The second day of the Double X's second round had just reached its halfway point.
Up on a Duel Field on the fourth level, Flash and Rainbow were standing in a cloud-like city. Flash was wondering why Rainbow had been looking for him but got his answer when she raised her Raduel and pointed it at him. "Now Flash, I wanna challenge you!" And with that, the challenge had been made, though Flash was still confused.
"Is that a wise idea?" He remembered back to what Rainbow had told them yesterday.
"Team Wonderbolts isn't gonna go up against team Dominator, or any of you guys."
"If we wanna get through, we can't go up against Duellists we'll have a hard time facing off against."
"I thought that you-"
Rainbow smiled, "my teammate decided he didn't like that idea. He went through a lot to make sure I had a chance to face off against someone I really wanna Duel against." She pointed at him, "so are you gonna Duel me or not?"
Flash continued to stare at her in confusion, then smiled as he pulled out his Duel Disk. "You betcha I will!"
Celestic Sisters: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
Celestia: One Duellist is about to arrive at the top level of the Duel Fields.
Luna: Both of her teammates have been defeated. The rules of the tournament dictate that once you climb to the top, there's no return.
Celestia: And more importantly, this contestant has accumulated so many points that she's likely to finish the round ahead of everybody else.
The Duellist was calmly walking up the stairs connecting level four from the rest of the Duel Fields, eventually arriving at a doorway that opened as she approached. She stepped out into the open space, now standing at the highest point in the entire area.
Luna: From team Dominator, Tempest Shadow
Celestia: After an impressive first round, she managed to overwhelm her opponents in the second round as well. Her position appears to be...unassailable!
Tempest looked down at her Raduel as it showed her at the top spot in the final four, something she didn't expect to change once the last three teams arrive. 'No matter who ends up chasing me here, I don't anticipate any problems.' She deactivated her Raduel and looked up at the sky. "So far only two Duellists have proven themselves as possible candidates. Now we will see if any more are able to prove themselves in the final round. And once that is done, Project Omega Zenith can finally get underway."
Back on the Cloud City Duel Field, Flash and Rainbow attached their Duel Disks to their arms before activating them.
"Don't expect an easy match Rainbow," Flash told her. "There's no way I'm gonna let you beat me. My teammates are counting on me too much to lose."
Rainbow smiled back at him. "Well after everything my team's gone through for me, I can't afford to let them down either."
"Then let's give this Duel everything we've got and have no hard feels if we lose."
"Sure thing." The two drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000
Rainbow: 4000
Celestia: Oh wow! Looks like the captains for team V-Fighters and team Wonderbolts are about to clash.
Luna: Both Duellists of incredible skill, but the heat is on for Flash Sentry. If he loses this Duel, his team will be eliminated.
"Come on Flash," Spike said from were he and Sunburst were watching the Duel. He'd told Sunburst they could go up to the VIP box, but Sunburst had declined. So instead, he'd stayed behind with his teammate.
Up in the VIP box, Flash and Rainbow's friends watched with bated breath.
"I thought Rainbow said she wasn't gonna do this?" Twilight asked.
"Looks like she finally remembered where she put her backbone," Applejack said. She smiled, happy that her rival was finally Duelling with everything she had instead of playing it safe. "Go get-um Dash."
"Oh," Scootaloo said, "this is so hard." Misty turned to her daughter.
"What's up, sweetheart?"
Scootaloo turned back to her. "Who am I supposed to root for? Flash is my brother, but Rainbow's the one who taught me how to Duel." She let out a loud outcry and tussled up her hair. "Which one am I suppose to cheer for!"
Her reaction made everyone around her laugh. "Scootaloo," Twilight said, "I know how you feel. I felt the same way when Flash and Spike Duelled in the Shooting-Star. There's nothing wrong with cheering for both of them."
"Yeah," Applebloom said. "Come on Scoot, let's cheer as loud as we can so they can here us."
Scootaloo smiled, feeling a weight life off her chest. "Alright," she stood up and took a deep breath in. "FLASH! RAINBOW! DO YOUR BEST!" Everyone smiled at this and turned back to the Duel, as Flash took the first move.
"Here I go!" Flash drew his card, "and I summon Flash Wing Magna Pegasus!" A flash of light and the armoured pegasus appeared infront of him. (A1400/D800/L4) "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
"My draw!" Rainbow drew her card and smiled at what she'd gotten. "And I summon Rainbow Wing Red Kestrel!" A tornado exploded infront of her before the red bird of prey flew out of it and floated down beside her. (A1500/D1200/L4) "And when it's summoned, I can summon a level four or below Winged-Beast monster from my hand." She took a card and placed it on the Duel Disk, "descend, Rainbow Wing Blue Falcon!" Another tornado appeared, and out of it appeared a blue giant bird. (A1600/D1400/L4)
Flash frowned, knowing what was coming next.
"Now," Rainbow said as the two birds transformed into lights, "I'll use these two monsters to build the Overlay Network!" They shot into the air as a black hole opened up, flying inside as Rainbow began to chant. "Wings of freedom, descend upon this land and unleash a hurricane of power." The black hole exploded in a burst of light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Rainbow's ace. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold." (A2500/D1500/R4/P7) "And by removing an Overlay Unit, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and summon one Level four or below Winged-Beast to the field." The Xyz Monster crushed its Overlay Unit, as Rainbow drew her cards before picking one. "Come on out, Rainbow Wing Pegasus!" A third tornado appeared before fading to reveal the pony version of Rainbow. (A1800/D1200/L4/P5)
"Bring it on!" Flash taunted, making Rainbow smile.
"You asked for it! Rainbow Wing, show him what a real Pegasus can do!" Her pony spread its wings and flew upwards before shooting downwards, creating a rainbow coloured Sonicboom as it struck Flash Wing.
"Gah!" Flash cried as his monster was destroyed.
Flash: 3600
Rainbow: 4000
"You activated my Trap!" His face down flipped up, "Stardust Draw! Since you destroyed a Light monster with less than fifteen hundred points, I can draw cards equal to its level." He drew four cards.
"Alright," Rainbow told him, "then I'll have Battle Wing attack your directly!" The bird man drew his sword and flew towards the teen, his ATK power increasing due to her pegasus's presence. (A2800/D1500/R4/P7)
"I activate my other Trap!" His card flipped up, "Defence Draw!" A bubble appeared around him, blocking the attack as Flash drew his card.
Rainbow smiled, "I'll my turn by throwing down a pair of face downs and end my turn." Battle Wing's ATK points returned to normal. (A2500/D1500/R4/P7)
Celestia: Flash and Rainbow, both starting off strong.
Luna: Will this high powered Duel continue, or will they run out of tricks before it's over?
"It's my turn!" Flash drew his card. 'For the sake of the team. For Spike and Sunburst, I have to win this.' "I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Magna Caster Ratio and scale nine Nightlight Magna Sheep!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the two monsters flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out and hit the ground, exploding to revel Flash's monsters.
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Activating Ratio's Pendulum Ability!" Flash drew three cards, took one out and shuffled the rest back into the deck before showing Rainbow it was Lightspeed Dragon. "By banishing this card, Magna Bull gains two hundred ATK points for each of its Level stars." Ratio pointed it staff at Magna Bull and fired a blast that hit it, making the robot's power increase. (A2900/D2200/L6/P4) "ATTACK!"
As the bull flew forwards, Rainbow jumped onto her pegasus and took to the skies in search of an Action card. And she soon spotted one on a nearby cloud made lamppost, leaning down to grab it before Magna Bull could strike. But unfortunately, it wasn't that would save her monster. Oh well.
"I activate the Action Spell Air Cushion. I can activate this card whenever one of your monsters attack. It lets me draw one card for every thousand ATK points your monster has." She drew two cards, as Magna Bull punched it Battle Wing in the chest and destroyed it
Flash: 3600
Rainbow: 3600
"Alright," Flash said, "now I'll activate Magna Snake's ability!" The satellite dish around the serpent's neck glowed before firing a ring of light. "Since a Pendulum Monster just destroyed one of your monsters, Magna Snake grants that monster an extra two hundred ATK points and lets it attack again!" Magna Bull leapt through the light right, increasing its ATK power. (A3100/D2200/L6/P4) Then shot towards Rainbow's pegasus.
But while this was happening, Rainbow had spotted a nearby Action Card pocking out of a column of a nearby build. They flew over to it and Rainbow saw it was just what she needed. "Go, Evasion!" Rainbow Wing Pegasus flapped its wings and dodged the fist, as Magna Chimp began to charge forwards.
"Then I'll attack with Magna Chimp! And with his ability, your monster loses one hundred attack and defence points for every card removed from play!" The robot monkey raised its claws before they unleashed a bright light, which blinded Rainbow's pegasus. (A1700/D1100/L4/P5) "And then I'll play the Spell card Lightspeed, to increase Magna Chimp's ATK by one thousand. (A2800/D600/L4/P9)
Rainbow was forced to leap off her monster as Magna Chimp slashed at it, destroying the winged horse.
Flash: 3600
Rainbow: 2500
"Since Magna Snake used its ability, it can't attack. So I'll place one card face down and end my turn." Magna Chimp and Magna Bull's ATK power returned to normal. (A1800/D600/L4/P9) (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
As Rainbow picked herself up, she looked over at Flash and smiled. "What's the matter, buddy? You're looking a little tense."
Flash showed her a serious frown. "This is big for our team. If I lose, that's it for us. Plus, with you as my opponent, I can't let up for a second"
Rainbow just smirked, "well that's your problem. I was in the same boat before, but I'm not giving you any room to breathe." She drew her card. "I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Supporting Filly and scale eight Rainbow Wing Knight Owl!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of her before the two monsters flew up into them, the portal beginning to form above Rainbow's head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out, hitting the ground and revealing her monsters. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold!" (A2500/D1500/R4/P7)
"Rainbow Wing Pegasus!" (A1800/D1200/L4/P5)
"And Shield Wing!" (A0/D900/L2) As these monster took their positions, Rainbow turned to Flash with an almost sad look on her face. "I guess I owe you an apology."
"Huh?" Flash asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I said I wasn't gonna Duel you. But honestly, there wasn't anyone else I wanted to Duel more."
Flash smiled. "It's okay. I know your school is counting on you."
"Yeah," Rainbow nodded, "and I guess I let the pressure get to me. Our school has a reputation to be the best like no one ever was. And when we almost didn't make it into the second round, our principal was being given flack about letting us form a team." She sighed. "Since forming this team was my idea, I felt I was the one responsible for making sure we made it through. That's why I decided to not let my own feeling effect our strategy." She then smiled, "but now..."
In one of the other forth level areas, Soarin had just come across an opponent and challenged them.
The same thing was happening in the third and last area with Gilda, who was already in the middle of a Duel and having little trouble against them.
"Thanks to my teammates, I can Duel however I want." She remembered what Soarin had told her about how a true Wonderbolt doesn't hide from a challenge but does everything in their power to overcome it. He was willing to do the grunt work, so she got to Duel the way she enjoyed.
"Even if I have to beat every single Duellist in this tournament, I'm gonna keep the team going so you can enjoy your Duel."
"I owe it to them to give this Duel everything I have!" She discarded a card, "I activate my Rainbow Wing Knight Owl's Pendulum Ability! With it, can ditch a card from my hand to add a Rank-Up-Magic card to it from my deck." Her deck shuffled before it slotted out a card, which she took before a rainbow coloured tornado exploded around Battle Wing. "GO, Rank-Up-Magic Infinite Spectrum!" The black hole appeared above their heads, which the rainbow tornado flew up into. "With this card, I can Rank-up my Xyz monster into a Spectrum Battle Wing!"
"Oh man!" Flash looked up to see rainbow coloured lightning spark out of the black hole, as Rainbow Dash began to chant.
"Radiant colours of the universe, infuse your powers and give life to your new herald!" The rainbow tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battle field. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado exploded, revealing Rainbow's hyper-evolved Xyz monster. "Spectrum Battle Wing...PRISM BOLT!" (A3000/D2500/R5/P6) "And since Prism Bolt was summoned using Infinite Spectrum, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on your field for every Overlay Unit on him." Prism Bolt raised its wings before the Overlay Unit flew passed them, creating a rainbow beam that flew down and struck Ratio and destroying it.
Celestia: There goes Flash's Pendulum Scale.
Luna: And I get the feeling Rainbow's not done yet.
"Now for Prism Bolt's other ability," Rainbow announced as Prism Bolt crushed its Overlay Unit between its hands before Rainbow Wing Pegasus flew in front of it. "By removing an Overlay Unit, I can lower the ATK power of a monster on your field by the ATK of my Pegasus." Prism Bolt raised its wings before the crystals on them unleashed lightning that was the same colour as the crystals. The fourteen bolts of rainbow lightning wrapped around Pegasus before flying off it and hitting Magna Chimp, electrocuting it.
The robot monkey fell to its knees, as its power was zapped away from it. (A0/D600/L4/P9)
"Now, Prism Bolt, attack Magna Bull!" Prism Bolt took to the skies, while Flash and his monsters rushed off in search of an Action card. Once high enough, it spread its wings and dive-bombed towards Magna Bull while the rainbow trail flew down after it.
Flash looked around, but couldn't find anything that could help him. And a moment later, Rainbow's monster reached his and struck it while causing a bright explosion of light. "WOW!" He cried as he fell backwards, landing in a bush made of clouds.
Flash: 2700
Rainbow: 2500
Rainbow smiled as she leapt up onto her pegasus's back, the winged horse beginning to fly upwards. "Now my Pegasus will attack Magna Chimp!" The pegasus spun around and dive-bombing towards the monkey, a massive smile appearing on Rainbow's face as she flew down with it. "YEEHAW!" This was what she Duelled for. Pure excitement.
Celestia: If this attack lands, Flash will be taking some serious damage.
But before it could land, Flash dragged himself out of the bush. "Sorry, not happening. I activate my Trap, Interception!" The face down flipped up before Magna Snack jumped infront of Magna Chimp, taking the attack head-on and being destroyed.
Flash: 2500
Rainbow: 2500
Luna: Quick thinking. Now, what will Flash do to counter?
Rainbow smiled as she and her Pegasus continued to soar through the air with Prism Bolt and Shield Wing. "Not bad Flash. I end my turn." Magna Chimp's ATK points returned to normal. (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
Flash looked up and watched as Rainbow flew above him, the smile on her face actually putting a smile on his. "Good one. You're going for it." He then pointed up at Rainbow. "You know what. I've always wanted to Duel you like this!" Rainbow smiled back at him, "this is why I love the Double X." But as he said that, he suddenly realised something.
What Cold had told him before.
"I'll be sure to use you when the moment comes. Until then, continue Duelling like you always would."
And what Heath had told him when they Duelled
"Guess you're one of those annoying little pests who've been spying on us." He smirked, "you're such idiots. Thinking you can compete against us. Not a chance."
'Ever since I found out about the Dominators and what Tempest Shadow and the others are up to, I think I allowed that to limit how I played. But here and now, I'm fighting for my teammates...and that's a different story.'
He looked back up at Rainbow. "No more holding back," he drew his card. "Time to go all out, and I'll start with Starburst Reload!" He banished Flash Wing before drawing two cards. "Then I'll set Bright Bounce Magna Bunny into the Pendulum Zone," the pillar of light reappeared before the robot rabbit flew up into it. Seconds later, the portal before to form above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Show us your Reason, Magna Caster Ratio!" (A2000/D1000/L6/P1)
"Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Skill activated!" A portal appeared below Shield Wing and sucked it inside, as Flash leapt up onto Flash Heart's back. "Then I'll activate my Reverse Polarity Spell card, to swap Prism Bolt and Magna Snake's ATK points!" The two monsters glowed as they swapped points. (A1600/D2500/R5/P6) (A3000/D1300/L4/P7) "Attack!" The snake's satellite dish glowed before firing a beam of light towards Prism Bolt.
"That's more like it," Rainbow told him. "I activate my face down, Vortex Guard!" A tornado appeared infront of Prism Bolt and blocked the attack, then moved over to Flash's side of the field and sucked Magna Snake inside.
"What the?" Flash asked as he watched Magna Snake fly out the top of the tornado before transforming back into a card, which flew into his hand. He then watched as the tornado moved back to Prism Bolt and wrapped itself around it. (A2100/D2500/R5/P6) "I get it." He looked down at his ace, "let's go, partner!"
Flash Heart nodded and ignited its engines, blasting the two into the air.
Celestia: Flash's monster army is about to do some serious damage.
Luna: And I don't see any Action Cards in sight. Rainbow might be in trouble here.
Flash Heart reached Prism Bolt and punched at it, breaking through the tornado before hitting it in the stomach. The force of the impact was so strong, it knocked Rainbow's Pegasus off balance and sent the two tumbling to the ground as her monster was destroyed. "Wow!" She cried as she hit the cloud ground.
Flash: 2500
Rainbow: 2100
She then smiled before looking up at Flash, then raised her legs before jumping back up onto her feet. As she brushed off the bits of cloud littering her clothes, she looked up at Flash. "You got me."
Celestia: Wow. This is certainly an intense battle.
Luna: A clash between ace Duellists and great rivals. But there's something else about this Duel.
Celestia: That's right sister. What we're seeing in this Duel is two players are having a blast!
"Glow Claw, attack her Pegasus!" The monkey ran forwards, ready to lower the horses ATK. But before it could reach them, a tornado appeared infront of them and the wind pushed it back.
"Huh?" Flash asked, only to see the cause of the tornado was a familiar tortoise. "Of course. Can't believe I fell for the same trick twice."
Rainbow laughed as she removed the card from her graveyard, giving it her thanks, then leapt onto her pegasus and flew up until she was level with Flash. "Hey, you know the whole fool me saying. This one's on you pal." The two laughed at this.
"Yeah, yeah." He then turned to her, "so I'm guessing you had a reason to not use that effect when I was attacking Prism Bolt. You wanted him destroyed for some reason, didn't you?" But all he got from her was a sly expression.
"Maybe." The two laughed again, the enjoyment clear on their faces
In the stands, Sunburst and Spike were watching.
"He's...laughing?" Sunburst asked.
"Of course," he turned to Spike. "Even if we're competing, this is supposed to be a game. Even if you end up winning the whole thing, what's the point if you're not having fun while doing it."
"Fun?" Sunburst looked down, then pulled out his deck. That's right, the whole reason he'd started Duelling at first was because Starlight enjoyed it. That happiness made him happy, which made him love to Duel. When had he forgotten that?
Oh, that's right. When he'd entered Duel Academy. Everyone there was so focused on becoming the best, that they didn't want to have fun. Over time, due to the pressure to do well, Sunburst's enjoyment of the game had diminished when he started losing.
Spike turned to him and saw he was staring at his cards, having a feeling her knew what he was thinking about.
"I place two cards face down and end my turn."
"It's my turn," but instead of reaching for her deck Rainbow when to her graveyard. "I activate the effect of Infinite Spectrum from my graveyard. Now, instead of drawing this turn, I can add it back to my hand." Flash's eyes went wide hearing this, as the portal began to form above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out, hitting the ground and revealing her monster. "Spectrum Battle Wing, Prism Bolt!" (A2500/D1500/R5/P6) "And since an Xyz monster was summoned other than through an Xyz Summon, I can activate my Overly Charger Trap card!" Her face down flipped up before transforming into a light that began to circle around Prism Bolt. "Now this card can become an Overlay Unit for him."
"So that's why she wanted him destroyed last turn," Flash realised as Prism Bolt was engulfed by a rainbow coloured tornado.
"Now I'll activate my Rank-Up-Magic Infinite Spectrum!" The black hole appeared above their heads, which the rainbow tornado flew up into. "Now I can once again evolve my monster and summon a Spectrum Battle Wing that's one Rank higher!"
Celestia: Incredible! Rainbow's Ranking-Up her monster yet again.
Luna: What kind of mighty beast will she summon?
"Now watch, as the multicoloured forces of the universe clash to give life to this mighty being!" The rainbow tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battle field. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado exploded, unleashing a blinding light. Flash and the crowd tried to look through it, but all they could see was the outline of Rainbow's new monster. The light finally faded, allowing them to see what it looked like. It looked like Prism Bolt, only its armour was much edgier and its wings were a pair of metal bird wings with a giant spinning fan in the centre of each one. It had a large crystal spike pocking out of its chest armour and around its arms were a pair of crystal gauntlets, with three long and sharp crystal claws coming out of them. "Spectrum Battle Wing...BRAVE REFRACTOR!" (A1000/D3000/R6/P5)
Everyone stared in awe at the new monster.
Celestia: Beautiful.
Luna: But it only has a thousand ATK points. It must have some crazy ability to justify that.
Rainbow smirked hearing this. "Since Brave Refractor was summoned using Infinite Spectrum and has two Overlay Units, you have to now shuffle the two weakest monsters on your field back into your deck." Flash frown before removing Ratio and Magna Chimp off of his Duel Disk and placing them back into his deck.
Celestia: Flash's field is suddenly looking a lot less filled.
Luna: But I have a feeling Brave Refractor isn't done yet.
"Attack Magna Bull!" The bird-man spread his metallic wings and shot towards the metal minotaur, confusion Flash until her heard what Rainbow was about to say next. "Then I'll remove one Overlay Unit to activate his ability!" One of the lights flew into the spike on Brave Refractor's chest, causing it to glow red as it raised its gauntlets. "Since he's about to do battle, his ATK points increase by the ATK of the monster he's battling!" Each of its claws began to glow one of the six remaining colours of the rainbow, the light flowing out and extending them until they were twice as long. (A3100/D3000/R6/P5)
Flash's eyes went wide at this and looked around for an Action Card, spotting one on the roof of a nearby building and flew over to grab it. "Go, Fresh Air. This Action Spell gives me an extra three hundred Life Points for every monster on my field." A gentle breeze blew passed his monster and hit him, increasing his Life Points
Flash: 3100
Rainbow: 2100
Seconds later, Brave Refractor slashed Magna Bull with its light claws and destroyed it.
Flash: 2100
Rainbow: 2100
Rainbow smiled, "I end my turn." Brave Refractor's attack returned to normal. (A1000/D3000/R6/P5)
Celestia: Quite an incredible monster.
Luna: Indeed. As long as its got an Overlay Unit, it can become a thousand points stronger then anything it's up against. Flash is gonna need something big to beat it.
"It's my turn!" Flash reached for his deck, "I draw!" The portal began to form above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before two lights shot out and hit the ground, revealing his monsters.
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
Rainbow smiled, having a feeling she knew what Flash was gonna try next. "Flash Heart, attack her pegasus." Okay, that wasn't what she figured was gonna happen.
"You realised Brave Refractor could use its ability when you attack?"
Flash smirked, "you said whenever he battles. Don't think I didn't catch that."
Rainbow smirked back at him before having her horse fly off, as Flash and his monsters followed after her. She eventually reached a large colosseum made of cloud, spotting an Action Card sticking out of one of the pillars. And as Flash got closer, she nabbed the card and activated it. "I play Card Factory. This Action Spell let me use the effect of any card in your graveyard, as long as all its activation requirements are filled. And I think I'll use...your Interception Trap!"
Flash's eyes went wide as he saw Brave Refractor fly infront of her. "Not good."
"Then I'll use his ability!" The last Overlay Unit flew into the chest spike before the rainbow light reappeared, increasing its ATK power. (A3500/D3000/R6/P5) Brave Refractor used his claws to slash at Flash Heart, destroying it and making Flash fall to the ground.
"Yah!"
Flash: 1100
Rainbow: 2100
As he picked himself up, Flash saw the Xyz Monster's ATK power returned to normal. (A1000/D3000/R6/P5) "Alright," he pointed at it, "Magna Bull!" The robot bull-man rocket forwards, Brave Refractor unable to power up again with no Overlay Units, and smashed the Xyz monster into destruction.
"Gah!" Rainbow cried, the force of the impact making her and pegasus crash into the colosseum.
Flash: 1100
Rainbow: 1000
"And since A Pendulum Monster destroyed one of yours monsters, Magna Snake's ability powers him up and lets him attack again!" The serpent fired the light right and Magna Bull rocketed towards it, jumping through as Rainbow tried to search for an Action Card that could save her. (A2300/D2200/L6/P4)
And as she did, she spotted one that must have been in the colosseum and knocked loose as it floated down towards the ground. She and Flash both saw it before shooting each other a glance, then rushed forwards to try and get to it. But despite Rainbow's greater speed, Flash had been closer and managed to reach it first.
"GOT IT!" Flash yelled as he grabbed the card, only to turn it around and see it was a Trap.
Celestia: Oh, Broken Wings! That Action Trap destroys one random monster on Flash's field.
Flash turned to see Magna Bull explode, leaving him with only Magna Snake. "Not good."
Luna: Talk about an unlucky draw. Rainbow must be sighing in relief that she didn't get that card.
Rainbow was, watching as Flash looked through his options. "I place one card face down and end my turn." He did so and took a deep sigh. "I'm okay. Even if she summons Brave Refractor, without any Overlay Units it'll be no match against Magna Snake." He turned to Rainbow, "you're not taking me down so easily.
But Rainbow just smiled as she drew her card, then looked down at her Duel Disk before opening the tab showing the monsters in her graveyard. When she saw Battle Wing, her smile increased. "You've always been there for me, even when I was doubting myself. You helped me find strength when I wasn't sure I had any. Now," the portal began to open, "help me unleash that strength one more time! I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot, exploding to reveal her monster. "Spectrum Battle Wing...BRAVE REFRACTOR!" (A1000/D3000/R6/P5) "And since Refractor was Pendulum Summoned, his ability lets me equip any Wind Attributed Xyz Monster to him as an Overlay Unit."
"What?" Flash asked in shock, as he watched the spirits of Battle Wing and Prism Bolt appear around Brave Refractor before transforming into lights that began to float around it.
Celestia: Incredible! Rainbow managed to summon Brave Refractor back to the field and give it the Overlay Units it needed.
Luna: This might just be the end for Flash.
"Here's to the bonds that last forever!" Rainbow cried out, as she leapt on Pegasus before both monsters flew up into the air.
Flash stared up at Rainbow, 'I can feel it. The strength of Rainbow's bond with her monsters.' That was a strength that not many Duellists had with their cards. It just showed how much loyalty Rainbow could command from the cards, through her strong will and selfless heart. 'This is what the Double X is all about.' "They won't get in the way. They won't destroy it. Not Tempest, none of them. No one!"
Rainbow wasn't sure what he was talking about, but just shrugged it off. "Brave Refractor, attack!" The Xyz monster charged forwards, activating his ability as it did. The chest crystal and its claws glowed, increasing its power by that of Magna Snakes. (A2600/D3000/R6/P5)
Flash looked around, but couldn't spot and Action Card anywhere. So all he could do was watch as Brave Refractor slashed at Magna Snake and destroyed it. "YAH!" He cried as he staggered backwards, his field now empty.
Flash: 100
Rainbow: 1000
"It's been fun Flash," Rainbow cried as her Pegasus shot towards him. "But this ends...NOW!"
"NOT IF I CAN HELP IT!" Flash cried as his face down flipped up, "Beacon of Hope!" He reached for his deck. If he could draw a monster, he'd be safe. If not, he was out. "Here goes!" He drew his card and smiled when he saw what he'd gotten. "Solaris!" The Magna Caster appeared on Flash's field in DEF mode, just before Rainbow's Pegasus struck it.
The Magna Caster was destroyed, but Flash was face as Rainbow and her monsters flew around.
Celestia: He survived it!
Luna: Man, this is what I love about Duelling. Just when you think you know what's gonna happen, something completely out of the blue happens.
Celestia: To true. But with Flash's field empty, how will he fight back.
As Flash looked up at Rainbow, he couldn't help but crack another smile. "This is why I Duel. For awesome matches like this." And he wasn't the only one feeling this great feeling.
In an airport, Tidal was watching the match on TV and smiling as he saw it. "This warms...my...HEART!"
Up in the VIP box, everyone smiled as they watched the Duel.
"Rainbow and Flash are amazing," Fluttershy said. "You can just see they're having the time of their lives out there."
Sunset nodded. "This passion. Truly, it's what Duelling is all about."
Scootaloo began to shake, "man do I really wanna Duel right now."
"Me too," Applebloom agreed.
"And me," Sweetie said. Everyone else in the room began to express their desire to Duel, as they continued watching Flash and Rainbow face off.
Rainbow smirked as she and her monsters flew through the air "Not bad Flash," she placed a card face down. "I end my turn. It's too bad I couldn't finish you off."
"Luck of the draw I guess," Flash drew his card. "Okay, my turn next." The portal began to form above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and two beams of light shot out, striking the ground before taking shape and fading to reveal his monsters.
"Cast your solar spell, Magna Caster Solaris!" (A1200/D600/L3/P8)
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Shine your light of victory one last time, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Flash Heart's skill!" A portal opened up behind Rainbow and unleashed a sucking motion, forcing to girl to jump off her Pegasus as it was banished. Brave Refractor managed to catch her and drop her off on the ground, Rainbow turning to see what Flash would do next.
"I activate Nightlight Magna Sheep's Pendulum Ability!" The light-bulbs on Magna Sheep's armour glowed before unleashing a blast of light, which struck the sky above them and created a vortex. Seconds later, Flash Heart and Solaris were sucked inside. "Now watch as I fuse the unequalled might of a dragon, with the mystic proprieties of a Spellcaster!" The vortex exploded and released a burst of bright light. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Flash's Fusion Monster. "Spectral Freezer Dragon!" (A3000/D2000/L8)
Rainbow stared up at the giant dragon, the smile on her face not even faltering. "Here it comes," she said. "Flash's trump card."
"That might be just what Flash needs," Twilight said. "With Spectral Freezer's ability, he may be able to stop Rainbow from activating any card effects."
"But only if he draws the cards he needs," Shining reminded her.
"Come on honey," Misty preyed for her son.
Flash leapt up onto his dragon's back, as he turned to Rainbow. "Since the Spellcaster used in his summoning was Level three, Spectral Freezer gains three hundred ATK points this turn. (A3300/D2000/L8) "Then I'll activate his ability," Flash reached for his deck.
Rainbow began to get tense, looking down at the face down she'd placed. It was her Mirror Force, which would destroy his monster. But if Flash got a Trap card, it would be made useless. And if he drew a monster, Brave Refractor would be made useless.
Knowing it was unlikely for him to draw three Spell cards, she went off in search of an Action Card.
Flash saw her got and flew after her. "Here's the first card." He drew it and saw it was in Reflection Guard card, "it's a Trap!" Rainbow frowned at this, knowing it was now more important than ever to get and Action Card. "The second card," he drew it and frowned at what he saw.
Celestia: Another Trap.
Luna: To bad. Now he only has one more chance to get the card he needs.
Flash slowly reached for his deck, taking a deep breath before finally drawing his card. Time seemed to slow down as he brought it up to his face to look at it before opening his eyes, smiling as he saw what it was and showed it to the world.
"Shining Fang Magna Wolf!" Sunburst cheered as he saw the card, "that means she can't use her monsters ability." He watched as the dragon's vents opened up and unleashing a freezing cold mist that struck Rainbow's cards and turned them all to icicles. As that happened, he suddenly noticed his outburst and turned to see Spike smiling at him. This made him blush and look away.
Spike smirked as he looked back at the screen. "You know, there was a time I didn't think I was any good as a Duellist either." Sunburst turned to him, wondering why he'd think that when he was such a good Duellist. "But then I met Flash and was inspired by his drive to never give up."
"Err," Sunburst wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"Duelling had the power to respond to the soul," Spike explained. "It can give you courage." He turned to him, a fire blazing in his eyes. "That's what I believe."
Something in Spike's eyes made Sunburst feel something within him, making him turn back to the screen.
Everyone watched as the dragon raised its jet engine cannons and aimed them at its frozen opponent, the fans inside beginning to spin. "GO, DEEP-FREEZE DESTROYER!"
Rainbow had finally found and Acton Card, right as the tornadoes shoot out of the dragons cannons and headed for Brave Refractor. She leapt at the card, managing to grab it and roll onto her knees. She then looked at the card, everyone holding their breath to see what she had gotten.
Finally, she smiled before turning the card around. "You win this time," she said as the card was shown to be a Trap. Seconds later, the tornadoes struck her monster and shattered it before the pieces began to rain down on Rainbow.
Flash: 100 (Winner)
Rainbow: 0
Celestia: The winner...FLASH SENTRY!
The crowd exploded as they cheered for the Duellists, who were now shaking hands. There was no doubt in any of their minds that that was one of the best Duels in the tournament.
"Nice work Flash," Rainbow told her.
"You too Dashie," Flash replied. The two let go of each other's hand before fist-bumping.
Rainbow wasn't even sad that she'd lost. She'd given the Duel her all and had no regrets. Actually, she was a little glad since this meant Flash's team wasn't being knocked out and she had the chance to face off against him again. "Soarin, Gilda, I'm leaving the rest to you."
The Double X Tournament's Second round was soon coming to an end. With so few Duellists remaining, it wouldn't be long before those teams made it all the way to the top. But who would those teams be and who would have the points needed to get through to the final round?
Stay tuned to find out.