Chapter 1
Sunset pulled herself up from lying down, and sat herself upright against the wall. Holding onto her head head, she looked to her right, only for her eyes to widen at the sight of girl with dark blue hair, kept short (by her nape) and yellow eyes, wearing a dull yellow jacket over a black and white shirt that had a purple butterfly on her chest, and a white skirt.
“Nightrose…?” Sunset asked, the name slowly coming from her lips.
The blue haired girl smiled and nodded slowly. “Its been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Wha-How-?” Sunset stammered, as the blue haired girl giggled into her hand.
The blue haired girl said nothing, but took Sunset’s hand in her own. Sunset felt herself go red, but the other girl smiled and said, “It's been a while, hasn’t it?”
“What do you mean?” Sunset asked.
“Ya see,” Ardent spoke up, approaching the three. “We aren’t exactly, how shall we we say...from this world? If that makes any sense?”
“Oh… Like me? I wasn't even from here in the first place,” said Sunset.
“That is both correct and wrong at the same time,” Bamboo Sprite said, flipping a page. She went into her bag, producing a black tablet and turning it on. The screen flickered, and showed two planets connected by two streams of white lights.
“This is what we mean,” she continued, pointing to the two planets. “The one on the left is Planet Earth, and the one on the right is Planet Cray. We,” she said, gesturing to the six other girls, “Are from Planet Cray.”
Sunset witnessed it amazed, “Wow, Twilight would sure have a lot of questions for you.”
“Who?” Hari asked, tilting her head.
Sunset noticed Hari, “Oh! She is… from the same place I'm from.”
“Anyways, the cards Ardent showed you earlier,” Bamboo continued slowly, as Ardent held up the six cards again. “Are our true forms. When we crossed over,” Bamboo pointed on the white streams of light connecting the planets. “We took these forms.”
“What she said,” Ardent said with a shrug. “I was just going to say ‘Magic, don’t question it’, but Hari over here would get upset.”
“I would not!” Hari exclaimed, blushing in embarrassment.
That made Sunset giggle, “It’s ok. Don't worry.” Then, she looked at the tablet again, “I want to know: what's your planet like?”
“Well,” Eagle Eye started, “Its both dangerous yet peaceful, fantastical yet nonsensical, and realistic but otherworldly. In a way, it's kinda like this one.”
“However, our world’s fate is greatly affected by the actions taken in this one,” the blue haired girl continued.
“So… if we make something bad here, your world breaks or something?” Sunset asked.
“Not quite,” Paige said, pulling a card from her deck and showing it to Sunset. “Conflicts and their outcomes are decided by battles in our world.” She handed the card while it was facedown to Sunset. “The people who play this game lead us Vanguards, and their victory is our victory. And their loss is our loss.” Sunset flipped the card over, revealing it to be ‘Blaster Blade, High Lady Gallant’.
Sunset thought for herself, “And to think that, in my world, Twilight and her friends would make anything to solve any problem…” She continued looking at the card, “Who is it? I mean, her other form.”
Paige smiled at her.
Sunset felt wordless, “Wait… You??” She tried to process the information, “This is too much for me…” Looking around, Sunset saw the other girls holding up cards. Ardent proudly held up ‘Dragon Dancer of the Turbulent Skies, Tiamat’. Bamboo Sprite lazily held up ‘Nature Professor, Nimue’ in between her fingers. Eagle Eye spun a card on her finger, before catching it in between her pointing and middle fingers, revealing ‘Hidden Hero, Taka-Wing’. Hari held up ‘Masked Phantom Hari’ in between both of her hands. Finally, the unknown girl held up ‘Vampire Princess of Starlight, Nightrose’ towards Sunset.
Sunset saw the card, “Hold on, I think I remember!” She continued looking at it.
“What do you remember?” the blue-haired girl asked.
Sunset answered, “When I fainted before, I kinda saw something. It was a battle, and there was every card you showed me. And I was Nightrose!”
Hari and the other girls exchanged surprised looks. “Do you recall anything else? Like why the battle was being held? What happened? How it-”
“Enough!” the blue haired girl snapped, cutting Hari off. “You shouldn’t be pushing so-”
Sunset tried to recall, “Well, all I remember is some knights, something about 'The Pale Moon Circus’, a flash of light… No idea how the battle ended. Oh, and a pirate ship. And there was this man, Colombard, and a scout called Parting Shade…”
“Do you remember our clan’s name?” the blue haired girl asked
Sunset rubbed her head, “Hmm…What was the name?”
The blue haired girl sighed. “Think harder. I know you know it.”
“And you tell us not pressure her into remembering stuff,” Ardent mumbled.
“I guess it had something to do with 'Pirate Clan’? What was the first word?” Sunset thought harder, “Red… No, Blue… Wait! ‘Granblue’!”
“Good,” the blue haired girl said, smiling softly.
Suddenly, Sunset remembered, “Wait, what about the battle I saw a few minutes ago? Who were those knights? And those performer looking people?”
“Those were my Royal Paladins,” Paige replied.
“And my Pale Moon Circus Troupe,” Hari added.
“What were they doing? Why were they even fighting?” Sunset asked, concern creeping into her voice.
“Nothing serious, really. Those two were just settling who got the last cookie with a Card Fight,” Bamboo said dryly, putting away her tablet. Hari and Paige looked away, a little red.
“Well, at least Pinkie is not the only one,” Sunset thought for herself. “It's curious knowing that. But what about you, Bamboo? What were you doing meanwhile?”
“I was just reading,” Bamboo said simply, pulling out her tome-like book again. “Waiting for you.”
“...thats it?” Sunset asked. Bamboo merely nodded as she flipped a page.
A tense silence soon followed. Sunset awkwardly read through a book of rules, with the blue haired girl sitting contently besides her explaining the more specific details of the game to her. Eagle Eye and Hari went to a nearby vending machine, while Paige opened up her own book.
“Ah, enough sitting around and thinking!” Ardent exclaimed, making everyone else jump. Pulling out a deck of her own, she pointed at Sunset, saying, “Let’s fight right now!”
“She just got here, was told about our world, and has just a bare understanding of the basics,” Eagle Eye said, returning with drinks for everyone. “If your so eager for a fight, I’ll happily oblige.”
“I actually want to try the game myself,” Sunset said slowly. Before she could get up, the blue haired girl offered Sunset a a deck of cards. The back of the cards matched the one’s Sunset had already seen, a black and blue back with the card’s name written in a futuristic looking font, over a white circle that, to Sunset, looked like a mix of a magic ritual and electronic circuitry at the same time. “The crew has awaited your arrival, Captain.”
As Sunset took the deck in her hands, she felt an odd sensation of warmth and cold tingling through her body. Looking at through the deck, it was full of various ghosts, zombies and all forms of undead beings, but for some reason, she wasn’t disturbed or creeped out by them. Instead, she felt a sense of familiarity as a cacophony of voices all shouted to her, welcoming and greeting her.
“Alright, lets do this!” Ardent exclaimed, a happy smile on her face. She led Sunset to a standing table, which lit up to reveal two identical playing fields. After pressing a few buttons, Ardent placed her deck on the table, and when gestured to, Sunset did the same. Both decks were engulfed in bright light shuffled by, and left a single card in the Vanguard Circle of both players. Both players drew their initial hand, and after determining who went first, the game was ready to start.
Sunset’s vision was blinded by an instant flash of bright white light. When the light faded, she found herself standing on a dark starlit beach, next to a large pirate galleon...and she was glowing a soft white light while still being transparent.
“Where am I?” Sunset asked aloud, walking along the beach. The beach didn’t resemble anywhere she had recognized, nor did the moon look exactly right either.
“Right now we’re spirits on the Planet Cray,” came Ardent’s voice across from her. Sunset looked ahead, and saw the girl in the same state as her. “The moment we reveal our Vanguards, our battle begins!”
Sunset nodded, as she and Ardent faced off. Ardent smirked, and for some reason, Sunset found herself mimicking her.
“STAND UP/WAKE UP, VANGUARD!”
Magic circles resembling the back of the cards formed underneath them. A burst of lightning surrounded Ardent, just as a bubble of water formed around Sunset. The two elements subsided after a while with a flash of red and blue light. Where Ardent stood was a young girl wearing a dark red sash over her shoulders that tied into the fans she carried in both hands, which covered the dark red silken chest wrap and an ankle length sarong over knee length tan colored tights. Her black-red hair was tied back in an elegant ponytail by a golden circlet that also kept her eye covered. Where Sunset once stood there was now a young humanoid woman clad in black pants, a white button up shirt underneath a black overcoat, and a tricone hat over their white hair with an eyepatch over their left eye.
“Dragon Dancer Trainee, Amane!” camed Ardent’s voice from the girl as she did a small twirl.
“Undying Departed, Grenache!” came Sunset’s voice from the humanoid, spinning a knife in her hand.
“Ride, Dragon Dancer Initiate, Kino!” Ardent yelled, as the circle appeared underneath her. In a flash of fire, Amane’s form was replaced by a similarly dressed girl, albeit a bit older looking, but holding onto a single large fan, had light brown hair with red highlights and their main color was dark blue instead of red. In another burst of flame, Amane appeared behind her.
“Ride, Parting Shade!” Sunset called out, as translucent form was burst out of Grenache. She was engulfed by a waterspout and with a slash of steel, Sunset’s new form was revealed. She was clad in a similar outfit and build as Grenache, except it was a dark blue instead of black and she wielded two fish shaped guns, one pink and one blue. Her skin was pitch black and wispy, and several pink octopus tentacles extended from her back. Grenache appeared behind her, reappearing as a male, in a similar waterspout, spinning his dagger.
“Well, come on!” Ardent taunted, beckoning Sunset with her finger.
Sunset smirked, twirling both guns in her hands. She charged forward, raising both guns as Grenache followed behind her. As she fired, a pale girl clad in a black dress, had messy greenish-blonde hair that had strands of seaweed in it, and a black eye-patch appeared behind her. She took in a deep breath and let out an ear-piercing shriek. The shriek caused Ardent to drop her guard, just as both shots hit their mark.
“Not bad,” Ardent grunted, standing back up with a smirk. Her form began to glow, and it burst in brilliant plume of red flames. The flames were split by a swing of crimson and ebony halberd wielded by a young blonde woman in dark red bikini and translucent black silken skirt.
“Dragon Dancer of Steel, Luxia!” came Ardent’s voice from this new body. She waved her spear as bolts of lightning struck the sandy beach, revealing two identical women wearing dark metal crowns that had white masks over their eyes and wore white dresses, both wielding steel fans. “Dragon Dancer of Lighting, Meika!”
Sunset braced herself for the incoming onslaught, bring her arms and tentacles in front of her. Both women threw their fans, cutting Sunset’s tentacles off, sending her reeling. Luxia followed up, pole-vaulting off her spear and kicking Sunset square in the face. The force of the kick sent her flying into the water, crashing against the oncoming waves.
With a bit of a struggle, Sunset pushed herself up into a standing position. Tossing both guns in the air, she yelled out, “Ride, Pirate Swordsman Colombard!”
A pale white blue circle appeared overhead and underneath her, engulfing her with in a bubble of dark blue water. A sword burst through the bubble, revealing its wielder to be a pale skinned white woman wearing a dark brown leather cuirass, dark blue pants and a dark blue and red pirate coat over her shoulders.
“Come on out, ye scallywags!” Sunset yelled, smirking as her hair and headband blew around wildly in the churning winds. “Skeleton Cannoneer! Witch Doctor of Languor, Negrolazy! Get out here!” To her left and right, the waters burst upwards as two figures emerged from the depths. To her left, a skeleton in a bloody red tunic, bandana and worn blue leggings pushing a cannon emerged. To her fight, a taller and lankier figure appeared, wearing black, blue and purple robes with various pits of teal claw-shaped coral hanging in several places, and wielding a short golden stave and a moldy spellbook.
“Attack!” Sunset ordered, rushing forward. Skeleton Cannoneer let out a cackling laugh as it lit the cannon, releasing a blast against one of Meikas, turning her to dust. Sunset leapt up and brought her blade down, only to be blocked by the other Meika, who fended her off before fading away. Even the Witch Doctor’s attack was deflected, by a young red headed girl clad in priestess robes, using a length of cloth.
“Dammit,” Sunset grumbled, as she landed on her feet.
“Don’t feel too bad,” Ardent said, as her body began to glow. Stabbing the spear into ground, she traced a circle in the sand as she was engulfed in fire. “Now the true leader of the Dancers of the Dragon Empire to take the stage! Ride, Dragon Dancer of the Turbulent Skies, Tiamat!”
The orb of fire exploded outwards, revealing the same young woman that Sunset had seen on the card earlier. This time, the lightning and fire swirled on her back, forming on red and golden wings.
“Come join me on the stage, Dragon Dancer of The Winds, Marianne!” Ardent’s new form snapped its fingers, calling more allies to her side. To the left, a young woman clad in white and green cloth armor appeared in a burst of flame, her long hair held back by a white turban. She pulled a large, emerald studded wing shaped fan off of her back and fell into a fighting stance. To her right, the Dragon Dancer of Steel, Luxia appeared once more in a flash of lightning.
Before she could react, Sunset found herself impaled by Luxia’s spear. As she cried out in pain, she was flung upwards and trapped in a whirlwind created by Marianne’s fans. Barely clinging onto her consciousness, Sunset’s eyes snapped open as she saw Ardent flying right at her, Tiamat’s legs bursting with fire and lightning. The force of the of the kicks sent Sunset crashing against the beach, leaving a crater from the impact. Sunset barely clung to consciousness, but a small white ball with greenish purple eyes, holding onto a torch burning with a purple flame and stuck its tongue out at Ardent in a childish fashion.
“T-thanks Rick?” Sunset said as she tried to even her breathing, as the purple flames healed her stomach wound. The little ball gave Sunset a small wave and disappeared. The Skeleton Cannoneer helped Sunset to her feet, as Negrolazy gave her a reaffirming nod.
“Now, lets win this,” Sunset said, holding her blade high. Tracing a circle in the air, Sunset kneeled on one knee as a waterspout formed and engulfed her. After a few moments a pale green blade shot out of the water and sliced it wide open, revealing a new form. This new face wore a dark blue petticoat that opened up around her chest, matching tricone hate, black leggings and was accompanied by two green ghosts wearing black bandanas emblazoned with a skull and crossbones.
“To the roses of the bloodstained moon, your princess of the night shall lead you all to glory!” Sunset yelled, standing straight. “Ride, Vampire Princess of the Night Fog, Nightrose!”
‘Welcome back, my Vanguard.’
Sunset blinked, as she felt an oddly familiar presence behind her. She felt the presence lightly rest on her shoulder, and Sunset found herself reaching over her shoulder to grasp it. Looking up, she raised her sword and raised it at Ardent, who was smiling back at her.
“Well, are you just gonna stand there and pose or are you going to attack?” Ardent called out, making a ‘come hither’ motion towards Sunset.
“Parting Shade, Fatal Shade, get out here!” the pirate princess yelled. Behind Skeleton Cannoneer, a Parting Shade appeared, raising their guns. Behind Negrolazy, a female ghost wearing a white and blue dress took shape, their ashy black hands gripping onto two flintlock pistols. With a battle cry, Sunset dashed on towards the Ardent, flanked by her rearguards.
As she clashed against Ardent, Sunset found her vision fading away into a dull grey haze. Her eyes grew heavier and heavier, before she lost consciousness…