Tom jogged to his parked duel runner and walked it to the dueling track. There were four dueling tracks that were close to the city of Naperville. There was one that ran through the McDowell Prairie Path and through the neighboring town of Warrenville, one that ran through the Spring Brook Creek along the border of Naperville and Bolingbrook, one that was built around Danada Square and Leask Nature Trail in Wheaton, and lastly, there was the one Tom and Rainbow Dash were about to ride that rode through the city of Naperville itself.
Wherever the location, Rainbow Dash was just stoked to have her first riding duel.
“I still can’t believe I’m within feet of one of those aliens from that planet up there,” said a track manager.
“Who are you calling an alien?” asked Rainbow Dash, slightly offended.
“Calm yourself, Rainbow,” said Tom, approaching her. “We’re ready when you are.”
“Does she even have speed spells?” asked an attendant.
“Speed spells?” questioned Rainbow Dash. “What are those?”
“You can’t activate normal spell cards during a riding duel,” explained Tom. “You need to activate speed spells, which can only be activated depending on the number of speed counters you have, which can be given through Speed World 2’s effect and/or by other speed spells.”
“Where can I get these speed spells anyways?”
“They’re thirty dollars for a set of thirty,” responded an attendant. Tom handed him a twenty and ten.
“Go ahead and pick the ones you like the best,” encouraged Tom.
Rainbow Dash took her time in finding the best ones for her. From the spell that Twilight did the night before that helped her learn the game, she also learned that strategy, not power, was key.
She eventually picked out her thirty, placing and shuffling the very best ones she picked into her deck after replacing her normal spell cards. Rainbow Dash was officially ready.
Tom stood next to his motorcycle and Rainbow Dash on a metal platform that raised itself into the track, the platform becoming another part of the floor. The track itself was a Plexiglas halfpipe with light fixtures rising along the track’s edge every twenty feet that was elevated about thirty feet above the ground. The floors themselves were metal like the platform.
“Ready?” asked Tom.
“I was born ready,” answered Rainbow Dash.
Tom pushed a button on the right handlebar of the duel runner, causing the electronic dials in the dashboard to disappear, revealing a field spell card and then a dueling field with his name and life point count on top. Rainbow Dash tapped the icons on her duel disk screen until she got the same display as Tom. Once both duelists registered on each others machines, Rainbow Dash’s zones unsheathed from their duel disk, but they didn’t fold up 90° like they normally would.
“That’s to make the duel disk more aerodynamic for your flying,” yelled Claude from the sidelines. “Do you like it?”
Rainbow Dash gave a nod to him and looked out to the straight track ahead of her.
Tom made the finishing adjustments to his wrist dealer. His father’s duel runner didn’t require a D-Pad. It instead had two slots at the top and bottom where the top of the gas tank would be, the top being for monsters and the bottom being for spells and traps.
Tom detached the deck holster from the side of his wrist dealer and attached it to the top of his graveyard slot, the end of the deck facing the same way as the slot to the graveyard. With a 90° clockwise turn, Tom’s deck and graveyard slot were pointing right and perpendicularly from Tom’s arm. Tom put his helmet on his head and closed the visor. Both duelists were now ready to actually duel.
The entire city was covered in the holographic aura already, the upcoming 10 second countdown be the only thing keeping them from starting. Rainbow Dash’s friends cheered for both her and Tom before the duel began. The countdown started.
10. 9. 8. 7. 6. Tom gripped the handlebars of the motorcycle, as Rainbow Dash gave a quick stretch of her wings and limbs. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. BEEP! Tom twisted the handlebars, causing his machine to rocket away from the starting line at high speeds. Rainbow Dash pushed off the ground and sped up to catch up with Tom.
Tom’s duel runner was bulkier and wasn’t built for such speed, unlike Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare easily surpassed her friend and opponent, giving her the first turn of the duel.
Tom zoomed throughout the track as Rainbow Dash flew alongside it. People in the city watched as the duel literally passed them by.
“Now how in tarnation are we supposed to watch them?” asked Applejack back at the parking lot. Alex showed Applejack how to work her D-Pad to watch the riding duels from her tablet. “Thanks,” she sheepishly said.
Tom and Rainbow Dash drew five cards from their decks. Tom had a place on his deck holster to hold his hand for him, while Rainbow Had to hold her cards in her hooves.
“Alright,” called Tom. “Let’s have some fun.”
“DUEL!” the two duelists cried.
Rainbow Dash vs. Tom
Rainbow Dash’s Turn: RD:1 T:0 – Rainbow Dash summons T.G. Catapult Dragon (ATK: 900 DEF: 1300). Rainbow Dash activates T.G. Catapult Dragon’s effect, special summoning a level 3 or lower T.G. tuner from her hand, choosing T.G. Jet Falcon (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1200). Rainbow Dash tunes T.G. Catapult Dragon with T.G. Jet Falcon to synchro summon T.G. Hyper Librarian (ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800). When T.G. Jet Falcon is sent to the graveyard as synchro material, Tom takes 500 points of damage.
Tom’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3500
Rainbow Dash places two cards face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-2 Life-4000 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-2
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Damage on the first turn, thought Tom. Nice. Let’s see what kind of moves she makes here.
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Tom’s Turn: RD:1 T:1 – Tom activates the speed spell Overboost, increasing his speed counters by four (SpC.: 1 -> 5). Tom summons Gladiator Beast Andal (ATK: 1900 DEF: 1500). Tom then special summons Test Tiger, as he controls a Gladiator Beast monster (ATK: 600 DEF: 300).
Tom activates Tom activates Test Tiger’s effect. By tributing it, Tom can shuffle a Gladiator Beast monster that he controls to the deck and special summon a Gladiator Beast monster from his deck. This is treated as being special summoned by a Gladiator Beast monster. With Test Tiger’s effect, Tom special summons Gladiator Beast Secutor (ATK: 400 DEF: 300). Tom then activates the speed spell Synchro Defuse, taking control of an opponent’s synchro monster until the end phase if he has two or more speed counters, choosing T.G. Hyper Librarian.
Tom attacks Rainbow Dash directly with Gladiator Beast Secutor.
Rainbow Dash’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3600
Tom then attacks Rainbow Dash directly with T.G. Hyper Librarian, but Rainbow Dash activates Battle Stun Sonic, negating the attack and special summoning a level 4 or lower tuner monster from her hand, choosing T.G. Cyber Magician (ATK: 0 DEF: 0).
When Gladiator Beast Secutor is special summoned by the effect of a Gladiator Beast monster, when Gladiator Beast Secutor attacks or was attacked, Tom can special summon two Gladiator Beast monsters from his deck, choosing Gladiator Beast Octavius (ATK: 2500 DEF: 1200), and Gladiator Beast Andal. Tom overlays Gladiator Beast Andal and Gladiator Beast Secutor to xyz summon Amber Minotaur (ATK: 2400 DEF: 1900). Tom activates Amber Minotaur’s effect. By detaching one xyz material from it, Tom can normal summon again this turn without a tribute, choosing Gladiator Beast Spartacus (ATK: 2200 DEF: 1600).
During the end phase, T.G. Hyper Librarian is returned to Rainbow Dash. Also, with Overboost’s effect, Tom’s speed counters are reduced to 1 (SpC.: 5 -> 1).
Tom places one card face down and ends his turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-3500 Monsters-3 Face Down Cards-1
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“You may not think it,” commented Alex to his pony friends, “but Tom is actually a great duelist.”
“I never doubted that,” said Twilight, “but I’m just interested with what Rainbow Dash is going to do.”
Back at the track, Tom was riding up closer to Rainbow.
“Ready for complete and utter awesomeness?” asked Rainbow.
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Rainbow Dash: RD:2 T:2 – Rainbow Dash activates the speed spell Angel Baton, drawing two cards and discarding one when she has two or more speed counters. Rainbow Dash activates the effect of T.G. Cyber Magician. If she uses T.G. Cyber Magician for the synchro summon of a T.G. monster, she can use T.G. monsters in her hand as the non-tuner synchro material. Rainbow Dash tunes the T.G. Rush Rhino in her hand with T.G. Cyber Magician to synchro summon T.G. Wonder Magician (ATK: 1900 DEF: 0). When T.G. Wonder Magician is synchro summoned, Rainbow Dash can destroy one spell or trap card on the field, choosing Tom’s face down card. Also, with T.G. Hyper Librarian’s effect, Rainbow Dash draws one card each time someone synchro summons.
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Rainbow Dash then pulled up and flew towards the sky, her two monsters flying along side with her.
“Just what does she think she’s doing?” asked Tom to himself.
Once Rainbow was high enough in the sky, she did a backwards loop and flew back towards the ground.
“I tune my level 5 Tech Genus Hyper Librarian with my level 5 Tech Genus Wonder Magician,” yelled Rainbow Dash.
A trailing cone then appeared in front of Rainbow Dash, her two monsters followed her closely from behind. The cone grew brighter and brighter.
“Accel synchro summon!”
Rainbow Dash flew through the cone, creating an array of white beams that shot in every direction.
“What on earth was that?” asked Emma back at the parking lot.
“She calls that her Buccaneer Blaze!” cheered Pinkie Pie, hopping up and down.
Tom was stunned at Rainbow’s act, along with nearly the entire town who saw everything in the sky. Tom then looked as Rainbow Dash flew past him, but she didn’t have her two monsters behind her anymore. She instead had one.
“Go,” she shouted, “Tech Genus Blade Blaster!”
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Rainbow Dash tunes T.G. Hyper Librarian with T.G. Wonder Magician to accel synchro summon T.G. Blade Blaster (ATK: 3300 DEF: 2200). Rainbow Dash attacks Gladiator Beast Spartacus with T.G. Blade Blaster.
Tom’s Life Points: 3500 -> 2400
Rainbow Dash activates her face down TG-SX1, special summoning a T.G. synchro monster in her graveyard when a T.G. monster she controls destroys a monster by battle, choosing T.G. Hyper Librarian. Rainbow Dash attacks Amber Minotaur with T.G. Hyper Librarian. Since both monsters have equal ATKs, they are both destroyed.
Rainbow Dash sets one monster.
Rainbow Dash ends her turn.
Status: Hand-1 Life-3600 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-0
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Tom found himself in quite a predicament. He had only one monster left to protect him, and with the speed and power of her deck, it wouldn’t take long before his only defense was gone. His survival was dependent on his next draw.
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Tom’s Turn: RD:3 T:3 – Tom summons Gladiator Beast Bestiari (ATK: 1500 DEF: 800). Tom sends Gladiator Beast Bestiari and Gladiator Beast Octavius to the deck to fusion summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus (ATK: 2400 DEF: 1500). When Gladiator Beast Gyzarus is special summoned, Tom can destroy up to two cards on the field, choosing T.G. Blade Blaster and Rainbow Dash’s face down monster.
Rainbow Dash activates T.G. Blade Blaster’s effect. By removing a T.G. monster in her graveyard from play, Rainbow Dash can banish T.G. Blade Blaster on her field and special summon it during her next standby phase. Rainbow Dash’s face down monster is still destroyed. Tom attacks Rainbow Dash directly with Gladiator Beast Gyzarus.
Rainbow Dash’s Life Points: 3600 -> 1200
At the end of the battle phase, if Gladiator Beast Gyzarus attacked or was attacked, Tom can return Gladiator Beast Gyzarus to the extra deck to special summon two Gladiator Beast monsters from her deck except Gladiator Beast Bestiari. He chooses Gladiator Beast Laquari (ATK: 1800 DEF: 400) and Gladiator Beast Darius (ATK: 1700 DEF: 300).
When Gladiator Beast Darius is special summoned by the effect of a Gladiator Beast monster, Tom can special summon a Gladiator Beast monster from his graveyard, although its effect is negated, choosing Gladiator Beast Andal. Tom sends Gladiator Beast Andal, Gladiator Beast Laquari, and Gladiator Beast Darius to the deck to fusion summon Gladiator Beast Heraklinos (ATK: 3000 DEF: 2800).
Tom ends his turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-2400 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-0
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“Not bad,” commented Rainbow Dash proudly. “Not bad.” She sprung back into action, hoping to finish the duel off once and for all.
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Rainbow Dash’s Turn: RD:4 T:4 – T.G. Blade Blaster is special summoned from the banished zone with its effect. Rainbow Dash activates the speed spell Half Seize, halving the ATK of one monster on the field and gaining life points equal to the amount halved when she has three or more speed counters, choosing Gladiator Beast Heraklinos (ATK: 3000 -> 1500).
Rainbow Dash’s Life Points: 1200 -> 2700
Rainbow Dash then summons T.G. Gear Zombie (ATK: 600 DEF: 0). Rainbow Dash attacks Gladiator Beast Heraklinos with T.G. Blade Blaster.
Tom’s Life Points: 2400 -> 600
Rainbow Dash then attacks Tom directly with T.G. Gear Zombie.
Tom’s Life Points: 600 -> 0
Rainbow Dash wins.
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Two hatches opened up from the side of Tom’s motorcycle, releasing a blast of cool, harmless exhaust as Tom continued riding it to the platform. Upon getting there, he put up the kickstand and dismounted the duel runner. As soon as he took his helmet off, Rainbow Dash surprised him from behind with a hug.
“That was so awesome!” squealed Rainbow Dash. “We have to do that again.”
“Maybe later,” said Tom. “The competition is going to start soon and we need to give other people a chance.” Rainbow Dash huffed in disappointment. “If you want to go at it again, you can sign your name in and duel someone during the competition. Rainbow Dash made a beeline for the registry table and signed herself up as the first duelist to go.
The duel also attracted a lot of attention, bringing in duelists from all over the city, eager to join in the competition.
“Looks like we’re ready to begin,” said Alex.
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A half hour or so later, the 9:37 Metra train from Chicago arrived right on time at the 5th Ave. Station in Naperville. One of the first people to step off the train was Kyle with nothing more than a briefcase. He found a flyer on a pillar inside a waiting booth for the Riverwalk Dueling Competition. Kyle found a limousine waiting for him and he got in, putting the briefcase next to him.
“Where to, sir?” said the driver. “The Holiday Inn, I presume?”
“Not yet,” said Kyle. “Take me to that Riverwalk Competition.”
“Very good, sir.”
The limousine drove south to its destination.