"Rainbow Assault Wing Gold" Rainbow ordered her ace, "finish him off." The armoured bird-man flew at Flame Cerberus and slashed it in half, destroying it and reducing her opponent's life points to zero. "Alright" she cheered.
"Yay" Fluttershy said quietly, "way to go."
"Good game" Rainbow said to her opponent.
"You go lucky" he replied, but transferred the points anyway.
Rainbow looked down at her DPM
Rainbow Dash: 620Ps
"Awesome" she said, "only the second day and I'm already up to over six hundred points."
"Keep winning like this and you'll be in the finals in no time," Fluttershy cheered for her.
"You know it" Rainbow replied to her friend, "but all this none stop Duelling is making me exhausted. I had to miss my afternoon nap."
"Why don't you take a break and we go get something to drink?" Fluttershy told her.
"Great idea" Rainbow replied, "I think there's a cafe somewhere around here."
"Well lets go find it." With that girls went searching for a place to chill out for a short while, until Rainbow was ready to take on her next challenger.
They finally found the place Rainbow had mentioned and Fluttershy went to get their drinks, while Rainbow kept a couch free.
"Two hot chocolates" the barista placed her order on the counter, "that'll come to $6,50."
Fluttershy handed over the money and took the drinks off the counter, only to run into someone as she turned around. She crashed to the ground with a moan, before a growl brought her attention upwards to the person she had bumped. Said person was a girl her age, wearing a brown leather pilots jacket over a white T-shirt. She also wore ripped jeans and black combat boots, had light brown skin and white hair that was dyed purple at the tips.
The girl looked down at Fluttershy, as she wiped off the remains of the drinks the pink haired girl had spilt on her, and growled louder. "What's your problem?"
"Oh, oh..I'm sorry" Fluttershy stuttered, "I..I...I was just."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" she replied, trying to mimic her voice, "why don't you just watch where your going dufus?"
"But, but, but, but."
"You know what I do with losers like you who don't watch where their going?" she grabbed Fluttershy by the shirt and hoisted her up, before reeling back her fist to punch the girl. But before she could someone grabbed it and held it back.
"Let her go" a voice caught her attention from behind, making her look over her shoulder to see Rainbow Dash holding her by the wrist."
"Stay out of this" the girl said angrily.
"Fat chance" Rainbow replied, "I won't let you hurt my friend."
"This weakling's your friend?" she asked.
"So what if she is?" Rainbow said, "she's one of my closest and kindest friends. Now let...her...go."
The girl looked back at the still whimpering Fluttershy, before she loosened her grip and let her fall to the ground.
Rainbow rushed over to Fluttershy and help her to her feet. "You okay?" she asked. Fluttershy was still shaking but nodded anyway. "What a bully," Rainbow said looking back at the girl as she headed for the door, only to notice something strapped to her arm. "A DPM, so your in the Celestic Cup."
The girl stopped and looked back over at them. "So what if I am?"
"Just didn't think you would be a Duellist" Rainbow said back, "Duellists don't settle their issues with their fists."
"Cut the philosophy crud. Duelling's not some great religion or something, it's just a game with a means to an end."
"It's more then that" Rainbow said. "Duelling creates a link between those who play, and no matter what A Duel will settle any problem that may come up against them."
"What a load of hog wash" she replied, "I'm just in this tournament because it means I don't have to go to my hellhole of a school."
"School?" Rainbow asked, she then spotted the emblem on the backpack she was carrying. "Griffonstone High."
"I heard that school isn't very..." Fluttershy couldn't seem to find a word that wasn't offensive in her mind.
"Quit the stuttering cry baby" the girl said, "just call it a dump."
"So that's it?" Rainbow Dash said. For the competitors of the Celestic Cup still in school, they had been given the month off along as they remained in the tournament. Afterwards they would be taking extra long make up classes afterwards, but for those like this girl who hated school.
"Once I win this tournament I'll have my ticket out of this dump" she said.
"You know I never got your name" Rainbow said.
"Gilda" the girl named Gilda replied, "remember it. When I win my name will be all you'll ever see when I'm rich and famous."
"That's all your Duelling for?" Rainbow asked in disbelieve.
"What else is there to Duel for" Gilda asked.
"The thrill of contest, the pursuit of improvement, love of the game. Winning to win is a hollow life for a Duellist."
"Whatever loser" Gilda said before turning to leave.
"Don't you walk away" Rainbow told her.
"Whose gonna stop me?"
"I am" Rainbow yelled, "I challenge you."
Gilda stopped again. "You really think you can take me?"
"Of course" Rainbow said, "since I won't even be facing a real Duellist it'll be easy."
"I am a real Duellist" Gilda returned, "and I'm gonna make you eat those words."
Rainbow and Gilda were back on the street ready to Duel.
"This was the biggest mistake you ever made" Gilda said, strapping a brown Duel Disk to her arm.
"We'll see" Rainbow replied attaching her own.
"Oh dear" Fluttershy said from the side lines.
"So how many points you got?"
"Over six hundred" Gilda replied.
"Same" Rainbow said, "what's say we each put three hundred points up for grabs?"
"Deal."
"Then let's go."
"DUEL!"
Rainbow: 4000
Gilda: 4000
"I'll take the first move" Gilda said drawing, "I summon Birdface in ATK mode." A creature appeared on the field that looked like across between a man, a robot and a bird. It had a metal body and arms, human legs and a bird's head and wings. (A1600/D1600/L4) "I end my turn."
"My draw" Rainbow said, "I summon Rainbow Wing Purple Condor" a condor appeared on the field with dark purple feathers and a light purple head. (A1800/D100/L3) "With Purple Condor's ability, I can inflict six hundred points of damage to you once a turn." The large bird extended its large wings and then let out a mighty screech, which struck Gilda and pushed her back a few feet.
Rainbow: 4000
Gilda: 3400
"And now I attack your Birdface with Purple Condor" she ordered as her monster flew into the air before sky diving at Gilda's monster, destroying it.
Rainbow: 4000
Gilda: 3200
"When Birdface is destroyed by battle, I can add this card from my deck to my hand" she revealed a card called Harpie Lady which she added to her hand.
"A Harpie Lady deck" Rainbow realised. They were an incredibly tricky archetype to face off against if you underestimated it. "I end my turn with a face down."
"My draw" Gilda said "and I summon Harpie Lady, ATK mode" a woman with wings in place of arms appeared. (A1300/D1400/L4) "Next I play Harpie's Feather Duster, to blow away your face down." A gust of wind blow around the field, forming a tornado which sucked up Rainbow's Mirror Force Trap.
"HEY" she yelled over the wind. Once the gust depleted Rainbow's face down was gone, "so what? My Rainbow Wing is still stronger then your Harpie."
"Maybe one" Gilda said, taking another card from her hand, "but how will you do against three? I activate the Spell card Elegant Egotist." The Harpie Lady was suddenly consumed by a tornado, "this Spell card lets my Harpie Lady multiply into three." The tornado exploded revealing three different Harpie Ladies on the field, wearing golden armour over their chests and arms, "Say hello to the Harpie Lady Sisters." (A1950/D2100/L6)
"Not good" Rainbow said looking over the new monster.
"I attack your Purple Condor with my Harpie Lady Sisters" the three harpy monsters flew in a triangle formation, as a ball of lightning formed between them. The ball fired at Rainbow's monster, vaporising it.
Rainbow: 3850
Gilda: 3200
"I end my turn with three face downs" Gilda said.
"My turn" Rainbow said, "I draw and summon Rainbow Wing Red Kestrel in ATK mode." (A1500/D1200/L4) "With Kestrel's ability I can now summon Rainbow Wing Blue Falcon," a blue bird appeared and flew besides Red Kestrel. (A1600/D1400/L4)
"Two level four monsters" Gilda said.
"Now I use these two monsters to build the Overlay Network," Rainbow chanted as her two monsters flew up and into the black hole. "When birds of a feather flock together, an awesome power is unleashed." The black hole exploded in a burst of light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded revealing Rainbow's best monster soaring through the sky, before taking a battle stance infront of her. "Rainbow Assault Wing Gold." (A2300/D1700/R4) "Now I activate Assault Wing's ability" the monster pulled out its katanna and slashed through one of its Overlay Units, "now I can add a Wind attributed Winged-Beast from my deck to my hand." Rainbow's Deck slotted out a card.
"Your silly bird man won't save you" Gilda told her.
"We'll see about that," Rainbow said. "Rainbow Assault Wing Gold, attack her Harpie Lady Sisters" the Xyz monster unsheathed his katanna and flew towards the trio. "Take it down," with one great slash it created an explosion. "OH YEAH" Rainbow cheered, until the smoke cleared revealing Gilda's monster(s) in one piece.
Rainbow: 3850
Gilda: 3350
"What the?" Rainbow asked.
"Her monster survived and she gained life points instead of losing them," Fluttershy said in confusion.
"It's my Harpie's Hidden Treasure Trap," Gilda explained revealing one of her face downs flipped up. "This trap prevents my monster from being destroyed and I gain the life points I would have lost."
"Dang it" Rainbow said. Just like she had thought, the Harpie Ladies were a tricky bunch. "I end my turn"
"My turn" Gilda said drawing "and first I activate one of my other face downs, Foolish Burial. Now I can send a card from my deck to my graveyard," her deck shuffled out a card which she sent to the graveyard. "Next for my final card, Soul Swap. This card lets me take a card in my graveyard and swap it with a monster in my deck," she removed Birdface from her graveyard as her deck shuffled out another card which she placed in the grave.
"What's she up to?" Rainbow asked.
"She's sending and swapping monsters around in her graveyard" Fluttershy said in confusion.
"Now I activate the Spell card, Harpie's Divide. This card lets me return Harpie Lady Sisters to my deck, and in return I can summon up to three Harpie Ladies from my graveyard."
"So that's what she was doing" Rainbow realised.
The three armoured Harpies were consumed by a tornado, and as it exploded the three unarmoured Harpies flew out and each took up a space on the field. (A1300/D1400/L4)X3
"Not good."
"And now" Gilda said as her monster glowed, before turning into lights which flew up and then down. "I'll use these three monsters to build the Overlay Network," the lights shot into a black hole. "Vicious, unpredictable, deadly. All things to describe the Harpie Ladies, as well as the winds themselves. Now a new more powerful wind blow." The black hole exploded, revealing a new monster. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded revealing a new monster. She looked like one of the Harpie Lady Sisters, but her armour was black and more streamlined. Her hair was light green in colour, along with the feathers on her arm wings. Three green lights floated around her. "Harpie Lady Tempest." (A2600/D2100/R4)
Rainbow looked over the new monster and gulped, "really not good."
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear" Fluttershy quivered at the sight of such a mean looking monster.
"I activate Tempest's ability" Gilda continued, "by removing a Overlay Unit she gains three hundred ATK points for each Winged Beast monster in my graveyard." The winged woman crushed one of the Overlay Units in her talon like fingers, as her power began to increase. (A2900/D2100/R4) "Now attack," the creature took to the skies before soaring down with its clawed feet reared and impaling Assault Wing Gold.
Rainbow: 3250
Gilda: 3350
"Rainbow" Fluttershy called out seeing her friend take a hit.
"I'm fine" the multi haired teen said.
"Not for long" Gilda said, "my Harpy Lady will finish you off sooner or later."
"No way" Rainbow said, "It's my turn. I draw," she saw the card she had gotten was an Equip Spell called Turbine Wing. It would come in handy if her could revive Assault Wing Gold, but for now. "I Play the Spell card Hatchlings First Flight, which lets me summon a Level three or below Winged Beast from my deck to my field." A portal opened and Rainbow Wing Purple Falcon flew out before taking its DEF stance. (A1800/D100/L3)
"Didn't I already destroy that card?" Gilda asked.
"Who says I had more then one?" Rainbow replied. "Now with Purple Falcon's ability I can inflict eight hundred points of damage to you," her bird let out its shriek attack which hit Gilda.
Rainbow: 3250
Gilda: 2550
"I end my turn" Rainbow said. Until she could find a way to revive her ace, she needed to play defence.
"My turn" Gilda drew then smiled, "I activate Harpie's Greed. This Spell lets me take a look at your the cards in your hand, then it lets me swipe one."
Rainbow frowned looking down at the four cards in her hand, knowing which one she would pick, and revealed them to Gilda.
The girl looked through them and smiled seeing the equipped Spell. "I'll take Turbine Wing." Rainbow growled but threw the card at Gilda, who caught it with ease. "Now I activate Harpie Lady Tempest's ability, to remove another Overlay unit and increase her attack power by three hundred points for each Winged Beast in my graveyard." The Xyz monster crushed another Overlay Unit in its claws, making its power raise. (A3500/D2100/R4) "Now I equip Tempest with your Spell card, Turbine Wing." Light flashed around Tempest's chest, which formed a solid mass taking the form of green chest armour and large metal wings with turbines in each one. "You know already but I just enjoy saying that it'll raise my monsters ATK power by a thousand points." (A4500/D2100/R4)
"Forty five hundred ATK points" Fluttershy gasped in fear. Every time she removed an Overlay Unit she was adding another monster to her graveyard, and with Turbine Wing it would only get worse.
"Now attack" the turbines on the metal wings began to spin, forming a tornado which blew away Rainbow's Purple Falcon. "And now Turbine Wing's other effect will activate, dealing you damage equal to half your monsters ATK points. The tornado struck Rainbow pushing her back and off her feet.
Rainbow: 1850
Gilda: 2550
"RAINBOW" Fluttershy screamed.
"That's right lay there defeated," Gilda taunted Rainbow.
"You have to get up" Fluttershy said.
"QUIET" Gilda yelled at her, "your cheers of support won't save her. She's going to lose this Duel on her own."
"Your wrong" Fluttershy called back, sounding more determined then ever. "She's not on her own, she has her friends."
"So where are they?" Gilda said, "if they were such great friends then where are they?"
"They're with me" Rainbow said, getting up and back on her feet. "Even if I can't see them, my friends while always lend me their strength."
"That's bogus" Gilda said.
"No" Rainbow said. "I can feel them, and they can feel me."
While they were having lunch Flash, Twilight and Spike suddenly felt something tingle in the back of their necks.
What was that?" Spike asked.
"I'm not sure" Twilight said, "but for some reason Rainbow popped into my mind."
"Same here" Flash said, looking up at the skies. "Good luck Rainbow."
As she Duelled Applejack also felt it, making her smile. "Don't give up Rainbow. You can't lose until you face me in this tournament."
Rarity and Pinkie nodded feeling the same thing.
Scootaloo looked up the skies as she felt it to. "There's no way your gonna lose, because your too awesome."
"That's the amazing thing about friendship" Rainbow explained to Gilda, "even if their a million mills away friends can be there for their friends. That's something you'd never understand."
Gilda frowned at this.
"You don't have any friends do you?" Rainbow told her.
"I don't need any friends" Gilda said. As she did so memories of her past flashed in front of her eyes, reminding her of being alone and scared. "friends just disappoint you when you need them."
"Your wrong" Rainbow said, "friends...real friends will always be there when you need them. You just need to have the courage to make them." As she put her finger on her deck, she closed her eyes and could feel all her friends calling out to her, and that made her feel unbeatable. "I...Draw" she said, before looking at her card and smiled at the sight of it and the rest of her hand. "I activate Monster Reborn, to revive a monster in my graveyard." A portal opened up and Purple Condor flew out of it.
"Why call that card?" Gilda asked.
"Because now I activate Flock Together" Rainbow replied. "This card only works if I have two of the same monsters, one on my field and one in my grave. It lets me revive the one in my graveyard to the field." Another portal opened up revealing a duplicate Purple Condor."
"So what?"
"So now I can use these two monster's abilities, to deal your sixteen hundred points of damage" Rainbow said. Her twin birds let out another high pitched screech, hitting Gilda.
Rainbow: 1850
Gilda: 850
"Still not enough to defeat me" Gilda told her.
"I'm not done" Rainbow replied, "for now I activate the effect of a monster in my hand. When I have a Rainbow Wing on my field, I can Special Summon this one. Say hello to Rainbow Wing Pink Owl," an owl appeared next to the falcons with pink feathers and large pink eyes. (A100/D100/L1) "Also when I summon her this way, I can change its level to match that of a monster on my field." (A100/D100/L3)
"Three level threes" Gilda realised what was happening.
"I Overlay my two Purple Condors and Pink Owl, to build th Overlay Network." Her monster changed into lights, which flew up and entered a black hole. "It's time to fly as one in a victory formation, to defeat our enemies." The black hole exploded, revealing a new monster. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded revealing a new monster. I looked like a human chicken standing at about four feet, with silver feathers. Its wings were long and more humanoid, with three metal claws on each end. It had three large feathers in a fan shape on its head, along with giant chicken feet and three green lights flew around it. "Rainbow Assault Wing Silver. (A2100/D2000/R3)
"That bird brain won't stand a chance against my Harpie" Gilda said, "not with all the power ups I've given it."
"Wrong" Rainbow said, "all those power ups will be your undoing. Assault Wing Silver's ability can activate when a monster on your field, has less or more ATK points then its origanal amount. It'll now reduce its ATK by half its origanal amount."
"WAIT!" Gilda said, but Assault Wing Silver slashed through one of its Overlay Units and created a gust that cut Harpie Lady Tempest's power by thirteen hundred. (A2700/D2100/R4)
"That was so much fun" Rainbow said cheekily, "I think I'll do it again." Her monster slashed through another Overlay Unit and created the gust again. (A1400/D2100/R4) "One more time," the final Overlay Unit was destroyed and the gust blew again. (A100/D2100/R4)
"Even with all those power ups" Gilda said in horror, "my monster is down to only one hundred points."
"Rainbow Wing Silver attack" Rainbow said, as her monster used its giant and powerful feet to launch itself at the Harpie. With its large claws its slashed through her, destroying her as she screamed in pain and flew at Gilda. Getting hit by her monster sent the jacket wearing teen backwards and off her feet.
Rainbow: 1850 (Winner)
Gilda: 0
"Yay" Fluttershy cheered running over to her friend, "you did it."
"We did it" Rainbow replied holding out her hand, which Fluttershy gently slapped.
Gilda managed to sit herself up and look down at her Duel Disk. "How? How could I lose?" Suddenly she found Rainbow standing above her, holding out a hand to help her up.
"When you stand alone, you can only fall alone," she said. "But when you stand with friends, they'll be there to help you up when you fall. Let me help you Gilda...let me be your friend."
Gilda looked down at the ground, as a tears threatened to break out.
"You don't have to be alone," Rainbow told her.
Gilda looked back up at her, and broke out crying as she took the hand and was pulled up. "I...I've been alone for so long, I don't think I can have friend."
"Rubbish" Rainbow said, "you've got one right here."
"And I'd be your friend" Fluttershy said, "if you'll let me?"
Gilda smiled and nodded, "okay. I'm sorry for earlier."
"It was my fault" Fluttershy replied.
"But I shouldn't have reacted like I did," Gilda said, "I am sorry."
"Water under the bridge" Rainbow said.
"Yeah" Gilda replied, before pulling out her DPM. "As promised," she pressed the button and Rainbow's DPM beeped.
Rainbow Dash: 920Ps
"Awesome" Rainbow cheered, seeing her score almost hitting one thousand.
"You'd better not lose after this" Gilda said smiling, "I can't have my friend be a loser."
"You bet" Rainbow replied, before her grumbling stomach caught her attention. "Oops," she said with a chuckle.
"With everything that happen," Fluttershy said, "we missed lunch."
"Come on" Gilda said, "I'll treat you guys."
"Awesome" Rainbow said, as the three new friends returned to the cafe.
Duelling is more then a game. It was a bridge that can connect people, through competition. No matter who you are, or where you come from you can learn everything about someone through Duelling them. Because the true power of Duel Monsters, isn't just the cards. Its all the friends you can make, thanks to the game.