//------------------------------// // Duel #19: Game of Darkness Unleashed: Twilight Sparkle vs. Sunset Shimmer (Part 1) // Story: Equestria Girls: Duel Monsters // by Night-Quill //------------------------------// Despite the remarkably improved atmosphere among the school following yesterday’s display, and the fact that Twilight could finally reveal her true nature to the first five humans she would come to accept as friends, it did little to lighten the tension within herself, knowing the mid-term duel was fast approaching by the minute. For the remaining hours of school remaining, Twilight tried to pass the time the only way she knew how: Through research. In the midst of scouring through “A Complete Guide to Computer Technology,” the intercom system blared to life, a slight screech of feedback no doubt affirming utmost attention, followed by Principal Celestia’s voice, which still sounded so odd with the mundane tone, addressing the school. “Attention students; just a reminder to cast your ballots for mid-term contender before a quarter to two. As per school tradition, the classes from two-fifteen to three pm are cancelled in lieu of the duel and following celebration. To all aspiring contestants; the CHS faculty wishes you luck, and may the best duelist win.” Twilight hummed in thought, “I kind of wish I’d taken part in school traditions now…” “Technically you are now,” quipped Spike from under the table, whom was finally able to pass the time himself by reading one of the sparse comic books in the library. “A fair assessment,” Twilight chuckled. When the final period was drawing to a close, Twilight headed out of the library to meet with her friends at the front entrance, many students continuing to offer greetings and gestures of good luck. Seeing everyone in high spirits, as opposed to how distant everything had felt just two days earlier brought a sense of accomplishment and pleasance. If not for the notion that none of these students knew the possible ramifications should Sunset Shimmer decide to unveil herself to them this night. Even with the new realizations behind the Games of Darkness and with the support of her friends, her will and drive to keep everyone safe, and the skills she’d managed to accrue in the short amount of time in this world; Twilight could never escape the feelings of trepidation, a sentiment she shared strongly with Priestess. At the corners of hert perceptions, the spirit had fallen quiet, visibly uncertain. The notion her newest mentor in this first trial as a princess of Eqestria showed doubts would surely not bode well. As she went, her friends gathered together along the walls of lockers, joining her in her stride along the way; Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, all joining on either side to her as they went, everyone else seeming to respectfully part in their wake. From an external point of view, the six girls, with the wildly varying styles of dress, hair and personalities, and their statuses as six of the strongest duelists at CHS undoubtedly made their stride look triumphant, even awe-inspiring. That was until Pinkie subsequently tripped and fell forward onto the ground. - Sunset Shimmer found herself awakening when the intrusive rays of sunshine specked onto her face through the blinds. She sloppily reached out to inspect the time; two thirty pm. She had missed out the entirety of the day in sleep. Groggily, she willed herself to rise into a sitting position, her body uncomfortably sweaty under her pjs in the color of her namesake. For whatever reason, last night went entirely without any rest: After her return from her food run and satiating herself, she went straight to bed in high hopes, knowing that the day to follow would end in the culmination of all she had been working for: A day or reckoning, her desires, hopes and dreams would finally be fulfilled, and all who opposed or wronged her would finally be brought to their knees. Yes, as the lull of sleep was upon her, she felt… off. First came the migraines she’d been having since her return. She was beginning to wonder if it was really just the near back-to-back transfigurations between her two forms, and if it could have been something much more serious. To top it off, her body had inexplicably felt colder. As the night went on, she was literally shivering, huddling in desperation for warmth, bunching her blanket over herself, doing nothing of betterment for the persistent headache. Later in the morning she’d been drenched in sweat, and the blanket and pjs felt stifling, too drained to get up, thus she allowed herself to remain in bed. Had she slipped in and out of sleep? She wasn’t certain, but she must have, right? … No, she most certainly had, but… She felt she hadn’t derived any rest, almost as if she were still out and about. She thought she’d dreamt of the underground, her being back in the cage among those miserable reprobates and… then there was fire, and people screaming… Sunset shuddered, urging herself to climb out of bed and make her way to the shower. Other than the slight tinge of pain in the back of her head, she felt fine. So what if she missed school? She was a student of royalty back home in Equestria: Sure some names might go over her head in mathematical terminology, and she might mix up the occasional historical figure with another (no doubt someone who was the cause, involved in, a victim, one or the other, in the umpteenth bloodbath humanity’s history seemed steeped in). What would it matter? Tossing aside the sweat drenched garments, Sunset pulled aside the shower curtain and stepped into the small cubicle. Turning the valve, she braced herself for the imminent drizzle of cold water, her system getting a jolt that did away with the lingering sense of grogginess, and as the water turned lukewarm, she felt more relaxed as her skin was washed of the remnants of the clinging sweat, her fiery hair drooping over her shoulders as it became drenched. Sunset leaned forward, pressing her hands against the shower wall in front of her, holding her head down as she cleared her thoughts. Watching the water flowing off her swirl into the drain beneath her. I am Sunset Shimmer… I shall not be denied. The one who was supposed to understand me turned her back on me. Now… Her hands clenched into fists, I will have my vengeance, and shall take that which I have sought. I will correct things. I am strong. Stronger than Twilight Sparkle. She will not stop me… After affirming her dedication once more, Sunset shut off the water and proceeded to dry herself off. Like how the water washed away the filth and impurities off her skin, so too will they scour away the blemishes that would come between them and their destiny. They will make things right, as they should be. - “Good heavens, Twilight! What is this?!” Rarity’s shouting no doubt drew everyone’s attention from outside the fitting room, whilst Twilight eyed their reflections in the full-length mirror before them, utterly confused about Rarity’s sudden outburst. “What’s wrong?” asked Twilight, idly observing herself up and down, unable to spot whatever problem the fashionista perceived. “Where’s your bra?!” “My what?” “Your… Oh, right. Pony,” Rarity tapped the tips of her forefingers together. “Well it’s…” She proceeded to sigh, before reaching her hands down to the rim of her shirt and lifting it just under her shoulders. “This.” “Ohhh,” Twilight mouthed. “I discarded it.” “You what?!” Rarity asked, seeming needlessly distraught as she promptly pulled her shirt back down. “It was uncomfortable and restrictive, what with how it was squeezing my… What are these things on my chest anyway?” Rarity brought a hand to her cheek, looking at Twilight in what she perceived as looking slightly abashed, as hinted by the hint of redness in the fashionista’s face. “Well you see, Twilight, with humans when a girl reaches a certain age…” - Fluttershy stood in front of a mirror, considering a lightweight, woodland green dress, when all of a sudden everyone’s attention was once again drawn towards the fitting room, only this time it was Twilight shouting; “Are you kidding me?! They’re right up here where everyone can see them?! And Pinkie’s been rubbing hers all over everything!” The girls looked among one another in surprise. Applejack and Rainbow Dash proceeded to shrug at one another, dumbfounded. Fluttershy instead proceeded to blush profusely, proceeding to sheepishly cover her chest in embarrassment with the dress, despite remaining otherwise fully clothed. “Oh… my…” When realization struck Pinkie, she proceeded to laugh in a needlessly exuberant fashion. - After sorting out the necessity of requiring to wear a bra. Particularly after Twilight discovered the exact function behind the obstructions on her chest, which the humans referred to as breasts. And after Pinkie, and Rainbow who had joined her in laughter over the physiological misconceptions, had finally calmed down following whatever they found so humorous about such a crass topic, they all proceeded to go over an assortment of potential outfits for the dance following the mid-term duel. Twilight had next to no idea on what she might have considered adequate for such an event, but fortunately, she had Rarity who assist her through the process. After fitting her with a “tube bra” as she referred to it, Rarity picked out for her a magenta shoulderless dress with a tri-layered, flowy skirt along with a white sash over her torso with a single, wide purple streak, along with a matching pair of magenta knee-high boots to complement it. “So, how do I look?” Twilight asked, doing a brisk, full-turn in front of the mirror. “Oh, you are going to knock so many dead tonight, darling,” Rarity chuckled, sounding most pleased. “I just hope it’s adequate, what with you being royalty and all.” “Oh Rarity,” Twilight brushed a hand aside, “Princess or not, I’m not different from anypo- anybody, I mean. Although… Is it really appropriate for me to show this much bare skin up top?” “Well, Twilight,” Rarity slid herself behind Twilight, grasping her bare shoulders as the two of them beheld her in the mirror, “it’s just a little bit of the necessary sex appeal. I don’t rightly know how it would work where you come from, but here just the right amount of skin is crucial; it shows confidence. And if you permit me, it perfectly complements your hair.” With Rarity’s expertise, it didn’t take too long for everyone to find something that suited their tastes. Rainbow Dash and Applejack being most opposed to the overtly breezy, or ‘froufrou’ had arguably the most fascinating styles in Twilight’s eyes: Rainbow adorned a simply dress in a rainbow pattern with a decorative frill at the rim of the skirt, combined with a loose hanging purple sash with a lightning bolt shaped buckle, and long violet gloves reaching from her hands to her shoulders, all the while leaving her fingers bared. It looked more conducive to her propensity for movement and comfort. She went as far as undoing her hair, letting it cascade down her back. In place of the small, lightweight shoes she donned a pair of ankle-high magenta shoes. Applejack, to Rarity’s pleasure, went with a dress make of denim, the skirt ringed with stencils of apples. Combining with a white ascot around her neck and more elegant boots and Stetson bearing a green ribbon with a single red rose at the front. A most fitting piece of apparel, given her deck and her and Rarity’s bond as symbolized by Rose Lover, Twilight thought. The outfit overall belied her fondness for her country heritage, not unlike the dress her counterpart wore for the Grand Galloping Gala. Fluttershy’s was arguably the simplest of the bunch; a flowy teal, shoulderless dress that complemented her eyes, with a bright yellow layer underneath extending down past the teal layer, much like an upside-down bell flower. On her feet she adorned matching teal boots, decorated with pink laces and white and pink butterflies. Pinkie, much to Twilight’s shock given her larger assets, went with a shoulderless baby blue dress with a dual-layered purple skirt with a large yellow ribbon at her waist, with knee-high boots with yellow rims, while most notably she had a small blue top hat pinned to her hair. Overall, it gave Pinkie a very circus-oriented appearance, quite befitting. Lastly, Rarity went with a simple one-piece sparkling blue dress with a tri-layered skirt, where the top two curved into diagonal angles, with her left shoulder left bare while the majority was suspended by her right. For her legwear she made do with a pair of knee-high white boots, each emblazoned with a blue gem at the top fronts. Rarity looked personally ecstatic at the drastically differing, unique ensembles, to which she eagerly bid everyone to gather for a photo on her smartphone device. Despite the potential ramifications of tonight, the session of dressing up for the mid-term dance offered much needed respite. The final surprise came when it was time to return to CHS, for waiting for them outside was an automobile much different from what Twilight had beheld before. It was the length of two cars in the seemingly common four-seated variety, but with the majority of its length being taken up by a long cabin. “Rarity, are ya deliberately spoilin’ us now?” asked Applejack, when the chauffeur for their ride exited the vehicle. Rarity smirked, leaning in close to Applejack, “I might, just this once. A special case for a special night with the group back together and all~” - The atmosphere at CHS in the evening was much different from the past three days, with much of the building vacant, aside from the atrium and the hallway leading to the gymnasium. Many heads turned when Twilight and her friends entered; the students had for the most part all dressed in varying degrees of finer wear: The girls donning dresses of many designs and colors, while the boys were dressed in heavier looking coats with matching pants; many of them black, while some varied in colors, going from darker shades of green to navy blue, while some went for more ravishing colors. On occasion Twilight could spot a few wearing comparatively lax, but still finer looking outfits with lighter colors. “Make way, Canterlot High!” declared Rainbow Dash who brazenly stepped forward, before gesturing at Twilight, “For here comes the new Duel Queen!” Twilight nervously waved as most eyes became fixated on her. “Rainbow, the vote hasn’t even been decided yet…” she murmured through her teeth. “Aww, don’t worry about that Twilight,” said Pinkie. “I mean we’re at the ending stretch. It’s not like the writer’s going to belay expectations and just have some random character take the spotlight or whatever. Now if you excuuuse me.” Pinkie pranced off towards the gymnasium all the while Twilight was desperately trying to wrap her mind around the latest in the hundreds of questions courtesy of Pinkie Pie, or rather a Pinkie Pie. Twilight almost failed to notice when someone approached her; a familiar boy with yellow skin and slicked-back, spiky blue hair, having changed from his usual jacket and jeans for a dark grey two-piece suit over a white dress shirt and a blue tie. “Umm… hi.” “Hi,” Twilight replied, waving gingerly at Flash. Flash scratched the back of his head in an awkward manner, “So… Nervous about the upcoming duel?” Like you wouldn’t believe! “I am. I mean we’re still not a hundred percent certain I’m even in it and all.” “Trust me,” Flash subtly indicated everyone present and mingling in the atrium, “you’ve been the talk of the school the entire day. You’ve got this. Make the CHS Xyz Discipline proud out there.” “Thanks, but I’m not dueling to represent a select group or discipline; I represent everyone, and the change this school needs,” said Twilight steadfastly. “Speaking of; I hear that you and Sunset used to be an… item?” Flash simply frowned, “Biggest regret of my life I’d say. At first, I thought I did something wrong, but then our mid-term duel came about and, well…” Twilight placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Hey, hey; it’s not your fault.” Flash sighed, “It’s not that. Honest. I thought that maybe having someone would help since, frankly; I think she’s just lonely. But if anything, she’s just gotten worse and worse.” He turned to Twilight, “How’s your cheek?” Twilight, almost brought a hand to where Sunset had scratched her, but stopped herself when Rarity so expertly managed to cover it up, “It’s fine. Maybe it’s for the best that she be taken down; let her see that she’s not as untouchable as she thinks, you know.” Flash seemed to lighten up, if only slightly, “I guess. Just didn’t expect such a reaction, let alone from a draw.” Oh Flash; if only you knew. “She’ll either need to accept it, or she could lose everything…” Flash raised a brow, “What do you mean?” Twilight sighed, “It’s complicated.” Before she even let Flash say another word, she walked off towards the gymnasium. - Many more students had gathered inside the gymnasium, many students mingling among one another, some groups comprising of extensive mixes of the various cliques. Despite it seeming evident that the final duel was going between Sunset and Twilight, everyone, even in their formal wear, still wore their duel disks, possibly a formality at this point. Up on the stage Vinyl Scratch had set up her turn table, a soft, leveled tune emanating from the surrounding speakers suspended in the corners in the ceiling. At the front of the stage was a wide table covered in a nighty purple cloth, with a mic on top. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had gathered near the entrance, Fluttershy beckoning Twilight over as she entered. “Operation Sneak Spike Surreptitiously(?) was a success,” she remarked, pointing at the right-hand side of the bleachers to the right from the entrance. A faint sputter and gagging managed to emanate from underneath, a faint puff of pink fluff spurting between the bottommost and second bottommost seat rows. Twilight nodded in confirmation, “Alright. Now remember; if you spot Sunset doing anything out of the ordinary during our duel, I’m counting on you to get everyone out of here.” “Right. Hence we stuck Spike there since that places us closest to the fire alarm,” Rainbow nodded towards the little red device near the gymnasium door. “If Sunset tries anything, I’ll throw the switch, get everyone out, and Sunset will be forced to stop whatever it is she’s doing, unless she wants to be discovered.” “Are you absolutely certain you want to risk exposing yourself?” asked Rarity. Twilight nodded affirmingly, “In the worst-case scenario, if Equestria is exposed; once I get the crown and make it back, I’ll destroy the mirror on the other side to prevent incursions.” Fluttershy’s expression saddened, “Even if we’ve just met, if it comes to that; I just want you to know what, w-we’ll miss you…” Twilight shared the sentiment. Even if the portal would be closed for thirty moons after tonight, it would not stop her from potentially visiting this world once more. But should the portal be destroyed, Star Swirl the Bearded was the only one to have pierced the veil between worlds, so Equestria and this world would be closed off, most likely forever. “I’ll miss you all too… Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” As the students continued to mingle, the five of them took their places by the bleachers, trying to look as natural as they could hovering around the immediate area. As more students entered, many acknowledging Twilight as they went. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo arrived, dressed in their own more formal attire, who made a beeline towards Twilight and the girls. “Twi!” exclaimed Apple Bloom, “Ah know we just spoke in the mornin’, but ohmigawsh, you must be so excited!” Twilight did her best to feign an air of calm, “I really am. Thank you again so much for helping me with my deck. I’m certain everyone’s contributions will make all the difference.” “Hell yea!” exclaimed Scootaloo, pumping a determined fist. “Let’s show that wretched Sunset Shimmer what our cards combined can do!” Twilight smiled, “I’ll be sure to carry the feelings of everyone with me in this duel. Yours, your sisters’, and everyone else’s in the school.” “Speaking of,” Rainbow remarked, seeming to scan the width of the gymnasium warily. “Where is Sunset Shimmer anyway? She wasn’t in class today once.” Applejack snorted, “Maybe the snake got sick. Good riddance Ah’d say…” “Applejack, that’s not very nice,” Fluttershy admonished, to everyone’s surprise until the added, “to the snakes.” Rainbow crossed her arms, “Or Miss High-and-Mighty’s still having a breakdown over- Oh, dammit; there she is.” Everyone’s attention was diverted toward the gymnasium door. True enough, there was Sunset Shimmer. Unlike very much all the other students, Sunset was still wearing the exact same outfit from yesterday, making her look strikingly out of place at the event. Twilight eyed her warily as she entered, only to lean against the wall beside the door, crossing her arms. Twilight then looked about, trying to spot Priestess, whom she eventually spotted perched atop one of the basketball rigs suspended up in the ceiling, gazing down at Sunset. Turning to look back at Sunset, the unicorn in the guise of the fiery haired human girl was staring right at her. Their eyes locked, staring at each other like two predators sizing up one another. Twilight could not help but feel something being off; Sunset was not swaggering her way into the gym, talking down or trying to intimidate others; she just stood there at the wall, all her focus turned towards Twilight. What in Celestia’s name was going through her mind right then and there? The music began to gradually dim; the students began making their ways to find seating in the bleachers. In the midst of it all, from behind the stage curtain emerged Principal Celestia and Vice-principal Luna, the latter of whom was carrying a small briefcase, which she set atop the table onstage. Principal Celestia unhooked the mic from its holder, and politely waited when every hint of a murmur toned down. When all focus was on her and her sister, she spoke, “Good evening, students and welcome to this year’s mid-term duel and formal. Let me just start off by saying that we are pleased with the sudden increase in enthusiasm and camaraderie among you all in these past few days.” A round of enthused hollers and applause erupted among the crowd, which Celestia once again courteously waited to abate before continuing. “For those on their first years of attendance; let me take a moment to tell you the inspiration behind this tradition at CHS.” The principal’s words were an instant point of intrigue for Twilight as she observed her mentor’s counterpart with furthered focus. “Now this might come as a surprise to some of you, but Luna and myself were students at the very first duel academy in the world, or the Academia, as I’m sure most of you know it as.” Twilight leaned closer to Applejack next to her, “Academia?” “First school in the world to teach Duel Monsters,” she whispered. “Upon our graduation; the notion of an institution that catered both basic education and training of the next generations of duelists, outside of private schools, was still almost unheard of. We believed, that in a world where something as revolutionary as the most popular game in history, which offers opportunities for thousands, not just duelists, but artists, designers, engineers, even physicists: Such opportunities should be open to all. We believe that one’s worth is determined not by how deep one’s pockets, but through hard work, determination, passion and companionship with one another. We wish to give each and every one of you the opportunity we had. And thus, we came up with this event to honor this ideal, and you; how each and every one of you can rise to greatness as the title of Duel Queen or King.” The students erupted into uproarious cheers and rattling applause, complete with the odd whistle. Twilight instantly found herself adamantly admiring this ideal espoused by the principal: It was not that much different how Princess Celestia would choose a unicorn, any unicorn, of non-noble or aristocratic lineage with the aptitude and talent over magic, and take them under her wing as a student. In this world, however, she, and Luna, had taken the concept to an even greater level where everyone, absolutely every one, could strive for greatness under their metaphorical wings. When the applause and cheer once again started to calm down, Celestia having to gently motion everyone to simmer down. Regardless, visibly she, and the more stoic Luna, seemed outwardly pleased at the enthusiasm. “Thank you, everyone. Now, joining us on stage, our master of ceremonies, and who organized the decorating of our gymnasium for this event, as well as last year’s contender; our own Pinkamena Diane Pie.” And with that, with no physical explanation regarding how she got there in the first place, Pinkie Pie appeared beside Vice-principal Luna. To Twilight’s own surprise, Luna did not seem as phased as everyone else tended to in reacting to Pinkie’s bombastic, inexplicable habit of appearing out of nowhere. Celestia, ever the air of patience and serenity it seemed even across dimensions, handed Pinkie the mic as she and Luna took seats side-by-side at the table. “Thanks a whooole lot, Principal Celestia,” said Pinkie, ever chipper despite the more formal role. “That’s our principals, everybody! Give ‘em another round for the road, will ya?!” With a murmur of laughter, everyone gave a more restrained applause before Pinkie resumed, “Aaanyhoo; who’s ready for today’s main event?!” “Duel!” the students shouted, fist rising to the air in a wave. “I can’t hear yoooou…” “Duel! Duel! Duel!” the students chanted; each repeat accented with another rise of fists. “Allllrighty then, it looks enthusitastic enough to get the card rolling! First and foremost, give aaagh…” Pinkie’s sentence stalled noticeably as the inflection of “a” faltered. The party girl pouted, seeming to ponder over something before trying again, “Gggiiiiivve…” she stalled again, this time eliciting confused expressions even from the two heads of the school. Pinkie’s cheeks puffed up, before taking a deep breath and mouthing in a most strenuous fashion; “Wwweeellllcommme baaaccck…” another pause, “Our current Duel Queen, two years running, Sunset Shimmer.” The students simply clapped their hands out of formality as Sunset Shimmer stood up from her spot near the door and walked forth past everyone. The applause faded as she took her spot before the stage. Through it all, she did not look, nor address anyone, remaining completely silent, stoically crossing her arms. “And now; her opponent! Now, it would seem that our top five contenders have mysteriously renounced their placements in the line-up! Hmm… I wonder why that is…” a murmur of laughter followed. “So, with all the thanks to our student council members for their hard work with the ballots… Drumroll please,” she pointed to Vinyl in her booth, who swiftly activated the appropriate rip, “Our contender for the next Duel Queen or King is…” she then pulled out a card from behind her back, however it got there being irrelevant and best not thought of too hard, “Twiiiilight Sparkle!” Evident as it had been claimed as, the students proceeded to greet the results in another round of uproarious applause as Twilight arose from her spot on the bottom row of the bleachers. As she was instructed to earlier, she walked up to take her place on the opposite end of the field, smiling and waving to everyone, despite the clenching feeling in her stomach and chest. “Twilight Sparkle! Now I’m sure most of you know this, but Twilight is a new student joining us next week at Canterlot High! (Also she’s clearly Xyz, so even better!)” Pinkie giggled, “Also this would be her very first big, and I mean big duel, after single-handedly taking out… almost, all of our top brass, including little old me, this underdog, who I am super-duper excited to call a friend, has faced the odds, defeated by her fetching love interest,” followed by a wink and a flirtatious click of her tongue, “only to get back up and face the overwhelming odds to stand here today, to claim the title as the next Duel Queen!” Barring the odd twitch of her lower right eyelid, Twilight retained her outward air of eagerness, waving at the next round of applause, when Pinkie appeared beside her and presented her the school’s silvery grey duel disk. She promptly fastened it to her arm, and attached her deck to its port. Pinkie pointed across the field towards the stage, “Vice-principal Luna; if you please show us what these two are dueling for!” Luna complied, standing up to open the briefcase before her. Twilight eyes intently as a familiar, golden tiara, set with a brilliant magenta star-shaped gem at its top, surrounded by elegantly curving filigrees, was raised up by the vice-principal for the students to see. Little did they know that what their vice-principal held was one of the most powerful artifacts from across the void. She set the crown atop a velvety cushion at the front of the table, as a beckoning incentive for Twilight if there was any. “Competitors: Prepare to duel!” On cue, Twilight and Sunset activated their duel disks, silver and fiery orange halves sliding forth, combining into the long, blade-like trey, and sliding along their forearms. Their screens blared to life, the automatic shufflers rattling. All around them everyone wearing a duel disk activated spectator mode, whilst a large screen over the left-side bleachers showed the same picture feed. “It’s time to put an end to this, Sunset,” Twilight muttered, raising her arm to an angle. “I will enjoy sending you to hell, Sparkle…” The virtual coin appeared on every duel disk screen and the one upon the gymnasium wall. Everyone held their breaths as it spun with a synthetic ‘ding’. It landed in Sunset’s favor. With that, both competitor’s first five cards were automatically ejected. “Duel!” The crowd shouted in unison. Duel start! Sunset Shimmer Life Points: 4000 Twilight Sparkle Life Points: 4000 Turn 1: Sunset Shimmer (Hand: 5) Sunset fanned out her hand, taking a moment to peruse her options, “I activate the spell card ‘Foolish Burial,’” she slid a card into her disk, its image unveiling onto the field. “With this I send one monster card from my deck to the graveyard.” After a brief shuffled, a single card of her choice was ejected from her deck, which she promptly slid into the graveyard slot. “I then summon ‘Archfiend Cavalry’ in attack mode.” A haunting neigh permeated the gymnasium as Sunset’s first horror emerged onto the field. Atop a rearing horse with glowing blue eyes, garbed in a red cowl mimicking the look of sinew sat a humanoid garbed in matching red, almost fleshy looking armor, save for the metallic framing, spikes jutting from each shoulder and the skull-like helmet, unless it was its actual face, with a row of sharp ridges running down it. In its left arm it brandished a long jousting lance that looked to be made of bone. (Level 4, 1900/0) “I set one card. My turn is over.” (Hand: 2) Turn 2: Twilight Sparkle (Hand: 5) It wasn’t Terrorking Archfiend at least… Twilight drew her first card, in a more forceful manner, mimicking Rainbow’s method. “I summon ‘Amores of Prophecy’ in defense mode.” The teal garbed, blindfolded arcane archer leapt from the summoning portal onto the field, kneeling down in a vigilant pose, his stringless bow at his side. (Level 3, 600/2000) “I then set one card, and end my turn.” I’ll see if I can lure her out into unleashing her strongest monsters right off the bat. She doesn’t know about me changing her original deck, so she won’t anticipate my moves. (Hand: 4) Turn 3: Sunset Shimmer (Hand: 2) Sunset drew, “Do you expect to win by cowering behind that wall monster?” Twilight did not answer, remaining silent and unflinching, resuming to only stare Sunset in the eyes, which looked strangely redder than she remembered. Not bloodshot, but rather like the usual orange of her eyes had turned darker, almost crimson, in hue. “You may have come so close to defeating us once,” said Sunset as she took the card she’d just drawn. “But this time… We’ll show you the fate of all who oppose us.” Twilight raised a brow, confounded at the difference in Sunset’s articulation. …Us? “I summon ‘Archfiend Heiress’ in defense mode.” Beside the mounted Archfiend Cavalry emerged a figure roughly the same size as Sunset and Twilight. Physically it appeared to sport a human-female appearance, with purplish grey skin garbed in a purple form fitting suit with greyish inlays, the hips and shoulders covered in ragged black cloth, the latter which expelled out, revealing a shade of deep red underneath. Atop her head sat a helmet made of some demonic creature’s skull, complete with curved, ram-like horns. From the back of her head expelled a gaggle of purple tentacles mimicking the placement of hair, and in one hand she brandished a small rod or wand tipped with a spike-inlaid skull. Underneath its eye obscuring helmet, she grinned manically, a high-pitched giggled escaping her lips as she sat down on her knees in an implied polite posture. (Level 3, 1000/0) - “Oh goddammit it…” muttered Rainbow Dash. “No Pandemonium? She’s switched decks!” Applejack stated in realization. - “You changed decks after all…” Twilight mused verbally. “Wretched as your archfiends are, is this how you treat all of your cards? When they fail you, you discard them like trash?” A cold chuckle emanated from Sunset’s lips, “What good is sentimentality, knowing that everything and anything will eventually leave you? Though my previous servants proved adequate in dominating this school and proving the weakness of all around me, I had to take precautions, especially when I learned you were here. I don’t know how you achieved such skill and power in almost no time what took me months simply to get the hold of, but it means nothing. When this duel is over, I assure you ‘princess’, all that you know will end.” She relaxed her body, lowering her duel disk bearing arm. “I end my turn.” (Hand: 2) Turn 3: Twilight Sparkle (Hand: 4) Twilight drew. “I promised someone close to you that I would help you. And I know deep down, Princess Celestia would want it too. Whatever you may believe, Sunset; Princess Celestia is saddened at your departure.” She pressed a card against her duel disk screen, the translucent image of Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere appearing over her, “By revealing a ‘Spellbook’ from my hand, Amores of Prophecy lets me special summon a level four or below ‘Prophecy’ monster from my hand. I choose ‘Stoic of Prophecy’.” The dual scepters wielding sorcerer in red and purple, with the long cloth talismans entwined around his body, leap unto the field, one foot ahead the other, holding up both of his weapons. (Level 1, 300/100). “Then I normal summon ‘Spellbook Magician of Prophecy’, in attack mode.” The light-blue robed, young bookkeeping sorcerer emerged beside his two comrades, levitating his matching tome over one hand, whilst pressing the two innermost fingers of the other against his forehead. (Level 2, 500/400) “When normal summoned, Spellbook Magician lets me add one ‘Spellbook’ from my deck to my hand.” “You’ve used the maneuver so many times, Sparkle. You’re going to sacrifice him to draw two cards using Spellbook of Knowledge and use your other two monsters as fodder,” Sunset assumed in a mocking tone. Twilight’s chosen card ejected promptly after a quick shuffle, “I activate ‘Spellbook of Knowledge’ and discard ‘Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere’ to draw twice.” Sunset raised a surprised brow. Twilight confirmed her draws, a thankful smile curving upon her lips, “Now, Sunset; see what happens when you cherish others: I activate the spell card ‘Resonance Device’. This card lets me take two monsters of the same type and attribute, and take the level of one and make them the same. Stoic and Spellbook Magician are both spellcasters and of the water attribute, thus I’ll give them both Stoic’s level of one.” Sunset eyed warily as a rippling wave emanated from Stoic’s form, which soon transferred onto Spellbook Magician. (Levels: 1) “Two level one monsters…” “Now, with my level one Stoic and Spellbook Magician of Prophecy; I construct the Overlay Network!” Stoic crossed his arms and bowed, whilst Spellbook Magician snatched his book from the air and bid a gesture of farewell as their forms devolved into swathes of blue energy that flung into the air, coalescing together into the opening nebula before Twilight. “Fledgling patron of the magical arts, may you come to surpass your limitations, and carve a path to the road of wonders.” “Xyz Summon! To my side; Rank 1: ‘Slacker Magician’!” From the nebula emerged an unassuming human girl of pale peach skin and a long, unkempt head of brilliant blue hair, held in place with a haphazardly worn pair of goggles over her head, along with a large white feather. She was dressed in a skimpy, red silken top that only covered her breasts, leaving her neckline and belly exposed, and dark purple knee-length skirt, held up with a thick leather belt laden with satchels. Oddly enough, she lacked any kind of footwear. (Rank 1 200/2100) Sunset frowned, “So, I see you’ve changed your deck too.” Twilight’s expression failed to change as she spoke, “With the help of eight wonderful friends who believe in me. I will defeat you Sunset, but it will not be me alone. In this deck I carry not only my dedication, but the belief and hopes of these very people.” Sunset’s eyes diverted past Twilight. Based on her placement and the overall angle, she was undoubtedly looking towards her friends. Trepidatious as it came off, so whether or not Sunset had yet to evoke anything pertaining to the Games of Darkness, Twilight remained focused on her. “I end my turn.” Neither of us has attacked yet. So far so good. Amores’ impressive 2000 defense and Slacker Magician’s special ability should hold her off as I begin to gather material for more Xyz Summons… (Hand: 4) Turn 4: Sunset Shimmer (Hand: 2) Sunset drew a card, one which was immediately inserted into her disk, “I activate the spell card ‘Allure of Darkness’,” a most fitting name as the image showed a barely visible deck amidst a sea of utter blackness, “I draw two cards, then I must banish a dark monster from my hand.” She did as the card directed. She seemed to eye one of her cards with dark intrigue, before taking said card and sliding it into the banished slot. Sunset’s eyes suddenly snapped directly at Twilight’s. Consciously, she wasn’t certain why, but the gesture made her flinch. It might have been her mind playing tricks on her, perhaps her own inherent magical affinity, or perhaps both, but Twilight thought she could see the very air around Sunset darken, like the light surrounding her was being drawn in and suffocated in her mere presence. Twilight blinked hard, yet it felt like she saw it, and yet also not, as if viewing the world from two different shaded lenses simultaneously. And through either figurative lens that was her warped perceptions, Sunset was smiling. “It would seem that the both of us are going into this blindly,” Sunset remarked, not furthering her turn, continuing to eyes Twilight with those red, spiteful eyes, the strange warping of the air around her making it look like they were almost aglow. “I underestimated you before, back when I had seen the extent of your abilities.” She, parted her lips, baring her teeth like a malevolent beast that stalked Everfree, “I will not make that mistake again.” “Sunset…” Twilight stared at her adversary warily. Sunset spread out her arms in a dramatic manner, “Well then, my fellow students,” she said openly to everyone gathered, her expression relaxed into a casual smile, coming off as almost genuinely chummy, if everyone at CHS didn’t already hate or fear her, “I must admit; these past three years among all of you has been an… intriguing experience.” “Why don’t you just shut up and actually duel?!” shouted Spitfire in the audience. “Yea, cut the crap, Shimmer!” another student called from the bleachers, a fiery-haired boy in an auburn suit for the occasion. Possibly one of the athletes or rockers. “You couldn’t beat Twilight before!” Scootaloo stood up from her place next to Rainbow Dash. “You’re just scared!” Sunset’s eyes snapped in Scootaloo’s direction, a motion that made the freshman freeze in place. With a steady hand, Sunset took one of her cards in her hand, holding it away from her person in the grasp of her right hand’s fingers, before addressing everyone once more; “Suffice it to say… that being around such ignorant, unaware, loathsome wretches as your entire species has been intolerable!” The students began to murmur amongst each other from Sunset’s venomous remark, all the while others began to vocally boo her, as well as make gestures Twilight didn’t require any insight to gleam as something vulgar or offensive. “It’s time to end this charade!” Sunset declared, the air around the one card in her right hand’s fingers beginning to appear darker, just like how Twilight was seeing Sunset. “Bear witness, foolish humans, to why I am your Queen!” In one swift motion, Sunset inserted the card into her duel disk’s spell and trap port. - In the slight moment of disbelief over what she first thought as her eyes, or the solid-vision projections, playing tricks on her mind, Rainbow, and in fact, all five of the girls, made a rush for the fire alarm, Rainbow just happened to make to it first… Or rather, almost, when she felt her hand not against the plaster of the gymnasium wall, but against something much coarser, feeling her knuckles prick themselves against whatever she made contact with; for a brief moment, the room became enveloped entirely by absolute darkness. An unearthly rumble and the sound of coarse stone scraping overtook the gymnasium. When she could see again, Rainbow saw as a cold grey stone-like growth began to encroach over the walls, entirely subsuming it, along with the fire alarm, as well as the exit. Before she could begin to even question what was happening, the sounds of hundreds of screaming students followed. In a swift turn, she witnessed… Something that under any realm of logic that she knew was impossible. The ceiling of the gymnasium was pitch black; the framework and basketball hoops disappearing into a murky, ominous void up above. The same stony resin creeped over the floor; she herself was already standing atop it, feeling the ground shake underneath her boots as I enveloped the entire gymnasium floor. The bleachers also became consumed, with the wooden seats suspended in a steel framework becoming consumed by the resin. Her fellow students were not rushing to get away, for the resin had come to ensnare them, leaving them stuck to wherever they were sitting. Their feet were bound by what looked to be iron shackles, literally staked into the newly formed stone, as well as their arms being bound by the wrists in a similar manner. “Spike!” she heard Fluttershy scream. “Spike, are you alright?!” Rainbow saw that Spike had vacated his hiding place underneath the bleachers before they’d been consumed. Fluttershy was kneeling, fretting over the supposed dragon in the form of a dog, who had joined them in witnessing whatever it was that was befalling the school. The screams of Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo made Rainbow’s heart leap to her throat when she realized they too had been shackled to the former bleachers, now outright stone stands, the iron bindings jangling as the three tried in vain to get loose. “Sis!” Apple Bloom screamed, trying to yank herself free to no avail. “W-what’s going on?!” Sweetie Belle shouted in desperation as panic gripped her bright green eyes. “Holy shit!” Pinkie exclaimed, any sense of mirth or wit having left the party girl. “That crazy pony lady was right!” Rainbow looked to the field, the marker lines of the gymnasium having been replaced with gnarling and swirling symbols and geometric shapes. Twilight had remained where she had stood and Sunset… By whatever gods were up there, Sunset was absolutely bathed in a wafting blackness, almost like a flame made of shadow that exhumed from her being, her eyes glinting and eerie red. A haunting laughter began to echo throughout the perversion of what used to the Canterlot High’s Gymnasium. The one laughing, was Sunset Shimmer. - “Sunset Shimmer!” Twilight called out, looking around as the unsuspecting students writhed and wriggled in their bindings. “What have you done?!” At the edge of her vision, Priestess’ astral form appeared at her side, the spirit appearing absolutely distraught. “She’s done it…” Priestess’ mental echoes reverberated in her mindscape, “She’s actually done it, Twilight: She’s evoked the Games of Darkness!” Sunset’s vile, contemptuous laughter echoed throughout whatever field she had conjured within the confines of the gymnasium… Perhaps even extending past its boundaries. For all she knew all of CHS had turned into whatever infernal landscape it was. “Now,” Sunset shouted, the red glint in her eyes intensifying into a full-on glow as she stared back at Twilight, an absolutely vicious grin plastered on her visage, “it is time for you to know what fear truly means, Princess Twilight Sparkle!”