//------------------------------// // A Bond Reforged // Story: Duelists of the Autumn Crown // by DrakeyC //------------------------------// Duelists of the Autumn Crown A Bond Reforged A small bell jingled as Rainbow pushed open the door of the Sugarcube Café. Scootaloo and then Fluttershy followed her, leaving Twilight to stop inside the door. Two rows of booths stretched down the length of the store, the right aisle bearing a countertop with swivel seats in front of it. In various booths were students Twilight recognized from the school; appropriately, most tables had Duel Monster cards strewn across them as duelists looked over their decks and spare cards. A few were playing the game with pads of paper and calculators. “This place seems kinda peaceful for all the duelists here,” Twilight whispered to Fluttershy. She saw a couple duelists looking up at her and Rainbow Dash, and whispering to each other. Fluttershy nodded. “You can thank Pinkie for that. She told us ‘dueling is serious business, but I take fun more seriously, so if you can’t duel while having fun, get out’.” Twilight snorted as she tried to hold back a laugh. “That sounds like Pinkie, alright.” Rainbow had sat down at a booth as the two girls approached her. Scootaloo ran up to the table as they took their seats. “Rainbow, got any quarters?” She pointed at one end of the café where a few arcade machines had been set up. “Hang on.” Rainbow reached for her backpack and unzipped a pocket. After a moment she held out her hand and a few coins fell into Scootaloo’s palm. Scootaloo grinned and ran down the aisle to the games. Fluttershy took the inside seat opposite Rainbow, and Twilight sat next to her. Spike jumped up in Twilight’s lap as she looked around. “So, Pinkie works here?” “I sure do!” Twilight cried out at the voice that came from next to her ear and pulled back, almost falling into Fluttershy’s lap. She stared up at Pinkie, now wearing a waitress’ uniform, grinning down at her. Twilight shook her head and sat up. “Hi, Pinkie.” “Three shakes, make mine chocolate, and a plate of fries,” Rainbow said. “You girls want anything?” “A blueberry yogurt. And vanilla for me, please.” Twilight thought for a moment. The few meals she had had in this world had been at Fluttershy’s house, where thankfully the Shys had offered a vegetarian option to her due to Fluttershy’s own dietary preferences. She suppressed a shudder at the memory of Zephyr Breeze biting into a meat patty between two buns and Twilight naively asking what he was eating. Still don’t know nearly enough about this world to ask for something appropriate. “I’m okay. Vanilla’s good for me, too.” “You got it!” Pinkie waved and zipped away, Twilight noticing she was on rollerblades as she went. “So.” Rainbow leaned back and put her hands behind her head. “You wanna take out Sunset Shimmer.” “Yes.” Twilight nodded firmly. “I have to.” “Really? A lot of students have given it their best shots. She’s never been beaten. Ever.” Rainbow shook her head. “Doesn’t matter what you throw at her, no one can touch her.” “That’s impossible.” Twilight frowned. “She has to have lost at least once. A perfect win record over two and a half years is a statistical impossibility.” “She’s beaten the odds. She’s beaten everyone.” Fluttershy bit her lip and shrank in her seat. “I’ve seen her duel. The way she plays is just… indescribable. It’s like any time you think she’s going to lose, she pulls off the most amazing comebacks and wins from nothing.” “It’s like she’s pulling cards out of her butt or something,” Rainbow added. “Sounds like someone I know,” Spike whispered. Twilight faked a sneeze, in the process reaching down to squeeze Spike’s tail. He yelped and glared up at her. “Excuse me.” Twilight smiled. “So, what kind of deck does she play?” Rainbow began to answer, and stopped. She looked over Twilight’s head and scowled. “Here comes trouble.” Twilight and Fluttershy turned in their seats. Rarity held the door of the café open as Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom came inside. Applejack followed behind them. While the younger girls saw Scootaloo and ran up to her, Applejack took two steps, saw Rainbow Dash, and froze. “Well, lookie here,” she muttered. Twilight saw Rarity notice their table and a panicked expression came over her face as she glanced back at Applejack. Twilight also saw more students noticing the scene and beginning to talk among themselves. “Uh-oh.” Fluttershy whimpered and pulled down in her seat to hide behind the backing. Applejack turned her eyes away from Rainbow. “Apple Bloom! You can talk to ‘em later, we’ll eat somewhere else.” “No, let me.” Rainbow stood up. “Wouldn’t want to impose. Scootaloo, finish that game up.” “Oh for crying out loud, knock it off!” The café went silent; all eyes pointed to Rainbow, Applejack, or the girl standing by Rainbow’s table. Twilight glared at the two, swiveling her head to keep looking between them. “You two used to be friends! I’d like to think that even at your worst, you could stand to be around each other enough to sit in the same restaurant without making a scene.” She looked across the café to the three girls staring at her and pointed at them. “Your sisters—or surrogate sister, as it happens—are far more mature and reasonable about this than any of you. This is why they play together in secret, because they know what you guys get like around each other now. You already tore your own friendship apart, you don’t have to tear apart theirs, too. And why should you need to?” Twilight held up her arm and reached to her wrist. She undid the straps and tossed her duel disk on the table, the metal and plastic clanging. “The tournament is over for the day. We won’t even find out our match-ups until tomorrow. For all any of us know, you won’t duel each other, in fact the odds are you won’t. So for just one night, can we at least try to be civil to each other, if only for their sake?” Twilight finished and realized that by this point everyone was staring at her. She blushed and sat down on one of the stools at the counter. “So… does anyone have anything to say?” Scootaloo slowly raised her hand. “Yes?” “Um… I only have one coin left and it’s fifty cents for two-player.” She chuckled. “Really not the best time, I know…” “Here.” Fluttershy pulled a small coin purse from her pocket and popped it open, placing four quarters on the table. With Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watching her, Scootaloo slowly came to the table, took the coins, and shuffled back to the others. A whistle sounded from behind Twilight and she turned to see Pinkie lowering a whistle from her mouth. “Show’s over, everybody! Go back to your business!” Slowly the patrons listened to Pinkie’s command and turned their attention back to their own matters. Still standing at the doorway, Applejack looked to Rarity. “You seein’ any empty seats?” Rarity began to look around. Twilight looked down at the table. “Fluttershy, can you stand next to Rainbow Dash, please?” “Um, okay.” Fluttershy slid out of the booth and stepped around the table to stand next to Rainbow. “Sit down, please.” “Oh.” Fluttershy waited while Rainbow shuffled over in the booth to make room for her and then sat down. Twilight waved with one hand and pointed with the other. “Two seats just opened up!” Applejack’s expression softened and she let out a breath. “For Apple Bloom.” She slowly walked up to the table and hesitated before sitting down and sliding into the seat. Twilight looked at Rarity and jerked her head at the table. “Oh, very well.” Rarity sighed and sat down beside her. “There!” Twilight clasped her hands together and smiled. “Isn’t this nice? Just five friends, sitting around a table, sharing a meal, not insulting each other or getting on each other’s nerves.” She maintained her phony smile even as she put an edge in the final part. Fluttershy continued to try and shrink down in her seat while the other three avoided looking at each other and muttered under their breath. Pinkie leaned into Twilight from behind the counter. “I’m picking up on a lot of tension right now!” she whispered loudly. “Thanks for the tip, I hadn’t noticed,” Twilight hissed back. “Really? Wow, you’re kinda dense.” Pinkie hummed to herself as she skated into the back. Twilight turned her attention fully to the table. She took a breath and stood up, walking up to them. “Look. I get it, this tournament is important to you guys, and it is to me too. But just really think about what it’s costing you—what it already has cost you—to take it this far. Think to the future. You guys are gonna graduate, get jobs or go to college or maybe even move away. Do you wanna think back to all the good times and fun you had with each other, or how much you hated each other because of a game?” No one said anything. Then finally, Applejack turned her head. “Hey, R.D.” Rainbow looked over at her. “Ya played me right and good today and that’s the plain truth of it. Ah fought mah best and ya canned me.” She held out a fist. “Good game, sugarcube.” Rainbow stared at the extended fist for a moment before raising her own and pressing it against it. “Yeah, well, it was a lucky win. I wouldn’t have lasted one more turn if I hadn’t drawn Powered Jersey. And those Plant combos are tough, you just kept busting out one boss monster after the next.” “Excuse me?” Rarity sniffed. “Isn’t anyone going to compliment my dueling tactics?” Applejack and Rainbow shared a look before Applejack smiled. “You keep your cards in great condition.” “Thank you, I do consider it very—” She stopped as she registered the comment. Applejack and Rainbow laughed, Fluttershy offering a smile. Rarity huffed and crossed her arms. “Very mature.” “Ya know Ah don’t even remember who won last time we dueled before this tournament?” Applejack said. “Me neither.” Rainbow shook her head. “Even if we did face each other in the finals at this point, and one of us won the crown, would it even matter?” “Nope. Just be the same thing all over again next round.” Applejack jerked her thumb at Twilight. “Guess we just needed Twilight here to point out how dumb this all is when ya take a step back.” “Speaking of, hey!” Rainbow scrunched against the edge of her seat and pulled Fluttershy with her. “Twilight, cram in, you’re glowering over us like Ms. Harshwhinny.” Twilight smiled as she sat down. She took her duel disk back and slid it on, tightening the straps. “I admit, I felt kinda silly giving that big speech and standing over you. I’ve never really thought of myself as someone important like that. Well, maybe a teacher.” “Nonsense.” Rarity reached across the table to pat the back of Twilight’s hand. “I think you’re proving yourself a marvelous role model. You’re taking part in this tournament and you want to win, but you’re not letting bitterness or competitiveness get the better of you.” Twilight brightened. “Really?” Fluttershy nodded. “Rarity’s right. You’re proof we can have fun playing the game even while we take it seriously sometimes.” “Here ya go!” Pinkie rolled up to the table with a platter in her hand. “Two chocolate shakes, two vanilla, one strawberry, on me, newcomers!” Faster than Twilight could see her move, Pinkie’s hand whipped out and slid the drinks to the table in front of them, the extra chocolate and strawberry stopping at Applejack and Rarity. “Also, fries and yogurt.” Twilight didn’t even see where Pinkie got them from before the basket and small plastic container were in the middle of the table. Rainbow reached out and grabbed a fry. “So, like I was saying. Twilight wants to take Sunset Shimmer down a peg. And frankly, no matter what anyone thinks of this tournament, it’s time for her to go. She’s been champion way too long. She thinks she runs the school.” “Yeah, but if we wanna get rid of her, we gotta beat her.” Applejack held up her hands. “Frankly seein’ as it hasn’t happened yet, Ah don’t know if it ever will.” Rarity finished taking a drink of her milkshake. “But this year will be different! This year Twilight is here!” “Ya got a point, there.” Applejack nodded. “Twilight’s as good a duelist as Ah’ve ever seen.” “And like you said, she’s a role model,” Fluttershy chimed in. Twilight blushed again. “Well, I do want to beat Sunset. But I don’t know if I’m good enough. If I’m being honest, this game wasn’t really my thing until I came to Canterlot.” “So you’re a natural, so what?” Rainbow reached over Fluttershy to pat Twilight on the shoulder. “You’ve got what it takes to go to the top!” “I think it’s more than that, though.” Twilight counted off on her fingers. “There’s the four of us, plus Flash Sentry.” “Flash?” Rainbow asked. “We’re friends, and I think he’d be on-board with reforming the school by getting rid of Sunset.” Twilight reached into her backpack and pulled out a notepad and a pen. She drew a blank bracket line-up for the tournament then wrote eight names above them. “Counting him, that’s five of us, versus Sunset. The odds are one of us will be up against her in the quarter-finals tomorrow, and even if we aren’t, it’s a sure thing that if we make it through to the semi-finals, she’ll be there. The higher we go in the rankings, the more likely it is one of us will have to duel her to proceed further.” Twilight scribbled in Sunset’s name in a continuous progression through her drawn bracket. “However, statistically speaking, there’s just as much individual chance for each of us to duel each other as Sunset.” “What are y’all sayin’?” Applejack asked. “I’m saying that it might not necessarily be Sunset versus one of us in the finals. For all we know, she and I could be matched up in the quarter-finals and I’ll beat her then, and the finals could end up being Rainbow versus Flash.” “That would be the most awesome duel ever!” Rainbow squeed, pressing her hands to her cheeks. Twilight ignored her. “If we really want to change the way the school sees dueling, we have to be unified in our message, as friends and as duelists. No matter who wins this tournament, we make sure things change. If you happen to win, we don’t need another Sunset.” The others all nodded in agreement. “And by that same token, it doesn’t matter which of us beats Sunset. So if we get matched against each other, we pull no punches. We duel our best and whoever wins, wins. Right? It’s not personal anymore.” She eyed Rainbow and Applejack; they caught her eye and nodded firmly. “Twilight?” She turned to Fluttershy. “This all sounds like a nice plan, but you’re leaving out the most important part – how do any of us beat Sunset? She’s the best duelist this school’s ever seen.” The others grumbled and sat back. “That’s the next part of the plan—strategy.” Twilight flipped to a fresh page and poised her pen at the top. “So, what do we know about Sunset Shimmer’s deck?” “It’s unstoppable!” “It’s got perfect synergy.” “There’s no other deck in the school like it!” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, way to compliment the girl who’s supposed to be our enemy. I’m not looking for gushing about how awesome she is, I want hard facts. What archetype does she play?” The other four looked among themselves and began murmuring. Twilight frowned. “Really? No one?” “Well, we haven’t seen her duel in a long time,” Fluttershy said. “Fine, then, what kind of strategies does she rely on?” Again there was no direct response. Twilight huffed. “Come on, someone must remember something! Does she focus on Fusion cards, does she swarm the field, does she lock down her opponent’s cards?” “Sorry, Twi.” Applejack shook her head. “It’s just not comin’ to me.” Twilight grunted. “Great, the champion duelist of the school and no one knows what kind of deck she even uses. Don’t you guys have a database for this sort of information?” She gasped as she finished the sentence. “Pinkie!” “Yup?” Twilight didn’t even question how Pinkie was suddenly standing next to the table. “You maintain the school duelist database. What kind of deck does Sunset Shimmer use?” “Dunno.” “What?” Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Dunno.” Pinkie shrugged. “Always wondered myself but never really had the time to ask her or see her play.” Twilight slapped a hand to her face. “So we’re going in to duel the best duelist in the school completely blind as to what she can do!” “Don’t worry, Twilight.” Fluttershy smiled warmly. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.” “I hope so.” Twilight shut the notebook and sighed. “My Harmony Spirits have taken me this far, but I can’t just jump into a duel with Sunset and wing it like I have been doing.” “Harmony what?” Rarity tilted her head. Twilight looked at her quizzically. “Harmony Spirit. My deck?” “Oh, I’ve not heard of that series. Is that a new release?” Twilight blinked as she processed Rarity’s question. “Rarity, we dueled before. I used them to beat you.” “You did?” Rarity clenched her eyes and shook her head. “Oh, yes, yes, I remember, Pietas and Magia and all that. Sorry, it slipped my mind.” “Really?” Twilight thought and looked down at Spike, his face reflecting her confusion. Her eyes narrowed as she raised her eyes. “Fluttershy?” “Hm?” “How did our first duel end?” “Oh.” Fluttershy thought. “You won.” “Yes, but how?” “Um…” Fluttershy furrowed her brow. “I summoned Behemoth, and you destroyed it.” “How?” Fluttershy gave a helpless shrug. “I don’t recall, Twilight, sorry.” “What about my duel with Snips and Snails? What monster did I use to beat them?” “Calm down, Twi.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Not everyone remembers every play of every duel they fight.” “You saw me duel just today, Applejack. What cards did I use?” “Harmony Spirits. Tough little critters.” “Are you saying that because you remember it, or because I said it just now?” “What’s gotten into you?” Rainbow asked, leaning on the table. “What’s it matter if we remember your deck or not? You’re still kicking butt with it!” Twilight stood up. “I… need to use the bathroom. Spike.” She briskly walked down the aisle and turned the corner, Spike at her heels. “That’s weird.” Applejack wrinkled her nose. “Well, if Twilight is excusing herself, I shall as well.” Rarity stood from the booth. “I want to make some adjustments to my deck for tomorrow.” She looked at the girls playing at the arcade machines. “Oh, but I can’t tear Sweetie Belle away like this!” “I can give her a ride,” Fluttershy offered. “Oh, thank you, darling.” Rarity waved as she left, the door’s bell jingling as it opened and shut. Twilight shut the door to the bathroom once Spike was inside. She looked around the room to make sure it was empty and then looked down at him. “Tell me you realize what just happened.” “Yeah, seems like they’ve all got bad memories,” he replied. “It’s more than that. They don’t even remember things that happened to them earlier this same day.” Twilight frowned and began to pace, her arms folded over her chest. “What’s going on?” “Beats me.” Spike scratched his ear. “You haven’t exactly been without memory problems yourself, ya know.” “My memory…” Twilight stopped. Her eyes darted around the room as she thought. “Spike. You said when my eyes glow purple when I get serious while dueling, right?” “Yeah.” “And Snips and Snails had glowing red eyes when I dueled them. Then when I beat them, they had no memory of what happened.” Twilight snapped open the compartment on her duel disk and pulled out her five Fusion cards. “When I dueled them these cards appeared in my deck, along with other new cards. And before that, I dueled Rarity and drew Harmony Castle. That one I might just have missed when looking over my deck, but I know I didn’t have Fusion cards before the tag duel.” “I’m not sure I follow here, Twilight.” “Don’t you see, Spike?” Twilight looked down at him. “Every time I duel, they don’t remember anything about it other than how good I was. And then whenever I’m about to lose, I enter a trance and can just create new cards to help me win.” Spike snorted. “When you put it like that it sounds a little unfair.” “It’s very unfair. No one knows what kind of deck I use, so they have no way to anticipate what I’ll do. And even if they do start to beat me, I may just go into a magical trance and draw some new card they couldn’t possibly expect that’ll net me the win.” Twilight looked at her deck in her duel disk. “Imagine what it could mean if I could learn to freely control that magic.” “Control it freely?” Spike rubbed his chin with a paw. “Being able to pull out new cards to flip the game any time you want, and no one can remember what kind of deck you use anyway? If you could master that kind of magic, you’d be unbeatable.” “Like Sunset Shimmer.” Spike’s eyes widened and he looked up at Twilight. His mouth fell open. “You don’t think…” Twilight slowly nodded. “I do, Spike.” She folded up the cards in her hand. “I think we just figured out how Sunset has been able to stay champion for so long.” Rarity hummed to herself as she approached the car in Sugarcube Café parking lot. She unlocked the door and reached for the handle. “Rarity.” She jumped and turned to see a figure step into the light of the street light above them. Rarity scowled. “What do you want?” Sunset smiled. “I just want to talk for a minute.”