sparkling sound accompanying it. Rainbow Dash sat up on her bed and twitched her ears at the strange noise. Kieran and Alice looked towards it as well.

“What’s happening?” asked Alice.

Rainbow Dash continued to look at the glowing card, her ears drooping as though she could understand what the card was signaling.

“I think…” she said. “I think Yurik’s in trouble…”

Realizing the threat at hand, she trotted over Yurik’s bag and snatched the duel disk and disk blade out and placed the latter beside the former. Hugging the constructed duel disk, she flew out towards the window.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik stepped forward and put his own arms up, ready to defend Walt and Twilight. Keifer looked slightly surprised, but resumed his strong and foreboding pose.

“And we have the first volunteer,” Keifer muttered.

“Yurik!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Think fast!”

Keifer turned around with a sense of annoyance but found himself stunned to see Rainbow Dash fly up towards the mall and throw Yurik’s duel disk at him. Yurik, smiling at his fortune, ran towards it and allowed the device to land on his arm, the clamp setting onto the wrist. Yurik and Keifer circled slightly so that Yurik was now facing the south and Keifer facing the north.

“A duel disk,” Keifer spoke. “Could he be…”

Rainbow Dash then looked down at Rarity beside the dragon and noticed the ring sealed over her horn, lying down in a submissive position.

“Rarity!” cried Rainbow Dash swooping up quickly. “I’m coming!”

She circled around Keifer and began to descend behind him.

“Headstrong…” complimented Keifer, winding his arm back without turning to face her.

“Rainbow Dash!” shouted Walt, reaching for her as she flew past. “Wait!”

“…but not headsmart!”

With a sharp turn and a slash of his claws at the air, a trio of red darts of light flew towards Rainbow Dash striking her body, his actual claws missing the pegasus by inches. Rainbow Dash rolled painfully towards Walt, prompting him to thrust himself downwards and block tumble.

Rainbow Dash shot back up to her hooves, only for her and Walt to realize with growing trepidation that her wings were limply lying open at her sides. As hard as she strained, Rainbow Dash couldn’t lift them up at all.

“My wings!” she cried. “Why can’t I feel my wings?”

“It’s a simple numbing spell,” Keifer answered. “I’ll allow you use of your wings again when it’s most convenient. Now then, where were we? Oh, yes…” he said, turning to face Yurik. “You and I were fighting.”

Yurik held up his arm with his duel disk attached, his meager shield providing Yurik with a higher feeling of confidence. Keifer looked at Yurik with a sense of incredulity, his lips pursing in disappointment.

“And what do you think you can do against me with that?” he asked.

“You should know,” replied Yurik with cocky rhetoric. “You named what it was when Rainbow Dash gave it to me. I assume that thing on your wrist is one too.” 

Keifer brought up his arm and the object upon it, looking on it as if he too suddenly discovered what it was. He then gazed at Yurik with a slightly impressed smirk.

“Clever boy…” he sighed.

“Then you have one too,” Yurik answered. “If you want to fight me, so be it! I’ll make you pay for doing this to my friends!”

Yurik detached his blade disk from his duel disk and threw out at Keifer. The dragon stood still as the disk circled around him and back to Yurik. With the disk stopping and floating beside Yurik’s duel disk, both blades shone out from the lights at the side and formed solid.

Keeping his arm held before him, Keifer wound his arm in, his fingers reaching out. He then then threw both arms out to the side, the black object having spun roughly three quarters of a half-circle and floating three inches diagonally to the right of Keifer’s fist.

The center of the rounded edge of the disk went aflame as it traveled upwards and stopped after a couple of inches, revealing a deck of cards. Two smaller slits opened up to the left of the deck on the disks edge. Finally, the flat side of the duel disk went alight with an orange glow, a bright flame shooting out of it with a solid obsidian blade forming behind it. The blade itself was shaped like a scythe’s and featured seven distinct zones upon its face-up side.

Once the blade was formed, Keifer held his arm back before him and showed the completed form of his duel disk, making Yurik breathe uncomfortably through his nose. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Walt stepped back and gave their friend some room as the decks in both Yurik and Keifer’s decks shuffled.

“Connection complete,” the computerized voice from Yurik’s duel disk said. “Yurik Clayer vs. … Unknown. Draw.”

Keifer hummed with both amusement and slight discontent as both he and Yurik drew their first five cards.

“Unknown?” asked Keifer. “My name is Keifer, and I want you to remember that name well, Yurik Clayer!”

“Fine then,” answered Yurik. “I’m ready, Keifer! Let’s go!”

“DUEL!” they both shouted.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Keifer:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll take the first turn,” declared Yurik.

“So you’re not afraid to sacrifice your draw,” purred Keifer. “Your bravery is noted, but your skills…”

“Don’t let him talk to you that way!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Kick his flank!”

Yurik nodded in appreciation as he looked at his hand. He had two pendulum monsters with a wide scale on him, but he continued to look, unsure if it was what he wanted to do yet. He then spotted his Pegassist of Water card in his hand, along with a trap card right beside it.

I can easily pendulum summon, thought Yurik, but I can also build up my hand with these two cards.

Yurik looked to the marginally impatient face that Keifer sported as he looked to him.

He’s not from Earth, he continued to muse, and there’s no doubt that his magic abilities will be very dangerous during this duel. However, I’ll need strength in numbers if I want to win.

“I place one card face down,” Yurik called out as he placed his card into his duel disk’s slot, the enlarged backing appearing on the ground, “and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 4    Life: 4000    Monsters: 0    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

“Is that all you can manage to do?” Keifer asked, pointing at Yurik’s sole set card. “I thought you wanted a duel, not a wailing. You can’t expect to save these ponies like that.”

Yurik growled, failing to keep his words back.

“Shut your mouth and take your turn!” he demanded.

“Hmph. Very well, Yurik Clayer. My turn! Draw!”

Keifer added his drawn card to his hand and took out another: a spell card with an infinity-sign symbol, placing it face up into the leftmost slot on the side of his duel disk.

“I activate the continuous spell card Molten Submergence,” he declared, an upright green card appearing with art showing three spiny reptilian backs appearing above the surface of a pool of lava. “This card allows me to conduct my normal set up to three times this turn if I control no monsters during my standby phase.”

“Huh?” questioned Walt.

“Three sets in a single turn?” wondered Twilight.

“However,” Keifer said, sorting his hand, “the monsters set by this effect must be fire attribute.”

“Does that mean…” mumbled Yurik.

“I set three monsters face down,” he said, grabbing three of his cards and revealing them, his palm and fingers concealing all but the red circular logos at the upper right-hand corner of the cards.

Flipping them back, he ran his hand over his blade, his three cards appearing onto the center three zones of his blade and turned to the left. Three large sideward cards appeared before Keifer and quickly faded away just as fast. Yurik huffed at the insane strategy he was witnessing.

“I place one card face down,” concluded Keifer as he put one of his two remaining cards into the leftmost slot of his duel disk with the backing appearing on the field, “and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4000    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

“Three face down monsters,” whispered Yurik. “What strategy does he intend to use?”

“Don’t keep me waiting either, Yurik Clayer,” Keifer demanded. “Take your turn and show me your true strength!”

Yurik hissed through his teeth, reaching for his deck.

“Fine,” he relented. “You asked for it! My turn! Draw!”

Yurik looked at his drawn card before adding it to his hand.

Yeah, he thought, now it’s time.

He then picked up his two pendulum monsters and showed them both to his opponent.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 3 Armored Unioncorn and the scale 9 Unioncorn of Night!” he declared.

Yurik placed both cards on the leftmost and rightmost zones of his blades. Two pillars appeared beside his field as Yurik’s iron-clad grey unicorn rose inside of it to his left and his black unicorn with red eyes came arose on his right. A 3 and a 9 appeared above the monsters as the large star appeared in the sky.

Armored Unioncorn
Pendulum Scale: 3

Unioncorn of Night
Pendulum Scale: 9

“I can now special summon monsters whose levels are 4 through 8,” he stated. “Pendulum summon!”

Yurik grabbed two monster cards from his hand and placed them on his monster zones. The red portal opened beneath the star, allowing a green and a red stream of light to fly down from it to the ground. The dust cleared, revealing Yurik’s green unicorn with the tribal markings and a yellow pony with a mane and tail made of fire.

“Let’s go!” Yurik shouted. “Unioncorn of Wind! Fire Pony!”

Keifer growled as he faced both of Yurik’s monsters, each of whom looked prepared to battle.

Unioncorn of Wind
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

Fire Pony
ATK: 1900
Lvl.: 4

“My word…” Rarity gasped, looking upon Yurik’s monsters.

“The effect of Unioncorn of Night in my pendulum zone activates,” spoke Yurik. “When I pendulum summon monsters while it is in my pendulum zone, I can draw one card for each pendulum monster summoned. Unioncorn of Wind is a pendulum monster, so I draw one card.”

Yurik placed his fingers atop his deck and flicked a card out, which stayed safely pinched in his fingers until he added it to the only other card left in his hand.

“Nice one, Yurik!” cheered Rainbow Dash.

“Now,” shouted Yurik, “Fire Pony, attack Keifer’s center monster! Thermal Thrashing!”

Yurik’s monster galloped out towards Keifer’s field, and before the monster could strike, Keifer let out a smile, frightening Yurik, as well as Walt, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight.

“Now you will see the strength of my deck,” spoke Keifer. “I activate my trap, Eruption Force!”

A trap card flipped upright, showing art of three draconic monsters blasting from the surface of an area of lava.

“When this card is activated,” Keifer explained, “all face-down monsters I control are changed to face-up defense position.”

“What was that?” Yurik yelled.

“Now, arise!”

Keifer removed all cards from the top of his blade in one swipe, and with another flip of his cards, he placed them all back face up in the same position with a slide in the opposite direction. The backings of Keifer’s monsters reappeared and flipped up at the same time, allowing the monsters featured on their artwork to arise from them.

In the center zone was a bulky red, wingless dragon with thick, stony scales. To its left was a red winged-serpent with a dragon-like snout. On the right of the group of monsters was a red wyvern with large pair of wings for arms.

“Dragma Lizard! Dragma Coatl! Dragma Wyvern!” Keifer announced.

Yurik looked at Keifer’s own monsters with awe as they stared him and the approaching pony down.

Dragma Lizard
DEF: 1200
Lvl.: 3

Dragma Coatl
DEF: 1600
Lvl.: 3

Dragma Wyvern
DEF: 1800
Lvl.: 4

“And now,” Keifer exclaimed, “the flip effects of my Dragma monsters activate!”

“Flip effects?” shouted Yurik.

“I first activate the effect of Dragma Lizard, destroying a face-up monster my opponent controls.”

“No way!”

“The monster I destroy is your Fire Pony!”

Dragma Lizard leapt up at the approaching pony and latched onto it. Yurik’s monster whinnied loudly as the reptilian creature sunk its teeth into its neck, shattering it into gold sparks.

“Fire Pony!” cried Yurik.

Rarity gasped as she brought her hooves over her mouth, abhorred by the violent act.

“Next,” continued Keifer, “is the flip effect of my Dragma Coatl, allowing me to place one Singe Counter on a monster you control, and I choose your Unioncorn of Wind!”

Keifer’s serpent stared into the eyes of Yurik’s unicorn, its own eyes glowing red. A small flame then appeared on the unicorn’s chest.

Singe Counters: 0 -> 1

“Finally,” remarked Keifer, “there’s the flip effect of my Dragma Wyvern, allowing me to draw one card!”

Yurik watched with flustered fatigue as Keifer confidently drew his card and added it to his hand.

“Then,” Keifer said, pointing to Yurik, “there’s the last effect of Eruption Force, inflicting 500 points of damage to you.”

“What did you say?” he yelled

“Burn, Yurik Clayer!”

The still visible trap card suddenly blasted a pillar of fire at Yurik, which struck him and knocked him off his feet. Yurik shrieked loudly as he felt the intense, searing heat of the fire on his skin.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3500

“Yurik!” screamed Twilight.

Yurik landed onto his back, all to the horror of his friends as they looked down at him. Rarity covered her eyes, both to shield her vision from the fight and to brace her tears leaking from her eyes. Yurik, his arms, legs, and face still stinging continued lying on the floor of the building, a scared look in his eyes.

“That fire,” he gasped, “it felt real. He can make the damage real. Just… just who is this thing?”

Keifer too looked down at Yurik, his smile growing to reveal his row of teeth, ecstatic to see his plan working so well.
> Episode 17: Unfriendly Fire, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Timothy and Kate’s black Audi turned sharply towards their townhouse. It took every ounce of strength and reserve for the driver inside to park the car without hitting the other vehicles parked on both sides of him. Edmund was already waiting by the door, holding it open for the fearful Timothy, Kate, and Tessa as they scrambled from the car and towards the house.

“He entered through Tessa’s room,” Edmund reported.

The three of them ran past their butler and up the stairs to the hallway, leaving him to follow them back up as fast as his legs could allow. The audible noise of a gasp was heard from Kate as they looked upon the scene of destruction before them.

“They broke down the door too?” shouted Timothy.

“What happened here?” cried Kate.

“Rarity!” shouted Tessa, running into the middle of her room. “Spike! Where are you?”

“Tess!” shouted Spike from the closet as he repeatedly struck it. “Tess, open the door! It’s locked.”

Tessa let out a sob as she ran to the door and turned both the lock and the knob, one immediately after the other. Throwing the door open, Tessa let out a relieved, but sad huff as Spike ran from the door and into Tessa’s embrace.

“Thank goodness you’re okay, Spike,” she wept. “Where’s Rarity?”

“Rarity?” Spike questioned, coming close to tears himself. “They… they… they took her away!”

Tessa gasped, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks as her cries were becoming impossible to suppress.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik slowly got up to his feet from the top of the WIEN MITTE Mall, facing Keifer with an enraged look in his eyes as streams of smoke rose from parts of his clothes.

================
Yurik:
LP: 3500

Keifer:
LP: 4000
================

Keifer let out a light chuckle as his three monsters looked down Yurik and his feeble attempts to struggle.

Dragma Lizard
DEF: 1200
Lvl.: 3

Dragma Coatl
DEF: 1600
Lvl.: 3

Dragma Wyvern
DEF: 1800
Lvl.: 4

“You might have destroyed my Fire Pony,” growled Yurik, but my Unioncorn of Wind survived and still has its attack.”

Unioncorn of Wind
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“Now, go!” he commanded. “Unioncorn of Wind, destroy Dragma Lizard! Magic Maelstrom!”

A ball of bright, swirling green energy formed at the tip of the horse’s horn, and pointing it at the center monster, the ball shot out towards its target. The spell hit dead center, destroying the dragon in a burst of sparks that blew into Keifer’s face. The white dragon grunted as he shielded his face from his monster’s fragments.

“Flip effect monsters aren’t usually the strongest monsters in terms of offense,” Yurik spoke, “so I think we’re good right here. I end my turn.”

“Not yet,” interrupted Keifer. “Now the effect of Dragma Coatl and the Singe Counter on it will destroy your monster.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“During the end phase, any non-fire-attribute monster with a Singe Counter on it is destroyed.”

“What?”

Yurik watched with horror as the flame on Unioncorn of Wind’s chest grew out and engulfed it, the terrified screams of the monster making Yurik and his friends behind him shudder in fear. Before long, the flames subsided, leaving no traces of the monster they incinerated.

“Also,” Keifer said, “you must also discard one card from your hand for each monster destroyed by this effect. Looks like that draw of yours will now go to waste.”

Yurik hissed as he took his recently drawn Spell of Banishment card and slipped it into his graveyard.

“And now that’s it,” quipped Keifer.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 3500    Monsters: 0    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 4 – 8    Spells/Traps: 1

“Unbelievable,” Twilight said to herself. “It wasn’t even his turn, and he managed to systematically wipe out his entire field.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Walt whispered, noting Yurik’s anticipating face. “Yurik set only that card during his first turn. I think he’s expecting a direct attack here.”

“You saw what 500 points of damage did to him, Walt. Do you think he can take a direct attack?”

“It’s Yurik, Twilight!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “If he can handle Orpheus, he can handle him! Go, Yurik!”

Keifer glanced at Rainbow Dash, his stern demeanor never changing.

“You really think that your friend has a chance of defeating me?” he asked. “I have been trained by one of the greatest duelists who ever lived.”

“How’s that possible?” asked Yurik. “You’re an Equestrian! Duel Monsters does not exist in your world!”

“Then clearly, you know very little of my world.”

Twilight gasped at such news, looking to Keifer with sheer confusion and bewilderment in her eyes.

“You seem not to believe me, Twilight,” he continued. “Tell me, can you say for certain that you know all of Equestria’s deepest secrets?”

“I…” Twilight strained. “I… I can’t say! But how does that still allow you to play a game from another world… and… quite skillfully at that?”

“I thank you for the compliment, but it is moot. My master knows of this game and requires the ponies for her own desires.”

“Her?” questioned Yurik. “So, this person is a she? Who is she?”

“I’m afraid I have said too much. All that you should concern yourself with is defeating me, which I cannot allow to happen, Yurik Clayer.”

Yurik winced as his threat preluded his oncoming turn, as well as Yurik’s oncoming pain.

“My turn!” Keifer yelled, his fingers over his deck. “Draw!”

Keifer looked to his card and without adding it to his hand, he reached towards his two remaining monsters on the field.

“I tribute my Dragma Coatl and my Dragma Wyvern,” he said, swiping both cards from his blade.

The ground underneath the two dragons grew hot and red before it exploded, covering both monsters in a geyser of fire and molten rock. The heat was enough to repel Yurik back two steps as he continued to shield his face

“What is happening?” Yurik grunted as he fought the blistering temperatures.

“Great beast within the ocean of flames,” chanted Keifer, the fountains of lava melding into one through a strong, swirling wind, “ascend from the crust of the earth and leave your foes in ruins!”

A pair of wings made entirely of the swirling pillar of fire, Yurik managing to see a body inside of it.

“Arise,” he shouted, “lord of the mountain of fire! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”

The fire parted aside to reveal a massive bipedal dragon with thick red scales and a muscular golden-colored underbelly. Its fire-laden wings took shape until their features appeared more defined, fire still rolling off them constantly. Its eyes were just two pools of black that stared straight at Yurik, nothing able to defend him.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

“Obsidian-Eyes…” muttered Yurik, weakened by his awe, “Magmal Dragon…”

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Walt too stared up at Keifer’s ace, shuddering at its presence.

“And now there is nothing protecting you from my dragon’s attack,” Keifer spoke. “You shall now taste the full unbridled fury of our combined strength! Battle!”

With a flap of the dragon’s wings, they lost their form, becoming two large shapes of bright-yellow fire.

“Magmal Dragon! Attack Yurik Clayer directly! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

Damn, thought Yurik. Here it comes…

Keifer’s dragon, reeled its head back as the inside of his mouth went alight. Throwing its head forwards, a wide beam of hot ash and fire blasted out towards Yurik. Yurik covered his eyes with his forearms and leaned forwards as the flames collided into him. While his body was pushed back and his body remained upright, Yurik cried in anguish as he resisted the battering on his body.

Yurik’s Life Points: 3500 -> 500

“Yurik!” shouted Walt.

The blast struck the ground and broke off into several streams that snaked around Walt, Yurik, and Twilight. The three of them screamed as they too felt the intense heat from the fire. Once the blast had ended, Yurik’s body swooned to and fro, smoke rising from nearly every inch. Twilight and Walt looked off to see Yurik in his weakened state.

“Yurik!” yelled Twilight.

Falling to his knees, he managed to lean his body back and sit upon the back of his calves, breathing steadily as he waited for his strength to be restored.

“You your body seems to be quite taxed, Yurik Clayer,” said Keifer. “Do you intend to stop here?”

“No,” Yurik growled, standing up to his feet in a wide stance, “I’ve still got much more fight in me. I activate my trap, Wicked Windfall.”

Yurik motioned to the center of his field, where a purple card with the demonic shadow handing two cards to a fallen warrior flipped up.

“When I take battle damage from a direct attack,” he explained, “I can draw cards for every thousand points of damage I took.”

“3000 damage,” spat Keifer. “That’s three cards.”

“But that’s not all, Keifer. I chain the effect of Pegassist of Water.”

Yurik revealed his card before he placed it onto the leftmost zone of his right blade.

“When I take battle damage,” he continued, “I can special summon this card from my hand.”

A blue portal opened up on the ground, and flying out from it was Yurik’s furless pegasus with the webbed wings and kelpy mane and tail.

Pegassist of Water
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“When Pegassist of Water is special summoned by this effect,” said Yurik, “I gain life points equal to half the damage I took.”

The pegasus turned to Yurik and delivered a strong fanning of its wings, blowing mist onto both him and his friends behind them, relieving them slightly of their pain.

Yurik’s Life Points: 500 -> 2000

Keifer gasped, impressed by the brave strategy.

I see, he thought. That first turn, he wanted me to attack him. Because not only does he replenish his life points…

“And then, Wicked Windfall’s effect,” finished Yurik, drawing three cards from the top of his deck.

…he too replenishes his hand.

Yurik looked up to his new hand, seeing his own ace card, Twilight Alicorn, amongst them. With a huff, he successfully suppressed the urge to smile.

“Look at him go,” sighed Twilight, enamored by Yurik’s will and strength.

“Now,” spoke Yurik, “what can you do here? Not much I imagine.”

“Hmph,” Keifer responded, “not much indeed.”

He grabbed the last two cards in his hand and placed them into the leftmost slot of his disk, both backings appearing in front of him on his field.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn,” he said.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 3

Yurik glanced to his hand, a far calmer smile on his face. His hand contained his Twilight Alicorn, Unioncorn of Light, as well as Horn of Reborn hidden beneath them.

Keifer’s in big trouble now, Yurik thought. Even with the new cards I’m about to get, this should be all I need to gain a victory right here and now!

“You look quite joyful,” commented Keifer. “Do you think you have something that can defeat me?”

“Think?” chuckled Yurik. “I know this will defeat you.”

Keifer strengthened his scowl, unsure what Yurik had in store.

“Do you think you can take my friends as you please and allow me to take it easy on you?” he asked.

“I would never expect anything less,” spoke Keifer, “but I need these ponies just as badly as you do.”

Yurik growled at his opponent’s callous and cold tone.

“Tell me honestly,” requested Keifer, “how many of the ponies, other than the ones behind you have you managed to find?”

“What’s it to you?” shouted Walt.

“Yeah, none of your beeswax, buster!” added Rainbow Dash.

Yurik smiled at his friends’ support, continuing to look to Keifer.

“Are they safe?” asked Rarity’s voice.

The humans and other ponies gasped upon hearing her speak, each of them looking into her tearing eyes as she looked at Twilight’s bound horn and Rainbow Dash’s limp wings.

“If you won’t tell him,” she demanded, “tell me. Twilight, how are the others?”

Twilight could clearly see Rarity’s despair fill her face as hope drained from it. Twilight grimaced as she prepared to relent.

“We have the rest of them,” Twilight spoke. “Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy are safe at home with us.”

Rarity let out a slight smile and a shaky, but relieved breath, wiping her eyes.

“And what about Spike?” asked Twilight. “Is he safe too?”

Rarity looked up at Keifer as he looked down at her, awaiting her answer.

“Yes,” she said. “He’s alright too.”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief as well, a small smile on her face as well.

“Interesting,” Keifer said. “If what you say is true, then you have the remaining three ponies in your possession. That will only make my job that much easier.”

“Shut up!” Yurik shouted, regaining Keifer’s surprised attention. “I can’t let you complete your job if it involves treating these ponies like prisoners. I won’t allow it! My turn! Draw!”

Yurik immediately added the card to his hand. He then plucked one from his hand and rested his arm at his side. The sky turned dark blue as the outline of the multi-pointed star returned.

“With Armored Unioncorn and Unioncorn of Night in my pendulum zones,” exclaimed Yurik, “I can special summon monsters from both my hand or extra deck whose levels are 4 through 8. Pendulum summon!”

A single card ejected from Yurik’s extra deck face-up, allowing him to grab it with the one in his hand and wind his arm back. In a single swipe, Yurik placed his two cards upon three open zones on his blades. Beneath the star in the sky, the red portal opened up, a green and magenta colored aura shooting from it and landing on the ground on both sides of Pegassist of Water.

“Come to me,” called Yurik, “Unioncorn of Wind! Twilight Alicorn!”

As the dust settled, Keifer looked upon Yurik’s field to see the revived green unicorn and his magenta alicorn.

Unioncorn of Wind
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

Twilight herself smirked as Yurik’s field filled itself up. Keifer, on the other hand, vehemently glanced between Twilight and the monster that shared her resemblance, his eyes blinking in sheer disbelief.

Impossible! he thought. Why is his monster’s appearance so similar to the alicorn behind him?

“And since both monsters pendulum summoned were pendulum monsters,” spoke Yurik, reaching for his deck, “I can draw one card for each with Unioncorn of Night’s pendulum effect, which is two!”

Yurik threw his arm out, two cards in his hand coming with it, much to the annoyance and chagrin of Keifer. Yurik added the cards to his sizable hand and pointed out to the center of his field.

“Next,” he declared, “I will overlay my level 4 Unioncorn of Wind and Pegassist of Water!”

The two monsters morphed into long streams of green and blue light that spiraled around in the air, a red portal forming before Yurik’s two other monsters.

“With these two monsters,” he resumed, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The two auras flew into the portal, causing it to explode in a bright light. Flying forth from it was Yurik’s green alicorn with black stripes and the windy, swirling mane and tail.

“Come on,” beckoned Yurik, “Allicorn of Typhoons!”

Yurik’s monster set itself directly to the right of Twilight Alicorn and adopted its companion’s offensive position, its two xyz materials orbiting around it.

Allicorn of Typhoons
ATK: 2300
Rnk.: 4

“I’m not done!,” continued Yurik. “I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn, allowing me to special summon two monsters inside my pendulum zones, and I choose my Armored Unicorn and Unioncorn of Night!”

“He has that ability?” Keifer stammered.

“Go! Summon Shine!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn glowed as its magic glow covered the two monsters on both sides of the field. With two bursts of light, the two monsters simultaneously disappeared and then reappeared on the last two available monster zones on the field

Armored Unioncorn
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 6

Unioncorn of Night
ATK: 2000
DEF: 4

Twilight and Rainbow Dash stared with pursed lips at Yurik’s nearly-full field. Walt smiled warmly fully confident in his friend’s abilities.

Either way, mused Keifer with a smirk.

“I activate my trap,” he proclaimed, “Grand Sublimation!”

The trap flipped itself up, showing a long chain of volcanic mountains rising out of the sea to a dark and clouded sky.

“When this card is activated while I have no cards in my hand, and my opponent controls more monsters than me, I can draw cards equal to the difference between your monsters and mine.”

“Four monsters to his one?” spoke Walt behind the shocked gasps of the others. “That’s three cards!”

Keifer let out a small chuckle as his cards were taken from the top of his deck and fanned into his left hand.

I guess that settles that, concluded Yurik.

“I activate the effect of Allicorn of Typhoons,” he shouted, removing a card from underneath his monster and putting in into his graveyard slot. “By detaching one xyz material from this card, I can destroy one spell or trap card my opponent controls.”

One of the light orbs melded into the alicorn’s horn, making it shine bright.

“Alright!” Twilight cheered. “Now there will be nothing left to protect his monsters.

“I choose your only face-down card!” exclaimed Yurik.

Allicorn of Typhoons lunged at Keifer with its wings out, and with a swing of its lower body forwards, it hurled its spell at Keifer’s set card.

“I won’t let you,” Keifer responded. “I chain my quick-play spell card Molten Revival!”

As said, a green card with a lightning icon and art of a single draconic backside in a pool of lava with a shining green outline flipped up to Yurik’s sight.

“This card allows me to special summon a Dragma monster from my graveyard in face-down defense position, and the one I choose is…”

A single card ejected itself from a slot in between Keifer’s deck and his spell and trap slot. He then took it out and revealed it to Yurik.

“…Dragma Wyvern!”

With a hard slam, the monster was placed beside Keifer’s other card. Likewise, a large, sideways card backing appeared to the right of Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon.

Damn! cursed Yurik. I thought I had it there. Regardless…

Yurik took out another card from his hand.

“I normal summon Unioncorn of Light!” he declared.

Placing the card onto his only open monster zone left on his duel disk, a blue portal opened up in the respective space on the field, allowing the white unicorn with the mane and tail made from light to appear from it.

Unioncorn of Light
ATK: 1900
Lvl.: 4

“Finally,” he stated, “I activate the effect of Armored Unioncorn, equipping it to a monster I control and having it gain 600 ATK!”

“Oh,” sighed Keifer indifferently, “I see.”

“I equip Armored Unioncorn to Twilight Alicorn!”

The unicorn hopped up into the air a vanished in a burst of light, leaving its armor behind. The armor then floated itself onto Twilight Alicorn and fitted itself upon her.

ATK: 2500 -> 3100

Keifer huffed with a smile, seeing the fruits of Yurik’s planning.

“It was a nice move,” Keifer said, “but with my Magmal Dragon’s effect, you can’t attack it as long as I control a face-down monster.”

“Really?” Yurik replied with canned surprise. “It’s pointless anyway! My monsters have enough strength to perform a one turn kill.”

Keifer stared blankly at Yurik and his monsters, his eyes requesting him to go on with his turn.

“Go!” shouted Yurik. “Unioncorn of Light, destroy Keifer’s face-down Dragma Wyvern! Lustrous Lance!

The unicorn charged its horn and shot a bright bolt from it, which went straight at the face down card that Keifer had set. The card flipped up and the wyvern appeared on top of it, ready to intercept the attack.

Dragma Wyvern
DEF: 1800
Lvl.: 4

“Perfect,” huffed Yurik with a victoriously clenched fist.

The bolt struck Dragma Wyvern and blasted it into gold sparks that flew into Keifer’s face. Keifer stood steadfast in the wake of the fragments of his destroyed monster.

“Dragma Wyvern’s flip effect allows me to draw one card,” Keifer said as he drew a card out from his deck.

It doesn’t matter,” spoke Yurik. “Now that you have no other monsters, I can attack that dragon of yours. Twilight Alicorn, attack Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn and cast a powerful beam at the monster, striking it in the chest. With a loud roar, the monster too disintegrated due to the force. However, the sparks blowing into Keifer stung, making him grunt in irritation.

Keifer’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3900

“Awesome!” shouted Twilight. “Yurik’s still got two more monsters that can attack!”

“And combined,” summarized Walt, “they have more ATK than Keifer has life points!”

“Yurik’s going to win!” Rainbow Dash cried happily. “Yurik’s going to win!”

“Unioncorn of Night,” commanded Yurik, his outstretched hand pointed at his draconic opponent, “attack Keifer directly! Curse of Shadow!”

Unioncorn of Night whinnied loudly as its eyes glowed and a stream of dark-purple mist flew from its horn and at Keifer. The spell washed over Keifer, making him groan in anguish as he felt it afflict his body.

Keifer’s Life Points: 3900 -> 1900

“This will do it!” Yurik cried out. “Allicorn of Typhoons, attack Keifer directly! Horrorcane!”

Charging up its horn and lifting itself off its front two hooves, Keifer widened his stance and prepared to intercept the finishing blow. It’s hooves landing back down, a massive wave of water rose from the ground and threatened to wipe Keifer away and Rarity. Rarity held her breath, covered her head, and shut her eyes tight.

Keifer smirked as he took a card from his hand and placed it face-up and sideways onto the monster zone to the right of the center one. The wave swamped Keifer while avoiding Rarity, much to her surprise, as Yurik and the others chuckled at Yurik’s accomplishment.

“He did it!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “He won!”

“We can go back home now!” spoke Twilight happily.

As the ponies behind him celebrated, Yurik breathed out calmly. Upon hearing the sound of sizzling water, he looked up to see a pillar of steam rise in the air as the water began to die down. Yurik and the others then gasped loudly as he saw a red bipedal dragon with long blonde hair and a feminine face stand before Keifer, its wings held out in front of it like a shield.

Keifer’s Life Points: 1900

“How?” Yurik asked. “How did you summon a monster?”

“The effect of my Dragma Saint Helen,” said Keifer. “When a monster would declare a direct attack, I can special summon this card from my hand in defense position.”

Dragma St. Helen
DEF: 1900
Lvl.: 5

“Of course,” Keifer added, “my monster intercepted the attack, so it is now destroyed.”

Once the last of the water had been absorbed by the ground, the dragon vanished as it lightly fell apart as a collection of sparks. Yurik hissed tightly, his chance of victory squandered.

“It was a valiant attempt, no doubt,” Keifer said, “but it still wasn’t quite enough. Now, is that all you can do?”

Yurik grunted again in anger, furrowing his brow as tightly as he could.

“No,” he yelled, “I’m not done! I now overly my level 4 Unioncorn of Night and Unioncorn of Light!”

Keifer’s eyes widened slightly as Yurik’s weaker two monsters transformed into a purple and yellow beam of light that flew around over yet another red portal forming on the ground.

“With these two monsters,” he resumed, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The two beams flew into the portal, making it blow up with light. Floating out from the portal was a brightly-colored alicorn with orange hooves and legs that slowly faded into a royal-blue body.

“Arise!” called Yurik. “Allicorn of Dawn!”

The monster, its wings stretched out, floated back down to the other side of Twilight Alicorn, gracefully folding its wings back in once it landed.

Allicorn of Dawn
ATK: 2200
Rnk.: 4

Yurik, satisfied with his monsters’ positions, grabbed two cards in his hand and slipped them both into the spell and trap slot of his duel disk, both cards’ backings appearing behind his monsters.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn,” he concluded.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 2000    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

Just try and attack me now, Keifer, begged Yurik with a smile. Even if you’re able to pendulum summon your Magmal Dragon from your extra deck, it won’t be any match for my monster. If you attack, I’ll just activate its effect to detach one xyz material to shuffle the monster back into your deck.

Keifer examined his opponent, noting his cocky façade and fortified field. He then looked down to his hand to see the newest cards that he had been given, which included two pendulum cards.

I must thank you, Yurik Clayer, he mused. With that wildly impressive strategy of yours, I too have replenished much of my hand. And I still haven’t even drawn yet.

“Don’t let that guy bother you!” cheered Rainbow Dash. “You still got this!”

Yurik merely smirked and without looking, cast his index and middle finger into a V at her. Keifer couldn’t help but grumble at their proud nature.

“My turn,” he announced, his fingers upon his deck. “Draw!”

Keifer quickly added his newest card to his hand and took out his two pendulum monsters, revealing them both to Yurik.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 1 Dragma Pompeii and the scale 9 Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon,” he stated.

Everyone before him gasped in amazement.

“He’s got another copy of that card?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“And he’s going to use it to pendulum summon?” Yurik questioned.

Keifer placed both monsters onto the very outer zones of his blade with one swipe of his hand. Two pools of bubbling lava sprouted from the ground on both sides of Keifer’s field. Rising from the pools were two blue pillars of light, followed by both Keifer’s ace dragon as well as a large, grey dragon with glowing red scars all over its body. While a number 1 and a number 9 appeared over both monsters, the ground before Keifer began to glow red as well.

Dragma Pompeii
Pendulum Scale: 1

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
Pendulum Scale: 9

“Also,” added Keifer, “with Magmal Dragon’s pendulum effect, I can pendulum summon monsters in face-down defense position.”

“What?” shouted Yurik.

“And now, I can special summon monsters from my hand or extra deck whose levels are 2 through 8. Pendulum summon!”

Keifer took the remaining two cards from his hand, and revealed them only enough for Yurik to see a level 3 and a level 5 monster. He then placed them both face down and turned to the left upon the zones right and left of the center zone. Two streams of lava gushed out from the ground, making Yurik shield his face from the sudden heat.

Once the lava made its way back to the ground, Yurik could see that there were now two face down cards having appeared. Keifer then looked to his graveyard slot to see his first copy of Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon eject itself face up from it.

“And then there’s the one from my extra deck,” he said, showing Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon fully.

Keifer then placed his card face down upon the center zone, another geyser of molten rock preluding its appearance. Yurik hissed as he looked down at the three new monsters on the field.

I still can’t believe it, he thought. A card that allows him to pendulum summon monsters face-down…

“Finally,” spoke Keifer, “I activate the pendulum effect of Dragma Pompeii. Once per turn, I can destroy one face-up spell or trap card I control.”

“Huh?” Yurik gasped.

Keifer’s dragon turned to the face-up Molten Submergence card.

“That card…” spoke Yurik.

With a massive exhale, a blast of ash came from the dragon’s mouth and coated it. Yurik watched in amazement as the now useless card fell to the ground with a heavy bang.

“Then,” resumed Keifer, “I can add one continuous spell or trap card from my deck to my hand.”

Keifer’s deck shuffled inside its slot as a single card ejected from the top of it. Grabbing it, he revealed the trap card before placing it in the leftmost slot of his duel disk’s body. The ashen spell card shone a hot red before the coating broke away, revealing a new card in its place.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 1900    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 2 – 8    Spells/Traps: 1

Yurik looked out over Keifer’s field, studying it intently.

I have to be careful about finding the right monsters to attack, he thought. I would have to imagine that a level 5 flip effect monster would have high DEF, or at the very least, a powerful effect. Still…

He then looked at the screen of his iPad D and noticed his two set cards.

…I still have plenty of protection against this guy, and I doubt he’s going to let me take my next turn without a fight.

“Come on, Yurik,” whispered Walt.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash, as well as Rarity beside Keifer looked to Yurik as their last hope, their eyes shimmering and lips quivering. Yurik managed to look behind himself to the crippled Rainbow Dash and the disabled Twilight, then turning forward to see Rarity, equally incapacitated.

“You’re deck is impressive,” Yurik said to Keifer, gaining his attention, “but I still won’t let its strength beat mine! My turn! Draw!”

“I activate my continuous trap,” declared Keifer quickly, “Pahoehoe Blow!”

Yurik gasped, his concentration broken as he watched Keifer’s card flip up, revealing a fiery dragon burst forth from a ropy surface of black rock.

“This card lets me target a face down monster I control, flip it into face-up defense position, and then equip this card to that monster,” he explained, “and I choose my Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”

The center card in Keifer’s monster zones glowed brightly and expanded like a bubble before bursting, unveiling Keifer’s ace monster kneeling down and crossing its arms over its chest.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
DEF: 2500
Lvl.: 8

“Next,” Keifer said, “Magmal Dragon’s flip effect activates, targeting one monster my opponent controls and destroying it!”

Yurik hissed as he prepared for the effect.

“I will destroy your Twilight Alicorn! Go! Sweltering Wing!”

Two large flames shot out of Keifer’s monster’s back, forming into the shape of wings. One wing lashed forwards, throwing a fireball at Twilight Alicorn’s direction. Yurik kept up his brave face, even as his monster’s destruction came closer.

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn!” Yurik shouted. “Once per turn, I can place it on an unused pendulum zone I control.”

“What was that?” yelled Keifer.

Twilight Alicorn charged up its horn, and with a magical pop of a magenta colored bubble, it disappeared leaving the armor behind. As the armor was incinerated by the fireball, Twilight Alicorn appeared on Yurik’s right side of the field, much to the relief of the ponies.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

Keifer, once shocked, realized his situation and smiled.

“Do you think that little effect your monster has intimidates me?” he asked. “Now that you’ve removed your Twilight Alicorn has left the field, it is no longer equipped with Armored Unioncorn, so now you no longer control any monsters that have higher ATK than my monster’s DEF.”

Yurik intensified the sternness of his face as Keifer continued to explain the situation.

“Even if you did, you can’t even get to my monster without going through my other face down monsters. Also, with Pahoehoe Blow’s effect, if you do attack it, whichever monster attacked it will be destroyed.”

“I see,” spoke Yurik, “so you had this all planned from the beginning.”

“On my last turn, more or less.”

“It’s a shame that you forgot about my other monsters! I now activate the effect of Allicorn of Typhoons, detaching an xyz material to destroy one spell or trap card you control.”

Once Yurik detached the final xyz material from his monster, the last orb circling the alicorn melded into its horn.

“And I will choose your Pahoehoe Blow!” he decided.

Allicorn of Typhoons flew out and blasted its ball of magic wind at the upright trap card, blowing it to smithereens.

“Also,” added Yurik, “I wasn’t able to show you last turn, but when Allicorn of Typhoons destroys a spell or trap card by its own effect, it gains 500 ATK.”

Keifer growled angrily. He then watched as the alicorn’s horn continued to glow as the light spread over its body, strengthening it.

ATK: 2300 -> 2800

“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash cried out. “Now it’s stronger than his dragon!”

“Calm down, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight warned. “Yurik still needs to destroy his other two face down monsters if he wants to take out Magmal Dragon.”

“Oh, darn it!”

It’s okay, Rainbow Dash, thought Yurik. I’ve got a plan.

He then looked to his hand, which still contained his Horn of Reborn, a monster card named Water Pony, featuring a blue horse with webbings on the back of his hooves, and another spell card, Shield Shattering.

I can use Horn of Reborn this turn and be able to inflict some major damage, he planned, but I don’t have any monsters in my graveyard strong enough to finish him off. Besides, once he brings back his Magmal Dragon, he’ll just attack it, and if he manages to get around my Allicorn of Dawn’s effect, that will be some serious damage I’ll be taking.

However, if I use this other spell card, I’ll inflict even more damage and still have a field comprised of strong monsters to protect me. Well, looks like my decision is made up…

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn,” shouted Yurik, pointing at his monster with his hand, “allowing me to special summon it from my pendulum zone!”

“And it can come back?” Keifer asked in a furious tone.

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn and disappeared in a lustrous pop, reappearing at the center of the field with Yurik’s other two monsters.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Next,” Yurik continued, revealing a spell card in his hand before throwing it in his spell and trap slot, “I activate the spell card Shield Shattering!”

Yurik then fanned his hand in and placed both cards into the graveyard slot, each card going in one by one.

“By sending two cards from my hand to the graveyard,” he said, “all monsters I currently control gain the ability of piercing damage.”

“Piercing damage?” roared Keifer.

“I finally found a weakness in your deck, Keifer! And now, I’m going to break you down with it! Now, Allicorn of Dawn, attack the monster to the right of Magmal Dragon! Rising Sun Sheen!”

Yurik’s blue-and-orange union corn shone a bright ray of light at Keifer’s monster, the card flipping up and materializing a skinny red dragon with scythe-like blades coming from its forearms.

Dragma Pele
DEF: 1400
Lvl.: 3

The dragon screamed out as the light burned its body, prepared to be destroyed.

“And with Shield Shattering,” reminded Yurik, “you take the piercing battle damage.”

Keifer groaned as the light shone upon him as well, groaning as his arm and upper body sizzled.

Keifer’s Life Points: 1900 -> 1100

“Dragma Pele’s flip effect now activates!” he cried out. “I can now destroy one spell or trap card on the field, and I will choose your center card!”

Dragma Pele, in its final moments, slashed its arm out at Yurik’s field, a crescent-shaped fired flying out from its blade before bursting into sparks. Twilight and Walt both gasped as it grew closer.

“I activate my counter trap, Rapid Restrict,” he shouted, a trap card flipping up beside the center zone to show a wizard blocking a green energy ball heading towards a small female magician from the right with a blue magic ball. “When a card effect would destroy a spell or trap card I control, I can negate that effect!”

Keifer watched with both amazement and ferocity as a blue beam shot from the trap card and collided into his fallen monster’s fire crescent, destroying them both.

“I now attack the monster on Magmal Dragon’s left with Twilight Alicorn!” he resumed. “Go! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn and launched its magenta beam at the space on Keifer’s dragon’s left. The card flipped up and brought forth a dark-red wingless dragon whose body appeared completely porous.

Dragma Pumice
DEF: 2000
Lvl.: 5

The beam struck the monster, making it roar as it tried to withstand the monster’s spell.

“Take even more damage!” laughed Yurik.

The blast continued onto Keifer, making him yell loudly as he too felt the raw strength of Yurik’s ace monster.

Keifer’s Life Points: 1100 -> 600

“Dragma Pumice’s flip effect now activates,” wailed Keifer as the beam began to die down, “returning the attacking monster to the hand!”

Yurik tensed up, knowing exactly what this meant.

“Your monster’s used up its effect,” chuckled Keifer. “It can’t save itself now!”

The holey dragon forcefully clapped its hands once, making it finally destruct. At the same time, a small rumbling could be felt beneath Yurik’s field as a large piece of pumice quickly rose from the ground and launched the magenta alicorn up.

The monster whinnied in surprise as it glowed a bright white, its form morphing into a stream that flew back into Yurik’s hand as a card. Keifer grinned as he watched Yurik’s slightly-beaten face, only to be shocked upon the human returning to a serious demeanor.

“I activate my trap, Super Swing,” he declared, another trap appearing with the image of a golden machine with a purple-crystal bottom flying out in a downward arc. “When a pendulum monster I control is sent to the hand or to my extra deck, I can special summon that monster.”

“What did you say?” Keifer shrieked.

“I now bring back my deck’s true strength,” he announced, slamming the card back onto his center zone, “Twilight Alicorn!”

From a blue portal forming on the ground, Yurik’s monster flew up from out of it and landed in the center of the field between Yurik’s other monsters.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Lucky for you,” spoke Yurik, “the monster special summoned by this effect cannot declare an attack for the rest of the turn. However, I still have one more monster to deal with, and with your other monsters gone, your Magmal Dragon is all mine once again!”

Keifer squeezed both of his fists in sheer wrath.

“Allicorn of Typhoons,” cried Yurik, “attack Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon! Horrorcane!”

The monster’s horn grew brightly as a small pool of water rose from Yurik’s field. With an even brighter glow, another wall of water appeared and rushed towards Keifer’s dragon. The wave slammed into the dragon, destroying it instantly in an explosion of steam and sparks.

“And then the piercing damage!” Yurik continued to exclaim.

The strength of the wave was far too much for Keifer to handle once it struck him, blowing him off his feet and tumbling further down the roof, gurgling as he tried to both hold his breath and fight the water.

Keifer’s Life Points: 600 -> 300

The waters finally receded, allowing Keifer to stand back onto his feet and make his way back to his field, Yurik watching him contently as he panted and coughed.

“I didn’t get you this turn,” said Yurik, “but something tells me next turn that I will. During the end phase, Allicorn of Typhoon’s ATK goes back to normal.”

The green-and-black alicorn lit up slightly as its extra strength was slowly reducing.

ATK: 2800 -> 2300

“I end my turn,” Yurik concluded with confidence.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2000    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 0

Yurik calmed himself as the sounds of his cheering friends sounded off behind him.

“You got this in the bag, Yurik!” called Walt.

“You can do this!” cried Rainbow Dash.

“We believe in you!” shouted Twilight.

Rarity, overcome by the emotions her friends were feeling, managed to stand herself to her hooves.

“Yes, Yurik,” she shouted. “We all believe in you!”

Keifer groaned loudly, bringing everyone’s attention to him and silencing them.

“You reduced me down to 300 life points,” he spoke. “So what? All that leaves me is another turn; another chance to defeat you.”

“How do you expect to do that?” asked Yurik. “You have no monsters on your field and no cards in your hand. What chance do you expect to come from that?”

“It’s quite simple, actually. You clearly weren’t planning on me special summoning that one monster two of my turns ago with my Molten Revival. That’s why you normal summoned your Unioncorn of Light as opposed to including it in your pendulum summon. You could have drawn an extra card with Unioncorn of Night’s effect and had that monster card in your hand to spare after activating your Shield Shattering card. It only needed to be at least 300 ATK.”

Yurik bit his lip, trying to fight the pain from what he was realizing was a fatal mistake on his part.

“Shut up, Keifer!” defended Twilight. “There was no way he could have prepared for that!”

“I had two set cards that turn,” he responded condescendingly. “How many more did I need to set to make myself appear more of a threat?”

Yurik felt his arms loosen and his legs wobble, his error eating him from the inside out.

“You got cocky with that turn, Yurik Clayer,” Keifer said, “and now, it’s given me a chance that you could have prevented and saved your friends with.”

“Just shut your mouth and take your turn if you think it’s going to matter!” demanded Yurik, shaking his fist at him as he tried to steady his body.

“For your sake, you better hope it doesn’t. My turn! Draw!”

Keifer looked to the card in his hand, seeing his third and last copy of Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon. With a sigh through his nose and a closing of his eyes, Yurik let out a smile, reading his face as an expression of failure.

“How ironic how one card can mean the difference between winning and losing,” Keifer sighed.

Yurik’s smile went away, unsure of the meaning of his words

“I activate the effect of Dragma Pompeii!” Keifer suddenly shouted, frightening Yurik and his friends behind him. “Destroying a face-up spell or trap card and adding a continuous spell or trap card to my hand!”

“But where?” Yurik exclaimed in a fluster. “There are no… No, wait!”

“I destroy my Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon in my pendulum zone!”

Keifer’s left-side dragon turned to Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon and breathed a plume of ashes at it. Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon curled itself into a fetal position as the ash coated its body and rendered it immobile. At that moment, Keifer’s deck shuffled and ejected a card from the top of his duel disk, allowing Keifer to add it into his hand. He then grabbed his third Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon and revealed it to Yurik.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 9 Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!” he declared.

“No way!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

“He had a third one?” asked Walt.

Placing it on the right pendulum zone, another pool of lava formed on the ground where the ashen Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon lied and then promptly sunk. Another Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon rose from the pool and took its place on the field.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
Pendulum Scale: 9

Blue pillars enveloped around it and Dragma Pompeii as a 1 and a 9 appeared above their heads.

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand or extra deck whose levels are 4 through 8!” he spoke.

“I see!” Yurik gasped. “That means–”

“Pendulum summon! Now return! My two Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragons!”

Two blasts of lava shot up on Keifer’s field, granting the appearance of two of Keifer’s ace monsters, standing and awaiting their next command.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

“Two of them…” stammered Yurik. “He now has two of them…”

“And now,” Keifer said, grabbing the last card in his hand, “the card that will seal your fate! I activate the continuous spell card Magmal Razing!”

Keifer threw his card inside his spell and trap slot, the card appearing on the field showing three Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragons as they breathed their fiery breath upon a small village.

“When this card is activated,” explained Keifer, “I special summon an Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon from my pendulum zone! Now, appear! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”

The dragon leapt from its pendulum zone and landed beside the dragon in the center monster zone, all three of them now staring at one of Yurik’s monsters each.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

“Three of them now!” cried Rainbow Dash.

It’s pointless thought, Yurik mused. I can just use Allicorn of Dawn’s effect if he even thinks about touching my monsters!

“Then,” spoke Keifer , “I can target cards on the field up to the number of Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragons I control and negate their effects.”

“What?” screamed Yurik. “Impossible!”

“Furthermore, cards and effects cannot be activated in response to this effect, so your Twilight Alicorn cannot run away!”

“No! NO, NO, NO!”

“The effects of your monsters will now be negated, Yurik Clayer!”

A pair of fiery wings shot out from the backs of all three of the dragons and fanned themselves at Yurik’s monsters, producing a hot, wispy wave. The heat went over Yurik and his monsters, making them all gag in pain. The two Allicorns lied down, too weak to stand, while Twilight Alicorn was forced to only one knee. Yurik’s eyes bled tears as he saw his monsters reduced to this state.

“And with your monsters’ ATKs,” Keifer exclaimed, “you will not have enough life points to survive! Now, battle! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon, attack Allicorn of Dawn! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

The dragon on the right breathed in and then blew out a blast of fire and ash that struck Yurik’s monster, destroying it instantly. Yurik screamed as he felt the flames and rock collide into him.

Yurik’s Life Points: 2000 -> 1200

“Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon,” commanded Keifer, “attack Allicorn of Typhoons! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

The left dragon let out a similar beam of rock and fire, destroying the alicorn and striking Yurik as well, his crying out never ceasing as his voice grew hoarse.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1200 -> 500

“This is it,” Keifer finally spoke in a calm voice. “Now, end this! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon, attack Twilight Alicorn! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

Yurik stared blankly at his soon to be destroyed monster as it turned back to look at him with a touch of sadness and disappointment. The center dragon hurled its fire breath at Twilight Alicorn and blasted it away. Yurik, too weak and demoralized to scream, felt his body blasted backwards towards his shocked and terrified friends.

Yurik’s Life Points: 500 -> 0

Keifer wins.

Yurik looked behind him as his vision clouded and faded to black. With the little strength he had left, he reached to Twilight, only for his body to flip backwards, unable to see his friend before he completely blacked out. Yurik’s chest hit the ground, leaving his abdomen and legs to swing down and crash down next. Walt shuddered as his friend’s body refused to move.

“Yurik!” he shouted, running to him and sliding to his side and rolling him over to his back. “Yurik! Yurik! Get up! Come on, man, get up!”

Keifer smirked as the ponies too ran to his aid, raising his arm and hand with his claws glowing. Twilight and Rainbow Dash suddenly found themselves lifted off their feet and floating above Yurik and Walt.

“Sorry,” Keifer insincerely remarked, “but they belong to me now…”

With a click of his claws, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were pulled towards Keifer. Rainbow Dash was sent faster with a scared yelp while Twilight’s went much slower, allowing Walt to hop up and grab hold of Twilight’s hoof with both hands.

“Twilight!” shouted Walt.

“Walt!” cried Twilight.

“I’m not letting go!”

“Yes, you are!” exclaimed Keifer with a yank of his arm.

Twilight screamed as her hoof slipped from Walt’s grasp and her body went towards Keifer, both her and Rainbow Dash now floating on both sides of him.

“Your friend put up a valiant fight,” Keifer said as his the blade of his duel disk receded inside and the disk affixing itself onto the side of his sleeve, “but that mistake of his has cost him his friends.”

“Damn you!” shouted Walt, kneeling back down to cradle Yurik’s body. “You damned bastard!”

Keifer squatted down and picked up Rarity, who was too frightened and weak to fight him.

“Don’t worry,” Keifer said. “I’ll be coming back to pick up the others.”

Walt contorted his face as tightly as his anger would allow. Keifer merely looked at the unconscious Yurik, ignoring Walt’s emotions.

“Farewell, Yurik Clayer,” he bid.

“No!” shouted Walt, setting his friend down and running out at him. “Get back here!”

Keifer raised his wings up and thrust them down, suddenly shooting up into the sky at an impossible speed, disappearing into an overhead cloud with Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity in tow, their screams quickly disappearing.

Walt pressed squeezed his fists until they ached profusely. He then threw his arms out and leaned up into the sky, yelling as loudly as his voice possible could. On the ground, Yurik’s face was frozen in sadness as two tears rolled down from his eyes and down the sides of his cheeks.
> Episode 18: Walking the Plank
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the roof of the WEIN MITTE Mall, Yurik was blasted back by Keifer’s Obsidian-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, his skin aching and stinging from the fire and rock that welted it.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1200 -> 500

“This is it,” Keifer with a devious smile. “Now, end this! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon, attack Twilight Alicorn! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

Yurik watched as the final blast from the center dragon escaped its mouth and went right into Twilight Alicorn, its whinny becoming unbearably loud and shrill. Yurik felt as the skin was torn from his skin from the strength of the blast, watching Twilight Alicorn disintegrate into nothing.

“STOO–”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“–OOP!” yelled Yurik as he shot out of a bed, shocking Walt from the edge that he sat on.

Yurik breathed heavily as he looked about the hotel room, only able to find Walt, Alice, and Kieran standing around him. Upon being unable to see Twilight or Rainbow Dash, he became far more frantic as his breathing became faster and more erratic.

“Twilight,” he quickly blubbered, “Rainbow Dash. Where are they?”

“They’re gone man,” Walt solemnly said. “Keifer beat you and the blast seemed to knock you out.”

“No…” Yurik disagreed, scrambling from the bed. “No, where are they? I need to see if they’re okay!”

“They were taken by Keifer, Yurik!” he bellowed, grabbing him by the lapels of his shirt. “He beat you and then he took them away.”

Immediately, the muscles in Yurik’s body went limp, forcing Walt to drop him with the unexpected weight he had. Yurik crumpled to his knees, looking down at the ground as tears dripped out of his eyes.

“No…” he wept, “no, no, this can’t be happening! This can’t be real!”

Yurik squeezed the bangs of his hair, the tug letting out even more tears as he remembered Keifer’s words to him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“You got cocky with that turn, Yurik Clayer,” Keifer said, “and now, it’s given me a chance that you could have prevented and saved your friends with.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I… failed them,” Yurik whined. “I could have beaten him and I didn’t.”

Walt and Alice watched as Yurik fell his torso to the floor and buried his face into the carpet.

“I’m…” he wailed. “I’m an idiot! I’m a goddamned moron!”

“Yurik,” cooed Walt, kneeling down to him, “you made a small mistake, if you can even call it that. Everybody makes–”

With an animalistic screech, Yurik placed his palms onto Walt’s chest and thrust him into the side of the bed, making Walt yelp in pain.

“Yurik!” shouted Alice, running to Walt’s side.

“Screw you, Walt!” shouted Yurik, standing up to tower over him. “That small mistake just made us lose my friends; your friends! Do you think they’d want to hear you trying to excuse their capture on some small mistake?”

“Hey!” yelled Walt, shooting up to his own feet. “I was trying to make you feel somewhat better!”

“Well, you’re doing a piss-poor job!”

“Yurik!” boomed Kieran. “Walt! That’s enough. We’re certainly not going to save them by bickering.”

“How are we supposed to save them at all?” asked Yurik. “Where the hell did that bastard even go? Walt?”

Walt tensed upon being put on the spot once again as the two others looked to him also, but clenched his fists in preparation of what was inevitably to come.

“When he took Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity” he said, “he flew away into the sky and disappeared. Where he went after that… I don’t know.”

Yurik looked at Walt incredulously as his face slowly became more vicious and bloodthirsty.

“You let him go, you son of a bitch!?” he screamed, managing to fit his hands around Walt’s neck.

Walt put his hands on Yurik’s forearms as he continued choking him, managing to have Kieran face the back of Yurik’s head. Reaching over, Kieran grabbed Yurik’s ponytail and gave a hard yank, the surprise and pain making him let Walt go as he was forced to the bed.

Yurik quickly turned to face Kieran with his deathly eyes, only for the surface of his fist to collide into his right cheek, sending him back and off the side of the bed, his upper back planting on the floor. Kieran walked around the bed to stand beside Walt and Alice as they looked at the seemingly pacified Yurik on the ground. Yurik let out a few sobs as he felt his now sore-cheek, but he was now physically spent, choosing to lie in his position.

“Listen,” Kieran said, “we still haven’t managed to get the dragon Spike yet. We must retrieve him before we can leave.”

“But…” moaned Yurik, “what about Twilight? Or Rainbow Dash?”

“Yurik,” responded Walt, “there’s nothing else we can do for them here. I guarantee you that he’ll try and come back when he looks for the others. When he does, we’ll kick his ass proper.”

Walt nervously chuckled, hoping to get a positive response from Yurik too, only for him to keep his sullen demeanor. Walt sighed at his failed attempt to cheer his friend up as he looked to Kieran for further commands.

“Well,” said Walt, “Yurik’s kind of a basket case right now, so he shouldn’t be going anywhere. However, if anyone should be going to get Spike, it’s me.”

“I’ll stay here and look after Yurik,” suggested Alice. “Kieran, you should go with Walt.”

“Both of you should stay.”

“What was that?” asked Kieran.

“It was just Yurik and I that went when we were trying to get both Spike and Rarity. After someone breaking into that person’s home, I think they might be suspicious of Kieran since they don’t know him. I think if I come and explain what happened, that guy will believe me since I helped show Twilight to him. He might be more willing to help.”

Kieran and Alice both looked to Walt with a respectful acceptance, the former giving him a nod.

“If you think you’re up to do this alone,” Kieran said, “we won’t stop you, but we cannot leave here without Spike. Otherwise, that dragon that attacked you and Yurik will only come back for him.”

“I understand,” Walt responded. “I’ll do my best.”

“It’s all we can ask for,” Kieran said, cautiously looking to Yurik, who still lied demoralized and defeated on the floor with his legs hanging over the bed. “Just be sure to actually bring your duel disk with you this time… just in case.”

“Right.”

Walt looked down to Yurik once again, noting his vacant and traumatized expression.

“Don’t worry,” he said quietly to him. “We’ll win soon enough.”

He then walked over to his backpack, his duel disk visibly inside it through the open zipper. Upon grabbing it, he made his way to the hotel door and briskly walked out.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Tessa and Spike, the former in a silk nightgown, sat on the edge of king-sized bed in a windowless bedroom, while Kate and Timothy lied down on both sides of it, trying to sleep. The two children looked tired, but frightened, their anxiety prying their eyelids open and making them whimper together

“Tessa,” urged Timothy, sitting up, “please, get some sleep. I promise nothing bad is going to happen to you tonight.”

“But what if that guy comes back?” asked Spike. “What makes you think he won’t just charge in and take me away… like he did with Rarity.”

Timothy and Tessa were both downtrodden as Spike’s tears welled up in his eyes and he hugged his legs to his chest. Timothy sighed as he sat against the headboard, settling himself down.

“Listen,” he said, “the door is locked and it is made of wood. It’s going to take more than a simple whack to break into here.”

Tessa and Spike smiled at his assuring words when a knock suddenly came from downstairs, startling Kate awake.

“Huh?” she moaned. “Who could that be at this time of night?”

“I’ll go check,” Timothy said, sliding out of his bed and walking to the bedroom door. “You wait here.”

“Father, don’t!” called Tessa, reaching for him.

“Let him go,” Spike said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back onto the bed. “If someone bad does come into our house, we’re at least safe in here.”

Tessa squeaked and grimaced uncertainly, keeping her eye on the door.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Downstairs in the foyer, Edmund opened the door for Timothy, allowing him to see Walt standing there on the other side with his backpack casually strapped onto one shoulder.

“Hey,” greeted Walt with a raised open hand. “Sorry if I woke you.”

“What are you doing here this late at night?” asked Timothy.

“Sir,” Edmund said to Walt. “Did you manage to catch that thief?”

“Thief?” he responded to his butler.

“Right!” Walt butted in, reaching his hand to Timothy. “I’m sorry, I never ever introduced myself. My name is Walt. I came here earlier today.”

As Timothy reluctantly shook his hand, Edmund motioned his arm towards Walt to have him inside.

“Please,” spoke Edmund, “do come in.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Walt replied, already well into the foyer.

“Edmund,” said Timothy, “who is this man and why is he at my house?”

“I can answer that,” Walt said. “My friend and I had actually come with one of Rarity and Spike’s friends so we could return them home. At that same time, that man broke in and took Rarity away, and we chased him.”

“And did you catch him?” asked Edmund. “Have you saved Rarity?”

Walt looked seriously and deadly into Edmund’s eyes.

“No, we didn’t,” he responded, earning Edmund’s fearful expression. “What’s more, he took the alicorn, Twilight, and another one we had brought too.”

“I’m sorry,” yelled Timothy, “Edmund, who is this man, and how does he know about Rarity and Spike?”

“All I know is that he and his friend had one of the ponies with him while you were out, sir,” he responded. “After that, they rushed out to save Rarity.”

“And how did you find this one?” he asked, turning to Walt. “For that matter, how did you bring her here? To Austria, I mean?”

“I live in the same town where the magenta beam hit, and my friend and I were lucky to rescue here. We were also lucky to have a friend who’s actually extremely wealthy. He took us to where the others were and we rescued all the others.”

“Edmund, is this true?”

“Like I said, sir, I only knew them long enough to see them with the winged unicorn, but the fact that she was with them, and I remember her being quite cordial means that he’s telling the truth.”

“Please sir,” Walt said to Timothy, “I’m sorry for losing Rarity. I cannot say how close you were to her and Spike, but we need to bring the dragon home with us.”

“And what makes you think we can’t protect Spike ourselves?” Timothy asked.

“Simple. The thief broke into your house and successfully stole Rarity away. He knows where you live, and he’ll try again for Spike. We conversed with the thief and we were able to not disclose where the other ponies are. He won’t know where to find us, but they know where to find you.”

Timothy stared into Walt’s eyes, the latter’s not yielding to the former’s pressure.

“And what’s with the back-pack?” wondered Timothy.

“I walked here,” Walt answered. “The thief used the rooftops to escape. He wouldn’t be dumb enough to attack me on a public street. The bags is to carry him in so I can conceal him on my way back to the hotel I’m staying at.”

Timothy gave an extremely subtle nod, accepting his story despite the audaciousness of it.

“Come upstairs,” he said. “The dragon is up in our bedroom. Are you good with children?”

“I have an 8-year old sister at home,” he responded.

“Good. Then you shouldn’t be in trouble around my daughter. Come.”

Timothy walked up the winding stairs to the upper floor, Walt letting out a shaky sigh as he successfully made his way to Spike.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Timothy opened the door, allowing Walt and Edmund inside. Tessa and Kate, now dressed in concealing robes, looked slightly wary at the stranger in their room. Spike studied Walt, finding him familiar.

“Honey,” Timothy said to Kate before turning to Tessa, “Tessa, this is Walt. He’s actually a friend of one of your pony friends, Spike.”

“I…” he said, his eyes squinting as he concentrated before…
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Spike peered through the keyhole of the door to Tessa’s closet, watching as the side of the door exploded and swung in, watching with wide eyed terror as Walt lowered his leg down, Twilight and Yurik beside him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ah!” Spike screamed as he backed away on the bed, hiding behind Tessa. “That’s him!” he’s the one that broke her door in!”

“What?” shouted Timothy. “You destroyed my daughter’s bedroom door?”

“I had to,” Walt said. “The door was locked and Twilight’s friend was being taken away. We had to catch up with him.”

“He probably was working with that guy to take Rarity!” Spike continued to shout, pointing at Walt with a trembling finger.

“We were trying to take her from him,” he reasoned with the dragon. “We managed to save Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie too. Without me, your friends would be taken by him too.”

“He’s lying!” shouted Spike. “He was probably using Twilight as a prisoner to track us down!”

“Kid, you’re really overeacti–”

“Get out of here!” ordered Tessa, turning around and hugging Spike tight. “I trust Spike more than I trust you.”

Walt gasped as he looked to Kate and then Edmund and Timothy, who each shared a betrayed and furious look on their face.

“Listen, mister,” exclaimed Walt, “that dragon’s a child and he was probably flustered. He might not have been thinking straight.”

“I want you out of my house,” growled Timothy, stepping up towards Walt’s face.

“I’m not leaving without Spike.”

“Either of your own choice or in a squad car, yes you are.”

“Go ahead,” hissed Walt. “Call the police. I’ll be sure to stay here so that they eventually find Spike and take him away with me!”

Tessa gasped as her and Spike’s grips on each other were tight and fearful.

“You’re going nowhere near them,” Kate promised as walked towards him, her fist flexing.

Walt with an angry, pouted face, quickly turned to the bedroom door and walked to it.

“What are you doing?” asked Kate.

Walt turned the lock to their door and spun to face them, his back over the doorknob, he looked into the mad faces of Timothy and Kate and the scared faces of Edmund, Tessa, and Spike.

“There,” huffed Walt. “Now we’re not going anywhere.”

Timothy stared at Walt, noticing an equally fierce reserve in his eyes.

“I won’t take the dragon by force,” Walt declared, “but I won’t let you take me out that way.”

“What would it take for you to leave our home?” asked Timothy.

“A chance,” Walt promptly answered. “A chance to prove to you and the dragon that I’m not a bad guy.”

“What do you mean?” asked Kate.

“Do either of you know how to duel?”

“What?”

“A duel. I want you to see that I’m no thief; just a man trying to help his friends.”

Timothy and Kate continued to look oddly at each other while Tessa looked to Walt with a sudden sense of determination.

“I’ll do it,” Tessa said, sliding off the bed. “I’ll test you.”

“Tessa,” argued Timothy, the two of them gazing at each other, “you said it yourself. You don’t trust this man.”

“All the more reason I want to duel him. I’m certain his true intentions will show through once I do.”

“Tess,” called Spike as he ran to her side, “please be careful. I don’t want you getting hurt by him.”

“I won’t be hurting anyone,” Walt promised. “I just want to show what I’m really made of.”

“Is that a threat?” Tessa provokingly asked.

“Far from it. I’m just saying I’m not what you think I am.”

“Then it’s settled. Edmund, please see Walt to the atrium.”

“Yes, madam,” the butler said with a bow, making his way to the door.

As the door opened, both Tessa and Walt made their ways out, Edmund leading Walt to the right while Tessa went to the left.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt stood at the back of the courtyard to Tessa’s home while Timothy, Kate, Spike, and Edmund stood along the sidelines, awaiting their daughter’s arrival. The area was grassy with potted tropical trees and plants surrounding the room. Above was a glass dome that protected the flora within from the outside conditions.

Walt stood still in his spot as he eyed the double-doors to the inside of the house. His duel disk was upon his wrist, his blade disk inside of his right hand. Spike moaned as he twiddled his fingers nervously, looking at Walt and his serious attitude.

“Do you think Tess will win?” Spike asked.

“Of course I don’t,” Kate responded confidently, making Spike mewl lightly with confusion. “I know she will.”

Finally, the doors opened up, and Walt and the others looked to see Tessa walking confidently out. Walt gasped upon seeing her, noting her large white blouse, tight black pants, a red feathered tied to her hair, and a brown leather corset that matched her knee-high boots. Upon her wrist was a gold-colored duel disk with a matching blade disk in her right hand. 

“No,” whispered Walt. “I know you! You’re Tessa Redgrave!”

“Sorry,” Tessa responded. “Did you not recognize me in my costume?”

“You’re a prodigy! A rising star of European action duelists!”

“I thought you wanted to duel me, not flatter me.”

Walt hissed at the girl’s smart remark.

“You’re in big trouble now!” shouted Spike at Walt joyously.

“I’ll say,” Walt said to himself, observing Tessa. “When I was going to duel, I had no idea I’d be dueling a pro.”

“It’s what you asked for, Walt,” Tessa said. “Now quit stalling so my family and I can return to bed!”

Walt suddenly found it in himself to smirk.

“Well,” he said with a shrug, “I always like a new experience now and again!”

Walt threw his blade disk out along with Tessa. Spike watched excitedly as the two disks circled their opponents and returned to their owners’ duel disks. Upon staying along their machines’ sides, two blades of light shot out from both sides of the disk and formed into solid shapes with outlined zones. Both duelists’ decks shuffled inside their slots.

“Connection complete,” a computerized voice said. “Tessa Redgrave vs. Walt Faber. Draw.”

The two of them drew five cards and looked into each other’s eyes. While Timothy and Edmund observed indifferently upon the duel, Kate and Spike smiled confidently as they looked at her daughter.

“Come on, Walt,” goaded Tessa. “I’m going to blow you out of the water.”

“The Pirate Princess says her catchphrase,” mused Walt aloud. “Now this fight of ours can begin!”

“DUEL!” the two shouted.

================
Tessa:
LP: 4000

Walt:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll take the first turn!” Tessa shouted, springing into action and grabbing a card from her hand. “I summon Corpsair Flintlock!”

Once Tessa placed her monster onto her zone, a blue porta opened on the ground before her. Coming out of it was a decayed blue-skinned zombie with a scraggly black beard and a full pirate’s outfit, complete with a hat and and remarkably clean pistol.

Corpsair Flintlock
ATK: 1600
Lvl.: 3

“When Corpsair Flintlock is normal summoned,” explained Tessa, “you take 500 points of damage.”

“Already?” Walt exclaimed.

The pirate zombie aimed its gun at Walt’s chest and pulled the hammer back. Once its arm was steady, the monster pulled the trigger, shooting a metal pellet that went into Walt’s chest, bringing him to his knee due to the pain.

Walt’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3500

“You can’t attack on the first turn,” groaned Walt, “but you can still inflict effect damage. Very impressive.”

“You clearly don’t know me if you thought that was impressive,” sneered Tessa as she grabbed two cards from her hand before placing them face down into her duel disk and making them appear on the field. “I place two cards face down and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

“That’s fine,” Walt said. “I might not be a professional duelist like you, Tessa, but hell if I’m not going to fight like one! My turn! Draw!”

Walt looked at his drawn card with pleasant shock, winding his arm back as he prepared to play it.

“I activate the spell card Tungsten AA Force!” Walt shouted as he put his card into the proper zone, the card appearing on the field with art showing Tungsten Wolfram and Tungsten Voltarantula. “This card allows me to summon two level 3 or lower Tungsten monsters with the same level from my hand while I control no monsters.”

Walt plucked two cards from his hand and swiped them onto the zones of his duel disk.

“I special summon my level 3 Tungsten Wolfram and Tungsten Amp Ape!”

Two blue portals opened at the same time on the ground, and from them, Walt’s yellow goat-and-wolf hybrid as well as a black chimpanzee with a tall spiked mohawk on its fur emerged.

Tungsten Wolfram
ATK: 500
Lvl.: 3

Tungsten Amp Ape
ATK: 800
Lvl.: 3

“Next,” Walt said. “I normal summon the tuner monster Tungsten Jouleyfish!”

Walt placed his card beside his Tungsten Wolfram, and appearing from the portal beside the monster was the man o’ war with the axe-shaped bladder and the wiry tentacles.

Tungsten Jouleyfish
ATK: 700
Lvl.: 2

“Two level 3 monsters and a level 2 tuner,” spoke Tessa calculatingly. “Is he really…”

“I tune my level three Tungsten Wolfram and Tungsten Amp Ape with my level two Tungsten Jouleyfish!” shouted Walt.

Tungsten Jouleyfish leapt into the air and spun around, its body glowing until the monster looked like a knob on a disk. The light then transformed into two stars that spread out into two rings which Tungsten Wolfram and Tungsten Amp Ape leapt up through. As they both flew inside, one above the other, their bodies were transformed into orange outlines each with three bright stars inside of them.

“The lustrous light of my soul,” Walt chanted, “cast all shadows away with your radiance!”

A bright beam shot through the center of the stars inside the rings, the monster’s outlines fading away. The beam then expanded out and enveloped itself over the two rings.

“Synchro summon!” he cried out.

Emerging from the light pillar was Walt’s sleek, yellow dragon.

“My beacon of victory!” finished Walt. “Tungsten Dragon!”

The dragon landed in front of Walt and roared at Tessa, frightening Spike as he clung himself to Kate’s leg.

Tungsten Dragon
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 8

“A 2700 ATK monster on your first turn?” asked Tessa. “Your deck is strong. Too strong for a novice such as yourself!”

“I like my deck because I love film,” defended Walt.

“Film? A film-lover using an electricity-themed deck?”

“Yes. I’m actually going off to school so I can become a director or a cinematographer. My trade is playing and manipulating light and working a camera, so I wanted a deck to reflect that passion… pardon the pun.”

Tessa looked up once more at Walt’s dragon, suddenly smirking in its presence.

“I see,” she said. “Quite a story you made there. Either way, it’s a pleasant surprise. I’d like to see what my Corpsairs can muster against your monster.”

“My sentiments exactly,” huffed Walt. “Battle! Tungsten Dragon, attack Corpsair Flintlock! Incandescent Inferno!”

Tungsten Dragon breathed heavily in as the pirate wight stared blankly on. A beam of hot white light shot out from the dragon’s mouth and incinerated the creature. The dust blown from the blast as well as the fragments of her monster blowing into her made Tessa groan in discomfort.

Tessa’s Life Points: 4000 -> 2900

“Oh no!” shouted Spike. “Tess!”

Kate and Timothy too gasped at Walt’s monster’s strength before they saw their daughter manage to get up.

“Now you’ve done it,” moaned Tessa. “I activate my continuous trap, Davy Jones’s Mercy.”

A card flipped up revealing another zombie pirate, this one looking much larger and carrying a short, but bulky rifle, swimming from the depths of a dark trench.

“Now whenever a Corpsair monster I control is destroyed,” she explained, “I can special summon that monster once per turn. Now, return! Corpsair Flintlock!”

A smoky purple portal opened over the art of the card, and from it, the previously destroyed monster crawled out from it and stood back into its position.

Corpsair Flintlock
ATK: 1600
Lvl.: 3

“Next,” said Tessa, holding her arm out over her other set card, “I activate the continuous trap Treacherous Treasure!”

Another purple card flipped open, showing a wooden chest filled with gold and jewels being reached at by a group of dismembered hands and arms.

“Whenever a Corpsair monster is destroyed,” Tessa continued, “I place one Doubloon Counter on it.”

From seemingly nowhere, a coin fell in front of the card and landed on the ground before it.

Doubloon Counter: 0 -> 1

Edmund, Timothy, and Kate sighed quietly in relief at Tessa’s counter while Spike smiled wide.

“Way to go, Tess!” he shouted. “Nice moves!”

Those Doubloon Counters are going to be trouble, planned Walt. Counters usually are.

“A good action duelist should have a deck that they can rely on without action cards,” said Tessa. “My deck is such a one. For the most part, I have countered your strategy and have put one of my own into place. Now, Walt, end your turn so I can take mine!”

“Very well,” grumbled Walt, reaching for a card in his hand.

With a gentle insertion, he slipped the card into his spell and trap slot, the enlarged backing appearing behind his dragon.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 3500    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

“Finally,” sighed Tessa with a smile, “let’s really get this deck into action! My turn! Draw!”

Looking at her card, she added it to her hand pointed to her Treacherous Treasure card with her hand.

“The effect of Treacherous Treasure activates,” she said. “During my standby phase, I roll a six-sided die.”

Gold sparks formed in the air, much to Walt and Spike’s amazement, watching as they collected before Tessa and formed into a small white die.

“Then,” she explained, grabbing the die and tossing it in the air, “if the number I rolled is equal in value to the number of Doubloon Counters on it, then I destroy that card and draw one card for every Doubloon Counter that was on it.”

The die came back down, but it grew to around a two feet wide. Upon striking the ground, a puff of dust covered the die up. Tessa looked down once the dirt began to settle, revealing that the die had rolled itself as a four.

“Then I guess nothing happens,” Tessa spoke.

She then grabbed a spell card from her hand and revealed it to Walt.

“I activate the quick-play spell Plank Punishment!” she declared.

Placing the card into her spell/trap zone, the spell card was shown as a large mass of pirate zombies at night jeering and cheering on the side of a massive black ship as a skinny, bald zombie fell towards the sea from a board along the side of the boat.

“This card allows me to destroy a Corpsair monster I control and special summon another level 4 or lower Corpsair monster from my hand in its place,” she explained.

A purple portal opened up before Tessa’s monster, and as if in a trance, it stepped in and fell into the abyss.

“Thanks to my spell,” she said, grabbing the second card in her hand, “I can special summon Corpsair Beelzebuss from my hand.”

She placed the monster onto her monster zone, and hopping out from the subsequent blue portal was the monster on the Davy Jones’s Mercy card, revealing it to be wearing only a pair of pants and a pair of boots while carrying its short rifle.

Corpsair Beelzebuss
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 4

“Next,” said Tessa, “with Davy Jones’s Mercy’s effect, Corpsair Flintlock returns from the grave!”

The purple portal appeared on Tessa’s trap card as the pirate crawled out from it and took its place next to Corpsair Beelzebuss.

Corpsair Flintlock
ATK: 1600
Lvl.: 3

“Then,” added Tessa, “Treacherous Treasure gains another Doubloon Counter.”

Another gold coin fell down and landed atop the first, making both of them bounce, but somehow staying atop one another.

Doubloon Counter: 1 -> 2

“Wow,” Spike gasped.

“She’s really something, isn’t she?” Kate teasingly asked.

“Yeah. She’s absolutely amazing.”

Tessa, hearing Spike’s encouraging words, smiled proudly. Walt however was stern and cautiously looking at her.

She hasn’t normal summoned yet, he thought. My guess is that’s its coming very shortly, if not…

Tessa grabbed the last card in her hand and pointed to both of her monsters, her card’s backing still facing away from Walt.

“I now tribute my Corpsair Flintlock and Corpsair Beelzebuss!” she yelled.

…now, concluded Walt.

In one motion of her hand, Tessa removed both cards from her zones and replaced them with her new monster, making them both disappear in a twister of blue orbs while a large blue portal opened up before her.

“Captain of the dreaded ghost ship,” chanted Tessa, “plunder your enemies and let them remember you as the Terror of the Seven Seas!”

Walt watched fearfully as a massive zombified pirate captain with an impressive leather coat and adorned with jewels and gold tied in his hair rise up from the portal.

“Awaken,” called Tessa. “Captain Corpsair – Crowley!”

The zombie raised put its arm to its side and drew its gleaming cutlass, aiming it at Walt’s dragon.

Captain Corpsair – Crowley
ATK: 2400
Lvl.: 7

Spike looked up at Tess’s monster, smiling as if in a trance.

“That monster doesn’t have quite enough attack to defeat Tungsten Dragon,” Walt said, “but I’m sure there’s going to be some kind of effect, right?”

“Right you are,” Tessa responded. “With Captain Corsair’s effect, it gains 300 ATK for each Doubloon Counter on the field.”

“Thought so…”

The two coins on the floor of the field in front of Tessa’s trap card shot out towards Captain Corsair’s open left hand. With a guttural laugh, the zombie caught the coins and tossed them both in front of his face over and over.

ATK: 2400 -> 3000

“Now he is stronger than my monster,” Walt hissed.

“He’s not done yet,” spoke Tessa. “When Corpsair Beelzebuss is tributed for the tribute summon of a monster, that monster gains 500 ATK.”

“Another 500 ATK?”

Sparks faded into the air and flew in towards Captain Corpsair’s hand as it put the two coins in the pocket of its jacket. The blunderbuss of the tributed monster was formed from the sparks, and was grabbed by Corpsair Captain the second it became solid and tangible.

ATK: 3000 -> 3500

“3500 ATK,” gasped Walt. “Dear Lord…”

“Battle!” Tessa finally shouted. “Captain Corpsair, attack Tungsten Dragon! Cannibal Cutlass!”

The zombie leapt forwards at Walt’s dragon, its sword held over its head and ready to slash down. The dragon stood still and bravely as it awaited the attack. With a hard slash, the dragon winced as the blade ran over its skin. Sparks flew down from where the blade and the neck made contact, raining down on Walt as he groaned painfully from the onslaught he felt.

Walt’s Life Points: 3500 -> 2700

Spike looked at Walt’s dragon, confused to still see standing strong and steadily there.

“Huh?” he exclaimed. “I don’t get it! Tess’s monster was far stronger than Walt’s. Why was it not destroyed?”

“Because,” Walt answered, looking as calmly as he could at the purple dragon, “once per turn, Tungsten Dragon cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.”

“No fair!”

“Calm down, Spike,” spoke Tessa. “Indeed his monster is strong, but mine is still stronger. And now that I know its effect, I’ll be certain to destroy it next turn.”

“I certainly won’t let you,” Walt said. “I have far too much riding on this duel to just up and pussyfoot it the rest of the way.”

“How do you think that? That dragon is scared to death of you, and you still haven’t convinced me that you’re here for his benefit.”

“I would have brought my other friend who was here with me to help vouch for me, but he’s currently at our hotel, still trying to cope with the loss of his friends.”

“Friends? You mean that winged unicorn that you brought with you?”

“Yes. Whether you, your family, or Spike wants to believe me or not is your choice, but the truth is that he and Twilight were very close, and he’s both miserable and frightened by her loss.”

Tessa stared into Walt’s eyes, looking for any sign of untruth. She then glanced back at Spike’s eyes, which still sported mistrust and concern.

“That’s a fantastic poker face you have, Walt,” she finally said, “but it will take more than you saying what the truth is for the real truth to come out. I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2900    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

Walt grit his teeth, still angered by Tessa’s cold and unyielding stare.

“Fine,” Walt growled. “And to think I’d enjoy dueling a professional. My turn! Draw!”

Walt immediately added the card to his hand and picked another from it.

“I summon Tungsten Steel Eel!” he said, throwing the monster onto his monster zone.

A blue portal opened up beside his dragon, allowing his blue eel with a glowing underbelly to slither out from it and take its place.

Tungsten Steel Eel
ATK: 1400
Lvl.: 3

“I now activate the effect of Tungsten Dragon,” declared Walt, “allowing me to equip a level 3 or lower Tungsten monster that I control to it and have it gain ATK equal that monster’s ATK.”

“What did you say?” shouted Tessa.

“I equip my Tungsten Dragon with Tungsten Steel Eel!”

The serpentine fish straightened itself out before it curled and began to ingest its tail, forming a ring shape. The eel then spun out at Tungsten Dragan and flew onto its wrist, swallowing more of itself to tighten it grip and fill the dragon with energy. A yellow aura began to cover Tungsten Dragon.

ATK: 2700 -> 4100

“Unbelievable,” Tessa quivered. “It outshined my monster in an instant…”

“Battle!” shouted Walt, pointing at Tessa’s monster. “Tungsten Dragon, attack Captain Corpsair! Incandescent Inferno!”

Tungsten Dragon shot its bright beam at the zombie pirate, blue lights swirling inside of it. The beams vaporized Tessa’s monster as the beam continued at her, striking her and trying to push her body away.

Tessa’s Life Points: 2900 -> 2300

The girl was then swept away screaming, landing back on the ground and tumbling to the door. The attack finally finished as Tessa slid to a stop with her head just inches away from the doors to the atrium.

“Tess!” cried Spike, running to her side.

Before Spike could reach her, she tucked her knees in and rolled onto her back with her hands on both sides of her head. With a thrust forward in her legs and a push from her hands, her body flipped forwards, her feet landing the ground and her legs crouching again to keep her balance. Walt stared with visual impression as she stood to her feet to face him once again.

“Spike,” Kate said, “you give my daughter far too little credit on how strong she is.”

“Yeah,” he sighed in captivation.

Tessa, looked to her right at her glowing Davy Jones’s Mercy card, knowing what she needed to do from there.

“The effect of Davy Jones’s Mercy activates,” said Tessa, “special summoning my destroyed monster back onto the field. Be revived, Captain Corpsair!”

The purple portal on the card reappeared, and with a little bit of struggle, Captain Corpsair pulled himself through the hole and stood back onto the field, good as new as he could look.

Captain Corpsair – Crowley
ATK: 2400
Lvl.: 7

“And now that it’s been special summoned back,” reminded Walt with a grin, “your monster doesn’t gain ATK from your Corpsair Beelzebuss anymore.”

“True,” Tessa replied, “but my Treacherous Treasure gains another Doubloon Counter for the monster you destroyed, which gives it another 300 ATK.”

Walt growled as he watched the zombie captain reach into its pocket and pulled out a collection of jingling objects. As it tossed them up, it was revealed to be three gold coins.

Doubloon Counters: 2 -> 3

ATK: 2400 -> 3300

“My monster is still far stronger,” said Walt, “and it’s certainly got much more fight in him now.”

Walt grabbed the last card from his hand and placed it face down into his spell and trap slot, the backing phasing itself in beside Walt’s other set card.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he concluded.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2700    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 3

Tessa hissed, her situation compromised seemingly beyond salvation. She looked at her Treacherous Treasure card, nervously thinking about it.

I’ll probably need to get the right roll this turn, Tessa thought. Otherwise, my Captain Corpsair is only going to continue being food for his dragon.

She then glanced her eyes over to Spike who smiled expectantly at her.

But that dragon there is counting on me, she mused. I have to win this duel for his sake. Not to mention, my family’s watching me be beaten by an American novice. I certainly can’t let this person beat me.

“Let’s go!” she shouted. “My turn! Draw!”

She added the card to her left hand and motioned her arm towards her trap card.

“During my standby phase,” Tessa explained, “Treacherous Treasure’s effect activates. I can toss a die and draw cards equal to the number of Doubloon Counters on it if my roll is equal to that number!”

Another die formed in her hand, allowing her to grab it and toss it back up. The die enlarged and fell back down the ground with a loud thud. Once the dust cleared, much to Tessa and Spike’s glee, the die was face-up with three dots in a diagonal slant.

“Yes!” Tessa shouted, making Walt cringe with what was to come. “I rolled a 3! And with my card’s Doubloon Counters at 3, that means I can destroy Treacherous Treasure and draw three cards!”

Captain Corpsair tossed his three cards towards the ground just as the Treacherous Treasure card glowed brightly, the light forming into the shape of a wooden chest. The light faded to show the treasure inside, filled with gold and jewels. Once the three coins landed inside, the chest glowed brightly once again and flew towards Tessa’s deck as a shrinking strip of light.

Upon striking the deck, the top three cards began to glow lightly. Tessa put her fingers atop her deck with her thumb on the bottom of the glowing cards and with a single, strong whip and a forceful grunt, three cards were in her hand.

“And now that your card is destroyed,” reminded Walt, “your monster’s ATK returns to normal.”

An ATK appeared next to Tessa’s monster to prove his point

ATK: 3300 -> 2400

“Oh no!” Spike breathed, his hands gripping the green flaps of skin on his ears. “Now what is she going to do?”

“I’ll show you,” Tessa answered, keeping her gaze right at Walt.

She then grabbed her normally drawn card and revealed it to Walt: a spell card showing a pirate shooting a pistol out of another pirate’s hand.

“I activate the spell card Desparate Disarm,” she said. “When this card is activated while I control a Corpsair monster, I can target one spell card equipped to an opponent’s monster and destroy it, and I choose your Tungsten Steel Eel!”

Captain Corpsair quickly drew a pistol from the side of his waist and fired it, the ball shot from it making its mark on the band on Tungsten Dragon’s wrist and bursting it into sparks as Tungsten Dragon recoiled from the hit.

ATK: 4100 -> 2700

“Now that that’s over,” Tessa said, grabbing another card, “since I control a Captain Corpsair – Crowley, I activate the continuous spell card Corpsair Ghost Ship – Wightah!”

Slamming the card into her zone, a card appeared face-up on the field showing a black full-rigged ship made of rotted wood and bones. The ground began to rumble as the ship on the art rose up from the ground, facing the side walls. Timothy, Kate, and Edmund smiled up at the ship while Spike beamed at its macabre majesty. Walt, however, looked frightened and in awe as it finally stopped, its size just barely able to fit inside the atrium.

“When this card is activated,” said Tessa, “I can special summon any number of Corpsair monsters from my graveyard.”

“No way!” Walt shouted.

Two chains lowered down from the sides of the back and front masts and sunk into blue portals the formed into the ground.

“Return!” beckoned Tessa. “Corpsair Flintlock and Corpsair Beelzebuss!”

As the chains rose back up, both of Tessa’s monsters came up with them, their grips tight on the links as they flipped themselves back up to the top of the masts and stood proudly on them.

Corpsair Beelzebuss
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 4

Corpsair Flintlock
ATK: 1600
Lvl.: 3

“Also,” Tessa said, “with Wightah’s effect, all Corpsair monsters gain 1000 ATK.”

“1000?” shouted Walt.

A chain came down from the center mast and dangled before Captain Corpsair. Grabbing it, the pirate zombie was sent up to the deck of his ship standing at the starboard with the two other monsters facing Walt’s dragon.

Corpsair Beelzebuss
ATK: 1800 -> 2800

Corpsair Flintlock
ATK: 1600 -> 2600

Captain Corpsair – Crowley
ATK: 2400 -> 3400

“Not good!” Walt exclaimed. “He has two monsters that are stronger than Tungsten Dragon. If they both attack him, it’ll be destroyed!”

“Battle!” ordered Tessa. “Captain Corpsair! Attack Tungsten Dragon!”

Captain Corpsair drew its sword and pointed its curved tip at Walt’s dragon. At that moment, three small doors opened on the side of the ship, three cannons poking their way out from them and aiming at Tungsten Dragon

ATK: 3400 -> 4000

“Impossible!” Walt shouted. “How did your Captain Corpsair’s ATK increase?”

“I almost forgot to mention,” Tessa chuckled, “While Corpsair Ghost Ship – Wightah is active, when a Captain Corpsair – Crowley I control attacks, it gains an extra 600 ATK during the damage step.”

“Come on…”

“Feel the fury of our fleet, Walt Faber! Fiend… FYRE!!”

One at a time, the cannon’s fired their rounds at Tungsten dragon in three deafening blasts, the cannonballs carved in the shape of skulls. The three shots barraged Walt’s dragon as a fiery discharge blew off it and onto Walt. Both he and his dragon cried out at the massive hit they each took.

Walt’s Life Points: 2700 -> 1400

“Tungsten Dragon cannot be destroyed once per turn,” groaned Walt through the smog and dust that came.

“That’s fine,” said Tessa, “because I still have one stronger monster left to attack. Now, Corpsair Beelzebuss, destroy Tungsten Dragon this time! Grave Grapeshot!”

Tessa’s shirtless pirate zombie knelt down on its mast and grabbed a chain. Falling back, the monster swing back and out towards Tungsten Dragon, which clearly looked battered and weakened. As it reached the arc of its swing, the pirate aimed its blunderbuss out and fired, shooting a hail of small metal shards from it. 

The shrapnel pierced into Tungsten Dragon, making it explode with a mighty, final roar. The remaining rounds struck Walt, making him whine in both the pain from the attack and the loss of his beloved monster.

Walt’s Life Points: 1400 -> 1300

“This is awesome!” cheered Spike, hopping up and down giddily. “He doesn’t have any more monsters! If Tess attacks again, she wins!”

“Go!” commanded Tessa. “Corpsair Flintlock, attack Walt directly! Necro Pistol!”

The monster pointed its weapon at Walt’s heart and steadied it on the top of his forearm, making the gun still and steady. With a pull of the trigger, a metal ball soared out and straight at its target. Walt tensed his arms in preparation for what was to come.

“I activate my trap, Tungsten Aegis!” Walt proclaimed.

“What did you say?” Tessa yelled.

A trap card flipped up, showing a blue shield with Tungsten Voltarantula carved atop it.

“When a monster declares a direct attack,” Walt explained, “I can banish one level 3 or lower Tungsten monster in my graveyard and reduce the battle damage equal to that monster’s ATK. I’ll choose my Tungsten Steel Eel, reducing the damage to 1200!”

A purple portal opened with Walt’s monster immediately shooting out from it and making a ring shape while ingesting its tail. A blue sparking aural disk formed within the monster just as the bullet passed through, shattering it, but slowing it down to the point that the bullet ricocheted off Walt’s chest painfully.

Walt’s Life Points: 1300 -> 100

“No way…” gasped Spike. “He survived. There’s no way.”

Tessa growled as she glanced at one of her two cards in her hand: a level one Corpsair monster with 300 ATK.

Damn, she thought. And I could have won this too. I didn’t expect him to be so crafty all of a sudden.

“Come on, Tess!” called Spike. “You can still do something, right?”

Tessa sighed in slight defeat as she grabbed one card from her hand and slipped it into her duel disk’s spell and trap slot, the card’s backing appearing beside Davy Jones’s Mercy.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” she said.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 2300    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 3

I have one last shot, Walt mused. I’ll have to draw a level 3 monster with at least 1300 ATK to weather out Captain Corpsair’s next attack. Or…

“My turn,” Walt growled. “Draw!”

He looked to his card, a level 4 monster, but apparently the right monster, as told by Walt’s eyes shooting open.

It’s here! he thought.

“I activate my trap, Tungsten Golden Shimmer,” he shouted, pointing his hand at his flipping trap card showing Tungsten Dragon emerging from a bright light. “When I activate this card during my standby phase, I can special summon one Tungsten Dragon from my graveyard!”

“What was that?” shouted Tessa.

“Return! Tungsten Dragon!”

The trap card began to glow, and with an explosion of light, Tungsten Dragon reformed from the blast and stood back before Tessa and her monsters.

Tungsten Dragon
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 8

“Next,” Walt exclaimed, “I normal summon Tungsten Surge Sage!”

Slamming the monster upon his zone, a blue portal opened up, a blue-robed sorcerer with a bright-yellow mask of metal and a scepter with a sparking gem atop it rising from the portal and beside Tungsten Dragon.

Tungsten Surge Sage
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 4

“When Tungsten Surge Sage is successfully normal summoned,” Walt explained, “I can target a level-three or lower Tungsten monster in my graveyard and special summon it.”

“Ugh,” Tessa rasped. “Does he plan on trying to strengthen his monster?”

“And the monster I choose is Tungsten Jouleyfish!”

“Huh? His tuner monster?”

The spellcaster held its now brightly-glowing staff up, an orb of blue lightning floating from it and enlarging as it flew up beside Tungsten Surge Sage. With a pop, Walt’s jellyfish monster was restored and back on the field.

Tungsten Jouleyfish
ATK: 700
Lvl.: 2

“Now,” declared Walt, “I tune my level 4 Tungsten Surge Sage with my level 2 Tungsten Jouleyfish!”

The man o’ war leapt into the air and spun quickly into a disk shape before it burst off into two stars that spread out into two green rings. Tungsten Surge Sage leapt up high as the rings descended down towards him.

“Feel the electric wrath,” chanted Walt. “With lightning claws and thunder fangs, the beast will appear and devour!”

The sorcerer went inside the rings, rendering down to simply its orange outline and four bright stars in a line. Once the outline faded, a line of light shot through the stars and expanded beyond the edge of the rings.

“Synchro summon!” he shouted.

The pillar of light was torn away as a large white wolf with streaks of swirling yellow in its coat leapt down from it.

“Appear!” called Walt. “Tungsten Luminairewolf!”

The wolf landed right beside Walt’s dragon and stared at Tessa and her legion of monsters.

Tungsten Luminairewolf
ATK: 2300
Lvl.: 6

“What was the point of that?” asked Tessa. “both of your monsters are still weaker than mine, and even if your dragon manages to destroy Flintlock, I’ll just bring it back with Davy Jones’s Mercy!”

“That won’t be necessary,” Walt responded. “I activate Tungsten Luminairewolf’s effect, allowing me to reduce its level by 3!”

The large canine tensed its muscles and growled as the yellow stripes lit up.

Lvl.: 6 -> 3

“Unbelievable!” yelled Tessa. “If it’s level 3, than that means…”

“I now activate Tungsten Dragon’s effect to equip a level 3 or lower Tungsten monster to it and gain its ATK, choosing my Tungsten Luminairewolf!”

Tessa gasped as she watched Walt’s wolf leap up onto Tungsten Dragon’s back. Its whole body suddenly went ablaze with light and stretched upon the dragon’s back and the top of its head. Once the light faded, Tungsten Dragon was now left with a white mane that traveled from its head to the base of its tail.

ATK: 2700 -> 5000

“5000 ATK…” Tessa shuddered.

“Oh no...” whined Spike.

“Also,” said Walt, “I just decided to read up on that spell card you have there. When your Captain Corpsair is destroyed, that card, along with any Corpsair monsters you control, are destroyed, and you take damage equal to half their combined attack.”

Tessa hissed in seething rage.

“Now, battle!” demanded Walt. “Tungsten Dragon, attack Corpsair Captain! Incandescent Inferno!”

With a hard inhale in, Tungsten Dragon breathed out its powerful breath at Tessa’s steadfast monster.

“Now you’ve done it!” Tessa cried out. “I activate my trap, Depth Pulldown!”

Tessa’s trap card flipped open to show a pirate chained to a cannonball and writhing in his failed attempts to swim back up as it dragged him into the ocean depths.

“While I control at least two Corpsair monsters,” said Tessa, “I can target an opponent’s attacking monster and banish it.”

“Alright, Tess!” cheered Spike.

“Your monster can’t be destroyed, but it can still be banished!”

“I activate Tungsten Dragon’s effect through Tungsten Luminairewolf!” yelled Walt.

“What?”

“While Tungsten Luminairewolf is equipped to Tungsten Dragon, it gains the effect to negate the activation of and destroy a trap card while it attacks!”

The beam escaping from Tungsten Dragon’s mouth redirected itself at Tessa’s trap card, destroying it in a blast of smoke and dirt.

“No!” Tessa screamed as she shielded herself from the explosion’s debris. “You can’t!”

“I am!” he yelled back. “Tungsten Dragon, continue your attack!”

With another blast of energy from its mouth, Tungsten Dragon annihilated its intended target and blew a sizable hole into the side of the ship, the hot winds carrying debris blowing onto Tessa and making her groan with sheer discomfort.

Tessa’s Life Points: 2300 -> 700

“Finally,” added Walt, “you take damage equal to half the ATK of your remaining monsters, which is 1700!”

Tessa stood in sheer disbelief as a spark stray flame from the previous attack landed on a box of gunpowder. The powder ignited and blew the entire ship and Tessa's other two monsters up with it, the force of the blast throwing Tessa to the doors of the atrium's exit.

Tessa’s Life Points: 700 -> 0

Walt wins.

Tessa landed on her rump and slid back into the door with a loud bang and a painful grunt. Once her body had come to a stop, her head slumped forwards, making Spike, Timothy, Kate, and Edmund gasp at what had become of her as the images of the duel faded away.

“Tess!” shouted Kate, running to her daughter.

Spike and Edmund ran up behind her, helping as they gently picked Tessa up and onto her feet.

“Are you okay, Tess?” asked Spike.

“Yeah,” she said, concealing her oncoming sobs, “I’m fine.”

Walt couldn’t help but look at the sole card leftover in Tessa’s hand as she placed it onto the top of her deck and began to place her other cards back as well. His eyes suddenly widened, feeling an instant parallel between her now nervous face and the one Yurik had before Keifer’s last turn during their duel.

After placing his Tungsten Dragon into his extra deck, deactivating his blade disk, and putting it onto his duel disk, he relaxed his arms down, looking to Tessa, who had already put her deactivated blade disk onto the side of her duel disk.

“I’m curious,” Walt said. “That last card in your hand, it’s not a monster, is it?”

Tessa’s eyes shot open and her mouth went slightly agape as she acknowledged him, Walt’s eyes squinting conclusively in response.

“Why would I tell you that?” asked Tessa, trying to keep her tough façade.

“Because if it was,” Walt said, “you just made a major misplay.”

“Shut up! I know what was doing?”

“Yeah,” defended Spike, “leave her alone!”

“You were given your chance,” said Timothy, “now get out of our house!”

“Hey,” Walt professed, “I’m just telling her that she might have been able to beat me if she had played properly!”

“I said shut up!” Tessa finally screamed, tears coming from her eyes. “I didn’t have a monster in my hand!”

“Really? Then how come you looked so damned surprised when I asked you about it?”

Tessa’s words caught in her throat, unable to retort against what she knew she clearly betrayed.

“In fact,” Walt added, “my friend lost to Rarity’s thief in almost the exact same way. Let me show you what happened to him.”

Walt began tapping upon the screen of his duel disk, alerting Timothy and Kate on the side.

“What do you think you’re doing?” asked Timothy.

“I’m not faking for a call to the police if that’s what you’re wondering,” assured Walt. “Here.”

With a final tap, a virtual blue screen appeared above Walt’s duel disk, the words “Contacting: Evey” on it. Suddenly, Evey’s face appeared, looking extremely happy. The camera appeared to be on a desk, as if it came from a webcam on a computer or a laptop.

“Walt!” she shouted. “Hi!”

“Hey, Evey,” he said with an exhausted smile, his interaction confusing Tessa, her family, and Spike. “Could you do me a big favor?”

“Anything for my big brother!”

“Could you call Applejack or Pinkie Pie?”

“Here I am!” the pink mare shouted, popping from underneath the desk. “Hi, Walt! How’s your trip going? Did you find Rarity and Spike yet?”

Spike instantly felt a longing warmth rising in his chest upon hearing the mare’s voice.

“Pinkie Pie?” he asked, still unsure if he could believe it.

“Yeah,” Walt answered to the pink pony. “Here, I’ll let you talk to him.”

With a swipe of his hand, the screen closed and opened up in front of Spike’s face, also allowing Tessa, Kate, and Timothy to see it.

“Oh my goodness gracious gosh!” gasped Pinkie Pie. “Spike! It’s really you!”

“Pinkie Pie!” cried Spike. “Tell me, this Walt guy isn’t hurting you guys, is he?”

“What’s this I’m hearin’ about Walt?” asked Applejack as she stepped into the room.

Seeing the image on the screen, Tessa too couldn’t hold back her regret and shame upon seeing Pinkie Pie and Applejack in their safe, and seemingly loving environment.

“Spike!” cried Applejack, galloping up to the camera beside Evey and Pinkie Pie. “I don’t believe this.”

“Applejack!” shouted Spike. “Are you guys safe? You’re not hurt are you?”

“Why wouldn’t we be safe, sugarcube?” she chuckled. “Walt n’ Yurik have been the most gracious hosts for us while they’ve been looking for all y’all. Say,” she said, peering close to Evey’s computer screen, “where’s Rarity? Or Twilight and Rainbow Dash for that matter?”

“They’re gone,” responded Walt, instantly earning somber reactions from the ponies, Evey looking more confused.

“Gone?” Pinkie Pie trembled. “You mean they just up and vanished! Oh no! I hope I’m not next!”

Pinkie Pie ducked behind the desk and away from the camera’s sight.

“No,” responded Walt, “a dragon disguised from Equestria disguised as a human took them from us. Yurik fought him hard… but he lost.”

“No,” rasped Applejack in sheer shock. “There’s just no way! Yurik’s really good at that duelin’ stuff! Surely he couldn’t have lost! Surely!”

“But he did, and now I’m here trying to convince Spike and this family taking him in that I’m not working with the thief that took them.”

Pinkie Pie’s head, came up to the bottom of the screen, her eyes shimmering in sadness as she looked at Spike, who was growing closer and closer to the realization of Walt’s honesty.

“Where is he!” shouted Applejack, her hooves hopping up and grabbing the monitor of the screen and the camera with it. “I want to give him a nice square kick in the gut!”

“It’s no use, Applejack,” said Walt, his words barely calming her. “They’re gone now, and they’re going to try and come for us next.”

“Here’s what I want you to do. I’m going to call Mary, and you, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy are going to need to go with her to the abandoned factory; she knows where to go. Alice will get the rest of her friends to let you in. We’ll be there soon.”

“Walt,” whined Evey, “what’s happening? Why are Pinkie Pie and Applejack leaving?”

Tessa looked onto the forlorn face of the little girl, her own eyes beginning to water up. Walt pressed a button on his screen and brought the image of his sister back to in front of him.

“Evey,” cooed Walt, “Pinkie Pie and Applejack are in danger, and if they stay here, you’ll be too. I promise you’ll get to see them again. We’re going to sort all this out, and Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight are all going to come back, okay? This I promise you.”

Evey still looked disappointed, but could easily read the severity in Walt’s voice, managing to look to him from the top of her eyes with her head bowed low.

“Okay, Walt,” she moaned. “Just don’t get hurt too. I can’t afford to lose my big brother.”

“I won’t, kiddo. We’ll be alright.”

“Okay. Please come home soon.”

“We’re already on our way. Just be sure to say goodbye to Pinkie Pie and Applejack before they go.”

“I will.”

“Seriously, Walt,” said Applejack, “take care of yourself. I don’t want any of y’all to get hurt for our sake.”

“We’ll try. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Walt.”

Walt ended the call, the video fading away and revealing the stunned faces of Spike, Tessa, and her family. It was Tessa who changed her face to a scowl, determined with what she had to do.

“Spike,” she said. “Go with Walt and listen to him. I trust him with you now.”

“What?” Spike exclaimed. “But, Tess, what about–”

“You heard him. You and your friends are in danger, and he’ll protect you. Now go.”

Spike, unable to run to Walt just yet, fell onto her leg and wrapped his arms around her thighs.

“Thank you, Tess,” he wept. “I probably wouldn’t have made it without you.”

Tessa finally managed to let her emotions out and cried as she knelt down and gave Spike one last hug. Walt watched the two of them sternly as he felt time ticking away from him and his friends. Tessa finally stood and wiped her nose and eyes, looking at Walt with a newfound sense of respect and understanding.

“Could you please wait before we go?” she asked. “There’s something I absolutely need to give him before he leaves.”

Walt nodded reluctantly.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt stood at the bottom of the stairway to the second floor of Tessa’s home, Timothy, Kate, and Edmund standing by the door. Spike sat inside Walt’s backpack his head appearing above the zipper. Walt’s duel disk remained on his wrist. Finally, Tessa ran down with two small wooden boxes that she had gotten earlier that day.

“Please,” she panted as she presented them to Walt, “these are Spike’s and Rarity’s. If you do manage to save her, please give her hers and let her know I’m sorry.”

“Will do,” responded Walt.

Taking both boxes underneath his right arm, he then presented his own hand out to the girl.

“For what it’s worth,” he said, “you won that duel, fair and square.”

Tessa couldn’t help but smirk and huff at his modesty. With an equally gracious shake, she looked into Walt’s eyes.

“No,” she said, “you’re right. I made a mistake, and thanks to you, I’m sure I won’t make it again.”

“Good luck to you. I hope to see more of you in the future.”

“My sentiments exactly. You’re a great duelist, Walt, and I can only imagine what a film by you will be like.”

“Much appreciated.”

Walt began to step back towards the door, but turned to Tessa’s family and gave them one last nod.

“Thank you,” he sighed before breaking into a steady run out of the door.

Spike tucked his head in tight, the tall spines on the top of his head poking out the top. Walt looked on both sides of the street as he ran back to the hotel, looking for both casual witnesses and any bald men looking to find him and the dragon. Mostly, however, his gaze was set forwards, wanting nothing more than to return successfully to his broken friend.
> Episode 19: Tearing Down the Walls, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the hotel room, Alice packed Yurik’s bag as he continued to sit on the edge of the bed in despair. Walt and Kieran sat around the desk in front of Walt’s iPad D, where Mary was on the screen with a horrified expression on her face.

“What?” she gasped. “Someone’s after the ponies?”

“Yeah,” said Walt. “He… or I should say, it’s from Equestria, and he’s already gotten Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.”

“Oh my god. What should we do.”

“Until we get back to Chicago,” said Kieran, “nothing. This is what you’ll need to do. You remember how to drive to the factory, right?”

“Yeah?”

“You will need to pick up Applejack and Pinkie Pie from Yurik and Walt’s house. Walt had already informed them of what had happened and should be ready. Once we’re done talking, I will call the headquarters and allow them to let you in. But the second we’re done talking, I need you to do this. The lives of those other three ponies depends on it.”

Mary looked flustered and put upon, but looking at Spike nervously pacing the room behind Walt and Kieran made her face become furiously determined in nature.

“Alright,” she said. “I’ll do it. How long will it be before you get there?”

“It’s around nearly midnight where we are. With time zone differences, we expect to be back closer to after 3 in the morning central time.”

“What should I do before then?”

“Whatever you can to make the ponies feel safe. Teach them to play duel monsters, have them take a nap, whatever can calm their nerves about what is happening here.”

“Okay. Just please get home safely.”

“We will Mary,” spoke Walt, stepping into frame, “but we’re going to need to leave soon.”

“Okay, then. Bye Walt. Please tell him that Mary misses him too.”

“I definitely will. Bye, Mary.”

“Bye, Walt.”

Walt powered off his tablet and slipped it into his bag beside the desk. Kieran stood back up and turned to Alice and Yurik.

“Everyone,” he instructed. “We’re leaving now.”

“We can’t,” moaned Yurik, gaining everyone’s attention. “We have to get Twilight and the others back.”

“Yurik,” shouted Alice, “they’re gone from here. We’ll track Keifer down sometime else, but we need to get back to headquarters.”

“I can’t do it without Twilight…”

Spike nervously twiddled his claws as Yurik refused to yield. In anger, Walt growled and thrust his face right in front of Yurik’s.

“Listen, you miserable dick,” he spat, “Mary is trying to take Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy to safety at the Guardiaboliques headquarters.

Yurik suddenly shot up, his eyes open as wide as his face could allow.

“What?” he shouted.

“Yeah,” pressed Walt, “she’s doing her best to keep the ponies safe and you’re sitting here moping. What do you think is going to happen to her while you’re sitting her being sad and pathetic?”

Yurik’s eyes trembled as he imagined the look of terror on Mary’s face, as well as the faces of the ponies, as Keifer delivered the final blow on her with his dragon monster and took them away.

“I’m sorry!” shouted Yurik, springing to his feet and sprinting out the door. “Come on!”

Kieran huffed disappointedly as he picked up his and Yurik’s bag and ran out to follow him. With their own belongings in tow, Walt, Alice, and Spike too ran out to follow Yurik and Kieran as they quickly made their way out.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight fluttered her eyes open only to see and endless void of black. Her eyes shut and opened faster, unsure of what or where her surroundings were. Carefully getting to her feet, she panted frantically as she turned her body to scan the area. She suddenly found the bodies of both Rainbow Dash and Twilight as they were getting up themselves.

“Girls!” she shouted. “Girls, wake up!”

Hearing Twilight’s voice, they all shot up, only to find themselves extremely disoriented at the endless expanse of pure black they found themselves in.

“Whoa,” Rainbow Dash sighed with slight awe. “Where are we?”

Twilight suddenly gaining an idea of their location and their captor, grew an angry scowl on her face.

“Keifer!” she screamed. “Show yourself!”

As the three ponies looked in a single direction at the same time, a whooshing sound directly behind them made them jerk around. They saw as Keifer stood out of a fall-cushioning kneel, facing each of the ponies with fierce sternness, greatly frightening Rarity.

“Keifer!” demanded Twilight. “Let us go? Do you have any idea what Princess Celestia will do to you once she finds out what you’ve done to us?”

“Princess Celestia cannot save you now,” he merely responded, “and she is not the one I will be returning you to.”

“What?” gasped Rarity. “Then who?”

“You might meet them soon enough.”

“Show us,” yelled Rainbow Dash, “so I can kick their sorry ass to the moon and back!”

“You seem to have learned a bit from the humans,” he responded, leaning forwards with his claw reaching for her face, “and it seems to have affected your tongue!”

As he tried to put his hand in and pinch her tongue, Rainbow Dash leaned forwards and attempted to bite him, only for Keifer’s hand to pull away. With a sneer, he wound his arm in and backhanded Rainbow Dash across the cheek. Twilight and Rarity gasped as their friend toppled to the ground from the shock.

“Rainbow!” they both screamed.

As Twilight and Rarity ran to their friend’s side and examined her, Twilight noticed that her wings were shut tight as she relieved the pain through her tensed muscles. She then felt her horn about with her hoof, only to find the ring still placed upon it.

“I decided to restore mobility of her wings because she has nowhere to fly,” said Keifer. “While I’m in here with you, I do not want to deal with your magic. I got lucky in Vienna thanks to your distraction to my transformation. Now, you’re exactly where I want you to be for now.”

“Who are you working for?” cried Twilight. “What do you want from us?”

“What my master wants doesn’t concern me,” he responded, turning his back to her. “However, you will be my ticket to returning what’s left of the family your princess has stolen from me.”

Twilight’s mouth opened and her eyes went wide, just as Rainbow Dash managed to stand back on her four hooves, enraged.

“Celestia?” asked Twilight. “Wait, what does Princess Celestia have to do with you?”

“I must help my master find the others,” he said, his wings beginning to glow red. “You will stay here until then.”

“Wait!” called Rainbow Dash, shooting towards Keifer with buzzing wings.

Before she could collide with the dragon, Keifer’s body was taken up by a slender pillar of fire that disappeared into the void.

“Come back!” she exclaimed.

As she flew up to the pillar’s direction, she didn’t make it fifteen feet as her face collided with an invisible ceiling that sent her crashing back to the ground. Rainbow Dash stood back up and rubbed her pain-racked head. Rarity tended to her hurt friend while Twilight stared up at the void in both disbelief and confusion, her mind riddled with questions.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran’s black van sped into the garage of the abandoned factory late in the Chicago night. Inside, Yurik had his fingers wrapped firmly around the handle to the door he sat beside, waiting nervously for the vehicle to finally come to a stop.

With a screech of the brakes, the van halted beside a lit metal door with Marcus standing beside it. Both Yurik and Kieran opened their doors at the same time. Kieran walked briskly towards his associate while Yurik ran towards the door, Alice, Walt, and Spike quickly following him out.

“Where are they?” asked Kieran.

“Should be in the rec room,” Marcus answered to the best of his ability.

“Thanks,” panted Yurik, speeding past Marcus and running through the halls.

Marcus couldn’t help but look concerned for Yurik as he and his friends went after him. Kieran slowly approached Marcus, gaining his attention.

“How what exactly are we up against, Kieran?” asked Marcus.

“Follow me,” said Kieran stepping inside the doorway. “I’ll explain everything as best I can.”

“What’s that mean?”

Kieran stopped and turned to Marcus with an expectant squint in his eye.

“Yurik was the one who faced this duelist. He’s still delirious of the loss of his friends, but Walt served as a witness. Again, I’ll try to explain based on what he was able to tell me.”

With a dejected breath through his nose, Marcus stepped inside, allowing both men to make their way to the rec room as Kieran explained the situation.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Donald watched over Mary and Fluttershy as the latter cuddled onto the former in fear for her friends’ lives. Pinkie Pie circled around the room in a controlled circle, almost as if she was chasing her tail. Applejack merely lied on the couch, her eyes forcing themselves closed as she tried to get some sleep.

“I can’t stand it!” Pinkie Pie shrieked, making Mary, Applejack, and Fluttershy jump. “Are they here yet?”

At that very second, Yurik burst through the door, stopping to see Mary turning from the couch to see his face. Yurik froze and stared out blankly as a beaming Pinkie Pie leapt onto him and gave him a massive hug.

“Yurik!” she cried. “You’re back!”

Just then, Spike, Alice, and Walt ran in too, the faces of the ponies brightening up upon seeing their baby dragon friend once again. Pinkie Pie separated from Yurik and left him standing in his zombified state.

“Spike!” shouted Applejack.

“Girls!” Spike exclaimed as Pinkie Pie wrapped her arms around him. “You’re all okay!”

As Fluttershy and Applejack joined in the reunion, Mary walked up to Yurik and felt haunted at his thousand-yard stare.

“Yurik?” she asked. “Are you okay?”

Snapping out of his trance, Yurik jerked his head away from Mary and bury his face in his hands.

“Yurik,” Mary said, reaching out to him.

“I’m sorry!” he wept. “I lost them, and it’s all my fault.”

Mary shuddered nervously as Yurik fell to his knees, continuing to wet his hands with his tears. The ponies and Spike broke out of their embrace and turned to see Yurik, their moods suddenly dampened by his appearance.

“So,” Donald said, stepping up beside Mary and looking down at Yurik, “what exactly are we dealing with?”

“A dragon,” said Walt, walking to the three of them. “It sounds crazy, I know, but it’s the truth. He comes from Equestria, and he has a whole bunch of powers that allowed him to take Twilight, Rainbow Dash, as well as the unicorn, Rarity from us.”

As badly as he wanted to argue the insanity of Walt’s claim, Donald’s face didn’t change, reading truth all over his eyes.

“What kind of powers did he have?” asked Donald.

“He was able to make these rings over Twilight and Rarity’s horns that kept them from using magic. He then used some kind of spell that paralyzed Rainbow Dash’s wings. He can also transform into a human at will and teleport away.”

“And Yurik can attest to this as well?”

“In all honesty…”

Walt turned back to look at his miserable friend as he continued to sob.

“…I think it will be a while before he can attest to anything.”

“I see,” Donald responded. “And he was defeated in a duel?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of deck did the dragon–”

“Keifer.”

Donald scowled slightly at the interruption.

“…Keifer have?”

“They’re called Dragmas. I’ve never seen them before. They’re FIRE attribute dragon-type monsters with flip effects. They’re spearheaded by an ace: Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon. It can’t be attacked while the owner controls a face down monster, its flip effect allows it to destroy a monster, and it’s pendulum effect allows Keifer to pendulum summon monsters face down.”

Donald typed laboriously at his iPad D, his brows raised in perplexity.

“Walt,” he said, “I hate to break it to you, but there’s no such decks as Dragma, or cards called Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon. I’m looking at the largest online card databases and nothing like what you described exists.”

“Check Yurik’s iPad,” Walt pressed. “It’s probably on his dueling history.”

Donald glowered again, knowing he’d have to continue investigating despite the outrageousness of it all.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik’s iPad was plugged into the port of a large keyboard and control board a large screen at the top center. Yurik sat in the back of the room, still traumatized, while Kieran and Walt stood above Donald as he scanned through the step-by-step presentation on the duel, showing cards on a field and arrows pointing towards them where attacks and effects were targeting.

Alice, Marcus, the ponies, and Spike awaited the news while Donald looked even more confused, noting that the cards were just like Walt had claimed. Clicking on the Magmal Dragon card, he read it and examined the card’s art, looking upon it like an alien object.

“This is incredible,” Donald said. “This card really does exist.”

He swiveled around in his chair to face Walt.

“You said this dragon is from Equestria, right?” he asked.

“Yeah,” responded Walt.

“You don’t think that they even have Duel Monsters in Equestria, do you?”

“I don’t believe so. Twilight herself was even unsure how he knew this game. I wouldn’t mistrust her with knowing something, and I’m certain she’d know if there was Duel Monsters in Equestria.”

Marcus stepped forwards and looked to Kieran.

“So what are we supposed to do?” he asked. “We have another magical being after the ponies and he uses a deck that doesn’t even exist in this world. How are we supposed to combat that?”

“Simple,” Kieran responded. “We lure him to us.”

Yurik shot his head up and gasped.

“What?” everyone else shouted.

“This Keifer has stacked the odds against us,” explained Kieran. “He can appear and disappear where he wants at will, and he has now taken away our magic-wielding ponies. It will only be a matter of time before he finds us, and the longer that Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity are in his custody, the more in danger they are. We need to bring him here, and take back the ponies he took from us.”

“That’s just it,” said Walt, “Keifer has the ponies in his possession, but you can’t expect him to bring them with in case he’d defeated. Otherwise, he’d just lose all of them once we return them to Princess Celestia.

“If he’s smart, he’ll keep Twilight and the others somewhere safe while he comes after us. That way, if he loses to any of us, he still has Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, and he can keep coming back until we eventually lose Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.”

Kieran stared at Walt, silently taking in his logic.

“That’s a very wise observation,” Kieran said, “which means that we’ll need to find some way to lure him to us with Twilight and the other two ponies in tow.”

“And do you have any ideas?” asked Mary.

“As a matter of fact,” he said, “I do. In fact, there’s one idea of mine that I have full confidence of success in. However, in order for this to work, we’ll need to be in optimal fighting condition. Everyone, go off and train well. The return of these ponies will depend on what happens within these next few hours.”

Yurik shuddered at Kieran’s suggestion, and as he began to walk to the exit, Yurik tried to follow.

“Wait,” Yurik said, “you can’t!”

Kieran wouldn’t listen, the doors shutting behind him as he went off. Yurik managed to slip through, only to watch as Kieran kept walking away.

“Hey!” he shouted. “I’m talking to–”

A hand upon his shoulder stopped him, and once he turned around, he looked into Walt’s sternly serious face as the ponies, humans, and Spike scrambled into the hallway.

“You heard him,” Walt said, “we all have to prepare for him again.”

“Well, forget it!” Yurik said, roughly brushing Walt’s hand off. “I couldn’t beat him, and I probably won’t again.”

“That’s why we’re practicing,” argued Marcus. “We all need to prepare for him if we want to have any chance of defeating him.”

“Yeah? And while we do that, he’s going to practice every strategy that he learned from dueling me against me. We don’t know if this guy has fusion monsters, synchros, xyz monsters, and I just know he’ll bring those out against us next. I expended a lot of my deck just to try and beat him, and it still didn’t work.”

“Yurik,” yelled Walt, “you would have won that duel had it not been for that one play.”

“But I didn’t, and now Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash are now his.”

Walt growled, his fists clenched in futile rage.

“So what?” asked Alice. “You’re just going to sit here and hide?”

“I don’t want to lose more of them!” Yurik yelled back.

“Then fight back!” Mary responded. “The Yurik I know wouldn’t let a loss get to him like this.”

“I’ve never experienced a loss like this. You try and fight him, and you’ll experience the same loss; watching as Fluttershy is torn from your grasp kicking and screaming while you’re too weak to help her.”

Applejack watched as this statement shook both Mary and Fluttershy with fear, making her scowl harder.

“We’ll be taken regardless if we do nothing, Yurik!” she protested. “Sooner or later, he’ll take us, unless we fight back.”

“We can’t! I’ve only dueled him once and lost to him, and you’re already planning on gambling yourselves away to that dragon.”

“That’s what friends do for each other. How do you think Twilight would react if she knew that we were taken away because you were being nothing but a rotten coward?”

Pinkie Pie gasped long and hard, blown away by Applejack’s words.

“Oh no you didn’t!” she hissed with dumbfounded shock.

“Yeah,” growled Yurik, stamping up to Applejack, “she did.”

Yurik reached forwards at Applejack, who looked prepared to fight him, only for a hand to tightly grip his wrist. With a second arm pushing his stomach, sending Yurik back, Alice stepped in between him and the ponies with a deathly serious look in her eyes.

“Don’t you dare take your frustration out on them,” Alice demanded. “Instead, take it out on the one who’s holding your friends captive!”

Yurik seethed through his mouth as he tried to think of something to respond back with.

“You’re one of the best duelists among us, Yurik,” she continued. “We need you by our side, or we will lose!”

“What makes you think that?” he barked back. “I lost to Keifer on a stupid mistake. I can’t beat him!”

“Listen to yourself! You beat Kieran, Walt, Twilight, and even Orpheus, so don’t tell me that you can’t beat him too!”

“We beat Orpheus! Without you, we would have lost that duel. Hell, you inflicted more damage to him that duel than I did. If anything, you’re the strongest duelist here.”

“You really think that? I wasn’t given a card that summoned an entire planet outside of ours. You were. You were the one entrusted with that power. That card is a representation of your friend Twilight, and if you won’t use it to fight for her rescue, then I will.”

Alice began to walk towards Yurik, making him back up apprehensively. 

“Wha…” he stammered. “What are you do–”

Before he could react, Alice grabbed him by the wrist and twisted it around. As Yurik yelped in pain, she maneuvered behind him and put both his arms in a lock.

“If you’re not going to duel Keifer,” she said, “I will, and I’m going to use your Twilight Alicorn card to do it. Now, let’s go.”

Walt and Mary stood with their backs to the doorways, prompting Marcus, Donald, the ponies, and Walt to do the same, allowing room for Alice and Yurik as she shoved the struggling Yurik forwards.

“Let me go!” he shouted. “Don’t touch my damned cards!”

“Marcus,” she calmly asked, passing him, “please go to the van and mine and Yurik’s bags. His is the black one.”

“Yes, ma’am” he said, slipping around them and running down the hallways.

The ponies and Spike looked both befuddled and scared as Alice continued leading Yurik down the halls.

“What do we do now?” asked Fluttershy.

“I think we should follow her,” said Walt. “Something tells me that Alice is going to whip Yurik’s ass back into shape.”

Walt began to walk the same path as Yurik and Alice, leaving everyone only a few seconds to register what he had said before they too went close behind.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The doors to the dueling room opened, Yurik continuing his struggle against Alice as they both walked in. Walt, Mary, Donald, the ponies, and Spike poured in just as the door began to close. Alice threw Yurik out, the disorientation of being free from his bind making him stumble and fall to his side.

“What…” groaned Yurik as he stood himself up. “What are we doing here?”

“I’m going to prove to you that you’re not as weak as you’re claiming yourself to be,” she said.

The door to the dueling room opened back up, revealing Marcus with two backpacks in his hand, one green and one black. As he approached Alice, he tossed the green one to her, then knelt down and slid the black one all the way to Yurik.

“What’s this?” asked Yurik, watching as Alice pulled her duel disk from her bag and dropped the latter to the floor.

“You’re dueling me is what this is,” she said, affixing the duel disk upon her arm as it clamped itself on. “If you’re so hellbent on believing that I’m a stronger duelist than me, I want you to prove yourself wrong.”

“And what’s that supposed to prove? I can just forfeit the duel or lose on purpose!”

“In which case,” she added, pulling her blade disk from the side of her machine, “you will hand over your deck and your Twilight Alicorn card so that I can use it them against Keifer for the sake of your so-called friends.”

Yurik quickly pushed his backpack behind him with the back of his foot, widening his stance into a more defensive one. Applejack looked amazed at Alice as she continued to drive Yurik into a groveling submission.

“This isn’t optional!” called Alice. “You have sixty seconds to put your duel disk on and accept my challenge, or I will rule it a forfeit and take what’s deserved for those that fight!”

“You won’t!” howled Yurik.

“You have fifty seconds now, Yurik! Seconds that will only bring Keifer here faster.”

Yurik stared into Alice’s eyes, hoping to shatter any kind of tough façade she was masking herself with. Walt and the ponies, glanced back and forth, unsure which one would yield first. With a finalistic growl and a clench of his hands, Yurik put the tip of his shoe at the shoulder strap of his bag and kicked it forwards, making Alice smirk with slight victory.

In quick, split-second motions, Yurik bent down, stood back up with his duel disk grasped in his hand, slammed it on his left forearm, and pulled the blade disk off as the clasp went around the arm. Yurik breathed heavily in apprehension of what he was about to do, but Alice’s eyes refused to let up.

“Alice…” Yurik said. “I accept your challenge. And if I win, I–”

“If you win,” Alice butted in, “you will have proven yourself the better duelist of anyone in this room. However, if you do manage to win, I’ll leave what you do from there up to you.”

The ponies, Spike, and even Yurik gasped at this insane wager.

“Alice,” exclaimed Applejack, “if he wins, he can just elect to not–”

“I accept these terms!” shouted Yurik the slightest of smiles on his face. “Now, let’s begin!”

At the same time, Yurik and Alice forcefully threw their blade disks out. The spectators gathered to the left of the room as the circular machines made their ways around their opponents. The disks returned and stopped alongside their duel disks, causing the blades of light to shoot out from both sides and take form. At once, the decks inside both of their slots shuffled up.

“Connection complete,” a computerized voice stated as the decks were finished. “Yurik Clayer vs. Alice Ross. Draw.”

Both players drew five cards into their hands as the ponies looked on fearfully.

“Alice,” muttered Applejack, “what were ya’ thinkin’? If Yurik wins, he’ll just–”

“No,” interrupted Walt, surprising her. “Alice knows what she’s doing. If we can’t talk his dueling spirit out of him, Alice will just have to do it by force now.”

“You don’t mean…”

“Yes. I’m certain this duel, one way or another, will restore his fighting spirit.”

Applejack turned back to the field where Yurik and Alice were just about ready to begin.

“Don’t show me anything less than your best,” Alice demanded.

“Fine,” scoffed Yurik. “If you’re that desperate, then let’s go!”

“DUEL!” they both cried out.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Alice:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll take the first turn!” shouted Alice, grabbing a single card in her hand. “I set one monster face down!”

Alice slapped the card onto her left blade with the backside facing up and the card turned to the left. A similar enlarged image appeared on the ground before her.

“I end my turn,” she said.

Status: Hand: 4    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 0

“What?” Spike, Applejack, and Fluttershy shouted.

“She only sets one monster to defend herself?” asked Spike.

“Don’t be so fooled,” Donald replied. “There’s a lot more that goes on with Alice’s strategies as small as they appear. Just look at Yurik’s face.”

Applejack did just that, seeing the grimness of his expression in the face of such a nearly barren field.

“If there’s anyone else who knows her deck and playing style better than anyone else,” Donald added, “it’s Yurik or Walt. He knows Alice has something planned, and he’s going to prepare for it.”

Yurik glanced down at Alice’s monster as well as he formulated his plan.

She set one card to defend herself, he mused. Just like when I dueled Keifer. Is she trying to… no. I won’t fall for it!

“My turn!” yelled Yurik, his hands upon his deck. “Draw!”

Yurik glanced at his card, keeping it in his right hand as he grabbed another card. Alice let out a relaxed smirk, knowing what was to come.

That’s it, Yurik, she thought. Fight back!

He then revealed both cards to his opponent, two pendulum monsters among them.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 3 Unioncorn of Fire and scale 6 Twilight Alicorn!” he declared.

Alice gasped as she was able to clearly see Twilight Alicorn hidden behind.

“What?” she exclaimed. “He’s placing his Twilight Alicorn in the pendulum zone?”

Yurik threw both cards onto his pendulum zones, allowing two blue pillars to form on both sides of his field. From inside of them, Yurik’s yellow unicorn with the fire mane and tail as well as the lavender colored alicorn rose from the ground on his left and right, respectively, standing in preparation for Yurik’s next move. A bright 3 and 6 rose over Yurik’s monsters, as well as the large, multi-pronged star.

Unioncorn of Fire
Pendulum Scale: 3

Twilight Alicorn:
Pendulum Scale: 6

“I can now summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 4 and 5,” he explained. “Pendulum summon!”

Yurik took out two more cards from his hand and placed each of them on the innermost zones of both of his blades. A red portal formed below the star, causing two purple auras to shoot out of it and strike the ground, throwing debris and dust everywhere.

When the cloud settled, two monsters were standing in front of Yurik. One was a white stallion unicorn, the other a white pegasus mare. Each of them were dressed in deep-blue, star adorned robes and a matching pointed cloth hat with the tip tilting to the front.

“Appear!” Yurik commanded. “Unioncorn Magician! Pegassist Magician!”

Both monsters stood stoically still as they awaited for Yurik’s command.

Unioncorn Magician
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 5

Pegassist Magician
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 5

Walt and the ponies were in awe as they looked upon his never-before-seen monsters.

“Those guys are new,” commented Pinkie Pie.

“And they’re both level 5,” said Spike. “Does this mean he’s going to xyz summon?”

“Not yet,” said Walt. “Yurik usually likes to attack first while he has multiple monsters before he xyz summons.”

“I get it. He’ll attack and destroy Alice’s monster with one monster and attack directly with the second. That’s awesome! Good job, Yurik!”

Despite the dragon’s praise, Yurik kept his eyes on Alice and didn’t waver his expression.

“The effect of Unioncorn of Fire in my pendulum zone now activates!” shouted Yurik. “This card inflicts 100 points of damage for the total levels of pendulum monsters pendulum summoned this turn. Unioncorn Magician is a pendulum monster, and it’s level is 5!”

“So that’s 500 points of damage to me,” grumbled Alice.

“Go! Singe Spell!”

The fiery unicorn charged its horn and shot a beam of flames right at Alice, making her yelp out as she felt the intense heat pass through her.

Alice’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3500

Once the flames dissipated, Alice roughed brushed herself off and stood back strong before her opponent.

“Awesome!” cheered Spike. “And now he’s going to attack, right?”

Yurik looked down at Alice’s monster, growling as he looked into her ensnaring face.

“I now overlay my level 5 Unioncorn Magician and Pegassist Magician!” he shouted, throwing his arm up.

Both of Yurik’s monsters returned to their purple aural forms and danced about in the air. Walt and Spike’s eyes widened in pure disbelief.

“What?” Walt shouted.

“What’s he going to do?” wondered Spike.

A red portal formed on the ground before Yurik as both of the auras flew inside.

“With these two monsters,” Yurik proclaimed, “I construct the overlay network. Xyz summon!”

The portal burst open as a white alicorn adorned in purple armor and blue cloths and a purple metal hat in a crescent-shaped cone flew out from it, neighing loudly with an ethereal echo as it made its entrance.

“Come on!” Yurik shouted out. “Allicorn Magician!”

The monster’s hooves landed upon the ground, it’s head bowed low in a menacing fashion as two balls of light orbited around it.

Allicorn Magician
DEF: 2500
Rnk.: 5

Alice’s mouth went agape as she saw the monster’s stats, almost as if she was insulted by them. The others were too shocked as they saw Yurik’s monster stand in defense position.

“What is…” she muttered. “This is the fight you’re going to give me?”

“I’ll fight you however I please,” spoke Yurik. “All I need to do is defeat you, and defeat you I will! While Allicorn Magician is on the field in defense position, all battle damage I take is converted to effect damage.”

“Effect damage? You can’t be…”

“I then activate the continuous spell card Spark Barrier!”

Yurik threw the card into his duel disk’s spell and trap slot, and an enlarged version of the card appearing on the field, which showed a warrior monster with a massive shield blocking a the sword of a shirtless, muscular warrior monster with bolts of lightning flying around the former’s shield from the latter’s sword.

“This card prevents any defense position monsters from being destroyed by battle. However, when a monster of mine is attacked, I take piercing battle damage.”

Unbelievable, mused Alice. With that spell in play, Allicorn Magician will be safe from any attacks I land on it. Even if it allows me to inflict damage, Allicorn Magician’s effect turns the battle damage into effect damage, and with Twilight Alicorn’s pendulum effect, all effect damage is reduced to 0. There’s no way to touch him otherwise!

“Amazing,” Marcus said. “In just one turn, he set up an extremely tight defense strategy.”

The others murmured in agreement, all except for Walt, who looked furiously disappointed.

“Yurik, you dumbass!” yelled Walt. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Walt’s outburst gained the shock and attention of the other spectators, as well as Yurik himself.

“That’s not how you play! Now get in there and fight!”

“It’s too late, Walt,” Yurik called back, returning his attention to Alice. “I’ve made up my mind.”

Besides, Yurik thought, I know I can keep my monsters safe this way from her.

Yurik took the last card from his hand and slipped it face down into his spell/trap slot, the backing of which appeared beside his Spark Barrier card.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 2    Pendulum Scale: 4 – 5    Spells/Traps: 2

Alice seethed as she monitored the cards to Yurik’s virtually-airtight strategy.

“The hell, man?” she growled. “You do know what the purpose of me dueling you is, right?”

Yurik frowned at the question.

“Do you think I’m really that stupid?” he asked. “Of course you’re going to try and use this duel to make me want to face Keifer again. Like I said, I’m not going to! Whether you beat me and try to take my deck, or I win and get to choose what I do from there, you can forget it! He’s too strong for me!”

The ponies and Spike nervously scooted close towards each other, looking at Yurik’s incorrigible despair eat him away. Alice withheld her grimace slightly as she calmed herself down

“Yurik,” she said, “you lost that duel on a simple mistake. Even Walt said that when she dueled the person holding Spike, she lost because of a mistake of her own.”

“And wasn’t she also a little girl?” yelled Yurik, catching Alice off guard. “Are you trying to tell me that my skills are the same as a ten-year old girl’s?”

“Don’t talk about Tess like that!” roared Spike. “She’s much better than that!”

“She’s a professional duelist, Yurik!” called Walt. “Even a professional duelist is capable of making the same mistakes as you are! The only way we get better is by correcting them! That’s what we’re trying to help you do here right now!”

Yurik stood frozen as he listened to his friends rattle off. With a sigh, he relaxed both his arms and his head down.

“Still,” he softly spoke, “even with that one mistake, I could tell that he didn’t even use his deck’s full potential.”

Walt and the ponies tightened up listening to Yurik’s words.

“Even if I play flawlessly the next time,” he began to yell, “what makes you think he won’t bring out a fusion monster, or a synchro monster, or even an xyz monster? Even with all I managed to do against him at full strength, he still beat me at half!”

Tears began to run down his face as the memories resurfaced.

“I lost…” he wept. “I lost Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity because of my loss. I don’t want to lose to him again knowing that it will make me lose the rest of them…”

The eyes of Spike and the ponies softened sympathetically, while Donald’s and Marcus’s looked more pitying and judgmental. Yurik’s eyes were shut as his head began to fill with dread.

“Then fight back and win!” shouted back Alice, making Yurik’s eyes shoot wide open. “You fall down, you get up again. That’s how it’s always been. I won’t sit here and watch you mope while you’re friends get taken away by this dragon. If you thought I was bluffing when I told you to show me nothing but your best, I meant every word, and I’m not going back on that promise now!”

Yurik clenched his entire body, prepared to face Alice’s next turn.

“My turn!” she shouted with her fingers over the top card of her deck. “Draw!”

She immediately put the card back into her hand, grabbing yet another in the same swipe.

“I tribute my face down Larva Queen Ant to tribute summon the tuner monster Diamond Moth!”

With another swipe of her hand, she removed her face down card and placed the newest card onto the same zone. As she slipped her old card into her graveyard, a blue portal formed over where Alice’s set card on the field was. Crawling out from it was a silver-winged moth with a glistening grey body and golden antennae, fluttering its wings and carrying just above the ground.

Diamond Moth
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“And now,” exclaimed Alice, “the effect of Larva Queen Ant activates. When this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, I can special summon one Egg Token to my side of the field!”

A purple-and-black portal opened on the ground beside Alice’s moth, and from it the end of a large, red insect abdomen emerged from it and secreted a gelatinous white egg. Once it had been set on the field, the abdomen retreated back into the closing portal.

Egg Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

“Next,” continued Alice, “I activate the effect of Diamond Moth, allowing me to special summon a level 4 or lower insect-type monster from my graveyard when it’s successfully normal summoned.”

“That must mean…” growled Yurik.

“I special summon my Larva Queen Ant!”

The purple portal opened once again, but instead, the entire creature showed itself, that being a massive red ant with an engorged abdomen and a crown shaped marking on its head.

Larva Queen Ant
ATK: 100
Lvl.: 4

“Level 4 and level 5?” thought Applejack. “Hoo boy…”

“It’s coming,” Walt thought aloud.

“I now tune my level 4 Larva Queen Ant with my level 5 Diamond Moth!”

Alice’s moth flew up high into the air with its wings now glowing very bright. It then burst into five stars that grew out into rings of light that descended towards Larva Queen Ant. With a massive leap, the insect soared up towards the rings, forming into an orange outline of its body and four bright stars as it passed through.

“General of the insects,” chanted Alice, “obliterate the enemy forces with your magnificent military might!”

The outline disappeared from inside the rings as the stars straightened into a single line, a beam of light piercing through them and spreading in width.

“Synchro summon!” she cried out.

The light faded away, and the titanic body of Alice’s ace monster emerged out from it: the red-armored praying mantis.

“Show yourself,” she beckoned, “Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord!”

The insect rubbed the bladed ends of its scythed arms together and out, producing a loud burst of sparks before it.

Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 9

Pinkie Pie glanced about Alice’s field, noting something amiss.

“Hey!” she shouted, “shouldn’t there be another eggy thing since that monster got sent to the graveyard again?”

“Normally, yes,” answered Alice, “but when a monster is special summoned from the graveyard with Diamond Moth’s effect, it’s removed from play instead, so I cannot special summon another token. However, it’s all I need.”

She quickly grabbed a card from her hand and revealed it, showing a quick play spell with art of a large spider spraying a green liquid from its fangs at a brightly-lit warrior with golden armor.

“I activate my quick-play spell, Poison Spray!” yelled Alice. “While I control an insect-type monster, I can destroy one card in either player’s pendulum zone, and I’ll choose your Twilight Alicorn!”

Marcus and Donald looked shocked with Alice’s plan as her mantis monster thrust its head forwards and shot a glob of sticky bubbling slime that flew out towards Yurik’s monster.

“I’m not sure what you were thinking there,” said Yurik, “but I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect, special summoning it from my pendulum zone to the field!”

Yurik’s alicorn charged its horn and disappeared, leaving Cao Cao’s poison to splash onto the ground and sink in. Twilight Alicorn however, promptly reappeared next to Allicorn Magician, taking a few pants of relief.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Why would she do that?” asked Applejack. “She just wasted her card just now.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Applejack,” spoke Alice. “I wanted Yurik to remove his monster from his pendulum zone…”

As the Yurik and the onlookers alerted themselves in surprise, Alice took a card from her hand and revealed it, showing a blue spider with a red octagon on its abdomen.

“…because now I activate the effect of Stopper Spider!”

“What was that?” asked Yurik.

“When a card is removed from my opponent’s pendulum zone,” she explained, “I can place this card on that opponent’s pendulum zone!”

“Impossible!”

Yurik growled in anger as Alice wound his arm back.

“No!” he shouted, “I activate Twilight Alicorn’s–”

“Wrong!” she shouted, flinging her card at the rightmost side of Yurik’s right blade.

The card flew straight and true at Yurik’s remaining pendulum zone, where it landed perfectly on. A blue pillar began to form on the right side of Yurik’s field, and Alice’s spider crawled out from it and stood on the ground, its mouth forming a subtly mischievous smile as three question marks appeared over the spider’s body.

Stopper Spider
Pendulum Scale: ???

“When this card is active in the pendulum zone,” said Alice, “its pendulum scale becomes equal to that of another card in that player’s pendulum zone.”

“But…” stammered Yurik, “but that means…”

“Stopper Spider’s pendulum scale becomes equal to your Unioncorn of Fire, which is three!”

The three question marks suddenly changed to a 1, and then a 2, and finished once it reached 3.

Pendulum Scale: ??? -> 3

“Why?” cried Yurik. “Why couldn’t I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect?”

“When Stopper Spider activates its effect,” she said, “the opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to its effect.”

Yurik’s eyes narrowed and his breath caught in his throat as he could only remember Keifer’s finishing words. _________________________________________________________________________________________

“Cards and effects cannot be activated in response to this effect, so your Twilight Alicorn cannot run away!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“And with both of your pendulum zones filled,” clarified Alice, “your Twilight Alicorn can’t use it’s effect to escape or protect you from battle damage.”

“No!” shouted Yurik. “No, you can’t!”

“I am! I am and I will, because Keifer will too! Now, battle! Cao Cao, attack Twilight Alicorn!”

The large mantis let out a deafeningly shrill battle cry as it ran at Yurik’s field.

“I now activate the effect of Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord,” Alice declared, “tributing an insect-type monster that I control to reduce the ATK of an opponent’s monster by 1000!”

The creature stopped and turned its body around, scooping up the Egg Token on the side of its bladed appendage.

“I tribute my Egg Token to lower the ATK of your Twilight Alicorn!” she shouted.

With another turn in its body, Cao Cao whipped the egg at Twilight Alicorn, where it burst like a water balloon and coated the monster in with sticky gel. The force from the blast and the ill-inducing effects of the gel brought Twilight Alicorn to its knees.

ATK: 2500 -> 1500

“Finish your attack!” commanded Alice. “Red Scythe Slash!”

The massive mantis ran up towards the weakened monster with its arm raised up. Yurik’s alicorn couldn’t even muster the strength to look up at Cao Cao as it brought its bladed arm down on it, making it burst with flames and smoke. As the debris and fire crashed into Yurik, he screamed in anguish as he was tossed back off his feet.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4000 -> 2700

Yurik landed on his back and slid down, refusing any efforts to get up. The ponies gasped at both the loss of Yurik’s monsters and the might and ingenuity it took to do it.

“Yes,” said Alice, “I have destroyed your monster, and stronger duelists than me will find a way to destroy it as well, perhaps even faster than I did it. However, you still have life points to fight with, so you can still save your monster, much like you still have three ponies and the dragon and can still save Twilight and the others. Now, show me and her that you’re worth a god damned by getting up and fight!”

The ponies stared at Yurik as he gnashed his teeth in rage as Alice’s words ran through his mind at a mile a minute. With clenched fists, he pressed the bottoms down and slowly pushed himself up. Marcus and Donald remained stoic in the face of Yurik’s resistance while Walt, the ponies, and Spike looked stricken with awe. Alice looked unconvinced, even as Yurik stood back strongly on his two feet before her again.

“Are you done?” she asked.

Yurik bared his teeth as he straightened his bang out from his eyes, allowing Alice to look fully into them.

“I said,” she pressed on, “are you done?”

Yurik looked up at Alice’s monster, and then back at Alice herself, almost cancelling out the looks of his friends to the side as they awaited his fateful answer.
> Episode 20: Tearing Down the Walls, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kieran sat at the desk of his multi-monitored computer. With a tap of his enter key, his computer whirred back to life, filling his screens with files, pages, and applications. Ignoring it, he moved his mouse to the extensive taskbar where an icon of a phone was set. Clicking it, a larger phone had appeared on the screen.

Using his number pad at the right of his keyboard, he typed in ten numbers at a comfortably familiar speed. Hitting the enter key, a ripple of light shone out from the phone’s edge as the call was made. Kieran listened in to two dial tones before the line was picked up.

“Kieran,” the voice of Orpheus greeted.

“Orpheus,” Kieran replied in kind. “Or, should we call you Ron again?”

“That depends. For what purpose do you call me?”

Kieran smirked as he was quickly caught.

“Fine, then,” he said. “Orpheus…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik stood before Alice, still continuing to withhold his answer from his opponent.

================
Yurik:
LP: 2700

Alice:
LP: 3500
================

Yurik’s sole alicorn on the field, as well as the unicorn in his pendulum zone, stared down Alice’s giant, armored praying mantis fearfully, while Stopper Spider stood obliviously still on Yurik’s field.

Allicorn Magician
DEF: 2500
Rnk.: 5

Unioncorn of Fire
Pendulum Scale: 3

Stopper Spider
Pendulum Scale: 3

Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 9

“Well?” demanded Alice. “What’s it going to be?”

Yurik hissed as he clenched his fists.

“Just end your turn already,” he growled.

Alice nodded in acknowledgement, but kept her angered expression.

“That’s it,” she encouraged. “This is exactly what you need to do. Even though you’ve lost your monster, you can get it back; I know you can. However, don’t use those wussy defensive strategies again, or I’ll get you where it hurts.”

Alice plucked a single card from her hand and slipped it face down into her spell and trap slot.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” she said.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 3500    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

Yurik has a real good chance of turning this around, thought Alice, looking to her Stopper Spider monster. If Yurik draws a pendulum monster, he can reveal it to destroy my Stopper Spider with its other pendulum effect. He could easily use that card to bring back his Twilight Alicorn and turn this duel around. Let’s hope he actually can…

Yurik’s eyes were focused on Alice’s monster before he glanced down to his deck.

Come on, he thought, I need a Unioncorn monster here. Whether it be my scale 8 Unioncorn of Earth, my scale 9 Night, or my Unioncorn of Water and use its effect to raise its pendulum scale to 8 with Unioncorn of Fire on my field.

Walt, Mary, the ponies, and Spike looked cautiously as they saw Yurik reaching out for his deck.

I have good odds, he mused. Even if the pendulum monster could just get rid of Alice’s spider…

“You can do it, Yurik!” cried Mary.

With her encouraging words, Yurik quickly moved his hands to his deck and pinched its top hard.

“My turn!” he shouted. “Draw!”

Yurik looked up, unable to believe his luck. With his card in his right hand, he thrust his arm forwards and revealed it to his opponent, also showing a relieved smile.

“I reveal my drawn card,” stated Yurik, “the pendulum monster Unioncorn of Night!”

Alice let out a sickened smile at Yurik’s situation.

I guess it’s over then… she reasoned.

“With Stopper Spider’s effect,” he shouted, “when I draw a pendulum monster and reveal it, it’s destroyed from my pendulum zone!”

Alice’s spider glowed brightly before it blew up in a blast of smoke. Yurik removed the card from his blade and tossed it back to Alice with confidence.

“You can have that back now,” he said.

Alice caught her card and slipped it face up into her extra deck slot on her blade disk. With his card still revealed, wound his arm back as he prepared to continue his turn.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 9 Unioncorn of Night!” he shouted, slapping the monster onto his now open zone.

A blue pillar rose up from the ground, along with Yurik’s ebony-black unicorn with red eyes. With two monsters back into the pendulum zone, a 3 and a 9 rose above them, as well as the large star.

Unioncorn of Night
Pendulum Scale: 9

“I can now special summon monsters whose levels are 4 through 8!” he proclaimed. “Pendulum summon!”

Twilight Alicorn ejected itself from Yurik’s blade disk and was promptly removed and swiped onto the leftmost zone of Yurik’s right blade. Likewise, a red portal opened up beneath the star and let a magenta aura fall from it.

“Come back to me!” yelled Yurik. “Twilight Alicorn!”

The aura landed upon the ground, a pair of lavender wings blowing the subsequent dust away and revealing itself with a proud, loud whinny before it stood offensively, ready to fight.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

Yurik looked to his revived monster, almost as if he was experiencing a pleasant fantasy. With a childlike giggle, he watched as Twilight Alicorn turned its head to him and gave him a nod and smirk. Suddenly, Yurik’s smile went wide and energetic, earning the surprise of Marcus, Donald, and Alice, and the joy and cheers of Walt, Mary, the ponies and Spike.

“Go, Yurik!” they shouted gleefully.

“Alright!” Yurik exclaimed. “Now, the effects of the monsters in my pendulum zones activate! First is my Unioncorn of Fire, inflicting 100 points of damage times the total levels of pendulum monsters pendulum summoned this turn! Twilight Alicorn’s level is 7, so you’ll take 700 points of damage!”

Yurik’s yellow unicorn began to charge its horn as fire swirled around it.

“Go, Unioncorn of Fire!” commanded Yurik. “Singe Spell!”

Yurik’s monster shot out a powerful plume of flames from its horn and at Alice, causing her to squeak in anguish as she felt the fire’s searing heat.

Alice’s Life Points: 3500 -> 2800

“Finally,” said Yurik, “there’s the pendulum effect of Unioncorn of Night, allowing me to draw a card for every pendulum monster I pendulum summoned, which is one!”

Yurik drew his card with gusto. With everything in place, he smirked as he reached for his Allicorn card.

“Next,” he said, turning his xyz monster upright, “I switch Allicorn Magician into attack position!”

The monster stood up straight and reared itself back to charge.

DEF: 2500 -> ATK: 2500

Yurik’s friends on the sidelines gasped happily as they saw their friend prepare his onslaught.

“He’s back!” cheered Pinkie Pie, hopping up and down. “Yurik’s back like hacky sack!”

Alice too looked very glad to see Yurik’s change in mood and play style, smiling warmly.

That’s it! thought Alice. Fight back! However… she mused with a smirk.

“It’s good to see you back in the swing of things,” Alice remarked, “but both of your monsters’ ATKs are still lower than Cao Cao’s, so unless that card you drew will increase your monster’s ATK, you’re out of luck.”

“But luck has been on my side since this turn began,” Yurik replied, “because now I activate the effect of Allicorn Magician!”

“His monster’s effect?” she wondered.

“By detaching one xyz material,” he explained, removing a card underneath his xyz monster and slipping it into his graveyard, “I can negate the effects of all face-up spells and trap cards on the field and have my monster gain 300 ATK for each one until the end phase!”

Alice gasped as she watched one of the orbs circling Yurik’s monster melded with its horn. Suddenly, the monster shot its head up and let out a narrow tornado from it, swirls of purple, green, and orange appearing inside of it. At that moment, both Unioncorn of Fire and Unioncorn of Night became covered in an orange aura while Spark Barrier was covered in green.

That’s right! realized Alice. His pendulum monsters count as well! His monster will be much stronger than mine!

“The effects of Unioncorn of Fire, Unioncorn of Night, and Spark Barrier have been negated,” said Yurik. “That’s three cards in total, so my monster gains 900 ATK!”

At once the orange auras of Yurik’s monsters and the green aura on his spell card were sucked into the twister, melding into one orange and green shape. The tornado receded back into the monster’s horn, where it began shining even brighter than before.

ATK: 2500 -> 3400

“Wow,” sighed Spike. “He really is good…”

“Now, go!” shouted Yurik. “Allicorn Magician, attack Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord! Umbral Conjuring!”

The orange-and-green glow of the alicorn’s horn now became a deep purple as it shot its beam at Alice’s praying mantis. The spell enveloped both Alice and her monster, the latter stripping away as the sheer energy of the blast tore through it. Alice shielded her face and grunted loudly as she was pushed back by the force.

Alice’s Life Points: 2800 -> 2200

The blast finally ended, allowing Alice to see the field once again.

“Yurik,” she wheezed fearfully, “what have you done?”

The others on the sideline looked much more gladdened by Yurik’s imminent win.

“If Yurik can land this attack,” Applejack exclaimed, “Yurik wins!”

“Go, Yurik!” shouted Mary.

Walt, Donald, and Marcus however, could easily feel unease in their guts as they appeared far more nervous about what was happening.

“This attack will end it!” shouted Yurik. “Go, Twilight Alicorn! Attack Alice directly! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn shot out its signature stream of magenta light at Alice, striking the ground below her and blasting a thick mass of dirt, dust, and smoke into the air. Regardless of their individual expectations, each of the humans, ponies, as well as Spike, were all awed by the result of Twilight Alicorn’s attack.

“Whoa,” cooed Fluttershy.

“Did…” Walt wonder with a doubtful tone, “did he really do it?”

Yurik panted as he watched the dust begin to settle, his eyes scanning to where the side of Alice would be and waiting for a counter to affirm that he had depleted all of her life points. Finally her body could be seen emerging through the parting dust, still standing strong despite the hit she took. Finally, a counter appeared.

Alice’s Life Points: 100

Yurik, the ponies, and Spike all gasped loudly and fearfully as Walt bared his teeth, affirming Yurik’s fatal error.

“Impossible!” shouted Yurik. “My monster should have wiped out your life points.”

“Yeah?” Alice responded, looking up with a disappointed scowl on her face. “But you didn’t, because I activated my trap card, Karma Cocoon.

More dust passed away from the field to reveal a trap card showing a green cocoon with bright, sparkling light emitting from the numerous cracks atop it.

“When I would take battle damage,” Alice said, “I can shuffle one Insect-type monster from my graveyard or face-up in my extra deck that was destroyed this turn into the main deck and reduce the battle damage equal to the ATK of the targeted monster.”

Alice then revealed a card in her hand: her Stopper Spider, it ATK revealed to the side of the fingers that held the card.

“I chose my Stopper Spider with 400 ATK,” she clarified. “Your monster’s ATK was 2500, which means I take only 2100 damage, leaving me with 100 to spare.”

Yurik stood helpless and scared as Alice added her card onto her deck, which then began to shuffle up. Walt stood on the sidelines seething as Yurik’s hope and energy drained out of him.

“You should see Walt’s face,” Alice said.

Yurik turned to see Walt’s anger, which only grew as Walt could see Yurik’s confusion for his disposition.

“He and I are both thinking the same thing,” she clarified. “You could have won this duel had you thought it out.”

“I…” Yurik squawked. “I could have? How could I…”

Suddenly, Yurik looked to the sides of his field, seeing his pendulum monsters looking back at him with a sense of rejection. It was then that Yurik realized.

No… he thought. I could have won… If I had used Twilight Alicorn’s Summon Shine effect to special summon them, I could have…

“Yurik!” screamed Walt. “Use your god-damned head! You’re not going to win duels by playing safe and easy!”

“And what’s my other option?” he yipped back. “Risk her trap destroying all of my monsters and clearing my field?”

“That’s a risk you always run when you duel!” Alice shouted out, stepping forwards. “It’s the same risks you took to beat Kieran, it’s the same risks you took to beat Twilight, Billy, and Orpheus! What makes me any different? And don’t tell me that it’s because your deck is riding on it! You faced to lose your card against Kieran! You faced losing Pinkie Pie by dueling Billy, and you ran the risk of losing every pony dueling Orpheus, so don’t tell me that your stakes are any higher than they’ve ever been right now!”

Yurik clenched his fists as anger and fright began to seize him once again.

“You just granted me another turn because of your fear of Keifer,” Alice continued. “If you’re really set on forfeiting your deck, then you can just quit now!”

“Shut up!” barked Yurik. “I won’t let you get near my deck! I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn, special summoning two monsters from my pendulum zone!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn a magenta aura coating Unioncorn of Night and Unioncorn of Fire.

“I special summon Unioncorn of Night and Unioncorn of Fire with this effect,” he declared. “Go! Summon Shine!”

Both of Yurik’s monsters disappeared from the pendulum zones and appeared beside Yurik’s other two monsters in a bright, pink bubble.

Unioncorn of Night
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 4

Unioncorn of Fire
DEF: 1200
Lvl.: 4

“Next,” Yurik proclaimed, waving his hand over his field, “I overlay my level 4 Unioncorn of Night and Unioncorn of Fire!”

Yurik’s two monsters transformed into a purple and red beam and danced about in the air over a red portal forming at the ground.

“With these two monsters,” Yurik shouted as both monsters flew inside the vortex, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The portal blew out with white as Yurik’s black alicorn with a dark-purple mane and tail, black crown, and two whitish-purple orbs of light surrounding it flew out from it right before it closed.

“Appear!” cried Yurik. “Allicorn Queen of Night!”

The monster’s hooves landed upon the ground with finesse, quickly reverting its form to that of impending malice.

Allicorn Queen of Night
ATK: 2600
Rnk.: 4

Yurik looked calmly at his now open pendulum zones, suddenly pointing to the one on his right with his outstretched arm.

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn,” he stated, “placing it on an unused pendulum zone I control!”

With another charge of its horn, Twilight Alicorn vanished and rematerialized onto Yurik’s right pendulum zone as he had instructed.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

“Then,” continued Yurik, “I activate the spell card Galloper’s Respite!”

Yurik threw the remaining card in his hand into his duel disks spell/trap zone, the card that fazed on to the field appearing with art of Unioncorn of Light, Pegassist of Water, and Earth Pony lying on the bottom of their stomachs on a grassy field.

“This card changes all attack position monsters I control to defense position,” he explained, “but they cannot change their battle positions until my next end phase, where they’ll be changed back to attack position.”

Both Allicorn Magician and Allicorn Queen of Night widened their stances and bowed their heads down in a restful manner.

Allicorn Magician
ATK: 2500 -> DEF: 2500

Allicorn Queen of Night
ATK: 2600 -> DEF: 1000

Alice’s eyes shrunk into thin, furious slits as her right hand squeezed as tight as the muscles could allow.

“Lastly,” Yurik said, pointing to his black alicorn, “I activate the effect of Allicorn Queen of Night!”

Yurik reached for his xyz monster card and removed both cards that were left underneath it and slipped them into his graveyard slot.

“By detaching two xyz materials from this card while I have no cards in my hand,” he said as both orbs melded with the monster’s horn, making both it and the top of his deck glow, “I can draw two cards!”

Yurik put his fingers onto his deck and whipped his arm out, two cards left pinched in his hand. He glanced at them, spotting an armored pony without a horn nor wings, as well as his Earth Pony card. With nothing else to help him, he kept his cards in his grasp.

“I end my turn,” he said, staring straight back at Alice.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 2700    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 1    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

As Yurik finally added both cards in his left hand, the humans and Equestrians looked upon the field with a new sense of dread and forlornness. Alice, however, breathed out through her gnashed teeth, her fist unrolling and flexing out in fast motions.

“What did I say?” asked Alice. “What did I say about you playing that defensive crap?”

Yurik worked his own face into a scowl as he prepared his body for Alice’s imminent rage.

“I told you it was going to hurt, Yurik!” she began to scream. “And now I’m going to hurt you until you’re forced to fight back! My turn! DRAW!!”

Alice looked to her card, stunned immensely by her fortune and the assault she was about to deliver.

“I activate the spell card Burrower’s Endurance!” she shouted, revealing the card to Yurik featuring a beetle-shaped mound of dirt on a forested path. “This card lets me target one of my banished insect-type monsters and add it to my graveyard, and the monster I choose is my Larva Queen Ant!”

A small crumpled card began to appear and unfold out of thin air, straightening out into a perfect copy of Alice’s monster card. A purple and black portal then formed beneath the Larva Queen Ant card, where it sunk in before the portal closed back up.

Alice then looked at the final card in her possession, smiling madly as she picked it out of her left hand with her right. Shudders of laughter could be heard escaping Alice’s lips, unnerving Yurik and even Walt, Donald, and Marcus greatly.

“When my life points are below 500,” said Alice, “and I control no cards and have no other cards in my hand other than this one…”

While frightened for Alice’s sanity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike leaned in closer for what she had in store.

“…I can activate continuous spell card Super Swarm – Rise of Insects!” she bellowed, slamming the card into her duel disk.

A card appeared on Alice’s field, showing artwork of purple lines shooting off to the sides and down the center and hundreds of insects of varying sizes flying from the bottom of the art’s frame. Likewise, the card began to shine purple beams of light at Yurik, their brightness forcing him to shield his eyes while the onlookers watched in awe.

“When this card is activated,” explained Alice, “I can add two insect-type pendulum monsters from my deck to my hand!”

“Two of them?” gasped Yurik.

“Unreal!” Donald sighed in exasperation.

“She can add any pendulum monsters to her hand?” wondered Marcus. “That guarantees her a decent scale.”

“I can’t believe she even had such a card in her deck!”

Alice’s deck shuffled once again, two cards sliding out from the top of her deck for her to grab. She revealed her two cards: a hornet with a skirt made of leaves attached to the sides of its hind legs and a long black millipede that rolled itself into a sphere.

“The monsters I choose are my Sweet Tea Honey Bee and my Millionpede!” she declared.

Yurik stood trembling as Alice nonchalantly added the cards to her hand.

“Also,” she exclaimed, pointing her hand to her card, “Super Swarm has another amazing effect! Once per turn, I can add up to three insect-type monsters from my graveyard to my hand!”

“No way!” gulped Yurik. “That card is insane!” 

Three cards, two orange and one white ejected from the graveyard slot of Alice’s disk. She picked the white one up and placed it into her extra deck slot and then took the two others and revealed them to Yurik.

“I add Larva Queen Ant and Diamond Moth to my hand while Cao Cao, the Mantis Warrior is returned to my extra deck!” she said.

Adding her two cards back to her hand, she grabbed her two pendulum monsters and revealed them both to Yurik once again.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 1 Millionpede and the scale 8 Sweet Tea Honey Bee!” Alice shouted.

With a quick movement of her hand, Alice threw both cards onto the very ends of both of their blades. Two blue pillars rose on the sides of her field, and from the left and right ones, respectively, were a large millipede with its body snaked about inside the spherical coil it was stuck in and a hornet with bright-green leaves draped over its back legs. A 1 and an 8 appeared over both monsters as a dark-blue sky formed on the ceiling with the multi-pointed star appearing in it.

Millionpede
Pendulum Scale: 1

Sweet Tea Honey Bee
Pendulum Scale: 8

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 2 through 7,” Alice declared. “Pendulum summon!”

Alice slammed her last two cards from her hand onto her monster zones, allowing a red portal to appear under the star and spit out an orange and a green beam that landed on the ground and picked dust into the air.

“Return!” she beckoned. “Larva Queen Ant! Diamond Moth!”

The dust settled, revealing that both monsters had indeed returned to the field.

Larva Queen Ant
ATK: 100
Lvl.: 4

Diamond Moth
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

“Next,” Alice continued, “the effect of my Sweet Tea Honey Bee in my pendulum zone activates, allowing me to draw a card for every insect-type monster I pendulum summoned during the turn this card was activated, which means I draw two cards!”

As said, she whipped her hand over her deck, producing two cards from it.

“Regardless,” Walt thought aloud, “she has Cao Cao back in her extra deck and the proper materials back on the field. It’s coming back with a vengeance.”

“Now,” shouted Alice, “I tune my level 4 Larva Queen Ant with my level 5 Diamond Moth!”

Diamond Moth flew back into the air with its glowing wings before it burst into five stars that formed into three green rings. Larva Queen Ant leapt up at the descending rings as they aligned together. The ant flew into the rings, leaving nothing but its orange outline and four bright stars inside of it.

“General of the insects,” chanted Alice, “obliterate the enemy forces with your magnificent military might!”

The outline of Larva Queen Ant disappeared as the stars were left to be pierced by a line of light that grew around them and the five rings.

“Synchro summon!” she cried out.

Alice’s armored praying mantis emerged once again from the bright pillar and took its place proudly on Alice’s field.

“Reappear!” she called out. “Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord!”

The massive insect rubbed its bladed scythes together, producing a wide array of sparks that fell crackled as the metal ran against each other.

Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 9

Yurik growled at the monster’s reappearance at it glared back at him.

“That can only mean…” he thought aloud.

“The effect of Larva Queen Ant in my graveyard now activates,” Alice stated, “special summoning an Egg Token to my side of the field when it’s sent to the graveyard!”

A purple portal with a black vortex opened on the ground, Alice’s monster’s abdomen poking out from it. With a secretion of yet another egg, the insect disappeared into the void while the portal closed back up.

Egg Token
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

“Next,” spoke Alice, “I normal summon String Shooter!”

Placing the card on the zone to the last available side of Cao Cao, a portal opened back up on the field, a from it, an anthropomorphic brown spider with a sizable rifle hopped out and aimed its weapon at Yurik’s field.

String Shooter
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 3

“I now activate the effect of String Shooter,” Alice shouted, “negating the effect of one monster on the field until the end phase when it’s normal summoned, and I’ll choose your Allicorn Magician!”

“What?” exclaimed Yurik.

Alice’s spider pulled the trigger on its weapon, releasing a web-like net that wrapped itself around Allicorn Magician and caught tight, making the monster cry out in fear.

“Allicorn Magician!” Yurik cried.

“And with your monster’s effect negated,” Alice reminded callously, “you will take battle damage again, and with your Spark Barrier still in play, your monsters won’t be destroyed, but you’ll still feel the damage.”

“Damn you, Alice,” hissed Yurik.

“The only one who’s damned is you! Now, battle! Cao Cao, attack Allicorn Queen of Night! Red Scythe Slash!”

Yurik backed away, frightened as Alice’s monster approached him. The others on the sidelines watched with amazement as this event was happening. Yurik turned and ran as Cao Cao brought its blade down on Yurik’s monster. While the monster remained intact, a bright crescent shaped light flew out from the point of the strike and into Yurik’s back, hurling him off his feet and making him land on his stomach with a loud, painful groan.

Yurik’s Life Points: 2700 -> 900

The ponies and Spike winced at Yurik’s hit while Walt stood blankly and furiously, watching a seemingly-justified hurt. Yurik stood himself up and turned to face Alice again with contempt in his eyes. Alice glared back, not threatened in the slightest.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” Alice simply responded as she put the last card in her hand into her spell and trap slot, the backing appearing flat on the field.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 100    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Cards: 2    Pendulum Scale: 2 – 7    Spells/Traps: 2

Yurik glanced about the field and finally spotted String Shooter, suddenly beaming with madness in his eyes.

“You made a really big mistake there,” he giggled. “A really big mistake! I have two cards in my hand, and one left to draw. I could have a monster with at least 1100 ATK now or in the future. Even if I really didn’t, I still have the attack of my Twilight Alicorn to finish your String Shooter and the rest of your life points!”

“That’s right!” gasped Applejack. “She overpowered Yurik’s monster to do some hefty damage, but now she’s left vulnerable again!”

Looking back at her, her face showed no signs of fear, regret, or danger, confusing the ponies and dragon.

“What do you think she has?” wondered Spike.

“I don’t’ know,” Marcus said, “but we should not expect this duel to be over. Not by a long shot.”

Yurik didn’t seem to hear their words, concentrating his entire gaze on her weak monster.

“Let’s go!” Yurik shouted. “My turn! Draw!”

If I can beat her here, Yurik thought as he looked at his drawn card, which appeared to be a green pegasus with tribal markings, I won’t have to worry about Galloper’s Respite’s effect going out. I just need to deliver this last blow!

Yurik immediately added the card to his hand and pointed to his Twilight Alicorn with his hand.

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn,” he stated, “special summoning my monster in face up attack position to my field!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn shone brightly before it disappeared and reappeared on the field along with Yurik’s other two monsters, ready to finish the fight.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“This will end it!” screamed Yurik. “Now, Twilight Alicorn, attack String Shooter! Bright Burst Magic!!”

Twilight Alicorn launched its magenta beam at Alice’s monster, but her expression refused to change.

“I activate my trap!” she yelled. “Beetle’s Boon! When I would take battle damage involving an insect-type monster, I reduce the damage to 0!”

“No!” shouted Yurik.

The magic blast exploded the spider, but all of the debris and smoke flew straight into the air, the only thing Alice feeling was a wind that blew into her body. Yurik pressed his fingernails into his palm as he squeezed his hand, feeling them just about to pierce the skin. The ponies looked very scared by Yurik’s enraged and animalistic face as his next chance of defeating her fell through.

“Told you,” sighed Marcus.

“You seem too eager to win,” called Alice. “That’s not going to help you either. If you want to win this duel, you need to think, Yurik! You’ll never beat Keifer like that, and Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Spike are all going to be taken away!”

“Shut up!” Yurik barked. “I won’t lose this duel! I’m going to prove to you and to Twilight that I can still save her!”

Alice gasped, genuinely surprised at his response. At that moment, he caught what he had said and recoiled in his own shock. He then sported a look of shame and humiliation on his face that he tried to conceal with a tilted head. The ponies leaned in, realizing something was happening to their friend. Walt and Mary too softened up their glares and appeared to look at Yurik with concern.

“Yurik?” questioned Mary.

Yurik threw his head forwards, revealing his anguished face.

“Yes!” Yurik relented with moistening eyes. “I want to save Twilight with all my heart! But I’m scared, Alice! I don’t want to watch these guys leave because I messed up! I don’t want to do that again! I don’t want to live my life knowing I was a failure to them!”

Yurik closed his eyes and let his tears flow down his face, hanging his arms and his head again down low. Walt reformed his determined face, stepped forwards from the crowd towards his friend.

“Yurik!” he shouted. “You aren’t a failure! The reason we were able to save most of them in the first place was because of you. You should feel really proud of yourself!”

“And it’s because of me almost half of them are gone!” Yurik cried back. “I don’t know if I have the strength to defeat him!”

“Then find it!” Alice yelled. “If you really want to rescue Twilight so badly, then defeat me, because I’m almost certain that if you can’t beat me, you won’t stand a ghost of a chance against Kieran.”

Yurik gasped with trembling eyes, feeling even more stress strike his gut.

“Now,” Alice said, “about your turn?”

Yurik frowned slightly as picked his arms back up.

“During my end phase,” he said, “the effect of Galloper’s Respite changes all of my defense position monsters into attack position.”

Yurik begrudgingly turned all of his monsters so that they were upright in their zones. At once, both Allicorn Magician and Allicorn Queen of Night stood straight up and picked up their heads in an alert fashion.

Allicorn Magician
DEF: 2500 -> ATK: 2500

Allicorn Queen of Night
DEF: 1000 -> ATK: 2600

“I…” Yurik struggled to say, “end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 900    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

“Come on, Yurik!” shouted Applejack. “Don’t let her prove herself right!”

“We believe in you!” cheered Pinkie Pie.

“Sorry, Alice,” whispered Mary, sudden breathing in for a shout. “Kick her ass, Yurik!”

“You got this!” Spike roared.

“Don’t let her prove you wrong!” bellowed Walt.

Yurik found his spirits gradually uplifted by the cheers of his friends, finding his posture straightening and the strength in his heart and body increasing.

“Your friends don’t think you’re a failure,” Alice said. “I can understand that you’re scared; we can understand that you’re scared, but we won’t allow someone like you to let their fear overcome them. You have been entrusted with a great power, and I’d hate for you to squander that power because you’re afraid to use it.”

Yurik stepped a foot back and held his left arm close under his chin, bracing himself for Alice’s upcoming attack.

“That’s more like it,” she muttered with a smirk. “Now, let’s finally see you fight back! My turn! Draw!”

As Alice drew her card, the coiled Millionpede began to glow.

“During my standby phase,” explained Alice, “Millionpede’s pendulum scale increases by 1!”

Yurik saw as the front end of the massive insect snaked about itself, forming a slightly larger version of itself.

Pendulum Scale: 1 -> 2

“Now,” Alice called, pointing to her face up spell card, “I activate the effect of Super Swarm – Rise of Insects, allowing me to add up to three insect-type monsters from my graveyard to my hand!”

Three cards ejected from Alice’s graveyard, allowing her to take them and present them all to her opponent.

“I return Larva Queen Ant, Diamond Moth, and String Shooter to my hand!” she stated.

At that moment, the dark-blue sky reappeared as well as the large star. As well, two pillars enveloped both Sweet Tea Honey Bee and Millionpede.

“With Millionpede and Sweet Tea Honey Bee in my pendulum zones,” Alice shouted, “I can special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 3 through 7! Pendulum summon!”

In an ornate twist of her wrist, she swiped all of her cards onto the remaining three monster zones on her field with their top ends facing the left. Two orange auras and a green aura shot down from the red portal that appeared under the star and landed on the empty spaces on Alice’s field.

“Return!” she shouted. “Larva Queen Ant! Diamond Moth! String Shooter!”

Once the dust cleared, each of the monsters were all visible on the field, each one in a submissive-looking or defensive pose.

Larva Queen Ant
DEF: 2000
Lvl.: 4

Diamond Moth
DEF: 2000
Lvl.: 5

String Shooter
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 3

The ponies and Spike were in awe at Alice’s now filled field. However, Yurik looked more annoyingly perplexed.

“Hey!” he shouted. “What are you doing Alice? Were those lectures of me fighting back all for nothing?”

“Far from it,” Alice said. “Most of these monsters will be gone by turn’s end… not that there’s going to be an end to this turn.”

“What are you saying? Do you really think you’re going to–”

“I now tune my level 1 Egg Token with my level 5 Diamond Moth!” declared Alice.

Yurik gasped as he watched Diamond Moth fly while glowing in the air, turning into five bright stars that in turn transformed into five green rings. Cao Cao picked up the Egg Token with the sides of its blades and tossed it up, sending it towards the aligning rings, where it became an orange outline with a single star inside of it.

“Parasitic bug of pestilence,” chanted Alice, “let your opponent be your food and strength!”

The outline disappeared and left the star behind, where a light piercing through it and grew out around the five rings.

“Synchro summon!” she shouted.

With the light fading, a large brown-and-white flying bug that appeared to be a cross between a mosquito and a wasp flew about above the field and towards Alice’s side.

“Appear,” she called, “festering terror! Botfly of Blight!”

The bug landed down on the field and stood unnervingly still in an instant, awaiting Alice’s command.

Botfly of Blight
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 6

“A new synchro monster?” spoke Yurik with a shaky voice. “With 0 ATK?”

“And now to finish this,” purred Alice. “Battle! Botfly of Blight, attack Allicorn Queen of Night!”

The giant fly sped off towards Yurik’s black alicorn.

“What?” shouted Spike and Applejack incredulously.

“That’s suicide!” exclaimed Walt.

“What are you thinking, Alice?”

“This is what I’m thinking,” she responded. “When Botfly of Blight battles, all battle damage I take involving it is reduced to 0!”

“What?”

The fly collided into Allicorn Queen of Night, destroying itself in a fiery explosion and covering the alicorn in its smoke.

“I don’t understand,” thought Yurik as the smoke too blew into him. “Why would you do that?”

“Just watch,” Alice instructed.

As the smoke cleared, Allicorn Queen of Night was seemingly unharmed, but to Yurik’s shock, there appeared to be a large, writhing bump on its back by the base of its wing, making the alicorn stamp in sheer discomfort.

Larva Counters: 0 -> 1

ATK: 2600 -> 1300

“Impossible!” Yurik spat. “What is that thing?”

“When Botfly of Blight declares an attack and is destroyed by battle,” she clarified, “a Larva Counter is placed on the monster it attacked and its ATK is halved. Then, during your standby phase, I can remove that counter from your monster to destroy it. Then, I can special summon Botfly of Blight from my graveyard and have its ATK become equal to the destroyed monster’s original ATK.”

“No…” Yurik sighed with fatality. “This can’t be…”

“This is it now! I now activate the effect of Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord, tributing an insect-type monster during my battle phase and reducing a monster’s ATK by 1000!”

“What?” gasped Spike. “She isn’t just attacking the weakened Allicorn?”

“No,” Walt said, “she’s insuring herself!”

“I don’t get it! What does that–”

“Just watch, Spike.”

“I tribute my String Shooter to reduce the ATK of Allicorn Magician by 1000!” Alice declared.

Cao Cao picked up the armed spider and tossed it at Allicorn Magician, the projectile blasting on contact. The smoke weakened the alicorn into swooning feebly.

ATK: 2500 -> 1500

“Now,” she commanded, “Cao Cao, attack Allicorn Magician! Red Scythe Slash!”

The gigantic mantis charged its way at Yurik’s monster with its arms winding back, making Yurik scowl at his situation.

“Yurik!” screamed Alice.

“I activate my trap,” Yurik shouted, “Hero’s Martyrdom!”

A purple card flipped up, showing what appeared to be a heavily armored knight silhouetted before a strong blast as an unarmored soldier watched on.

“While I all monsters I control have less ATK than an attacking monster you control,” explained Yurik, “that monster must attack the monster I control with the highest ATK!”

“Unbelievable!” huffed Alice. “The strongest monster you control is Twilight Alicorn! Are you really willing to destroy it to save yourself?”

Twilight Alicorn turned to Yurik and gave him a nod, a now proud smile on her face. With her assurance confirmed, Yurik faced Alice again.

“Yes,” he answered, “we are!”

Cao Cao went on its attack and raised its bladed arm up.

“Fine then!” shouted Alice, revealing a spell card in her hand, showing Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord with its blade catching fire. “I activate the quick-play spell card Insect General’s Fury! When the opponent activates a trap card during the battle phase, I can target one level-7 or higher insect-type monster and increase its ATK by 500 until the end phase!”

Yurik bared his teeth as he awaited the blow and watched the monster’s blade go alight.

ATK: 2800 -> 3300

The blade struck Twilight Alicorn, its pain-riddled whinnies silenced in a burst of sparks and fire. The blast collided into Yurik and threw him off his feet. Yurik shrieked in anguish as the fire burned his skin.

Yurik’s Life Points: 900 -> 100

Yurik crumpled to the floor, choosing to lie still and rest his sore and scratched up body, much to the shock and fear of Walt, Mary, and the ponies.

“Yurik!” shouted Walt and Spike simultaneously.

“Hmph,” spoke Alice. “I thought you were saving that card for something.”

Yurik slowly got up onto all fours, facing Alice the entire time with a agony-riddled grit in his teeth.

“I hoped to use it to protect Allicorn Magician,” he wheezed, “in case you found a way to bypass my Spark Barrier and tried to destroy it.”

“I see,” she remarked. “Either way, it won’t be helping you anymore.”

“What was that?”

“The next effect of Insect General’s Fury activates! When the targeted monster manages to destroy an opponent’s monster by battle I can destroy one other card you control, and I choose your Allicorn Magician!”

“Oh no!”

Cao Cao wound its right arm and slashed it down, a crescent of fire flying out from its blade and crashing down onto the alicorn, which only had enough time to look up before it was incinerated from the field. The digitized pieces of Yurik’s monsters blew into him, forcing him to shield his face in aggravation.

“During the end phase,” spoke Alice, “Insect General’s Fury’s effect ends, and Cao Cao’s ATK returns to normal.”

The fires around the monster’s blades receded, leaving no trace of a fire having ever been there.

ATK: 3300 -> 2800

“And once you begin your next turn,” Alice reminded, “your Allicorn Queen of Night will be destroyed and my Botfly of Blight will be reborn with your monster’s ATK added to it. So without further to do, I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 100    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 2    Pendulum Scale: 3 – 7    Spells/Traps: 1

Yurik stood still and grimly turned to his suffering monster, the lump getting bigger and moving even more as it looked close to breaking the skin. The others watched as the alicorn’s head turned to him with tears welling in its eyes, begging its master for the pain to end.

Yurik felt his own tears welling as he stepped forwards to the side of his horse and laid both his hand and his forehead onto his side, his downward tilted head letting the water drip from his eyes. He then wrapped as much of his arm around the back of the alicorn as he could to give it a final embrace.

“I’m sorry for putting you through this,” he lovingly whispered. “You’ve done so well for me, my monster.”

Allicorn Queen of Night then turned its head as far as the lump in its body could allow and lightly nuzzled the top of Yurik’s head with its muzzle in an equally affectionate way. With a last pat on his side, he backed away and stepped back to his spot, much to the wonder of the onlookers.

“Alright, Alice,” Yurik growled, a fire of fury in his voice, “it’s time to take my final turn.”

With his hands upon his deck, he gave a final glance to his ailing monster as it prepared its end.

You won’t be in pain anymore for my sake, he thought. I’ll certainly avenge you… Twilight!

“My turn!” he shouted on high. “DRAW!”

“The effect of Botfly of Blight now activates!” declared Alice. “I remove the Larva Counter from your monster and destroy it!”

The bulge in Allicorn Queen of Night’s skin grew even larger, a noticeable bright crack spreading across the skin and the light shining over the entire monster’s body with a shrill cry of pain. The monster finally burst away and left behind a sphere of light.

“Next,” Alice continued, “I can special summon Botfly of Blight from my graveyard and have its ATK become the original ATK of your Allicorn Queen of Night!”

The ball of light grew out into the shape of Alice’s former monster, the bright skin shattering off and revealing the restored form of the giant fly.

Botfly of Blight
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 6

“Allicorn Queen of Night’s ATK was 2600,” said Alice, “which means my Botfly of Blight’s ATK too becomes 2600!”

With speed equal to its attack, the large botfly flew back to Alice’s side of the field and landed beside Cao Cao.

ATK: 0 -> 2600

Yurik looked to his recently drawn card: Pony Switch Shuffle, and then to his hand, which contained Earth Pony, the green pegasus, and the armored pony cards.

Looks like it’s this card to the rescue, thought Yurik. However, if I want to win this duel, I’ll need to draw the right cards right here and now if I want to make up for all the life points I lost playing like I have.

“I activate the spell card Pony Switch Shuffle!” Yurik shouted, revealing his card to Alice. “This card allows me to shuffle two monsters with Unioncorn, Pegassist, or Pony in their names into the deck.

Yurik removed two of the cards from his hand and showed them both to Alice, them being the green pegasus card and Earth Pony.

“I shuffle Earth Pony and Pegassist of Wind to my deck,” he declared as he slipped both cards onto the top of his deck.

The cards inside the slot shuffled and then came to an abrupt stop, allowing Yurik to place is hand atop it.

Come on, begged Yurik with closed eyes. I know I’ve been a complete wuss these past few hours, but I’m not going to let Keifer have his way with my friends, and I need your help more than ever!

“And then,” stated Yurik, his fingers pinching the deck, “I draw two cards!”

With a whip of his arm, two cards were held tightly in Yurik’s hand. With a slow revealing twist of his wrist, he saw his two cards, a spell and his Unioncorn of Water. Yurik’s growing smile confused Alice while it raised the spirits of Walt, Mary, the ponies, and Spike.

“My deck has answered me…” Yurik sighed, “and it believes in me!”

Yurik added his cards to his hand and picked out the spell card.

“I activate the spell card Return to Pasture!” Yurik declared, throwing his card into his spell and trap slot.

On the field, a green card with art of Light Pony running along a grassy field towards a group of Unioncorn, Pegassist, and Pony monsters.

“This card allows me to target a Unioncorn, Pegassist, or Pony monster in my graveyard and return it to my hand, and the one I choose is…”

Yurik’s Unioncorn of Fire ejected itself from Yurik’s graveyard, which he took and revealed to Alice.

“…Unioncorn of Fire!”

Alice growled as she suspected what was coming for her. Yurik, with his card in his hand, picked up his other pendulum monster and revealed them both together to his opponent.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 3 Unioncorn of Fire and the scale 4 Unioncorn of Water!” he declared.

Yurik placed his cards on the outer zones of his blades, and with it, two blue pillars rose from the ground with Unioncorn of Fire and Unioncorn of Water rising inside them at Yurik’s left and right, respectively. The sky began to turn blue, the star appeared inside of it, and a 3 and a 4 appeared over Yurik’s monsters.

Unioncorn of Fire
Pendulum Scale: 3

Unioncorn of Water
Pendulum Scale: 4

“Wait a second!” shouted Spike. “How’s Yurik supposed to pendulum summon with a scale like that?”

“Just watch, Spike,” urged Walt. “He’ll explain.”

Spike obediently turned to Yurik and listened in on the rest of his turn.

“I activate the effect of Unioncorn of Water,” exclaimed Yurik. “By negating the effect of a FIRE-attribute monster in my pendulum zone, I can double its pendulum scale this turn!”

A pool of water formed on the ground beneath Unioncorn of Fire’s hooves, its mane and tail of flames dying down until they were both extinguished. As the now barren unicorn let out a shivering huff, a blue aura surrounded Unioncorn of Water, its horn shining brightest of all.

Pendulum Scale: 4 -> 8

Twilight Alicorn ejected itself out of Yurik’s extra deck slot, with Yurik taking both his armored pony card and his Twilight Alicorn in his right hand.

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand and extra deck whose levels are 4 through 8!” he shouted, holding both cards up in the air. “Pendulum summon!”

Yurik threw both cards onto his center open zones on the field, followed by the red portal opening up and shooting out a purple and magenta colored aura each. Both beams struck the ground and covered his field with dust.

“From my hand,” cried Yurik, “Armored Pony! And from my extra deck…”

A massive fan from a pair of lavender wings blew the cloud away and revealed both monsters: Twilight Alicorn, and the armored stallion pony from Yurik’s other card.

“…Twilight Alicorn!”

With the dirt cleared, Yurik and his monsters stood before Alice and her field of monsters with full preparedness to attack.

Armored Pony
ATK: 2300
Lvl.: 6

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Unbelievable,” Alice muttered with sheer surprise on her face as she saw her imminent defeat laid before her. “Yurik, you…”

“And with Unioncorn of Water’s other pendulum effect,” reminded Yurik, “I gain 100 life points for every level of every pendulum monster I pendulum summoned this turn. Twilight Alicorn’s level is 7, so I gain 700 life points!”

Unioncorn of Water’s horn charged as water snaked from its horn and formed a halo over Yurik, drizzling a refreshing an soothing mist on his body.

Yurik’s Life Points: 100 -> 800

“Now then,” resumed Yurik, “I now activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn, special summoning two monsters from my pendulum zones! Go! Summon Shine!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn charged up and covered its magic aura around the two unicorns on the side of Yurik’s field. Then in an instant, both monsters disappeared from the field and reappeared next to Twilight Alicorn and Armored Pony.

Unioncorn of Fire
ATK: 1600
Lvl.: 4

Unioncorn of Water
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“Here it comes,” Donald said. “Perhaps this kid really has some brass after all.”

With his field all set, Yurik pointed his finger to the ceiling.

“I overlay my level 4 Unioncorn of Fire and Unioncorn of Water!” he declared.

Both of Yurik’s monsters transformed into a red and a blue aura and spiraled around Yurik in a seemingly joyful manner before spreading out in their ascent.

“With these two monsters,” he said as the two auras sped into a red vortex that had appeared before him on the field, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The portal burst open with Yurik’s red Unioncorn with the mane-tail, and wings made of vapor flying out from it, two light orbs circling about it.

“Let’s win,” called Yurik, “Allicorn of Steam!”

The monster landed beside Twilight Alicorn, a warm, wet puff skating across the floor of the field.

Allicorn of Steam
ATK: 1900
Rnk.: 4

“I now activate the effect of Armored Pony,” he went on, “equipping it to a monster I control and having it gain 300 ATK! The monster I choose is my Twilight Alicorn!”

Armored Pony burst away in a flash of light, leaving its armor floating where its bearer had originally stood, now with a hole for the horn and two on the side for the wings. The armor lifted itself over the targeted monster and fit itself upon the lavender alicorn, giving her a much needed boost of strength.

ATK: 2500 -> 2800

“Amazing!” Fluttershy gasped. “Now its ATK is equal to her mantis’s.”

“We’re about to see a real battle of the aces,” commented Pinkie Pie loudly and cheerfully, “and they have strength in spades!”

“Not quite,” Walt said, confusing the two ponies.

“Finally,” cried Yurik, “I activate the effect of Allicorn of Steam!”

Reaching for his xyz monster, he removed a single card from underneath it and placed it in his graveyard. One of the lights orbiting the alicorn melded with its horn, making its tip leak with water.

“By detaching one xyz material from this card,” he explained, “I can target one monster the opponent controls and halve its ATK, and then increase the opponent’s life points by that same amount, and the monster I choose is Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord!”

Allicorn of Steam pointed its horn at Alice’s monster, producing a strong blast of vapor at Cao Cao, its shrill screams indicating its agony.

ATK: 2800 -> 1400

The steam rolled on, blowing onto Alice and providing a relaxing and warm feel on her skin.

Alice’s Life Points: 100 -> 1500

Once the steam faded away, Alice’s growled as she watched her Super Swarm – Rise of Insects card begin to glow brightly before bursting with an electronic shatter. The onlookers were all shocked at what they had seen.

“Her card just exploded?” Pinkie Pie asked. “That can just happen now? This game must be really hard!”

“It’s no coincidence,” said Yurik with a surefire smirk. “Super Swarm is a very powerful card, but it has one major drawback. If that card is still active when the controller’s life points are above 500, then the card destroys itself.”

“No way!” Marcus sighed. “He figured that out all on his own!”

Spike examined the field, specifically the weakened Cao Cao, the strengthened Twilight Alicorn, and their ATKs.

“Wait a minute,” Spike said. “Why didn’t Yurik use that Allicorn’s effect on her botfly monster? With Twilight Alicorn’s ATK and half of 2600, which is 1300, that should have been enough to wipe out Alice’s life points. At this rate, Alice will still have enough life points at the end of the turn!”

“No, Spike!” Pinkie Pie chirped, wrapping her arm around the dragon’s neck and pulling her close. “Don’t you remember?”

Spike looked to the field to find what Pinkie Pie was referring to.

“Now, Twilight Alicorn,” ordered Yurik, “attack Botfly of Blight! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn launched a magic beam at Alice’s botfly, making it blow up on contact. The resulting smoke and flames blew into Alice, but they didn’t seem to affect her at all.

“Huh?” Spike wondered. “I don’t understand! Why didn’t Alice take any damage…”

Suddenly, he remembered Alice’s statement when she first attacked with it.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“When Botfly of Blight battles, all battle damage I take involving it is reduced to 0!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“That’s right!” he finally realized. “If he used the effect on that botfly and attacked it, Alice wouldn’t have taken any damage and she still would have been safe!”

“Not only that,” added Walt, “but she’d still have Cao Cao with her. It will be a slower win, but now its Yurik that has Alice in a bind. It seems Yurik finally has his head in the game.”

“That’s awesome! Go, Yurik!”

Spike’s cheering encouraged the roots and applause of Walt, Mary, and the ponies as Yurik’s spirit was fully restored.

“Now, it’s your turn!” Yurik yelled. “Allicorn of Steam, attack Cao Cao, the Mantis Warlord! Boiler Bomb!”

Steam swirled about the alicorn’s horn until it formed a sizable sphere at its tip. With a thrust of its head, the ball was hurled at Cao Cao’s chest. Upon striking it, the steam spread over the insect’s body like wildfire before it blew up. The excess steam struck Alice hard and pushed her back several feet before coming to a stop.

Alice’s Life Points: 1500 -> 1000

Alice whipped her arms down, trying to shake off the burning sensation she felt on her body now. Yurik panted as he saw Larva Queen Ant as the sole monster on the field.

Now, planned Yurik, it’s just a matter of whittling her away. I just have to keep enough monsters on the field to wipe her monsters out and the Egg Token that will come after Larva Queen’s destruction and then make a direct attack. If I can do that next turn, I’ll win.

With this scenario comforting him, Yurik stood up straight with a smile.

“I end my turn,” he finished.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 800    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

The room was silent as everyone inside could now grasp how quickly the tables had turned. Yurik held his breath as he took in the chilling and deafening quiet. Alice stood herself up straight and let out a relaxed chuckle.

“Welcome back, Yurik,” she said.

“It’s great to be back,” he responded. “Too bad for those dummy mistakes of mine; I actually would have beaten you.”

“But you came back, and you came back well. I’m pretty stuck now as you can tell.”

“If you draw a monster, I’d think you’d be in decent shape.”

“You think so? That’s some strange wishful thinking for someone who’s looking to win.”

“Who says I want you to win? I’m just trying to plan how I’m going to defeat you once and for all.”

“Well, you can figure that out at the end of this turn!”

Yurik prepared himself, wondering what could be coming from Alice.

“My turn!” she shouted. “Draw!”

Alice’s Millionpede glowed once again.

“During my standby phase,” reminded Alice, “Millionpede’s pendulum scale increases by 1!”

The coiled insect grew even longer, forming an even bigger ball.

Pendulum Scale: 2 -> 3

The onlookers leaned in, completely drawn by the tension that mounted with each passing second that something was not done. Alice finally looked to her card, and Yurik could see as disappointment filled her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Yurik,” she finally said.

“What?” Yurik questioned.

“I summon Bomb Beetle!” she cried, throwing the monster onto her monster zone.

A blue portal opened beside Larva Queen Ant, and from it, Alice’s black dung beetle with the short-fused bomb popped out from it and onto the field.

Bomb Beetle
ATK: 1100
Lvl.: 2

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Walt gasped loudly at the monster Alice managed to summon. Yurik stumbled back, overwhelmed by the finality of Alice’s move.

“No,” he sighed exhaustedly. “There’s no way…”

Alice grit her teeth as she made the final move.

“I activate the effect of Bomb Beetle!” she shouted. “By tributing this attack position card, I can have all players lose life points equal to its ATK!”

“That’s crazy!” exclaimed Spike. “Yurik can just use Twilight Alicorn’s effect to protect himself!”

“Losing life points and effect damage are two different things,” Walt hissed. “There’s no way Yurik’s getting out of this.”

“But that means…”

“It’s a draw,” growled Yurik.

Bomb Beetle rolled its weapon to the center of the field by pushing it with its legs. Once it reached its destination, the insect put its legs over the top of the fuse and rubbed together, providing the spark that burned the string towards the center of the bomb.

The resulting massive explosion threw both Alice and Yurik back of their feet screaming. Both of them landed and slid on their backs away from their field and monsters. Once they eventually stopped, the two struggled to stand to their feet, weakened significantly by the final blow.

Yurik’s Life Points: 800 -> 0

Alice’s Life Points: 1000 -> 0

The duel ends in a draw.

The ponies and Spike moaned concernedly as Yurik got up and watched the monsters fade away from the field. Yurik leaned over and supported himself with his hands on his knees, panting and wheezing himself back up.

“Yurik,” Alice said, standing up herself, “I’m so sorry about that. My life points went to 0, so you can say that you beat me.”

“Don’t bother trying to pep talk me,” Yurik growled, shocking Walt and Applejack. “I had a perfect opportunity to beat you back then and I blew it. You were right. I let me fear dictate my dueling, and now we’ve ended in a draw because of it.”

Alice stood still and blinked, her eyes opening wider each time.

“I’m not going to let that happen when I duel Keifer,” he declared. “Once he comes for us again, I’m going to drive that son of a bitch into the ground.”

Alice slowly morphed her mouth into a smile, happy for Yurik’s restored drive. Walt stepped forwards and alerted Yurik, having both him and Alice turn to him.

“And we’ll be there to help,” Walt responded. “If he wants to take the rest of them, they can do it over our dead bodies.”

Mary stepped forwards next, taking Walt’s side.

“And I’ll be there too,” she promised. “I don’t care how strong we think he is, I don’t let my friends get pushed around like that!”

“And we’ll join you,” Marcus said as he and Donald joined the two of them. “We’ll give him a fight he won’t care to remember.”

“But a fight he won’t dare forget,” Donald added.

The ponies and Spike stepped towards and joined the group.

“We won’t let you fight alone, Yurik,” said Alice as she walked up to them. “We’ve always been by your side, and we always will.”

Yurik, gladdened by the words and company of his friends, sighed peacefully and closed his eyes.

“Then it’s settled,” he whispered. “Tonight, Keifer’s going down. And Twilight and the rest of her friends are going back home.”

Yurik looked reflectively at the ceiling, almost as if he was able to see Twilight and her prison, and the satisfaction of breaking her out of it.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“So,” confirmed Kieran, “it’s settled?”

“Yes, Kieran,” responded Orpheus’s voice on the line. “I think I got the gist. Never dealt with dragons before.”

“But if he comes from Equestria, he has to have some extension of humanity in him. Be sure to work whatever angle you can to bring those ponies to us.”

“I’ll will.”

“Where do you think he’ll be?”

“Depends. I have a few ideas. Either way, once we finish this call, I’ll already be there.”

“I see. Best of luck to you… my friend.”

A loud rush of wind was heard on the other line before the call died out. Kieran leaned back in his chair and pondered to himself.

“Orpheus,” he muttered, “if there was ever a time for you not to fail me…”
> Episode 21: Enemy at the Gates
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keifer sat cross legged with his hands placed firmly upon his knees and his eyes closed in a purely meditative state. The void provided him with a peace that left him as motionless and undisturbed as a statue. The sheer quiet also provided a very eerie sense, forcing Keifer to strain to break the infectious silence.

“Keifer,” the spectral whisper spoke in his mind.

Keifer shot his eyes open, only to be greeted once again by darkness.

“What is it you need, Master?” he asked the voice.

“I have found some interesting things about the young man you dueled, Yurik Clayer.”

“Yes?” he responded, sitting straight up and alert.

At that moment, a screen popped up in front of Keifer’s face, making him recoil in shock. Gazing back closer on it, he found that it was a map providing an aerial view of a summery suburbia.

“What is this?” he asked. “Is this this home?”

“It is,” the voice piped up, “very smart of you.”

The map pulled out as the image shrunk to the point where the map was now showing the whole of the North American continent.

“He lives in the town of Naperville, Illinois in the country of the United States of America,” she reported. “His address is 2131 Lindrick Ave.”

“And I assume you want me to find them and tell me where the others are?” he asked.

“Or, perhaps, to find any others that they may be safekeeping themselves. It’s late at night for them now, and there’s little activity.”

Keifer groaned slightly.

“Are there any children at the house?” he asked.

“Children?” the voice curiously replied.

After a moment of silence, a series of Facebook screenshots appeared, showing Yurik, Walt, Bette, and Evey in certain shots with them.

“It seems Yurik Clayer lives with this family, the Fabers, which includes a mother, Bette, her elder son, Walt, and his younger sister, Evey.”

Keifer gasped as he looked at the images.

“What about a father?” he wondered.

“I cannot say,” the voice answered. “Judging by the absence of him in many of the photos I could find or reference to him on their timelines, I’d say that he has been divorced from the family.”

“Unbelievable,” Keifer sighed, almost regretfully. “I remember that Walt boy with him during my duel with Yurik Clayer. I had no idea he’s been living with them, a broken family…”

“Keifer,” scolded the voice, “do not let your sentiment distract you. If you want to see your family again, you must retrieve those ponies, and the dragon you lost.”

Keifer hissed in frustration, clenching his fists tight.

“Well?” the voice pressed. “You don’t want to wait for sunrise, do you?”

With a sigh, Keifer stood himself up from his spot and clutched his necklace in his hand, making it glow.

“You don’t need to remind me why I’m fighting for you,” he growled, as the glow began to surround his body. “I will do anything to bring whatever’s left of my family back.”

At once, Keifer’s body began to transform into his human self, his pointed face, fingers and spines receding and rounding while his tail shrunk into his back. His clothes also formed onto his torso and feet as if they had been formed from the body itself.

“This is your chance,” the voice spoke. “Use it well.”

Keifer was fully transformed into his human appearance before he looked straight out into the void.

“I will,” he responded.

Suddenly, his body fell through the floor as if there had been nothing supporting him at all, leaving the void empty and alone.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran walked into the dueling room with his iPad D in his hand where everyone else had gathered. Alice and Yurik were the first to approach him stopping once he came within comfortable talking distance.

“What did you even do?” asked Yurik. “How are we going to bring Keifer here?”

“Hmm,” Kieran thought aloud. “You seem eager to face Keifer once again, Yurik.”

“Yes,” confirmed Alice. “I dueled Yurik and he indeed wishes to save his friends.”

“Yes, yes,” shouted Yurik, “I think he got that. Kieran, tell me. What’s going to happen now?”

“I just contacted an old friend of mine. He’ll bring him here.”

Yurik and Alice stayed silent as they wondered what he meant. Suddenly, Yurik’s eyes and mouth went wide with the realization.

“You sent Orpheus over?” he exclaimed.

“Of course. We’re now on good terms, he’ll be able to return Eurydice to her home, and he might have a chance of defeating him.”

“Defeating him?” Alice gasped. “What do you–”

“I doubt Keifer will come all this way just to turn back at the threshold. If he’s willing to break into a little girl’s bedroom to take them, I’m certain he’ll do whatever he can to get himself in.”

“And we’re just going to let him?” asked Donald.

“If it comes to that… however, let’s see how Orpheus can do first.”

Donald grunted in disagreement, but stood still out of respect for his leader.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

On the street to the Faber’s house, Keifer descended quickly to the ground with his wings out. Upon landing, the wings quickly receded into his humanized back, leaving no trace that they were ever there. Turning to the proper house, he walked up from the street and onto the lawn. Upon getting on the sidewalk, the sound of footsteps landing on the ground behind him jerked his attention towards it.

“I’m sorry,” Orpheus said as he walked into the street from the other side of the road, the lamp’s light revealing him, “did I catch you? You weren’t planning on breaking in, were you?”

“Get out of here, kid!” Keifer ordered with a wave of his arm. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Orpheus quickly disbanded his chain from his side and let it drop loose to the ground, greatly alerting him.

“That’s good,” Orpheus responded. “Because if you don’t be careful, I just might hurt you.”

Keifer snarled before he threw his arm again, a fireball shooting from his hands and at Orpheus. With quick reflexes, Orpheus whipped his chain up, slicing the fireball with the crystalline end and scattering it away from him. With a fast twist, he swung the chain tightly so a red shaped crescent of light drew itself out of the crystal and at Keifer, who was too stunned to react. With the light hitting Keifer in the chest, he was sent plummeting into the lawn with a pain-riddled groan. As Keifer tried getting up, Orpheus leapt over him with his chain held in a way that threatened to slice his neck.

“Shh,” hushed Orpheus. “You’ll wake the neighbors.”

Keifer tucked his legs in and pushed against Orpheus’s abdomen, sending him flying back into the street. Orpheus landed nimbly on his feet, smirking as he watched Keifer stand.

“So it’s true,” muttered Orpheus. “You really aren’t human.”

Keifer squinted, trying to mask the disappointment in himself at his reveal.

“It’s alright,” urged Orpheus. “Tell me, what’s your name? What are you?”

With a frown, Keifer walked forwards his crystal necklace glowing with its light covering his body.

“My name,” he told him as his body became more reptilian in appearance, along with his wings and tail sprouting from his body, “is Keifer.”

Orpheus kept up his brave face even as Keifer returned to his original draconic form before him, stepping to the edge of the street.

“And I’m…” continued Keifer.

“A dragon,” finished Orpheus. “Let me guess. You’re from Equestria aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am. Now, human, I have given you my name. Who are you?”

Orpheus feigned a slightly-worn smile.

“You can call me Orpheus, from the international police,” he said, pulling out an Interpol badge and revealing it to Keifer. “I take it you’re here for Yurik Clayer?”

Keifer’s eyes widened as his plan was revealed.

“How did you–”

“Relax, Keifer,” Orpheus assured him, casually putting his badge back into his pocket. “As a matter of fact, I’m here for him as well.”

“I’m not,” Keifer growled back. “I came for the ponies.”

“Yes, I think we have similar mindsets. I don’t think anyone’s home though.”

“Then where do you think he is?”

“You tell me. How do you think a pair of high school students can afford a trip to Vienna and manage to sneak in a pair of ponies that the entire world is searching for?”

Keifer stayed silent and increased the squint in his glare.

“You really don’t know?” pressed Orpheus.

“I have not lived on this world for as long as you have. Two weeks ago, I didn’t even know your world existed.”

Orpheus nodded, understanding Keifer’s point.

“They’re called the Guardiaboliques,” he said. “They’re a group of vigilantes stationed outside of Chicago led by a man named Kieran.”

“And Yurik Clayer is one of them?” asked Keifer.

“He is. I guarantee you that he is at their base, along with the ponies you seek.”

“And how do I know you’re not leading me into a trap? How do I know you’re not a friend of this Kieran’s that’s trying to take the ponies I have away from me.”

“You managed to take some yourself?”

“Yes. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity are now in my possession.”

“And how did you manage that?”

“What do you mean?” asked Keifer with mounting suspicion. “And how did you know I was in Vienna?”

“Simple. There are videos trending all over the internet showing your chase on Vienna’s rooftops with Rarity in your grasp, still able to outrun a pair of teenage boys and the alicorn which you claim is now in your possession. Also, if it serves any more to my credibility, I had also come in contact with Yurik.”

“What? So you do know him?” spat Keifer.

“As an enemy, I assure you,” Orpheus said with a raised hand. “I managed to capture the rainbow pegasus in Japan, only for him and the Guardiaboliques to take her and the earth pony Applejack in Scotland. You managed to capture the unicorn on your own as well as two others I knew to be in the possession of the Guardiaboliques.”

“Fine,” hissed Keifer. “What do you propose we do?”

“What do you think? We’re going to take them together.”

Keifer’s eyes shot open in surprise.

“Are you insane?” he asked. “What makes you think we stand a chance against all of their men?”

“Simple. Yurik is their best duelist, and even he required the help of another to defeat me singlehandedly.”

“So you have lost to him?”

“But with you at my side, we’ll be unstoppable.”

“What makes you so sure of that?”

“Well, how else did you manage to take Twilight and Rainbow Dash off the Guardiaboliques hands.”

“Because I managed to defeat Yurik Clayer myself!”

Orpheus took himself aback at Keifer’s claim, smiling in appreciation.

“So you defeated Yurik Clayer,” he said, “the best duelist the Guardiaboliques have to offer.”

“And how do you know he’s there best?”

“Because Kieran wouldn’t have sent him and another duelist to fight me in their place if he wasn’t.”

Keifer huffed as he felt his options becoming fewer and fewer.

“You defeated Yurik on your own,” Orpheus continued, “and Yurik required the assistance of another just to beat me. You’ve seen my power, and I’ve seen yours. What chance do you think the Guardiaboliques have when we combine our powers together?”

Keifer read Orpheus’s face and looked for any signs of bluffing, only to find none.

“Where is this base of theirs?” Keifer finally asked.

“There’s an abandoned factory southwest of Chicago. Our experts have been trying to find it for years in-between our more important assignments, but along with globe-spanning trips, he can also afford to make scramblers that even our men couldn’t penetrate… until now.”

“And how do you expect me to get there?”

“Easy. I’ll signal you and you can just ‘drop-in.’”

Keifer nodded, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

“Also,” Orpheus said without a hint of jest or sarcasm, “I want you to bring the other ponies with you.”

“And why would I do that?” Keifer suddenly growled.

Orpheus breathed in and prepared his case.

“Yurik really seems to care for the ponies, Twilight especially,” he stated. “If you don’t bring her from wherever you’re holding her, he’ll assume the worst of his friend, and I guarantee you that he’ll not only do everything in his power to defeat you, he’ll make sure it hurts. You haven’t harmed the ponies, have you?”

“Of course not,” Keifer answered.

“Then you should be fine. Temporarily unite him with his friends and soften him up. Then you can beat him. Nothing hurts that boy worse than false hope.”

“And the other duelists?”

“What about them? Yurik is the strongest among them, and if he won’t win against us, then why should you concern yourself with the others?”

Keifer frowned with reluctance, staying silent while he weighed in Orpheus’s strategy.

“Also,” Orpheus said, “I’m sure that the ponies and that baby dragon that the Guardiaboliques have would be glad to see their friends after so much time apart.”

“Alright,” relented Keifer. “I’ll do it. Just tell me where I need to be and I’ll be there.”

“Excellent. I’ll be there in five minutes. Just bring the ponies with.”

Orpheus turned to leave, only for Keifer to stay perfectly still.

“What’s your mission?” Keifer asked. “What’s your purpose in retrieving these ponies?”

Orpheus stopped, but did not turn to face the expectant dragon.

“As an officer of the law,” he said. “I cannot let the Guardiaboliques use Celestia’s promise to absolve themselves of any crimes they have committed or escape justice.  And what about you?”

Keifer was slightly aghast at the question as Orpheus looked back at him, but he regained his composure.

“I’m…” he said with a touch of vulnerability, “going to find the only family I can hope to have left…”

“Hmm,” pondered Orpheus. “How noble of you. That resolve will get us far. Now, make haste. There isn’t much time left to lose.”

“Of, course,” Keifer said, unfurling his wings.

Orpheus kept his eyes tightly on the dragon as he shot up into the sky with a single flap of his wings, disappearing into the night sky. As Orpheus continued gazing, a blue, wispy aura snaked out from the deck slot of Orpheus’s wrist, and formed into Eurydice, who now stood beside him.

“Do you think you can take him?” she asked with caution.

“Perhaps not on my own,” sighed Orpheus, “but together we certainly will.”

Eurydice smiled contently at the reply.

“Come,” he beckoned, turning around and walking away from the Faber’s house, “let’s get you home.”

Eurydice transformed into a sphere of light that flew behind Orpheus and enveloped his entire body, suddenly shrinking into nothingness with a loud rush of wind.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity slept on the ground within the black void. Rarity rolled about every few seconds, completely uncomfortable on the hard, nearly stony floor. Suddenly, Keifer emerged through the floor near them, the loud wave of his wings awaking the three ponies. Twilight and Rainbow Dash shot up, alert, while Rarity moaned and rolled upright to her stomach.

“It’s bad enough that we have to sleep on the floor…” groaned Rarity.

“What do you want now?” grunted Rainbow Dash.

“We’re taking you to see your friends,” he answered.

“Pfft! Yeah right! Like we’re going to fall for that.”

“Tell me, then,” he spoke, scanning to all the ponies, “who is Orpheus?”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash suddenly shot their eyes open once again on the utterance of the name, Keifer’s squinting eyes seeing through to their certain knowledge. Even from behind, Rarity could tell by their jerked motions that the name meant something important to them.

“Don’t lie to me,” Keifer said. “Tell me exactly who he is, or you’ll never see them again.”

“He’s…” Twilight answered reluctantly, “a friend. He’s a friend of ours.”

“A friend you say?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash vouched, “he helped us find our friends, including Rarity! He tried taking me and Twilight away, but Yurik and his friends beat him and he decided to help us instead!”

“Why?” wondered Twilight. “What does he have to do with anything?”

Keifer studied Twilight and Rainbow Dash’s eyes, not finding any mistruth in them.

“Nothing you should concern yourself with,” he said. “Come. We’re returning to Earth now.”

Walking further into the void, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity exchanged a nervous look before following him down.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran, Yurik, Walt, Alice, Marcus, the ponies, and Spike stood around as they awaited Keifer’s arrival. Just then, Donald ran up to Kieran with his iPad and showed him an image of Orpheus standing outside the factory gates, twirling his chain about in the air with the red and blue crystals glowing bright.

“They’re coming,” he reported.

“Thank you,” Kieran said, taking the tablet from him and tapping on the screen. “You, Marcus, go up to the entrance. Be sure to greet our guest if he manages to get in.”

“Yes, sir!” they both answered.

Just as a large screen appeared on the wall of the dueling room, showing the image from the iPad, Donald took his tablet and ran to the exit with Marcus following close behind. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the screen, unable to see Marcus and Donald exit.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Come on,” Orpheus hissed, his chain continuing to spin in his hand as he looked to the sky.

The sound of falling soon came, along with the landing of scaled feet and hard hooves. Orpheus turned around and faced Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Keifer, the former two surprised to see him. Orpheus quickly grabbed his chain and put his arm back down, the chain going with him.

“Orpheus?” Twilight and Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Yes,” growled Keifer with a winding arm, “hello, friend!”

With a whip, a fireball shot out of Keifer’s fingertips. Orpheus held his chain up to the blast with both hands, the strength of which sent him flying back and crashing into the gate. Keifer wound his arm again as he watched the man crumple to the ground, making Twilight and Rarity gasp in horror.

“Orpheus!” screamed Rainbow Dash.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the dueling room, Yurik, Alice, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie stood horrified while Kieran and Walt looked furious.

“Orpheus,” shouted Walt, “no!”

Kieran snarled as Orpheus weakly got up
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer set down his arm as Orpheus wobbled to his feet.

“You know,” sighed Orpheus, “that really hurt.”

“Shut your mouth!” ordered Keifer. “I heard what you said about those guys having the dragon. He was in Vienna with Rarity, but I never managed to get him. The only way you could have known that they managed to retrieve him is if they told you, but it’s still moot. These ponies told me your true colors, and now you’re going to pay for attempting to betray me.”

“Please don’t,” whimpered Rainbow Dash.

“I’m not giving you a choice!” roared Keifer, throwing his arm out with another strong fireball shooting from it.

“No!” Twilight and Rainbow Dash shrieked.

Before the fireball could hit its target, the fireball exploded off the surface of an blue, lightening shield that appeared before the human. The light morphed like water until it formed into the familiar blue peryton.

“Eurydice!” Rainbow Dash and Twilight shouted, suddenly gladdened by her appearance.

Both Keifer and Rarity were stunned by the creature that now stood before them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Alright,” Walt breathed, “way to go, Eurydice.”

Kieran refused to look relieved, staring up at the fight that was soon to happen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Don’t you harm my friend!” Eurydice barked.

Keifer stepped back defensively, visibly intimidated by the peryton.

“It seems there’s even more to you than I had thought,” Keifer spoke.

He then looked to Orpheus’s left wrist, spotting his wrist device.

“So you’re a duelist,” Keifer inquired.

Eurydice frowned, knowing what was to come.

“Orpheus,” she whispered with a turn of her head, “let’s beat him down like we always intended. I’ll enjoy watching this one suffer.”

Orpheus nodded to Eurydice, turning his attention to Eurydice before she faded into a blue-lighted mist and seeped back into Orpheus’s deck.

“Yes,” he responded to Keifer, “I am a duelist, and nothing would do me and my friend more pleasure than to defeat you and take these ponies from your hands, but I unless that rock on your own wrist is a duel disk, I don’t think you’re in any position to–”

Keifer threw his left arm out, the black disk thrusting off of it and floating beside it. The deck and spell/trap and graveyard slots appeared in a puff of flames followed by the singular blade of the disk shooting out from the flat end of the duel disk. Orpheus stood silent and slightly shocked.

“You were saying?” asked Keifer with condescension.

Orpheus pursed his lips, knowing his point to be beaten.

“Fair enough!” he shouted, swinging his chain into his left arm.

Orpheus’s chain stopped inches from the forearm and pulled itself taught before shifting into its pointed shape. The left blue crystal and the right red crystal shone brightly, much to Keifer’s intrigue. Orpheus looked past Keifer to see the ponies cowering slightly behind him.

“Girls,” he called to them, “please step away from him. This is a fight you do not want to be in the middle of.”

The ponies stayed submissively still behind Keifer before he turned around with his serious glare.

“Listen to your friend,” he said in a venomous tone. “Go on.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and Walt watched with slight relief as Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity shuffled to the right of Keifer and sat just in front of the bushes.

“Come on, Ron,” Yurik whispered.

Kieran squinted as he awaited the very beginning of the brutal clash that was already set to start.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“If you truly care for your friends and these ponies,” warned Keifer, “you will not let me get past you or that gate.”

“I’ll be sure not to,” he responded. “Keifer, this is as far as your mission goes. Your journey ends here.”

“My journey will be ended by my and mine alone. Now go, Orpheus! Give me the first taste of the combined efforts of the Guardiaboliques!”

“My pleasure.”

“DUEL!” they both finally exclaimed.

================
Orpheus:
LP: 4000

Keifer:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll take the first turn!” declared Orpheus, his hand over his first card. “I summon Nyx, Night of Void Deep!”

Placing his monster upon his center link, a blue portal opened on the ground feet from Orpheus’s spot. Rising up out of it was a black faceless humanoid with large blue eyes and short black hair. It didn’t appear to have clothes, instead revealing a very skinny body with two noticeable lumps in its chest which appeared to be breasts.

Nyx, Night of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4

“Next,” continued Orpheus, slipping a green card into the top slot of his wrist device, “I activate the continuous spell card Price of Phlegethon!”

The card appeared face up and flat on the ground at Orpheus’s feet, showing a group of monsters, their mouths open in agony, as their heads were kept up within red, flaming body of water.

“All Void Deep monsters that I control that would be sent to the graveyard are banished instead,” he explained, “but if a monster is destroyed by battle or by an effect from an opponent’s card, the opponent takes damage equal to the destroyed monster’s level times 100 at the end of the damage step.”

Keifer huffed with disdainful anticipation. The spell card then sunk into the ground and formed as a small red pool in the ground. The liquid quickly spread out to both sides of the battlefield, forcing Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity to shift to out of the way. Immediately, the three ponies were offended by the heat and stench of the river that now formed, their manes and tails raising on end and queasy looks appearing on their face.

“It’s really hot!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed through hooves covering her nose.

“And that smell,” gagged Twilight, “it’s…”

“It’s blood!” Rarity exclaimed with tearing eyes.

Orpheus ignored the ponies’ plight and took out one card from his hand, slipping it face down into his spell and trap slot.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said, the card’s backing appearing on the field.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

I’m sorry, friends, he thought, looking at the ponies’ faces. I must defeat him, and this is all I can do right now. You’ll have to bear with me.

Orpheus redirected his attention to the dragon before him as he observed his own hand.

If his aim is to banish, planned Keifer, I need to be sure that any time I destroy a monster of his, I inflict at least 100 life points more than the damage I’ll take with his spell’s effect.

“Here I come!” called Keifer, his hand reaching for his deck. “My turn! Draw!”

Keifer looked into his newly drawn card, keeping his arm held out to place it onto his duel disk.

“I summon Dragma Phrear!” he shouted, throwing the card onto his center zone.

A blue portal emerged, and a skinny, red, bipedal dragon with wings came out from it. A large rocky gash was upon its back in between the bases of the rings.

Dragma Phrear
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“I now activate the effect of Dragma Frear,” he stated. “When this card is normal summoned, I can special summon one monster from my hand in face-down defense position.”

Keifer quickly picked a card in his hand and set it beside his face-up Dragma card with it facing the left. The backing of the card appeared beside the magical rendering of the monster on the field.

“Also,” Keifer added, “if Dragma Phrear is destroyed, my face-down monster is destroyed, and then you take damage equal to half of its ATK, whatever it may be.”

Orpheus growled as he saw Keifer’s strategy unfold.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Dammit,” Yurik grunted. “He could have easily set his Magmal Dragon there, and his monster is stronger than his Nyx.”

“But, Yurik,” commented Applejack, “if Keifer attacks his monster, he’ll take damage from his spell card!”

“That’s not the point,” Spike said with a flat, foreboding tone. “Nyx is only level 4. If it’s destroyed, Keifer will take 400 damage. Still, Orpheus will take that and 100 more in battle damage when the attack hits.”

“But it’s not by much,” Yurik reasoned. “Hopefully, Keifer won’t make too big a fool of him.”

“We can only hope,” added Walt.

Kieran still stood still and observant, his hands visibly clutching the sleeves of his shirt.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Battle!” shouted Keifer. “Dragma Phrear, attack Nyx, Night of Void Deep! Scalding Scorch!”

Keifer’s dragon took in a massive exhale and blew out a gale of steam at the white monster. The creature groaned as its skin charred before exploding into shards of itself. The steam and pieces of Orpheus’s monster blew into him, making him squeal from the sudden pain he felt.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3500

The steam finally faded away, allowing Orpheus to open his eyes and observe his situation.

“He inflicted real damage,” he thought aloud, “just like I can.”

“Orpheus!” Eurydice exclaimed inside his head. “Now’s your chance! Let him know your fury!”

“Right,” he responded with a nod. “Now the effect of Price of Phlegethon activates, banishing my monster! Also, since Nyx was level 4, you take 400 damage through my spell’s other effect!”

A large bubble appeared in the river of blood between the two duelists, which burst open and spat a fiery blast at Orpheus. The flames coated him, and Keifer too yelped with the sheer heat of the flames against his scales.

Keifer’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3600

“Still,” Keifer growled as the flames subsided, “you still took more damage than me. As long as I can continue landing attacks like that, you will not outlast me.”

“We’ll just see about that,” Orpheus said, plucking a card from his hand and revealing it. “I now activate the effect of Hemera, Day of Void Deep in my hand! When Nyx is removed from the field while this card is in my hand, I can special summon it in attack position!”

Orpheus threw his card onto the center link where his last monster had previously been. From the blue portal that opened up on the ground at the bank of the bloody river was a pure-white, faceless humanoid with big, solid blue eyes and long, blonde hair. Its skin was seemingly grafted to a white dress that hung past its knees.

Hemera, Night of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Alright!” Walt cheered. “Now he’ll be able to tribute summon Eurydice next turn!”

“However,” said Alice, “even if he summons her, she’ll still have only 2000 ATK. Magmal Dragon had 2500 DEF, right?”

“Yes?”

“Then that means he’ll be 2500 short. Unless he can find a way to increase the ATK of his monsters, he’s stuck, unless he wants to take a potential 1500 damage.”

“Jesus,” sighed Mary. “He’s never met the guy and he’s already walking circles around Orpheus’s strategy!”

“Calm down, Mary,” said Yurik. “Ron is a lot smarter than that. I’m sure he’ll come back around.”

“Ron? Who’s Ron?”

“It’s his real name,” Walt answered. “He really trusts his friend.”

Kieran remained silent, his grip on his shirt less tight with Orpheus’s monster on the field.

“Ronny!” screamed Pinkie Pie. “Kick his butt!”

“Uh, sugarcube?” asked Applejack. “You know he can’t hear you, right?”

Pinkie Pie reached behind her and pulled out a megaphone, aiming it at the screen.

“RONNY!” she shrieked, forcing every soul inside the room to cover their ears. “IF YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW, KICK HIS BUTT!!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer stared at Orpheus’s monster, snarling at it. The monster squinted at the dragon with angry intimidation.

“Your deck has some surprises, no doubt,” Keifer admitted, “but do you think they will take these ponies from me?”

“I don’t doubt it for a second,” Orpheus said with a smirk.

Keifer glared back at his opponent.

“Then that will make your defeat all the more tragic,” he said.

Keifer took one card in his hand and slipped it into his spell and trap slot on the base of his duel disk.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said as the card’s backing appeared on the field.

Status: Hand: 3   Life: 3600    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

“You best be treading lightly, Orpheus,” warned Keifer. “Make the wrong decision this turn, and it will cost you dearly.”

“You’ve already correctly suspected me of working for Kieran,” said Orpheus, “so do you really think that he and everyone who knows him, including and especially Yurik, wouldn’t have told me about your deck and your ace monster?”

Keifer snarled at Orpheus with a truly frustrated face.

“I’m not letting you past this gate,” Orpheus promised. “I’ll be sure those ponies return home…”

He then looked to the one card in his hand, which contained his Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep card.

“…as well as you.”

“Come on, Orpheus!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “You got this!”

“Make him pay!” cried Rarity.

“Beat him, Orpheus!” yelled Twilight.

Orpheus turned to them and gave them a nod.

“And it’s clear that these ponies would rather be anywhere but with you,” he said, “so now, I’m going to bring them back to their friends! My turn! Draw!”

Orpheus added his card to his hand.

“The effect of Hemera, Day of Void Deep now activates,” called Orpheus, pointing at his monster with his hand. “During each standby phase, Hemera, Day of Void Deep is banished.”

A black portal opened in the red river below, and Hemera sunk into it, the portal closing up closely behind.

“What?” gasped Keifer.

“Then,” Orpheus continued, “I activate the effect of my banished Nyx, Night of Void Deep, special summoning it in attack position when Hemera, Day of Void Deep is banished!”

Another portal opened up again, this time, the black female humanoid rising out from it and taking its place back on the field.

Nyx, Night of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Strange,” Alice thought aloud. “I wonder what that did.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus smirked as he removed his Eurydice card from his hand.

“I tribute my Nyx, Night of Void Deep to tribute summon a monster from my hand,” Orpheus declared.

With a swipe of his hand, Orpheus removed his Nyx card from his chain link and positioned his Eurydice card on it in its place.

“She who has crossed through space to this realm” he chanted as an ethereal portal opened up in the sky above the field, “stun your enemies with your majesty and then devastate them with your raw strength!”

Orpheus’s blue peryton soared down from the portal and spiraled down to the field, much to the wonder and joy of the ponies below.

“Descend!” he called. “Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!”

With a gentle landing of her back hooves, Eurydice took her place on the field before the sheer shock on Keifer’s face.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

Eurydice moaned as she stretched her wings and limbs out.

“It’s about time I get to come out,” she said.

“Eurydice!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash happily.

The peryton turned to the ponies and gave them a smiling nod.

“It’s great to see you all again, Rainbow Dash, Twilight,” Eurydice addressed.

At this point, Keifer was stunned beyond belief.

“Unbelievable!” he breathed. “His monster can talk to the ponies?”

“Keep your focus on the duel, Keifer!” snapped Eurydice. “I want to watch you suffer for what you’ve done to these ponies.”

Keifer, feeling the icy chill of Eurydice’s voice, bared his teeth and squinted his eyes.

“You won’t be doing any of that,” Keifer said. “Your monster might have more ATK than mine, but don’t forget about Dragma Phrear’s effect. If you destroy it, you’ll take damage equal to half the attack of the face-down monster beside it.”

“I know,” Orpheus said. “I had planned that out the moment you used its effect.”

“What?”

“The effect of my banished Hemera, Day of Void Deep now activates, allowing me to special summon it in attack position if Nyx, Night of Void Deep is banished.”

A black, cloudy portal opened on the ground to Eurydice’s right, and the white, dressed, and blonde haired humanoid that had been destroyed was now back on the field, the tips of its toes being the only thing touching the ground.

Hemera, Day of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4

“Wait a second,” Rarity asked, “if Nyx was tributed, wouldn’t it be sent to the graveyard?”

“Normally,” Twilight replied with a confident smile, “but his Price of Phlegethon makes it so all his monsters are banished instead.

“So then his monster’s effect can activate!” concluded Rainbow Dash. “Way to go, Orpheus!”

Keifer growled as he predicted the outcome of the turn, only for Orpheus to smile, knowing his opponent had no idea what he was in for.

“And now the effect of Hemera, Day of Void Deep activates!” declared Orpheus. “When this banished card is special summoned by the effect of Nyx, Night of Void Deep, all Void Deep monsters I control gain 600 ATK!”

“600 ATK?” roared Keifer.

Hemera rose off from the ground and high into the air, the ends of her dress floating around her as if it were in water.

“Now my both of my monsters will be vastly stronger than your Dragma Phrear!” Orpheus stated.

Just then, Hemera threw its arms out and covered the field in a revealing light like miniature sun. Keifer and the ponies shielded their eyes away from the sudden brightness. However, the energy from Hemera’s glow cast an aura around both itself and Eurydice below, the latter smirking as she awaited to attack.

Hemera, Day of Void Deep
ATK: 1000 -> 1600

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800 -> 2400

“Also,” added Orpheus, just as Keifer looked back, now having gotten used to the light, “Eurydice gains 100 ATK for every monster of mine that’s banished! I have Nyx, Night of Void Deep there, so its ATK is raised by 100!”

Eurydice unfurled its wings and allowed the shadow-like body of Nyx appear beneath the left one, a blue aura now coating her.

ATK: 2400 -> 2500

“Does he really intend to attack my Dragma Phrear?” Keifer rasped. “Is he really willing to damage himself to defeat me?”

“Battle!” shouted Orpheus. “Hemera, Day of Void Deep, attack Dragma Phrear! Razing Rays!”

Hemera crossed her arms over her chest and then whipped them out, launching a spiraling beam of light that shot straight at Keifer’s monster. The beams struck it and shattered the dragon, the fragments of which flew into Keifer along with the frayed light that bounced off from the attack.

Keifer’s Life Points: 3600 -> 3500

“Dragma Phear’s effect activates,” stated Keifer, “destroying the face-down monster set by its effect!”

A swirling pillar of steam encircled the face down card, only for a faded image of the torso up of an anguished Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon to appear above it before both shattered away. However the shards were left suspended in the air.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Of course he did,” hissed Yurik. “Ron’s in trouble now.”

“Don’t worry, yourself,” Kieran instructed. “I know him enough that he won’t let a little damage defeat him now.”

Yurik still shuddered at the thought, keeping his eyes to the screen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer removed his face-down card from his zone and revealed it to Orpheus, it indeed being his Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon.

“My destroyed Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon has 3000 ATK,” spoke Keifer, “which means you’ll be taking 1500 damage!”

Keifer whipped his arm out, the shards of the destroyed monster shooting out at Orpheus and catching fire. The flames merged together before Orpheus and exploded before him, the heat and force of the blast throwing Orpheus off his feet and out, making him yell loudly at the extent of the pain he experienced.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 3500 -> 2000

“Orpheus!” screamed Twilight and Rainbow Dash.

Orpheus nimbly kept his body upright and landed to his feet, the force still pushing him along the ground near the gate. Regardless, Orpheus’s stance was wide and feeble his upper body hung low as he tried catching his breath.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The attention of every human, pony, and dragon in the dueling room leaned in with fearfully clenched teeth as they continued to watch Orpheus fail to stand upright.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer grinned as seconds continued to pass, while alternatively, Eurydice whimpered slightly. However, with a great heave, Orpheus shot back up, walking calmly back to the field, much to the relief of Eurydice and the ponies and to Keifer’s dismay.

“That’s it!” cheered Rainbow Dash. “Go get ‘im!”

Keifer yowled through his teeth, his field completely open to Orpheus’s next attack. Orpheus snickered, knowing that his expression matched Eurydice’s.

“Eurydice,” he spoke, “take flight.”

“My pleasure!” she said, flapping her wings and herself into the air.

“Now, Eurydice, attack Keifer directly! Spatial Talon Tearing!”

Eurydice shot down at the now frightened Keifer, who braced his head with his arms.

“You’re not getting off that easy!” shouted Orpheus, pulling his last card from his hand, revealing it to show art of Persephone, Queen of Void Deep slashing at a soldier. “I activate the quick-play spell Stygian Thrashing! When a Void Deep monster declares a direct attack, it gains 500 ATK during the battle phase!”

“Another 500?” gasped Keifer.

Eurydice’s speed increased, a cone of blue light forming around her as she sped to her enemy.

ATK: 2500 -> 3000

“Finish your attack!” shouted Orpheus. “Take him out!”

Keifer clenched his arms and fists harder just as Eurydice swung her arm around and up, striking the dragon straight in the abdomen, sending him flying and shouting into the air.

Keifer’s Life Points: 3500 -> 500

Keifer fell flat onto his back, sliding down several feet down the road and lying still. At once, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity cheered and stamped their front hooves in excitement over Keifer’s imminent loss.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and his friends cheered as well, as they watched Eurydice return proudly to Orpheus’s field.

“He must have heard me!” chirped Pinkie Pie, hopping up and down. “He must have heard me!”

Kieran let out a smile, gladdened by his friend’s ingenuity.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer crawled to his hands and knees, struggling to stand back up.

“Well done, Eurydice,” cooed Orpheus.

“You commanded me well,” Eurydice responded. “You still have something left to do.”

“I realize. I activate the next effect of Stygian Thrashing,” he called to the now-standing Keifer with his hands on his deck, “allowing me to draw one card!”

Orpheus glanced at his newly drawn card, keeping his arm held out.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he shouted, throwing the card into his device with the backing appearing next to his other set card.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2000    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 3

Keifer took in heavy, labored breaths as he regained his composure and strength. Turning himself around, he limped slightly back to the spot on his field.

“You think I’m an evil monster, don’t you?” questioned Keifer.

“Silence!” shouted Orpheus. “You have no right to talk down to me!”

“But I do. When you ‘captured’ Rainbow Dash as you said, just how did you get her? Were you able to call her over like an obedient dog, or did you have to use force?”

Orpheus attempted to answer, only for the words to catch in his throat.

“Either way,” said Keifer, standing back into place, “don’t answer. I know you told me enough of the truth to try and lure me out and ambush me. She was probably terrified, wasn’t she! Did she squirm to break free? Did she cry when her struggle was futile?”

“Shut up!” Rainbow Dash screamed. “He learned his lesson, and he’s fighting for his friend!”

“Friend?” Keifer asked to Orpheus. “You mean the peryton that fights for you?”

“Yes,” answered Orpheus. “Once we gather these ponies, Celestia will help return her home, wherever that may be. That is my true reason for returning these ponies home.”

“Was that your excuse? Back when you were hunting these ponies like wild game, that is?”

Orpheus growled, hurt by the unfortunate truth in his words.

“I can tell you this,” said Keifer. “You’ll be sorely disappointed when you realize how much of a heartless nag your beloved princess is.”

“That’s not true!” yelled Twilight. “I don’t know what you think Celestia did to your family, but she’d never do that! Not in a million years!”

“It’s because of her that was alone in this world, but it’s my master that gave me a reason to fight. It’s my master that gave me my strength and a promise to restore whatever’s left of my family! And now, I will use that strength to defeat you and have that promise fulfilled!”

Orpheus stepped his stance back, preparing for Keifer’s move.

“My turn!” Keifer shouted, his fingers pinching his deck. “Draw!”

“The effect of Hemera, Day of Night now activates!” Orpheus exclaimed suddenly. “During each standby phase, Hemera, Day of Void Deep is banished!”

Hemera stopped glowing and quickly floated down towards the black portal opening up on the ground, sinking inside of it. With the absence of Orpheus’s monster, the glow covering Eurydice ceased.

ATK: 2500 -> 2000

“Then,” added Orpheus, “when Hemera, Day of Void Deep is banished, I can special summon my banished Nyx, Night of Void Deep in attack position!”

The black portal remained open, and from it, the black-skinny humanoid floated out from it and stood lightly upon the ground.

Nyx, Night of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4

With the removal of another banished monster, a red aura covered Eurydice, making her sigh in annoyance.

ATK: 2000 -> 1900

“Finally,” Orpheus said, “I activate my trap card, Stygian Spring!”

Orpheus’s last set card flipped up, showing Hemera, Day of Void Deep and Nyx, Night of Void Deep, floating beside a silver fountain.

“When a Void Deep monster with 1000 or less ATK I control is banished,” he explained, “I gain life points equal to that monster’s ATK!”

An apparition of Hemera floated over Orpheus and shone a light over him.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 2000 -> 3000

“My Hemera, Day of Void Deep has 1000 ATK,” he continued, “so I gain 1000 life points.”

The ghostly monster then disappeared, along with the light.

It’s returned, thought Keifer as he eyed Nyx. I can only wonder what its effect is now that it’s been summoned through Hemera’s effect. However, I cannot stop here…

Looking to his drawn card, he kept it in his hand and picked another card from the cards in his left, revealing both to his opponent, both being pendulum monsters.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 1 Dragma Pompeii and the scale 9 Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon,” he declared.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“This again,” Yurik spat, his eyes still on Keifer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer threw both cards on the outer zones of his blade, causing the sky to turn a dark-lighted blue. Just then, two pools of lava gurgled from the earth, two blue pillars rising from it. Inside pillars to the left and right of Keifer, respectively, were his gray dragon with glowing red cracks and his red-and-gold dragon with the wings made of fire. The star appeared in the sky and a 1 and a 9 appeared underneath both monsters.

Dragma Pompeii
Pendulum Scale: 1

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
Pendulum Scale: 9

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand or extra deck whose levels are 2 through 8,” Keifer proclaimed, a card ejecting face-up from his graveyard slot. 

“His destroyed dragon,” hissed Orpheus. “Of course!”

“Great beast within the ocean of flames,” chanted Keifer as lava broke through the earth at the center of Keifer’s field, “ascend from the crust of the earth and leave your foes in ruins! Pendulum summon!”

Keifer slammed the card onto his zone, a large geyser of molten rock and metal shooting from the ground. A pair of wings of fire broke through the hot pillar, soon followed by the emergence of Keifer’s red-and-gold dragon as its arms and legs pushed through and ended the lava’s gush.

“Arise,” he shouted, “lord of the mountain of fire! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”

Keifer’s dragon fell feet-first, landing on the ground to face Orpheus and his monsters with a guttural and sweltering roar.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

Orpheus looked amazed at the monster, along with Rarity, and even Twilight and Rainbow Dash as they looked upon it once again. The void-like blackness of Magmal Dragon’s eyes continued to strike a slight fear into Orpheus’s face, but with a scowl, he came to.

“I activate the effect of Nyx, Night of Void Deep!” he exclaimed. “If this banished monster was special summoned by the effect of Hemera, Day of Void Deep, I can target one monster that the opponent has summoned this turn and reduce its ATK by 1000 while Nyx stays on the field, and I’ll choose your Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”

Nyx crossed its arms and threw them both out, casting a black orb with purple tesla-like bolts dancing inside of it and hurling it at Keifer’s dragon. The orb burst over the dragon, covering it in a dark-purple aura that sparked on its body, making it stand weakly on its knee.

ATK: 3000 -> 2000
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Alright!” Walt shouted. “Now Keifer can only attack Nyx if he doesn’t want to lose!”

“That’s it, Ron,” whispered Yurik excitedly. “You’ve got this!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer looked behind him and snarled to see his monster in such a state.

“The only monster you can attack this turn now is my Nyx, Night of Void Deep,” said Keifer. “Even if you do, you’ll only be taking damage thanks to my Price of Phlegethon card.”

“That’s true right now,” Keifer said. “But I won’t need to choose who to attack, nor will I choose any other monster!”

“What was that?”

“I activate my spell card, Pryo Pressure!” he shouted, revealing art of an Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon blasting a fireball from its mouth, its scales having caught fire in various places. “When the ATK of a Dragma or Magmal monster that I control is lower than its original ATK, I can double my monster’s current ATK until the end phase!”

The purple aura that surrounded Magmal Dragon went alight, seemingly burning the aura off of him. The dragon’s muscles bulged and parts of its body went aflame, roaring at the massive energy coursing through it. Orpheus stared up at Keifer’s now supercharged monster with fear and trembling.

ATK: 2000 -> 4000

“4000 ATK?” shouted Twilight.

“This isn’t good!” moaned Rainbow Dash.

“I must thank you for monster’s effect,” spoke Keifer. “It’s now stronger than ever. Even though Pyro Pressure’s effect destroys the monster it affects at the end of the turn and inflicts damage equal to its original ATK, it doesn’t matter, because my monster is powerful enough to be able to reduce your life points to 0. Now, battle! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon, attack Nyx, Night of Void Deep! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

The dragon reared its neck and head back as fire built up inside the monster’s jaws. Throwing his head forwards, a massive plume of flames and ash shot from the monster’s mouth at the terrified looking Nyx.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ron, no!” screamed Yurik, running close to the screen. “Get out of there!”

Beside their two pony friends, Fluttershy and Spike dipped down and covered their eyes with their arms, shaking in fear at what was going to happen to their friend.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Orpheus!” shrieked Rainbow Dash.

“I activate my trap,” shouted Orpheus with a whip of his arm, “Swift Shift!”

A card appeared showing a large wolf leaping up to a powerful beam, separating itself from a pair of cubs cowering on the ground below.

“When the opponent declares an attack,” he explained, “I can change the attack target to a monster with higher ATK than the original target!”

Eurydice reared itself back and leap up into the beam’s path.

“My Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep will now take the hit!”

The blast struck Eurydice, making her cry out in agony before she burst into thousands of gold sparks.

“With this attack,” Orpheus grunted as loose rock and fire from the blast shot past him, “I’ll have just enough life points to survive!”

The rest of the beam collided into Orpheus, throwing him back into the air screaming.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 3000 -> 900

Orpheus flipped about and grunted loudly as he tried to regain his balance. His feet managed to land upon the ground, but the force still pushed him back to fall, tumbling backwards towards the gate. The ponies gasped as Orpheus finally came to a stop, his feet landing down and holding him back up. Keifer clenched his teeth together as he watched Orpheus, full of determination, stand strongly before his opponent.

“And now,” panted Orpheus, “the effect of Price of Phlegethon activates, inflicting damage to your life points equal to Eurydice’s level times 100. You will take 500 damage, but you only have 500 left. This is the end for you.”

The ponies grew wide smiles as a bubble in the river between the two duelists swelled and burst open, spitting flames at the dragon.

“Goodbye, Keifer,” bid Orpheus.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Yes…” huffed Yurik. “Yes…!”

Pinkie Pie took a large inhale, growing higher in pitch as the flames came closer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer stood still, suddenly clenching the final card in his hand. Upon seeing it, Orpheus’s eyes went wide with terror.

“I activate my quick-play spell, Obsidian Catcher,” he stated, revealing a card showing art of an ornate dreamcatcher made from a shiny black rock. “When I activate this card, all effect damage becomes halved for the rest of the turn.”

The card in his hand glowed before the dreamcatcher materialized from the artwork and enlarged before the oncoming flames. The fire was sucked in through the center and sprayed back out the other end, the flames considerably weaker than before. The fire washed over Keifer and made him groan as he shielded his face and eyes from the heat.

Keifer’s Life Points: 500 -> 250

Keifer unveiled his face once the fires had disappeared, allowing him to see the slightly-scared, but infuriated Orpheus standing before him.

“Not goodbye, yet,” Keifer said with a slight smirk.

Not sure why you’re smiling, you monster, thought Orpheus. This duel is over. All you can do now is end your turn and take damage from your Pyro Pressure card.

Despite this comforting thought, Keifer refused to say the final words. At that moment, Orpheus noticed the face-down card that Keifer had before his feet.

No! he suddenly realized. He’s had that card set since the beginning! He even had his Pyro Pressure in his hand since the beginning as well! He plans on carrying this duel out! I need to be ready!

“I activate the effect of Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!” he shouted. “When this card is banished, I can special summon it!”

A swirling blue vortex opened on the ground, allowing Eurydice to fly from it and land beside Nyx on the field, smiling confidently at what would come the next turn.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5

Despite the air of confidence exerted by Orpheus, Eurydice, and the ponies, Keifer began to chuckle, which then changed into a soft, but unnerving laugh. The ponies’ smiles soon became frowns as they slowly realized the nature of the dragon’s disposition.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Everyone inside the dueling room was silent and unsure, staring at Keifer through the screen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“What are you giggling about?” Orpheus questioned.

“You thought I was up to something with my trap, didn’t you?” he asked back. “I was, but it wasn’t what you were expecting. Had you left your Eurydice alone, I would have taken Pyro Pressure’s damage, and you would have indeed won, but instead… you’ve only signed your death warrant.”

Orpheus gasped as he realized his fatal error.

“I activate my trap,” Keifer declared, “Magmal Backdraft!”

Keifer’s card flipped up, revealing a collection of flames swirling around a smoky, purple wyvern with a green ankh on its stomach.

“When a monster is special summoned to my opponent’s field during the battle phase,” he clarified grimly, “I can target one Dragma or Magmal monster I control that has declared an attack this turn and have it make a second attack in a row.”

“What?” shouted Orpheus, sharing the same frightened expression of Eurydice. “Impossible!”

“No!” shouted Rainbow Dash amongst the gasps of her friends. “Orpheus!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“No!” screamed Yurik, the others behind him terrified at Orpheus’s inevitable defeat. “No! No! Ron, you can’t!”

Keifer bared his teeth and squinted his eyes, his fists balling in his hands.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon,” demanded Keifer, “attack Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

With a great inhale, Magmal Dragon threw its head forward and blasted at Eurydice, who only shut her eyes and let her tears flow before the force of the fire and ash vaporized her.

“Eurydice!” shrieked Orpheus.

The blast thrust into Orpheus, throwing him back even further than before, crying out as his body flipped about like an unstoppable ragdoll. The ponies watched with wet eyes as he landed hard on the ground and tumbled into the gate, where his body limply crumpled to his stomach.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 900 -> 0

Keifer wins.

Keifer walked forwards, the ponies still as statues as the bloody river returned to its asphalt form as Keifer crossed it, the rest of the monsters and effects of the duel wearing off as well. Rainbow Dash wept as she watched Orpheus’s chain clatter away from the side of his wrist, his Nyx, Night of Void Deep card falling loosely with it.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

On the screen, the humans, ponies, and dragon watched as Keifer picked the unconscious Orpheus by the back of his neck and held him up to the gate.

“This is what will become of you next,” he towards the factory.

Kieran shut his lips and pinched the skull pin on his shirt.

“Donald,” he instructed, “open the gate, now.”

Kieran let go of his pin and kept his eyes glued to the screen, specifically his fallen friend. Yurik breathed through his bared teeth, his hands squeezing as tight as possible.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The gates slowly swung open, forcing Keifer to move out of the way with Orpheus still in his grasp. Once they stopped, Keifer slowly set Orpheus to his knees, where he fell to the side and lied down.

“Come, ponies,” he beckoned, his blade and cards receding back into the disk, which returned to his armband. “We must now return for the rest of your friends.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity reluctantly followed with drooped ears and trodden steps, slowing down to pass Orpheus as he continued to lie still. Rainbow Dash stopped only for a second, tearfully patting him on the head before she trotted to catch up.

Once Keifer and the three ponies were past the gate, Orpheus rolled to his back and pulled out his cell phone. With quivering fingers, his thumb dialed three numbers. Upon hitting the green icon on the screen, he dropped his arm down and lied still once again, shutting his eyes. On the screen were the numbers 9-1-1.
> Episode 22: Rematch of Rivals, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keifer approached the garage door to the factory, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity following close behind him. As the dragon approached closer, the door opened, revealing Donald standing right on the other side with his duel disk on his arm and his blade disk in his hand.

“Welcome,” he said. “I see you’re returning something that belongs to us.”

Keifer bared his teeth as he wound his left arm in.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran closed his eyes and bowed his head sullenly while Yurik nervously ran to him.

“Kieran!” he shouted. “Call Donald and Marcus back! I’ll fight him myself.”

“Be patient,” he urged, looking back up. “We’re biding you some time to prepare yourself.”

“You’re only sharpening him up for me!”

“Yurik,” Alice said, her hand placing itself on his shoulder, “let Kieran do what he needs to do. He wouldn’t be the leader of this group if he didn’t know what he was doing.”

Kieran nodded to Alice with gratitude.

“Have faith in your friends,” Kieran told Yurik. “Have faith in me.”

Kieran began to walk towards the exit to the room, baffling Yurik tremendously.

“Wait,” called Yurik, “where are you going?”

Suddenly, the realization hit him.

“No way,” he shuddered. “You’re not going to fight him too, are you!?”

Kieran refused to answer as the door to the dueling room opened, allowing him to step through before it closed again.

“Kieran!”

“Don’t forget,” Alice said, “he was able to reduce your life points to 100. He’s a stronger duelist than you give him credit for.”

“But I lost to the guy he’s facing!”

“Yurik!” she suddenly shouted, grabbing the front sides of his shirt-jacket’s collar. “There’s nothing you can do right now! Wait for Keifer to come and let Kieran and everyone else do the rest!”

Yurik stared at Alice with a mixture of anger and terror as he squeezed tight on her wrists.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Battle!” shouted Keifer. “Magmal Dragon, attack Donald directly! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

Keifer’s dragon blew a massive gale of flames and ash right into Donald’s direction, throwing him screaming off his feet and making him slide down the asphalt deeper down into the garage.

Donald’s Life Points: 1200 -> 0

Keifer wins.

Keifer’s blade receded back into his disk with his cards still on it. With a small glance at Donald’s incapacitated body, he walked forwards with the fearful three ponies behind him.

“Ponies,” he said. “Come.”

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity did as they were instructed, going into the dimly lit way towards the passageway towards the entrance to the building. As they saw the glass doors of that would lead them in, Marcus stepped out from them and walked to the center of the road, facing Keifer bravely with his duel disk on his arm.

“So you’re looking to fight me as well?” Keifer inquired.

Marcus stepped back and held his arm with his duel disk up, prepared to take the dragon on.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“He’s bringing the ponies here,” Alice said. “You’ll get to see Twilight again, and Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. Let him come, and remember what you’re fighting for!”

As Yurik thought upon Alice’s words, the grip of his hands on Alice’s wrists began to loosen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!” shouted Keifer

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon blasted at its enemy, making Marcus grunt hard as he was forced into the air and slid off down on the ground.

Marcus’s Life Points: 500 -> 0

Keifer wins.

Once again, Keifer’s duel disk receded back to its original form and back onto his studded armband.

“This way,” instructed Keifer, walking to the door.

As Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity followed him inside, Twilight gave a sorry, sympathetic glance to him before she entered through the factory hallways, unable to see him any longer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik finally let go of Alice’s wrists, and Alice relinquished his shirt, allowing him to back away from her. He looked to the ponies, Spike, Mary, and Walt behind him as they gave him a nod of support for the upcoming duel. Yurik looked towards the door and stepped up to it, leaving everyone behind him as he stood defiant and patient.

“Yurik,” spoke Alice.

“No,” Yurik said. “Once Keifer comes in here, he’s mine. I’m not letting anyone else get hurt for me.”

Alice reached out, preparing to step up and send him back, but stopped once she saw the tightness in his balled fists as the muscles in his arms bulged as well. She stepped back and gave him some space, awaiting with him and the others for Keifer’s eventual arrival.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer began to walk in through an abandoned cafeteria dining room with chairs and folded tables all pushed away to the side, eyeing the entrance to the hallway on the very side of it. As he and his pony captives approached, Kieran stepped out and briskly walked a third of the way into the room. Both Keifer and Kieran stopped at the same time, facing each other. With a shift in his gaze, Keifer noticed a duel disk and blade disk on his wrist.

“So you’re next?” he asked.

“And hopefully the last,” hissed Kieran, pulling his blade disk free from his duel disk’s side. “This will end here if I can help it.”

“Hmph,” Keifer huffed with frustration, throwing his left arm out and magically activating his obsidian duel disk. “You cannot help them.”

Keifer gripped his blade disk, a visibly toothy scowl appearing on his face.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik, Spike and the other humans and ponies sat with intense edginess as they awaited for the dueling chamber doors to finally open, wondering if it would be Keifer, or Donald, Marcus, or Keifer with the ponies by their side, victorious in saving them. Spike paced quickly with his fangs biting the ends of his claws.

Finally, the doors began to slide open, and everyone jumped into attention, instantly recognizing the body standing at the entryway. The red wings and his white tail were a dead giveaway, and Yurik clenched his hands and seethed as Keifer stood before them alone. Mary on the other hand, gasped loudly at the startling appearance. Keifer immediately set his sights on the ponies and Spike, among whom, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were amazed by his presence.

“Where are they!” barked Yurik.

With an understanding nod, Keifer took a dramatic step aside to give more room to the doorway. Just then, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity meekly stumbled in, only to find their pony friends waiting there, making all of them begin to well up with tears.

“Twilight!” cried Spike, running to the alicorn.

The ponies and Spike ran to each other and collided in a tearful embrace, all seven friends reunited once more with each other. Walt, Mary, and Alice, despite the situation, smiled to see the fruits of their combined labor. Even Keifer’s face appeared to soften as Spike hugged Twilight and Applejack simultaneously, the small dragon’s face filled with joy. As the group began to break away, Twilight and Rainbow Dash laid their eyes on Yurik and Walt, respectively.

“Walt!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

“Yurik!” yelled Twilight.

Rainbow Dash darted straight into Walt’s arms while Twilight galloped towards Yurik, who knelt down with open arms himself. Twilight slowed herself and leaned her body onto Yurik, allowing him to drape his arms over her and rest her head along the center of her back. He swiftly turned her to face him and looked her dead in the eyes.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” he quickly asked.

“No,” Twilight answered assuredly.

“I’m guessing that Kieran, Marcus, Donald–”

“Yes,” she sighed mournfully, “he beat them.”

Yurik bowed his head as he pictured the state of his allies at that moment.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran hopped on his left foot down a hallway, heavily panting. His clothes were tattered and most places where skin was exposed was either a cut or a burn rash. He grit his teeth with each slack, painful swing of his right foot as he held it up.

“Yurik,” he groaned, “Twilight… forgive me…”

He continued to hobble his way down to his destination,
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer looked upon Yurik’s hugging of Twilight before he took a step further into the room, alerting everyone. Yurik felt his grasp on Twilight loosen as he prepared to get himself up.

“All the ponies are all here at last,” Keifer said. “Send out a champion. If either of you wish to try and take the ponies away from me, then duel me for them!”

“Hey,” breathed Yurik, standing up and away from Twilight, signaling Keifer to him. “I’m not done with you yet.”

Alice and Walt both appeared beside him with worried looks.

“Yurik, man,” advised Walt, “sit this one out.”

“You’ve already dueled him,” Alice reasoned. “You don’t have to go again if you’re ready.”

“No,” Yurik responded, stepping forwards from his friends. “I am ready. Even before our duel ended, I realized I was ready. I’m not letting any more of my friends get hurt because of me!”

Yurik was alone as he stood before Keifer, both of their duel disks prepped and ready to play. Walt, Alice, Spike, Mary, 

“I must say,” Keifer said with a smirk, “I’m happy to see you in such high spirits after what happened in Vienna. I can’t say that the other allies that I’ve defeated would be so fortunate to share your disposition.”

Yurik began to fume when the door behind Yurik suddenly closed by itself, surprising Keifer greatly while the others looked more confused.

“What?” Keifer shouted.

“You don’t think I’m in high of spirits?” called a voice on the intercom.

The others turned around to see Kieran at the window of the observation balcony, an intercom microphone in his hand.

“Hey, it’s Kieran!” squealed Pinkie Pie. “How’s the view up there?”

“Not quite as nice as the view you’re going to get in there,” Kieran said to himself.

Turning to a computer, he typed in a code on its keyboard, then raising his index finger with his eyes on the enter key.

“Action field:” he declared, pressing the enter key. “Disaster City!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Beneath the feet of the humans, dragons, and ponies, the large solid-vision generator whirred to life, the lights on its spherical ends lighting up. With a sudden burst of energy, beams of purple light shot out and reflected off the walls below and onto the glass floor, turning it into bright, solid white.

The scenery began to fade in from the center of the dueling chamber, showing beautifully smooth white marble tiles forming and paths. On both sides of the path, buildings, spires, and fountains of stone modeled seemingly from those of ancient Greece rose from the ground in a sparkling ring. As foliage formed, so too did the sky, featuring a mostly cloudy sky with a touch of blue skies. Both Yurik and Keifer were astounded by the new scenery around them.

“Amazing,” sighed Keifer, feeling a stone pillar. “So these must be the action duels master had talked to me about.”

“Keifer!” shouted Yurik, breaking the dragon from his astonished observation. “Face me now! By duel’s end, these ponies will be in either of our hands, and unless you want them in mine, just try to defeat me!”

Yurik pulled his blade disk from his duel disk’s body with a determined yell, facing Keifer with fiery eyes of passion. Keifer could only huff proudly in response.

“And defeat you I will, Yurik Clayer,” he said. “I cannot accept failure, especially from you. I want to fight you at your all this time. I want you to give me nothing but your best.”

“Damn straight,” Yurik growled.

Yurik chucked his blade disk to Keifer’s right side, the device circling around the dragon and finding its way back to Yurik’s duel disk, stopping back along its side. The sides of the blade disk erupted with light and formed the two zone-marked blades.

Keifer whipped his arm out, his disk flying out and floating in front of his fist, his deck and slots appearing on the edges. With a wave of flames, Keifer’s obsidian blade shot out from the flat side of his disk. Both duelists held their activated duel disks in front of them as their decks shuffled inside their devices.

“Connection complete,” announced a female voice. “Yurik Clayer vs.… Unknown.”

Twilight glanced to the side, suddenly noticing a volcano off in the distance with ominous smoke lifting up out of it.

Disaster City… she pondered, her eyes widening on the realization. “Guys,” she said to them all, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“About what?” wondered Walt.

Twilight answered with a charge of her horn, a large purple bubble forming all around her, Spike, Walt, Alice, Mary, and the other ponies. They all suddenly found themselves levitating in the space, making the humans gasp and shout with surprise.

“Twilight,” Mary cried out as her feet kicked for the floor, “what are you doing?”

“Something about the name ‘Disaster City’ doesn’t sit right with me,” she explained.

With the barrier protecting them, the attention of everyone, including Kieran up in the balcony room, watching the oncoming duel between the two rivals.

“I won’t let you take these ponies,” exclaimed Yurik. “I’m taking these ponies home where they belong! Action…”

“DUEL!” the two of them cried out.

================
Yurik:
LP: 4000

Keifer:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll take the first turn,” shouted Yurik, sprinting off into the city.

Twilight’s bubble shielded lifted itself from the ground and followed Yurik just above the rooftops. Keifer watched passively as they went, standing still in his place.

“Of course,” he muttered, unfurling his wings and taking off into the air.

Yurik looked behind him as he ran, seeing Twilight’s bubble and Keifer behind and above him. Yurik turned his attention to his hand, spotting a monster among them.

“I set one monster face-down,” he shouted, leaping up and spinning around to face Keifer as he slammed his card face-down onto his monster zone.

Yurik landed on his feet and continued running spotting a card with a brown “A” backing lodged in the crack of a pillar of a nearby building. He plucked it out and continued to run, adding the card into his hand. He then took two cards from his hand and threw them into his spell and trap zone.

“I set two cards face-down down and end my turn!” he yelled, the cards’ backings appearing on the field.”

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 2

Keifer glanced to the roof a larger building and swooped down to it, spotting an action card and scooping it up in his claws, adding it to his hand. He then placed his fingers atop his deck.

“My turn!” he declared. “Draw!”

With a quick glance to the monster card he just drew, Keifer placed it upon his center zone.

“I summon Dragma Pyre Piercer!” he called.

From the roof of the building behind him, a muscular, red humanoid dragon with small wings holding an obsidian spear studded with olivine. The monster leapt from the roof and flew alongside Keifer, getting Yurik in its sights.

Dragma Pyre Piercer
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

“When Dragma Pyre Piercer declares an attack on a face-down defense position,” spoke Keifer, “you take 500 damage, and then the monster is automatically destroyed after damage calculation.”

“Oh no!” cried Mary as she looked down.

“Dammit Yurik,” hissed Walt. “You have to prepare for that!”

Yurik breathed out with a tsk and continued his run.

“Battle!” commanded Keifer. “Pyre Piercer, attack his face down monster!”

Dragma Pyre Piercer dove down into the streets, tailing closely behind Yurik and his monster. Realizing the unavoidability of the situation, Yurik, slid to a stop and faced the monster, Keifer’s confident smirk ending upon Yurik winding his left arm in.

“I activate my trap,” Yurik exclaimed with a wave of his hand, “Ponetection!”

Yurik’s card flipped up to show a trap featuring art of Pegassist of Earth being shielded from a blue beam by a magenta shield.

“This card lets me target one monster I control with Unioncorn, Pegassist, Pony, or Allicorn in its name,” Yurik explained, “and for the rest of the turn, it cannot be destroyed by card effects.”

Keifer quickly adopted a hostilely angered face.

“And that means…” he growled.

“The attack will continue on as normal,” Yurik answered, “and the monster you attacked is…”

Yurik’s card flipped itself over, and in an upward burst of sparkles, Yurik’s brown and craggy pony with the mane and tail of grass appeared on the card’s surface.

“Pony of Earth!”

The pony knelt itself down, preparing for Keifer’s monster’s strike.

Pony of Earth
DEF: 2100
Lvl.: 4

The dragon’s spear collided into the pony’s body, but the rocky shield refused to break, the force of the jab sending a shockwave back towards Keifer. It struck Keifer square in the chest and threw him into another building and onto the street, across from Yurik.

Keifer’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3400

Keifer weakly got up, brushing the dirt and dust from the building’s debris off of him.

“But,” Keifer reminded him, “you still take 500 damage from its effect.”

The olivine jewels on Dragma Pyre Piercer’s spear grew bright and hot before a plume of flames shot out and around Yurik’s monster and onto Yurik himself, making him yowl at the intense heat.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3500

“Yurik!” cried everyone inside Twilight’s bubble.

The fires soon went away, and Yurik reached for his hand without any sign of pain or weakness.

“I activate the effect of Pegassist of Fire from my hand,” he growled. “When I take effect damage from an opponent’s card effect, I can special summon this card from my hand!”

Yurik placed the card next to Pony of Earth, and a blue portal opened beside it, releasing a yellow pegasus with a mane and tail made of fire, its wings filled with feathers that were all singed at the sides.

Pegassist of Fire
ATK: 1700
Lvl.: 4

“Furthermore,” added Yurik, “when Pegassist of Fire is special summoned this way, I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to the damage I took!”

“Figures…” breathed Keifer.

“Now go, Pegassist of Fire! Feathers of Flame!”

With a hard fanning of its wings, the pegasus shot five flaming feathers like darts at Keifer. Each of them hit their mark, sending Keifer back howling with both agony and frustration.

Keifer’s Life Points: 3400 -> 2900

Immediately, everyone inside Twilight’s bubble was cheering as their friend stood triumphantly with his two monsters at his side.

“Looks like he was prepared for it,” mentioned Alice with a nudge on Walt’s arm.

“Come on!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Kick his ass!”

Keifer leaned back and shot himself forwards, rolling himself back to his feet. His widened stance comforted Yurik, knowing he was hurting from that last hit.

“I activate the effect of Pyre Piercer,” panted Keifer. “When this card declares an attack, it’s switched into face-down defense position.”

Keifer flipped and turned his card over on his blade. The image of Keifer’s monster faded away just as the image of its card form appeared face-up on the field. The card then twisted about as it was now face-down and facing the left.

He’s going for another xyz summon, planned Keifer. He’s already got two monsters on the field, and both of them are level four. Still, he mused with a smile, I can tell that I’ll like what comes from it.

He then reached into his hand and pulled out one card, setting it into the slot on his black disk, the card’s backing fading in before him.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he concluded.

Status: Hand: 5    Life: 2900    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 1

Yurik glanced down to his feet, finding an action card there. Keifer looked down as well, realizing his opponent’s strategy with disdain.

“You’re planning on using that action card,” Keifer surmised. “And then you’ll just pick up that action card and find another to grab once you use it, won’t you?”

“You got me,” Yurik sarcastically remarked. “I wonder what else you thought up.”

“You also have a fire-type monster and an earth-type monster, both of which are level four. Judging from the patterns I remember from our last duel, the monster you’ll xyz summon with them might prove… interesting.”

Yurik found it harder to mask his visible annoyance with Keifer’s easy reading of his strategies.

“Don’t let him into your head, Yurik!” shouted Alice. “Don’t let this end up like Vienna!”

Yurik eyes blinked several times as he suddenly found his vision flashing back and forth between his current position and the rooftop of the WEIN MITTE Mall. Seeing Keifer’s cocky smile on Keifer at all times, he gnashed his teeth at Keifer and moved his hand towards his deck.

“You might know my deck well,” Yurik spoke, “but there are still secrets that you aren’t aware, and they’ll be just what I need to take you down! My turn! Draw!”

Yurik looked to his hand, spotting Twilight Alicorn in his grasp. With two spell cards in his hand, he placed his monster in his hand, removing the normal spell card from it.

“I activate the spell card Summoner’s Stargate!” he declared, revealing a green card with art of a three large spaceship-like machines forming a triangle formation, blue lines connecting them as an even larger machine with four large arms faded inside of it. “This card allows me to normal summon a level 5 or higher monster without tributes if I control the exact number of monsters that would be required to tribute summon it. Then, at the end phase, all other monsters I control except the normal summoned monster are destroyed.”

“Oh,” muttered Keifer in mild amazement. “Is it coming?”

“I control two monsters, so I can special summon a level 7 or higher monster from my hand.”

Yurik removed his Twilight Alicorn card from his hand and placed it onto the leftmost zone of his right blade. With a barrage of magenta, cyan, and yellow lights and sparks blasting from the ground, Twilight Alicorn shot out from the portal as it spread its wings in liberation.

“Come to me!” Yurik cried out. “Twilight Alicorn!”

With a graceful landing, Yurik’s prized monster took its place beside the other two ponies.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“And now it comes,” Keifer said.

“I now overlay my level 4 Pegassist of Fire and Pony of Earth!” Yurik shouted.

Both of Yurik’s monsters transformed into a red and an orange aura and spiraled up into the air, a swirling red portal opening in front of him.

“With these two monsters,” declared Yurik and they both flew inside, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

Shooting out from the portal was a pillar of lava, making Keifer grin with anticipation.

“Appear!” Yurik yelled. “Allicorn of Magma!”

An alicorn glowing bright red with two bright auras orbiting around it hopped out from the stream and landed beside Twilight Alicorn, it’s body cooling down to reveal a reddish-brown unicorn with a rocky skin with luminous red cracks running throughout its body.

Allicorn of Magma
ATK: 2100
Rnk.: 4

“Whoa,” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “He’s got a volcanic-looking monster too.”

“And because he removed his two monsters from the field,” Mary commented, “none of his monsters will be destroyed!”

“Awesome move, Yurik!” cried Spike.

Yurik glared at Keifer, preparing his move.

“I activate the effect of Allicorn of Magma,” Yurik announced, slipping a card out from underneath his monster and inserting it into his graveyard, accompanied by an aura melding with the monster’s horn. “During this turn, by detaching an xyz material from his monster, whenever Allicorn of Magma destroys a defense position monster by battle, you take damage equal to that monster’s DEF.”

Keifer hissed fire from the end of his nostrils as his fangs were bared.

“Amazing,” said Twilight. “If Pyre Piercer has at least 400 DEF, that would take him down to 2500, and Twilight Alicorn can declare a direct attack and Yurik would win!”

“We’ll see,” Walt cautiously replied. “Keifer wouldn’t be so stupid to allow such an easy victory.”

“Yeah, we’ll see…”

“Go!” shouted Yurik. “Allicorn of Magma, attack Keifer’s face down monster! Pyro Plume!”

With a charge of the alicorn’s horn, a twister of flames spun out from the tip and soared out at Keifer’s face-down card on the field, which now flipped over and conjured the large dragon upon the card’s surface, which knelt in a protective stance.

Dragma Pyre Piercer
DEF: 2000
Lvl.: 4

“2000 DEF?” exclaimed Applejack. “That’s more than enough! Yurik’s got this in the bag!”

The flames washed over Keifer’s monster, which screeched in anguish before it disintegrated from the field.

“And now you’ll take 2000 damage from my monster’s effect,” Yurik said with a smirk.

The wave of fire continued to rush towards Keifer, who looked stoically into it.

“I activate my trap,” shouted Keifer, “Geyser Gouging!”

Keifer’s card flipped over to reveal the trap, showing art of a massive fountain of yellowed water shooting from a rocky surface while the silhouette of a dragon floated inside the stream.

“When a face-down defense position Dragma monster I control is attacked,” Keifer explained, “all damage I take until the end of the turn is halved.”

As the flames came closer, a geyser of water shot up from the street, blocking most of the flames while the outer ones crept around it towards Keifer. They came over him, but Keifer did not grunt as violently as he might have been without the aid of his trap card.

Keifer’s Life Points: 2900 -> 1900

“Furthermore,” growled Keifer as the fires began to subside, “you take damage equal to the damage I take for the rest of the turn.”

“What did you say?” gasped Yurik.

Before he could receive a reply, a puddle of water began to form at Yurik’s feet. Without further warning, another geyser shot up directly below him, drenching him in boiling hot water as his feet were barely kept on the ground from the force, making him scream loudly.

Yurik’s Life Points: 3500 -> 2500

Yurik’s friends inside the bubble were horrified as Yurik’s life was quickly drained from him.

“YURIK!” Twilight shrieked.

The water’s pressure finally ceased, and Yurik stood weakly and drenching, panting shakily as he tried to regain his strength.

“Furthermore,” spoke Keifer, pointing at Allicorn of Magma, “Pyre Piercer’s flip effect activates, switching the monster that attacked it into face-down defense position.”

Yurik’s monster stood on its hind legs and whinnied in pain from an unknown affliction before it faded away with its digital card form replacing it on the field. The card flipped itself down with Yurik’s Pony of Earth card poking out from the sides of it. Yurik hissed as his monster was rendered useless.

“Now that you know what’s to come,” Keifer suggested to the horror of Yurik’s friends in Twilight’s bubble, “you should just end your turn, otherwise you’ll only be damaging yourself.”

“Whatever,” Yurik huffed, much to Keifer’s surprise. “As long as I drag you down with me, I couldn’t care less of what happens.”

Yurik’s friends were all wide-eyed and open mouthed at Yurik’s insane proposition.

“Yurik…” whimpered Mary.

“You can’t…” spat Keifer.

“Twilight Alicorn,” Yurik commanded, “attack Keifer directly! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn brightly and launched its attack at Keifer with all the strength it could muster, producing a particularly strong beam that shot with immense speed at its target. Before the attack could connect, a second geyser shot forth from the ground and reduced the size and speed of the magic blast. Striking him and soaring through, Keifer screamed in agony as the beam tried to throw him back.

Keifer’s Life Points: 1900 -> 650

“Share my pain, Yurik Clayer!” Keifer shrieked.

Yurik clenched his muscles as water sprung underneath him. The water then shot out in an even more impressive burst than before, lifting Yurik up off his feet as the water slowly carried him from the ground. Yurik cried at the unendurable pain of the hot water as it tore up around his body.

Yurik’s Life Points: 2500 -> 1250

Once both Twilight Alicorn’s blast and Yurik’s geyser had stopped, both Keifer and Yurik crumpled to the ground. Fluttershy turned her body and wiped her tearing eyes with her hoof. The others merely stood in both sadness and sheer amazement at Yurik’s feat. Kieran in the balcony was too amazed as he observed both Yurik and Keifer’s life points. As Yurik laid motionless, Twilight was nearly on the verge of sobbing, stopping upon seeing him suddenly move his limbs.

Everyone leaned in as they saw Yurik get to his knees, struggling to keep his abdomen straight as he fought through the sharp pain inside of it. Yurik finally lifted his legs and feet to stand, albeit with wobbling knees.

“Yes,” whispered Twilight happily, accompanied by the sighs of relief around her.

Yurik then reached for his action card with a trembling hand, slipping it into his duel disk.

“I activate the action card, Dauntless Donation,” Yurik stated, a spell card of a silhouetted human figure held up a shining heart from another silhouetted figure lying on a table with its chest peeled open. “This card allows me to tribute one monster I control and draw a card, and if that monster was an xyz monster, I can draw an additional card for each xyz material attached to it when it was tributed.”

Yurik pointed at his face down monster as it began to glow a bright yellow.

“I tribute Allicorn of Magma with one xyz material attached to it,” he said.

The card and the xyz material beneath it both shattered as Yurik put his fingers upon his deck.

“Now I can draw two cards,” Yurik stated with a whip of his arm, two cards now held firmly in his hand.

Yurik knelt down and picked up the action card at his feet, it being added to the other two cards in his hand. Grabbing at two cards in his left hand, he kept one in his right, sliding it into his spell and trap slot, the backing of which appeared on the field.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 1250    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 2

Yurik stepped back as he watched Keifer finally begin to stand himself up. Yurik immediately turned behind him and ran further down the roads of the city, Twilight’s bubble following him. Keifer only managed see Yurik and his friends disappear behind a building’s corner just as he stood, standing in both stunned silence and deep respect.

Yurik Clayer, thought Keifer. You continued to attack me anyways even when you knew it would hurt you greatly. Now my life is below 1000 on only my second turn. However, it cost you nearly your entire hand to bring me there.

Keifer then looked at this plentiful hand, seeing a healthy array of monsters, one of which included his Magmal Dragon, his action card, and a trap card.

Your hand is at two, he continued to muse, and your life is just above 1000. I haven’t even come close to unleashing my full strength, and once I do, it will be impossible for you to defeat me.

“My turn,” Keifer quietly said, realizing his loneliness as he put his hand on his deck, “draw.”

Keifer looked to the card and kept it in his right hand, fluttering up to the roof of the same building that Yurik had passed and landing atop of it. He casually walked to the other side, where Yurik and his friends awaited him inside the grassy courtyard below. Keifer looked down to see Yurik standing over yet another action card, smiling with assurance. Keifer stayed silent as he revealed his recently drawn card, a spell card with art showing two rocky spheres rising from a pool of lava while Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon’s silhouette loomed behind them.

“I activate the spell card Magmal Bi-Breaching,” he declared, placing his card into his spell and trap slot for the enlarged card to appear for Yurik to see. “When this card is activated, I can special summon two Dragma monsters with the same name from my deck in face-down defense position.”

Keifer’s deck shuffled inside of his slot, allowing two cards to eject from the top of the deck for Keifer to grab. He revealed them both to Yurik, showing them to be what appeared to be small, red, wingless dragon babies.

“I set my two Dragma Sparklings in face down defense position,” he stated.

Keifer swiped both cards onto his zones, and both monsters appeared off the edge of the roof with the front-sides of the cards obscured by shadow, preventing Yurik or the others from seeing them.

“When I activate this card,” Keifer said, “both monsters are shuffled back into my deck at the end of the turn. However, much like you had accomplished last turn, they won’t need to stay on the field to achieve their purpose.”

Keifer removed another card from his hand with a particularly forceful pinch, unnerving Yurik as to what would be coming next.

“By tributing two face-down Dragma monsters,” prepared Keifer, “I can special summon this card from my hand.”

“What?” shouted Yurik. “His monster has that ability?”

“Great beast within the ocean of flames,” chanted Keifer, throwing his card onto his blade while removing both of his monsters from it, “ascend from the crust of the earth and leave your foes in ruins!”

Both cards on the field were incinerated by two tornadoes of fire that began to meld into a single large one at the front of the building Keifer stood on, throwing hot air all around the field.

“Arise,” he shouted, “lord of the mountain of fire! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”

Wings of fire broke the tornado apart, revealing Keifer’s ace monster in its full form as it feel to its feet to the ground below, roaring at Yurik with a singeing warmth.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

It’s out, thought Yurik, but I won’t let it take me.

“I activate my continuous trap,” declared Yurik, “Gorgonic Talisman!”

Yurik’s trap card flipped up, showing a glowing jade ring with a beastly giant behind it turned to stone, it’s face plastered with terror.

“While I control a spellcaster-type monster,” Yurik declared, “I can target one face-up monster the opponent controls and negate its effects. Also the targeted monster cannot declare an attack or change its battle position as long as both my monster and trap card remain on the field!”

The green ring materialized on the base of Twilight Alicorn’s horn, and with a slight, but noticeable exertion of energy from the alicorn, a flash of green light shone on Magmal Dragon. It’s form slowly began turning to stone, cracking sounds being audibly heard as it tried to resist, but failed as it was rendered to a greyed statue, much to Yurik’s happiness.

“Awesome!” Walt exclaimed. “Now Yurik is safe from his monster!”

“That’s fine,” Keifer spoke, removing his action card from his hand. “I activate the action card Bide!”

Keifer threw the card into his duel disk, and a spell card of a silhouetted human cartoon meditating with a soft blue aura pulsing out from him appeared to Yurik.

“At the cost of my battle phase this turn,” he clarified, “I gain life points equal to one face up monster I control. My Magmal Dragon has 3000 ATK, and so I shall gain that many life points in return.”

Yurik and his friends watched in sheer distress and chagrin as Magmal Dragon began to glow blue, similarly colored waves pulsing from its body and coming onto Keifer, breaking away like smoke before it seeped into his skin.

Keifer’s Life Points: 650 -> 3650

Keifer knelt down and picked up an action card on the edge of the building, standing back up afterwards and observing it.

“Hmm,” he commented, “perhaps this isn’t a terrible strategy after all.”

Yurik hissed as he watched Keifer nonchalantly add it to his hand.

“I set one monster face-down,” Keifer spoke, placing a card besides his Magmal Dragon card.

The card’s backing appeared and then disappeared from the field just as Keifer grabbed another card from his hand. Slipping it into his duel disk, the card’s backing appeared behind Magmal Dragon before it too vanished.

“I then place one card face down and end my turn,” Keifer declared.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 3650    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 1

“Come on, Yurik!” cheered Twilight. “You can still do this.”

Twilight’s right, thought Yurik, furrowing his brow. Thanks to Gorgonic Talisman, his monster’s effect is negated, which means that I can still attack it even with his face-down monster. However, he planned, looking to the action card in his hand, I’ll need every ounce of luck if I hope to be able to do so. Here goes…

“My turn!” Yurik cried out. “Draw!”

Yurik looked to his hand, only to find that it was a trap card, making him hiss with disappointment. He immediately added it to his left hand and removed his action card.

“I activate the action card Speedy Swap,” he declared, throwing the card into his zone, revealing a card with a cartoon human’s hand with a floating action card and normal card above the palm. “When this card is activated, I draw one card.”

Yurik pinched his deck and drew out a card, looking to see a spell card, being just the one he needed, judging by the relieved look on his face. He added it to his hand and knelt down to pick up the action card at his feet.

“Now let’s…” he muttered to himself.

Turning the card over, he gasped with horror to see a trap card with an erupting volcano upon it.

“Action trap?” Yurik exclaimed.

The card burst away into sparks in his hand as the sound of a massive explosion sounded off not too far in the distance. Yurik and Keifer turned around to see that an even larger tower of smoke rose from where the volcano was.

“What’s…” stammered Applejack. “What’s goin’ on?”

“The volcano,” Twilight mentioned. “I knew there was something to this field.”

A card display suddenly appeared on Yurik’s screen, showing the activated trap card.

“Eruption,” read Yurik fearfully. “Once, during your opponent’s next turn, if your opponent controls a monster with higher ATK than the monster you control with the highest ATK, that monster is destroyed!”

Keifer refused the urge to smirk at Yurik’s now desperate situation. Above, the once blue, cloud-mottled skies were curtained with a thick blanket of volcanic ash and smoke, the light becoming much darker and greyer.

“Yurik!” shouted Mary. “Do something!”

“I plan to!” he replied. “I just have to ensure I have the stronger monster by the next turn, and this hand just might do the trick!”

Yurik hopped on to his horse’s back, standing in a squat while the winged unicorn flew back to the roof the next building across from Keifer.

“I equip Twilight Alicorn with Horn of Reborn,” he shouted, grabbing his spell card and slipping it into his device.

The card with the cross insignia below the card’s title and art of a green, glowing unicorn horn appeared on the field next to his face up Gorgonic Talisman, making Twilight Alicorn’s horn similarly glow green.

“When this card is activated, I can special summon a monster with Unioncorn, Pegassist, Pony, or Allicorn in its name from my graveyard, and I special summon Pony of Earth!”

Twilight Alicorn shot a green beam from its horn at the ground below, opening a purple-and-black portal on the field where Yurik’s monster leapt out and landed beside the other monster.

Pony of Earth
ATK: 600
Lvl.: 4

“Next,” continued Yurik, “I tribute my Pony of Earth to tribute summon…”

Yurik removed his monster from the zone and placed another card in its place.

“…Armored Unioncorn!” he shouted.

Pony of Earth sunk into a blue portal that formed beneath it, sinking inside before Yurik’s dark-gray unicorn with black armor rose out of it, standing beside Twilight Alicorn.

Armored Unioncorn
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 6

“I now activate the effect of Armored Unioncorn,” Yurik exclaimed, flipping back off the horse and standing on the building’s edge, “equipping it to my Twilight Alicorn and increasing its ATK by 600!”

The unicorn lit up bright before it vanished, leaving the armor behind. The armor then melded itself to Twilight Alicorn’s body, making it whinny with the power and energy now coursing through it.

ATK: 2500 -> 3100

“Now my monster’s ATK is stronger than Magmal Dragons,” Yurik stated, “and with Gorgonic Talisman negating your monster’s effects, your face-down monster can’t keep me from attacking it.”

Keifer clenched his right hand with a fierce scowl on his face.

“Twilight Alicorn,” Yurik ordered, “attack Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight’s magenta aura on its horn swirled with black as it shot the spiraling beam at its target. A loud bang and a cloud of fire, smoke, and dust covered Keifer and his field. Twilight and her bubble flew up to the roof beside Yurik, everyone inside looking carefully inside the cloud as it began to settle. However, the statuesque Magmal Dragon and Keifer were still visible within, the latter standing strong and resolutely.

Keifer’s Life Points: 3550

“No…” Yurik breathed. “No way! How is it still–”

“I activated my trap,” Keifer answered, “Shale Scales.”

A purple card with a close-up shot of dragon scales, several of which were replaced by rock, as the art flipped up for Yurik and his friends to see, much to their exasperation.

“This card prevents the destruction of a dragon-type monster I control by battle,” he clarified as bits of brown and black rocks tumbled from the statue of Keifer’s monster. “You were close, but it will not be enough to defeat me.”

“Clearly,” deadpanned Yurik, his Twilight Alicorn returning to Yurik at the edge of the building he stood on, “but my monster is still stronger than yours, and as long as it stays that way, I can avert Eruption’s effect.”

Yurik took out another card in his hand and slipped it into his duel disk with the digitized backing appearing on the field in the only open spell and trap zone left.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he declared.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 1250    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 5

“It seems that you have all that you need,” Keifer spoke. “However, you still haven’t seen the full extent of my deck’s power.”

“What was that?” questioned Yurik.

“You only had two of the ponies in your possession. I knew that sooner or later, we’d have to meet again if I wanted to take the others. What point would there be to exhaust my full abilities and prepare you for our next match?”

“So… what you’re saying is…”

“Yes, Yurik Clayer. What you faced in the last duel is nothing compared to what you’ll experience right here! My turn! Draw!”

Keifer looked to his card, seeing another copy of his Magmal Dragon inside of it. Adding it to his hand, he removed his other monster card and slammed it beside his other face-down monster.

“I set one monster face-down!” he stated, the card’s backing appearing on the field. “Then,” he added, removing his monsters from the zones and revealing the cards’ titles to Yurik before placing them in his graveyard slot, “I tribute my face-down Dragma monsters to special summon…”

With a single swipe, Keifer took his Magmal Dragon card from his hand and placed it beside his other Magmal Dragon. Both face down cards caught fire as they transformed into a massive whirlwind of flames, blowing its air into Yurik.

“…Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”

The monster’s fiery wings broke through the tornado, dispelling it and revealing the second of Keifer’s aces as it flew beside its petrified comrade.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

“You have certainly improved since our last duel,” Keifer admitted, “and you offered some genuine surprises this time, but if I want to defeat you now, I must call upon my deck’s hidden power.”

“Hidden power?” Walt breathed uneasily. “What could he be talking about?”

“I overlay my two level 8 Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragons!”

Both monsters suddenly transformed into wisps of fire that danced about in the air, much to Yurik’s horror.

“Overlay?” he shouted. “He’s going to xyz summon?”

A portal of swirling embers spread open before Keifer, allowing both of his monsters to fly inside of it.

“With these two monsters,” he cried, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The portal exploded, blowing flames up from both sides of it and creating a mushroom cloud that extended high above the city. The wave that rolled down from the ground crashed into the buildings Yurik and Keifer stood upon, cracking the foundations and shaking them. Yurik wobbled to keep his balance while Keifer soared up to safety.

Once Yurik stabilized himself, he looked to where the portal had formed, watching as any fires near them were drawn to the portal, creating a large sphere that rotated like a small planet. Inside the observational balcony, Kieran breathed through bared teeth, his feelings of dread filling him with slight nausea.

“When the earth erupts with fire and rock,” Keifer chanted, “my great creature will arise with it and raze everything it sees!”

The fires on the sphere were extinguished, revealing the body of a larger dragon curled up tightly and wrapped in its own wings.

“Ascend!” Keifer cried. “Obsidian-Eyes Twin Magmal Dragon!”

The creature’s wings, made of both rock and flesh, unfurled from around itself, showing two heads attached to two necks on the same body. Uncoiling its body and straightening it, a larger sized Magmal Dragon threw its two heads up into the sky and shrieked with determination, two red orbs circling around it.

Obsidian Eyes-Twin Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3600
Rnk.: 8

“3600…” mumbled Yurik, “ATK…”

Twilight and everyone inside her bubble were rendered nearly completely limp with the appearance of Keifer’s incredible new monster.

“The effect of that action trap Eruption now activates,” reminded Keifer. “When I control a monster with higher ATK than a monster you control with the highest ATK, that monster is destroyed. My new monster now has 500 ATK more than yours, so you can say farewell to your Twilight Alicorn.”

In the distance, another massive explosion boomed from the top of the volcano, launching a large ball of rock from it as it arced over the city and began to descend down towards Twilight Alicorn and Yurik.

“Yurik!” screamed Twilight.

Keifer grinned at Yurik’s desperate situation, especially as he looked on at the fatally frightened look on his opponent’s face.
> Episode 23: Rematch of Rivals, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yurik watched with indignation as the massive ball of molten rock plummeted from the sky towards his field and monster. 

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 3100
Lvl.: 7

Keifer watched resolutely as Yurik’s monster’s end came ever nearer, while Yurik’s friends beside him all trembled at the sight.

================
Yurik:
LP: 1250

Keifer:
LP: 3650
================

Yurik clenched his fists as he knew what had to be done.

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn,” Yurik declared, “placing it on my pendulum zone from the field.”

Yurik’s monster charged its horn as it flew up towards the fireball, Keifer and his two-headed dragon watching its futile rescue.

“But first…” Yurik stated, reaching for the last card in his hand.

“What?” gasped Keifer.

“…I chain the effect of Unicorn Gardna! By destroying up to three face-up spell and trap cards I control during either player’s turn, I can special summon this card from my hand!”

At once, Yurik’s Gorgonic Talisman, Horn of Reborn, and Armored Unioncorn cards appeared behind Yurik’s monster on the field, slowly glowing bright before one by one, they each burst from the field in sequence. Twilight Alicorn’s armor also disappeared as it continued ascending to the massive airborne boulder.

“Unbelievable,” muttered Keifer with widened eyes, watching Yurik throw his monster onto his field, “he managed to clear his field and summon an extra monster to protect him!”

A blue portal opened before Yurik, and from it, a dark-blue unicorn with long, massive red braces on the wrists of its hooves jumped out and took place on Yurik’s vacant center zone.

Unioncorn Gardna
DEF: 1800
Lvl.: 4

“Also,” Yurik said, “Spell Counters are placed on my monster equal to the number of cards destroyed by its effect, which is three!”

On both braces, three large gems glowed and lit up, sparking the rest of the shields with an electric energy.

Spell Counters: 0 -> 3

Twilight Alicorn continued its charge at the fireball, the former now covered in a blinding light as it collided with it. Twilight Alicorn disappeared, but the boulder broke away, its bits, large and small, scattering across the city. Twilight Alicorn appeared again beside Yurik a small “6” above its head.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

Keifer, Yurik, and his friends watched with awe and horror as the city began to be reduced to rubble as the debris crashed into the buildings and monuments, shattering them like glass and felling them in an instant.

Suddenly, some larger pieces from the center fell down towards the courtyard, making Yurik and Keifer tense up with fear. Keifer flew up with his monster and stayed up, watching Yurik scramble for a way out. He and his monster began to sprint backwards just as the rock struck the ground. The already weak pillars from Twin Magmal Dragon’s summoning finally gave way to the force, the ceiling caving in from the front down.

Yurik and Unioncorn Gardna were barely managing to stay ahead of the gap as they raced at the heels of his feet. With a jump and a shout, Yurik made a desperate leap, only for a large slab of the ceiling to break beneath him and form a steep slope to the ruins.

Before Yurik could fall onto the slab, he felt as Twilight Alicorn’s arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace. With a quick turn, the horse’s back struck the stone, cushioning Yurik with its belly. As the two continued sliding down, the alicorn’s back aimed itself at the rubble below, stopping once they finally reached the bottom.

The alicorn’s arms let Yurik go, and as he leapt to his feet, his monster scrambled to its hooves standing back in front of him. Yurik and Twilight Alicorn both gave a nod and looked out for Keifer and his monster. Unioncorn Gardna slid down the ceiling shortly afterwards.

“Yurik!” shouted Twilight, flying down with the rest of his friends. “Are you okay?!”

“Fine,” groaned Yurik.

Through the thick clouds of dust powdered stone, Yurik and the others watched as Keifer quickly and gracefully landed atop the rock fused into the earth from the volcano’s blast. Twin Magmal Dragon floated down beside its master.

“Regardless of your new monster,” Keifer said, “it won’t matter. With Twilight Alicorn gone, so are your chances of defeating me. I activate the effect of Twin Magmal Dragon.”

Keifer slipped a card from underneath his card and placed it in his graveyard while an orb going around Twin Magmal Dragon melded into its chest with a bright shine.

Obsidian Eyes-Twin Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3600
Rnk.: 8

“By detaching one xyz material from this card,” Keifer explained, “my monster can attack twice this battle phase.”

“Attack twice?” shouted Mary.

“That’s way more attacks than Yurik can handle!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

“With this,” Keifer screamed, “my victory is assured! Now, Twin Magmal Dragon, attack Unioncorn Gardna! Dual Desecration!”

The dragon’s left mouth ignited, a roaring flame filling inside of its jaws. With a sharp spit, a fireball was blasted out of it at Yurik’s monster.

“I activate Unioncorn Gardna’s effect!” Yurik shouted. “By removing one Spell Counter from it and paying 300 life points when it would be destroyed by battle or card effect; it is not destroyed.”

Unioncorn Gardna leapt in front of Yurik, turning its wrists in so that both braces formed a shield in front of the both of them. Keifer’s monster’s fireball struck the shield, but the force failed to break the defense, and the fire danced around it. At that point, one of the gems in the brace shattered, its remains disintegrating into wild sparks.

Spell Counters: 3 -> 2

The sparks swamped Yurik, making him groan loudly as his skin was pricked from nearly every vantage from the energy.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1250 -> 950

Keifer growled as his plan was shot, Yurik’s pain-riddled face not even providing him any comfort.

“Fine then,” Keifer roared. “Twin Magmal Dragon, attack Unioncorn Gardna once again! Dual Desecration!”

The right head of the dragon charged its mouth with fire, breathing it out at Yurik’s monster like the last time. The fire flew around the unicorn’s shield, another gem breaking away from it.

Spell Counters: 2 -> 1

The gem exploded into more magical sparks, zapping Yurik with high intensity. Yurik, unable to resist the pain, yelled out with his head aimed to the sky.

Yurik’s Life Points: 950 -> 650

Once the electric wave fizzled out, Yurik pulled his body straight up slowly, his abs trembling with soreness. His friends turned to look at him, smiling in relief to see Yurik smirking defiantly and mockingly at Keifer. As Keifer angrily glared at the human still standing before him, Keifer’s eyes suddenly softened into a look of submission and fear.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer opened his eyes, finding that his book had fallen to the floor, its pages from its aged spine having detached away from it. The sensation that failed to leave him was the sound of laughing of his bullies surrounding him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer suddenly found his right hand squeezed, the ends of his claws prodding against his palm, threatening to pierce the scales. Realizing the sharpness, he unclenched his hand, the sting only growing as he flexed it out.

“I…” Keifer reluctantly said, “end my turn…”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 3550    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 0

With renewed strength, Yurik ran up to his monster and mounted it in a single jump. As if reading his thoughts, Unioncorn Gardna pulled a U-turn and ran away from Keifer, following the jagged path formed by the ruins of the city. Twilight and her bubble with her, Yurik’s friends, and Twilight Alicorn followed them close behind.

Keifer continued to stand still, frozen stiff by his memory and the other coming back at that moment.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer, dressed and equipped with no clothing nor accessories, sat along the edge of a cliff, overlooking as dragons of various colors, ages, and genders collected on the ground down below. For the most part, if they weren’t resting after such a tiring migration, they were fighting and sparring with each other, much to the jeers and cheers of the other dragons surrounding them. Keifer huffed at them with harsh judgment, slumping over as he tried to console himself in his apparent loneliness.

Just then, massive wingbeats came from behind, and a large shadow loomed over him as its caster lowered down from the sky. It was an adult quadruped dragon, its scales a glistening black with a red underbelly. A small sack was hung over its right wing. Landing beside Keifer, the dragon appeared to be nearly ten times larger than him.

“Father!” cried Keifer happily upon seeing his face.

“Keifer,” cooed the black dragon in a raspy, bass voice. “You aren’t down there with the rest of your friends?”

“They aren’t friends of mine,” he grumbled. “My friends don’t fight for no reason and don’t consider intelligence a sign of weakness.”

“But weakness is a sign of weakness too, my son. If you want to survive in a dragon’s world, you must be strong like a dragon.”

“I am strong! I just don’t see the purpose in fighting others without cause!”

“You really need me to remind you?”

Keifer sulked, knowing exactly what was going to be expected of him next.

“Come,” the black dragon beckoned.

The black dragon walked to the edge of the cliff and leaned forwards, falling down and gliding to the grounds below. Keifer sighed and hopped off the cliff soaring down to follow his father.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside a cave, dimly lit by red glowing crystals, the black dragon and Keifer stepped into a room, and in the center of it was a nest of twigs and obsidian, and placed on top of the pile was a large egg, its features concealed by the shadows. Keifer approached the egg and sat beside it, tenderly running his hand down it.

“Without your mother,” the black dragon reminded him, “you must help raise your brother. You may be strong, but he will need to be too. You need to protect him and teach him to fight like I have so that he may survive like you have.

“I’m very grateful that you have adopted your mother’s kind heart, and it would be something I beg of you to pass onto him as well.”

Keifer laid his hand upon the top of the egg, imagining just what kind of dragon would be born from it.

“I will do my best, father,” he promised.

“Good,” he responded, plucking his sack off his wing, “then you can continue to do so.”

With a flick of his fingers, the black dragon tossed the sack over to Keifer. The sack slid to Keifer’s feet, and he opened it up to see two books inside, making Keifer laugh like a child.

“New books!” he cried gleefully. “Where did you find these?”

“It was an abandoned castle with a library not too far from here.”

“A library? Where? I must find it!”

“Don’t get greedy, my son. Enjoy the books you have.”

“My apologies, father. Thank you very much.”

“Do come soon for the feast,” the black dragon called back, walking back to the cavern. “It should be beginning soon.”

Keifer nodded to his father, allowing him to leave in good faith. Once he was out of sight, Keifer eagerly took the top book from the two and flipped through the pages.

“What should I read for you, brother?” he thought aloud.

Keifer continued flipping, unsure which page he would begin on.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“My turn!” shouted Yurik’s voice.

Keifer snapped out of his memory upon hearing his opponent’s voice. With a growl, he quickly unfurled his wings and took off to the sky, his Twin Magmal Dragon following close behind. Soaring over the city’s ruins, he finally found Yurik, Unioncorn Gardna, and Twilight’s bubble. Keifer watched from below as Yurik looked to his drawn card.

Adding it to his hand, he found and action card lying on the ground up ahead. As Yurik leaned over with an outstretched arm, ready to scoop the card up, Keifer took his action card from his left hand and added it to his right. Yurik picked up his action card, and upon sitting back up and seeing it as a spell card, he gasped gladly.

“I activate my action card,” Keifer called from above, tensing Yurik immediately, “Cosmic Arrow!”

An enlarged card appeared above Yurik, showing a blue arrow flying past yellow stars in a purple space.

“This card lets me destroy a spell card that was added to the opponent’s hand except by drawing,” he explained.

“What?” Yurik gasped.

A blue beam of light shot out of Keifer’s card, forming an arc as it went around Yurik’s body and through Yurik’s card, bursting it into golden sparks. Both Yurik and Unioncorn Gardna found their balance disrupted, both wobbling dangerous to and fro as the monster continued it gallop. Yurik’s friends in Twilight’s bubble gasped as Yurik looked close to falling, but with firm pull on the unicorn’s mane, he sat himself upright.

“Sorry, Unioncorn Gardna,” sighed Yurik with disappointment. “I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 650    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 1    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 2

Keifer continued trailing Yurik, his eyes set on his steed.

That’s it, thought Keifer. Run… I’ll teach you to cross me…

As he continued to fly, his memory began to resurface once again.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Pages from Keifer’s book continued to fly out from the olden spine, and for Keifer, it was just as heartbreaking to watch the pages fly away into the wind as it was to hear the laughter of the bipedal dragon peers around him as they reveled in their destruction of the tome.

“I still can’t believe he reads books!” wheezed a fatter brown dragon with stubby wings.

“What does he think he is,” a skinny green pony asked to his comrades “a sissy uneecorn?”

Keifer balled his hands into fists, trying to keep his composure and beastly instincts under control.

“Perhaps we should remind this pansy what her place is!” a greyish-blue dragon suggested.

The green dragon reached out for the seemingly submissive Keifer, but as his hand got close to his face, Keifer grabbed a hold of the wrist and pulled back, pulling the dragon closer. With a quick jab of his fist, Keifer’s knuckles were driven right into the green dragon’s snout, a small gush of blood squirting out of the nostrils. The other dragons stood stunned as their friend grabbed his nose, looking at the blood pooling inside of his palms.

“Why, you…” moaned the dragon. “Well?” he shouted to his other two allies. “What are you waiting for? Get him!”

The brown dragon charged at Keifer with a loud yell. Keifer jumped up and flapped his wings, keeping high above his tormentors. He then quickly found himself tackled by the bluish dragon and drilled to the ground, becoming pinned under his weight. The bluish dragon quickly hopped over Keifer’s head, holding his wrists onto his wings, pinning them both to the ground.

Trying to kick free, Keifer’s legs were then grabbed and held down by the fat brown dragon, keeping the white dragon completely immobile. The green dragon walked up to the restrained Keifer, sniffling the blood as it tried to escape his nose. With a sneer, the green dragon pressed his foot against Keifer’s throat.

“Say that you’re a pretty pony,” hissed the green dragon, “and me and my friends will let you go.”

“It’s…” gagged Keifer.

“What was that?” the bluish dragon loudly said in taunting. “We couldn’t here you!”

“It’s… My friends and I, idiot.”

The green dragon clenched his teeth and pressed, putting Keifer into a violent coughing fit.

“I’m…” assisted the green dragon, “a pretty… pony.”

“You’re…” groaned Keifer, “a complete imbecile.”

With a harder press, the green dragon stepped harder, a shrill shriek escaping Keifer’s mouth.

“I’m the imbecile, huh?” the green dragon questioned. “Then why are you underneath my foot?”

“I’ll answer with another question,” Keifer quickly got out, air running out. “What do you think my father will do to you when he finds out you killed his son?”

With instantly fearful expressions to each other, the three dragons all got off Keifer and sprinted off, yelling in fear from Keifer’s father’s certain wrath. With the weight off his throat, Keifer gasped for precious air. Sitting up and heavily panting, he turned back to look at his book, ruined and useless. Alone, Keifer used the opportunity to weep, both for his attack and the pain he felt from it.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik Clayer, thought Keifer, I’ve never given satisfaction to those who have chosen to step on me, and that fact will not end with you!

“My turn!” he shouted. “Draw!”

Seeing his card was a spell, he added it to his hand, aiming his now free right hand at Yurik and his monster.

“I activate the effect of Twin Magmal Dragon,” declared Keifer, removing a card from his monster and putting it into his graveyard slot, “detaching an xyz material from it to allow to attack twice during the battle phase!”

Yurik cringed as he saw Obsidian-Eyes Twin Magmal Dragon’s last xyz material orb merge into it chest.

“He’s out now,” grunted Yurik.

“Battle!” ordered Keifer. “Twin Magmal Dragon, attack Unioncorn Gardna! Dual Desecration!”

Twin Magmal Dragon’s right mouth began to glow, then shooting its fiery blast at Yurik and his Unioncorn monster.

“Once these next attacks hit,” Alice said, “Yurik’s going to be down to only 350 life points and he’s going to lose his monster!”

Yurik continued to ride his unicorn as the blast came ever closer, and when he turned to face it, Keifer was caught off guard to see a smile on Yurik’s face.

“Now I have you!” exclaimed Yurik. “I activate my trap, Risky Retreat!”

Yurik’s card flipped up and faced Keifer, showing art of a small group of anthropomorphic jelly bean knights fleeing from a warriors sword as it crashed to the ground, missing its targets.

“When my opponent declares an attack on a monster I control,” explained Keifer. “I can return all monsters I control to the hand, and then end the battle phase.”

“Impossible!” screamed Keifer.

Unioncorn Gardna began to glow as Yurik hopped up, crouching on its back. Just before it burst away into sparks, Yurik hopped up, turning to face Keifer and his monster as the latter’s attack struck the spot where Yurik’s monster had previously been.

Coming in hard on his feet, Twilight Alicorn charged its horn and covered him in its aura, letting him float safely to the ground as his body slowed down, his feet sliding and stopping him a t-intersection of buildings relatively unharmed by the action trap’s effect.

Keifer landed on the street, facing Yurik, while his monster perched itself behind him. Keifer’s face was contorted into a seething fury.

“Damn you, Yurik Clayer!” roared Keifer. “Damn you!”

“So it seems you do have nerves to be touched,” said Yurik.

“Shut up! If you knew exactly what I was fighting for, you’d be siding with me!”

“And what the hell makes you think that?”

“Because I’m an orphan like you!”

Yurik gasped loudly, finding himself stepping back, completely overwhelmed by the shock. Spike and Rarity also looked very shocked by this news.

“What did you say?” asked Yurik.

“My master found some information about you and your friend whom you live with. You share different surnames. You’re the only Clayer in that household. Where are your other Clayers? Brothers? Mother? Father?”

“What does that have to do with anything? How does that make me like you?”

“We both lost family, Yurik Clayer. Unlike me, you still have a loving mother, and something that you’d be in your right mind to call siblings. I, on the other hand, have nothing!”

Yurik shuddered as he listened to the growing desperation of the dragon’s voice.

“My mother died laying the egg to what was supposed to be my brother, and my father died trying to defend that egg that Celestia and her ponies took from me.”

Yurik’s eyes widened with fear as Keifer’s story continued.

“Celestia…” Yurik stammered. “Took your brother away?”

“Don’t listen to that!” Applejack exclaimed. “Celestia would never do such a thing.”

“I’ve known her for most my life!” Twilight intervened. “I assure you Applejack is right when she says that she would never take your brother!”

“We all have our secrets…” Keifer ominously said. “Perhaps you don’t know your ruler as well as you think you do. That dragon with you there.”

Keifer pointed at Spike, leading Twilight and Yurik to turn to him.

“Where did you get him?”

“I…” Twilight spoke.

“You hatched him using magic, correct? Celestia made you hatch it as a test, right?”

“Yes!” Twilight relented. “I did! What are you suggesting? That Celestia would just take eggs from dragons?”

“Is it really such stretch of possibility? Where do you think your egg came from? Or any other egg that was used for Celestia’s entrance exams? Surely some failed and destroyed the eggs…”

“How…” Twilight wondered, flustered by Keifer’s words. “How do you know so much about all of this?”

“The truth is never easy to swallow, Twilight Sparkle. As for how I know, I too have my secrets, all of which will be revealed to you ponies when I take you back with me.”

“How?” screamed Yurik. “How do you know?”

“This information doesn’t concern you, Yurik Clayer. Once these ponies are out of your lives, you will never see, nor worry about them ever again.”

“Of course I’ll worry! They’re my friends! I won’t let them be put into the hands of someone as dangerous as yourself! Not a damned chance!”

Keifer squinted at Yurik with a clear mixture of anger, sadness, and a touch of envy.

“How lucky you must be to have family and friends by your side at all times,” Keifer said, tears forming in his eyes. “Meanwhile, I spend the rest of my life searching for the only remaining shard of a family I could have ever had!”

Spike pressed the knuckles of his fists into his chest, feeling as though strings of his heart were literally being pulled. Yurik bit down, unsure whether to say what he felt he should.

“You don’t have to search alone!” spoke Yurik, genuinely surprising Keifer. “Just end this, Keifer. I promise you, if you end the duel right here, I will bargain whatever I must to have Celestia find your brother and restore your family when we return the ponies to her.”

Keifer stood with trembling eyes, his two tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.

“You’re right,” added Yurik. “I have lost my mother, and I hardly see my father, if at all, and yet I’ve still been blessed with family and friends. Please Keifer, stop this here, and I’ll do anything I can to help find your brother. You’ll even have the guaranteed support of our friends.”

The humans looked to the ponies uneasily, unsure about the Yurik’s claims. However, one by one, the ponies, starting with Twilight and ending with Fluttershy, each gave a nod of confirmation. Keifer breathed in shakily, on the verge of sobbing. 

“Let no harm come to my friends and I,” Yurik pleaded, “and I’ll see you and your brother back together, safe and sound.”

Yurik outstretched his hand for a formal agreement. Keifer could only stand still, floored by Yurik and his kindness. Closing his eyes, Keifer’s tears rolled down even harder than before as he attempted making up his befuddled mind. With both hands now squeezed, he breathed in.

“Idiots!” shouted Keifer, his tears flying up as he whipped his head back. “Celestia can’t help me now! She can’t even help you now. The only way this can end is if I give these ponies to my master! I must win! For the sake of my family!”

Yurik hissed through his teeth, his eyes slightly-closed in saddened slits. Keifer whipped his arm back, pointing at his Twin Magmal Dragon with his entire hand.

“I activate the effect of Twin Magmal Dragon,” he declared, “tributing this card!”

Twin Magmal Dragon caught fire before its entire body became engulfed with flames, shocking and surprising Yurik greatly. The fire split off into two condensed balls of flame that shot at Keifer’s duel disk, transforming into black and melding with its body like liquid. Two cards were then ejected from his graveyard slot, revealing both of his Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon cards.

“Then,” Keifer continued, plucking the cards out, “I can add two Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragons from my graveyard to my hand.”

Placing the cards in his left hand, he took out his spell card and revealed it to Yurik, showing art of Dragma Wyvern and Dragma Sparkler on the lower corners of the image, shooting light at a point near the top where it shone on a card.

“I activate my spell card Magmal Blessing,” he shouted, throwing his card into his duel disk with the enlarged card appearing on the field. “By banishing Dragma and Magmal monsters in my graveyard, I can draw one card for every two monsters banished by this effect.”

“Oh man,” groaned Rainbow Dash. “I’m sure it’s a lot by now.”

Six monster cards formed an arc over Keifer’s head, appearing out of nowhere.

“I banish my two Dragma Sparklings, my Dragma Pyre Piercer, Dragma Phrear, Dragma Coatl, and Obsidian-Eyes Twin Magmal Dragon!” he declared.

All six cards began to implode as they sunk into individual black clouds and out of existence. The top of Keifer’s deck then began to glow as Keifer reached for it.

“I banished six monsters,” reminded Keifer. “This means I draw three cards!”

With a whip of his arm, three cards were pinched in Keifer’s claws. Adding them to his left hand, he took out one of the cards and placed it on one of the vacant zones face-down.

“I place one monster face-down,” Keifer said as the card appeared before him.

He finally took one last card out and set it into his duel disk, the card appearing behind his set monster card on the field.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he concluded.

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 3550    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 1

Inside the observation balcony, Marcus stepped inside with a limp and exhausted Donald, his arm slung over the back of his neck. Kieran turned to see them, his face expressionless with instant realization.

“Jesus,” breathed Donald. “And I thought training under you was painful!”

“Where is he?” asked Marcus.

“Come look,” instructed Kieran.

Marcus carried Donald to the window, and the sight of it made Marcus gasp with fear.

“Keifer’s dueling Yurik now?” asked Marcus.

“Again?” Donald woozily wondered, sporting a fond smile. “Say what you want about that kid, but he has brass.”

“He’s in a tight spot, however,” Kieran said. “He’s been holding up until now, but if he expects to win, he needs to employ all of his strength soon.”

The three of them looked down as Yurik eyed Keifer, examining his opponent and his field.

Keifer, thought Yurik, why are you refusing our help? And what do you mean that Celestia can’t help us now? Are you so set on pleasing this master of yours that you’re making up excuses? Fine then. Either way, I will defeat you right here tonight.

Yurik looked to his hand, seeing his Armored Pegassist inside of it.

You must be returning your Magmal Dragons for something big soon, he continued to plan. I lost to you because I failed to anticipate your own strategy. You have one set monster, and a spell or trap set as well. Regardless of what you plan to do, I learned from our last duel. I won’t make the same mistake with you again!

Yurik, his purpose clear, reached for his deck.

“My turn!” he called out. “Draw!”

Yurik looked to his card, a pendulum monster: Unioncorn of Night.

It’s here! Yurik thought with widened eyes.

Yurik put the card in his hand, reaching for his Twilight Alicorn in his right pendulum zone.

“I activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn,” Yurik shouted, placing his monster on the rightmost zone of his left blade, “special summoning it from my pendulum zone in attack position!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn charged, a bright, pink bubble enveloping it before it popped. Yurik’s monster appeared once again in a bright flash, this time, before Yurik on the field.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

With his pendulum zones cleared, he grabbed both of his Unioncorn monsters and revealed them both to his opponent.

“I now set the pendulum scale with the scale 4 Unioncorn Gardna and the scale 9 Unioncorn of Night!”

Yurik threw both of his monsters in the outside zones of his blades, and with that, two blue pillars arose from the ground, and inside them, Unioncorn Gardna and Yurik’s black unicorn with red eyes rose from the ground. The red sky began to turn blue as the large, multi-pointed star formed from the clouds. Then, a large, bright 4 and 9 appeared over the respective monster.

Unioncorn Gardna
Pendulum Scale: 4

Unioncorn of Night
Pendulum Scale: 9

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand and face-up in my extra deck whose levels are 5 through 8!” Yurik declared. “Pendulum summon!”

Yurik removed his Armored Pegassist cars from his hand and threw it onto his zone. A red portal opened beneath the star in-between the two pillars, and from it, a purple stream flew from it and to the ground, throwing dust into the air.

“From my hand,” Yurik yelled as the dust settled, revealing the grey pegasus, “Armored Pegassist, and from my extra deck…”

Yurik’s Armored Unioncorn card ejected itself from his extra deck slot on his blade disk, allowing Yurik to take it and slam it next to the open side of the Twilight Alicorn card. A second purple stream of energy escaped through the portal and landed beside Twilight Alicorn, more dirt flying around them.

“…Armored Unioncorn!” he finished.

The last of the cloud finally passed revealing Yurik’s field of monsters fully to Keifer.

Armored Pegassist
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 6

Armored Unioncorn
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 6

Keifer hissed with a frustrated façade, seeing the high ATK of all of Yurik’s monsters.

“Furthermore,” Yurik said, “with Unioncorn of Night’s pendulum effect, I draw one card for every pendulum monster pendulum summoned this turn. Armored Unioncorn is a pendulum monster, so I draw one card!”

Keifer watched with a hardly-concealed grin as Yurik added his card to his hand.

Knowing you, Keifer mused, you will be going for the win here. You certainly have the ATK to do it. The monster I set isn’t strong enough against either of your monsters, but I’m sure you won’t like the surprise I have set for you when I do.

Yurik smiled, already able to read the preemptive defense all over Keifer’s face.

“And this is where you think I’m going to attack, isn’t it?” Yurik responded.

“What?”

“I’m going to take a wild guess and say that the monster you have under there is not stronger than my Twilight Alicorn. After what happened last time, do you really expect me to just up and attack you blindly in a desperate attempt to seal my victory!”

Keifer stepped back, horrified by Yurik’s discovery.

“You’re a smart dragon,” Yurik said, “and an exemplary duelist, but you forget that I have brains in me as well, and I’m using all of my knowledge this time around to make sure that you can’t trip me up again! I now overlay my level 6 Armored Unioncorn and Armored Pegassist!”

Both monsters transformed into purple auras and danced about in the sky of the field above a red portal swirling into formation beneath them.

“With these two monsters,” shouted Yurik as he pointed to the auras flying inside the portal, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The red portal exploded open, and from it, Yurik’s muscular grey alicorn stallion with ebony armor and two balls of light orbiting around it flew out, tensing Keifer up.

“Appear!” beckoned Yurik. “Armored Allicorn Warlord!”

With a firm, loud landing, Yurik’s monster let out a guttural whinny as it prepared to follow whatever orders its controller were to make.

Armored Allicorn Warlord
ATK: 2500
Rnk.: 6

Keifer took another fearful step back, stunned by the alicorn’s might.

“He had an xyz monster of the armored ponies as well?” he gasped.

Twilight and all of Yurik’s friends in her bubble cheered with Yurik’s monster’s appearance.

“You got this now, Yurik!” whooped Pinkie Pie. “Just like with Orpheus! Oops…” she suddenly whispered, realizing the poor timing of her words. “I hope he’s still okay…”

“I now activate the effect of Armored Allicorn Warlord!” Yurik declared, removing both cards underneath his monster and sliding them into his graveyard. “By detaching two xyz materials from this card, I can equip this monster to another one I control!”

Both orbs melded into the alicorn’s horn, subsequently making its entire body glow. With a burst of light, the pony disappeared while its armor stayed intact.

“I equip Armored Allicorn Warlord to Twilight Alicorn!” he shouted.

The armor lifted itself up and placed itself upon Twilight’s back, forming a perfect fit with its body.

“Furthermore,” said Yurik, “the monster equipped with this monster has its ATK raised by 2000.”

“2000 you say?” squawked Keifer.

A bright energy covered Twilight Alicorn, and with the strength the aura gave it, the alicorn let out an ethereally echoed whinny.

ATK: 2500 -> 4500

“Unbelievable,” stammered Keifer. “He completely saw through my plan!”

“Now, attack!” ordered Yurik. “Twilight Alicorn, attack Keifer’s face down monster! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight’s Alicorn’s magic energy around its horn spun with colors of magenta and black as it aimed its blast. With a desperate jerk of his head, Keifer found an action card at the foot of a house’s door.

Perhaps, thought Keifer as he ran to the card, if I get an action card that can reduce his monster’s ATK…

Keifer slid to the card and grabbed it, horrified to see the purple of a trap card, the art showing streaks of light falling towards and colliding with a burning town.

“Action trap,” Keifer gasped, “Comet Rain?”

Yurik and his friends leaned in, interested with what was in store for Keifer now. As the card faded away, its effect set in motion, Keifer began to giggle, frightening Yurik and his friends, especially when the dragon turned around and revealed an insane smiling face and broke into a full laugh.

“Action trap,” dictated Keifer, “Comet Rain! Inflict 800 damage to both players!”

“What?” spat Yurik.

“I’ll have plenty of life points left,” Keifer said, the sky beginning to furiously twinkle, “but you won’t, Yurik Clayer. This is where the duel ends!”

Just then, beams of light began to descend down from the sky, threatening to collide onto Keifer and Yurik. Stunned, Yurik looked up with a slightly agape mouth.

“Yurik!” screamed Twilight.

“Right,” Yurik huffed, shaking himself from his trance. “I activate my trap, Alicorn’s Light!”

Yurik’s last trap card flipped open, showing art of Allicorn of Light in a black room, it’s horn shining very bright.

“What?” roared Keifer. “Another trap card?”

“When I would take effect damage while I control a spellcaster type monster,” Yurik explained, “I can reduce that damage to 0, and then I gain 1000 life points!”

“Impossible!” Keifer screamed. “There’s no way you can still be struggling!”

“I’m no longer struggling!” Yurik stated, Twilight’ Alicorn’s horn continuing to shine, the black in its aura disappearing. “This is now my fight, Keifer, and I’m finally taking control!”

Keifer could only watch incredulously as a dome of translucent white formed around Yurik and Twilight Alicorn, shielding them from the oncoming comets. One comet touched down, blasting rock and dirt into the air, and it wasn’t long after that more came down in rapid succession. Yurik could not see anything beyond his barrier except fire, smoke, and dust. Yurik groaned nervously for the fate of his friends outside, even as wisps of light dripped down from his dome’s ceiling and swirling around and into him, giving him his new life.

Yurik’s Life Points: 650 -> 1650

Outside, Keifer’s screams were loud and clear for Yurik and his friends in the bubble adjacent to him. Inside Twilight’s bubble, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie’s face softened upon hearing his screams. Finally, the explosions had stopped, and the dust, slowly but surely, settled, to reveal the town.

Every building as far as the eye could see was no longer standing, the homes and monuments reduced to crumbled walls and piles of stone that had caught fire. Keifer, completely devastated from the comets’ impacts, fell to his knees, his body slumping over to rest as best as he could.

Keifer’s Life Points: 3550 -> 2750

“I continue to stand,” Yurik addressed to his draconic rival, Twilight Alicorn’s shield fading away, “so my attack will continue now. Twilight Alicorn, finish what you started and destroy Keifer’s face-down monster!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn with the black magic returning to its aura, and with a strong beam, it shot it’s attack at Keifer’s face down monster, revealing his red dragon with winged arms.

Dragma Wyvern
DEF: 1800
Lvl.: 4

With a quick hiding of its face behind its wings, Dragma Wyvern took the blast, exploding by its strength. Keifer, too weak to resist, fell to his back, his arms splayed out to the side. Keifer, groaned as he rolled to his stomach, slowly pushing off the ground to stand to his feet.

“Dragma Wyvern’s flip effect activates,” Keifer panted, turning to face Yurik, “allowing me to draw one card.”

Keifer put his hand onto his deck, and gently slid his card from the top, adding it into his hand.

“Fine then,” Yurik said, grabbing his only card in his hand, showing its backing to Keifer. “I place one card face down.”

Yurik slid his card into his spell and trap slot, and the card’s backing appeared in front of Yurik’s feet before disappearing.

“I now activate the effect of Twilight Alicorn,” Yurik said, “special summoning two monsters in my pendulum zones, summoning Unioncorn Gardna and Unioncorn of Night! Go! Summon Shine!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn, covering both monsters it a magenta aura. Then, both monsters disappeared from the field, reappearing on both sides of Twilight Alicorn with a dual flash.

Unioncorn Gardna
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4

Unioncorn of Night
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 4

“Next,” Yurik declared, “I overlay my level 4 Unioncorn Gardna and Unioncorn of Night!”

Both monsters transformed into two purple auras, spiraling up above the ruins of the city while another red portal opened up at the center of the field.

“With these two monsters,” Yurik declared, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The portal bubbled with black, and out of it emerged Yurik’s black alicorn with deep, red eyes.

“Show yourself!” cried Yurik. “Allicorn Queen of Night!”

Once it was fully out from the closing portal, Yurik’s monster leapt up with a flap of its wings, bounding up and landing beside Twilight Alicorn, its xyz material orbs following it.

Allicorn Queen of Night
ATK: 2600
Rnk.: 4

“I now activate the effect of Allicorn Queen of Night,” spoke Yurik, removing both cards from underneath his monster card. “By detaching two xyz materials from it while I control no cards, I can draw two cards from my deck.”

The orbs of light melded with the alicorn’s horn, making it give off a similar light. Just then, the top of Yurik’s deck glowed, and with a pinch, Yurik drew two cards from it. Looking at his cards, he grabbed one with his left hand, inserting the other face-down into his spell and trap slot.

“I place one card face down,” he said, the card appearing to the left of here Yurik’s Armored Allicorn Warlord card would be, “and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 1650    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Traps: 3

Twilight and her friends began to cheer, bringing Yurik to great ease as he stood up, proud and feeling accomplished. In the balcony, both Marcus and Donald looked stunned by Yurik’s complete turnaround as it appeared on the field, while Keifer smirked with his own sense of pride.

Well done, Yurik, he thought. Your father would truly be proud.

Keifer looked Yurik’s field of strong monsters, and then to Yurik himself, who’s collected and confident face was only fueled by Twilight and her friends inside the bubble as they continued cheering. Keifer’ looking to his hand saw his three Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon cards, as well as a scale 10 pendulum monster. Despite his decent odds, he knew that his next wrong draw would become his last. Closing his eyes, he felt his past seeping into his head once again as tears seeped out of his eyes.

Brother… he thought. Brother, forgive…
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer walked inside the cavern to where his brother’s egg was. Stepping in, the sight he was greeted too made him freeze in his tracks. The egg was gone, replaced by a destroyed nest leftover from a hasty getaway. Keifer stood and whimpered, scared for his unborn brother’s life and horrifyingly confused as to who would do such an act and why.

“Brother!” he screamed, running back through the cavern to the entrance.

With wheezing breaths, he hoped that his speed would allow him to find the culprits.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Flying above a thick forest, Keifer’s eyes and head scanned in multiple direction’s every second, hoping to find some trace of life down below. Up ahead, a clearing came with a large body inside of it. From the black scales and red underbelly, Keifer whined at the sight of his father lying upon his back.

“Father!” he cried. “Father!”

Landing in the clearing, Keifer felt the urge to retch with despair and anger as he looked at the puddles of blood his father’s body laid in.

“Father!” Keifer continued to shriek, running to the dragon’s head and shoving his cheek. “Wake up! Dad, please!”

Keifer ran to the other side where the face was pointing, hoping to see his eyes open. However, Keifer was shocked to find his father’s hand pointing north from his point, deeper into the forest. Keifer looked into the dragon’s eyes, only to find them closed and lifeless. With nothing else to be done, Keifer took off on his wings and flew in his father’s posthumous direction.

“Dad!” he screamed. “Hold on!!”

Within seconds, Keifer vanished behind the treetops, leaving the body of his late father behind.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer continued to fly, his tears obscuring his vision. Just as he blinked, the sound of a magical blast sounded from the forest floor. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by a light-blue beam that was flying far too fast for him to avoid. Hitting him in the top of the chest, Keifer limply fell from his heights and landed into the treetops, his limbs and head smacking the branches on the way down.

By the time he landed upon the ground, he was half-conscious and quickly blacking out. At that moment, two ponies galloped from the brush and stood in front of him. With Keifer’s pain and lack of clarity, he couldn’t make out the definite features of his attackers, except for the tell-tale horns on their heads and their masculine muzzles.

“Phew,” one pony said, “that was a close one.”

“We better get moving again,” said the other stallion. “We don’t want to be around when he wakes back up.

Keifer, in a desperate last exertion of strength, reached out for a knapsack on the pony’s side, carrying a bulge inside of it. He suddenly found a hoof holding his wrist down, restricting the rest of his movement.

“Thanks for the egg anyways,” the first stallion said. “I’m sure Celestia will take good care of it.”

The last thing Keifer knew was the stallion’s hoof smashing him across the back of the head, rendering everything black and quiet.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Keifer opened his eyes, tears streaming freely from them. He then threw his head up into the sky and wailed, bringing everyone’s attention back to him. Yurik pressed his lips together with sympathy as Keifer’s cries echoed into the sky. The ponies even couldn’t help but appear saddened for Keifer’s situation. However, as Keifer continued to bawl, his shouts became angrier and enraged, his tears drying up on his face. Moving his head back, teeth were clenched at the tightest pressure, and his eyes were narrowed to the thinnest of slits.

“I’ve had enough!” Keifer thundered. “You’re advantage will end right here!”

“Keifer!” shouted Yurik with concern.

“Shut up! I will ensure the rescue of my brother, even if I must destroy you body and soul to do so! My turn! DRAW!!”

Keifer’s wings flared open with the drawing of his card, and upon looking at what he had drawn, his eyes could hardly believe as his hand now contained Dragma Pompeii. Looking back at Yurik, he removed his other pendulum monster from his hand and showed them both to Yurik.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 1 Dragma Pompeii and the scale 10 Dragma Caldera!” Keifer shouted.

The dragon threw both monsters onto the outer zones of his duel disk, causing two pillars of blue to rise from the sides of his field with two pools of magma to form in them. As the sky turned blue and the giant star shone high over the field, Keifer’s monsters rose inside the pillars. The one on Keifer’s left was his grey, ashen dragon with glowing embers under its skin, while the second dragon was a smaller dragon with a porous body and a large, disk-shaped head. A 1 and a 10 appeared over both monsters.

Dragma Pompeii
Pendulum Scale: 1

Dragma Caldera
Pendulum Scale: 10

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 2 through 9,” explained Keifer. “Pendulum summon!”

With a single swipe of his hand, all three cards were placed onto the center zones of the blade. Three pillars of lava shot out from the ground, and all three soon broke away to reveal all three of Keifer’s Magmal Dragons.

“Arise!” called Keifer. “My three Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragons!”

The three monsters floated down to the ground before Keifer, looking at Yurik and his monsters menacingly.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

At that moment, Dragma Caldera glowed brightly before it exploded, confusing Yurik and his friends greatly.

“When I pendulum summon three or more monsters,” Keifer clarified, “Dragma Caldera is destroyed. Next,” Keifer added, “I activate my continuous trap, Magmal Boost!”

The card flipped up from the field to show art of Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon, its arms thrown out as it’s body was alight with fire.

“When this card is activated,” he explained, “all face-down monsters are flipped face up. Then, I can target one monster I control and it gains 2000 DEF as long as my card stays on the field!”

“2000 DEF?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“So that’s what he was going for last turn,” Yurik said.

“I increase the DEF of my Magmal Dragon by 2000!” Keifer declared.

The center dragon caught flame, and with the heat and energy exerting from its body, it let out a massive roar.

DEF: 2500 -> 4500

“What’s the point?” Yurik shouted. “Your monster’s DEF doesn’t affect my monsters in the slightest.”

“That’s no longer the point, Yurik Clayer,” growled Keifer. “You averted my strategy last turn, and now I will give my card a different purpose.”

“Purpose? What do you–”

Just then, Yurik glanced to Dragma Pompeii, his eyes shooting wide at the realization.

“Of course!” gasped Yurik.

“I activate the pendulum effect of Dragma Pompeii,” Keifer avowed, pointing to his monster with his left hand, “destroying one face-up spell or trap card I control, and I choose my Magmal Boost!”

The grey dragon turned to Keifer’s field and threw flame at it, razing the card and turning it into a slab of ash that broke and blew away into the wind. The energy surrounding the dragon went away with it.

ATK: 4500 -> 2500

At that moment, Keifer’s deck shuffled in his slot, and a card ejected out from the top. Taking it, he revealed the card to Yurik, showing art of three Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragons in a triangular formation connected by lines of fire, a swirling vortex behind them.

“I then add a continuous spell or trap card from my deck to my hand,” explained Keifer, “and now, I’m going to activate it! And here it is! Magmal Trinity!”

Keifer threw his card into his duel disk, and the card appeared before Keifer’s three Magmal Dragons and faced Yurik and his friends.

“When this card is activated,” Keifer stated, “I can fusion summon one fusion monster that lists three Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragons as the fusion material by using monsters from my field or hand as the fusion materials!”

“Oh my god!” Walt shouted.

“Fusion summon?” Mary cried out.

Yurik was too scared to make a statement as a reality behind Keifer began to whirl around into a massive, dark portal.

“I will now fuse my three Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragons!” Keifer professed.

The three dragons began to glow bright as they transformed into hot, flaming comets that sped into the portal’s vortex.

“The ultimate destroyer,” Keifer chanted, “the one who scorches the earth and everything upon it! Ascend from the center of the planet and cleanse the battlefield with its fire! Fusion summon!”

Just then, the portal imploded into a tiny ball before it detonated, creating a tower of flames that shot all through the already destroyed streets of the town. The fires flew around Keifer and Yurik’s fields, but the heat was tremendous, making Yurik scream with the sheer intensity. Just then, the fires all flew out into the tower behind Keifer, slowing taking form of a three-headed dragon and solidifying into flesh, bone, and rock.

“Rise!” beckoned Keifer. “The ruler that dwells in the earth! Obsidian-Eyes Grand Magmal Dragon!”

The monster finally finished its assembly, appearing as a massive, red, forty-foot dragon with three long necks from the center of the top of its torso, connected to three slender heads that sneered deviously at Yurik below. On various parts, specifically on its wings, legs, forearms, and all around the neck, they were armored with obsidian, smooth and flawless in design. With a final roar into the sky, Keifer’s ultimate monster had finally appeared.

Obsidian-Eyes Grand Magmal Dragon
ATK: 4500
Lvl.: 12

Twilight and everyone inside the bubble was completely floored, paralyzed with awe and dread at the monster Keifer managed to summon. Pinkie Pie let out a couple of nervous giggles strands of her mane bent out and frayed. Fluttershy turned to Rarity and hugged her tight, sobbing profusely with fear. Spike clung to Twilight’s leg, unable to take his eyes off of the monster. Keifer stared at Yurik with complete and utter finality, Yurik still unable to fully take in the monster that would spell his defeat.
> Episode 24: Rematch of Rivals, Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside the Faber home, Bette laid on her side on her bed, staring at the cell phone on her dresser. Her eyes were bloodshot and her body was clearly begging for sleep, but with the hours that have already passed since Walt or Yurik’s last call, the well-being of her boys took precedence. Just then, a light rolled into the room with the creaking of a door accompanying it. Bette sat up quickly, delirious with hope that it would be Yurik and Walt. However, the tinier shadow revealed that it was Evey in her pajamas.

“Mommy,” mumbled Evey, tired herself, “when are Walt and Yury coming home?”

With a sorrowful shrug, she resisted the urge to cry in front of her child.

“I don’t know,” Bette responded. “Would you like to sleep with me until they get back?”

Evey responded by walking into the room and climbing onto Bette’s bed, crawling to the back with her mom and lying on her side, hugging her mother’s arm.

“I’m scared,” Evey whined. “What if they never come back?”

“Don’t say such things,” Bette huffed, turning away while two tears rolled down her face. “I’m sure they’ll be fine…”

Bette looked out the window, the stillness and emptiness of the night, providing her no relief from her anxiety.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik continued to stare out at Keifer’s dragon, still stunned by the size and strength the monster possessed.

Obsidian-Eyes Grand Magmal Dragon
ATK: 4500
Lvl.: 12

Even Yurik’s own monsters appeared frightened by the monster that they would now have to face, even the armored Twilight Alicorn.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 4500
Lvl.: 7

Allicorn Queen of Night
ATK: 2600
Rnk.: 4

Twilight and her friends inside her bubble were also petrified by Keifer’s monster, unsure what was soon about to happen. Keifer continued looking at Yurik with steadfast determination, refusing to revel in his foes imminent loss.

================
Keifer:
LP: 2750

Yurik:
LP: 1650
================

“The power you faced the first time you dueled me was a mere drop in the bucket compared to now,” Keifer said to him. “Now that I control this monster, there is no longer any chance of victory for you.”

“I’ll still try,” growled Yurik.

“Try as you might, you’re fighting an uphill battle at this point. There’s nothing you can do now but resign your fate.”

“Shut up!” Yurik exclaimed. “I’ll stop fighting when my body ceases to carry on!”

Keifer let out a disappointed sigh, closing his eyes.

“Fine then,” he said. “I suppose it can’t be helped. I activate the effect of Grand Magmal Dragon.”

At once, the three heads of Keifer’s monster threw their heads up towards the sky, opening their mouths and letting out a loud cry from each one.

“What’s happening?” asked Mary.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said with equal nervous uncertainty.

“Once per turn,” Keifer said, “I can send the top three cards of my deck to the graveyard. And then, if there are any monsters with flip effects among them, I can activate those effects.”

“Impossible!” Yurik gasped. “You can activate the effects of monsters from your graveyard?”

“Go!” shouted Keifer as he removed the top three cards from his deck and held them high into the air. “Magmal Milling!”

Grand Magmal Dragon shot three individual fireballs from its three mouths. The fireballs only got about twenty feet up before they exploded like fireworks, revealing three bright rectangular lights floating in the sky where they blew. The lights on the shapes faded away to reveal three cards: two monsters above the left and right heads and a trap in the center.

“I have milled my Dragma Lavelin and Dragma Dacite,” Keifer spoke, showing his cards to Yurik before placing them all into his graveyard. “I now activate their effects! First, I activate the effect of Dragma Lavelin, allowing me to increase the ATK of a Dragma or Magmal monster I control by 500 until the end of the turn, and I target my Grand Magmal Dragon!”

A shadowy figure of a long, narrow, dragon with a very pointed beak appeared in front of the dragon’s chest before it shifted towards it, fazing through the torso and giving the dragon added strength.

ATK: 4500 -> 5000

“Oh no!” Applejack cried out. “Now it’s stronger than Twilight Alicorn!”

“That’s not even the issue,” Twilight said. “His monster’s ATK is stronger than Allicorn Queen of Night’s. If Keifer attacks, Yurik will lose!”

“Oh, shoot! I forgot about that!”

“Come on, Yurik,” urged Spike, his hands against the inner surface of the bubble, “you gotta’ do something!”

“Finally,” Keifer said, “there’s the effect of Dragma Dacite, which skips my opponent’s next draw phase!”

“What was that?” screamed Yurik.

The top of Yurik’s deck began to glow bright and then quickly faded away, revealing a slab of stone where Yurik’s top card was. Yurik winced with sadness as his next turn was sealed.

“Not that it can help you,” Keifer said. “With this next attack, you will be finished, Yurik Clayer. Now, battle! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon! Attack Allicorn Queen of Night! Molten Massacre of Annihilation!”

All three of Keifer’s monster’s heads reared back with broiling mouths, and with a thrust forwards, Keifer’s monster hurled a wide, white beam of intense flames that cast a blinding light over nearly all of the city. As the light grew more intense, Twilight’s horn glowed bright as the bubble darkened in color, shielding everyone inside from the brightness. Looking off to Yurik, they saw as he shielded his own eyes from the blast, seemingly unaware of how close it was coming.

“Yurik!” screamed Twilight.

Yurik opened his eyes as thinly as they could allow, just able to see the display on his duel disk’s screen.

“I activate my trap,” he shouted, waving his hand over the duel disk, “Allicorn Tag-In!”

Yurik’s card flipped up, revealing as a light shaped like an alicorn shot a beam from the tip of its horn, the horn carrying Allicorn King of Fire in it.

“This card allows me to return an Allicorn monster to my extra deck and then special summon another Allicorn monster with the same rank from my extra deck, attaching Allicorn Tag-In as an xyz material!”

“What?” Keifer spat.

Allicorn Queen of Night began to glow brightly and then shattered away into golden sparks.

“I return my Allicorn Queen of Night to my extra deck…” declared Yurik.

Then, a card ejected itself from Yurik’s extra deck slot on his blade disk. Yurik took it and held it up resolutely.

“…allowing me to special summon Allicorn of Typhoons in its place!”

Yurik slammed the card onto his blade with the top facing the left, and from a bright light that grew out over the spot where Allicorn Queen of Night originally stood, the light broke away immediately to reveal Yurik’s green alicorn with the mane and tail made of swirling wind there.

Allicorn of Typhoons
DEF: 2100
Rnk.: 4

Keifer watched with indignation as Yurik’s trap card rolled into a yellow ball of light and orbit around the alicorn’s body as an xyz material. With a hiss, Keifer changed his plan.

“Grand Magmal Dragon,” ordered Keifer, “attack Twilight Alicorn instead!”

The beam continued its way down, straight towards Yurik and his monster.

“When a monster equipped with Armored Allicorn Warlord would be destroyed by battle,” Yurik said with nervous anticipation, “I can destroy it in my monster’s place!”

Keifer gasped as Twilight Alicorn prepared for the attack. The beam struck Twilight Alicorn, the force of the blast as it passed around the alicorn sending shockwaves hitting Yurik’s clothes.

“My monster survives,” cried Yurik as the beam threatened to assault him, “and so do I!”

With the beam covering Yurik, the heat initially felt cold on his skin, only for it to turn back into searing agony. Yurik shrieked out as the dragon’s breath razed his body.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1650 -> 1150

Yurik was thrown through the town, his body crashing through the few walls of the ruined homes that still managed to stand, only to be knocked back down as Yurik was forced through them. With the strength of the blast receding, Yurik continued to tumble along the ground until he found himself near the limits of the city, where he finally came to a halt.

“Yurik!” shouted Walt as Twilight’s bubble flew out to him.

“Oh no!” cried Alice, tears streaming from her eyes.

Twilight’s bubble hovered over Yurik’s motionless body, looking down closely with streaming eyes as she looked for even the slightest hint of movement. Twilight Alicorn came quickly from behind, its armor crumbling off its body as it was reduced back to its naked self.

ATK: 4500 -> 2500

“It seems that this monster is far too much for him to handle,” Keifer said from above.

Twilight and her friends looked angrily at Keifer as he swooped down from the sky and landed an ample distance from his opponent. Behind him, Grand Magmal Dragon took long, large steps as it slowly made its way to his master.

“Why?” screamed Twilight. “Why won’t you stop this? We could have helped you!”

“No,” Keifer frankly said, “you couldn’t. Like I said, Celestia is of no help for me or any one of you. Despite this fact, your friend continues to fight me like he still has a chance. If you care for the safety of your friend, then when he wakes up, tell him to surrender the duel, and no more harm will come to him.”

“Eat…” groaned Yurik, “…me.”

Twilight and the others turned to face Yurik slowly getting up, but neither face showed any relief or joy as he defiantly stood up to continue the duel. His clothes were tattered, and the rips in his clothes showed cuts and numerous scrapes on his skin.

“Yurik!” Walt shouted. “Please, no more!”

“We can’t bear it!” cried Applejack.

“We’ll allow him to go with us,” spoke Twilight, “just please, end the duel! I don’t want to see you die in front of me!”

Yurik forced out a chuckle, scaring his friends greatly.

“Do you have such little faith in me that you want me to quit?” he mockingly asked.

“That’s not it at all,” Twilight said, “but look at what that last attack did to you! I don’t think you can take another one of those!”

“I can… and I will… if it’s for the sake of my friends’ safety… then to Hell with mine!”

Twilight bit her lip, trying her hardest to support her friend, even as suicidal as it appeared.

“You have serious courage to want to continue on in the face of my monster,” Keifer admonished, “but I think that alicorn is right. You say that you will quit when your body stops carrying on. Sooner or later, you might actually have to stick to those words.”

Yurik bared his teeth at Keifer’s casual threats.

“During the end phase,” spoke Keifer, “my Grand Magmal Dragon’s ATK is returned to normal.”

A counter appeared before the monster, showing its ATK value.

ATK: 5000 -> 4500

“I end my turn,” Keifer finally concluded.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2750    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 1    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

Mary squeaked and let more tears flow as she watched blood trickle down from a hole in the elbow of his long-sleeved shirt as Yurik’s arms trembled inside of it.

“Dammit, Yurik,” Walt whined. “Don’t you know what you stand to lose from this?”

“I know exactly what I stand to lose, Walt,” Yurik said with serenity. “And that’s exactly why I’m continuing on. Do you guys really feel complacent that my only options here are either my life of the lives of my friends...”

Yurik turned to Walt, looking him dead in the eyes.

“Our friends?” he pressed.

Walt gasped and then looked up to Rainbow Dash, seeing the grimace on her face from below. Walt, also realizing his friend’s point, sniffled loudly with squinting eyes.

“Twilight’s right,” Yurik said. “I might not be able to handle another attack from this monster… but I’d sooner die knowing I had a chance to save you all than deciding to give up instead.”

Twilight and the ponies, as well as Spike, felt a mixture of shame and worry stir within them.

“As long as there’s a chance, no matter how small,” Yurik said, winding his arm in, “I’ll do everything I humanly can to attain it! My turn!” he suddenly bellowed, throwing his arm out.

Keifer stood coolly as Yurik put his arm back down at his side.

“With Dragma Dacite’s effect,” Yurik clarified, “I cannot conduct my draw phase… so let’s change that, shall we?”

“What did you say?” Keifer inquired with a sneer.

“I activate the effect of Pegassist of Sanctity from my hand!”

Keifer could only gasp in response, unsure of just what this monster would do for Yurik at this time as he revealed the card, showing art of a wholly golden pegasus.

“I wanted to use this card if I didn’t draw the right card this turn,” explained Yurik with a weak smile, “but I suppose that not being able to draw at all was also a valid enough reason.”

Keifer grit his teeth and growled in frustration.

“By discarding this card,” Yurik said, slipping the card into his graveyard, “I’m aloud to draw one card from my deck.”

Just then, a specter of the golden pegasus appeared above Yurik before it shrunk down and formed as a card-sized shape on the top of Yurik’s deck, covering over the stony block upon it.

“Let’s see if it did me any good!” Yurik shouted with a pinch of his deck and a whip of his arm.

Looking at the card, Yurik’s eyes widened, astounded by what he had managed to draw. Adding the card in his left hand, he pointed out to Keifer’s field with his now open right hand.

“I activate the effect of Allicorn of Typhoons,” declared Yurik, reaching for his card. “By detaching one xyz material from it, I can target one spell or trap on the field and destroy it.

Yurik put his trap card from underneath the alicorn and into his graveyard, accompanied by the green alicorn’s orb merging into its horn and charging it with aura.

“The card I choose is your Dragma Pompeii,” Yurik decided with a point to his target.

Allicorn of Typhoons jetted out towards Dragma Pompeii, and with a blast of wind and thunder from its horn contained in a ball, the target struck the monster, instantly shattering it into pieces. Keifer shielded himself from the resulting smoke and ash that flew near him with his wing.

“Also,” Yurik said, “my monster gains 500 ATK until the end phase.”

Allicorn of Typhoon’s body glowed with a green aura, giving it extra power.

ATK: 2300 -> 2800

“You destroyed my pendulum monster?” questioned Keifer as Yurik’s monster flew back to its owner. “Had you read my other cards more carefully, you would have seen that Dragma Trinity can negate a card’s effect that targets Grand Magmal Dragon and destroys it once per turn. You might have had a window to being able to destroy my monster.”

“I knew very well,” said Yurik. “However, I couldn’t take the off chance that you could use Pompeii’s effect to find a card that could easily knock out the rest of my life points. Let’s just keep it between our monsters, shall we?”

Yurik and Keifer’s conversation was a tennis match nearly as epic as the duel itself by this point, Twilight and her friends in the bubble turning to and fro with shocked expressions on their faces.

“Very well, Yurik Clayer,” accepted Keifer. “It will not matter by next turn anyways.”

Yurik squirmed in response at the apparent truth of these words.

“I place one card face down,” Yurik stated, putting the card from his left hand into the spell/trap slot of the duel disk.

The card appeared in the center slot behind Twilight Alicorn before disappearing.

“During the end phase,” Yurik said, “when the monster special summoned by Allicorn Tag-In has no xyz materials, that monster is destroyed.”

Allicorn of Typhoons lit up bright before it exploded, much to the horror of Twilight and her friends inside the bubble. Yurik stared grimly at Keifer as he prepared his final statement.

“I end my turn,” he reluctantly spoke.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 1150    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

“What?” Mary questioned. “He’s not even going to change his monster into defense position?”

“I…” Twilight said, observing the glazed look in Yurik’s eyes, “I don’t even know anymore…”

“It seems you’ve resigned yourself to your fate,” Keifer spoke. “If you’re that willing to become a martyr, I will finally grant you your wish. My turn! Draw!”

Keifer looked to the spell card he just drew, he added it to his left hand.

“I activate the effect of Obsidian-Eyes Grand Magmal Dragon,” Keifer stated, “sending the top three cards of my deck to my graveyard and activating the flip effects of any monsters I send to the graveyard by this effect. Now go!” he called out, drawing three cards from his deck. “Magmal Milling!”

The heads of Grand Magmal Dragon tilted up again, shooting three fireballs that exploded shortly after in the air that transformed into three cards: Dragma Lizard, a spell card, and another Dragma Wyvern. Keifer smiled at the results.

“The monsters milled are Dragma Lizard and Dragma Wyvern,” spoke Keifer, “and now I can activate their flip effects! I first activate the effect of Dragma Wyvern, allowing me to draw one card!”

Keifer drew his card, and with a quick glance, he kept the card in his right hand.

“I now activate the flip effect of Dragma Lizard, destroying one monster you control, and I choose your Twilight Alicorn!”

The center head of Grand Magmal Dragon took and inhale, then spitting out a flame that took the shape of Keifer’s Dragma Lizard, heading right at Yurik’s monster.

“I activate Twilight Alicorn’s effect,” Yurik shouted, “placing it on one of my unused pendulum zones!”

Twilight Alicorn charged its horn and vanished in a bright light just as the dragon-shaped fire struck the ground it stood on, blasting dirt high up into the air. Once the cloud of dust settled, Twilight Alicorn was now standing off to Yurik’s right, safe and sound.

Twilight Alicorn
Pendulum Scale: 6

“Hmph,” Keifer exhaled, “you evaded my monster’s effect, but after this, you’re through! I activate my quick-play spell Firespout!”

Keifer threw the card into his duel disk, making an enlarged spell card showing art of a tornado of fire appear on the field.

“This card targets one face-up spell card on the field and destroys it, and I will try for your Twilight Alicorn once again!”

A whirlwind began to pick up around Twilight Alicorn, making the monster grow wary as the air around it became hotter and hotter. Much to Twilight and her friends’ surprise, Yurik remained in steadfast melancholy as flames began to form in the twister.

“Come on, Yurik!” Alice shouted. “Use your monster’s effect already.”

Yurik stared at this monster with clenched teeth as the flames engulfed Twilight Alicorn, its whinnies muted as the whirling flames concealed its body. A few seconds later, the tornado subsided, and Twilight Alicorn was nowhere to be seen. Twilight and everyone inside her bubble, as well as Kieran, Marcus and Donald in the balcony, gasped as Yurik’s field was now open, his monster destroyed.

“So you’ve let your monster be destroyed,” Keifer said. “It seems you really do know when to quit. However, I must grant you the loss that you asked for. Farewell, Yurik Clayer. You’ve proven to be a formidable opponent, but now, this feud of ours must end.”

Yurik clenched his fists, preparing to face his ultimate fate.

“Battle,” declared Keifer, “Obsidian-Eyes Grand Magmal Dragon, attack Yurik Clayer directly!”

Grand Magmal Dragon took an inhale, and after pointing their faces at a converging point, they each launched a bright beam of fire at the point, creating an even larger beam of white-hot fire that sped down towards Yurik. Yurik stood bravely in the face of the oncoming attack, relaxing his fists and closing his eyes.

“YURIK!” Twilight shrieked.

Yurik’s eyes shot open, balling his right hand back up.

“I activate my trap,” cried Yurik, “Banish Blocker!”

Yurik’s trap card flipped up, the artwork showing a ghostly wizard in robes and a pointed hat using himself as a shield against a large blue beam, some of the light passing through him in a smaller stream.

“When my opponent declares a direct attack,” Yurik declared, “I can banish one spellcaster-type monster in my graveyard and halve the battle damage this turn!”

A card flipped around from nowhere before Yurik, revealing itself to be his Allicorn of Magma.

“I banish my Allicorn of Magma to reduce the damage by half!”

Yurik’s card transformed into a specter of his earthy, fiery alicorn floating before him in the blast’s way.

“Pointless!” shouted Keifer. “You still don’t have enough life points to withstand this attack!”

“True,” growled Yurik, “but how about now?! I activate my second Banish Blocker!”

“What was that?!”

Yurik’s second trap flipped over, sharing the same art as the first card.

“With this card,” Yurik explained, “I can reduce the battle damage by half once again!”

Yurik’s Armored Allicorn Warlord spun out from nowhere and faded into a ghostly version of itself, floating in front of Allicorn of Magma.

“I banish my Armored Allicorn Warlord to do this!” screamed Yurik.

“Unbelievable!” gasped Keifer. “Half of 4500 is 2250, and half of that is 1125!”

“No way!” gasped Walt. “He’ll still have enough life points!”

In the balcony, Marcus, Donald, and even Kieran’s eyes and mouths were open wide. Keifer let out a shrill roar through his bared teeth in complete rage and frustration.

“We’ll see if you still even have strength to stand!” he yelled. “Now go, Grand Magmal Dragon! Molten Massacre of Annihilation!”

The dragon’s blast tore through the two alicorns, bursting them into bright shards as Yurik was struck by the blast himself. Yurik screamed at the top of his lungs as fire and rock pelted his skin, lifting him off his feet. As Yurik flew back, he collided with the invisible wall of the back of the dueling room, the attack pressing him into it as the holographic imagery began to crackle and rupture with the force of the blast.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1150 -> 25

“Die, Yurik Clayer!” shrieked Keifer.

The blast continued to crush Yurik as its force refused to let up. Yurik tried to scream, but his lungs were out of air, and the heat of the fire was such that Yurik couldn’t bear to breath, reducing his cries of agony to desperate gurgles.

Finally, the beam of fire faded away, allowing Yurik to limply slide down the invisible wall and to his feet. His legs were of no use to him, and they buckled under the weight of his body making his body fall forwards and to the side. Twilight and her friends in the bubble shuddered with terror as Yurik crumpled down to his back, his eyes open, but certainly unconscious.

“Yurik!” shouted Walt, Mary, and Alice.

“No!” cried Twilight, her eyes closing and tearing.

Yurik’s body refused to move, even as he heard the sobs of the ponies to his side, too traumatized to call to him. Keifer stood with complete contempt and amazement at Yurik’s ever-present determination.

“To think that you could still manage to hang onto a mere 25 life points,” he said to himself with closed eyes. “But after the abuse your body has gone through, there’s just no way you can continue the fight… but,” he continued, opening his eyes back up, “I refuse to underestimate you, even with your situation as absolutely hopeless as it is. I activate the continuous spell card Aftershock.”

Keifer inserted the final card of his hand into his duel disk, and a green card with art of a rocky surface rupturing with lava as it shattered appeared on the field beside his Magmal Trinity card.

“During each of your end phases,” Keifer explained, “if you do not conduct your battle phase, you take 500 points of damage.”

Twilight gasped as she looked to the card Keifer had laid out.

“I cannot allow you struggle any further,” Keifer said. “You no longer have any cards on your field or in your hand. There’s not a single card in your deck that can save you at this point, and your next turn, if you even have the strength to carry it out, will be your very last. I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 2750    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Cards: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

Yurik’s body had not moved an inch since Keifer’s last attack, and it seemed that he had no life in him whatsoever. Twilight and her friends in her bubble stared in complete disbelief, unable to believe that their friend would be gone.

I don’t believe it, Yurik calmly thought. I told him that I wouldn’t give up until my body gave out… and now I can’t even move my arms or my legs. There’s no way I’m dead! I still have 25 life points. I have to finish this!

Yurik’s fingers twitched, making Twilight gasp at the small, but significant movement. The others too looked on with both fear and anticipation, waiting for more of his body to move. A tear streamed down Yurik’s eye as his lips slowly trembled into one of futility and fright.

Is this all I can do now? he mused. Just wiggle my fingers? I can’t… my friends…

Twilight seized up as she saw Yurik’s moves become less frequent and slower. Just as she was about to bawl out, she suddenly let in a gasp, a twinkling of inspiration appearing in her eyes.

“You can do it, Yurik!” cried Twilight. “I believe in you!”

Everyone inside the bubble stared at Twilight, stunned by her sudden shout. Despite these looks, Twilight continued to shout, tears flying from her eyes with each movement of her head.

“You can still win, Yurik!” she yelled. “Get up!”

Alice, the event replaying in her head like unpleasant nostalgia, let out a determined grimace, coming to terms with what she had to do.

“Yurik!” Alice screamed. “Don’t give up now! You can do it!”

Walt, seeing the fervor of Twilight and Alice’s cries lit a fire inside him as well.

“Go, Yurik!” he exclaimed.

One by one, Mary, followed by Spike, then Rainbow Dash, then Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, then Fluttershy all screamed out to him. Keifer was both amazed and sickened by the determination in their cheers, looking at the bubble with a twitching eye. Inside the balcony, Kieran and Marcus stood stunned by the acts of Yurik’s friends. Suddenly, Donald leapt off of Marcus’s shoulder and leaned over the display, pressing a green button and leaning towards it.

“Kick his ass, Yurik!” Donald shouted, his echoed voice appearing on the intercom

Inside the dueling chamber, Yurik’s ears faintly picked up the noises of his friends calling his name and encouraging him, making him blink and widen his seemingly lifeless gaze.

That’s right… Yurik realized. I have friends who are counting on me. I shouldn’t be seen like this. I have to be there for them! I… need to be there for them!

Yurik felt as life returned to his legs and abdomen, allowing his body to begin rolling over to his stomach. The motion stunned Twilight and the others inside the bubble only for a second.

“Get up!” Walt demanded. “Don’t you even think about falling back over!

“We believe in you, Yurik!” screamed Rainbow Dash. “Now get on your feet and beat this guy!”

Keifer panted frightfully as Yurik rolled to his stomach, catching the ground with the palms of his hands.

“No,” Keifer muttered as Yurik pushed off the ground, pulling his knee in to stand on his feet. “This can’t be!”

Yurik brought his other leg in, now firmly planted on both feet, flexing his legs out and abdomen up, Yurik slowly uncoiled and turned himself to face Keifer. His eyes were still blissfully closed as his neck came up, showing his face to furious Keifer. With a sudden open, Yurik’s eyes bore into Keifer’s with equal furious intensity. As Yurik lifted his wobbling left arm back up to his chest, Twilight and her friends cheered loudly as Yurik prepared himself.

“Impossible!” screamed Keifer. “How are you still standing? Why are you still standing? You have nothing left on your field or hand. Whatever card you draw cannot both protect you from my monster’s next attack and Aftershock’s effect!”

“Yeah,” wheezed Yurik. “My odds are looking really bad right now. But you know what? I don’t care.”

Keifer shuddered a breath as he stepped back, floored by Yurik’s unbreakable resolve.

“I’ve traveled the world over to reunite my friends with each other,” he continued, “and I’ve put myself through so much pain to do so. Do you really think your words are going to be what breaks me? Huh… idiot.”

Keifer was still too stunned to respond, and Yurik showed no signs of letting up.

“My deck has gotten me to this point,” Yurik spoke, “and I’m so close to giving them what I owe them. I won’t let anyone or anything destroy that! I won’t let a monster such as you to put them in harm’s way for something we could have helped you with. You say that Celestia cannot help us, but as long as I’m standing before you, there’s nothing saving you from me! Whatever I have to do to save my friends, I will do it! Even if it seems hopeless, even if I have to give my life, I will never stop fighting! Not for one God damned second! My turn!” he shouted, his hand pinching the top of his deck.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside of an open cavern in the middle of a dense, dark forest, a white tree made seemingly of a milky crystal with five main branches began to glow. The five gems on the ends of the branches which resembled a pink butterfly, a blue balloon, a red lightning bolt, a purple diamond, and an orange apple, as well as a magenta star-shaped gem resembling Twilight’s cutie mark within the bark shone with a bright white.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“DRAW!!” screamed Yurik, his card sparking with a white flash and creating an arc with the swing of his arm.

Keifer, as well as Twilight and her friends in the bubble and Kieran, Donald, and Marcus in the balcony all gasped loudly at Yurik’s brightly shining card. Yurik suddenly saw the arc, shuddering in surprise as he turned to his card, which was nothing but a shape of white that he held in his hand. Yurik slowly held the card in front of him and watched as the light faded away, revealing a spell card with stunningly real-looking art of a white branch of a tree with a shining green gem at its end.

“Sixth…” Yurik read with utter wonder, “Branch…”

Yurik was completely oblivious to the stunned and morbidly confused faces of everyone around him as they could only guess what was happening. Regardless, Yurik held his card tight, determined to continue the duel at all costs.

“I activate the spell card Sixth Branch!” he cried out, throwing the card into his spell and trap zone, allowing the card to appear on the field.

The card shone brightly as it began to activate.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The branches of the white tree began to shift with violent cracking and rustling sounds to the sides, the branch with the blue balloon gem and the red lightning gem especially as they made a space. Sprouting out from the space was a sixth branch with a cracked green gem inside of it, which was not shining bright like the others.

Once the branch had fully grown out, forming equally spaced and set branches on both side of the tree’s bark, the cracks in the green gem began to disappear, mending itself into a whole jewel once again. The green gem began to glow bright with the others as their light spread over the tree, creating a bright, white structure inside the cavern. A bright beam shot out from the top of the tree and high into the night sky, heading towards Earth at tremendous speeds.

The light flew around the curve of the earth and passed over its oceans on its way to North America, once it crossed over the eastern coast, it pulled up and then jerked its way down towards the city of Chicago and struck the roof of the Guardiaboliques’s headquarters.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Almost as if Yurik could see it’s movements clearly, he punched up into the sky, and the white beam phased through a point in the sky of the field where the ceiling of the dueling room would be, striking Yurik’s deck and creating a harsh light that Keifer was forced to shield his face from. Twilight darkened her bubble again, allowing her and her friends to see the magnificent sight before them.

“What’s going on?” Keifer groaned. “What is this?”

The rest of the beam shot into Yurik’s deck, leaving his top card glowing bright.

“When Sixth Branch is activated,” Yurik explained, reaching for his deck, “I can add one Tree of Harmony from my deck to my hand!”

“Tree...” Keifer sputtered, “of Harmony?”

Yurik drew the top card of his hand, creating a pulse of light from the arc of his arm’s whip. The glowing card Yurik drew quickly subdued its light, revealing a pendulum monster with art of the white tree with the six jeweled branches. Keeping his right arm wound out, he flipped the card in his hand as he prepared to activate it.

“I place Tree of Harmony on my pendulum scale!” Yurik declared, throwing the card onto his rightmost zone.

The ground suddenly began to rumble as the earth to the right of Yurik between him and Keifer lifted up. Growing out from the ground was the white tree with the six branches, stunning Twilight, Spike, and the rest of the ponies by its appearance to the field.

Tree of Harmony
Pendulum Scale: 10

“What…” Fluttershy spoke, “what’s the Tree of Harmony doing here?”

“And…” Twilight spoke, looking at the newest branch with the green gem, “why are there seven gems on it instead of six?”

Upon quickly piecing it together, Twilight’s eyes shot open wide and her lips trembled.

“No…” she whispered. “That’s…”

“When Tree of Harmony is activated,” Yurik announced, “I can special summon one level 7 monster from my graveyard or face-up in my extra deck, and the monster I choose is…”

An ethereal, swirling blue portal opened before the star gem in the tree’s bark, allowing a familiar shape to gallop forth and leap out from it.

“…Twilight Alicorn!” he shouted

With a graceful landing of its hooves, Yurik’s revived monster stared out at Grand Magmal Dragon with a renewed determination.

Twilight Alicorn
ATK: 2500
Lvl.: 7

“Now,” Yurik called out, “I activate the pendulum effect of Tree of Harmony, allowing me to xyz summon a monster using both Twilight Alicorn and Tree of Harmony as xyz materials!”

“Impossible!” spat Keifer. “Xyz summoning a monster using a card from your pendulum zone?”

“I now overlay my Twilight Alicorn and Tree of Harmony!”

Twilight Alicorn leapt up high above the field in between the two duelists while seven beams shot out from the jewels in the tree., sharing the colors of the gems they flew out of. Everyone except for Yurik, who housed an optimistic smile, looked up with complete astonishment as the seven beams flew around Twilight Alicorn, forming a spherical shape as the lights flew around to resemble bright rings.

“With these two monsters,” declared Yurik, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!!”

The seven rings rotated around Twilight Alicorn until there was nothing left but a ball of light. Suddenly, the sphere of light spread out quickly over the entire field, casting everything and everyone inside the room in white. Inside the balcony, the windows were nothing but bright, white screens, forcing Kieran, Donald, and Marcus to block the light from their eyes with their arms.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik’s eyes were closed as the light bled through his eyelids. He unexpectedly felt his feet leave the ground as the light became softer, allowing him to open his eyes. He yelped in surprise as he found himself flying through calming blue space of blue, green, and white waves of light. Looking more around him, he saw as Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity were now flying close beside him, their bodies aimed up wherever they were being taken to.

Looking behind him, he saw as Walt, Spike, Alice, and Mary flew together, looking just as shocked and perplexed as he was. Inside the balcony, Kieran, Marcus, and Donald watched with sheer awe as they watched the space fly by inside the dueling room, seeing the other humans, ponies, and Spike flying inside.

“Twilight!” Yurik called to her. “What’s going on!”

“I…” Twilight attempted to reply, “I don’t know! The only thing I can think of… I don’t even believe it!”

“What is it?”

Before Twilight could try and answer, a bright light appeared overhead, and everyone looked up to see a white ball of light as seven beams colored like the gems from the Tree of Harmony flew from it, striking each of the ponies, minus Twilight, and Yurik in the chest while Twilight was struck in the head, forming a light around their necks and Twilight’s brow. At once, the lights around the ponies’ necks and head faded, uncovering five golden chokers with a gem in their centers.

Rainbow’s choker held the red lightning gem, Applejack’s was encrusted with the orange apple, Fluttershy’s had the pink butterfly, Pinkie Pie’s held the blue balloon, and Rarity’s was adorned with the purple diamond. Twilight’s light formed into a gold tiara with the magenta star as its headpiece. Yurik’s necklace formed looser around his neck like a chain. Yurik watched as the gem-shaped light on his chest grow into a wide an indiscernible shape. The sphere of light above everyone enveloped them all again, and they suddenly felt the ground come up from under them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The light faded away again, and Yurik, Twilight, Spike, and the other humans of ponies, found themselves inside the cavern next to the Tree of Harmony, the gems no longer on its branches. Kieran, Donald, and Marcus looked down, on them, surprised to see them in this new place. Now standing before Yurik, Keifer opened his eyes and looked around, unable to comprehend the situation of where he and his Grand Magmal Dragon have ended up.

“Are we…” Keifer asked to himself, “back in Equestria?”

The ponies all looked to each other, stunned to see the necklaces that they were now equipped with. 

“I don’t understand,” Rarity asked. “I thought we gave up our Elements to the Tree of Harmony! Why do we have them back all of the sudden?”

The ponies fished for an answer, only for a voice to break the silence.

“Guys!” shouted Mary, pointing at the back of Yurik’s neck. “Look!”

The ponies and Spike turned to Yurik, who saw as a thin, gold chain formed from the light down both sides of Yurik’s neck. The light faded all the way down to show the gem that was held by Yurik’s chain: a green winged heart with a golden frame. The ponies gasped loudly as they saw Yurik in a completely new light.

“Yurik…” Rainbow Dash inhaled, “has an Element of Harmony?”

“I think so…” Twilight spoke.

Walt, Alice, and Mary stared open mouthed at Yurik and his necklace, unsure of what this meant for their friend.

“Yurik…” sighed Walt.

Yurik looked down at his necklace with subdued confusion and amazement. Keifer, however, was scared out of his wits, his jaw trembling and eyes open as wide as they could go.

“How is this possible?” cried Keifer. “The Elements of Harmony are supposed to be sealed away! How could they have returned?”

Yurik, hearing the voice of his opponent, restored his serious gaze.

“I don’t know,” he answered, clutching the gem of his necklace. “All I do know is that these Elements of Harmony have chosen to assist me in defeating you, Keifer. Now watch! I’m going to use my new power to save my friends!”

Letting his necklace go and throwing his arm out to the side, the gem began to glow bright once again. Over the zone where Twilight Alicorn was overlaying Tree of Harmony, another card-shaped rectangle of light appeared over the cards, the light going out from the top down as a new card was placed over the other two: a card with a black top half and a green bottom half, showing art Twilight Alicorn adorned in emerald armor with golden edges and designs within the centers of each plate.

A light burst from in between Yurik and Keifer above the field, shooting bolts of light in multiple directions through the cavern.

“Appear before me!” Yurik called. “Twilight – Alicorn Empress of Courage!”

The light quickly took form, appearing as the gold-and-emerald armored alicorn from Yurik’s card. With a loud whinny shaking the ground Yurik and Keifer stood on, the monster had finally arrived.

Twilight – Alicorn Empress of Courage
ATK: 2800
Rnk.: 7

Yurik looked to his card, shocked to see the form it took.

“No way…” he gasped. “A pendulum xyz monster?”

Yurik’s monster turned back to face him, nodding its head with an assuring smile. Yurik let out a chuckle, amazed by all that was happening. 

“Alicorn Empress…” Twilight sighed in wonder, “of Courage?”

“Does that mean Yurik’s the…” wondered Rarity, “Element of Courage?”

“Alright!” cheered Pinkie Pie. “Yurik, the Element of Courage! That’s got a nice ring to it!”

Yurik smiled warmly at Pinkie Pie’s acceptance, only for Keifer’s voice to sound out.

“Pointless!” he shouted. “You may have summoned a new monster, Yurik Clayer, but my dragon is far stronger than yours, and unless you declare an attack this turn, you’ll still take 500 damage from Aftershock’s effect!”

Before Yurik could negatively respond to Keifer’s statement, a twinkle appeared in Yurik’s eye, and instead, he responded with a smile.

“Is that what you think?” Yurik asked.

“What?” exclaimed Keifer.

“When a monster is xyz summoned with Tree of Harmony as an xyz material, my monster gains the effect of allowing me to add one spell card from my deck to my hand. Girls, I’m going to need some help on this one.”

The six ponies nodded with a smile as they lined up in groups of three by Yurik’s sides. The gems on all seven element began to glow brightly with their respective colors. As Yurik reached his hand up, streams of colors swam out from their respective gem and swirled about in a tight ball above his palm. Yurik grabbed hold of the sphere, where it burst and formed into a spell card with art of a golden plate with Twilight’s star gem in the center of it with the other six gems infused along its edge.

“Are you ready for this, Keifer?” Yurik screamed, winding his arm with his new card in it out. “Because this is where this duel ends! I activate the spell card Elements of Harmony!”

Throwing the card in his duel disk, the card appeared to Keifer on Yurik’s field, making him tremble with worry.

“This card negates the effects of all face-up cards the opponent controls,” Yurik stated.

The Elements of Harmony card glowed brightly before a bright, golden pulse blasted out of the card, striking Grand Magmal Dragon and his two spell cards, darkening the latter two while the dragon swooned, weakened by the magical blast.

“Then,” continued Yurik, “I can target one monster my opponent controls and reduce its ATK to 0 until the end phase!”

“What did you say?” Keifer roared.

“And with the effects of your Magmal Trinity negated, there's no way your monster can escape from this. Now, go!”

Seven, brighter beams shot out from his and the ponies’ Elements and swirled around in the air before shooting down at Grand Magmal Dragon as a solid rainbow. The beam washed over the massive dragon, making it roar loudly as the rest of its strength was removed from its body.

ATK: 4500 -> 0

“No!” cried Keifer, his eyes welling with tears. “No, this can’t be! I can’t lose here!”

“I’m afraid that’s exactly what’s happening,” Yurik exclaimed. “Now, Twilight – Allicorn Empress of Courage, attack Obsidian-Eyes Grand Magmal Dragon! Brave Burst Magic!”

Alicorn Empress flew high above the field, its horn glowing bright with a green and magenta mixture. Then with a whip forward of its head, it launched a harsh, wide beam of magenta magic with green spiraling around.

The blast pierced through Grand Magmal Dragon’s chest as its entire body began to explode from the center up and from the center down. Keifer stared incredulously as the explosions moved down closer to him. With a final explosion at the dragon’s waist, Keifer was washed in a burst of fire and rock that hurled him off his feet, screaming at the intense power as it continued sending him soaring.

Keifer’s Life Points: 2750 -> 0

Yurik wins.

Keifer landed upon the ground and slid to Yurik’s feet, unconscious and immobile. Yurik panted as he saw the defeated Keifer before him, unaware as a ring of light spread out along the surface of the dueling room, restoring it to its actual space. In the balcony, Kieran, Donald, and Marcus watched was the foreign cavern made way to the inside of the dueling room. At that moment, Kieran bolted from his spot and to the exit of the balcony/control room. Marcus and Donald were quick to follow him out.

The ponies and Spike looked around them as the area of the cavern changed back to the dueling chamber. Much to their shock and confusion. Once the room had completely changed back, Alicorn Empress faded away as well. Yurik took his cards from the blade of his duel disk and looked and them, feeling them about with his fingers skeptically.

These cards… he thought. How did they come here?

“Yurik!” screamed Pinkie Pie.

Yurik turned to his left to see Pinkie Pie leap up to him, tackling him to the ground. His blade disk deactivated mid-fall, and it fell from the side of his duel disk and clattered to the ground. As Yurik was smothered by Pinkie Pie’s hugs, Twilight, Spike, and the other ponies gathered around Yurik and joined in the hug, nearly crushing Yurik as he laughed, fully realizing his victory.

“Yes, yes!” Walt bellowed, punching down in celebration. “He did it, he did it!”

“Yurik!” cried Mary as she and Alice ran to the dogpile the ponies and Spike had formed.

“You were incredible, Yurik!” Twilight wept, her face rubbing against his. “I’m so happy for you!”

“Thanks,” Yurik giggled as the ponies helped stand him up. “I know it sounds cheesy, but I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Just as Yurik got a good footing to stand, he felt his body constricted by Mary’s arms as she hugged him tight.

“I was so worried!” she sobbed. “Don’t put me through that again!”

Yurik, happy to see his human friends in safety as well, gave her a hug. Walt and Alice approached him on both sides and hugged him two, Yurik managing to fit his arms around both of them. Twilight and the ponies smiled at their heartwarming embrace, but the opening of the door to the dueling room opened up, and everyone turned to see Kieran running down to them with a large pair of cuffs, Donald and Marcus following him. The joyful air of the room was replaced with seriousness as Kieran slid down to Keifer and locked his hands behind his back with the cuffs. Marcus then came over and hoisted the dragon over his shoulder.

“What’s going to happen to him?” asked Spike.

“Just follow us,” Kieran instructed as Donald and Marcus made their way back. “Let’s get you guys back home before he has a chance to wake up.”

Kieran walked down and followed his two other comrades, prompting Alice, and then everyone else, minus Yurik, to walk down as well. Squatting down to pick up his blade disk, he jogged back out to catch up with the group. Twilight glanced up to Yurik’s necklace with the winged-heart-shaped jewel, still in disbelief that such a thing could be in his possession. Yurik glanced down to see his friend in worry.

“Is there something bothering you?” he asked her.

“Yurik,” she said to him, “I still don’t understand how you became a bearer of an Element of Harmony, or even how a new one was created for you. I also don’t know how they came back to us. Something bad is happening, and with all that’s been going on, from your Twilight Alicorn card, my visions, and now this, I feel like we’re getting farther away from finding out what’s going on, or even why.”

“I don’t know either, Twilight,” Yurik said. “I think we’ll all have some questions that need to be answered and some other things that need to be done, but until then, let’s get you guys home where you belong.”

Twilight couldn’t find it in her to smile in condolence, staring ahead as the door to the dueling room opened up, everyone stepping outside and down the hallways back to the outside.
> Episode 25: Retracing Our Steps
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Going up the long hallway of the Guardiaboliques garage, everyone kept their eyes on the exit as the break of day began to creep up over the horizon.

“Almost there…” Yurik assured Twilight and the other ponies.

Twilight smiled happily as the exit to the garage came ever closer, looking to her friends with a heightened sense of accomplishment. With each glance towards them, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike smiled back and nodded, comforted with the prospect of returning to their home.

With the humans leading the group, Marcus still carrying the unconscious Keifer his body, Kieran began to walk ahead, mildly startling Yurik as they finally walked up to the garage’s exit. Looking out to see the parking lot, numerous police cars and officers were set there. Before anyone could react, floodlights shone brightly on them as the now silhouetted officers raised their guns over the hoods and roofs of their cars.

“Freeze!” shouted one man. “Nobody move!”

Fluttershy was the first to react, screaming loudly and hiding behind Rarity, trembling visibly behind her. Yurik, Walt, and Mary shot up their hands in fright while Mary, Marcus, and Kieran slowly and calmly put up their arms. Marcus set Keifer on the ground and put his hands up with the others. The other ponies stood stiff and alert as they kept their eyes as best as they could on the police officers from the lights.

Yurik squinted his vision, recognizing a shape in one of the front cars parked near the garage. From its sleeveless coat and sweater underneath, as well as its tell-tale chain hanging from the side of his hip, Yurik eyes shot open, realizing it was Orpheus. Yurik stepped forwards with a seething glare.

“You son of a–”

Yurik was stopped as Kieran’s leg blocked the path of Yurik’s own legs.

“I had told Orpheus to call the police if he failed to take down Keifer,” Kieran said, quelling Yurik. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you and your friends get out of here safely.”

Kieran redirected his eyes back to the crowd of police officers, many of them murmuring as Kieran stood before them, unable to believe that they had managed to corner him.

“Everyone!” called a policeman with a megaphone. “Step away from the ponies and walk to us with your hands over your head!”

Kieran stepped forwards, forcing the police officers to steady their guns back up.

“These children are innocent!” claimed Kieran. “The purple alicorn known as Twilight Sparkle was rescued by these children, and we only saw fit to help reunite her with her other friends and Princess Celestia! They’ve done nothing wrong, so I beg you, please spare them! If you do, I will go with you peacefully and without resistance.

“Kieran…” whispered Walt forlornly.

“I promise you this,” assured Kieran. “The moment you allow us to return these ponies to their homes and let these children return home safely, I will turn myself in!”

The other officers kept still, awaiting any further commands. From inside the group of soldiers, the officer with the megaphone, a moderately decorated man, stared intensely into Kieran’s eyes, searching for any signs of betrayal.

“Very well,” the officer said with an accepting face.

A loud snapping of fingers clapped through the air, and at once, two male officers appeared through the screen of white, one carrying a pair of handcuffs. Kieran turned his head and looked back at his fellow comrades as he put his hands behind his head. Without effort, the two officers clasped Kieran’s arms while Yurik and the others observed sadly, but respectfully.

“Send some others to restrain that white dragon too,” Kieran advised. “Be sure to do it while he’s still unconscious.”

The guards walked back into the crowd of police officers as one of them grabbed their radio and put it to his face.

“He also said to restrain the white dragon,” the officer said. “Made him sound dangerous.”

“Duly noted,” the decorated officer responded before putting his mouth closer to his receiver. “Men,” he whispered. “Restrain everyone, especially the white dragon. Leave the ponies.”

Once Kieran disappeared behind the lights as a well distinguished silhouette, around two dozen officers came towards the humans, ponies, and dragons, several of them taking out their handcuffs. Orpheus, noticing this, tensed up.

“What is this?” he asked in a sharp gasp.

“Just stay back,” one officer instructed, holding him by the shoulder.

Orpheus shuddered again as they watched the officers begin to surround Yurik and his friends.

“Yurik!” he screamed. “Get out of there!”

Yurik, also realizing the treachery, tried to run through a gap between two of the officers, but his effort was in vain, as he was grabbed by both officers.

“Yurik!” cried Twilight as she suddenly felt the hands of the officers block her way.

Soon, Walt, Alice, Mary, Donald, and Marcus were also restrained and pushed away from the ponies and dragons. The remaining officers formed a wall that kept the ponies from reaching them. Kieran turned to see the scuffle forming, and just before he could be pushed into the back of the squad car, he thrust his body in the direction of the back of the vehicle, jamming the officer to his left into the corner. He then jerked his head to the right, striking the other officer in the temple, freeing himself from both of them.

“You bastards!” Kieran shouted, running from his spot towards the scuffle.

“Officers!” shouted the decorated officer. “He’s escaped!”

Between the bodies of the officers, the ponies watched as Yurik and the other humans tried to resist the forceful grips of the officers while a series of new officers began to surround and tackle Kieran to the ground, pinning him. Applejack, scowling with fury, turned her body back and reared her back legs in. With a hard thrust, the back of her hooves plowed into the chest of one of the officers, sending him flying backwards.

The other officers were too stunned by what had happened, giving Twilight enough time to charge her horn, creating a magenta bubble that shoved the other officers back away from them. At once, the officers that had once surrounded them, as well as those taking their human friends away, felt their hands being forced open and pulled behind their backs by individual magenta auras.

Now freed, Yurik and the others ran to the ponies, refusing to look back at the police, despite their helplessness in Twilight’s magical hold.

“Guys,” Twilight instructed, “get behind us.”

They did as they were told, forming a second wall behind the ponies and Spike. Once Twilight was comfortable with her friends’ positions, she relinquished the charge on her horn, freeing the officers from her grasp. Realizing their lack of restriction, the officers reached back to their holsters and took out their pistols, aiming them at Twilight and her friends. Twilight huffed at them with teeth bared, daring them to try and take a shot.

“Stop!” cried a booming, female’s voice from up in the air. “Do not harm my little ponies!”

The officers, keeping their weapons as well aimed as they could, looked up and around them to find the source of the voice. Just then, a bright light descended down from the sky, landing in a large circular gap being formed by the wary officers. The light stood still above the ground before it took the form of a white, horse-sized alicorn with a long, flowing mane and golden jewelry on her head, around her neck, and on each four hooves. Throwing her wings out, the officers stepped back.

“Princess Celestia!” cried Twilight.

“Dammit,” the decorated officer muttered under her breath. “Men, lower your weapons!” he then ordered into his megaphone.

The officers did as they were told, quickly putting their guns into their holsters. With their threat ended, Twilight galloped through the group of officers and made it to Twilight, giving her long-lost leader a strong hug, which Celestia warmly returned.

“Twilight,” she cooed, “I’m so happy to see you well again.”

“I’m happy to see you too, Celestia,” spoke Twilight.

The other ponies and their human friends all looked happily upon their reunion. On Orpheus’s dueling device, his deck began to softly glow blue.

“It’s okay,” whispered Orpheus, patting the deck assuredly. “You’ll be going home soon enough.”

Celestia glanced to Twilight’s head to see her Element of Harmony placed upon it, making her sport a face of concern.

“Twilight,” Celestia wondered, “where did you get that crown?”

“My crown?” Twilight replied, glancing up. “It’s my Element of Harmony. They came back to us. Furthermore,” she continued, turning to Yurik and the other ponies behind her, “we gained a new one.”

“A new… one? How is this possible?”

“I don’t know, Celestia. I was hoping that we could all talk about this. A lot of things have happened since we’ve arrived here, and we need some answers.”

“I’m…” Celestia said, growing nervous, “I’m sure you do, and I’d be very happy to provide them. I just… I need to do some things…”

The ponies and Spike stared at their leader with mounting suspicion and unease.

“Princess Celestia?” wondered Twilight. “Are you doing, okay?”

“No,” Celestia giggled, “don’t mind me! I’ve just been… so nervous about your well-being, and it’s making me uptight! I just... please, bring your friends over and I’ll send you back!”

“Wait!” Orpheus shouted. “What about your deal? Don’t you owe Yurik and his friends their wish?”

“In due time, young… creature… just, I need to check…”

As Twilight backed up, frightened by the change the princess was exhibiting, she felt her tiara taken from her head, surrounded by a lime-green aura. At this moment, Twilight looked into Celestia’s face, seeing it transformed into one of greed and malice, along with her green, glowing horn.

“Celestia?” whined Twilight. “Your horn! It’s…”

Twilight suddenly gasped with shrunken eyes as she remembered what Keifer had said in his duel with Yurik.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Celestia can’t help me now!” he shouted. “She can’t even help you now!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“She can’t help…” Twilight repeated to herself. 

Behind Twilight, the other Elements, including Yurik’s were lifted from around their necks and pulled towards Celestia. Twilight letting out another furious scowl, charged her horn bright and blasted a magical burst into Celestia’s chest, throwing her yelping down the lot. With her incapacitation, the Elements fell to the ground clattering.

“Twilight?” Celestia growled, failing to mask her contempt with saddened shock. “Why did you do that?”

“What the hell was that?” the decorated officer shouted through his megaphone. “You just blasted your own leader!”

“No, I didn’t!” Twilight stated. “That’s not Princess Celestia. That’s… Chrysalis!”

“What?” Spike and Rainbow Dash cried out.

Celestia scowled as she began to charge her horn again.

“Sorry,” Twilight spat, grabbing her tiara with her magic and affixing it on her head, “but you’re not getting these!”

As Celestia turned to the other six dropped Elements, she watched with anger as they were placed back on their owners’ bodies by a blue aura controlled by Rarity’s horn. Celestia hissed as she lowered her head down.

“I guess there’s no hiding it any longer,” she muttered, her voice adopting an eerie duality.

Charging her horn green again, a ring of green flames formed around her on the ground, which shot up as a pillar of fire. Inside, the silhouette of Celestia changed into something far lankier and monstrous. Once the flames dissipated, the creature now standing before everyone was a black, insectoid equine with torn, dragonfly-like wings, a kelp-like, holey mane and tail, holes inside its hooves and forearms, a large, jagged horn, large, green eyes, and a fanged mouth.

Seeing the creature before them, the police all turned and aimed their guns at the creature Twilight called Chrysalis. She merely continued her frown as her horn charged up. A couple of police officers pulled their triggers in reflex, only for their bullets to vanish upon hitting an invisible barrier that flashed green with each shot.

“Twilight!” shouted Mary. “What the hell is that thing?”

“Where’s Princess Celestia, you monster?!” shouted Twilight.

Chrysalis turned back to Twilight with a sense of dread and infuriating failure as Yurik and the other ponies ran out and joined her behind them. Keeping her eyes on the seven bearers and their Elements, not paying the police any mind, she began to charge up her horn once again.

“I need more time,” she grumbled.

With a bright flashing bubble, Chrysalis disappeared from sight. A few of the police officers glanced around, unsure where she had went. Looking up to Equus in the sky, Twilight took seething breaths through her teeth that slowly became sobs of fear and depression.

Sinking to her stomach, she laid her hands over her eyes and bawled loudly. The others looked at her, soon looking queasy with fear as their friend was. Behind her, Yurik, and the ponies, the decorated officer and two others followed him towards the group.

“Sir,” he said to Yurik, putting his hand on his back, “I’d like you and your friends to answer some questions.”

Yurik looked deathly into the man’s eyes, both angered at his attempts to arrest him, yet feeling obligated to provide the authorities some much needed information.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

At the Cook County Jail, inside a small, windowless room at a square metal table, Yurik sat despondently while staring at the white door, awaiting whomever was to enter the room through it. His golden necklace was no longer around his neck. Soon enough, a brown-skinned detective in a grey suit with black fuzz running along his head for hair stepped in, carrying a sketchbook and pen, which he gently set at the center of the other side of the table across from Yurik and the ponies.

“Hello there, Yurik” the man greeted. “My name is Mr. Gerraci, and you can trust me.”

“Before I can do that,” Yurik said, “I want to know two things.”

“Name them,” Gerraci prompted, sitting down in his chair and leaning back.

“First, where are my other friends?”

“They are being interrogated individually by other officers. In light of what has happened until now, we need to try and clear some things up, like if your ‘friends’ of yours are really harmful to us.”

“You mean the ponies? Of course they’re not harmful!”

“Right now, that’s not up for you to decide. Upon interviewing you all, we will see how well your stories add up and find the truth there. If they tell us the truth, then there’s nothing for them to worry about. Now, what was your second thing you wanted to know?”

“Where is Keifer?”

“Keifer?”

“The white dragon we had coming out of the factory.”

“Ah, yes. We had taken Kieran’s advice and have him restrained and kept under heavy surveillance. He won’t be able to do a thing unmonitored. Now, it’s time for me to know some things from you.”

Yurik kept silent while squinting his glare, prompting him to get on with it.

“Please, for the record, state your name, date of birth, and home address.”

“My name is Yurik Clayer, born October 3rd, 1995, and living at 2131 Lindrick Ave in Naperville, Illinois.”

“Thank you. Now, I want you to tell me when you first began associating yourself with the Guardiaboliques.”

Yurik breathed in as he prepared his answer, looking Gerraci straight in the eyes.

“I began associating myself with the vigilante organization known as the Guardiaboliques on May 16th of this year,” Yurik answered, “May 17th if you want to count when its leader, Kieran, inducted me as an honorary member of their group.”

“So you were actually admitted into the group,” queried Geracci, “and you chose to join them?”

“Yes, but only to ensure the rescue of the ponies Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and the dragon Spike. I had no intention of carrying on with them after their safe return to Equestria.”

“Hmm…”

Geracci quickly scribbled the notes into his book, which Yurik looked upon with slight disdain.

“Now, I’d like you to tell me: just how did you come to join the Guardiaboliques?”

Yurik breathed in again, collecting every thought and memory of his tale as he could.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt sat in a similar room across from a younger female detective in a dark blue suit and white blouse. Despite her attractive appearance, Walt looked and felt as if the walls were keeping his entire body closed tightly in.

“It…” Walt tried to answer to the woman, “it was a birthday present.”

“The Twilight Alicorn card?” she confirmed.

“Yeah!” he blurted, clearly bothering the woman. “I’m… sorry. I’m not at my best around police officers.”

“Your father was a police officer, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, and if you lived with him as long as I have, you wouldn’t feel comfortable around them either!”

“I’m not your father, though, Walt. Just talk to me. Nice and calm.”

Walt leaned back in his chair, looking off to the right.

“I need to get a lawyer,” he muttered, his mouth slightly open to let the air out.

Walt, feeling composed again, turned back to the woman to continue on with his story.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“The night of the 16th,” Alice said to a middle aged white male detective with a comb-over, “I wanted to duel Yurik with the new card that he got. When he played it…”

Alice then put the sides of both fists together and opened them up while spreading them apart with a “pssh” sound, implying an explosion.

“…all hell broke loose.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

A red beam the width of the portal itself shot out from both sides of the portal, the bottom end colliding with the ground at tremendous force, knocking everyone nearby off their feet and to the ground, including Yurik and Alice. Nearby, the other party goers screamed as the earth violently shook and they lost their balance.

“What…” stammered Yurik, crawling on his back as he looked up into the sky as the pillar raised higher and higher without stop, “what’s happening?”

“Impossible,” Alice spoke. “The solid vision can’t be this strong without a generator.”

The pillar continued to blast into the ground, vibrating the ground hard and scaring everyone around.

“Yurik!” shouted Alice. “Stop the duel now!”

Yurik already began taking his two pendulum cards off his duel disk while large red text on his screen reported, “ERROR!” As he reached for his Twilight Alicorn card, he found an invisible force repel his hand away. Yurik tried pushing in as hard as he could, but his hand would not be able to touch the card.

“Yurik!” screamed Alice.

“I can’t!” screamed Yurik, becoming terrified himself.

Yurik pressed hard until the force hurt his hand, tears running down his face. Looking back at the beam, he and Alice watched as the beam grew angelic wings while the outline of a unicorn was visible inside, leaving them in a sense of sheer awe.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“And then you took him?” the man responded.

“And the pony Twilight Sparkle,” Alice responded, “who crashed in Seager Park that night from the magenta comet?”

“Why didn’t you let the authorities take care of it? What if your friend and that pony were injured and needed medical attention.”

“The Guardiaboliques could have managed,” Alice suddenly growled. “However, I would have been more wary with her in the police’s hands than you should be in ours.”

“And how long have you been with the Guardiaboliques, exactly?”

“Since the summer of 2010. I’ve got nothing to hide anymore; more or less, I’ve already been arrested.”

“I see…” the detective said, writing in his sketchbook. “Now, when Yurik and the pony known as Twilight Sparkle woke up, what happened next?”

Alice looked at the man’s notes, grimacing at their near barrenness minus the facts about her involvement in the Guardiaboliques.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Kieran sat with his hands cuffed to his bolted-down chair while two officers with dart guns stood by in the corners behind him. Kieran couldn’t help but feel wary of the ones behind him, but the loud knocking on the metal table by an expensively suited detective with combed-blonde hair and a thin moustache over his lips redirected his attention.

“When Alice had kidnapped Yurik and Twilight Sparkle,” the man across from Kieran instigated, “what did you do to them from there.”

“Alice never kidnapped anyone,” Kieran responded.

“She took him to your hideout against his will and without their consent, did she not?”

“An ambulance takes a person to a hospital against their will and without their consent… does it not?”

“An ambulance takes them to a place where they will be safe and treated!”

“So was she.”

Flustered, the man tried to sputter out a response, but to no avail, much to Kieran’s smug appreciation.

“When Yurik and Twilight Sparkle had awoken,” he finally managed to say what had happened?”

“We had a duel,” Kieran answered.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Guardia Sniper,” ordered Kieran, “attack Yurik directly. Sure Shot Blast!”

With a pull of the trigger, the rifle fired off its bullet and hit Yurik straight in the chest, knocking him backwards off his feet with a loud, sharp grunt. Twilight gasped loudly as Yurik fell, groaning in pain.

Yurik’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3000
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I had deduced that Yurik’s Twilight Alicorn card had something, if not, all to do with Equus’s appearance,” explained Kieran. “I did not know the child, and was unsure if he would be able to hold the responsibility of the power his card held. The duel was a test to see if he could wield, and be comfortable wielding that power. Thankfully…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“This is it!” Yurik shouted. “Now, Alicorn of Steam, attack Guardia General! Boiler Bomb!”
The alicorn shot a ball of steam from its horn, striking Kieran’s monster once again in the chest, but the force exploding it into yellow sparks. The steam hit Kieran, and it now felt uncomfortably warm.

Kieran’s Life Points: 1600 -> 1200

“And now,” bellowed Yurik, “Twilight Alicorn, attack Kieran directly! Bright Burst Magic!!”

Twilight shot its signature beam at Kieran. Before it could strike him Kieran found it in himself to let out a contented sigh. The blast struck Kieran hard, throwing him off his feet as he slid on his back down the hall before coming to a stop.

Kieran’s Life Points: 1200 -> 0

Yurik wins.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“And what would have happened if he had lost?” the man across from Kieran asked.

“If he had lost,” he answered calmly, “I would have taken his card and used the power as my own.”

“So you would have stolen it?”

“It would not be considered stealing. Yurik agreed to the terms.”

“Do you think he will say that in his story?”

Kieran kept a straight face, hiding any signs of fear he might have had for whatever Yurik would say against him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“No,” Yurik defended, “I didn’t want him to take my card.”

“But you agreed to his rules anyways?” Gerraci asked.

“What else was I supposed to do? He’s the leader of a vigilante organization, and I was a teenager just about to leave high-school?”

“So he coerced you into the deal?”

“…Not quite.”

“Not quite?”

“Kieran helped me come to the conclusion that my card was what brought Equus here, as well as Twilight and her friends. It was my fault that everything happened, and I wanted to right whatever wrong I made.”

“Yurik, I highly doubt that you were responsible for an entire planet’s sudden appearance.”

“Just ask my other friends. I’m sure they’ll tell you the same story.”

Gerraci sighed as he wrote down another note in his sketchpad.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight sat across from an older female detective in her mid-fifties, and while her smile tried to put Twilight in ease, the solid, colorless room and the two armed guards behind her did anything but.

“It’s okay,” the woman said. “Just tell me exactly what happened before you arrived on Earth.”

“It’s…” Twilight said, “an odd story at first, but as I keep thinking about it, it scares me even more.”

“You don’t need to be afraid…” cooed the woman. “Just tell me what happened.”

Twilight glanced around in silence as she prepared her tale.

“Princess Celestia…” she struggled to say, “or who I thought was Celestia, had called my friends and I to Canterlot, my home country, Equestria’s capital for something urgent…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight and the other ponies, including Spike, burst into an extremely lavish palace room made of white marble, a red carpet leading up to a gold platform and throne which Princess Celestia sat worriedly upon. Upon seeing her ponies arrive, she stood up, walking down the carpeted ramp down to the seven of them.

“Twilight,” she said, “I’m very glad you were able to arrive. Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

“We came as fast as we could,” Twilight spoke.

“So what’s this all about?” asked Spike. “You were pretty vague in your letter.”

“My apologies, Spike,” Celestia responded. “I was in a hurry to get you here, and now that you are, I can finally…”

Just then, a massive earthquake struck the ground, making Twilight, Spike, and the ponies lose their balance. Spike fell over and rumbled into Rarity’s leg. Frightened, Spike clung to it tightly, Rarity not seeming to notice due to her own fright.

“What…” Celestia gasped. “What is happening?”

From the windows, a bright light began to shine glow brightly in through the outdoor windows before the light washed the entire room out in white. Twilight could no longer see Celestia, and as she heard the screams of her friends, she felt her body being pulled up, her surroundings becoming a magenta color. Twilight cried out as the shouts of her friends quickly faded away from her, and her body continued to soar against its will.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“After that,” Twilight said, “I just remember waking up next to Yurik and being greeted by Kieran and Alice shortly after.”

“Did any of them hurt you from that moment until today?” asked the woman.

“No, they didn’t,” Twilight was inconspicuously quick to answer. “In fact, I don’t think I could have been put into better hands than with them.”

The woman nodded understandingly as she wrote Twilight’s statement on her sketchpad.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“How did you manage to infiltrate the hideout?” the attractive detective said to Walt.

“My friend Mary and I were wary about Alice up and taking Yurik and Twilight as fast as she did. She had taken my motorcycle keys to ensure I couldn’t follow her, so Mary picked me up and we followed her there.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Walt?” Mary questioned as Walt stepped out of her car. “Where are you going?”

“Go home, Mary,” Walt told her. “If this place is what I think it is, I don’t want you to be a part of this.”

“Why? What do you think it is?”

“Mary,” he demanded with a cold stare. “Go home. I’ll let you know how everything turns out. And whatever you do, do not call the police.”

Before Mary could protest any longer, Walt shut the car and ran down the road to the gate of the factory. Behind him, Mary’s car stood on the road before she slow pulled a three-point turn and headed in the opposite direction. Walt, looking at the duel disk still on his wrist, prepared himself for what was going to come ahead.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“And you were prepared to duel the Guardiaboliques to save your friend?” the woman asked.

“In a way…” Walt said, “I kind of did.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was apprehended after sneaking in, but after I told Kieran who I was to Yurik and expressed my interest in helping Yurik retrieve the other ponies, he put me to a test.”

“What kind of a test?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I tune my level 3 Tungsten Wolfram and Tungsten Steel Eel with my level 2 Tungsten Quetztatic!” Walt shouted, throwing his hand up.

Tungsten Quetztatic glowed into a bright-white shape before it burst, leaving only two small orbs of light that both spread out into glowing rings that aligned with one another. Walt’s two remaining monsters hopped up into the rings, becoming nothing but orange, glowing outlines of their bodies with glowing lines to define their other features. Three white stars formed a line inside each of their bodies.

“The lustrous light of my soul,” Walt chanted, “cast all shadows away with your radiance!”

A beam shot up from the ground and through both rings, expanding into a bright, greenish-white pillar.

“Synchro summon!” shouted Walt.

The pillar of light gave way to the monster now formed inside, spreading away to reveal a large dragon with two large white horns, its body seemingly made out of a smooth metal that bent and stretched flexibly as if it were skin. It’s main body was a glowing, golden yellow with a spotless and muscular white underbelly that matched its wings.

“My beacon of victory!” concluded Walt. “Tungsten Dragon!”

Walt’s monster roared loud at both Yurik and Twilight Alicorn, signaling its complete preparedness to fight.

Tungsten Dragon
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 8
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Not to brag or anything,” Walt said, “but I was doing pretty well, but Yurik and his new card eventually got the better of me.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Finally,” he resumed, revealing his drawn spell card, “I activate my spell card Spell of Banishment!”

Walt seized up immediately, knowing at this very moment that he would lose. Yurik threw his card into the front slot of his duel disk, a green card featuring art of an alicorn manifesting a dark portal from it horn with a fiendish-looking monster stuck inside it phasing onto the ground.

“I can activate this card when my life points are below 500,” Yurik explained. “While I control a spellcaster-type monster, I can target another spellcaster-type monster that I control or exists in my graveyard and one monster my opponent controls and banish both targets.”

With a small charge of its horn, Twilight Alicorn shot its green-and-black spell past Tungsten Dragon, causing a large, starry portal to appear behind it. Walt stepped back as the edge of the portal spread out to just at the toes of his shoes.

With a tremendous force, Tungsten Dragon and Tungsten Jouleyfish were pulled into it, the former roaring in finality as the portal closed up, leaving an awestricken Walt wide open to Twilight Alicorn’s mercy.

Now, battle! Twilight Alicorn, attack Walt directly!”

Twilight Alicorn’s horn began glowing a brightness that was matched by the unkempt fury on its face.

“Bright Burst Magic!!”

The magenta beam blasted out from the winged unicorn’s horn, with Walt standing straight and unflinching as it came closer to him. The spell struck Walt in the torso, sending him off his feet and through the air.

Walt tumbled back to the ground, but managed to roll onto his back as he stopped, looking up at the ceiling lights and settling down from the end of a tight, climactic duel.

Walt’s Life Points: 2200 -> 0

Yurik wins.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Despite the loss,” Walt said, “Kieran was impressed enough to allow me to join as well. Twilight insisted she stayed over at our house while Kieran went out looking for her other friends.”

“And what about Twilight after that?” asked the woman.

“Well…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Yurik and Walt were gracious enough to teach me how to duel,” explained Twilight to the woman across from her. “Yurik even bought me a deck with his very own money. Kieran had Yurik test it out with me the next evening at their hideout.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Synchro summon!” called Twilight. “Mechjic Gold Cyber!”

Appearing from the beam was a massive, muscular cyborg with golden armor and a golden staff with a spiral-cut crystal on the end of it, flexing its chest in an attempt to intimidate Yurik.

Mechjic Gold Cyber
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 7
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Xyz summon!” cried Twilight.

Upon the two auras flying into the portal , a slender, but tall android in silver armor with a silver staff with a similar crystal head to Mechjic Gold Cyber’s, a pair of light orbs floating around the monster.

“Appear!” Twilight ordered. “Mechjic Silver Cyber!”

Standing more proud and reserved than Twilight’s gold-armored behemoth, the silver-plated robot pointed its staff at Yurik offensively.

Mechjic Silver Cyber
ATK: 2500
Rnk.: 7
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Fusion summon!” Twilight declared. “The ultimate future! Mechjic Platinum Cyber!”

Floating out from the portal was an illustriously armored cyborg that dwarfed the other two on Twilight’s field, as well as carrying a large scepter with an ornate circular piece upon the top.

Mechjic Platinum Cyber
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 10
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“After the duel,” Twilight continued, “Kieran managed to find the first of my friends on Earth…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Pinkie Pie sat wide, her legs and hooves hanging out the side of her chair, watching with exaggerated, but sincere wonderment as a suited man, with short, brown hair put a phone on the table between them and quickly dialed ten numbers, looking at a slip of paper in his other hand. The jovial pony didn’t seem to pay any mind to the guards stationed behind her. Pinkie Pie then leaned in as the man clicked a button above the number’s pad, allowing the dialtone to be heard all throughout the room.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside a comfortably cozy apartment kitchen, a cell phone rang on the counter. From the hallway, Billy, wearing nothing but a red towel around his otherwise wet, naked body, walked to the phone and put it to his face, answering it.

“Heello,” he greeted.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Billy!” squealed Pinkie Pie, unable to contain herself. “I can hear you through this little box!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Pinkie Pie?” gasped Billy, his disposition completely reversing itself as he shot up in his bed. “My god! Is that really you?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hello, Billy,” the officer interrupted, silencing Pinkie Pie with a pinched hand. “My name is Officer Steele, and I have Pinkie Pie in our custody.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“What?” he exclaimed, sounding nervous and agitated. “What are you doing to her?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Calm down, sir,” Steele assured, “she’s perfectly safe. I only wanted to get a statement from you. Being that she clearly recognizes you and vice versa, I’ll get to my next question. Tell me what you can about a couple of men: Kieran and Yurik Clayer. Then, I want you to tell me anything and everything about how they took Pinkie Pie from you.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Well,” Billy said, pacing around, “I don’t know about this Kieran individual, but Yurik Clayer I’m more than familiar with. As for them ‘taking’ her, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. She came to my tent after becoming stranded outside of Orlando. There was Yurik, a young man his age with blonde hair, a girl their age with black hair, and a man in his mid-twenties with short brown hair.”

“Was his name by chance Aaron Wilson?” asked Steele.

“…Yes, I do believe it was. Why do you ask?”

“That’s an alias of Kieran’s when he goes off in public. He is really the leader of the Chicago-based vigilante group known as the Guardiaboliques.”

“Anyways, they initially tricked me into letting them into the park that night–”

“Does his true identity not concern you?”

“Not really. I had a feeling Aaron wasn’t his real name, and in either case, I’m certain he and his friends meant well.”

“…I see. Continue.”

“The night they arrived, I invited them into the park for a supposed private show, but it was a ruse for them to take Pinkie Pie away. I then dueled Yurik to try and take her back…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Attack!” shouted Yurik. “Allicorn Queen of Night, destroy Insidious Caesar. Lunar Spear!”

The black alicorn’s blue glow on its horn mixed and swirled with black as it shot out at Billy’s monster, exploding it in a flash and wave of hot smoke, which Billy shielded his face from.

Billy’s Life Points: 400 -> 300

“This is it!” Yurik yelled. “Twilight Alicorn, attack Billy directly! Bright Burst Magic!”

Twilight shot its signature attack at Billy, striking him now in the chest as he flew back, but silently as he reveled in the intensity of the match he had played.

Billy’s Life Points: 300 -> 0

Yurik wins.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Even before the duel’s end,” Billy continued, “I became convinced that they were rescuing Pinkie Pie for the greater good of taking her back home, and we were able to part ways on good terms.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Steele grimaced, still unconvinced.

“And Pinkie Pie,” he asked her, “has Kieran and/or Yurik taken good care of you?”

“Oh, yes!” she promptly answered. “Yurik and Walt have been the bestest hosts, and I just love babysitting their little sister Evey, and we watch Frozen, like, all the time–!”

“Thank you,” he interrupted, silencing her again. “I have what I need. Thank you for your help, Billy.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“It’s my pleasure,” Billy said with a habitual nod, “as it was to hear from you again, Pinkie Pie.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“You too!” chirped Pinkie Pie. “I hope your shows are going great!”

“Better than ever, Pinkie,” he replied. “Farewell.”

The phone clicked with the end of the call. Steele looked to Pinkie Pie smiling brightly, happy to have done her part. Steele sat down in his own chair and breathed out in exhaustion.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash squirmed in her seat in claustrophobic anxiousness. A muscular black man in a blue suit sitting across from the blue pegasus eyeing her with fierce expectation only decreased the size of the room.

“You were found by the Guardiaboliques in Suzuka, Japan, correct?” the man inquired.

“Huh?” the uncomfortably distracted Rainbow Dash blurted. “I have no idea! All I knew was that I woke up in a forest and trying to avoid you guys!”

“You mean us humans, I presume. Now, if this is the case, describe what happened when the Guardiaboliques arrived, since I’m assuming that’s how you were taken out from there.

“Well… it’s kind of a long story.”

“Take as much time as you need,” the man said, leaning back in his chair.

Rainbow Dash huffed, stuck in the man’s gaze.

“Okay, fine,” she relented. “I didn’t actually meet Yurik or Kieran ‘till much later. And if it weren’t for Pinkie Pie joining the search, they wouldn’t have found me anyways…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash looked back in horror to see the human approach, trying to wrench herself out of Pinkie Pie’s embrace, but to no avail.

“Pinkie Pie!” she squealed. “We have to hurry! One of those monkey things is coming!”

“Hey,” Walt shouted, “who’re you calling a monkey?”

“Oh, yeah!” Pinkie Pie squeaked. “Rainbow Dash, I want you to meet my friend Walt.”

Rainbow Dash turned back to see Walt right behind her, giving her an awkward frown and wave of his hand.

“Your friend?” questioned the blue pegasus.

“Yeah!” There’s also Yurik, Alice, and Kieran. Twilight’s also with us.”

“Huh? Twilight’s here too?”

“Yeah, we’re teaming up with these guys to help find our other friends.”

Rainbow Dash, confused, looked to Walt and then back at Pinkie Pie’s smile.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I know it sounds weird,” said Rainbow Dash, “even though Pinkie Pie will make friends with just about anyone, I still knew I could trust her on that one.”

Thinking of Walt, she grimaced, feeling lonely and even more cramped in the room.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“So after you found Rainbow Dash,” the attractive detective said to Walt, “what happened from there?”

“…We were ambushed,” Walt felt compelled to say.

“Ambushed? By whom?”

“…A lone party…”
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus ran out from the trees and into the opening, swinging his chain to the left to send a red bow out towards the back of Walt’s knees. With only a few more yards to spare, the bow struck Walt right at its intended target, tripping and throwing Walt and Rainbow Dash to the ground, where they both tumbled and slid to a stop, Walt upon his stomach.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt threw his blade disk out to Orpheus’s left, which span around his body and back to Walt’s duel disk, where it stayed beside it and shone its blades out through the lights on the side. At that moment, both players’ decks shuffled inside their respective slots.

“Connection complete,” a computerized voice. “Walt Faber vs… Unknown.”

Walt huffed through his nose as he stared Orpheus down. Rainbow Dash, her head positioned that she could see past Walt’s left leg, looked to Walt with a shimmering hope.

“Like I said,” Orpheus said. “You cannot win against me.”

“We’ll just see about that!” shouted Walt. “Let’s go!”

“DUEL!” they both called out.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

“Goodbye, Walt,” bid Orpheus.

At that moment, the star exploded in a fiery mushroom cloud, blowing both Walt and Rainbow Dash away as he screamed loudly from the excruciating force and heat from the blast. Before Walt and Rainbow Dash could both crash into the forest, they fell into the crater left by Minos’s effect, tumbling limply down into it together before they stopped in its center.

Walt’s Life Points: 4000 -> 0

Orpheus wins.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

“After that,” Walt said, “he kidnapped us and attempted to ransom me and Rainbow Dash for Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack once we arrived in Glasgow.”

“And what happened in Glasgow?” she asked.

Walt gulped as he felt the minutes churn on into what felt like hours.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

“I had originally tried taking the ponies for myself to seek aid for a dear friend of mine who had been in some trouble for quite some years,” Orpheus huffed to an older detective with greyed hair. “I will admit that after Celestia, or who we all thought was her, promised to grant a wish to whoever found her ponies, I got carried away in my pursuit, especially when I dueled Yurik Clayer and Alice Ross for the ponies they had with them.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________

“GOODBYE, ALICE!” Orpheus screamed.

Eurydice continued to careen towards Alice, prepared to drain her of her remaining life points.

Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 2700
Lvl.: 5

================
Alice:
LP: 1200
================

The ponies on the sidelines stood fearfully as their friends faced their imminent loss. Yurik grunted as Eurydice came ever closer, prompting him to grab a card in his hand.

“I activate the effect of Pegassist of Light!” shouted Yurik, winding his arm back.

“What?” shouted Orpheus, his glee changing to horror.

“When my opponent declares a direct attack, I can special summon this card from my hand and end the battle phase!”

“Impossible!” Orpheus cried out.

Yurik quickly placed his card onto his monster zone in attack position, but instead of appearing on his side of the field, the white pegasus appeared before Alice in a strong flash of light as it shielded her with its wings.

Pegassist of Light
ATK: 1700
Lvl.: 4
____________________________________________________________________________________________

“Not surprisingly,” Orpheus said, “Yurik and his friend manage to defeat me with the bond he had with his deck.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________

“Twilight Alicorn, finish the attack! Go!”

The beam continued on its way and blasted a gaping hole through Hades’s chest, the energy and strength of it exploding it in a blast of fire and smoke. The hot cloud barreled into Orpheus and sent him off his feet down the field, screaming shrilly at the sky as he did.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 1200 -> 0

Yurik and Alice win.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

“After that,” Orpheus concluded, “I agreed to assist Kieran and his subordinates find and rescue the remaining ponies.”

“You actually chose to assist a criminal organization such as that?” the detective wondered. “You’re a member of Interpol, are you not? And isn’t it your duty to uphold the law?”

“I am, but you and I can both agree that under the law and the many men who uphold it, it would be nearly impossible to gather any of those ponies, yet alone all of them. Even if everyone whose job it was to uphold the law were all honest, non-corrupt people, the legal ramifications that exist would prevent these ponies from seeing either of their friends ever again.

“I may have chosen to become a man of the law, but I can still respect Kieran for accomplishing what the law can’t. So, before you lecture me on how well I do my job, learn to question yourself on what is legally right and what is morally and ethically right.”

“What’s right is upholding justice, and you spat in its face by becoming the accomplice of a vigilante!”

“Justice? So you’re telling me it’s just to keep a group of frightened girls separated from each other, their home, and their families?”

“I never said that. Do not put words in my mouth, Ronald Harper!”

“If you want to arrest me, arrest me, but don’t blame me for your own ignorance, detective. I pray you never have to experience loss that your infallible law can’t save you from.”

The detective sat back in his chair, defeated by Orpheus’s cool and collected glare, only implying that there would be no victory in arguing with him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Applejack sat strangely on her metal seat, looking to the detective across from her, a sinewy man with a bald spot on the top of his head.

“Tell me,” he said, “since living in the Fabers’ home, has Walt’s other family members caught on to your presence?”

“Oh, yeah,” Applejack forebodingly said, “and was the Mrs. not happy about it…”
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Practically throwing the phone back on the base, she ran upstairs and into the hallway, seeing Evey standing there obediently.

“Oh, thank God,” she moaned, sliding on the floor and hugging her tight. “Where are Walt and Yurik?”

“Upstairs with the ponies,” she said.

Looking up at the attack door, Bette hopped up and grabbed the string, only for the door to stay shut when she yanked it.

“Give me my children back, you monsters!” she cried.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The ponies in the attic winced with every yank that she gave at the attic door, only for it to still not budge. Applejack looked to the door, only for the bottom end of the top half of the steps on the door to be roped to the support beams, keeping it steady.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“You’re still with them,” the detective said, “so how did you manage to convince her?”

“We had a little help…” Applejack answered.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark stepped down the attic steps, but not before giving a nod to Bette and the ponies up in the attic.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“…from a friend,” Applejack felt comfortable saying.

“And who was this friend,” the detective followed up, “if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Just an officer who could talk some sense into her.”

The detective let out a huff and a grin as he documented Applejack’s statement to his sketchpad.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Have you ever associated yourself with the Guardiaboliques anytime after May 16th and before today?” asked a narrow-faced detective with short curly hair sitting across a metal table from a relaxed Mary.

“Yes,” she confidently answered. “In fact, it was my involvement with them that allowed them to rescue Fluttershy.”

“And you’re proud admitting this?”

“My parents are actually ardent supporters of the Guardiaboliques. They’re the kind of people that if you told them what I had done, they would probably congratulate me and take me out for ice cream.”

“And what about your friends? Other than Yurik, Walt, and Alice, that is.”

Mary began to frown nervously at this, making the detective purse his lips with condemnation. It wasn’t long before Mary’s relaxed smile returned in realization.

“If my friends really give that much of a rat’s ass,” Mary said, “then they really don’t sound like friends, don’t they?”

The detective suddenly grimaced, his edge on her lost.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy pressed herself as far back in her seat as she could, frightened by the expectant stares the young, female detective had on her as well as the guards behind her.

“You don’t need to be afraid,” the woman said. “Just tell me what happened, and I promise it will be over soon.”

Fluttershy leaned forwards in her chair and hid half of her head under the table, revealing only her eyes to the woman.

“The boy I had been staying with made me rescue animals and keep them in an abandoned barn,” Fluttershy spoke.

“Please, Fluttershy, just focus on the Guardiaboliques for me.”

“They rescued me!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Finish this, Feral King Liger!” commanded Mary. “Slash of Pride!”

Feral Liger lunged up at the serpent’s body at the temple’s front, it’s paw raised up high as it slashed down on both visible parts of its body, leaving large gashes on them that began to glow brightly. With gusto, the liger ran back as the serpent began to explode from the cuts in its body out like a massive fuse.

Thiago turned around to watch as his creature burst all about, blowing large pieces of the pyramid away with it. The explosions reached both heads, and as they glowed brightly, the two heads roared before they both exploded with a much stronger force, completely obliterating the temple. Thiago was blown onto his back by the force as he screamed out in anguish.

Thiago’s Life Points: 3000 -> 0

Mary wins.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“As much as I wanted to help him, I didn’t want to keep them in a cage like he wanted, and I couldn’t stand smelling like I did for all that time.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy let out two choked sobs as she threw her arms open for her oncoming friend. Twilight spread her wings as she gripped Fluttershy tight around her torso, flying up in the air and twirling her around.

“Twilight!” wept Fluttershy, tears pouring down her face. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

Walt and Rainbow Dash soon entered the barn, the latter seeing Twilight and Fluttershy in their embrace.

“Fluttershy!” she shouted joyously.

Rocketing up to them, Rainbow Dash wrapped her arms around both of them, Fluttershy crying happily.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Not only that, but they brought me back to my friends!”

Fluttershy, consumed by the pressure, put her face onto the tabletop and wept loudly. The detective drew a sigh of defeat.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Now,” Gerraci asked Yurik, “where does that dragon we apprehended come in?”

“Coincidentally enough,” he responded, “right now.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Throwing his arms and out to the side, Keifer let out a roar as the glowing increased, covering his whole body in red. Yurik, Walt, Rarity, and Twilight shivered in fright as the human form of Keifer molded as if it were made from a thick liquid.

A long, thick tail with spines slithered out from Keifer’s lower back. His face grew out into a draconic snout with long horns extending from the back and top of his head. The five fingers and toes of his hands and feet merged into a beastly four and three, respectively.

His feet stretched horrifically back while the ends of his fingers and toes grew large claws with meticulously sharp points. Two wing shaped lights then flung out from his back, the heat and brightness forcing Yurik, Walt, and Rarity to shield their eyes with their arms, Twilight with her wing. Keifer’s eyes shot open, revealing to large reptilian blue irises.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“We don’t know very much about him even now,” Yurik said. “All I can tell you is that he serves a so called ‘master’ from Equestria who wants the ponies for their own desires, and that he’s doing this so he can be reunited with his brother, who was taken from him before he hatched.”

“What did he do to you?” asked Gerraci.

“We were in Vienna to take Rarity and Spike, the last of the ponies to be stranded on Earth. Before we could, Keifer managed to take Rarity himself and restrain Twilight and Rainbow Dash in the process. We dueled with their fates on the line…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Now, appear!” cried Keifer. “Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”

The dragon leapt from its pendulum zone and landed beside the dragon in the center monster zone, all three of them now staring at one of Yurik’s monsters each.

Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon,” Keifer continued, “attack Twilight Alicorn! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

Yurik stared blankly at his soon to be destroyed monster as it turned back to look at him with a touch of sadness and disappointment. The center dragon hurled its fire breath at Twilight Alicorn and blasted it away. Yurik, too weak and demoralized to scream, felt his body blasted backwards towards his shocked and terrified friends.

Yurik’s Life Points: 500 -> 0

Keifer wins.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I was out before I even hit the ground,” Yurik said, “or so Walt told me. Regardless, I couldn’t do anything as he took them away. I never felt so impotent in my life…”

Gerraci noticed as Yurik’s hands squeezed tight, clearly troubled by the experience.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Spike sat on a higher chair to the top of the metal table where an older woman in a calming, red suit jacket sat across from him.

“So,” she said in the most pleasing voice she could muster, “after that pony was taken, what happened then? How did come to return to Chicago with the Guardiaboliques?”

“Well,” Spike muttered, “I didn’t want to go at first. I thought they were working with Keifer at first. When Walt came back to get me, my guardian dueled to protect me.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I activate the continuous spell card Corpsair Ghost Ship – Wightah!” Tessa declared.

Slamming the card into her zone, a card appeared face-up on the field showing a black full-rigged ship made of rotted wood and bones. The ground began to rumble as the ship on the art rose up from the ground, facing the side walls. Timothy, Kate, and Edmund smiled up at the ship while Spike beamed at its macabre majesty. Walt, however, looked frightened and in awe as it finally stopped, its size just barely able to fit inside the atrium.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“However,” Spike said, “Walt beat her after she made a misplay, and he was able to convince us that he was working to protect my friends afterwards.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Here I am!” the pink mare shouted, popping from underneath the desk on Yurik’s iPad D screen. “Hi, Walt! How’s your trip going? Did you find Rarity and Spike yet?”

Spike instantly felt a longing warmth rising in his chest upon hearing the mare’s voice and seeing her face.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“What was it like in Keifer’s captivity?” a detective in his mid-thirties asked Rarity. “Did he ever hurt you?”

“Well, no,” Rarity admitted, feeling nonplussed and uncomfortable with the guards around him. “However, it was surreal, and very unsettling. Our prison was just a void of black that it seemed only he had control over. We had stayed there until he returned to Earth with us to take the rest.”

“And that’s when we get to today?”

“That’s correct.”

“And what happened there?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Kieran had contacted me to see what I could do about stopping Kieran so that Yurik and the others wouldn’t have to,” Orpheus said to the despondent detective across from him. I tried…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon,” demanded Keifer, “attack Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”

With a great inhale, Magmal Dragon threw its head forward and blasted at Eurydice, who only shut her eyes and let her tears flow before the force of the fire and ash vaporized her. The blast thrust into Orpheus, throwing him back even further than before, crying out as his body flipped about like an unstoppable ragdoll. The ponies watched with wet eyes as he landed hard on the ground and tumbled into the gate, where his body limply crumpled to his stomach.

Orpheus’s Life Points: 900 -> 0

Keifer wins.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I then called the police for backup just in case Yurik and the others somehow all lost to Keifer and had all the ponies and Spike with him,” explained Orpheus.

“So you turned Keifer and his organization in,” the detective remarked with a sneer, “and yet you’re completely sympathetic to him and his cause.”

“Kieran and I are old friends, sir. We’ve come to understand each other far longer and much more than you’d like to think you do. He did what he believed is necessary to save these ponies’ lives. He may very well be imprisoned, but he does care for the well-being of others far more than himself.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Donald, Marcus, and Kieran all took their turn with Keifer before he got to me,” Yurik said to Gerraci. “Among me and my friends present, I decided to go up. I didn’t want any more of my friends getting hurt for me.”

“So you resolved to fight him again?” asked Gerraci. “How did that go.”

“…Almost as disastrously as before…” Yurik admitted.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Now go, Grand Magmal Dragon! Molten Massacre of Annihilation!”

The dragon’s blast tore through the two alicorns, bursting them into bright shards as Yurik was struck by the blast himself. Yurik screamed at the top of his lungs as fire and rock pelted his skin, lifting him off his feet. As Yurik flew back, he collided with the invisible wall of the back of the dueling room, the attack pressing him into it as the holographic imagery began to crackle and rupture with the force of the blast.

Yurik’s Life Points: 1150 -> 25

The blast continued to crush Yurik as its force refused to let up. Yurik tried to scream, but his lungs were out of air, and the heat of the fire was such that Yurik couldn’t bear to breath, reducing his cries of agony to desperate gurgles.

Finally, the beam of fire faded away, allowing Yurik to limply slide down the invisible wall and to his feet. His legs were of no use to him, and they buckled under the weight of his body making his body fall forwards and to the side. Twilight and her friends in the bubble shuddered with terror as Yurik crumpled down to his back, his eyes open, but certainly unconscious.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Then how did you manage to prevail?” Gerraci followed up.

“To be perfectly honest, sir,” Yurik said with a chuckle and shrug, “I’m not even sure myself.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I activate the spell card Elements of Harmony!” Yurik declared.

Throwing the card in his duel disk, the card appeared to Keifer on Yurik’s field, making him tremble with worry.

“This card negates the effects of all face-up cards the opponent controls,” Yurik stated. “Then, I can target one monster my opponent controls and reduce its ATK to 0 until the end phase!” 

Seven, brighter beams shot out from his and the ponies’ Elements and swirled around in the air before shooting down at Grand Magmal Dragon as a solid rainbow. The beam washed over the massive dragon, making it roar loudly as the rest of its strength was removed from its body.

ATK: 4500 -> 0

“Now, Twilight – Allicorn Empress of Courage, attack Obsidian-Eyes Grand Magmal Dragon! Brave Burst Magic!”

Alicorn Empress flew high above the field, its horn glowing bright with a green and magenta mixture. Then with a whip forward of its head, it launched a harsh, wide beam of magenta magic with green spiraling around.

The blast pierced through Grand Magmal Dragon’s chest as its entire body began to explode from the center up and from the center down. Keifer stared incredulously as the explosions moved down closer to him. With a final explosion at the dragon’s waist, Keifer was washed in a burst of fire and rock that hurled him off his feet, screaming at the intense power as it continued sending him soaring.

Keifer’s Life Points: 2750 -> 0

Yurik wins.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“The Elements of Harmony?” asked Twilight’s detective.

“That’s right,” Twilight answered. “They are a seven, originally six-piece magical artifact that can only be wielded by those who the Element chooses as its bearer. Each of the Elements represent a facet of friendship that each of my friends, including myself possess. Applejack represents the Element of Honesty, Fluttershy: Kindness, Pinkie Pie: Laughter, Rarity: Generosity, Rainbow Dash: Loyalty, and until this morning, Yurik Clayer… Courage.”

“You sound unsure about the last one.”

“Like I said, this new Element is completely new, and I don’t know where it comes from, but when Yurik summoned his new monster after becoming the bearer of the seventh Element, the name had the word ‘courage’ in its title. There was really no other way to explain. Yurik Clayer is the seventh Element of Harmony.”

“And how do you think a human from a completely different world could have became that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, ma’am.”

The detective let out an exasperated sigh as she wrote down this new fact into her sketchbook.

“Also, the woman said, “you said that it was an odd story, but thinking about it scares you even more. What do you mean by that?”

“That creature that masqueraded as Princess Celestia back there,” Twilight explained, “her name is Queen Chrysalis. She is a changeling, a creature who can change her appearance to whichever pony she chooses. She had tried to take Equestria over by turning into my brother’s fiancé and drained him of his energy so the capital would be left defenseless. However, my brother and his real fiancé managed to expel her and her army from Canterlot. I hadn’t seen her since then until today.”

“And why does this scare you?”

“Because I have a really bad feeling that she’s working for the same creature that Keifer is working for.”

“Hmm?”

“I believe she captured the real Princess Celestia, and possibly Princess Luna as well; she’s co-ruler of Equestria, by the way. Anyways, she then tried to kidnap us for some reason while posing as her, but was thwarted when Equus appeared and that same energy sent us to Earth. She then makes it so the people of Earth can find us for her while Keifer looks for him on his own. Whoever would get us all first, Chrysalis, Keifer, and whoever they’re working for would win.”

“I see. That’s quite the plot there, Twilight.”

“I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me. I don’t know what kind of evils your kind deals with on Earth, but do not take Chrysalis lightly, especially if she managed to capture Celestia and Luna. Whatever she and her leader are planning up there, now that the Elements have been reawakened, they will stop at nothing to ensure we are out of their way. And they won’t just stop there. If they manage to take over Equestria, or even all of Equus, they’ll come after Earth yet, and I don’t think that you humans can stop them alone.”

The detective stayed silent, unnerved by the sheer gravity in Twilight’s tone.

“Please,” begged Twilight, “let us all go, even Kieran and the rest of the Guardiaboliques. We’ll need everyone that we can to defeat them. The fates of our world and your world depend on us.”

The detective cupped her hands over her mouth as she ran them across her face and hair, clearly stressed by Twilight’s words. With nothing else to say or do, she stood up from her chair and opened the door beside her.

“Thank you, Ms. Sparkle,” she grimly said. “I will do whatever I can to see to your request.”

“That’s all I ask,” Twilight cooed, walking to the door. “Please let the other authorities know the direness of the situation too.”

“Of course.”

With a gracious nod, Twilight stepped outside the room, being escorted by two officers outside the room down the hall. With the alicorn gone, the detective took another sigh of fear and uncertainty.

“You don’t really believe her, do you?” asked a guard in the corner of the room.

“Is there really a choice?” she asked back.

The woman stormed out of the room in a fluster in the opposite direction as Twilight and the officers before the guards could reply.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight walked up to the end of the hallway to a large room with glass windows on the front and both sides of it, a white wall in the back. Through the windows, Twilight could see all of her human, pony, and dragon friends inside of it, waiting impatiently for their fates.

The door to the room opened for Twilight and she was led inside, only for the doors to close behind her. Everyone turned to face her, but it was Yurik’s face that she chose to look at.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Elements of Harmony,” Yurik breathed, “taking in the tale Twilight had told him. “And now I’m one of them.”

“I told the detective talking to me to allow us to go free to combat Chrysalis and whoever she’s working for,” Twilight said. “But as long as we’re here, and our Elements are confiscated, Chrysalis continues to win. Equestria is probably being taken over by her because we’re not there to help.”

“Twilight,” Yurik said, “we’ll get our Elements back and save your world– no, both our worlds. Even if we need to break out of this prison to do so. After all,” he said to Twilight with a slight smirk, “we’re Guardiaboliques. We’ll work outside the law if we have to, but we’ll get it done, with or without their help.”

“Yurik…”

Twilight… Yurik thought, looking up at the ceiling, my debts to you have yet to be paid. I refuse to stop fighting until you, your friends, your family, and your home are all safe and sound. This I promise on my life.
> Episode 26: Fight for Freedom, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A quick and furious knocking was heard on the Fabers’ front door, and the sound alerted Bette in the kitchen as she poured a bowl of cereal for Evey, who was still dressed in her pajamas. Bette rushed to the door and opened it, both relieved and still frightened to see Clark standing there, his patrol car parked on the side of the street.

“Clark,” gasped Bette. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s about your son and his friends,” he said. “They’ve been apprehended by the police at the Guardiaboliques hideout and taken to the Cook County Jail for questioning?”

“Oh my god! They’re not in trouble, are you?”

“I don’t know, but my chief called me in to go. Apparently, the ponies are there too, and they’ve been calling officers from all over the Chicagoland area to get some information from them. I’m coming by to pick you up so you can see them.”

“Yes, of course!”

Bette ran to the kitchen snatching the bowl of cereal from the table just as Evey was taking a bite.

“Mommy,” whined Evey, watching as her mom dumped the contents of the bowl into the sink, “what the heck!?”

“Evey put your shoes on,” she instructed, rushing to the stairs. “We’re going to see Walt and Yurik!”

“Walt and Yury!? Where are they?”

“Just follow me,” Clark said, wary of revealing their location to the girl. “They’re guaranteed to have some form of breakfast there.”

“Who needs breakfast when Walt and Yury are in trouble?” she said, slipping on her shoes. “Mom! Hurry up!”

“My apologies!” she shouted, running down the stairs with a pair of shoes on her feet and her keys in her hand.

“Come on!” Clark beckoned, holding to door open for Bette and Evey as they ran outside together. “Let’s get going!”

Clark reached around the door and turned the lock, shutting the door behind him as he left.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside of a crowded McDonald’s, a male police officer in his early 30’s with short red hair and a short beard took his final bite of a steak, egg, and cheese bagel, balling his wrapper into a ball as he chewed. Standing from his seat, he grabbed his wrapper and tray, putting the latter on top of the garbage where he tossed the former. With a wipe of his mouth with the side of his fist, he exited the restaurant, walking towards his parked squad car.

Standing there, leaning on the hood, was a person concealed completely in a black hooded sweatshirt, black leather gloves, black jeans, and black shoes. The hood of their sweatshirt cast a shadow over the person’s face, concealing it completely. The officer, annoyed with the person’s appearance, quickened his pace to the person with a scowl.

“You!” he called out. “Step away from my car!”

“My apologies,” the person said in a young, female voice. “I’m just waiting for my father to come out.

“Why on Earth are you wearing a sweatshirt and pants at this time of year? Do you want a heat stroke?”

“Sorry again, but the sun doesn’t agree with me. Besides, there’s a cool breeze this morning.”

“Ma’am, I need to get to my car! I’m very busy and I need to leave.”

The officer walked to his driver’s seat, but the woman stayed put.

“It’s about what’s happening in Cook County, isn’t it?” she asked.

The officer stopped, stunned by her correct assumption.

“How did you–” he tried to say.

“My mother works for the police, and she was called away as well. She was supposed to send me to the train station, but my father had to be the one. He missed breakfast, but I just can’t stand fast food, so I’m waiting here for him.”

“Very well, ma’am, but I need to go.”

The man opened his car door and began to step inside, only for the woman to spin around and walk to the door, propping it open with her hand before he could close it.

The officer grumbled, “What are you–”

His words were silenced by the woman as she reached towards the doorway, a card pinched in between her middle and index fingers.

“Take this,” she said, “as a token of understanding.”

“Un…” he tried to speak as he took the card, “Understanding?”

The officer took a glance at the card, revealing a white card of a purple-and-orange, serpentine, twin-headed dragon with two tails. Its body appeared as a giant “X” with a 4-way gold-and-jade brace at where they conjoined with a wall of fire behind the creature in the background.

“What is this?” he wondered aloud.

Suddenly, his heart boomed in his chest, instantly drawing all breath from his lungs. As he breathed in, a warm, soothing feeling crept through his veins and into his head, filling him with new thoughts that made him smile with an evil conviction.

“Now,” she said, her eyes staring at him through the shadows of her hood, “Yurik and his friends have been taken by the police, and I want you make sure they stay in that prison, got it?”

“Yes…” he breathed calmly, “master.”

“Good…”

She let her hand off the officer’s door, allowing him to close it. Stepping aside, the woman looked as the squad car pulled out of the spot and down the parking lot to the street. With a smirk, she walked from the lot and towards a wide alleyway between two buildings. Once she was out of the public’s sight, she glowed brightly for a split second before she vanished into thin air.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside Celestia’s throne chamber, the woman appeared at the front end of the room, walking casually up towards the throne. Chrysalis stood beside the ramp to the golden chair, looking dejected and ashamed. The woman began to take her gloves off, revealing a pair of unnaturally yellow hands underneath them.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Chrysalis shouted, “please forgive me for my failure!”

“Done,” the woman responded as her sweatshirt grew out to form a thick, hooded cloak. “There was no way to know that the Elements of Harmony would return, yet alone add a seventh among them.”

Chrysalis gasped with relief, but refused to smile.

“Yes,” Sunset said walking up to the throne, “a wrench has been thrown in our plan, but for that matter, a wrench has been thrown in theirs as well.”

“What do you mean?” Chrysalis asked.

“It seems that Twilight Sparkle and her friends, pony and human alike, have been arrested for vigilantism,” she replied, stopping at her throne. “Regardless, after the stunt you pulled down there, those humans are going to be a lot more wary of those ponies and probably suspect the worst about them.”

“Incredible! Now we’re free to rule Equestria without fear of reprimand!”

“Not quite. We’re going to need to make sure that whatever situation those humans and ponies are in stays that way.”

“And how are we going to do that?”

“It’s quite alright,” Sunset said as she sat down on the throne and reached inside her cloak from the top, pulling out an ornate, golden bell, “I have someone to help us.”

Sunset Shimmer then pulled down her cloak, revealing a yellow head with long, red-and-golden hair along with a pair of piercing blue eyes.

“He’s supposedly quite notorious around the streets of this metropolis where Twilight and her friends are now,” she went on. “I think he’ll do us just fine for now…”

Sunset’s eyes began to shine brightly, elements of brown mixing with the natural color of her irises.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The red-haired officer pulled into the parking lot of the Cook County Jail, keeping his brown eyes fixated on the prison’s entrance. Pulling up to a vacant spot along the curb between a line of other squad cars, he parked and stepped out. Behind him, Clark’s squad car pulled up to the back of the line, allowing him, Bette, and Evey to scurry out of it.

As the three of them ran past the red-haired officer, he looked at them with mild intrigue, but it quickly subsided as he closed his door and walked to the entrance to the prison.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark led Bette and Evey to the service desk, where the woman at the counter, a large African-American woman, looked at the two women behind the officer with great suspicion.

“Where are they holding the ponies?” Clark asked.

“Um,” the receptionist loudly inquired, “who are you?”

“My name is Bette Faber,” she defended, “and this is my daughter, Evey. My son, Walt, and my adoptive son, Yurik Clayer, are in there! I demand to see them!”

“Don’t worry, Ms.,” Clark assured the black woman, “they’re with me, and they just want to see their family.”

“Fine,” the woman responded. “Just follow the hallway of guards along the walls, they’ll help you.”

“Thank you!”

Clark, Bette, and Evey briskly increased their pace as they went down the hallway to where the black woman had instructed. The red haired man stood in the doorway, an odd feeling of realization having hit him.

“Can I help you?” the receptionist asked.

Broken out of his trance, the officer walked to the same doorway, keeping his eyes on her.

“I think I’ll just follow them,” he said, disappearing from her sight past the entryway.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The doors to the room containing the cell holding Yurik, Twilight, and their friends came open, the loud noise jerking everyone’s heads and eyes in its direction. Clark, Bette, and Evey came into the room and to Yurik, Walt, and the ponies minus Rarity, they all shuddered a breath with moistening eyes.

“Mom,” muttered Walt.

“Walt!” cried Evey as she and Bette ran to the cell. “Yury!”

As Evey put her hands on the glass, the ponies, Yurik and Walt all clung to the spot like a magnet.

“Evey,” sighed Applejack in relief, putting her hooves on the opposite side of the glass where Evey’s hands were.

“Thank goodness you’re alright,” Bette panted. “Why are you in this cell?”

“I must apologize, ma’am,” Orpheus said, stepping up behind the group. “I had to call the authorities when something tried to break into the Guardiaboliques’ hideout and threatened to harm your children.”

“But my children did nothing wrong!” she shouted, looking back to the officers present. “They shouldn’t be in here!”

“That’s not true, ma’am,” said the grey-haired detective replied, stepping from off the wall towards her.

“What?”

“That’s impossible!” shouted Evey. “My brothers aren’t criminals!”

“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart,” he said. “Based on their individual testimonies, each of them, ponies included, are undeniably guilty of the following crimes: international travel without a passport, destruction of property, resisting arrest, and of course, vigilantism.”

Orpheus scowled as the man smugly rattled the charges.

“These charges can see each them as much as five years in prison and tens of thousands in bond between the lot of them,” he continued.

“The ponies too?” said Clark. “We’re supposed to be helping them, not imprisoning them!”

“I’m not sure how far you’re up to speed, officer,” the detective said, “but it turns out that this Princess Celestia of theirs was a monster, and the whereabouts of the real princess is unknown. This puts the loyalty of the ponies in question. Are they really peaceful, or alien spies trying to gain intel for an elaborate hostile takeover?”

“That’s preposterous!” Clark said. “These ponies would never do such a thing!”

“And how would you know this, officer? Have you met them in person?”

“Yes, I have. Ms. Faber here had called me in on the 28th of May after she and her daughter discovered the ponies being harbored by Yurik and Walt in her home.”

“Ah, so you’re the officer Applejack referred to in her report.”

“Yeah, I must be. And how are you so sure that these ponies are hostile. Did you even interrogate any of them?”

“That’s none of your concern, officer.”

“Are you sure? Here you are questioning my knowledge of these ponies when you probably don’t know jack about them!”

“Truth is,” the detective spat back, “there’s a lot more ‘jack’ that we don’t know about them, and until we can determine that they aren’t here to hurt us, we must keep them detained.”

“And what if these ponies are telling the truth?” the woman detective who had talked to Twilight spoke up. “If what Twilight said about Chrysalis is true, then we could be in serious danger, and keeping them in here and treating them like prisoners is not going to win them over!”

“And trust me,” Twilight said, charging her horn, “if we wanted to hurt any of you…”

Twilight then walked towards the wall, stunning everyone inside the room and the cell as she walked through it like it was nothing.

“…we would have been more than capable of doing so by now.”

With her horn still charged up, she vanished from the room and reappeared inside the cell. While mostly everyone remained shocked and nonplussed, the grey-haired detective shook himself out.

“That could very well be a ploy to assert your innocence,” he reasoned. “With such powers, you should have all escaped by now.”

“And just be branded as escapees by you?” Walt shouted. “Are you that stupid?”

The detective hissed and grimaced in response.

“We’ve done our best to play by your rules,” Twilight defended, “but my friends would have never been reunited if it hadn’t been for us bending those rules to ensure our safety.”

Orpheus grinned at the statement.

“The law could have helped you all the same!” the detective shouted.

“False,” Kieran said. “The only thing that would have occurred was a mad, twisted game of Monopoly with the ponies as the properties.”

“You stay out of this, vigilante scum!”

“Scum that apparently knows the world better than the screaming manchild passing himself off as an upstanding man of the law,” grumbled Walt.

Bette gasped as she turned to Walt, but he didn’t see

“What did you say to me, punk?” huffed the detective, putting his face close to the glass.

“You heard him,” Rainbow Dash spoke, putting her face into the glass.

“He’s a big boy, he can clearly speak for himself!”

As the arguments between the grey-haired detective and the humans and ponies in the cell went on, from a crack in the doors to the room, the red-haired officer smiled as he watched the chaos unfold inside.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside Celestia’s throne room, Sunset Shimmer smiled and laughed as the events played out in a flat, magical screen floating above the floor. Chrysalis grinned too, seeing the plan go so well.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy cowered her head down and wept as the shouting and screaming only got louder. Seeing the yellow pegasus cry, Evey too began to sob in fright. Kieran, seeing this, closed his eyes with his lips beginning to purse.

“STOP!” he bellowed, silencing the room as everyone in the room looked, the noise completely ceasing and the crying to end.

The detective stepped back from the glass cell, as did Rainbow Dash and Walt, looking at Kieran and waiting for him to speak for himself.

“Yes, it is true that we are guilty of these crimes,” Kieran said, “and we would all deserve punishment. However, there is still an option we can choose to take:… trial by dueling!”

The officers began to murmur to each other over Kieran’s suggestion. The grey-haired detective scowled as the Kieran stared him in the eyes.

“Trial by Dueling?” asked Twilight. “Is that even a thing?”

“Yes,” Alice responded. “In place of posting bail, a person can defend an accused person or group through a trial by dueling and get a waiver instead.”

“So we’re still getting nailed?” asked Applejack.

“Not quite, Applejack. I can’t say the same for Kieran, Marcus, Donald, or I, but I hope that the subsequent trial for us will see Yurik, Walt, Mary, Orpheus, and the rest of you off safely so you can live out your lives. Regardless, if whoever deciding to defend us wins, we don’t need to stay in jail while we try and figure this mess out.”

“And what happens if we lose?” asked Spike.

“Let’s not think about that right now, alright?”

The others in the cell looked on inside the room, watching the terms get set.

“You request a trial by dueling?” the grey-haired man said.

“Yes,” Kieran affirmed. “If our defender wins, his victory will be the posting of all our bail. All of us.”

“Sounds like a very hefty price there. How are we supposed to match that?”

“If our defender loses, then our bail will be tripled. Unless someone can pay such a price, we’ll be stuck here for you and the men at Cook County to do as they please.”

Bette’s eyes widened with fright, while the detective’s eyes glittered at the suggestion, and with a smile, he walked up to the glass.

“If there wasn’t a glass wall separating us,” he said, “this would be where I’d shake your hand. Now, who will your defender be?”

When the humans in the cage refused to answer, Twilight stepped forwards and stood proudly.

“I will be our defender!” she declared.

“Ha!” the detective shouted. “Each of your decks and so-called Elements of Harmony have been confiscated. They are of no use to you now!”

“But…” she whimpered, “can’t you just–”

“It’s pointless,” Donald said. “A prisoner can’t be a defender of their own crime.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because any delinquent with decent dueling skills could just buy their way out of prison that way,” Marcus explained. “Unless someone steps up, we’re stuck here.”

The red-haired officer could hardly stifle chuckles as the hope of those inside the glass cell began to drain away. Clark glanced to the cell, feeling the nagging urge to help them, but was interrupted as Kieran looked into his eyes, paralyzing him with shock. However, it was just the push Clark seemed to need as he stepped forwards.

“I’ll be their defender,” he declared.

The officers and detectives turned to Clark with surprised exclamations. The grey-haired detective glared at him as he looked at the numerous other eyes looking at him, unaware of the red-haired officer looking at him through the crack in between the doors.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

While Chrysalis looked indignant, Sunset Shimmer leaned back in Celestia’s throne, smirking.

“This ought to be interesting,” she said to herself.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Very well,” the grey-haired detective said. “And who will be the prosecutor?”

“I will!” the red-haired officer’s proclaimed as he finally stepped through the doors.

Upon revealing himself, the murmurs of everyone in the room got louder, and Clark suddenly looked slightly mortified.

“It’s him!” one officer whispered into the ear of the other. “The Deputy of Darkness!”

“When did he show up?” wondered another.

“Who is that?” wondered Fluttershy.

“Lee Jameson,” Kieran said forebodingly. “He’s a feared duelist among the criminal underworld for his ruthless dueling style and tricky strategies.”

“Have you dueled him before?” asked Applejack.

“He hasn’t,” Alice said, “but I have...”

“And what happened?”

“Only thanks to Kieran, I barely made it out…”

“He’s powerful then,” Spike sighed nervously.

“Very.”

Lee walked up to the cage, smiling as he saw Alice standing there.

“Well, well well,” Lee taunted, “it looks like someone finally trapped the black widow.”

Alice sealed her lips and refused to utter as little as a huff in his direction.

“And now that she’s locked up,” he continued, “she has nothing left to say to me. Even after all those insults she threw my way, now she remains tight-lipped.

“Lee,” Clark spoke, “she isn’t yours yet. You still need to challenge me.”

Lee giggled and turned to Clark, who remained steadfast in his position.

“Challenge or not,” he said, “the justice system is going to see her guilty for all the years of illegal activities she has been doing with Kieran and his band of vigilantes. She’s already mine.”

“That could very well be,” Clark said, “but right now, we have a common enemy that she and all her friends need to fight, and they certainly can’t do it locked in here.”

“I’ve been listening in on you guys. They say these ponies might just be our common enemy.”

“It’s hearsay fueled by paranoia and fear!”

“Clark,” Bette spoke up. “Enough talk. Just kick his butt and help bring my son home.”

Clark and Lee turned to Bette, surprised for her outburst.

“You heard the missus,” Lee said. “We should get this going.”

Clark frowned, more determined than ever to defeat him now.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside an empty indoor basketball court, Lee and Clark stood apart from one another, their duel disks on their left arms with their blade disks attached. Clark’s disks were a royal blue in color with the center of his blade disk colored grey. Lee’s duel disk was dark grey with a black center of his blade disk.

Behind Clark, a windowed room contained Yurik, Twilight, Kieran, Orpheus, and their friends as they watched on. To Clark’s left, Bette, Evey, and a collection of the detectives and officers lined a hallway were a window went down the length of the hall, allowing them to observe the oncoming fight.

“So tell me,” Lee said to Clark, “which city are you stationed in?”

“Naperville?”

“Naperville. A suburban officer. This will be easy…”

“You’d like to think so, but I just came into possession of a card that might really offer you a nice challenge.”

“Good. I’d hate to shut you out. Where’s the fun in that, huh?”

“Trust me, the fun will be all mine!”

Both officers detached their blade disks from their duel disks and tossed them out at each other. The disks spun rapidly as they arced over and around the duelists and back towards their owners. Upon stopping at the sides of their devices, both of their disks shot out two blades of light that took solid forms with seven zones in total. Clark’s blade appeared to have a white edge while Lee’s sported a dark red light fixture. Both duelists’ decks shuffled inside their decks and then finally stopped.

“Connection complete,” the female voice on the duel disks announced. “Deputy of Darkness vs. Clark Gordon.”

“You programmed your real name into your duel disk?” Lee admonished. “You’re either incredibly ballsy or extremely stupid, you know that?”

“I’m certainly not the latter,” Clark said. “I know exactly what I’m getting into with this duel, and I’m sure as hell not going to disappoint those children and ponies behind me.”

“Go Clark!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “We know you can do it!”

Clark smiled as the rest of them behind him joined the pegasus in cheers. From the hallway, the grey-haired detective approached Bette.

“Do you think that man stands a chance against the Deputy of Darkness?” he asked.

“I do,” she responded. “At least he doesn’t need a flashy title to have people take him seriously.”

The detective made a small hiss before turning his attention back to the gym.

“I’m tired of waiting!” shouted Lee. “Let’s get some!”

“Here I come!” cried Clark.

“DUEL!” they both shouted.

================
Clark:
LP: 4000

Lee:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll take the first turn!” Clark declared, reaching for a card in his hand and revealing it, showing art of a blue, alien city in the daytime. “I activate the field spell 1X-ity!” he cried out.

Throwing his card into his duel disk, the card appeared on the field before the surroundings of the gymnasium began to change. A line of light scanned over the room, and the walls, floor, and ceiling the light went over disappeared to reveal a brightly-colored metropolis of strangely shaped buildings. Around Clark and Lee, they found themselves standing in the middle of a street between a long set of skyscrapers and other structures.

“Once per turn,” Clark said, reaching for his hand yet again, “I can special summon any number of 1X monsters from my hand at the cost of my normal summon or set. Appear!”

Grabbing three of his cards, he threw all of them into his center zones with the tops facing the left. At once, three blue portals appeared, allowing three individual monsters to slide out of them and before Clark on his field.

The first of which was a small velociraptor with long, sharp blades for claws. The second was a golden snake whose body appeared to be made out of coins. The last of these was a humanoid robot with a massively oversized head dressed as a chef, complete with a toque and equipped with a chef knife and carving fork.

“1X Rip Raptor! 1X Anacoinda! 1X Cyber Chef!”

The monsters stood proudly and still, ready to serve their master in whichever way they could.

1X Rip Raptor
DEF: 200
Lvl.: 1

1X Anacoinda
DEF: 500
Lvl.: 1

1X Cyber Chef
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 1

“Unbelievable!” gasped Yurik. “He just summoned a bunch of monsters to his field in one fell swoop.”

“And they’re all level 1,” Walt thought aloud. “Clark,” he suddenly chuckled, “you crafty devil…”

Lee began to laugh incessantly at the adorably tough faces the monsters tried to sport in front of him.

“You want to face me to get those kids out of jail, and this is what you bring out?” he shouted. “You really must be extremely stupid!”

Despite Lee continuing to laugh, Clark smirked, unbeknownst to his opponent.

He really doesn’t know what’s coming, does he? he thought. Fine. It will make for a fine surprise.

Clark grabbed the final card in his hand and slipped it into his duel disk, the card’s backing appearing on the field behind his monsters.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” Clark concluded.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 4000    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Trap Cards: 2

Lee took a sigh and closed his eyes reflectively.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“That’s it,” whispered Sunset Shimmer as she looked at Lee’s hand through his eyes on the magical screen. “Give it to him hard.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“And I hoped he would give me a challenge,” he muttered. “My turn!” he suddenly shouted, reaching for his deck. “Draw!”

Looking at his card, he smiled as he kept his arm out, preparing to use it.

“I summon the tuner monster Bomber – K9!” he declared.

Throwing his card upon the zone, a blue portal opened up on the floor, and hopping out of it was a miniature, anthropomorphic German shepherd dog with a bomb strapped to its chest, the trigger in its left paw.

Bomber – K9
ATK: 1200
Lvl.: 3

“Huh?” Evey wondered. “I thought bombers were bad people…”

“I now activate the effect of Bomber – K9,” Lee shouted. “When this card is normal summoned while my opponent controls a monster, I can inflict 300 points of damage for every monster he controls!”

“What?” Walt gasped.

“You control three monsters, so that’s 900 damage coming your way!”

The dog reached to a harness around its waist and pulled three grenades from it, the pins hooked to it pulling out of them all. With a strong hurl, the dog lobbed the three bombs at Clark, where they exploded upon hitting the ground. Clark groaned loudly as the fire and debris from the blast struck him.

Clark’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3100

“Clark!” shouted Walt.

“Then,” Lee added as Clark tried fanning the smoke and dust away, “for every monster you control, I can special summon one Ticker Token to my side of the field. Thanks to your three monsters, I can summon three token monsters!”

The electronic sound of a portal opening sounded off just as the smoke from the grenades’ blasts began to settle. Now standing beside Lee’s monster were three spider-like robots with dynamite and wires attaching itself to the machinery.

Ticker Token
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 1

Ticker Token
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 1

Ticker Token
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 1

“It’s coming,” the grey-haired detective said. “In only one turn and it’s already coming.”

Bette groaned, also knowing what was coming.

“Now,” Lee proclaimed, “I tune my three level 1 Ticker Tokens with my level 3 Bomber – K9!”

The dog pressed the button on the trigger, exploding as three stars launched up from the cloud, breaking away into three rings that aligned over the three robots. They all jumped into the air, forming into orange outlines with a single star inside each of them.

“Sargent from oblivion,” chanted Lee, “bring justice to evil hearts and the wicked beings whose souls are tainted with vice!”

The outlines of the robots faded away, and the three leftover stars aligned in a straight line, just as a white beam of light pierced through them and spread out past the outer edge of the rings.

“Synchro summon!” he shouted.

From the beam, a muscular grey-and-red demon with a tattered leather jacket and a large, spiked club in its hand leapt out, signaling its appearance with a mighty roar.

“Appear!” he beckoned. “Deputy of Darkness – Samael!”

The monster’s clawed feet landed upon the ground, and with a guttural chortle, it looked down deviously at each of the cowering monsters on Clark’s field.

Deputy of Darkness – Samael
ATK: 2600
Lvl.: 6

Clark hissed as his monster was brought out so quickly.

“Next,” Lee said, “I activate the effect of my three Ticker Tokens!”

“What?” Rainbow Dash shouted. “There’s still more?”

“Much… When a Ticker Token removed from the field, it inflicts 600 points of damage to the opponent.”

“No way!” gasped Twilight. “That’s another 1800 of damage!”

The three dynamite-strapped robots reappeared around Clark, and he looked around him as each of their timers were already counting down from two seconds down. Once the timers hit 0, the three of them exploded, showering Clark with another forceful blast of fire, making him scream out.

Clark’s Life Points: 3100 -> 1300
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunset Shimmer kicked her feet against the throne as she laughed, massively entertained by Clark’s beatdown.

“Unbelievable!” she howled. “He hasn’t even declared an attack yet and he’s already brought down almost three quarters of his life points.”

“I wonder if he’s even trying,” Chrysalis wondered aloud.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark widened his stance and bowed his torso down, panting nervously.

“On second thought,” Lee taunted, “I have to thank you. Your strategy has only strengthened mine, and it might actually give me a first turn kill.”

“First turn kill?” Rarity asked.

“It’s when an duelist takes out the other player’s life points on their first turn.”

“But how can that be? All of Clark’s monsters are in defense position, so they should be safe.”

“No,” Walt solemnly disagreed. “Just watch.”

The ponies all looked on frightfully at the duel that seemed close to coming to its end.

“Battle!” shouted Lee. “Deputy of Darkness, attack 1X Rip Raptor! Cannibal Club!”

The demon lunged at the tiny dinosaur, and its eyes widened with mortality.

“Just to remind you,” Lee shouted, “that when Deputy of Darkness attacks a defense position monster, I can target all defense position monsters you control and destroy them at the beginning of the Damage Step, and then you take 500 points of damage for each monster destroyed by its effect!”

Clark bared his teeth, seeming to know this full well.

“500 points of damage for each monster?” Mary asked. “That’s 1500! If this goes through, Clark’s done for!”

All three of Clark’s monsters opened their eyes and mouths wide in fear of the demonic creature coming towards them.

“Game over, Clark!” shouted Lee.

“Not yet!” Clark called back. “I activate my continuous trap, 1Xmergency!”

Clark’s card flipped up, revealing art of a bunch of small creatures of varying kinds running in terror and chaos while a silhouette of 1X Rip Raptor stood on a hill in the back with the sun shining behind it.

“When my opponent declares an attack while I control a 1X monster,” explained Clark, pinching the top card of his deck. “I can draw one card. If the card is a spell or a trap, I discard it. However…”

“You’re going to risk this entire duel on a single draw?” laughed Lee.

“Does it look like I have a choice?” he called back, throwing his arm out with his card in his grasp.

Looking at it, he was surprised to see it was a monster. He then revealed it to Lee, showing him another copy of 1X Anacoinda.

“The card I drew is 1X Anacoinda!” he exclaimed. “With 1Xmergency’s effect, I special summon it to my field!”

Clark threw his monster onto an open monster zone, and another snake made of gold coins appeared next to Rip Raptor, making the other three monsters feel far more relieved with its appearance.

1X Anacoinda
DEF: 500
Lvl.: 1

“So what?” yelled Lee. “That still won’t stop my monster’s–”

Deputy of Darkness, skidded to a halt right before Clark’s line of monsters, shocking everyone around except for Clark greatly

“Wait!” Lee shouted. “Why did my monster stop?!”

“When a monster is special summoned through the effect of 1Xmergency,” Clark said, “the battle phase is ended.”

Lee growled through his teeth, making Clark grin with pride. Lee’s monster hopped back to his field, taking its place back in the center zone.

“Stupid,” Lee huffed. “Luck alone won’t win you duels, especially against me.”

He then slipped two cards into his spell and trap zone, both of which appeared behind Deputy of Darkness face-down.

“I place two cards face down and end my turn,” Lee spoke.

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Trap Cards: 2

Clark stared out at Lee’s monster, nervously assessing his situation.

He’s certainly right about that, he thought. If I want to make this duel a fair fight, I need to draw another 1X monster right here and now.

He turned back, looking at the Yurik, Mary, and Alice as they leaned into the glass, the tension bringing them closer with every passing second.

Those kids depend on me now, he thought. Hell, the world could very well depend on me now.

He put his hand onto his deck, pinching it with determination.

“My turn!” he declared with a swing of his arm. “Draw!”

Looking to his hand, he saw that it was a monster, smiling comfortably with what was now to come.

“I summon 1X Pork Pine!” Clark declared, throwing the card onto his last available monster zone.

A blue portal opened up on the right of Clark’s field, and out from it hopped a peppy brown pig with long needles of a fir tree running down the length of its body.

1X Pork Pine
ATK: 400
Lvl.: 1

“Hmph,” Lee guffawed. “You now have five level one monsters on your field. Do you plan to do something with them soon, or did you do all this just to prove a point?”

“The only point I’m proving is this,” Clark replied with a goofy smile. “I now overlay my level 1 Pork Pine, Rip Raptor, Cyber Chef, and two Anacoindas!”

Pork Pine and Rip Raptor transformed into orange auras while the two Anacoindas became yellow ones. As the danced around, intertwining in a single spiral, Cyber Chef shot straight up as a red aura, creating a fiery display for Lee and the spectators to see.

“What is this?” Lee gasped, suddenly feeling threatened. “A xyz monster that requires five materials?”

“With these five monsters,” Clark declared as the auras escaped into a red, swirling portal before him, “I construct the overlay network. Xyz Summon!”

The portal turned white as five ebony shields with a white star on each of them began to rise out of the portal, forming a star shape. Lee instantly recognized the pattern and the swords, causing his mouth to shift slowly open.

“No…” he muttered. “It can’t be.”

“Strong and just!” chanted Clark. “Let those who possess such virtues shield the weak and give the strength to carry on!”

The five shielded glowed brightly, much to Yurik, Walt, and the ponies’ wonder. Light snaked out from the shields and manifested into the form a massive, strong knight with blue armor and a black robe, holding two large claymores in each hand.

“Arise!” called Clark. “Sir William – Sentry Sheriff!”

The light faded away, revealing the large warrior fully for everyone to see.

Sir William – Sentry Sheriff
DEF: 3000
Rnk.: 1

“No way!” gasped the grey-haired detective. “That’s Colin Faber’s card!”

“No,” Bette corrected. “It’s his now.”

“That card used to belong to Colin Faber!”

“And after his fall from grace, it became Walt’s, and then he decided to give it to the person who was kind enough to spare his friends from incarceration.”

The grey haired detective gurgled through grit teeth, seething at the turn the duel had taken.

“Insolent brat…” he hissed, unheard by anyone else around him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunset Shimmer and Chrysalis too looked stunned at Walt’s monster, looking that the five shields that represented its xyz materials.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Now there are the effects of my 1X monsters attached to Sentry Sheriff!” Clark exclaimed.

“What was that?” Lee spat.

“The true power of my 1X monsters comes when they are overlayed in an xyz summon or used as material for a synchro summon, and now each of them activates!”

Two of the shields glowed, revealing images of the two Anacoindas on their surfaces.

“First,” Clark said, “when 1X Anacoinda is used as material for the xyz summon of an xyz monster, my monster gains the effect of letting me draw one card. I used two Anacoindas, so I can draw two cards!”

Lee growled loudly as Clark took out the two top cards of his deck, adding them to his left hand.

“Next,” Clark said, Rip Raptor appearing on another shield, “there’s the effect of 1X Rip Raptor. When it’s used as material for the xyz summon of an xyz monster, my monster gains the effect of letting me inflict piercing damage when it attacks!”

The shield with Rip Raptor upon it began to glow brightly with red.

“Then,” Clark continued as Cyber Chef appeared on another shield of the warrior, “there’s the effect of 1X Cyber Chef, and when it’s used as material for the xyz summon of an xyz monster, my monster gains the effect of increasing my life points by 1000 when it’s xyz summoned!”

“1000 you say?” Lee gasped.

A plate containing a large turkey leg appeared in front of Clark, and grabbing it by the bone, he tore a piece out with his teeth, slurping the meat into his mouth and swallowing it after a couple of chews.

Clark’s Life Points: 1300 -> 2300

Clark dropped the leg, pointing his now free hand to his monster’s final shield: the top one.

“Finally,” Clark said, “there’s the effect of 1X Pork Pine! When it’s used as material for the xyz summon of an xyz monster, my monster gains the effect of increasing its DEF by 400 when it’s xyz summoned!”

The top shield of Clark’s monster when alight, showing the bristled pig on it and covering its entire body with an orange energy that seeped in through its armor.

DEF: 3000 -> 3400

“Impossible!” cried Lee. “Not only does he control that strong monster, but his deck only serves to make it even stronger?”

“Alright, Clark!” cried Rainbow Dash. “Take him down now!”

“I plan to,” Clark said. “Now, battle!”

Sentry Sheriff let out a loud roar at the declaration.

“How’s that possible?” Spike shouted. “Clark’s monster is in defense position.

“Just wait, Spike,” instructed Rainbow Dash with a chuckle. “Just you wait.”

“I activate the effect of Sir William – Sentry Sheriff!” Clark shouted, removing one of his Anacoinda cards from under his monster. “At the start of my battle phase, I can detach one xyz material from my monster!”

Sentry Sheriff raised his right sword up, slashing it down on one of the five shields, spitting it in half where it glowed brightly then burst into sparks.

“Then,” continued Clark, “I can attack with it while it’s in defense position, using its DEF as its ATK!”

“Oh wow!” Spike exclaimed. “That’s awesome! Go get ‘im, Clark!”

Lee hissed at what would soon come.

“Sentry Sheriff,” Clark continued, “attack Deputy of Darkness! Shining Slash of Righteousness!”

Clark’s warrior charged forwards at Deputy of Darkness, the latter holding its club up as a meager means of defense. As the monsters came closer to clashing, Lee unveiled a smirk that put Clark on edge.

“I activate my trap,” shouted Lee, “Blowback Block!”

The card flipped open, revealing art of a red, armored beast-like creature reeling back and delivering an uppercut to a similar-looking green beast in its stomach.

“When a monster I control is targeted for an attack,” Lee explained, “my monster isn’t destroyed by that battle, but at the end of the battle step, your monster is destroyed.”

“Oh no!” Twilight gasped. “His monster’s effect prevents him from being destroyed by battle, but not by card effects!”

“Clark!” yelled Walt.

Clark hissed as he reached for his hand, watching as his monster’s sword collided with Deputy of Darkness’s club.

“I activate my quick-play spell,” Clark shouted, “Trap Nimble!”

Clark slipped the card into his duel disk, allowing a green card showing art of a small, white mouse leaping over a bear trap in a dense forest upon it.

“During this turn,” Clark stated, “a level 1 or rank 1 monster I control is not affected by the effects of trap cards!”

As Sentry Sheriff continued to press his weapon into his opponent’s, Deputy of Darkness reeled back a fisted hand which glowed a dark red. As the strike swung towards Sentry Sheriff’s stomach, a shield shifted itself in the way of the punch, blocking it with a bright burst.

“Now both of our monsters are not destroyed,” Clark explained, “but you still take 800 points of battle damage.”

The light from the collision of Lee’s monster’s fist and Clark’s monster’s shield shone brightly into Lee, making him recoil from the bright, hot force.

Lee’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3200

“That’s it!” cheered Applejack. “Good goin’, Clark!”

“Tricky bastard,” hissed Lee as he stood back straight on his feet.

“I’d have to be in order to stand to a brute like yourself. Regardless, your monster is now weaker than mine, and you better hope that there’s a way you can defeat them soon. Otherwise, I’m taking these kids home to fight the battle they need to fight. With that, I end my turn!”

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 2300    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spell/Trap Cards: 2

“I’m not letting you get away with them,” Lee growled, “I spent a decent portion of my career aiming to put that black-haired bitch behind bars. I missed my chance this morning, but I’m not losing this opportunity! My turn! Draw!”

As his hand came out, he glanced at it long enough to recognize his new card as a level 2 tuner monster.

No, he thought, not yet…

Lee quickly added his drawn card to his hand, pointing his outstretched hand at Clark and his monster.

“Battle!” he declared. “Deputy of Darkness, attack Sir William – Sentry Sheriff!”

Lee’s ace ran out at Sentry Sheriff, which didn’t seem concerned at all with the monster’s advance.

“What?” Rarity gasped. “But Clark’s monster is clearly stronger.”

“No,” Twilight breathed, “there’s something else?”

“Like what?”

“When Deputy of Darkness attacks a defense position monster,” clarified Lee, “I can target all defense position monsters you control and destroy them at the start of the Damage Step. Even with the 500 points of damage you’ll take, the real treat will be your monster leaving the field! Now, continue! Cannibal Club!”

In the back room, Yurik, Twilight, and his friends gasped with fearful expectations. Deputy of Darkness leapt high up, its club raised up with it. Before the monster could strike down, Clark let out a smirk of his own.

“I activate the effect of Sir William – Sentry Sheriff,” he said.

“Impossible!” shouted Lee. “Your monster’s effects cannot save you from this!”

“Are you sure?”

“What!”

Suddenly, one of Sentry Sheriff’s shield glowed bright before its surface was covered in sharp green needles.

“Huh?” the ponies squawked behind him.

“Along with giving my monster a 400 DEF boost,” Clark spoke, “when 1X Pork Pine is used as material for the xyz summon of an xyz monster, my monster gains the additional effect of negating a monster effect that targets it once per turn and destroying that monster.”

“No way!” Lee shouted. “There’s no way your monster can be that powerful!”

“You’re right, it’s not! My monster is a beacon of strength and justice, but its true strength is realized when it’s given the support and strength of the small and weak! That is how justice and law prevail, Lee. It’s never been one person or group! It’s about everyone pitching in, and it’s why my deck’s strength will outmatch yours! Now, Sentry Sheriff, destroy Deputy of Darkness!”

The spiked shield thrust forwards toward Deputy of Darkness’s exposed chest, striking it hard and knocking it back. The demon burst into gold sparkles, throwing Lee back with them. Stunned, Lee refused to stand back up. The grey-haired detective too stood stunned beside the proud Bette and ecstatic Evey.

“He did it!” cheered Evey. “He destroyed Deputy of Darkness!”

Along with her, the ponies, along with Walt, Mary, Alice, and Yurik cheered on Clark as well, the ponies stamping their feet on the ground. Lee continued to lie down, demoralized by his monster’s destruction.

“My monster…” he weakly whispered. “He destroyed my monster… on my own turn no less…”

“Get up!” Sunset Shimmer’s voice rung in his head.

Lee gasped and his eyes widened upon the familiarity and sudden appearance of this voice.

“You’re…” he mumbled. “You’re the…”

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” she continued to blare in his head. “What’s important is that card I gave you!”

“That card…”

His eyes flashed red and became reptilian in nature for only a second, but it was all Lee needed to stand back up and face Clark once again, ending the cheers of the ones behind him. Through the silence, the only sound left was Lee’s creepy giggling as it suddenly shifted to full laughter.

“You might have destroyed my monster,” Lee said, “but now, you have awoken a new one! I activate my trap, Dark Revival Tuning!”

Lee’s trap flipped up, the art showing a black creature rising from a purple-and-black portal with green rings right above it, the monster rendered to only its orange outline.

“When a dark-attribute monster I control is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I can special summon it along with a dark-attribute tuner monster in my hand! First, I’ll revive Deputy of Darkness – Samael!”

A purple portal with a black vortex appeared on the field, Lee’s monster eagerly jumping out from it and reappearing on the field with a roar.

Deputy of Darkness – Samael
ATK: 2600
Lvl.: 6

“Then, from my hand,” announced Lee, grabbing his recently drawn monster, “I special summon the tuner monster Slash Hacker!”

Lee threw his monster down upon the zone next to his synchro monster card, followed by a blue portal opening beside the monster on the field. Hopping out from it was a black-coated human with dark sunglasses and two swords made from circuits and wiring.

Slash Hacker
ATK: 800
Lvl.: 2

“Finally,” continued Lee, “I can synchro summon a monster using both monsters!”

“What?” Clark gasped. “Synchro summoning during the battle phase?”

“I tune my level 6 Deputy of Darkness with my level 2 Slash Hacker!”

Slash Hacker leapt up and brought its two swords up at the bases of his blades. With a dual slash, the monster shone bright and turned into two rings that lowered down to the ground. Deputy of Darkness leapt up and into the two rings, its body becoming an orange outline with six stars inside of it as it passed in.

“Darkness is forever!” chanted Lee. “The light-extinguishing shadow will keep darkness’s reign eternal and strike fear into the feeble hearts of the weak!”

The monster’s outline disappeared, allowing the six star  to align for a bright beam to pierce them down the center, soon growing out beyond the green rings.

“Synchro summon!” Lee cried out.

Bursting out from the pillar was Lee’s new X-shaped conjoined dragon, slithering through the air and above Lee’s field.

“Descend!” called Lee! “Infinity Ouroboros Dragon!”

Both heads of the monster let out a roar, the force of the screeches rattling the rooms and the floor.

Infinity Ouroboros Dragon
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 8

“What the hell?” the grey-haired detective shouted. “Was that from that thing?”

Clark braced himself, feeling the floor painfully rumble under his feet.

“This time,” Lee said, “you won’t interfere with my justice! And since it’s still the battle phase, my monster can attack! Battle!”

Lee’s dragon roared, frightening Walt in more ways than the obvious.

“He’s attacking me?” he thought aloud. “With only 2000 ATK!”

“I now activate the effect of Infinity Ouroboros Dragon,” stated Lee.

Throwing his arms out, Lee suddenly caught fire, shocking his opponent, the prisoners behind him, and the officers and detectives, along with Bette and Evey, on the side.

Lee’s Life Points: 3200 -> 1600

“He halved his own life points?” shouted Twilight. “Why?”

Twilight looked up, the new sight before her making her gasp with shock. The now-glowing twin dragon lifted its tails up while lowering its mouths down towards them. Grabbing them in their jaws, they began to swallow them whole, their bodies forming an infinity symbol.

“When this card declares an attack,” Lee explained, the fires extinguishing from his body and clothes, “I can halve my life points, and this card gains ATK equal to the life points paid.”

“No way!” Clark shouted.

With their mouth ceasing their devouring, the ovular spaces left by the dragon began to glow brightly.

ATK: 2000 -> 3600

“Now its ATK is stronger than Sentry Sheriff’s!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Just like that…” sighed Walt.

“Go,” ordered Infinity Ouroboros Dragon, attack Sir William – Sentry Sheriff! Eternal Agony!”

The spaces of the dragon’s infinity sign were now solid, golden-yellow screens of light that only continued to grow brighter with white. Two beams shot from the spaces at the same time, converging into a single beam close to its body that flew towards Clark’s monster.

“I should also remind you that while Sentry Sheriff has xyz materials,” Clark said, “my monster can’t be destroyed by battle.”

Just before the beam could strike, the four remaining shields flew out and clumped together, forming an even larger barrier that the beam bounced off of in several directions. Yurik, Alice, and the ponies sighed in relief as Clark’s monster still stood.

“I knew full well,” said Lee, “but you still take damage.”

“What?” Clark exclaimed. “My monster is in defense position!”

“You’re not the only one who has monsters that can give your other monsters extra effects. When Slash Hacker is used as material for a synchro summon, my monster gains the effect of piercing damage!”

“Impossible!”

“Feel my monster’s fury, coward!”

Infinity Ouroboros Dragon’s beam then blasted through the small holes in the space left by the shields, each of which struck Clark in the chest, knocking him shouting off his feet louder than ever before.

Clark’s Life Points: 2300 -> 2100

Clark slid back into the wall, sitting up just quick enough for his back to cushion the stop. The ponies got close to the window, looking down at Clark as best they could.

“Clark!” they all shouted.

“Like I said,” Lee spoke, “I’m not letting them escape this time. It is my duty to those I serve…”

Lee’s eye flashed with a reptilian likeness, the power flowing through him making him grin madly. Bette put her hands over her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears while Evey covered her eyes, scared for Clark’s safety. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Walt managed to look up at Lee’s dragon. As if it caught their gazes, both mouths on the monster curled into a smile, matching the insanity that its owner had on his own face.
> Episode 27: Fight for Freedom, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clark lied against the invisible wall in the back of the dueling room, the surroundings from his field spell masking the room’s initial features. Above him, Walt, Alice, and the ponies shouted to him through the glass. The officers and detectives on the side observational hallway looked up to Lee’s dragon with fear and confusion.

Infinity Ouroboros Dragon
ATK: 3600
Lvl.: 8

================
Lee:
LP: 1600
================

“That dragon…” the grey-haired detective sighed. “Where did he get that dragon?”

Clark continued to lie still, his trusty warrior monster being his only barrier between him and the dragon.

================
Clark:
LP: 2100
================

Sir William – Sentry Sheriff
DEF: 3400
Rnk.: 1

As Clark’s vision tried to come to, his eyes shuddered as visions of his past mingled with that of the present.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

His chest hurt and left shoulder burned, stuck in his heap of scrap. The only sounds he could register the sounds of dripping oil and the grinding noise of the mangled car ahead that slowly continued driving away to safety.

Clark couldn’t even turn his head to see how the woman beside him and the girls behind. However, their pure, still silence was all that he needed to know, making him groan with a sob of agony.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark tried to sit up, only for his shoulder to feel a shooting pain going in and through his arm and neck. Clark grunted through his clenched teeth, trying to stifle his pain, but it was far too strong, and he let out a howl of anguish that frightened the humans and ponies behind him. Bette gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Evey ran up to the glass, frightened by the tears streaming from Clark’s eyes.

“Clark!” screamed Evey.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

In Celestia’s throne room, Sunset Shimmer and Chrysalis looked smugly upon Clark’s pain as he slid his back to the wall in a struggling attempt to stand back up.

“I can’t believe he continues to fight,” laughed Chrysalis. “He must have broken his shoulder from that one.”

“Humans are certainly quite the enduring creatures, aren’t they?” Sunset quietly commented.

They both watched in amusement as Clark stood up, his back supported on the window to the room confining Yurik, Twilight, and all of their friends.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

With a push, Clark heaved himself forwards, his legs managing to support himself up, much to the relief of those behind him.

“God damn,” huffed Donald. “He’s truly got brass.”

“Where do you think he got that monster?” Marcus wondered.

“I don’t know,” muttered Twilight with a frightful shudder, “but I’m sensing a lot of dark magic in that monster. We need to tell the others so they can stop this duel!”

“It’s no use,” Kieran said. “They’ll just see it as an excuse to escape. Regardless, without a victor to this duel, we’re still stuck in this place until they see fit to let us out.”

“No way,” whimpered Rainbow Dash. “At this rate…”

Inside, Clark glanced to Bette and Evey, giving them a slight smile and nod that assured them of his well-being. While not entirely convinced, they both softened their expressions, appearing noticeably calmer and more composed.

“Well, well,” chided Lee, “it looks like he lives.”

“Eat me, Lee,” grunted Clark, “if that’s even who you are. Just who are you?”

“Are you dense? It’s me, Lee Jameson, the Deputy of Darkness, and it always has been.”

“Then just where did you get that card of yours?”

Lee looked to his card, looking flummoxed.

“You may strike fear into the hearts of those you hunt down and arrest,” Clark continued, “but even a prick like you wouldn’t resort to harming someone, yet alone one of your fellow officers!”

Lee quickly changed his expression to a frown.

“Those who fight for criminals are no better than criminals themselves,” he said. “These kids need to be taught a lesson that they clearly never learned in the real world: if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”

“You broke my shoulder, you son of a bitch,” Clark hissed. “That card of yours… whoever has been trying to target these ponies… you’re working for them now, aren’t you?”

“And what makes you think that?”

“A card that inflicts real damage? And you’re using it against me after Celestia’s revealed to be a fake who’s trying to take the ponies for herself? She’s using people like you now to get them back… people within the goddamned police force!”

“You’re crazy! Perhaps it’s time to begin silencing you permanently! I activate the continuous spell Xyz Blackmail!”

Lee threw his card into his duel disk, and a card appeared on the field showing art of two men: a fat man in a business suit and a skinny man in a black suit holding a tommy gun standing over a small, cat-like orange, black, and white creature with an xyz material orbiting it. The fat man held its arm out to the scared looking creature, expecting some form of payment.

“When this card is activated,” Lee said, “I can target one xyz monster the opponent controls. During each of my end phases, my opponent must either detach an xyz material from their monster, or else it’s destroyed!”

Behind Clark, everyone gasped with shock at the bold strategy.

“I always come prepared to a duel,” spoke Lee. “Whether my opponent uses fusions, rituals, synchros, xyz, or pendulums, I’ll drag them down. Now that you brought out your monster, I could plan accordingly! Now, it is my end phase, Clark. What shall it be?”

Clark grunted, his hands tied.

“I detach an xyz material from Sentry Sheriff,” Clark announced with reluctance.

One of Sentry Sheriff’s shields glowed brightly before it melded into a ball of light which flew into Lee’s spell card, never to be seen again.

“Thank you kindly,” chuckled Lee with a happy sneer. “With that, I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 1600    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

Clark stared at Lee’s trap card, letting out an uncomfortable mix of a frenzied giggle and an infuriated sigh. Lee looked bemused at Clark’s reaction as it grew into violent, angry laughter.

“You really want to tell me that you’re a beacon of true justice with a deck like yours?” Clark yelled. “Bombers, hackers, mob, a god-damned demon? Your deck is filled with cards representative of the supposed scourge you want to eliminate, and yet you want to condemn the children behind me?”

“If one wants to defeat darkness,” Lee said straightly, “than one must become darkness. Don’t fight monsters, lest ye become one.”

“So you mean to tell me that the acts of the ones behind me are illegal, but it’s okay for you because you have a badge and they don’t.”

“Don’t be foolish. I’ve never operated outside the law like they have.”

“And yet the deck that you chose to represent you and what you represent reflects the criminals that you hate so much.”

“If you’re trying to antagonize me based solely on my deck, then please stop while you’re behind. My deck represents the darkness that these criminals have fallen into and the true maliciousness of the actions that they inflict upon others, letting them have a taste of their own bitter medicine.”

The ponies stared in stunned silence at Lee, and then back at his dragon with its tails still clamped in its dual mouths.

“And now you’re being influenced by the true enemy to keep these ponies out of the way of whomever you’re serving,” Clark continued, “and you’re willing to hurt, or possibly kill me to ensure that it stays that way…. Some upstanding officer you are.”

The officers and detectives lining the halls looked incredulously at Lee, whose guilt looked far more apparent as the moments went on. Lee lightly squirmed, knowing his façade being broken

“You’re still on about that?” Lee shouted back to Clark. “You’re delusional!”

“And you’re a flaming hypocrite,” Clark said calmly.

“How about you just take your next turn and see if your so-called justice can save these kids!”

“Yes,” Clark huffed. “I know it will.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Quite the bravery of him,” Sunset commented, laxly laying sideways in the chair with her legs over the side. “His bones are broken, and yet he still finds it in him to insult and demean his opponent.”

“It will only be more entertaining when he eventually loses,” Chrysalis commented.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark looked into his hand, seeing a level 1 monster card that featured a small bird whose body, head, and wings were made from different patterns of felt and fabric.

Next turn, Clark thought, that bastard’s going to pay half of his life points again and bring his monster up to 4400 ATK. With his piercing effect, I stand to take 1000 points of damage if I attack. However…

Clark then looked to his deck, thinking of every card inside of it.

…if I can summon my 1X monster and use 1Xmergency’s effect, he continued to muse, I won’t take any damage. However, if that fails, I lose this duel, and these kids are going to stay stuck here. I’m not going to gamble anymore for their sake, not if I can help it, that is…

“My turn,” Clark stated, putting his fingers on his deck. “Draw!”

With a whip of his arm, a card remained in his hand. Turning to look at it, it was yet another monster: an anthropomorphic shrimp mounting a massive gun twice its size with a red ball in the barrel to its shoulder.

Damn, thought Clark. That just blows my odds even more. Either way…

Clark slowly added his card to his left hand as he continued to formulate his strategy.

…1Xmergency would only help me out for so long. It would only be a matter of time before I fail to draw a 1X monster. And then, my monsters would be left vulnerable, and I’d be finished. Besides. At this rate, I can survive at least this turn to give myself another chance to beat this guy.

Looking back up, he inhaled, prepared to make his declaration.

“I…” he breathed, “end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 2100    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

Inside the room behind him, Walt, Mary, and the ponies gasped loudly, shocked by Clark’s decision.

“After all that talk,” Lee said, “you end up skipping your turn? If you’re really that desperate to lose, then just quit, old man. It will keep you from breaking any more bones.”

“I’m not quitting,” Clark said. “Trust me, if I wanted to, I’d let you know.”

Lee smirked, half-pitying and half-respecting the man’s tenacity.

“Your choice,” Lee decided, “your funeral. My turn! DRAW!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Come on, now, Sunset thought. Let them know my strength!
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark glanced to his new card, his eyes widening upon it.

“You say you’d let me know when you’d want to quit. That must mean you have your own breaking point. We’ll see if this move brings it out!”

He kept his drawn card reeled back, ready to play it.

“While my opponent controls an xyz monster with xyz materials attached to it,” Lee explained, “I can special summon Xyz Assassin from my hand!”

Clark threw his card beside his synchro monster card, and from a blue portal that formed on the field beside it was a black-coated human male with a red bandana over its face and a grey baseball cap on its head. A long-barreled rifle with a scope on the back was held in its hands.

Xyz Assassin
DEF: 1600
Lvl.: 5

“I now activate the effect of Xyz Assassin!” shouted Lee. “By discarding up to two monster cards from my hand, I can detach two xyz materials from a monster you control!”

Lee took his last two cards from his left hand and placed them face up into his graveyard slot, including a hedgehog with nails in place of needles and a shadowy figure dropping a sack of coins into a shallow hole.

“With this,” Lee called out, “your monster’s xyz materials are now reduced to one!”

Suddenly, a clip formed beneath Lee’s monster’s rifle and inserted itself in through a slot on the bottom.

“Also,” he mentioned, “for every xyz material I destroy through this effect, you take 500 points of damage!”

“What?” Clark gasped.

“Here’s round one!”

With a pull of the trigger, a bullet shot out of the rifle at one of Sentry Sheriff’s shields. A quick shift and a second click, a second round shot from the gun at another of the monster’s shields. Both bullets pierced through the shields at the same time, shattering them like glass. The bullets ricocheted off and at Clark’s chest, both striking him at the same time, forcing him to his knees as he cried out.

Clark’s Life Points: 2100 -> 1100

The humans and ponies looked nervously at Clark’s monster

“And now round two!” Lee exclaimed. “Battle! Infinity Ouroboros Dragon, attack Sir William – Sentry Sheriff!”

The two spaces in the rings formed by Lee’s monster began to glow brightly.

“I now activate the effect of Infinity Ouroboros Dragon,” he declared, “allowing me to halve my life points to increase my monster’s ATK by the same amount!”

A fire shot up from the floor where Lee stood once again, making him yell out in agony as the flames burned his flesh.

Lee’s Life Points: 1600 -> 800

As the spaces in the dragon’s body grew brighter, the dragon’s heads took another bite of its tails, tightening the loops and rendering the lights even brighter than before.

ATK: 3600 -> 4400

“Don’t forget” Lee said, the flames dissipating around him, “my monster inflicts piercing damage because of Slash Hacker’s effect. Now, obliterate him!” he ordered to his dragon. “Eternal Agony!”

The two beams fired out from the center of the rings of the monster’s body, converging in the center straight at Clark. In an instant, the energy engulfed him and his monster, shooting into the back wall. In the hallway, the others jolted to hear the faint sound of a shattered window from the other room. The force of the dragon’s attack was tremendous enough to cause cracks to appear on the glass to their window. The grey-haired detective looked upon this with fear, frozen stiff like the others around him.

“Everybody duck!” he screamed.

Bette covered her body around Evey and laid low with her along with the other officers and detectives. Just then the windows shattered, but no one could feel the heat or the loose shards rain down. Looking up, several of the officers looked up with awed expressions to see a translucent magenta shield that had caught the glass and blocked off the heat from the blast.

Inside the room behind Clark, Twilight grunted as she tried to deflect the dragon’s beam from entering through the also-broken window. Through the shield, the humans and ponies watched in safety as Clark was blasted by Lee’s dragon’s attack.

“No!” screamed Walt. “Clark!”

In the gym Clark leaned into the force, keeping his body still. However, his skin and clothes were razed as he shrieked loudly through it all.

Clark’s Life Points: 1100 -> 100

The beam quickly disappeared, leaving Clark limp with him and the area around him smoking. Clark’s body began to tip forwards, and he just managed to turn his body to the right, allowing him to land on his good shoulder and roll onto his back, breathing slowly with hoarse wheezes.

Twilight ceased her spell, her horn ceasing its glow and the barriers on both the room’s window and the hallway window disappearing with it. With a swoon, Twilight fell to her front shins, Yurik sliding to her side to help her. The people in the hallways and the others in the back room stood up to see the damage that had been done.

“Is everyone alright?” Kieran asked his group.

The humans and ponies gave an affirmative response as they examined their body for major cuts and gashes. Bette rolled off of Evey, allowing her to stand with the other officers and detectives. Both Bette and the grey haired detective looked to the unharmed Yurik and Walt as he assisted the tired Twilight up with her nervous pony friends surrounding her, then looking to the damage Lee caused.

“Do they appear dangerous now, bastard?” Bette hissed to the grey-haired detective.

The detective turned to Lee and his malicious, sadistic smile. Unable to deny it to himself, he ran his hands through his hair and took a hard breath. Clark managed to spin his body and hoist himself up by his stomach, sitting in front of Lee as he took relaxing breaths.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Both Sunset and Chrysalis looked stunned to see Clark in his position.

“The fact that he’s up and breathing so calmly,” Chrysalis said.

“He’s a particularly tenacious one…” Sunset responded.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Lee was irked to see as Clark’s lips slowly curled to a smile.

“And what could you be grinning at?” he wondered aloud.

“You might have removed some more of my monster’s xyz materials,” he answered, getting himself to one knee, “but the effects my 1X monsters gave me are still in effect.”

“Yes? And?”

“My Rip Raptor… which gives my Sentry Sheriff the effect of piercing damage. Now that you’ve summoned another monster, in defense position, no less, I can attack it and reduce your life points to 0.”

Lee grimaced at this fact.

“Your dragon is powerful, sure, but it weakens you in order to become strong. Any damage you begin to take at that point becomes precious, and now I’m about to run it out.”

“Pointless,” Lee responded, shocking Clark. “Whenever Xyz Assassin is targeted for attack by an opponent’s xyz monster, I can negate that attack one per turn.”

“No… no way…”

“Next,” Clark said, pointing at his field, I activate the effect of Loot Leaver.”

Clark gasped once again as a purple-and-black portal opened before Lee, the monster card with the dark figure and its sack of coins rising out from it before it swirled away into nothingness.

“By banishing this card while it’s in my graveyard,” Lee explained, “I can draw one card!”

Lee took out the top card of his deck, glancing to it and smirking promptly after.

“I now equip Xyz Assassin with Ring of Magnetism!” Lee declared, throwing his card into his duel disk.

A card appeared on the field behind Xyz Assassin, showing art of a left hand with a glowing green ring upon the middle finger. The card faded away to reveal the green ring as it flew towards the monster’s hand and fit itself upon its middle finger, glowing brightly.

“While this card is equipped to a monster,” said Lee, “its ATK and DEF are reduced by 500.”

The green glowing of the ring began to envelop Xyz Assassin, making it slump with sudden weakness it experienced.”

DEF: 1600 -> 1100
ATK: 2000 -> 1500

“Furthermore,” Lee added, “all monsters must attack the equipped monster before anything else. So now, even if you manage to get your monster stronger than either of mine, you can only attack my Xyz Assassin, and then I’ll just negate its attack with its effect.”

“Damn you…” Clark hissed.

The ponies, along with Walt, Mary, and Alice moaned with worry at Lee’s strategy.

“Oh,” Lee chuckled, “I almost forgot! During the end phase, you have to detach an xyz material from your monster or destroy it with my Xyz Blackmail’s effect.”

Lee’s spell card glowed with reiteration. Clark hissed as he already began reaching for his monster.

“I’ll detach the xyz material,” he grumbled.

With the last card underneath his monster slid out, the last of Sentry Sheriff’s shields became an orb of light that flew into the spell’s art.

“And now that you have no more xyz materials protecting your monster,” exclaimed Lee, “your monster and your life points will be finished. With that, I end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 800    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ha,” scoffed Chrysalis. “Looks like he’s in a bind now.”

“No,” Sunset Shimmer disagreed. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

“Do you really think he has a chance? Him?”

“There’s always a chance, Chrysalis. Of all things to know about dueling, especially in these past hours, this is the most important thing to learn.”

Chrysalis watched the screen intently, awaiting Sunset’s correct assumption.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark looked to his hand, desperate for a strategy.

Shuffle Shrimp, he thought, looking to his gunned shrimp monster, Switch Swatch Swallow, he continued, looking to his bird of fabric. Each of these monsters can help me win, but there’s only one card in my deck that can let that happen.

Clark glanced backwards to the Yurik, Walt, the ponies, and Kieran as the former gave him a nod of respect and encouragement.

I have one last chance of saving them, he resolved. I can’t them down… I can’t…
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark walked alone down the street with his hands in his pockets, only for his attention to be taken away by a crowd gathering around the end of an alleyway. Shuffling through to the front, he found as the right side of a car had crashed into the corner of a building, both airbags deployed.

Clark was instantly aghast as he observed the car, looking just like the one that had crashed into his long ago, but with newer parts mixed with the older. He watched as its driver was carted off into the back of an ambulance by several paramedics. What struck Clark, as well, as the others, as odd was the thick metal wire connected to both its front left corner to the corner of the building that made up the left of the alley.

Clark looked up, only to see a shadow stand slightly into his few from a building’s edge, zipping away like a frightened animal upon their eyes meeting. Clark gasped, knowing what this had to mean.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

…I can’t let any of them down! he resolved. “My turn! DRAW!”

Lee smirked as he awaited the inevitable look of despair to reach Clark’s face once he looked to his card. In both the back room and the hallway, everyone, human, pony, and dragon alike, watched intently as they awaited Clark’s response.

Turning his card to see, Clark saw a spell card, and with it, his eyes widened with amazement. Closing his eyes, he reflected to himself.

God… he prayed. Alyssa… thank you…

Keeping his arm held back, he brought a smile to his face.

“I activate the spell card 1Xyztence!” he declared.

Throwing his card into his duel disk, the enlarged version of the card appeared on the field showing art of a yellow-skinned wizard with a black cloak feeling revived as two auras spiraled around him.

“1Xyztence?” Lee wondered cautiously.

“While I control 1Xity and a rank 1 monster with no xyz materials,” exclaimed Clark, “I can target that rank 1 monster and return it to my extra deck!”

Sentry Sheriff grew brightly before it condensed into an aura that shot up and arced back down onto Clark’s blade disk.

“What?” Lee gasped.

“Next,” Clark continued, “I can special summon two 1X monsters from my hand! Come, my monsters!”

Clark removed both monsters from his hand and threw them onto his now vacant monster card zones. Two blue portals opened simultaneously, allowing both the armed shrimp and the bird of fabric to appear from them.

“1X Shuffle Shrimp!” he shouted. “1X Switch Swatch Swallow!”

Both monster’s landed on the ground, preparing themselves with what would be happening next.

1X Shuffle Shrimp
ATK: 300
Lvl.: 1

1X Switch Swatch Swallow
ATK: 100
Lvl.: 1

“So you exchanged your xyz monster for two vastly weaker ones?” Lee shouted.

“I’m not done just yet,” Clark replied. “The final effect of 1Xyztence allows me to xyz summon the monster that was returned to my extra deck with only my two special summoned 1X monsters as the xyz materials.

“Impossible! You can bring your monster back just like that?”

“Watch now, Deputy of Darkness. I’m about to show you the light! I now overlay my 1X Shuffle Shrimp and 1X Switch Swatch Swallow!”

The two monsters transformed into a blue and green aura that danced about in the air.

“With these two monsters,” Clark shouted, a red portal forming before him, “I can construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The monsters flew inside, the portal erupting with sudden white. Two shields rose from the portal and glowed brightly as their aura began to manifest into Clark’s ace monster.

“Return!” Clark beckoned. “Sir William – Sentry Sheriff!”

The aura began to take color and form, and with a final flash, Clark’s monster returned, feeling strengthened once again.

Sir William – Sheriff Sentry
ATK: 0
Rnk.: 1

“Huh?” squawked Rainbow Dash. “It’s in attack position?”

Lee’s eyes were cast on the stat counter of Clark’s monster, unable to believe what he was seeing. He then put his hands over his eyes, roaring with laughter.

“After that stroke of luck,” he exclaimed, “and you waste it on such a stupid misplay!”

“I didn’t misplay anything, Lee.”

“Huh?”

“I now activate the effects given to Sentry Sheriff through my 1X monsters.”

“That’s right…” Lee hissed. “Just what are they?”

“First, when 1X Shuffle Shrimp is used as material for the xyz summon of an xyz monster, my monster gains the effect of targeting one monster on the field and shuffling it into the deck!”

“What!?”

The shadowy image of Shuffle Shrimp appeared on the flat surface of Sentry Sheriff’s shield, it’s massive gun appearing out from it.

“The monster I target is Xyz Assassin!” declared Clark.

The shrimp pulled the trigger, the large red round in the barrel shooting out with a spring attached to the back. The ball struck Xyz Assassin, throwing it into the air where it became a yellow aura that flew down into Lee’s deck. Lee hissed as he watched his deck shuffle inside his slot.

“Whatever,” he spat. “My monster still has far more ATK than yours.”

“Not for long,” Clark responded.

“What did you say?”

“When 1X Switch Swatch Swallow is used as material for the xyz summon of an xyz monster, my monster gains the effect of switching the ATK and DEF of all monsters on the field with their own DEF and ATK, respectively.”

“What?! Impossible!”

The image of Switch Swatch Swallow appeared on the second shield of Clark’s monster. As it shot out from the surface and at Infinity Ouroboros Dragon, Clark’s monster was now a shape with a red-and-white checkerboard pattern on its body. Once the bird struck the dragon, its body was covered in the same design. Then, the patterns morphed until they both were now enveloped in horizontal blue-and-white stripes. The designs faded, bringing their bodies back to normal.

Infinity Ouroboros Dragon
ATK: 4400 -> 2000

Sir William – Sentry Sheriff
ATK: 0  -> 3000

“Amazing!” Twilight shouted. “Now his monster is the strongest!”

“And Lee won’t have enough life points to survive the attack!” cheered Spike! “He’s going to win!”

Kieran crossed his arms and smiled proud for Clark’s imminent win.

“No,” whimpered Lee fearfully, “im… impossible! My dragon…”

“–has cost you this duel,” interrupted Clark. “Now, battle! Sir William – Sentry Sheriff, attack Infinity Ouroboros Dragon! Shining Slash of Righteousness!”

The warrior fiercely charged at the dragon, its swords held out and ready to slash. Leaping up, its hands reeled up and back, the blades gleaming with hunger. With an X-shaped cut, the necks of the dragons were separated from the body, the energy within it releasing out in a series of large explosions.

Twilight quickly charged her horn again, another barrier forming at the window in the hallway. The flames of the explosion swept over Lee, engulfing him. As the fires threatened to reach the window, Twilight’s spell blocked them away, allowing the grey-haired detective to see Twilight and her charged horn just as the embers blocked his vision. Inside the dueling room, Lee screamed loudly as the explosions razed him for the final time.

Lee’s Life Points: 800 -> 0

Clark wins.

The flames quickly evaporated in the air as the holographic look of Clark’s field spell began to disappear with the scanning of a golden line from the ceiling as it spread across the way. Clark stood still, taking in his win as his adrenaline began to decrease. Once his monster had faded from the room along with the rest of his field, he fell down onto his rump, sitting with curled legs and clutching his broken shoulder.

“Clark!” Walt shouted, hopping through the broken window and sliding to his side.

Yurik, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash were the next to follow as they tried to help Clark up.

“Hurry!” the grey-haired detective shouted, pointing at the group. “Get that man a medic!”

Half-a-dozen officers scurried into the room from a side entrance. Two of them helped Clark up and carried him out of the room, Yurik, Walt, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash following them out and down the hallway past the other officers.

“Hey!” Alice shouted. “Let us go with!”

An officer looked to the grey-haired detective, unsure what to do.

“Just let them out,” he breathed in exhaustion.

Hopping to the door, he put a card key against a sensor next to the jamb and turned the handle, pulling it open. The remaining humans, ponies, and dragon scurried out, hoping to catch up with their other friends. Following them from the door to the gym were the remaining three officers carrying a cuffed and unconscious Lee out with them, the fourth carrying his duel disk.

As the parade passed around the corner, the grey haired detective leaned back into the wall and slid down, sitting with defeat and frustration.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“No!” shouted Chrysalis. “Now they not only have been allowed to go out free, but they can see that we’ve even been able to infiltrate their law enforcement.”

“Which will now bring distrust among themselves,” Sunset said. “Also, Lee was merely a… test subject. A good test subject, but they really have no idea what’s in store for them. As cliché as it sounds, this war has only just begun…”

“And what about Keifer?”

“Forget him. He’s fulfilled his purpose.”

“Aren’t you worried about what they might say about us?”

“Are you?”

Chrysalis opened her mouth to speak, but after several seconds of careful consideration, she closed it once again, smiling in the trust of Sunset Shimmer’s grand plan.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark sat on a medical bench with a cloth brace wrapped around his chest with his forearm snug inside the cotton cuff on the front. Yurik, Walt, Alice, Mary, Kieran, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Spike all stood around him as he examined what had become of himself. Outside in the hallway, Donald and Marcus stood beside each side of the closed doorway. While Bette and Evey patiently waited.

“He really got his ass kicked, didn’t he?” Donald asked.

“But he kicked the other’s ass harder,” Marcus responded, “and because of him, we’re not going to prison.”

“Yet…”

Marcus sighed at the validity of the remark.

“Yeah,” he responded. “Yet…”

Inside the room, Clark gave a few tugs of his brace, happy to see that it completely immobilized his shoulder, despite its lingering soreness.

“Clark,” spoke Rainbow Dash with both remorse and respect. “You were incredible back there. I’m sorry you had to break your arm, though.”

“Don’t be sorry,” said Clark. “I’m sure after that, the police are going to have your backs now instead of putting your arms behind them.”

“What about Kieran and the others?” Applejack wondered. “They’ve probably done more with the Guardiaboliques than Yurik, Walt, or Mary. What’s going to happen to them?”

“We’ll try our best to negotiate a deal,” Kieran responded. “We still want to help you ponies out, and we have the means with which to properly train you and prepare you for what’s up ahead. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Spike have their own decks, but the rest of you don’t yet. And I don’t think that watching a couple of duels constitutes you being experts on the game either. We’ll need to teach you the in and outs of the game, because I’m more than certain that our enemies, much like Lee there, do as well.”

“What if they don’t?” asked Fluttershy meekly. “What if you guys still get put away.”

“It’s a worst case scenario, Fluttershy,” replied Alice. “The police knows how well you guys trust us, and they might be more than willing to assist even the Guardiaboliques if it makes you guys feel more secure against our enemy. That is,” she said with mock coy sadness, “unless you don’t need us…”

“Of course we do!” exclaimed Twilight. “It’s because of you that we’re all together again. Plus, you’ve been such good friends to us all, I don’t think we could do this without every one of you.”

“What about Kefier?” asked Spike. “What’s going to happen to him?”

“My guess is that they’re going to keep him prisoner here,” Orpheus said. “He’s their best chance at getting any information about who he’s really been working for, more specifically, their plans for Equestria and possibly Earth.”

“So now that we’ve interfered,” Mary whined, “does that mean we’re all in danger?”

“We’ve been in danger since Equus first appeared,” Yurik said. “The second we agreed to protect Twilight and rescue her friends, we’ve been their target to become attacked.”

“And after both Keifer’s and Chrysalis’s failures to take us,” Twilight said, “they’ll be back with a vengeance.”

“Listen,” Clark said, “don’t get too wrapped up in this. I didn’t win my last duel back there worrying and fretting. I just remained as calm as I could and played my absolute best. I’m certain that if one of their henchmen could beaten by my old ass, then we should be fine in strength for now. With or without Kieran’s help, continue practicing and training and become better with each passing moment, because you know they’re doing the same.”

“Well said,” Kieran complimented. “You say that you wished to become part of the Guardiaboliques?”

“What? How did you–”

“Walt had told us when you spared him and Yurik. He wanted to ensure that we saw you as someone we could trust and not be afraid of.”

Clark glanced to Walt, but his head was too painful to maintain an angry glare.

“Listen, I wanted to enforce the law on terms that wouldn’t land me in prison… no offence.”

“None taken. It was certainly bound to happen one of these days. However, it’s a shame.”

“What is?”

“You would have made a very fine addition.”

Clark smiled, only for the door to open, the grey-haired detective appearing out from it.

“Come,” he told everyone. “We have somethings we’d like to discuss.”

“Damned straight,” whispered Walt.

As the ponies and humans minus Clark began to make their way to the door, following the detective out, Kieran turned to Clark offering his hand. Clark smiled warmly as he grasped it with his right hand and gave it a firm shake.

“Get well,” he bid before following Alice and Applejack at the back of the line.

Clark gave Kieran a grateful nod as everyone left the room, allowing Evey and Bette to walk in, alone and undisturbed.

“Stay with us,” Bette asked.

“What?” Clark asked dumbly.

“Are you living with anyone?”

“Why do you–”

“You just beat someone who was trying to attack my children, and now you’re injured. They’ll come after you again, and I won’t allow it to happen while you’re in your condition. I’m certain Walt and Yurik wouldn’t want that either.”

Clark sighed lengthily as he contemplated his decision.

“I am currently single,” he relented.

“Great,” Bette responded. “You’ll come home with us. Yurik and Walt can help you pack some belongings from your home that you might need.”

“However, and I know you’re probably going to object to this…”

“What is it?”

“I have a dog.”

Bette blew a raspberry through pursed lips.

“I’m about to let the ponies back into my house. What more could a dog be?”

“Ha, that’s the spirit.”

Clark jerked himself off the bench and walked to the hallway, standing outside and waiting for Bette and Evey.

“Come on,” Clark called over, “let’s go see how your kids are doing.”

Bette and Evey both walked over the hallway, and together, the three of them went down to find Yurik, Walt, and the others.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

A female detective flipped through a deck which contained Lee’s Bomber – K9, Slash Hacker, and Xyz Assassin, followed by his Deputy of Darkness – Samael card. However, with another quick run through, the Infinity Ouroboros Dragon card was nowhere to be found inside. Organizing the deck back up, she walked back to the metal table where Lee was sitting, cuffed to his chair. She slammed the deck on the table, creating a loud noise as it snowed with loose cards.

“Where is it?” hissed the detective.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Lee cried out. “I already told you, I’ve never heard of that card! I was sitting in my car, may have closed my eyes a bit for the sleep I lost having to come here so early, and the next thing you know, I’m getting smacked around by you guys!”

The detective stamped over to a tablet held by an officer guarding the door. With a look beside him, she snatched the tablet and dropped it in front of Lee, allowing him to see the security footage of Infinity Ouroboros’s final attack on Clark, the strength of which completely disrupted the feed.

“Perhaps that will remind you?” she said.

“Listen,” Lee shouted, “I don’t remember jack! You can continue beating me like I’m some kind of Guantanamo detainee, but I’m telling you, I’ve never seen that card before, yet alone played it!”

“Then why are you playing it in the video.”

“I think the better question is… where is it now? If it’s in my deck, sure, fine. Case solved. You got me red handed. But that card isn’t there is it? You checked all my pockets, my deck which is now scattered over the floor. Hell, I’ll even allow you to strip me naked and check me in other spots, but you’ll need to get some gloves–”

“That’s enough!”

“Is it? Is it really enough? If it was, why the hell am I still here?”

The detective breathed out and in, angered with the lack of progress and the subsequent time wasted.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“They’re letting him go?” Kieran barked, the rest of the Guardiaboliques, ponies, along with Orpheus, Mary, Clark, Bette, and Evey around him.

“They didn’t find the card on him,” the grey-detective responded, “and he claims to not remember a thing.”

“But how do we know he isn’t lying or using some kind of spell to hide the card?” asked Twilight.

“Just let me in there,” Rainbow Dash demanded, grinding her forehooves together. “I’ll get him talking.”

“Missy,” the detective scolded, “you just got out of prison. Don’t think I won’t let you back in.”

Rainbow Dash put herself back on her front hooves, sulking.

“But that still doesn’t mean he’s innocent,” Rarity said. “We can’t just let him off like that!”

“And when should we let him go? In an hour? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Next Year? The rest of his life? There’s no possible way for us to prove he’s still conspiring against you, and holding him here isn’t going to get us any closer to confirming that.

“Besides, is it possible that these… creatures from your world could have only been using him temporarily? They screw up, they’re no longer needed, and they lose the risk of allowing the enemy to learn more from them, end of story.”

“Well, I suppose it is possible…” Twilight responded

“Either way, there’s no longer anything we can do. We have also told him about our deal. Until this issue between our worlds is resolved, we’ll assist you and the Guardiaboliques in combating this threat and allow you to keep your base at the factory. We’ll keep an eye on him if you happen to be right, but until then, he’ll be working with you now, not against you.”

“I’ve heard of sleeping with the enemy, but not the enemy sleeping with us…” Walt grumbled.

“You kids have been out and up for a long time. Please, go home and get some rest. Clark, that goes double for you. I don’t want that shoulder breaking any worse than it has.”

“And our Elements?” asked Yurik.

“Will be returned to you by the time you leave,” the detective responded. “Whatever you need to combat Chrysalis and whoever else is with her.”

“Thank you,” Twilight responded. “Your help will be greatly appreciated.”

The detective nodded.

“It’s our honor to help,” he said.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Several windowed vans, all led by Clark’s patrol car with Orpheus driving it, went down the driveway to leave Cook County Jail. In the squad car was Clark in the passenger seat and Bette and Evey in the back. Between the back four trucks, Yurik and his friends, human and pony alike, all sat calmly as Orpheus led them back home.

They passed Lee’s squad car, which still stood parked in the driveway facing the jail building with its owner still sitting inside of it. Once the last van had exited and made its way out of Lee’s sight, he took a relieved breath as he turned his car on.

“Whew,” he sighed. “That was a close one…

With a grip of the wheel and a changing of the gears, his eyes flashed with a reptilian appearance, applying his foot to the gas, speeding down the driveway and quickly to the exit, turning in the opposite direction of the vans’ destination.
> Episode 28: Sunset on Equestria
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yurik and Walt stepped into their house, each with a suitcase kept in their hands. Following them was Clark, leading a reluctant grey pitbull towards the front door.

“Come on, boy,” urged Clark, his voice being the only force beckoning him forwards.

Fluttershy peeked beyond the door’s frame and cooed the dog forwards with a fanning of her hoof and her soft voice.

“Come on, Mr. Doggy,” she cooed sweetly. “Bette and her family are going to take really good care of you.”

Almost as if hypnotized, the dog trotted around Clark and pulled him the rest of the way into the house. The dog sat with a wagging tail in front of Fluttershy and liberally licked her face, which she seemed to heavily enjoy.

“Looks like someone’s happy in their new home,” she said to both the dog and the others around her.

“I appreciate what you guys are doing,” Clark said, “but I’m only staying here until Yurik and his friends defeat Chrysalis and whoever else she’s working with… or for.”

“Just how do you think she could have gotten that dragon card?” Walt wondered, setting a bag on one of the stairway steps.

“I don’t know. I called the sheriff’s office and told any officers to track any leads to where Lee might have been when he received the card or anything else suspicious.”

“She very well may have turned into a human and gave him the card as a disguise,” Yurik reasoned.

“Highly unlikely,” Twilight replied, speaking from the top of the stairs as she came down to join them. “While Chrysalis’s appearance-changing abilities are indeed something, I’ve done some research on changelings, and there has never been a reported changeling that has transformed their appearance into a bipedal creature, such as an adolescent dragon or a minotaur.”

“Then who do you think could have done this?” asked Walt. “No way a non-human could just walk up to him and give him that card without drawing attention.”

“Unless she met him in a private place where there wouldn’t be any cameras,” suggested Yurik.

“That’s just what we’re trying to figure out,” Clark said. “As helpful as your magic is for us, it’s also their greatest strength too.”

“Right. They can trip us up at any turn. We need to come up with a plan to combat them.”

“Like what?” Walt asked.

“The big problem is that both options present big flaws.”

“And they are?...”

“We can either keep them all here with us at home, but if we do that, we only increase the odds of them taking all the ponies away in one fell swoop.”

“But they weren’t necessarily after us,” Twilight said. “They’re after our Elements of Harmony. If this is the case, they’ll need you too, Yurik.”

“But I’ll be under the same roof as you guys, and that could still allow Chrysalis to try and take us. If she managed to coerce a feared and respected city cop, imagine how many others she and whoever else is with her can pit against us.”

“But if we split them up,” Clark said, “that’s only going to be a couple guardians per household, and they could very easily take the ponies one by one if that’s what they’d need to do.”

“Plus,” Twilight added, “we need all of the bearers of the Elements to be together if we want to use them. I’m confident that with their power, we can stand strong against our enemies.”

“And that’s what we’re going to do?” confirmed Yurik.

Twilight, Clark, and Walt gave a nod, agreed on the arrangement.

“Very well,” Yurik sighed, grabbing Clark’s bag and heading upstairs. “I just think we deserve to grant Mary some visitation periods for Fluttershy.”

Walt and Clark followed him up, followed by Twilight and Fluttershy, smiling slightly at the thought of her friend.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunset Shimmer sat on Celestia’s throne, herself being the only one inside the room a trio of decks floating beside her in a light-blue aura. With a flick of her wrist, a deck would fly out in front of her and spread out into an eight by five grid. Observing and scanning the deck with both her eyes and an outstretched finger, her face went into an angry scowl.

“No,” she huffed, flinging her arm back out to the side.

In response, the cards to the deck were thrown to the side of the room, scattering to the floor like loose leaves. She brought forth the next deck, spreading it out like the last and looking through it quickly.

“No!” she said louder, her throwing motion much more violent.

The cards were gusted to the floor with the others as Sunset went through the other deck, growling loudly as she tossed it aside with the others. Angrily standing up, she walked down to the floor of the room, stopping just ahead of the base for the throne and closing her eyes in concentration.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Lee tossed his white shirt and belt on his bed, sitting along its front edge and reaching for the remote beside him. Turning on the power button, the TV came to life, bringing up an episode of Let’s Make a Deal, featuring an audience of bright and goofy costumed crowd of people. As Lee, exhaled and relaxed his sit, he began to turn up the volume.

“Enjoying yourself?” Sunset’s voice asked, annoyed.

Lee’s eyes shot open as he jerked around to see Sunset in her sweatshirt and jeans outfit lying on his bed. Lee barked in fear and jolted to his feet.

“How the hell did you get in my house?” he shouted, pointing the remote at her.

“You tell me,” she asked, slowing down her voice.

Suddenly, the gears in Lee’s head turned, allowing him to process the familiarity of her voice.

“You’re…” he sputtered, his eyes narrowing into reptilian slits, “you’re… Sunset Shimmer!”

“And you’re not doing very good at your job,” she said, her hand reaching out towards the remote.

To Lee’s shock, the remote flew from his hand and into hers, and with a point and a click, the television had turned off.

“Boring…” she moaned to the now blank screen.

“What do you need from me, master?” he asked breathily.

“A couple of things,” Sunset responded, reaching into the neck of her sweatshirt and pulling out a tablet, handing it to Lee. “I did a little searching, and I found some people related to those children that could make useful soldiers for our army.”

“Related?” Lee wondered, looking through several Facebook tabs for Yurik, Walt, and Mary.

“Strangely enough, I had originally recruited you because of your prestige within the police and your sense of honor and distaste towards criminals. However, it seems that you and that girl, Alice Ross, have some history with each other.”

“Huh? How did you…”

“That card I gave you, it allows me to form a mental link with you. It allows me to read your past and present. It’s how I knew to find you here.”

Lee huffed, realizing there was nothing to do about this.

“She was named the Black Widow,” she continued, “and you had a duel in which you could have beat her and brought her to justice. However…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Alice’s motorcycle ran into the guardrail of Lakeshore Dr., making her grunt as she struggled to maintain control.

Alice’s Life Points: 900 -> 500

Lee smirked as he rode his patrol car right up behind Alice’s bike, looking at her intently through his windshield. His Deputy of Darkness mounted the hood of his car, staring Alice down for the upcoming attack.

Deputy of Darkness – Samael
ATK: 2600
Lvl.: 6

“This is it now!” Lee cried out. “Deputy of Darkness, attack the Black Widow directly! Cannibal Club!”

The demon leapt from the top of the car, its weapon raised above his head. The club came down hard, striking Alice hard in the back, making her wail in pain.

Alice’s Life Points: 500 -> 0

Alice slumped over her handlebars, barely holding on to consciousness as she tried to avoid the guardrails once again. With the duel over, Deputy of Darkness dispersed in a blast of yellow sparks. Lee chuckled as his car closed in.

“Now to take you once and for–” he said before a black shape slipped in between him and the side guardrail.

Alice couldn’t hold on any longer, falling onto the gas tank of the bike and veering into the traffic. The black biker ran into Alice’s right, blocking the bike’s path from the cars. With a quick hoist, the biker picked Alice up by the bicep and tossed her behind him, landing her on his back seat. Lee watched in horror as Alice and the biker sped away while Alice’s bike, without a rider, turned back right and crashed violently into the guardrail, flipping out into an empty grassy park.

Lee pulled through the traffic and slammed the brakes upon reaching the very side. He ran from his car, to the concrete barrier, staring at the smoking wreck that was Alice’s bike.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I won’t let her escape again!” Lee exclaimed with shamefully clenched eyes.

“Really?” Sunset asked mockingly. “Because it seems you did this morning when you lost to that other cop.”

“No! I want to take her back in myself. It will mean nothing unless she’s brought in with my cuffs on her wrists.”

Sunset looked taken aback, but regained herself with a proud smirk.

“That’s the spirit,” she responded. “Now, I want you to give the following cards to the following people.”

Lee looked back to the tablet, looking at the faces of a couple of teenaged boys, girls, along with a couple of older men and women too, a card next to their names and addresses.

“The reason the people need to have connections to those kids is so that they can be pushed to attack them. I did some snooping, and each of these people have had altercations in the past with the members of those children that were held at that prison. Whether it be through Facebook posts, tweets, and in a couple of cases, arrest records, it’s given me enough reason that they would be suitable for my cause.”

“But why people they know?” asked Lee. “Wouldn’t it be better to do this to strangers that we can use to trip them up?”

“If they don’t know them, it won’t work. Like I said, there’s bad blood between these people and the children involved in the Guardiaboliques. Unless there’s those feelings of animosity, I cannot bring back their rage. It would literally be like boiling water without water.”

“Okay! I got ya’! But I’m looking at these addresses, and a couple are out of state!”

“Not an issue. Here, take these.”

Lee looked down, already finding a small stack of cards with a leather ruby-studded bracelet placed upon it.

“I’m guessing those are the cards I need to deliver,” Lee commented, “but what about the bracelet.”

“It will allow me to channel my magic to you,” Sunset explained. “Once you’re finished delivering the cards to these local people, I shall use my magic to transport you to the more faraway places.”

“And you’re sure it will work?” Lee asked, already strapping the bracelet on.

“Absolutely. I can read your thoughts, even from Equestria. Just think to me, and I’ll do the rest. By the time you’re done, you might even make it back for your primetime sitcom.”

Lee groaned at the remark, and just as Sunset turned to leave, she faced him once again.

“Oh, I almost completely forgot,” she said, the seriousness hissing from her voice, “I need you to find me the best deck that money can buy.”

Lee looked vulnerably nonplussed, looking to the sides for a proper answer.

“Any deck in particular?” he asked.

“The kind of deck one can conquer worlds with…” she responded. “Surely this world has to have some strong decks in it. And don’t worry about the price. I’ll pay you back handsomely… with interest.”

Lee mustered the strength to nod before her.

“I will do my absolute best,” he promised.

“Very good,” Sunset responded. “Be quick with this. There’s something I need to do with it by nightfall.

“Of course…”

“Good. I will hear from you soon…”

Lee found himself blinking, only for Sunset to be gone from his room once his eyes opened back up. He looked around him, looking for any sign of her, finding only the tablet and the cards she had given him. Realizing she had left, he picked the tablet back up, browsing through his targets.

He stopped on a picture of a bald-headed man with a gruff, slightly-wizened face, its mouth revealing apparent sadness and anger. Looking at the man closer, he began to chuckle in glee.

“Oh, is this going to be a shocker for that boy…” he muttered.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt and Yurik walked into their lavish dining room with large glass bowls containing potato salad and steaming green beans. The table was extended out, leaving ample room for each of the ponies, as well as Spike, Bette, and Evey, along with two empty chairs for Yurik and Walt. On the tables were glasses of water a couple cans of soda belonging to Pinkie Pie and Twilight. In the table’s center was a plate carrying a large, massive, sliced meatloaf with a ketchup glazed around the edges of each slice.

“Finally!” Applejack exclaimed happily. “I’m starved!”

“You and us all,” Walt responded, placing the bowls on the table with Yurik. “Now, Yurik, I think you should say grace for us all.”

Yurik looked to Walt as he sat down, already putting his hands together. He then looked to all of the ponies, looking to him with a sense of hope and reverence. Yurik sighed as he took his empty seat next to Evey and Applejack. Bette and Evey put their hands together while Clark laid both of his arms on the edge of the table.

The ponies finally put their hooves on the edge of the table, closing their eyes reflectively and waiting for Yurik to begin. Yurik then clasped his hands and supported his head on them, breathing in.

“Thank you for this meal that we are about to receive,” said Yurik, “and thank you for allowing us to share this meal in the company of my great friends.”

Unbeknownst to Yurik, Twilight and Pinkie Pie smiled warmly at their inclusion.

“I can only hope that with everyone’s help,” Yurik continued, “that we can return my friends back to their home where they truly belong. I hope that you can grant them as safe a return as possible, and I pray that this time it will finally be done. Amen.”

“Amen,” Clark, Walt, Evey, and Bette, responded.

Walt and Evey began to reach for a slice of meat with their forks as Twilight used her magic to scoop a liberal helping of potato salad and green beans on the plates of her pony friends. Twilight also managed to put a smaller slice of meatloaf on Spike’s plate, much to the dragon’s mouthwatering delight.

“Wow,” Pinkie Pie commented, “who knew saying a five-letter word could take so long?”

Yurik chuckled as he reached for a bowl of green beans. However, a small amount of green beans was already lifted from the bowl by a magenta aura. Along with it, a mound of potato salad and a slice of meatloaf accompanied it. As it was delicately and intricately placed on his plate, Yurik turned to see Twilight, smiling at him with appreciation.

“That was really nice what you said,” said Twilight. “And don’t worry, I’m certain we’ll succeed this time too.”

Yurik nodded and directed his attention to his dinner. As he cut his meat with his fork, Twilight looked back over to see as Yurik continued absentmindedly halving the new pieces that he cut for himself, all until there was nothing that Yurik could either spear or even scoop up. Spike, sitting across from Twilight, also couldn’t help but notice Yurik’s behavior.

“Whoa,” Spike said, “what’s up with him?”

Yurik, having heard him, stopped cutting his food, and seeing what he had reduced his meat to, took a sigh of frustration and embarrassment. The present humans and ponies also looked to him, drawn to the sound of his sigh.

“Sorry,” Yurik said. “As much as I want to get Twilight and her friends back safely, I know it won’t be that easy.”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash quietly squeaked.

“Our enemies sent a cop, a very dangerous one at that, to try and keep us in prison. I can only imagine who they’ll send now that we’re here, safe… well as safe as one can be in my home.”

“Yurik,” Walt breathed, “please, not here…”

“Walt!” Yurik exclaimed, shocking his friend. “If they sent the Deputy of Darkness himself to try and stop us, they’re clearly going to stop at nothing to make sure that their plan succeeds… whatever it may be…”

“Yurik,” Clark said, “I understand how frightened you are about going on with this, but until one of them breaks in right now and tries to take the ponies away or harm them in any way, the least you can do is enjoy your dinner with your family and friends.”

Yurik, looked around the table, seeing the concerned looks of everyone about him. Realizing the anxious tightness in his fists, he relaxed his arms and slowly sat back down.

“Forgive me,” he said. “I was hoping to be done with all of this this morning, and now everyone’s in danger once again…”

“Yurik,” chuckled Rarity, “we’ve all got you, Walt, the Guardiaboliques, and the rest of us here.”

“I doubt anyone’s going to beat those odds,” Applejack added.

“We just have to be even stronger than them!” Pinkie Pie joked. “Get it?” she then whispered to Fluttershy, who could only shrug confusedly.

“Yurik,” Twilight summarized, “you don’t need to be afraid for our sake. We can all manage whatever comes against us. We always have.”

Yurik smiled, feeling strengthened by the reinforcement of his friends.

“Like I said,” Yurik spoke, a light smile on his face, “please forgive me…”

Yurik grabbed his minced meat from his plate hand held his balled hand behind him, letting out a calling whistle. The feet of Clark’s pitbull came towards the table, and once the dog reached Yurik’s hand, he began licking the bottom of the fist, trying to squeeze his tongue inside. Yurik rolled his hand over and presented his meat, allowing the dog lick Yurik’s hand clean, much to Clark’s amusement.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunset Shimmer sat in a wide, comfortable position on Celestia’s throne, watching the night sky with the room lit by lit torches along the walls. Suddenly her vision went wide, as if she had heard something. Understanding it, she clenched her hands, making them glow slightly. Suddenly, in a luminous, graceful flash, Lee appeared in the room with five other people. Three of them appeared to be teenagers: two males and a female.

The first male appeared to be a slender Indian wearing a dark-purple polo and blue jeans. A KA-BAR knife was affixed to the side of his hip via a sheath. The other male looked arguably in his early twenties, appearing muscular and mature with short brown hair, wearing a Chicago Blackhawks jersey with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, as well as black pants. The female had medium blonde-hair and wore a grey-blouse with an enlarged hole for the neck that uncovered her shoulder, along with tight khaki pants.

“Whoa,” the Indian man said, his eyes flickering with reptilian features. “So this is Equestria, huh? Not bad. Not bad…”

The other two people appeared much older. The first male appeared to be an eastern-European man with a porcelain mask on the left side of his face that appeared to mirror the features on the otherwise flawless right side. He appeared to be wearing an all-black shirt and vest outfit with a blood-red tie. The other male was the gruff bald man from the picture that Lee had found earlier that morning, wearing a dirty tank-top and baggy khaki pants. Both he and the man beside him looked oddly.

“And to think,” the masked man said in a noticeable accent, “I never thought I’d ever step foot on this world’s soil.”

The others continued to marvel about them as Sunset and Lee approached each other. Immediately, Lee’s arm went up, revealing a deck put into his hand.

“Let’s see how you did,” Sunset said, taking the deck.

Lee merely smirked as he watched Sunset cast the deck out into the grid looking over each card intently. With each new movement of her eyes, her jaw visibly dropped more and more, only making Lee’s smile even wider. By the time she was finished, the deck reformed into a single stack into her hand, which trembled with anticipation.

“This deck…” she muttered. “It’s perfect! Just where did you get it?”

“Let’s just say I had to knock some heads,” Lee responded nonchalantly. “The deck you hold in your hand is the only copy in existence, and there’s a good reason for it. Apparently, some rich guy paid top dollar to have a deck like this created, and now it’s yours, master.”

Sunset revealed a toothy smile, putting her hand upon Lee’s shoulder.

“You have done very well,” she said, “but let’s see if everything is correct here. Everyone!”

At once, the attentions of the three teenagers and older men darted directly at her, and with equal swiftness, they stood beside each other in a straight line.

“Very good,” Sunset complimented, facing the Indian teen on the very left side of the line. “You,” she said, “tell me your name and show me your card.”

The male stepped forwards and slipped a card out from his back pocket, showing a purple card.

“Zaid Pawar,” he reported.

Next in line was the female who stepped forwards with her card, a pendulum card.

“Erica Oakley,” she said.

In the center was the other male teen, stepping forwards to show Sunset an xyz monster.

“Cory Bramlett,” he spoke.

Stepping up after him was the masked man with another fusion monster card.

“Rikard Byrne,” he said

Finally, the bald man stepped up and back into line with the other four people, lifting his arm up to show a synchro monster card.

“Colin Faber,” he responded.

With everyone accounted for, Sunset huffed pleasantly, turning back to Lee.

“Congratulations,” she said, “you managed to not mess it up.”

“I do my best most of the time,” Lee quipped back.

Sunset turned back to face her newest recruits.

“Everyone,” she said, “stand behind me.”

As synchronized as an army, the five men and woman marched forwards, standing alongside Lee while Sunset was set before them facing the doors to the chamber.

“I must try this deck out,” she continued, smiling giddily and despicably, “and you’re all going to get a front row seat to its first run…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik lied on his bed, his head and his folded arms supporting his head. Taking a sigh, he put his arms to his side and snuggled his head further into the pillow, already closing his eyes to prepare for sleep. At that moment, a creaking door opened his eyes, and moving them down, he saw as Twilight entered his room and hopped onto his bed.

“Hey,” Twilight said, “you wouldn’t mind moving over, would you?”

“Huh?” Yurik mumbled. “Of course not.”

Scooting over to the right edge of his bed, Twilight walked up to the left, setting herself down to her shins and falling over, her back against Yurik’s side.

“Twilight,” Yurik gasped, “what are you–”

“Is it weird on your world for friends to sleep together?” she asked, not moving an inch from her spot.

“No, but you’re comfortable sleeping with me like this?

“Of course. Why else would I be here.”

Yurik smiled as he gently laid his arms  upon Twilight’s side, gently stroking the feathers of her wings. Twilight yawned as her wing flared open, allowing Yurik to massage the bar before she folded it back into her side.

“Goodnight, Yurik,” she said. “Have pleasant dreams.”

“Yeah,” Yurik said as his eyes drifted closed, “you too…”

In a matter of moments, Twilight and Yurik were completely still, their comfort allowing sleep to take its hold.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunset Shimmer held her arms out, allowing the six other humans behind her to marvel as her clothes transformed before them, changing from a cloak to a studded-leather jacket and an orange knee-length skirt with yellow and hot-pink stripes, along with knee-high boots with a bright-purple flame decal running up the center. Then, a device formed onto her wrist in a glow of light, fading away to reveal a small, silver-and-black mechanical box with a screen on its surface and a small slot above the top of the wrist.

In her right hand, a large, matching blade disk the size of an average Frisbee with a whole deck in one of its slots appeared. Along with two smaller empty slots beside the deck, a light screen appeared along the back half of the disk’s side.

“And away we go,” Sunset whispered, walking forwards.

Her hands began to glow as a black, smoky portal appeared before her. The other six humans watched as she walked into the portal, which closed behind her once she went fully inside.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight continued to sleep soundly in Yurik’s bed, but her eyes twitched underneath their lids…
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight opened her eyes, finding herself inside a large, cone-shaped rotunda made of royal-blue and purple crystals, lying on a golden circle with a white, crystal star in the shape of her cutie mark in the center. As she looked about her, she found seven thrones surrounding the golden disk, all but one of them having the cutie marks of her and her friends on the top of the backrests of each one.

“No,” Twilight whispered, “it can’t be…”

“Home sweet home, right?” Sunset Shimmer’s voice called.

Twilight jerked her head to see Sunset Shimmer standing with her back to a large window framed by the purple crystals rising from the floor.

“Ah!” Twilight screamed in shock. “Who are you?”

“My name is Sunset Shimmer,” she responded, “and I’d like to play a game with you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Huh? Sunset Shimmer?”

The alicorn continued scanning over the human girl before her, noting her features.

“You’re a human,” Twilight said. “Why do you have a pony name?”

“That’s not important right now. However, I have brought you here to duel me.”

“Duel? How can I duel you without a–”

As if her device itself was responding to her, Twilight felt a weight added to her left wrist, turning to see her duel disk and blade disk on her arm.

“You were saying?” Sunset replied.

“This has to be a dream,” reasoned Twilight.

“Trust me, this is no dream. This will be a nightmare for you.”

“Nightmare? You… You aren’t the cause of all of this, are you?”

Sunset only smirked as she held her own blade disk up.

“You’re not getting away with this!” Twilight shouted as she detached her blade disk from her duel disk with her magic. “I’ll stop you right here!”

“We’ll see about that!” yelled Sunset as she tossed her blade disk out.

Twilight hopped back behind the thrones and tossed her blade disk, hers and Sunset’s going around the other. Twilight’s duel disk stopped before her chest as the blades of light came out from both sides, forming into solid shapes with the outlined zones upon them.

Sunset’s blade disk stopped diagonally to the right of the left corner of Sunset’s fist, the deck facing diagonally down to the left. Then, a single, white-rimmed blade with a rounded triangular tip and seven zones on its surface appeared from the left end of the disk, forming solid like Twilight’s blades.

The decks in both duelists slots in their individual devices shuffled up, soon stopping afterwards.

“Connection complete,” a computerized voice spoke. “Twilight Sparkle vs. Sunset Shimmer.”

As the two of them drew fives cards from their decks, Twilight looked to Sunset’s duel disk once the life points appeared on the screen on the device on her wrist, noting its familiar design.

“Huh…” Twilight gasped. “That blade. It’s like…”

“Yes,” Sunset interrupted, “Keifer seemed to be useful to me, and then he managed to lose to you. But trust me, I don’t intend to be that disposable.”

“I’ll make you eat those words, you monster! Let’s go!”

“DUEL!” the two of them shouted.

================
Twilight:
LP: 4000

Sunset:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll take the first turn!” shouted Twilight, a single card glowing in her hand. “I normal summon the tuner monster Mechjic Radium!”

Twilight’s aura threw the card onto her blade, allowing a blue portal to open up and allowing a green android in a glowing green robe to appear from it and onto field in between two of the thrones.

Mechjic Radium
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 5

“A level 5 monster without any tributes?” wondered Sunset. “I’d like to know how you managed that.”

“I’m allowed to summon Mechjic Radium without tributes,” Twilight said, “but in exchange, I must decrease its level by up to four. I’ll decrease its level by 1.”

The monster shone again as a counter detailing its life-points appeared.

Lvl.: 5 -> 4

“Next,” Twilight said, another card in her hand glowing, “when I successfully normal summon a Mechjic monster, I can special summon this card from my hand! Appear! Mechjic Argon!”

Twilight slammed her card beside the other monster, and another blue portal of light spread out on the ground to allow a slender, purple-robed android to hop out from it.

Mechjic Argon
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 6

“When Mechjic Argon is summoned this way,” Twilight said, “it cannot be used as material for a synchro or xyz summon.”

“Synchro or xyz summon you say?” wondered Sunset. “That must mean…”

“I now activate the spell card Mechjic Fusion!”

Twilight threw her card into the slot on her duel disk upon her now outstretched arm, the card appearing on the field, showing two colorful android monsters melding together by streams of electricity.

“This card lets me target two Mechjic monsters who are on my field or in my pendulum zones that are listed as the fusion material monsters on a Mechjic fusion monster card and special summon it,” she further explained, “treating this special summon as a fusion summon!”

“Of course,” hissed Sunset.

“The monsters I choose are my Mechjic Radium and Mechjic Argon on the field!”

A black portal swirled into existence from behind Twilight, allowing both monsters to fly in, swirling into impossible length as their physical essences disappeared within. A bright light burst from the portal as a shape began to fly towards the exit.

“Fusion summon!” Twilight declared. “The ultimate future! Mechjic Platinum Cyber!”

Twilight’s gleaming-armored mechanical magician with the ornate scepter leapt out from the portal and stood before Sunset Shimmer defiantly.

Mechjic Platinum Cyber
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 10

“A level ten monster just like that?” wondered Sunset with a twinge of fear.

“Finally,” Twilight said, revealing another spell card with art of two atom-like structures above the shoulders of Mechjic Platinum Cyber, “I activate the spell card Chemic Convene.”

Twilight put the card into her duel disk, allowing the card to appear on the field for Sunset to see in better clarity.

“This card allows me to place two Chemic Counters on a monster I control,” Twilight clarified, “and so I place them on Mechjic Platinum Cyber!”

The entire chest portion of the monster’s armored glowed brightly, the monster underneath the armor flexing its pecs out as power ran through it.

Chemic Counters: 0 -> 2

Twilight took the last card from her hand and put it in her duel disk, which appeared as an enlarged-face down card behind her shining metal spellcaster.

“I place one card face down,” Twilight declared, “and end my turn!”

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

“Hmph,” Sunset huffed, feeling calmer about the situation. “Was that all? Perhaps this won’t be much of the challenge I had hoped for. My turn! Draw!”

Sunset looked to her card, smirking as she did. She then took her new card and another card from her hand and revealed both of them to Twilight, showing them to be pendulum cards, one of them having a yellow top.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 1 Qliphort Carrier and the scale 9 Qliphort Scout!” Sunset declared.

“Qliphort?” Twilight exclaimed. “What kind of deck is this?”

Sunset ignored her as she threw both of her monsters onto her pendulum zones. Two blue pillars appeared on both sides of Sunset’s field. In the pillar to her left was a massive white-and-orange aerial craft with a computerized ellipse-shaped structure in the front, featuring a green circular gem in its center and a blue and red gem to the left and right of it.

In the right pillar, a mechanical monster whose body appeared to be the ellipse-structure, complete with the red, blue and green gems in their exact places, along with six insect-like legs in the back, a metal prod pointing forwards from up and over its back, and a pointed silver platform beneath its body had appeared. Once both monsters had risen inside the pillars, a 1 and a 9 were put over the proper monsters.

Qliphort Carrier
Pendulum Scale: 1

Qliphort Scout
Pendulum Scale: 9

“Now,” Sunset Shimmer said, “I activate the effect of Qliphort Scout! By paying 800 life points…”

The green gem in the center of the machine’s body, along with Sunset’s own body, began to glow brightly, the latter groaning with pain as life was taken from her.

Sunset’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3200

“…I can add one card with “Qli” in its name from my deck to my hand.”

After a quick automated shuffling, a card ejected from the top Sunset Shimmer’s deck, and upon taking it, she showed the card to Twilight, which was an equip-spell card showing art of eight orbs flying from the decayed armor of a monster and towards a massive flying tree with a giant mechanical board beneath it.

“The card I choose is the spell card Saqlifice,” she said, adding it into her hand.

Just then, the sky outside from the window began to turn a dark blue, much to Twilight’s apprehension.

“And now,” stated Sunset, “with my two cards in my pendulum zones, I can special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 2 through 8. Pendulum summon!”

Sunset removed one card from her hand and threw it upon her center monster zone. While no portal was visible outside, a beam crashed from the room’s ceiling, shattering it and the walls around Sunset and Twilight.

Twilight screamed as she covered herself from the loose debris, the larger chunks falling down to the ground around the area. Once Twilight opened her eyes, she was greeted to a horrifying sight.

“Appear!” shouted Sunset. “Qliphort Helix!”

The monster that had appeared behind Sunset was a long mechanical ship whose body was two metal spirals, one silver and one gold that sparked with energy. Supported on the front-top end of the spiral was what appeared to be Qliphort Scout without its six side appendages and an orange center gem.

Qliphort Helix
ATK: 2400
Lvl.: 6

“No…” muttered Twilight with quivering eyes. “That monster… it’s enormous!”

Twilight suddenly heard screaming behind Sunset, and as she looked around, she found ponies running for their lives through a rural-esque town of straw-roofed buildings as they saw the massive alien ship float in the sky. She seemed to be eyeing many in particular, including a trio of fillies: a yellow-earth pony, a white unicorn, and an orange pegasus speeding away on a blue scooter, as well as a lanky yellow earth stallion and a portly blue mare. Twilight’s voice quivered as she saw them all flee.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight squirmed madly in Yurik’s bed, bumping into him. As Yurik groggily got up, he looked to the alicorn, noting her profuse sweating in her coat and her fearfully contorted face as she grunted and wept.

“Twilight?” wondered Yurik.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight continued watching the ponies fleeing, tears coming to her eyes.

“This isn’t a dream, is it?” she wondered.

“More like a wide-awake nightmare,” responded Sunset, bringing Twilight’s attention back, “but trust me when I say that your terrors are only beginning! When Qliphort Helix is special summoned, its ATK becomes 1800 and its level becomes 4.”

The sparking inside the structure of the ship clearly began to die down, the lights inside the gems on the ellipse structure softening their glow.

ATK: 2400 -> 1800
Lvl.: 6 -> 4

“However,” added Sunset, “the pendulum effect of Qliphort Carrier increases my Qliphort monsters’ ATKs by an extra 300.”

A visibly heavier charge began to flicker inside the structure of the ship

ATK: 1800 -> 2100

“I don’t understand!” shouted Twilight. “Why would you summon a monster weaker than mine only for it to get weaker?”

“Because that was never my intent!” Sunset Shimmer replied, taking a card from her hand. “I now equip Qliphort Helix with the equip spell card Saqlifice!”

Putting the card into the slot facing her vertically, the recently added card appeared on the field, shining bright as it became active.

“This card increases my monster’s ATK by yet another 300 and prevents its destruction by battle,” Sunset explained.

The monster’s sparking seemed to restore itself to full power as a bright sheen went across the ship’s surface.

ATK: 2100 -> 2400

“However,” she continued, “my monster won’t be staying around long. A monster equipped with Saqlifice can be treated as two tributes for the tribute summon of a Qli monster!”

“What?” Twilight exclaimed. “No way!”

“I now tribute my Qliphort Helix!”

Sunset Shimmer removed her monster from her field and placed it into the slot on the wrist device. She then took a card from her hand and held it up triumphantly.

“Descend!” she shouted, throwing the card onto the now vacant zone. “Qliphort Disk!”

Qliphort Helix glowed into a bright light until it began to morph into a much rounder shape, a violent mechanical whirring accompanying it. The light faded to reveal a new spaceship-like monster in the previous one’s wake.

The monster behind Sunset was about as large and wide as the area on which she and Twilight stood, and it appeared to be a green and blue flying saucer with points at each quarter and hints of yellow and red in the front while the back faded to purple. In the center between two grey half-circles was the ellipse shape glowing brightly blue. The bottom also appeared to have round, pointed appendages aimed at Twilight.

Qliphort Disk
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 7

“Also,” Sunset Shimmer added, “when Saqlifice is sent to the graveyard from the field, I can add one Qli monster from my deck to my hand.”

Sunset’s deck shuffled up, allowing a card to slide out from the top once it had stopped. Taking the card out, Sunset revealed it to show her opponent a second copy of her normal pendulum monster.

“I add another Qliphort Scout to my hand,” she said, putting it in with the other cards that she held on to.

“What is going on?” Twilight sighed, her voice trembling.

“And thanks to Qliphort Carrier’s pendulum effect,” Sunset Shimmer reminded, “my monster gains an extra 300 ATK, making it stronger than your monster!”

The blue shimmering inside the ellipse grew even brighter

ATK: 2800 -> 3100

“Oh no…” Twilight said.

“I’m not done!” shouted Sunset. “Now the effect of Qliphort Disk activates. When this monster is tribute summoned by tributing a Qli monster, I can special summon two more Qli monsters straight from my deck!”

The grey designs on the top of Qliphort Disk slowly flipped open, allowing two lights to rise out from it and take a place on both sides of the ship. At that moment, two cards ejected out from Sunset’s deck. Upon taking them, she placed them on her zones beside her Qliphort Disk card in a single swipe. Just then, the lights began to grow out, the metallic whirring returning.

“I special summon Qliphort Alias and Qliphort Shell!” Sunset cried out.

The lights finally took their shapes, fading away to reveal their forms. On Qliphort Disk’s right was a ship made almost entirely of crystal save for the jeweled ellipse at the center of the diamond-shaped body, along with the half-ovular wings. To Qliphort Disk’s left was a giant, grey, conch shell-shaped ship with large spikes running along its edges and the trademark ellipse inside the hole of the shell.

Qliphort Alias
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 8

Qliphort Shell
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 8

“No way…” Twilight whimpered. “Two more monsters…”

Suddenly, she seemed to realize something as she adopted an angry scowl.

“However,” Twilight said, “because they were special summoned, their ATKs and Levels are reduced, right?”

Sure enough, the lights of the mechanical monstrosities began to power down, visibly weakening.

Qliphort Alias
ATK: 2800 -> 1800
Lvl.: 8 -> 4

Qliphort Shell
ATK: 2800 -> 1800
Lvl.: 8 -> 4

“Yes,” Sunset growled, “but don’t forget that Qliphort Carrier’s pendulum effect raises their ATK as well!”

Lights within each monster, especially in the ellipse structure, began to glow once again.

Qliphort Alias
ATK: 1800 -> 2100

Qliphort Shell
ATK: 1800 -> 2100

Twilight hissed loudly, both angered and frightened by the power Sunset’s deck possessed.

“Hmm,” Sunset thought aloud in reflection, “I suppose a first turn kill isn’t the worst I could have done… Battle!” she commanded with a point of her finger. “Qliphort Disk, attack Mechjic Platinum Cyber! Apathy Laser!”

The pointed appendages below the ship began to glow before they shot two thin lasers out at Twilight’s monster. The lasers pierced straight through the android, burning to holes in its chest and out on its back before the monster exploded in a vicious maelstrom of fire and machinery. Twilight shielded her face from the blast, but it was strong enough to make her scream as the hot pieces of metal slashed at her.

Twilight’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3900
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight screamed as she continued writhing in Yurik’s bed. Yurik clenched his hair and breathed hard, scared for the safety of his friend. Mounting her waist, he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook hard hoping to wake her.

“Twilight!” screamed Yurik. “Twilight! Wake up!”

“What the hell is going on?” wondered Walt, jumping into the room with Rainbow Dash beside him.

“I don’t know!” Yurik shouted. “She won’t wake up!”

Rainbow Dash looked nervously at Walt, watching almost helplessly as Twilight continued to weep and cry in bed.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight stood herself up, sporting a furious scowl.

“When Mechjic Platinum Cyber is destroyed while it has Chemic Counters,” explained Twilight as her horn and her deck began to glow with light, “I can draw cards from my deck equal to the number of counters, so I draw two cards!”

Sunset watched with disappointment as Twilight drew her two cards, holding them up to her face with her magic.

“So instead of using your monster’s effect to special summon a Mechjic monster from your deck,” she asked, “you decided to draw more cards?”

Twilight hissed in contempt. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Sunset said. “Whether you draw cards or not, it will be your funeral. Qliphort Alias, attack Twilight directly! Doom Disconnect!”

Two cannons appeared from the front ends of the aircraft’s wings, directing themselves at Twilight. Both cannons fired, the right one shooting a red beam while the left shot a blue beam. The two beams swirled around each other until it became a singular burst of energy. The blast struck the ground before Twilight, throwing her and shards of the crystal from the shattered floor and thrones. Twilight screamed as she was sent backwards.

Twilight’s Life Points: 3900 -> 1800
_________________________________________________________________________________________

As Yurik tried carrying Twilight through the Faber’s hallways, Twilight shrieked and arched her back, throwing both Yurik and her to the floor. Yurik quickly stood to his feet, hoisting Twilight up by her arms. Walt ran up right behind, grabbing her legs.

“This might be easier if I help you,” he said to Yurik.

Rainbow Dash slipped around Yurik and Walt and made it to the bathroom door, opening it so Yurik and Walt could enter. Once they waddled inside, Bette and Clark appeared from her bedroom with Spike and Rarity while Evey came out from her bedroom across the way with Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy.

“What is going on?” Bette loudly wondered.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight’s back crashed into the back wall, which still managed to stand against Sunset Shimmer’s attacks. She woozily got back to her hooves, mustering the strength to face her enemy.

“This will end it,” Sunset said. “Now, Qliphort Shell, attack Twilight directly! Spiteful Spear!”

The gem in the ellipse structure glowed brightly before it shot out a triangular burst of energy, hurling straight towards Twilight.

“I activate my trap,” Twilight shouted, “Mechjic Melee!”

Twilight’s card flipped up, showing art of a green-glowing robed android deflecting a fiery explosion with the end of its brightly glowing staff.

“When my life points would become 0 from battle with another opponent’s monster,” she explained, “I can increase my life points by 500 before damage calculation!”

A blue ring formed beneath and around Twilight, a wispy energy seeping from it and covering Twilight’s body.

Twilight’s Life Points: 1800 -> 2300

“With this,” Twilight shouted, “I’ll still have enough!”

The spear struck Twilight, forcing her against the wall of the palace as it broke away. Twilight tried to fight, but it was no use, the pain too fierce to resist wailing.

Twilight’s Life Points: 2300 -> 200
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Walt felt the water filling inside his tub as Yurik and Rainbow Dash continued tending to Twilight, who let out another scream and a painful contortion of her body.

“How much longer!” shouted Yurik.

“We need to fill the tub to submerge her!” he responded. “If this doesn’t wake her, I don’t know what will!”

“I think you’ve been watching Inception too much.”

“Hey, you want to beat her to a pulp until she finally wakes up, be my god-damned guest!”

Yurik refused to answer, only continuing to push and shove Twilight, much to the horror of the humans, ponies, and dragon outside.

“Hang in there, Twilight,” spoke Rainbow Dash, “we’re here for ya.’”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight panted heavily as she rocked onto her four hooves, woozily walking back towards the field. Behind her, the remainder of the wall of what used to be the throne room crumbled away, tumbling down to the ground below.

“Also,” Twilight breathed, “with Mechjic Melee’s effect, if I took at least 3000 points of damage this turn, I can draw two cards.”

Sunset watched apathetically as Twilight’s magic grabbed two more cards from her deck and added them to her floating hand.

“Lastly,” she continued, “during my next standby phase, I can special summon one Mechjic monster from my graveyard.”

Sunset refused to react to this. Twilight looked around at the surroundings of the place, seeing as all of the thrones were completely destroyed, reduced to nothing more than spikes piercing up from the ground. Twilight bit her lip, resisting the urge to cry.

“So you managed to escape with your life this turn,” Sunset responded, “but you better defeat me soon, Twilight Sparkle, because next turn will be even worse for you. I place one card face down.”

Sunset put her card inside the blade disk, allowing the digital, larger version to appear before her on her field.

“During my end phase,” Sunset responded, “the monsters special summoned by Qliphort Disk’s effect are destroyed.”

“What?” Twilight exclaimed.

Qliphort Alias and Qliphort Shell glowed brightly before they exploded, sending parts showering down onto the town surrounding their field, destroying many homes in the process. Sunset stared directly at Twilight as she put her finished monster cards into the slot of the device on her wrist.

“I end my turn,” she said.

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 3200    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 2    Pendulum Scale: 2 – 8    Spells/Traps: 1

Twilight looked around at the carnage caused by Sunset’s monsters, unable to keep her tears from flowing. Sunset reveled in Twilight’s despair, refusing to watch the destruction of the town and focusing on Twilight.

The purple alicorn could no longer stand it. With a shriek, she charged her horn and let out a powerful blast at Sunset. Refusing to move, the magical energy bounced off the air in several violent bolts, an interconnected design of ten circles appearing where the attack failed.

“That won’t work here,” Sunset said. “The only way you’re defeating me is through this duel.”

“You’ll pay for this!” shouted Twilight. “You hear me?! YOU’LL PAY!! My turn! DRAW!!”

Twilight stood on her hind legs and pointed her hoof up.

“During my standby phase,” declared Twilight, “I can special summon a Mechjic monster from my graveyard with Mechjic Melee’s effect! Now, return! Mechjic Platinum Cyber!”

A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, the energy drawing to a point just above the floor, forming into the gleaming-armored android from before.

Mechjic Platinum Cyber
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 10

Twilight kept up her grimace, picking up a card from her hand and revealing it to Sunset: a pendulum monster.

“I place Mechjic Helium on my pendulum zone!” she declared.

With a swiping motion of her magic, Twilight placed the card onto her leftmost zone. A blue pillar rose up on the left side of Twilight’s field, and with it, a green-android with a red scepter.

Mechjic Helium
Pendulum Scale: 4

“I now use the pendulum effect of Mechjic Helium,” she declared, “allowing me to normal summon a Mechjic monster with one less tribute than necessary.”

“Oh?” Sunset cooed, slightly impressed.

“I normal summon Mechjic Neon!” she shouted.

Twilight placed her monster upon the zone beside her fusion monster, and from the blue portal that formed beside it, an android with red glowing armor, a green-glowing cloak, and a purple-glowing staff appeared.

Mechjic Neon
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 5

“Next,” Twilight shouted, “I activate the spell card Half Life!”

Twilight threw her card into her duel disk, a spell card appearing before Sunset showing art of a Mechjic monster with the left half of its body casted in impenetrable shadow.

“This card allows me to summon a Mechjic monster from my hand,” she clarified, “though its ATK and its level will be halved, rounding to the lowest numbers if either number is an odd value.”

Twilight removed a card from her hand and raised it up, preparing to use it.

“I now summon the tuner monster Mechjic Silicon!”

Twilight placed the card beside Mechjic Neon, and the monster, a robotic humanoid with a shiny staff, armor, and a white staff, appeared from the subsequent blue portal.

Mechjic Silicon
ATK: 2000 -> 1000
Lvl.: 5 -> 2

“A tuner?” wondered Sunset to herself. “Is she going for that now?”

“Next,” cried Twilight, “I tune my level 5 Mechjic Neon with my level 2 Mechjic Silicon!”

Mechjic Silicon leapt up, glowing brightly before its body transformed into two green rings. Mechjic Neon flew up into the rings as they aligned, its body transforming into an orange outline with five bright stars inside of it. The outline faded away while the stars aligned together before a thin beam of light pierced the stars and spread out past the edge of the circles.

“Synchro summon!” Twilight shouted. “Appear! Mechjic Gold Cyber!”

The large beam burst away, allowing Twilight’s gold armored and gold-staffed magician to appear from it, landing beside Mechjic Platinum Cyber.

Mechjic Gold Cyber
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 7

“A fusion and a synchro user?” Sunset thought aloud. “Very interesting.”

“Also,” Twilight added, “when Mechjic Gold Cyber is synchro summoned, I draw one card for all other spellcaster-type monsters I control.”

Sunset huffed as she watched her opponent draw her card.

“That was an impressive chain of summons,” she exclaimed, “but none of your monsters are stronger than my Qliphort Disk.”

“I wonder about that,” Twilight responded.

“What was that?”

“I activate the continuous spell card Automic!”

Twilight removed the older card from her hand and placed it inside her duel disk. A card appeared on the field showing two Mechjic monsters with their arms held out, electrons flying around them and leaving tails like atoms.

“While I control two Mechjic monsters,” she explained, “this card increases the ATK of all Mechjic monsters I control by 500!”

Both Platinum Cyber and Gold Cyber began to radiate with energy, growling loudly as they felt their strength increasing.

Mechjic Platinum Cyber
ATK: 3000 -> 3500

Mechjic Gold Cyber
ATK: 2800 -> 3300

“And now both of them are stronger than your monster!” declared Twilight. “With these next series of attacks, I will defeat you! Battle! Mechjic Platinum Cyber, attack Qliphort Disk!”

Pointing its scepter at the giant ship, Mechjic Platinum Cyber shot a silvery beam from its weapon which pierced through the ships body, causing it to explode rapidly, the ship falling down towards the earth. Sunset hissed as she saw her monster reduced to rubble.

“I activate my trap,” shouted Sunset, “Qliphoberon!”

A card flipped up to show art of the flying tree with the mechanical base high in the sky, three illuminated Qliphort Shells floating in front of it.

“When a Qliphort monster I control is targeted for attack,” she exclaimed, “I can destroy one Qliphort monster in my pendulum zone and discard one Qliphort monster from my hand!”

In two quick movements of her right hand, Sunset removed her Qliphort Scout from the field and put it in her wrist device, then grabbing a card in her left hand, an extra copy of Qliphort Shell, before sliding it into the side slot to the right of the deck in her blade disk.

“I destroy my Qliphort Scout and discard my Qliphort Shell!” she proclaimed.

The Qliphort Disk on Sunset’s field lit up brightly before it exploded, much to Twilight’s shock.

“But why?” questioned Twilight. “Why would you destroy your own monster?”

“So now when I would take damage from that battle,” Sunset answered, “I instead gain life points equal to the damage I would have taken.”

Twilight gasped loudly as she watched the destroyed Qliphort Disk as it collided with the ground, the entire body suddenly becoming liquid as it bounced up and spun around Sunset, making a soft light emanate from her.

Sunset’s Life Points: 3200 -> 3600

Twilight hissed in frustration, but did not appear deterred.

“But you aren’t going to escape this!” she cried out. “Mechjic Gold Cyber, attack Sunset directly! Amazing Updraft!”

Pointing its scepter at Sunset, a golden tornado shot out from its end, blowing straight into Sunset’s body. As much as she tried to weather it, she found herself hurled back by the blast, grunting with apprehension once her feet left the ground. She landed onto the floor and tumbled down to the edge of the ruined palace room, stopping just before her body could go over.

Sunset’s Life Points: 3600 -> 300

That’s it, planned Twilight. Even though you have another Scout in your hand, you don’t have enough life points to use its effect. And while you have plenty of pendulum monsters to summon next turn, you won’t be able to touch my life points once I activate this.

Twilight looked to the final card in her hand: a trap showing art of a pair of fiend-like monsters being sucked into a black hole that was cast by a Mechjic monster.

Mechjic Prison, she read. When your opponent declares an attack while you control a Mechjic monster, banish all face-up monsters your opponent controls. No matter what tricks you try to pull, Sunset, I will be ready to stop them.

She floated the card from her face and into her spell and trap slot, the face-down card appearing on the field beside her spell card.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” she declared.

Status: Hand: 0    Life: 200    Monsters: 2    Pendulum Zones: 1    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

Sunset weakly got up to her feet, sporting an angry face to the steadfast and enraged Twilight.

“You certainly are a strong opponent,” Sunset groaned. “It certainly makes sense as to why Celestia would choose you to replace me.”

“Replace you?” wondered Twilight, her face then lighting up with terror. “You don’t mean–?”

“With this next draw,” she said, “we will see who among us was the better apprentice!”

“No… It can’t be…”

“My turn!” Sunset declared, her fingers upon her deck. “DRAW!”

She looked to her hand, a level 10 non-pendulum monster inside of it.

“And just like that,” Sunset spoke, “I have spelled your doom.”

“What?” Twilight stammered. “What do you mean?”

“I place my Qliphort Scout upon my pendulum scale!”

Taking one of the two cards from her hand, she placed it upon her rightmost zone. A blue pillar formed alongside Sunset’s field, and rising up from it was the ellipse mechanism with the sliver platform and the six metal legs. With both scales filled, a 1 and a 9 appeared over Qliphort Carrier and Qliphort Scout as the sky above turned dark blue with the massive star design appearing as well.

Qliphort Scout
Pendulum Scale: 9

“Your life points are only at 300, Sunset,” said Twilight. “You no longer have enough life points to use your monster's pendulum effect.”

“I know full well,” Sunset replied, “but I no longer need it to defeat you. Now, I can special summon monsters from my hand and face-up extra deck whose levels are 2 through 8! Pendulum summon!”

Three cards ejected from Sunset’s wrist device. Taking them all, she swiped them over her blade, placing them all on her monster zones. A red portal opened up in the sky beneath the star, allowing three orange auras to come pouring out from it. The auras burst away to reveal Sunset’s monsters.

“Return!” Sunset called. “Qliphort Helix! Qliphort Shell! Qliphort Scout!”

Sure enough, the spiral-shaped ship, the giant mechanical conch shell, and the ellipse mechanism were all on the field once again.

Qliphort Helix
ATK: 2400
Lvl.: 6

Qliphort Shell
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 8

Qliphort Scout
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 5

Twilight scowled, but appeared confident before her opponent.

“Too bad your monster’s ATKs and levels will go down,” Twilight said.

Both Qliphort Helix and Qliphort Shell began to power down, the sparks of Helix and the lights inside Shell dying.

Qliphort Helix
ATK: 2400 -> 1800
Lvl.: 6 -> 4

Qliphort Shell
ATK: 2800 -> 1800
Lvl.: 8 -> 4

“And my Carrier’s pendulum effect increases all of their ATKs,” reminded Sunset.

The energy of the two monsters began to grow, the sparking of Helix increasing while the lights of Shell turning up. The gems inside the ellipse design of Qliphort Scout also turned up brighter.

Qliphort Helix
ATK: 1800 -> 2100

Qliphort Shell
ATK: 1800 -> 2100

Qliphort Scout
ATK: 1000 -> 1300

“However,” Sunset said, “these monsters will not be staying.”

“What was that?” asked Twilight.

“If you thought this was as bad as my deck got, then clearly you’ve grossly underestimated me. Now, I will bring out the card that will end you.”

“Huh…?”

“I now tribute my Qliphort Helix, Qliphort Scout, and Qliphort Shell!”

Sunset removed all cards from her blade in a single wave of her hand. Then, all three monsters floating behind her morphed into white balls of light with black currents of electricity running through them.

“The castle of my kingdom will now come into creation!” chanted Sunset. “It will become the bastion of my strength and the bane to all that dare oppose it’s massive might!”

The orbs spun up into the air before they melded as one. Sunset then took the last card from her hand and threw it upon her center zone. The sphere burst bright, forming four massive legs that descended down just above the ground below and around Sunset and twilight. The sphere of the light extended up and out into a circular platform with a curved structure below it.

The light then burst off of the monster like shattered glass, revealing an ebony and silver colored fortress, the backs of the legs rotating around the field, the inner center, and the ellipse mechanism and tip on the lower pillar surging with rainbow-colored energy.

ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 10

“Oh…” wept Twilight with fear, “my god.”

Just then, Twilight’s monsters became covered with a black aura that made them squirm with agony as the energy weakened them.

Mechjic Platinum Cyber
ATK: 3500 -> 3000

Mechjic Gold Cyber
ATK: 3300 -> 2800

“What?” gasped Twilight. “What’s going on?”

“All special summoned monsters lose 500 ATK in the wake of my mighty fortress,” explained Sunset.

“No… no way.”

“Now, say farewell to the world as you knew it, Twilight Sparkle. Battle, my castle! Attack Mechjic Gold Cyber! Kingdom Crusher!”

The bottom end of the machine’s center tilted ever so slightly so that its tip was aimed right at Twilight below. Twilight tensed up as a laser began to charge at the point. She then let out a toothy sneer, looking to her trap.

“I activate my trap,” Twilight shouted, throwing her arm to her face-down card as it flipped up, “Mechjic Prison! When my monster declares an attack while I control a Mechjic monster, all face-up monsters my opponent controls are banished!”

A swirling black portal began to form underneath the machine’s cannon, spreading wider with each passing moment.

“Now you’re finished!” shouted Twilight.

“No,” Sunset said with nonchalance.

The cannon’s white beam with black sparks fired, blowing the portal away as if it were a mere smog, shocking Twilight greatly.

“Impossible!” screamed Twilight. “My trap should have banished your monster!”

“Too bad for you,” responded Sunset. “When my monster is normal summoned, it is unaffected by the effects of spell or trap cards.”

“Spells and traps? Oh no! That means… even the Elements won’t…”

The beam continued its rapid descent towards Twilight and her defenseless monsters.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik and Walt sat her up against the front edge of the filled tub, ready to let her fall.

“And you’re sure that water’s cold enough?” asked Yurik.

“It better be,” Walt said.

Yurik relaxed his grip, ready to let Twilight slip away.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight looked up at the oncoming beam, and with a frightened squeak, she cowered down with her arms over her head.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“GO!” instructed Walt.

Yurik and Walt let go, and Twilight began to fall backwards towards the water.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Before the beam could connect, Twilight gasped slightly, her hairs raising on end as she felt an odd sensation of weightlessness.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight’s body fell into the cold water, her body quickly submerging itself as the waves splashed over the rest of her, taking her fully under.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight then felt the cold sensation on her hooves and skin, and with a heavy gulp of air, her body vanished from the field as if her body had become an invisible dust that blew away.

“What?” gasped Sunset.

The beam struck the palace, vaporizing Twilight’s monsters and engulfing Sunset in the blast, reducing the rest of the crystal structure to rubble and debris.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight jolted up from the bath water, screaming and crying as she struggled to pull herself out of the tub. Yurik and Walt grabbed onto a hoof and pulled her out. As they gently laid her on the floor, Twilight curled into a ball, wailing uncontrollably.

“Twilight!” shouted Applejack. “What just happened?”

“And please tell me what you ate before bed so I don’t get those scary nightmares too,” added Pinkie Pie.

“Ponyville,” cried Twilight. “She destroyed it… along with our palace!”

“What?” the ponies and Spike all shouted.

“Who’s she?” Yurik asked. “Twilight, who did this to you?”

Twilight continued to bawl, her voice growing hoarse as she coughed water from her throat.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the Canterlot throne room, a black portal opened up before Lee and the other humans, Sunset Shimmer leaping out from it. Sunset tumbled to the floor along with her deactivated blade disk before her comrades. As she crawled to her knees, grasping her blade disk, Zaid crossed his arms in disappointment.

“What a jip,” he sighed. “After all that and we didn’t get to see the end.”

“No…” growled Sunset, “I won that duel. I will defeat her again, and this time, she won’t escape me.”

Standing to her feet and looking up to the ceiling with a vengeful squint, she clenched her teeth.

“We will meet again,” she muttered, “and I will win again… Twilight Sparkle…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik cradled Twilight with her head resting over his shoulder and rubbed her sopping wet back, appearing saddened by the sounds of Twilight’s sobs in his ear. The ponies, Spike, Walt, Evey, Bette, and Clark all stood around Yurik and Twilight, left with the mystery of just what happened to her.
> Episode 29: A Mentor's Message, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside the Faber kitchen, Bette watched the Keurig machine as it drew a steaming cup of coffee into a mug placed beneath its spout. At the kitchen table, Yurik, and Walt sat on the longer sides while Twilight sat at an end, her eyes red, bloodshot, and droopy. Once Bette came over with the coffee, placing it on the table and exiting the room, Applejack and Fluttershy came down the stairs, slowly walked towards Twilight.

“You feeling better, sugarcube?” asked Applejack.

“Better?” Twilight weakly responded, bringing her coffee to her lips with her flickering aura shaking the cup. “Ponyville is destroyed and is being taken over by Sunset Shimmer and Chrysalis, and you’re asking me if I’m feeling better?”

“Well,” Fluttershy said with uncertainty in her voice, “we were just talking with Clark and… and…”

“We all think that that nightmare you had was just that: a nightmare.”

Twilight jerked her head to Applejack and Fluttershy, her disheveled appearance and the clatter of her mug falling onto the table causing the latter to squeak with fear and hide behind Applejack. Yurik quickly grabbed some napkins from a holster upon the table, placing them upon the puddle of coffee that had spilled over.

“You weren’t even there!” Twilight hissed. “I saw them. I saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo run for their lives as those monstrosities of hers destroyed our palace and the rest of the town! I even saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and their foals weren’t even with them!”

“Okay,” Applejack huffed, “that has to be a nightmare. There’s no cotton-pickin’ way that they would up and abandon those foals like that.”

“I’ve never seen or heard of those monsters that Sunset used, and the damage I felt from their attacks were real! I swear on my life that what I was seeing and feeling was real!”

“Twilight,” spoke Walt, “listen, the second Yurik and I dried you off, I called Kieran and asked him to investigate. He’s sending a satellite to check for any damages to the town.”

“Yeah,” Yurik attested, “and we’ll be going over to the factory to get everyone else their decks and duel disks anyways. So, not only will we be prepared to fight back, but you can even see the results for yourself.”

“Besides,” Applejack reasoned, “she could just be trying to lure all of us into a trap.”

“A trap?” Twilight wondered.

“Well, yeah! She makes you see all this doom and gloom, we rush over to try and stop her, and then she just up and blindsides us just like that!”

“And while we sit here talking,” Twilight spat, “she and Chrysalis and whoever else is working for her probably has your sister and is doing horrible things to her!”

“Twilight, get a hold of yourself! She might be pulling you in hook, line, and sinker, but I’m not biting until I’m one-hundred percent sure!”

“And what if I’m one-hundred percent sure? I was actually there!”

“You don’t know that!”

“Girls!” Yurik barked. “Stop! Applejack, please, Twilight’s still very traumatized. Quit being so hard on her. But… Twilight, try and consider what Applejack is saying. It hasn’t been confirmed that what you experienced last night was real.”

“I need someone to confirm what’s real or not to me now?” moaned Twilight. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“Twilight, is there any kind of chance that this Sunset Shimmer has the ability to manipulate your dreams?”

“There… there is, but don’t you dare interpret that as the conclusive answer. The only pony known to enter a pony’s dreams and make them as real as they did was Princess Luna. For a human… or a pony… or whatever she is to be able to have such a power… it’s… its just unfathomable!”

Yurik leaned forwards and put his hand upon Twilight’s shoulder consolingly.

“Twilight,” Yurik said, “don’t forget, my Twilight Alicorn was able to conjure your entire planet here. If a single card can hold so much power, then why couldn’t she?”

Twilight looked down, unable to find an answer no matter how hard she tried to think of one.

“Twilight,” said Walt, also putting his hand down on the opposite shoulder, “we’ll get everything confirmed once we get to the factory. I’m also sure Kieran and everyone else would really like to learn as much as you know.”

“Suppose Ponyville ends up being just fine,” said Applejack. “Then you’ll have worried for nothing.”

“Well,” Walt added, “she certainly isn’t worried about nothing…”

Twilight looked around at her friends with as appreciative of a smile as she could muster. Resting her head back down, she hid a frown away from them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik, Walt, Alice, the ponies, Spike sat inside the control balcony above the dueling chamber while Kieran sat before the computer along the window, browsing through pages showing a group of pendulum monster cards, the machines on the artwork, resembling the cards that Sunset had used.

“Twilight,” Kieran asked, pressing the enter key and allowing a hologram of the screen to appear to her, “are these the monsters you talked about?”

“Y- Yes!” shouted Twilight. “How did you find them?”

“You might not have heard of these cards,” Kieran said, “because they were meant to be someone else’s.”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “What does that mean?”

“Apparently,” he continued, moving and clicking his mouse around so more pages of articles and images appeared before the people and ponies behind him, “the deck was created privately for a professional duelist named Rich Kowalski. However, it was stolen last night from the factory that created it, and Rich had posted the images of his cards so that if anyone uses the cards, they’ll find the culprit.”

“Too bad they’ll never be able to reach her,” concluded Walt.

“If the description of the monster that nearly defeated you is any indicator, this must be it…”

Kieran made another scroll and a click on an image of an effect monster card with art of the massive, four-legged fortress, making Twilight shiver with fear.

“Apolqliphort Towers,” Kieran read. “If this card is Normal Summoned/Set, it is unaffected by Spell/Trap effects and by activated effects from any monster whose original Level/Rank is lower than this card's current Level.”

“Unaffected by spells and traps?” Yurik gasped. “But that means…”

“Yes,” Alice responded, “this asshat just inadvertently created the perfect defense against the Elements of Harmony for her.”

“That’s crazy!” Applejack shouted. “There’s no way a card like that should exist!”

“Do not fret,” Kieran said. “There are still many ways to combat a card such as this. No card is completely invincible, and this one is no exception.”

Kieran stood up from his chair, walking forwards to the ponies and Spike.

“Ponies,” he said, “go to Donald and allow him to get you prepped for your duel disks and decks.”

“But how’s that gonna’ to work?” asked Pinkie Pie, clopping her hooves together. “How are supposed to hold cards without no hands to hold them?”

Kieran smirked.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Well,” Donald proudly replied, swiveling around in an office chair in a small lab to reveal a sleek, nylon sock that matched the color of Pinkie Pie’s coat, “I’m glad you asked.”

Yurik, Walt, Spike, and the ponies looked oddly at the sleeve, Twilight especially.

“But wait a second,” she said, “isn’t this just like my own sleeves?”

“Not quite.” Donald responded. “Unlike your sleeves which allow you to use your tablet, there are a few more… added features to this one.”

“Such as…?” pressed Rarity, genuinely interested.

“Well, Pinkie, may you give me your arm?”

“Sure thing!” she chirped, reaching out to him. “Just be sure to give it back!”

Donald chuckled as he tenderly put his hand around her hoof and shin. As he pulled towards him to bring her closer, an odd popping sound was heard. Once everyone turned to see, Pinkie Pie’s right arm was replaced by a small hole of tucked in skin. The entire group minus Pinkie was stunned and frightened by this, but no more than Donald, who dropped the arm to the ground with a yelp, the prosthetic limb clattering like plastic to the floor.

“Gets them every time!” laughed Pinkie Pie, her arm sliding out from the socket like an inflating balloon.

Donald stared down and back up at Pinkie Pie’s fake arm and her real one, then finally back at the pink pony’s wide smile.

“Pinkie,” instructed Rainbow Dash, “just let him put that thing on you and quit horsing around!”

“Hmm,” Donald shuddered as she grabbed the pony’s hoof, “they’re both comedians…”

Pinkie Pie stood obediently still as Donald carefully slipped the sleeve onto her, patting the sides for good measure.

“Sorry,” spoke Applejack, “but can you tell us what this thing does?”

“Why not see for yourself?” Donald asked, pulling a Duel Monsters card from his pocket and setting it down on the table. “Now, Pinkie, with your hoof, I’d like you to pick up that card.”

Yurik, Walt, Spike, and the ponies looked at Donald as if he were mad. Pinkie Pie blew a raspberry through the corner of her mouth, reaching down at the card.

“Alrighty,” Pinkie Pie said condescendingly, putting the hoof down on the card, “I know I pulled a fast one on you, but you can’t fool me twice… or something like that. I mean, tell me…”

Pinkie Pie lifted her hoof up and stuck it in front of Donald’s face, making the others behind her let out a small gasp.

“…do you think that there’s going to be card on my hoof!”

“Why,” Donald said with a victorious grin, “yes. In fact, there’s one on it right now.”

Pinkie Pie looked to her hooves, smiling dumbly at the card stuck on her hoof as if she saw nothing there. Upon the sudden realization that there really was something there, she flicked her arm with a shrill cry, sending the card flying at Donald, which he caught with an eye blink’s speed.

“Pretty incredible, huh?” he asked.

“How did she do that?” gasped Walt. “What’s in that sleeve?”

“Numerous neural sensors all inside the sleeve’s lining,” he explained. “Signals were sent from the brain to the sensors in the sleeve that activated it. When Pinkie went to pick up the card, the sleeves began to charge with a static electricity that allowed the card to cling to the bottom of your hoof, allowing you to hold onto it like a human would with hands. When you got scared and threw the card at me, the signals in your brain told you to let it go, which you did. And there you go, your hoof functions like a hand now!”

“Well…” Twilight said, failing to hide her impression, “that’s... actually very good, Donald.”

“But wait,” Yurik asked, “these ponies are going to have their hooves on the ground most of the time. Wont the cards get ruined if they have to hold them like that?”

“Normally,” Donald said, “yes, but I thought around that as well, so check this out.”

Donald placed the card back on the table while fishing into his left pocket, pulling out a retracted switchblade. Flipping it open, he held the card down with the tip of the knife on the table’s surface. With a quick swipe, the others gasped as the blade ran over the knife. Donald then picked the card back up and tossed it to Yurik.

“See?” he asked Yurik as he caught it. “Not a scratch.”

Much to Yurik’s surprise, the card was completely spotless with no signs of damage.

“What’s this now?” he asked.

“It’s a special lamination that I created. It’s very thin and practically unnoticeable, but it’s resistant to tearing, scratching, water, and yes, cutting.”

Yurik tossed the card back to Donald, putting his fists to his hips in defeat.

“Well,” Yurik breathed, “that takes care of that.”

“Now come on,” urged Donald, “let’s go shopping for decks. If we hurry, you might be able to get a duel in before lunch.”

Donald stood out from his chair and walked to the exit door, glancing to Yurik and Walt.

“I think you should help them,” he suggested. “Might help speed up the process if you do.”

As Donald walked out from the room with the ponies and Spike following him, Yurik and Walt gave him a shrug before being led by the ponies.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunset Shimmer sat exhaustedly upon her throne, fanning through her deck with careful consideration. Just then, Chrysalis came in through the entrance doors, which opened by a green aura that matched the one on her horn.

“Chrysalis,” Sunset greeted emotionlessly. “Where have you been all this time?”

“Cloudsdale and Manehattan have both finally surrendered,” she said. “Have you gotten the others yet?”

“Yes,” she responded, standing up. “I’ve sent them back home, and they are currently awaiting their targets. According to Cory, one of the new recruits, he tried seeing if Yurik or Walt were home, but their mother said that they were away, probably back at the factory hideout.”

“Do you think it will be enough? The ponies have the Elements of Harmony back with them and could easily defeat us with them!”

“Hmm…” Sunset sighed, walking down to the black equine. “That’s too bad.”

“What’s too bad.”

“That you had to miss the show last night.”

Sunset took the top card off of her deck, allowing Chrysalis to hold it in her magical grasp, her eyes widening with shock as she glanced over each word.

“However,” Sunset mused aloud, “as much as I had wished to actually defeat her, I’d certainly love to see what’s going on through that poor alicorn’s head right about now…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Throughout the length of the room, the ponies and the humans stood apart from each other along the long sides of the room, their bodies each equipped with an active duel disk. Rarity stood proudly with her new mechanism and dueling sleeve. Much like Twilight’s, Rarity’s dark-purple duel disk was affixed to her arm with the blade disk and its blades with a golden rim floated out in front of her chest.

On one of her zones was a synchro monster showing a silver, monolithic, cross-shaped monster with diamonds studded throughout its center, along with large, versatile arms that floated beside the monster, based at the corners beneath the arms of the cross. The same monster appeared on Rarity’s side of the field, facing an excited Pinkie Pie.

ATK: 2900
Lvl.: 8

Pinkie Pie wore a bright yellow duel disk upon her arm, her blade disk and blades with a cyan edge floating perpendicularly beside the duel disk and parallel to the ground. There seemed to be very few cards inside the deck slot and several cards pinned down by Pinkie Pie’s hoof. However, her Parstival Mane Blaine stood defiantly before Rarity’s fearsome monster.

Parstival Mane Blaine
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 6

“I have to say, Rarity,” twittered Pinkie Pie, “thanks for giving me such a great hand!”

“It’s the least I could do,” Rarity exclaimed with a whip of her hair. “However, you only have a few cards left to draw, and that should mean, I win, right?”

“Uh-huh! Unfortunately, that won’t happen, because your monster just gave me this!”

Pinkie stood to her hind legs and put her left arm up, the blade disk and its blades suddenly aligning parallel to each other. Glancing through her cards, she found her pendulum monster, Parstival coaster among them. Carefully touching the top of the card with her sleeved hoof, she took it out and placed it upon her right pendulum zone.

“I place Parstival Coaster on my pendulum zone!” cried Pinkie Pie.

Stopping back on her fours, her blade disk, turned back, still facing evenly parallel to the ground. Just then, a large ring of blue formed beside Pinkie Pie, and rising from the ground was the small coaster train on the circular track, the front of the train pointed at Rarity’s field.

Parstival Coaster
Pendulum Scale: 5

“I now activate the effect of Parstival Coaster,” she shouted, “allowing one of my Parstival monsters to attack directly!”

“What was that?” gasped Rarity.

“All aboard!”

The anthropomorphic lion hopped on the front car of the train as the tracks the roller coaster was not stopped on disappeared.

“Now, battle!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “Parstival Mane Blaine, attack Rarity directly! Rocket Rush!”

The train sped forwards, the monster standing upon the front reeling its arm back prepared to take Rarity on. The hairs on Rarity’s mane stood up straight as Mane Blaine swung its clawed paw, the train beginning to zoom past Rarity. The paw struck Rarity, sending her flying back and screaming.

Rarity’s Life Points: 1800 -> 0

Pinkie Pie wins.

With the duel over, Pinkie Pie and Rarity’s monsters disappeared in a bright flash and burst of sparks. Pinkie Pie worriedly ran to Rarity as she tried getting back to her hooves.

“Rarity!” cried Pinkie Pie. “I didn’t hurt you did I? I don’t know what to do with myself if I hurt you!”

“I’m fine,” Rarity said, brushing herself off while standing perfectly on all hooves. “Honest.”

“Oh, good! Like I said, I don’t know what would happen if I hurt you!”

“That’s good of you. Now, let’s see how the others are faring.”

Pinkie Pie and Rarity jointly walked to one of the ends of the room, passing the other duelists. Walt and his Tungsten Dragon faced Rainbow Dash whose duel disk was colored bright red with blades that were rimmed with alternating rainbow lights. Beside them was Alice facing Fluttershy, wearing a dark green duel disk with blades outlined in blue light. Yurik went off against Spike, his Twilight Alicorn facing a large bipedal dragon heavily adorned in royal-blue armor. The line ended with Rarity and Pinkie Pie finding Twilight facing off against Applejack, allowing them to stop and observe.

Twilight had a very sizable hand, but she had no monsters nor spells and traps on her side of the field. Applejack, equipped with a red duel disk with blades rimmed with green light that floated parallel above the ground, had a fusion monster card on her monster zone. The monster appeared to be a bulk, smiling, anthropomorphic bull with a sparkling lasso and a large hat.

ATK: 2600
Lvl.: 7

Twilight stood nervously against the monster and its mischievous stare, making her situation feel all the more dire.

================
Twilight:
LP: 300
================

“Come on, Twilight,” called Applejack. “You telling me you’re going to fight Sunset and Chrysalis like this?”

Yurik and Spike glanced over at Twilight and her poor defense. Twilight looked up to face both Applejack and her monster, only for a new sight to come into consciousness with the next blink: Sunset Shimmer, her duel disk, and Apoqliphort Towers. Twilight’s eyes narrowed down and trembled as her smile grew wider and wider.

“Is this all the fight you have?” she said in an echoed voice. “This should be easy…”

Twilight’s vision began to blur as Sunset wound her arm out, preparing her command to attack.

“My turn!” Twilight shouted with a suddenly loud volume. “Draw!”

Twilight quickly removed another card from her hand, adding it with the card she had just drawn.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 4 Mechjic Hydrogen and Scale 9 Mechjic Mercury!”

Twilight threw both cards onto the outer zones on her blades, making two blue pillars shoot from the ground beside her, making the sky around them grow dark blue. From the ground inside the pillars, two monsters arose. First, to the left of Twilight, there was a hazy green android with a white robe, almost as if it were made of vapor itself. To Twilight’s right, was a silvery robotic humanoid whose body rippled and jiggled as if it were made of liquid. A 4 and a 9 appeared over both monsters, respectively.

Mechjic Hydrogen
Pendulum Scale: 4

Mechjic Mercury
Pendulum Scale: 9

“I can now special summon monsters from my hand and extra deck whose levels are 5 through 8!” Twilight declared. “O magic machines,” she suddenly chanted, “show thee a power when sorcery and science become one! Pendulum summon!”

Twilight took three cards from her hand, slamming them all on three of her available monster card zones. At once, a red portal appeared beneath the large bright star, allowing three orange auras to shoot out from it and onto the field. The lights morphed into three distinct shapes before Applejack and her monster.

The monster on Twilight’s right was a glimmering golden-brown android with a gold cape, the one in the center another cyborg with armor and a cape colored a dull white, and the last one on the left an robot colored with glowing shades of red, green, and purple.

“Appear!” she commanded. “Mechjic Copper! Mechjic Calcium! Mechjic Neon!”

All three monsters widened their stances, prepared to battle on Twilight’s behalf.

Mechjic Copper
ATK: 2100
Lvl.: 7

Mechjic Calcium
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 7

Mechjic Neon
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 5

Applejack hissed, both in fear of Twilight’s furious face and in anticipation of the move she clearly had planned.

“I now activate the effect of Mechjic Neon!” Twilight shouted. “Once per turn, I can make this card’s level equal to another Mechjic monster I control, and I choose my Mechjic Calcium!”

The armor on Mechjic Neon’s chest suddenly changed to white, shining brighter than before.

Lvl.: 5 -> 7

“I now overlay my level 7 Mechjic Copper, Mechjic Calcium, and Mechjic Neon!” she cried out.

All three monsters transformed back into their aural forms and danced above the field as a red portal formed in the ground before Twilight.

“With these three monsters,” she declared, the auras soaring in, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The portal burst open, Twilight’s massive android with the coal-black armor rising out from it, three orbs of light going around the monster.

“Appear!” she cried. “Mechjic Carbon Cyber!”

The monster held its fists up, facing Applejack’s cowboy monster in a threatening stance.

Mechjic Carbon Cyber
ATK: 2200
Rnk.: 7

“Now, I activate Mechjic Carbon Cyber’s effect!” Twilight declared as her magic aura slipped out a card underneath her monster. “By detaching one xyz material from it, its ATK is increased by 1000!”

One of the lights orbiting Twilight’s monster fused into its chest, its body shining with bright light, only to quickly fade away to reveal its entire armor change from black to a cloudy white.

ATK: 2200 -> 3200

“Shoot!” Applejack spat. “Now she’s stronger than me!”

“Battle!” shouted Twilight! “Mechjic Carbon Cyber, attack Wildwest Pecos Bull! Diamond Destruct!”

Reaching behind itself, Twilight’s mechanical monster opened its hand, allowing a sword made of diamond to appear inside. Grabbing its weapon, Mechjic Carbon Cyber charged at the bovine cowboy as it futilely put its arms up for defense. With a single slash, the android slashed through Applejack’s monster, making it explode with a powerful force that thrust into Applejack, sending her sliding back on her hooves.

Applejack’s Life Points: 2800 -> 2200

“I’ve still got plenty of turns left…” hissed Applejack as the gusts settled.

“No you don’t,” corrected Twilight. “I will now show you how quickly it can all end.”

“Just what in Sam Hill is that supposed to mean?”

“I activate the effect of Mechjic Hydrogen in my pendulum zone! By destroying it when my monster destroys an opponent’s monster by battle, I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to the destroyed monster’s ATK!”

Applejack gasped as Mechjic Hydrogen on Twilight’s field began to glow and the light of the aura on her horn began to shine even hotter as well. Yurik and Spike’s eyes grew wide with fear as they looked upon it.

“Twilight!” cried Yurik, running towards Applejack. “Stop!”

Applejack shielded her face and shut her eyes tight, preparing for the painful blast that was to come while being completely unaware of Yurik’s approach. Up in the balcony, Kieran looked nervously at Yurik’s actions, quickly running to the door.

Twilight gasped as Yurik slid to his knees and embraced Applejack tight with his back to Mechjic Carbon Cyber. Before Twilight could do anything more, Mechjic Hydrogen condensed into a green ball of light and shot itself out towards Yurik and Applejack.

The light let out a powerful blast throwing Yurik and Applejack back to the side wall screaming. Everyone inside the room looked over and watched as Yurik and Applejack flew back. Yurik’s grip of the orange pony slipped once they hit the ground, tumbling down and hitting the wall, bringing them to a painful stop.

Applejack’s Life Points: 2200 -> 0

Twilight wins.

“Yurik!” screamed Walt

“Applejack!” cried Rainbow Dash.

Immediately, both ran from their spots across each other with their active duel disks on their wrists and to their fallen friends. The others quickly gathered around the mortified and flustered Twilight as Yurik and Applejack got up.

“You alright?” groaned Yurik, slowly stepping to his feet.

“Yeah,” Applejack rasped. “I think so…”

Seeing their friends perfectly mobile, Walt and Rainbow Dash stopped and turned to Twilight, who was blushing profusely with her ears hung down.

“What the hell did you do?” asked Walt.

“I…” Twilight stammered backing up like a timid animal. “I don’t know… I was just trying to…”

Before Walt could approach her, Kieran ran through the doorway, heading right to Yurik and Applejack. Seeing that they were mostly unharmed, he turned to Twilight, an angered frown on his face.

“What happened here?” he calmly asked.

“Kieran…” Twilight tried to speak. “l was just dueling Applejack, and then all of a sudden, Yurik ran in front of Applejack…”

“Yurik and I both saw your horn glowing brighter than normal. We both saw what was coming, and he only meant to protect his friend from what you almost did to her.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“Twilight,” Applejack huffed, “I still cherish you as my friend, but don’t even start fibbing to me about something like this. The only reason you’re so upset right now is because you could have really hurt Yurik…”

Twilight bared her teeth as her mouth morphed into a frown.

“You know what, Applejack?” shouted Twilight. “I’m sick of you trying to patronize me! If you went up against what I did last night, you would be obliterated by it!”

“And so you’re trying to train me by hurting me?”

“If you don’t want to get hurt, then get better by beating me!”

“Twilight,” shouted Rainbow Dash, “we’re not even sure if what you went up against was even real! Don’t start taking your fears out on me!”

“And what if it were real? What if Sunset Shimmer has already destroyed Ponyville and are putting our friends and family in danger?”

“You don’t think we already know they’re in danger by us being here? I want to help them too, but not at the cost of one of us!”

“If you’re not prepared, she’ll decimate us!”

“And you’re so prepared?” Kieran butted in.

“What?!” Twilight snapped to him, jerking her head.

“You’ve gone up against her once, right?” Kieran continued to calmly respond. “You lost to her, didn’t you?”

“Wha… I… yes, I did, but I didn’t know what deck she was going to use… and the card she now has to beat us all…”

The glares Twilight received softened along with Twilight’s rage, fully seeing the trepidation that was eating away at her.

“Twilight,” Kieran said, “I’ve already told you, no card is invincible, and we will find a way to defeat it. However, trying to rush your friends into battle is not going to accomplish that.”

“I…” Twilight began to weep, “I just can’t stand the thought of everyone in Ponyville…”

“Twilight, if it makes you feel any better, I want you to duel me.”

Twilight’s wet eyes opened up as she turned to face Kieran’s serious gaze.

“What was that?” she asked.

“You’re still rather anxious of what could very well be a sick fantasy,” he said. “Don’t take that out on your friends; take it out on me. I want to show you a duel that will better prepare you for the tough road ahead. Now, accept my challenge, Twilight. I want you and your friends to learn from this.”

Twilight continued to stare up at him, looking into his expectant gaze. After not much longer, Twilight’s eyes narrowed into determined slits. Seeing the answer he was looking for, Kieran reached to the pin on his shirt.

“Donald,” he said. “Keep watch on the satellite. Marcus, get me my duel disk.”

Kieran looked back to Twilight, observing her ready looks. 
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Yurik, Walt, Alice, Marcus, Spike, and the ponies stood off to the side as Twilight stood off against Kieran at the center of the dueling chamber, each of their duel disks equipped to their arms with their blade disks in their grasp, physical and magical.

“Twilight,” Kieran instructed. “Do not hold anything back. Duel me like you were dueling Applejack.”

Twilight revealed a toothy grimace as Applejack frowned from the reminder.

“Stop that” demanded Twilight. “I’m not going to duel like that again.”

“Fine,” Kieran coolly relented. “Then duel me as if I was Sunset Shimmer.”

Twilight gasped with shuddering eyes.

“You heard me,” he continued. “For this match, I am your enemy, and you will do this as such.”

“What are you talking about, Kieran? I thought you were supposed to be helping me.”

“I see. In that case, if you fail to defeat me, I will not tell you the fate of your home.”

“W… What?!”

The humans, ponies, and dragon on the side were dumbfounded by the threat, forcing Applejack to step forward.

“Kieran,” she shouted. “You’re taking this too–”

“Silence, Applejack,” Kieran said with a truthful look. “Say anything more and I’ll make sure it hurts to do anything more.”

Twilight whimpered as she looked to Applejack, who continued to stand her ground, crouching down and clearly preparing for a fight.

“No!” she cried. “I’ll do it. If you’re going to hold something like that over my head, I’ll fight you with every fiber of my being… just prepare to feel every fiber of it!”

Twilight threw her blade disk out, which quickly began to arc around Kieran.

“Perfect,” he whispered, throwing his blade disk as well.

The two disks spun around their owners’ opponent’s flying back towards them. While Kieran’s returned to his wrist, his trapezoidal blades forming from both sides of the device, Twilight’s stopped at her chest, allowing their blades to appear from it. Both of their decks shuffled up before coming to a stop.

“Connection complete,” the computerized voice of the duel disks said. “Twilight Sparkle vs. Kieran. Draw.”

Twilight’s aura and Kieran’s hand placed themselves over their decks and with a pull, five cards were added to them. With a seemingly contemptuous look to each other, they stood readily and in position to fight.

Inside the control balcony, Donald walked inside looking to a fuzzy screen that showed an image of the topography of Equus from high in the sky, tilting his head up, he spotted Kieran and Twilight in their spots, ready to go.

“This should be a good match,” he mused aloud, leaning over the counter and looking down.

While Yurik, Walt, Applejack, Marcus, Alice, and Kieran looked to Kieran, the others placed their sights on Twilight.

“Come at me, Twilight,” Kieran hissed. “Let me test that strength and resolve of yours.”

“There’s never a test I haven’t failed, Kieran,” shouted Twilight, “and you’ll be no exception.”

“We’ll see! Let’s go now!”

“DUEL!” they both shouted.

================
Twilight:
LP: 4000

Kieran:
LP: 4000
================

“I’ll take the first turn!” Twilight shouted. “I activate the continuous spell card Mechjic Preservation!”

Twilight threw her card into her duel disk, which appeared as a green card with an infinity icon and art of a shadowy cyborg frozen in a metal pod, mist escaping from the edges of the door’s frame.

“This card allows me to set Mechjic monsters from my hand without tributes while I control no monsters!” she explained, reaching for another card in her hand with her magic aura. “Next, I set one monster face down!”

Her aura slammed her card down onto her monster zone face-down and turned to the left, the image appearing on Twilight’s field as well. Kieran appeared completely unfazed by Twilight’s strategy, keeping his eyes upon the cards on her field and her hand with intense scrutiny.

“I place one card face down,” Twilight said as she threw another card into the front slot of her duel disk, the card’s backing appearing on the field, “and end my turn.”

Status: Hand: 2    Life: 4000    Monsters: 1    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

“What is Twilight doing?” wondered Yurik. “It’s like she’s playing the same way I did with Alice two nights ago.”

“I certainly don’t think she’s doing what she’s doing out of fear,” Applejack commented, “but it seems as if she’s doing it out of rage.”

“Regardless of why,” Marcus said, “Kieran will not let someone, even those as skilled as Twilight make a fool of himself. Just watch him.”

Kieran, finally having learned enough of Twilight’s field, reached for the deck in his duel disk.

“My turn,” he said. “Draw!”

Looking to his card, he kept it inside his right hand, grabbing another card with it, revealing both of them to Twilight to be pendulum monsters.

“I set the scale with the scale 6 Guardia Tank and the scale 5 Guardia Phantom,” he declared.

Kieran swiped his cards onto his outer zones, the ceiling fading into a blue sky with the large bright star inside of it. Two blue pillars formed on the outer edges of Kieran’s side of the field, two monsters rising out from the ground inside them. The monster on Kieran’s left was his black tank with the skull-shaped turret. On the right was a black jet glowing with dark-blue edges on its wings and cockpit windows floating halfway between the ground and the clouds. A 6 and a 5 appeared over both monsters inside the pillars.

Guardia Tank
Pendulum Scale: 6

Guardia Phantom
Pendulum Scale: 5

“What… what is this?” Twilight wondered confusedly.

“Not only are his scales too small for him to pendulum summon,” Yurik exclaimed, “but his scale is backwards! What is he thinking?”

“Do you honestly expect Kieran to make such a foolish move on purpose?” Marcus replied.

Yurik looked back to the massive jet.

That jet has a special kind of effect, doesn’t it? he thought.

“The effect of Guardia Phantom now activates,” Kieran said. “While I control another Guardia monster in my pendulum zone, Guardia Phanton’s pendulum scale becomes doubled.”

“What?!” gasped Twilight.

The soft lights on the jet shot out brightly, forcing the others around and beneath it to shield their eyes.

Pendulum Scale: 5 -> 10

“And now,” Kieran said, reaching for another card, “I can special summon monsters from my hand whose levels are 7 through 9! Pendulum summon!”

Kieran threw his monster onto the right zone of his left blade, causing a red portal to open up in the sky beneath the center of the star.

“The behemoth who leads the army of darkness,” chanted Kieran, “come forth and crush all that stand in our way!”

A purple aura shot out through the portal and landed on the ground which grew large and morphed into Kieran’s massive, armored demon.

“Advance!” Kieran called. “Guardia General!”

The light faded, and the red skin, red cape, gold armor, and bony sword that Kieran’s monster possessed became visible. With a loud roar at Twilight, the monster had finally arrived.

Guardia General
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

“No way,” Twilight grunted. “He brought it out already?”

“Damn,” Walt hissed. “He brought something that strong out on his first turn.”

“Just you wait,” Yurik said forebodingly. “Twilight’s troubles have only begun.”

Walt shuddered as he turned his attention back to the duel.

“Battle!” Kieran shouted. “Guardia General! Attack Twilight’s monster! Infernal Slash!”

Kieran’s monster took two long steps forwards, raising its sword over its head before he brought it down towards Twilight’s face-down card. It flipped over, showing Twilight’s Mechic Hydrogen kneeling there defensively.

Mechjic Hydrogen
DEF: 0
Lvl.: 7

Kieran took in a short breath as his monster’s sword slammed onto the cyborg, producing a fiery explosion. Twilight shielded herself from the embers and smoke that raced past her but looked unharmed.

“When your Guardia General destroys a monster by battle,” Twilight said, “you can inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster’s ATK, right? But since my monster’s ATK and DEF are both 0, I take no damage!”

Kieran squinted with frustration at Twilight’s play. Up in the balcony, Donald leaned over the counter with his forearm supporting himself, a smug smile on his face.

“Gotta’ admit,” he said, “she’s got you beat there.”

“There’s still more,” Twilight shouted. “The effect of Mechjic Hydrogen now activates! When my monster is destroyed by battle, the monster that destroyed it is also destroyed.”

A spark suddenly lit up underneath Guardia General’s sword, hanging in the air as Twilight finished her statement.

“Also,” she added, “you take 1000 points of damage!”

Kieran’s eyes shot open as he moved his arms out in front of his face with a cross-like shape. The spark exploded, vaporizing Kieran’s monster and hurling Kieran back with a grunt.

Kieran’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3000

Kieran fell onto his back, sliding down the chamber a few feet before tilting his body back and flipping himself back onto his feet before the resulting smoke could clear.

“Finally,” Twilight said, reaching her hoof towards her field, “I activate my trap, Automic Assist.”

Twilight’s card flipped up, showing art of a green Mechjic monster splitting off down the middle at the torso into a red android and a blue android.

“When a level 7 or higher Mechjic monster of mine is destroyed,” Twilight said, “I can add two Mechjic monsters from my deck to my hand.”

Twilight’s deck shuffled before it produced two cards that slid out from the top of the deck for Twilight to grab and reveal to Kieran with her magic. One was her glowing green robot monster and the other was a pendulum monster; a dark brownish-red android with a dark-grey robe.

“The two monsters I add to my hand are my Mechjic Radium and my Mechjic Phosphorus!” she declared promptly adding them to her hand.

Kieran let out a short hiss before he turned to his duel disk.

“When a pendulum monster I control is destroyed,” Kieran said, reaching for his blades, “I can return my Guardia Phantom to my hand.”

Once Kieran removed the card from his right pendulum zone, the jet on his right side of the field faded away out of existence, leaving only his tank monster on the field.

“And because I no longer have any monsters on my side of the field,” Twilight remarked with a cocky smile, “your Guardia Tank has nothing to destroy with its effect.”

“Unbelievable,” huffed Marcus. “Twilight completely shut Kieran out, on his own turn no less.”

“I fully remember your duel with Yurik,” Twilight said. “I just had a feeling you’d try and bring out your Guardia General as fast as possible.”

It’s a shame that you have yet to see the surprise that’s in store for you soon, he thought.

Reaching to his hand, Kieran grabbed a card and placed it inside his spell/trap slot, the card’s backing appearing on the field in front of him.

“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said.

Status: Hand: 3    Life: 3000    Monsters: 0    Pendulum Zones: 1    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 1

“Let’s finish this now,” Twilight huffed, her aura appearing over her deck. “My turn! Draw!”

Twilight looked to her new card, and once she added it to her hand, she took two new cards out and revealed them both to Kieran.

“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 5 Mechjic Phosphorus and the scale 8 Mechjic Sodium!” she declared.

With a single whip of her aura, both cards were placed upon her outer zones, opening two blue portals on her sides of the field with two pillars rising up into the ceiling, which became a blue sky with the large star in it once more. Rising from the left and right pillars were Twilight’s dark-red android and an icy-grey cyborg with a white robe. A 5 and an 8 appeared over the monsters inside the pillars.

Mechjic Phosphorus
Pendulum Scale: 5

Mechjic Sodium
Pendulum Scale: 8

“I can now summon monsters from my hand or face-up in my extra deck whose levels are 6 and 7!” Twilight shouted. 

A card ejected from Twilight’s blade disk, and after taking it, she removed three more monsters from her hand, holding them up so only the backings could be seen.

“O magic machines,” chanted Twilight, “show thee a power when sorcery and science become one! Pendulum summon!”

Twilight threw all four cards onto her open monster zones, opening a red portal in the sky and shooting out four orange auras at the ground. Upon landing, dust was thrown around Twilight.

“Appear!” she shouted, her skinny, purple-robed android appearing ahead of the settling dust. “Mechjic Argon!”

A second android was now visible, revealing itself to be in black-and-silver armor with a grey cape.

“Mechjic Palladium!” she cried out.

A third monster appeared from the dust: a cyan-armored android in a silver robe

“Mechjic Lithium!” she cried out.

The last of the dust settled, showing Twilight’s green android revived on the field once again.

“And finally,” she called, “Mechjic Hydrogen!”

Both monsters appeared proudly on the field, facing Kieran with bloodthirsty vigor.

Mechjic Argon
ATK: 2000
Lvl.: 6

Mechjic Palladium
ATK: 2300
Lvl.: 7

Mechjic Lithium
ATK: 2200
Lvl.: 6

Mechjic Hydrogen
ATK: 0
Lvl.: 7

“And I’m not quite done yet!” Twilight exclaimed. “I now normal summon Mechjic Radium without tributes!”

Twilight put her monster upon her last open monster zone, causing a blue portal to open on the field between her Mechjic Phosphorus and Mechjic Lithium. Twilight’s glowing green android appeared from it, filling the field with a wall of robots.

Mechjic Radium
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 5

“Whoa,” Pinkie Pie whispered. “Her field is filled up!”

“Twilight…” breathed Yurik.

“Because I normal summoned Mechjic Radium without tributes, I must reduce my monster’s level by upt to 4, and I will reduce it’s level by 4!”

The glowing on the monster died down to where there was no light visibly shining from its armor.

Lvl.: 5 -> 1

“It’s coming now,” Kieran thought aloud.

“I now tune my level 6 Mechjic Argon with the level 1 Mechjic Radium!” Twilight declared.

Mechjic Radium’s body went alight before transforming into a single green ring that hovered above the targeted monster. Mechjic Argon leapt up into the ring, its body transforming into an orange outline with six bright stars aligned in its body. The outline disappeared leaving only the stars behind. A thin beam of light pierced through the stars, spreading out beyond the rings.

“Synchro summon!” Twilight shouted. “Appear!” Mechjic Gold Cyber!”

The pillar of light faded away to unleash Twilight’ golden armored robot which landed to the ground with a mighty crash,  beside Twilight’s remaining monsters.

Mechjic Gold Cyber
ATK: 2800
Lvl.: 7

“When Mechjic Gold Cyber is synchro summoned,” explained Twilight, “I can draw cards equal to the number of other spellcaster-type monsters I control. I control Mechjic Lithium, Mechjic Palladium, and Mechjic Hydrogen, so I draw 3 cards!”

Her magic aura took three cards from the top of her deck, being placed in front of her as her new hand. Kieran squinted as he prepared himself for what was yet to come.

“And now,” Twilight cried out, “I overlay my level 7 Mechjic Hydrogen and Mechjic Palladium!”

Twilight’s declared monsters transformed into two bright orange auras that spiraled over a red portal forming on the ground at the center-right side of Twilight’s field.

“With these two monsters,” she shouted as both auras flew into the portal, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The portal exploded with bright light as Twilight’s silver-armored cyborg leapt out from it and into the air, two aural spheres orbiting its body.

“Appear!” shouted Twilight. “Mechjic Silver Cyber!”

The monster landed down on the field, putting Mechjic Lithium in the center of the field between the two Mechjic Cybers.

Mechjic Silver Cyber
ATK: 2500
Rnk.: 7

Donald shifted closer to the window, arrested in his intrigue.

“Does she have it?” he wondered aloud.

“Finally,” shouted Twilight, “I activate my spell card Mechjic Hyper Fusion!”

The ponies gasped loudly as Twilight threw her card into her duel disk, appearing on the field as a green card showing art of two androids melding together with another glowing android between them.

“This card allows me to target three Mechjic monsters on my field or pendulum zones and use them for as the materials for a fusion summon!” she called out.

“No way!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Synchro, xyz, and fusion summoning in the same turn?” commented Spike.

“It’s a summon-palooza!” chirped Pinkie Pie as she excitedly hopped up and down.

Marcus stared intensely at Kieran, which the latter did not seem to acknowledge in the slightest.

“I now fuse my Mechjic Phosphorus and Mechjic Sodium in my pendulum zones and my Mechjic Lithium on my field!”

A bright, colorful portal swirled into existence behind Twilight, leading her two pendulum monsters and her middle monster to be sucked in, swirling with the portal into one incongruous shape.

“Fusion summon!” she cried out.

The portal burst, a large android with shiny, spiked armor and wielding a large, gleaming sword with a glowing mace on the bottom of the handle flying out from it.

“The unbreakable future!” she shouted. “Mechjic Titanium Cyber!”

The monster’s feet landed on the field, taking its place between Mechjic Gold Cyber and Mechjic Silver Cyber, forming a fearsome trio of monsters for Kieran and the onlookers to behold.

Mechjic Titanium Cyber
ATK: 3500
Lvl.: 10

“Whoa,” Donald huffed with respectful surprise, “didn’t see that one coming.”

The others inside the room stood dumbstruck at the act that Twilight had managed to do once again.

“Yeah!” cheered Spike, with a sudden jump. “That was amazing!”

The other ponies cheered on as well. Twilight turned to them, putting her eyes on Applejack, who in turn gave her a soft gaze. With a proud nod, Applejack allowed Twilight to return to her match.

“All it will take to defeat you now is just one attack from my Titanium Cyber…” Twilight shouted. “Even if I fail, my other monsters will have their turn, and with Silver Cyber’s effect, if you destroy either one of my monsters, I’ll just bring them back with its effect, and if you destroy it, then its effect will bring back my Mechjic Hydrogen and Mechjic Palladium. No matter what you do here, there is no way for you to survive this!”

“Amazing,” Alice spoke. “She really put Kieran on the spot.”

Marcus’s glare intensified, not gaining any reaction from him.

“Battle!” Twilight shouted. “Mechjic Titanium Cyber, attack Kieran directly! Tremendous Incapacitation!”

With a single bound, Twilight’s monster leapt up at the calm and steadfast Kieran, its sword held over its head.

“You’re finished, Kieran!” cried Twilight.

“Not quite,” he said. “I activate my trap, Guardia Ghost Gardna!”

The card flipped open, revealing art of a puff of smoke shaped as Guardia Sentra deflecting a red laser originally aimed at Guardia Sniper.

“During my opponent’s battle phase when my opponent declares an attack,” he explained, “I can special summon one Guardia monster from my graveyard or face-up in my extra deck in attack position!”

The ground before Kieran exploded with dark-purple fire.

“Return!” Kieran commanded. “Guardia General!”

Kieran’s giant demonic monsters quickly rose out of the hole, winding its sword out as it prepared for Mechjic Titanium Cyber’s strike.

Guardia General
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8

“Your monster still doesn’t have enough ATK!” shouted Twilight. “My monster will win!”

“We’ll see about that,” Kieran responded.

“What?”

Mechjic Titanium Cyber and Guardia General’s swords swung in and collided, and despite the bolts of energy flying off their blades, neither monster appeared to yield.

“What is this?” Twilight gasped. “Why isn’t your monster destroyed?”

“The monster special summoned by Ghost Gardna cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, so I will indeed survive this battle.”

“Grr,” rasped Twilight in anger her horn beginning to increase its brightness. “However, you still take battle damage!”

The bolts of lightning snaked around Guardia General, striking Kieran in the chest and throwing him hard off his feet, letting a shocked yelp from his mouth.

Kieran’s Life Points: 3000 -> 2500

Kieran bounced off the ground, but managed to roll and tuck in his body so that the next bounce brought him back onto his feet, sliding back only a few more inches. Marcus let out a small sigh of relief that went unnoticed by those around him.

“At the end of the battle phase,” Kieran said, “the monster summoned with Ghost Gardna is shuffled into the main deck.”

Guardia General transformed into a bright light that soared up and back down onto Kieran’s duel disk, melding with the deck. The deck began to shuffle itself and quickly came to a stop.

“You might have escaped me this time,” Twilight said, “but let’s see if you can get out of this. I equip Mechjic Titanium Cyber with Mechjic Cobalt Shield!”

Twilight took one of the two cards left in her hand and put it inside her spell/trap slot, making a card appear on the field with art of a circular blue shield protecting a greyed-out Mechjic monster. Likewise, the same shield from the card began to materialize from the air before Twilight’s monster, prompting it to put its arm up so the shield could protect its entire chest.

“While this card is equipped to my monster,” Twilight said, “any of your card effects that target a monster I control must target the equipped monster. However, with Mechjic Titanium Cyber’s effect, it cannot be targeted by the effects of the opponent’s spells, traps, or monsters.”

“Unbelievable!” Rarity crooned. “Twilight’s really protected her field now.”

“Now Kieran can’t target any of Twilight’s monsters with any effects,” Walt commented.

Now you’re more or less put in the same scenario as I was, Twilight thought with a vengeful smirk. Let’s see this lesson of yours at work now.

“I end my turn,” Twilight declared.

Status: Hand: 1    Life: 4000    Monsters: 3    Pendulum Zones: 0    Pendulum Scale: –    Spells/Traps: 2

Kieran shot his eyes over Twilight’s field, observing every card on her field and the one in her hand. The people and ponies on the side watched intently as Kieran stared Twilight’s monster’s down, which only heightened once his eyes made contact with hers.

“Twilight,” he said, “you have certainly created a respectable defense and offense for me, but if you’re trying to mimic Sunset’s defense, don’t bother.”

“Huh?” Twilight exclaimed.

“Apoqliphort Towers’s effect ensures that it is unaffected by the effects of any spell or trap card, while your monster’s only affect effects that would target a monster. In the face of the Elements of Harmony, that defense of yours would be absolutely useless, but for Apoqliphort Killer, your Elements of Harmony to it are just that: worthless.”

Twilight, the ponies, and Yurik shuddered as Kieran continued to talk.

“If you want to truly give me a challenge comparable to yours with Sunset, then you are going to have to try harder than that. However, I shall give you no such opportunity. Now, watch Twilight! I will now show you the duel that you and everyone in under this roof must learn! My turn! Draw!”

Kieran drew his card, and looking to it, it appeared to be a Guardia Phantom. Adding it to his hand, he put his fingers upon another card within his hand.

“Brace yourself, Twilight,” he said. “The turn that will decide your fate! I activate the spell card Guardia Coup!”

Kieran threw his card into his duel disk, the card appearing on the field showing art of three Guardia Tanks obliterating the walls of a mighty fortress with their cannonfire.

“While my opponent controls three or more monsters,” Kieran explained, “and I control three level 5 or level 6 Guardia monsters in my hand with the same name, I can conduct my normal summon three times!”

“Huh?” Alice wondered aloud. “If that’s true, then…”

“That must mean…” Yurik spoke.

Kieran answered them all by revealing three Guardia Phantoms to Twilight, shocking her and the bystanders greatly.

“With three Guardia Phantoms,” Kieran responded, “my spell’s effect can activate.”

“But with three level six monsters,” Twilight stammered. “You can’t summon any of them without any monsters of your own!”

“Normally, yes, but I won’t be using any monsters of mine.”

“What? How?”

“With Guardia Coup’s effect, I can tribute my opponent’s monsters for the tribute summoning of my monsters.”

Every pony and human around gasped with great severity, even Donald up above taken aback.

“Damn, Kieran,” he blurted. “You never told me you had a card like that.”

“But…” Twilight wheezed, “you… my Mechjic Titani…”

Suddenly, a thought shot Twilight’s eyes open wide.

No, she realized. The spell doesn’t affect my monsters, it affects him! That means… he can…

“I now tribute your Mechjic Gold Cyber to summon Mechjic Phantom!” Kieran exclaimed, throwing his monster upon his empty monster zone. “And because my spell’s effect does not target any of your monsters, there's nothing your Titanium Cyber or its Cobalt Shield can do about it!”

To Twilight’s shock and despair, Mechjic Gold Cyber molded into a ball of swirling purple-and-black light that flew over to Kieran’s field, morphing into the shape of Kieran’s dark jet before its features became more defined, appearing fully on the field.

Guardia Phantom
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 6

“Next,” Kieran exclaimed, throwing a second copy of his monster beside his other, “I now tribute your Mechjic Silver Cyber to summon my second Guardia Phantom!”

The other humans and ponies watched with awe and fear as Twilight’s xyz monster, body and xyz materials in all, transformed into a single ball of purple energy and flew back to Kieran’s field, changing its shape and appearance into Kieran’s black jet.

Guardia Phantom
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 6

“And because your monster was tributed and not destroyed,” Kieran further clarified, “you cannot summon its xyz materials back.”

Twilight’s eyes shrunk and her teeth clenched in pure contempt.

“Finally,” Kieran said, throwing his last card onto his field, “I tribute your Mechjic Titanium Cyber to summon my final Guardia Phantom.”

Twilight’s monster began to glow purple as its body was forcefully crumpled into a tight, uncomfortable ball. Twilight watched with sadness and exhausted fury as her last monster was taken from her as a sphere of purple light, flying to Kieran’s field and taking form as his third and final jet.

Guardia Phantom
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 6

“No…” Yurik whispered. “No way…”

“Just like that,” Applejack muttered, “and he just cleared Twilight’s field.”

Twilight, although seemingly broken, returned to a face of determination, pointing to Kieran’s field.

“However,” Twilight said, “all of your monsters have only 1000 ATK and you no longer have any cards left in your hand. I’ll survive next turn with that!”

“I never doubted that,” Kieran said. “However, your situation is far direr than you think it is.”

“Huh? How’s that?”

“I now overlay my three level 6 Guardia Phantoms!” declared Kieran.

As Kieran’s three monsters transformed into three dark-purple auras, Twilight and the spectators all watched with shock and awe as the streams of light spiraled over a red portal forming on the ground before Kieran.

“With these three monsters,” Kieran declared, the auras racing inside the portal, “I construct the overlay network! Xyz summon!”

The red portal began to slowly change color to a dark, sickly purple, the light becoming more of a bubbling fluid as it mixed with the portal’s light.

“The ultimate machine of the battle,” chanted Kieran. “It’s massive and horrifying might will end the armies that dare oppose it!”

A massive robot with a metal bull’s skull for a head began to crawl out of the portal with hands with small cannons for fingers.

“Ascend!” cried Kieran. “Guardia Jaeger!”

With a final heave, Kieran’s monster hopped out through the hole, standing strongly and flexibly despite its frighteningly massive size.

Guardia Jaeger 
ATK: 2000
Rnk.: 6

“No way,” Walt gasped, the other mouths of the humans and ponies around him hung open and silent. “Such a monster…”

Twilight found herself backing away in fear, nearly stumbling on her back hooves.

“Do you see it, Twilight?” Kieran said. “If you want to have any chance of saving your world, you must control your emotions and fight me with everything you have. Only then will you see the path to victory. Well, can you see it?”

Twilight failed to respond, only able to look at Kieran’s monster and the fading red glow inside the skull’s eye sockets.

“I see,” Kieran said with a disappointed closing of his eyes. “Guardia Jaeger,” he said, “attack Twilight directly.”

The massive robot pressed its palms against each other, pointing each of the tips of its fingers at Twilight.

“Rabid Razing,” he finally ordered.

Ten missiles shot out from the monster’s fingertips, each one arcing downwards towards Twilight. Twilight bared her teeth at the oncoming attack, her friends on the sides watching with fright as the missiles approached faster and faster.