It was a beautiful Saturday morning at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack pulled a cart up to one of the many apple trees and smiled. "Another hard day's work ahead of me today," she said, reaching up to the tree branches and wrapping her fingers around the shiny red fruit.
With a disgusted grimace, Applejack yanked her hand away from the apple. "Ew! Why is it all squishy and slimy?" she said, flailing her hand to shake off the slime. "It almost feels like something ate this one days ago."
Apple Bloom approached her older sister, Big Macintosh not far behind. Astral hovered next to her, but her siblings of course couldn't see that. "AJ, the trees over there don't have any good fruit! It's all got bite marks in it!" she said.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Really? Not one apple good enough to make into jam or cider?"
"Eenope," said Big Mac, shaking his head.
"What the heck caused this?" Applejack wondered.
"If it is any help to you," Astral said to Apple Bloom, "I happened to spot several leathery-winged animals feasting on the apples late last night."
Apple Bloom grumbled. "Fruit bats. Just our luck."
"Bats, huh?" said Applejack. "Ah think this calls for some help from an animal expert."
"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.
Later that afternoon, Fluttershy came to the farm. She examined the tiny bite marks on one of the fruits and nodded, turning to look at the Apple family siblings. "Definitely fruit bats. This is a very distinctive shape," she said.
Applejack crossed her arms. "Great. Now, can ya help us get rid of 'em?"
"Get rid of them?" Fluttershy repeated, sounding surprised. "You don't want to do that, do you? The bats eating the apples will transport the seeds, promoting verdancy and healthy growth in the orchard."
"Ah can't have the bats eatin' our crops," Applejack insisted. "We ain't usin' pesticides, and you're the only one Ah know who can help us handle the infestation."
"If you don't want them to eat all the crops, you could establish a bat sanctuary on the far side of the orchard," Fluttershy suggested. "Separate a few trees for the bats to get their food from. It's a much better solution than driving them all out of here."
Her friend just narrowed her eyes. "The bats ain't stayin'," she said.
"Wait a minute, sis," said Apple Bloom. "Fluttershy is the expert. If she thinks we should let the bats stay, Ah think we should give 'em a chance."
"Do ya want the little vermin to eat everything here?"
Apple Bloom opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal, but couldn't think of anything. She sighed and slumped her shoulders. "No..."
"That's what Ah thought," said AJ before turning back to Fluttershy. "So. How can we scare 'em off?"
Fluttershy frowned and looked away, accepting defeat. "I guess I can try using my Stare on them," she whispered.
"Observation number seven," Astral noted. "The stubbornness of humans can sometimes be too strong to be swayed, even by friends."
By the time the sun began to set, all the bats had been rounded up and caged. Fluttershy looked sadly through the bars at the little guys. "I wish there was something I could do to help you stay..." she said to them. It was then that she noticed a small piece of litter in one of the cages. "Oh, I can't have one of you choking on that," the animal caretaker said. She carefully opened the cage, reached her hand in... and grabbed the blank card.
Fluttershy gasped the second her fingers made contact. Her pupils shrank down to pinpricks as dark aura enveloped her body. A glowing symbol that looked like a 24 shimmered into existence on the inner side of her right wrist. "Yes, Fluttershy... Let the Number take hold..." a disembodied voice told her. The card changed into a menacing Xyz monster.
Fluttershy smirked and chuckled as she began opening all the bat cages.
The next morning, Applejack growled in frustration when she saw that the orchard was even worse for wear than before. "What in tarnation?! Ah thought Fluttershy got rid of the bats!" she said, turning to her two siblings. "Alright. We're gonna stake out the orchard tonight and drive those pests out ourselves!"
Apple Bloom frowned. "But it's a school night. Are ya sure that's a good idea?"
"It's these apples that help us pay for school. Are ya with me or not, Apple Bloom?" AJ replied.
"Ah guess Ah'm with ya," said Apple Bloom. "But if mah grades slip, Ah'm blamin' you."
That night, the Apple siblings marched through one of the few parts of the orchard that the bats hadn't touched, all carrying flashlights. Applejack was wielding a baseball bat so that she could "scare 'em off with a cruel display of irony." Apple Bloom had brought her Duel Blade on Astral's recommendation. One never knew, he had said. The ethereal man was joining them as well, noticed only by the youngest sibling.
The young redhead shivered nervously. "Ah don't like this," she said to her sister. "It's too quiet and Ah feel like someone is watchin' us."
"Don't be silly Apple Bloom," Applejack said, pointing her flashlight up at the branches. "There's nothin' to be afraid of. Right, Big Mac?"
"Eeyup..." their older brother said, but even he looked uncomfortable.
A shadow darted across the orchard path in front of them, causing them to jump. Applejack waved her flashlight around in a panic, trying to catch a glimpse of the shadow. "Alright, who's there?! Come on out and face us, ya coward!" she shouted.
"If you insist," said a very familiar voice in an unfamiliar tone. It seemed to come from the branch directly above them.
"No... It can't be..." Applejack muttered. She slowly pointed her flashlight upward to reveal... "Fluttershy?!"
Indeed, the pink-haired girl was perched in the tree over their heads. But she was almost unrecognizable. She was wearing a very tight black dress that over accentuated all of her curves and a silver necklace with a blood red gem in the center of its pendant. Her hair was a mess, and several bats were even nesting in it. She had dark eyeshadow and red lipstick, which was quite unlike her. Most notably, her now pointed teeth were prominently displayed in her sneer.
"Fluttershy is no more," she said as she dropped to the ground, landing with catlike grace. "She disappeared when you tried to get rid of her animal friends. In her place is a vampire ready to bite back!"
"This is crazy!" Applejack cried. "The Fluttershy Ah know would never do anything this drastic!"
"I told you, Fluttershy is gone," Fluttershy repeated. "For I am Flutterbat!"
Applejack looked unimpressed. "Flutterbat? Really? That's what ya went with?"
Flutterbat's only response was to stare directly into Applejack's eyes. Applejack, without hesitation, gave herself an atomic wedgie.
Apple Bloom winced as her sister howled in pain. "Ooh, that's GOTTA hurt...!"
"Look there, Apple Bloom," said Astral, pointing to the 24 on Flutterbat's wrist. "She has a Number card."
The youngest Apple child nodded. "Ah see it," she said. "Big Mac, help AJ. Ah know how to deal with Fluttershy."
AJ's eyes widened. "What?! Ya think we're gonna let ya do this alone?! Don't be stupid!"
"It's the only way. Ya have to trust me on this," Apple Bloom said as she stepped forward. "Are ya with me?"
Applejack, seeing the conviction in her sister's eyes, nodded. "Ya bet Ah'm with ya."
"Then stand back," Apple Bloom said, extending her Duel Blade. "Fluttershy, Flutterbat, or whatever ya call yourself now. Ah challenge you to a Duel!"
"A Duel you say? And what's in it for me?" Flutterbat asked with a quizzical expression.
"If ya win, these," Apple Bloom answered simply, holding up Utopia, Diamond Crab King, and Crazy Box.
Flutterbat smirked and licked her lips. "Such power in those cards... Very well, I accept your challenge. But you will also become my minion when I defeat you."
"Ah won't lose," said Apple Bloom. "Ah already know how your deck works so Ah can counter it."
"Oh, I won't be using that inferior deck," said Flutterbat. She strapped on a Duel Blade resembling a bat wing. "I have a new one to try."
"Won't make any difference!" Apple Bloom replied. "Duel Blade, activate! Get set to get decked!"
"Let's Duel!" the two of them shouted.
Apple Bloom
LP: 8000; Hand: 5
Flutterbat
LP: 8000; Hand: 5
"I shall go first," said Flutterbat. "And I begin with the field spell card Zombie World!" As she activated the card, the orchard around them morphed into a graveyard with a ghostly fog drifting about. "With this in play, every monster on the field and in the Graveyard becomes a zombie, and only Zombie-type monsters can be Tribute Summoned. I will then set one card and summon Vampire Lady in attack mode!"
Apple Bloom shivered as Flutterbat's monster appeared. "Zombie deck. Ah hate these things," she said.
"Be careful. That field spell could be problematic," Astral warned.
"For the time being, I will end my turn," said Flutterbat.
Apple Bloom
LP: 8000; Hand: 5
Flutterbat
LP: 8000; Hand: 2
"Mah move, then! Draw!" said Apple Bloom. "Ah summon Lonefire Blossom and activate its special ability!" she declared. The orange flower sprouted in front of her, glowing softly in the night. "By tributin' itself, it lets me Special Summon mah Gigaplant straight from the deck! Go!"
The flower yielded absolutely zero reaction. Flutterbat chuckled.
"... Uh... why didn't it work?" Apple Bloom said worriedly.
"Lonefire Blossom's ability requires that you tribute one Plant-type monster," Astral pointed out. "But with Zombie World in play, it is no longer Plant-type. Nothing is."
"Dang, that's right," Apple Bloom realized, growling a bit in frustration. "There goes that strategy... Ah set two cards facedown and end mah turn."
Apple Bloom
LP: 8000; Hand: 3
Flutterbat
LP: 8000; Hand: 2
"And my turn begins. I draw!" said Flutterbat. "I activate my trap card Xing Zhen Hu!" she declared, flipping up her facedown card. Several weights tied themselves to Apple Bloom's facedowns. "You won't be able to use either of those cards as long as Xing Zhen Hu is on the field."
"Uh-oh! Ah'm totally vulnerable!" Apple Bloom cried.
"Indeed you are," Flutterbat taunted. "Vampire Lady, attack Lonefire Blossom!" Her vampiric monster charged forward, slicing her target with her claw-like nails.
Apple Bloom winced as Astral faded slightly. "That's a pretty heavy hit, there..." she said.
"And now, Vampire Lady's special ability activates!" said Flutterbat. "Since this lovely lady inflicted battle damage, she will force you to send a card from your deck to the Graveyard, the type of which I get to choose. Say goodbye to one of your trap cards."
Apple Bloom grunted in irritation and placed a Jar of Greed in her Graveyard.
"I set one card. With that, my turn will end."
Apple Bloom
LP: 6950; Hand: 3
Flutterbat
LP: 8000; Hand: 2
"Apple Bloom, you will need to make up for your earlier misplay," said Astral.
"Ah know. Ah just need some time to think of a plan," Apple Bloom replied. "For now, Ah'm just gonna have to wing it. Ah draw!" She whipped out a card and looked at it. "That could help. Ah summon Botanical Lion to the field!"
"And I activate another trap card!" said Flutterbat.
Apple Bloom winced, expecting something like Bottomless Trap Hole. However...
"Needlebug Nest! The top five cards of my deck are sent to the Graveyard!"
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Gettin' rid of your own cards, huh? Fine by me. Botanical Lion, take down Vampire Lady!"
"I banish from the Graveyard my Necro Gardna to negate your attack," Flutterbat countered. "Do you see now why I shrunk my deck?"
Apple Bloom groaned. "Just perfect. Now she has moves to make that Ah can't even see comin'! Guess Ah end mah turn."
Apple Bloom
LP: 6950; Hand: 3
Flutterbat
LP: 8000; Hand: 2
Flutterbat sneered. "I draw! And now, it is time for my ultimate beast to emerge."
"Oh no," Astral said. "She is going to summon her Number monster."
"I banish Mezuki from the grave to activate his special ability," said Flutterbat. "He offers himself as a means to raise the dead, so I may revive another monster that was struck down by Needlebug Nest. Come forth, Vampire's Curse!"
Apple Bloom frowned as the pale, bat-winged man appeared. "But he's level six. Ya can't Xyz Summon with him and Vampire Lady," she pointed out.
"Perhaps not, but there is one last monster in my Graveyard that has yet to show itself," said Flutterbat. "Since a level five or higher Zombie-type monster has been Special Summoned, I pay 2000 Life Points to revive Vampire Grace!" Her new vampire rose from one of the graves surrounding them. "But before I Xyz Summon, Vampire Grace's special ability activates. You will now send a monster from your deck to the grave."
"This deck is just tearin' me apart from the inside," Apple Bloom muttered, sending away a Rose Witch.
"And now," Flutterbat continued, her teeth looking pointier and her Number mark glowing brighter, "with my level six Vampire's Curse and Vampire Grace, I build the Overlay Network!" A black portal opened on the ground between the two Duelists. The two vampires morphed into streaks of light and flew into the center of it. A giant 24 symbol glowed just above the portal. "Come forth, mighty king of the Underworld, and rule the night as it is meant to be ruled! I Xyz Summon Number 24: Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon!"
From the portal emerged what looked like a giant bat wrapped up in its own wings. Its true form was revealed, however, when the wings were opened. The creature was an enormous black dragon with spiked, bone-like armor, blood red streaks through its scales, and a 24 blazing on its chest. It let out a loud roar and glared down at Apple Bloom, hissing.
Unseen by his siblings, Big Mac had a horrified expression on his face. That can't be... he thought.
"That dragon..." Astral stammered. "It looks like..."
"Death..." Apple Bloom breathed out, finishing the thought for him.
"Now, I enter the battle phase," said Flutterbat. "Dragulas, my friend. Kindly dispose of her Botanical Lion with your Midnight Haze." Her Number monster roared and shot a jet of dark violet mist from its mouth, destroying Apple Bloom's monster. "And now, Vampire Lady will attack directly! With her effect, you will lose another monster card from your deck!"
Apple Bloom cried out as the attacks struck, Vampire Lady forcing her to get rid of a Puppet Plant. Astral began to fade even more. "This ain't good," she said. "If she gets any more turns like that, Ah'm done for!"
"With that, I will end my turn," said Flutterbat.
Apple Bloom
LP: 4600; Hand: 3
Flutterbat
LP: 6000; Hand: 3
Apple Bloom drew her next card nervously. "This could help. Ah activate Pot of Greed to get two new cards!" Drawing once again, she frowned. "Ah can only play defensive for now, so Ah set a monster and end it."
Apple Bloom
LP: 4600; Hand: 4
Flutterbat
LP: 6000; Hand: 3
"A worthless attempt to defend yourself," said Flutterbat. "I draw!" She didn't even bother to look at her new card. There was no need. "Dragulas, destroy the facedown!"
Apple Bloom grinned. "Sorry to disappoint ya, but that facedown card is Marshmallon!" she said. Her monster flipped face-up to reveal a soft, candy-like creature. "This little fella can't be destroyed by battle, and since ya flipped him up by attackin' him, ya take a thousand damage!"
Flutterbat winced as the damage was bounced back at her. "Very well. Main phase two, I activate Lightning Vortex! By discarding one card, I destroy Marshmallon!" Thunder rumbled overhead as lightning crashed down on Apple Bloom's field and vaporized her monster. "With you left defenseless, I end my turn."
Apple Bloom
LP: 4600; Hand: 4
Flutterbat
LP: 5000; Hand: 2
Frowning, Apple Bloom began with a draw. Her frown vanished when she saw her next card. "Mah deck gave me just what Ah need! A Mystical Space Typhoon!" she declared.
"What?!" Flutterbat growled as the spell card was used to destroy her Xing Zhen Hu.
"And now that it ain't bein' locked down, Ah can activate Call of the Haunted to bring back Botanical Lion!" Apple Bloom said. "Then Ah normal summon Cactus Fighter and build the Overlay Network with mah two monsters!" Another Xyz portal opened, drawing in Apple Bloom's plant monsters. As she brought out her ace card, she didn't see her brother look even more worried. "Let's go, Number 39: Utopia!"
Astral smiled at her. "Excellent. Our victory is assured now," he said.
Flutterbat simply smirked. "A strong Number monster indeed," she said. "But it is nothing against mine. I activate Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon's special ability!" Her monster roared and snapped its jaw shut around one of the units circling it. "During either player's turn, I can remove one of his overlay units to target one monster that was Special Summoned from the extra deck and force it into facedown defense mode!" Dragulas's eyes glowed as it stared at Utopia. "Gaze into the eyes of a vampire. You are helpless against their mesmerizing allure."
Apple Bloom could only watch as Utopia disappeared to be replaced by a facedown card. "No! Utopia!" She shook her head. "He may be vulnerable, but you're crazy if ya think that'll do me in! Ah activate Scapegoat to summon four tokens in defense mode! Now Ah'm protected even if ya destroy Utopia! Ah end mah turn with that."
Apple Bloom
LP: 4600; Hand: 2
Flutterbat
LP: 5000; Hand: 2
Flutterbat made a disappointed noise as she drew a card. "You shouldn't have done that. You are now more vulnerable than you would have been. Firstly, I summon my Lancer Archfiend in attack mode! Then I equip Dragulas with the spell card Fairy Meteor Crush!"
Astral gasped. "Now, two of her attacks will inflict piercing battle damage...!"
"But all of mah tokens have zero defense!" Apple Bloom realized.
"Now, my battle phase!" said Flutterbat. "Vampire Lady will be the first to destroy a token, and Lancer Archfiend's special ability activates, allowing her to inflict piercing damage!" Her fiend gave one of its weapons to Vampire Lady, who used it to stab right through the token. "Her effect now forces you to get rid of another monster card in your deck. Lancer Archfiend will then attack a second token, and Dragulas will destroy a third token and inflict more damage!"
Apple Bloom screamed and fell back. She had taken too much damage and barely had any Life Points left. Astral was almost completely transparent now. "She's just too strong..." the ghostly man lamented.
"You have one turn remaining at best," Flutterbat taunted. "I end my turn."
Apple Bloom
LP: 650; Hand: 2
Flutterbat
LP: 5000; Hand: 1
Apple Bloom stood up slowly. "You're right. Ah have one turn left," she said. "And Ah'm gonna use it to win this thing!"
"Apple Bloom, it is not possible," Astral said. "If you try to attack with Utopia, she will only use Dragulas to set him facedown again, then inflict a fatal blow on her next turn."
"You shut your yap, Astral!" Apple Bloom snapped, surprising her friend and herself. "Ah know it's possible, and Ah'll show ya! We just need to believe it can be done!"
A warm feeling spread through Astral's body. The feeling was new, but familiar at the same time. It was comforting. It was... hopeful. "Go on, then. Do what you can," he said.
Apple Bloom nodded. "Ya made a big mistake not destroyin' Utopia when ya had the chance, Fluttershy," she said.
Flutterbat raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? If anyone is making a mistake here, it's you for not surrendering."
"Not gonna happen!" Apple Bloom retorted. "It's mah turn, and Ah draw!" She whipped a card from her deck.
"You know that I'll just neutralize your Utopia with Dragulas!" Flutterbat growled.
"Not this time!" said Apple Bloom. "Ah activate mah facedown card Forbidden Chalice on Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon!"
Flutterbat laughed. "That's your plan? To give my monster 400 extra attack points?"
"Forbidden Chalice also negates the target's effects until the end phase," Apple Bloom said, causing Flutterbat's eyes to widen. "But there ain't gonna be an end phase! Ah play mah Pot of Avarice, shufflin' five monsters in mah Graveyard back into the deck!" She did so, grinning widely. "And then Ah get two new cards in mah hand." She grabbed the top two cards of her deck. "Here we go. Ah... DRAW!"
"No amount of cards can save you now!" Flutterbat snarled.
"But these two specific ones just might," Apple Bloom countered. "First, Utopia is flipped back to face-up. Then Ah equip him with Megamorph! Since ya have more Life Points than me, his attack power doubles!"
"N-no way!" Flutterbat stammered. "Five-thousand attack points?!"
"It's gonna go even higher when Ah play mah favorite combo with Utopia!" Apple Bloom grinned. "He's gonna attack Dragulas only to use an overlay unit to negate his own attack! And then, ya know it, ya love it, Double or Nothing!" A bright aura glowed around her monster as he charged forward with both of his swords.
Flutterbat hissed and covered her face. "So... bright...!"
"Utopia, hit Dragulas with all ten-thousand of those points!" Apple Bloom commanded. "Rising sun ultimate slash!"
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Winner: Apple Bloom
The shockwave from the attack was so powerful that it sent Flutterbat flying. She slammed into a tree with a loud "Oof!" and slumped down at the base of the trunk.
"Fluttershy!" Applejack cried. She ran toward her fallen friend as Astral absorbed the Number card out of her. "Are ya alright, sugarcube?"
Fluttershy groaned in pain and sat up slowly. "My body is sore from the impact, but I should be fine," she said, frowning. "Did I really wear this? That's not like me at all."
"Listen, Fluttershy... Ah'm sorry for not listenin' to you before about the bats," Applejack said as she helped her friend back to her feet. "If Ah knew all this would happen..."
Fluttershy smiled. "I forgive you, Applejack," she said. "You were just frustrated by them. I'm sorry for, pardon the pun, going batty on you."
Applejack chuckled. "Apology accepted. We'll get right to work on the bat sanctuary after school tomorrow." With that, the two girls hugged.
"Observation number eight. Forgiveness can always be reached between two people who truly care for each other," said Astral. After a brief pause, he smiled and added, "Observation number nine. When the odds are against you, all you need is faith and hope."
"Hey, sis," Big Mac said quietly to Apple Bloom. "Ah'm just gonna ask what me and AJ were both thinkin'. Who were ya talkin' to?"
"Uh... imaginary friend," Apple Bloom blurted out.
But Mac knew this was a lie. Later in his room, he was looking at a particular card of his, a blue-armored Battlin' Boxer monster. "It's happenin' too soon," he muttered. "And even worse, Apple Bloom is in the middle of it all... Dad, if you're really up there... give us strength..."