Regenesis, A Duelist Story

by RitsuD95


Dawn of the Duelist

The expected bustle of Canterlot High School found itself jolted out of the semi-expected monotony. The usual rumblings about athletics, politics, and magical gossip found themselves taking a back seat to the new phenomenon that was currently shaking the entire institution. And for that matter, shaking the entire city. Yes, a craze which had obtained a tidal wave of interest and marketing seemingly overnight.

That craze was the game of Duel Monsters.

On it's own, it seemed like just another trading card game. A wide variety of monsters, spells, and traps that appealed to people of all types. Eye-catching artwork and a complex battle system. But at the end of the day, seemingly just another card game. So, what was it that took duel monsters from a relaxed, enjoyable hobby to an almost unanimous sensation?

The answer could be found in the new technology that essentially out-performed the game's original release itself.

Developed by The Chaos Corporation, the Duel Disk took the perceived limitations of current technology and proceeded to rip it to shreds. This wasn't just another piece of technology. This was a fully interactive and responsive hologram interface. One which just so happened to be designed for Duel Monsters.

The monsters, spells, and traps came to life with the addition of a Duel Disk. With just cards and a device, the duelist became a true combatant. A general, leading their army into battle.

It was due to this that the game went from semi-participated in to an almost universal activity.

Naturally, nearly every teenager found themselves infatuated.

With all this in mind, it came as a shock to none that the entire lunch period became a PVP zone for the newly minted duelists. The students were so motivated for that goal that they began moving and arranging the tables and seats to make various battle fields. They were placed with enough foresight to become mid-meal entertainment. With the approval of the faculty and staff, of course. On occasion, even teachers could be spotted watching the duels themselves.

Surrounded by this battle mania is where the Rainbooms found themselves.

"Geez," Twilight sighed, "this is getting ridiculous! Amazing tech, but it's just a game!"

Rainbow Dash gave a shake of the head and turned away from a duel to look at her, "Are you crazy? This is awesome! It's like real monsters coming to life just to fight it out! Except without, you know, actual destruction."

"So, the game is basically like the usual that happens around here?" Sunset asked with a smirk.

Twilight gave a smirk of her own, "Almost as common as someone needing to say 'no offense'."

"Shade has been thrown!" Pinkie declared with a giggle.

"Well, at least we're far enough removed from the... incidents that you can have a little fun with it." Rarity commented with a sedated but pleased smile.

"Fluttershy, ya been mighty quite." Applejack said, glancing to her friend in question.

"Oh," Fluttershy whispered, "I'm sorry girls. I know they're not real, but the monsters are still scary..."

"Not all of them are scary, Flutters. Look over there!" Rainbow said softly, rubbing the shy girl's shoulder and pointing to a duel on the other side of the cafeteria.

Looking to where the athlete pointed, she saw a small feline of black and white with a ribbon on its tail, curled into a ball. A small smile could now be seen on the animal lover's face.

Unfortunately, the next instant saw an arrow shoot through it, destroying the critter while they were all still looking at it. In that instant, Fluttershy sunk under the table with tears in her eyes while Rainbow gave an annoyed groan. The rest of the girls found themselves cringing in varying degrees.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

"Wow. Talk about bad timing." Sunset sighed with a shake of her head.

"Well, I still wanna play." Rainbow said with a neutral tone.

"I'm interested!" Pinkie chimed with a grin.

"Probably not my thing, but I can respect the strategy needed." Sunset added.

Rarity responded with a frown, "I'd consider it if these cards didn't look so tacky."

"Ah might play if I find a deck Ah like." Applejack shrugged, "Wouldn't play much though."

Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile, "Pass for now."

"Hey, Sunset?" A voice called from behind them, prompting the girls to glance over.

Wallflower Blush had quietly made her way over to the table of friends, unnoticed by everyone.

Well, almost everyone.

"I was wondering when you were gonna speak up." Sunset commented with a slight smirk.

"I didn't want to interrupt," Wallflower shot back, "though, I gotta disagree with some of you. The game seems to be really fun."

"Heck yeah it does!" Another voice echoed from behind her. In a matter of seconds, the group found themselves looking to Vinyl Scratch, affectionately monicked DJ PON-3, and Octavia Melody.

"Of course you'd think that." The cellist commented with a smirk.

"Octavia, you play too!" Wallflower smugly responded.

"Yes, well... I've found it to be a good mix of strategy and luck."

"Wait wait wait," Rainbow Dash spoke up, "YOU play Duel Monsters? I didn't think it'd be your thing."

"What can I say," Octavia shrugged, "I've found myself taking part in many of Vinyl's hobbies."

"Well, it's always good to keep open to new things." Sunset nodded, smiling happily, "Maybe I should give it a go."

"I'd recommend it!" Vinyl said, giving her a thumbs up.

"Alright! So, you, me and Pinkie are game!" Rainbow shouted triumphantly.

"Guys," Wallflower groaned, "We're getting off-topic here."

"You started this line of conversation." Octavia pointed out with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, well... Shut up." The gardener responded, though it was completely lacking in malice.

"So," Sunset said, pulling the group back on track, "I'm guessing this is about our group project for English?"

"You got it!" Vinyl smiled, pointing her index finger right in Sunset's face.

"Now, that's just rude." Octavia smirked.

"Yeah, that's exactly it!" Wallflower smiled, "I'm just glad I'm with you guys. You're like the only ones I really talk to in that class... It's too bad Roseluck or Derpy aren't in with us. But at least I've got you guys!"

At that, Vinyl slung her arm around the reformed girl's shoulders, "And you're stuck with us!"

"Heck yeah!" Sunset respond happily.

"It is nice to wind up doing this project with friends." Octavia agreed, "But speaking of that... Is someone still giving you a hard time about the... Rock-related incident?"

In response to Octavia's concern, Wallflower just shook her head, "No, nothing like that. People have even started remembering me and being nice! It's just... I don't know, it's hard to make new friends. I'm trying though."

"Aww," Vinyl cooed, ruffling the floof of green hair, "Our little Wallflower's growing up. When you quit wearing that sweater, it was like a butterfly coming out of cocoon! ... Or something."

"Knock it off..." The gardener tried to growl, but her smile betrayed her.

"Anyway," Sunset once more interjected, smiling warmly at the display of friendship, "I'm guessing we should totally get together so we can get a head start on said presentation."

"Got it in one." Wallflower nodded.

A sudden gasp brought the attention of everyone at the table to the now bouncing party planner.

"We should have a combination sleep-over and study session! We have projects too!" Pinkie nearly shouted, much to the amused flinching of everyone present.

"Dang, girl. Got a set of lungs on ya." Vinyl smirked, casually pressing her palms on her ears.

"It's not a bad idea, though." Rainbow nodded, "Oh, let's make it a weekend thing! So we have time to squeak in some dueling and mall crawling too!"

"I'll volunteer my house then." Octavia spoke up with a smile.

"Ah'm game." Applejack spoke up.

"Um, I'd love to." Fluttershy smiled quietly.

"Oh, why not." Rarity caved with a pleased expression.

"Well, somebody's gonna have to keep you guys on the academic track. I'm in." Twilight playfully antagonized.

"You down, Wallflower?" Sunset asked, directing her attention to her enemy-turned-friend.

"I've never really been a part of a big group hangout before... Yeah, alright, let's do this."

At Wallflower's agreement, the expanded group burst into cheers, earning amused glares from the rest of the lunchroom.

"Nerds!" A voice called from several tables over.

"Up yours, Trixie!" Sunset called back, doing her best not to laugh.

"Hey Trixie! Wanna come be a nerd too?!" Pinkie shouted.

"The GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE! ... Wishes she could, but I have a family reunion."

"Offer's always valid." Sunset smirked.

At that, the bell rang, signaling lunch's near end. The girls groaned, slowly gathering their things.

"Alright everyone, after class, gather your bags. We'll meet up at the mall, and head to my house after some much needed shopping." Octavia announced.

With a chorus of agreement, the girls adjourned.

~~~~~~~~~~

Just as planned, the girls had made their way to the mall not too long after the school day had ended.

"Okay, let's get our weekend supplies here, and then we'll go and party, as they say, at my abode." Octavia instructed the group.

"Oh, let's hit the card shop first!" Rainbow suggested.

"I do need to build a deck. Sure." Sunset was quick to agree.

"It's time to add some new pieces to my deck." Octavia nodded.

"Ditto." Wallflower said.

"Well... I guess we should at least build decks, given how majority seems to be into it." Twilight said, albeit somewhat reluctant.

"Then off we go!" Vinyl shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

"I just hope I can find some cards that aren't too... Vicious." Fluttershy commented as they began their walk.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was a rather short trekk. The card shop was located on the East end of the first floor.

The instant they stepped inside, Rainbow Dash and Vinyl Scratch made a b-line for the showcase.

The rest of the girls followed along.

"Okay," the multi-colored athlete said, "the first thing you're gonna wanna do is find an archetype with a playstyle that matches you."

At the several blank expressions, she sighed, "Find a type of deck you like and also shares your battle plan."

At that, the soon-to-be new players nodded. Without much else, the girls quickly dispersed, searching through boxes and binders for what they needed, much to the shopkeeper's pleasant surprise.

Sunset Shimmer found herself looking through one such binder, until she came upon a series of pages that caught her interest.

"Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic?" She asked herself.

"Ooh, that's a strong one." Wallflower commented, having followed along with Sunset in hopes of helping her find the right deck.

"It's cool. But what're these arrow-y kind of things? And why does it have two effect zones?"

"That means it's a Pendulum monster. They can function as either a spell or a monster."

"A what or what?" Sunset asked, genuinely confused.

With a sigh, Wallflower began explaining the game in more detail. Rather quickly, Sunset grasped the basic mechanics of the game, as well as the mechanics specific to her selected archetype.

"And that's what makes these so strong." The gardener finished, mildly surprised at how quickly her savior was grasping the game.

"Gotcha. Yup, I'm rolling with these guys."

Meanwhile, Rarity had been passively flipping through pages, none too impressed with the monsters presented.

That was, until she came across a card she fell in love with.

"Rainbow Dragon? Oh, it's just gorgeous!"

"Wow," Vinyl commented, making her way over to the fashionista, "You picked a pretty decent boss monster. But, the deck isn't exactly regarded as a powerhouse."

At that, Rarity looked upon the card with some unexpected affection, "Well, he seems perfect to me. He's going to be the centerpiece, I'll make it work."

Vinyl couldn't help but smile. While Rarity wasn't exactly thrilled to pick up the game, she was thrilled to find that card. It was almost as if it was calling out to her.

"Well, let's build the rest of that deck for ya." Vinyl nodded supportively.

All the while that was going on, Twilight had already gathered the entirety of her deck and made her way to the shopkeeper's area.

To say the shop keeper was impressed with her decisions was an understatement, "You sure this is your first time looking at the game? You picked one hell of an archetype."

Twilight smiled sheepishly, "I just saw them and knew they were for me."

The shopkeeper couldn't help but chuckle, "It's nice to see someone who finds a connection to their cards so quickly. Tell you what, I'm gonna throw in a monster from my own personal collection, if you promise to use it to the best of your ability."

"I promise! Thank you, sir!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Not long after that, the girls completed their shopping trip, gathering their decks, some snacks, and a few movies to get them through their weekend.

With their arrival to Octavia's home, however, they had been floored.

It was a lovely three story house in a very wealthy part of town. Grey in color with a white trim around the doors and windows. A high fence surrounded the property, shining silver in the evening sun.

The other houses in the neighborhood we're spaced generously from the cellist's, and an large expanse of deep woods surrounded the backside of the home.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Octavia said simply as she punched in her passcode, opening the front gate.

"That ain't quite the most humble, t'be honest." Applejack shot back.

"Whatever, let's get in there and get some work done so we can play!" Rainbow whined.

"Manners, Dash." Rarity chided, not taking her eyes off the cellist's house.

"More like manor." Pinkie said, giggling to herself.

Fluttershy joined with her own giggles, "Puns. Yes, please."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Ugh, this is so boring!" Rainbow Dash groaned.

The room herself, Twilight, and Applejack found themselves in was quite akin to a library, with tables in the center and bookshelves reaching from front to back.

While the other two had to be impressed at the expansive collection of literature, it lost Rainbow's interest rather quickly.

While they had all agreed on getting some work done before fun and games, they weren't exactly thrilled about it... Save for Twilight, who had been engrossed in her third of the work since they started two hours ago.

Still, it was understandable how ready the athlete was to enjoy their weekend get-together.

"It ain't that bad, Dash. Look, we're done with everything but the PowerPoint." Applejack shot back, rolling her eyes.

"Honestly," Twilight sighed, "we've done exceptionally well on progress. And the presentation won't take but maybe an hour to throw together... Alright, fine. Let's call it for tonight."

"Yes! I wonder when the other groups'll be done?" Rainbow thought aloud.

"Well, we're all good!" Pinkie Pie was heard a few moments before herself, Fluttershy, and Rarity casually strolled in through the doorway.

"How's y'all's project gone so far?" The farmgirl asked the second wave of their group.

"Done, actually." Rarity smirked, "We had already done some preliminary work earlier in the week, so all we needed to do was complete the spoken outline for said presentation."

"I'm still nervous about speaking in front of the class..." Fluttershy commented, brushing a lock of hair back behind her ear.

"You'll do great, Shy. I know it!" Rainbow said, giving a thumbs up to her timid friend.

The smile she received back was heartwarming.

"We're only down four now." Twilight observed with a smile.

"Try down none!" With that announced, Vinyl, Sunset, Octavia, and Wallflower arrived through the doorway.

Whatever the three were talking about behind the DJ, it had Octavia snickering conspiratorially and the other two excited but a bit confused.

"What're yall laughin about?" Applejack asked with narrowed eyes.

"A surprise, my dear AJ." Octavia said mysteriously.

"Whatever it is, Tavi here says it's gonna boost the night to fortissimo. Heh, music jokes." Sunset giggled.

Wallflower nodded, "It's time to have a bit of fun now that we've fried out brains... Mostly. Sunset, I swear, you're a genius. It's not even an exaggeration. You're like, double brain power."

"It's nothing, really." Sunset responded, blushing slightly.

Rainbow chose that moment to speak up again, "So, what's the big surprise?!"

Looking over to Rainbow Dash, she was trying to keep composure, and was, save for the excited tapping of her right foot.

Octavia couldn't help but chuckle, "Very well. Follow me, I have a room to show you all, where we shall also teach you Duel Monsters."

"YES! FINALLY!" Rainbow exclaimed, finally losing her composure in favor of excitement.

~~~~~~~~~~

They weren't quite sure what they were expecting, being led through the maze of this place Octavia called home.

However, a full-sized dueling arena about the size of a tennis court inside of an unassuming room at the end of a hallway wasn't an expectation any of them could have hoped to have.

Save for Vinyl and the resident of the home herself.

"Woah! Dude, THIS. IS. AWESOME!" Rainbow shouted, taking a full sprint around the massive room.

"And now for a few gifts for you all." Octavia said, casually walking her way over to a chest on the far side of the room, "Come along now."

With awe, the collective group followed their host to the place she had decided to wait for them.

"Now, before I give these to you all, know I will not take no for an answer." Octavia lectured, a ghost of a smile ever present on her lips.

"C'mon, Tavi." Vinyl whined, "You're killing me here. What's up?"

"I'm with her. Just do it!" Wallflower agreed.

"Oh very well." Octavia smiled, before placing a medium sized box in everyone's hands, one at a time.

When she was finished, she nodded, "Alright, open them all up."

At once, everything from furious ripping to casual peeling could be heard. Rainbow, of course, was the first to finish.

"WHAT?! NO WAY!"

Not far behind her, Vinyl also looked down into her box with no small measure of shock, "Forreal, Tavi? These things aren't cheap!"

Yes, inside each box she had handed out, a compact duel disk, equipped for every format from modern to classic could be found.

"Nope, you all promised." Octacia chided, "These are all yours now. Obviously, I'm not hurting for money. Let me spoil my friends!"

"Geez, Tavi. How the heck am I supposed to thank you for this?!" Wallflower exclaimed, cradling hers like a newborn child.

"Seriously." Vinyl nodded.

Octacia couldn't help but smirk, "Glad the two of you decided to ask that first. I know exactly how you can thank me. The two of you will demonstrate the effectiveness of these models, as well as the flow of gameplay right now!"

At once, Vinyl and Wallflower locked eyes.

The gardener spoke first, "Looks like we're gonna settle our score in style!"

"Heck yeah! Hope you're ready for me to take the lead again!" The DJ shot back, an eager expression in her eyes.

"Excellent!" Octavia exclaimed, "Alright, everyone else! Bleachers over there! You'll get an excellent demonstration from these two!"

Quickly, the rest made their way to the seats. Meanwhile, Wallflower and Vinyl carefully set their duel disk and looked over their decks.

"So, what's this about a score to settle?" Sunset asked Octavia with a curious expression.

Octavia smiled in amusement, "Those two have been trading wins and losses for the last few weeks. Right now, it's tied forty-three to forty-three."

"Woah. That's crazy!" Rainbow shouted.

"It also means they have some free time on their hands." Twilight smirked, no actual negativity reflected in her tone.

"You'll see just how good these two are!" Octavia declared with mirth in her eyes.

Vinyl stepped to her side of the field first, "Let's put on a show for these newbies, flower girl!"

"You're going down, miss-sunglasses-indoors!" Wallflower declared with a smirk.

"DUEL!"

Vinyl: 4000
Wallflower: 4000

"I'll start things off!" Vinyl declared, "First thing I'm gonna do is summon Orcust Harp Horror to the field!"

In a flash, the strange cross between machine and beast appeared on the field in all its glory and bad intentions. (LV4 1700/1400)

"Okay, this technology still impressed me every time." Twilight said, "Crazy to think it's all for a game."

"I'm getting use to it, to be honest." Sunset responded with a playful smirk.

"Y-yeah, they're still scary." Fluttershy squeaked out.

"Ooh, she's going to try and set up her combo first turn." Octavia thought aloud.

"Wait, Harp Horror?" Sunset spoke, "Kinda figured a deck based on classical instruments would be your thing, Tavi."

"The aggressive playstyle suits her better." Octavia said with a shurg.

"If only the creature didn't look so hideous. The armor isn't too hard on the eyes." Rarity commented.

"Oh, here we go again." Rainbow sighed.

Back down on the field, Vinyl decided to start the trash talking, not that Wallflower was backing down either.

"Hey, I've got my favorite starter out on turn one. You ready to give?" The DJ teased with a smirk.

"Not a chance!" Wallflower shot back, "It wouldn't be fitting if I didn't beat you at your best!"

"You want my best? Fine by me!" Vinyl declared, "I use my Foolish Burial! This let's me pitch Orcust Cymbal Skeleton to the graveyard!"

A ghost of the musical creature appeared behind Vinyl, before fading away.

"Oh, boy, here we go." Wallflower sighed, tensing up.

"Wait, what's the point of a card that just sends her monster to the graveyard?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You'll see." Octavia responded, "Orcust cards tend to have their most useful effects while in said graveyard. It almost functions like a second hand in Vinyl's deck."

"That's a useful strategy." Sunset said, "It's like each monster gets to be used twice."

"Got that right!" The DJ shouted to her audience, "Next, I'll play Dark World Dealings! We each get to draw a card, then discard one!"

"I'm aware of how it works, Vinyl." Wallflower responded with a grin, "I'll be happy to swap out a card!"

"You won't be saying that for long! I banish my Cymbal Skeleton from the grave, in order to special summon the monster I just discarded!"

"She's preparing to Link Summon." Octavia spoke.

"Link Summon?" Rarity asked.

"It's a special type of summon that certain decks use. It's similar to Synchro Summoning, but not quite. It's a bit more versatile."

"Hmm. Sounds potent." Sunset nodded.

Vinyl merely smirked, "And I'm more than happy to demonstrate it! Bye bye, Cymbal Skeleton. Now I'll summon Orcust Knightmare from the grave!"

In a flash, the twisted mix of human shape and machine appeared on the field, malicious grin almost splitting its face. (LV7 100/2000)

"Oh my!" Fluttershy trembled, "Why are all of Vinyl's cards so scary?"

"I must agree with you there, my dear." Rarity said, cringing slightly.

"It's total nightmare fuel!" Pinkie exclaimed, "Heh, puns again. Quality running gag."

"And it's just getting started!" The DJ announced, "I use my Orcust Knightmare to Link Summon Knightmare Mermaid from my extra deck!"

The monster merely nodded its head before disappearing in a flash of light. What took its place was a creature straight out of nightmares, as the name suggested. While it did hold the general shape of what was expected of a mermaid, that was where the similarities ended. The creature was a single shade of dark blue, a sinister ring of architecture hovering behind it. Its eyes, as well as the gem on its forehead, gleamed a sharp red. (Link-1 ATK1000)

"Well, should've seen this coming..." Wallflower grumbled to herself.

"This is a lot for a single turn!" Sunset commented, "... Right?"

"Indeed." Octavia affirmed, "Decks like these have been monikered 'combo decks' by most players. The ability to combo off effects and summons almost effortlessly."

Rainbow let out a low whistle, "It looks like your girl's gonna lose quick, Sunny."

"I wouldn't count her out yet, my fine, not so fastidious friend." The cellist cut in, "While a strong first turn plays a part in a victory, there's a lot that can happen in a few turns. It's not over til the life points hit zero, as it were."

"Regardless, I've gotta say, I'm actually pretty impressed with this game." Twilight added in.

"No doubt 'bout that, Twi." Applejack agreed with a nod.

Vinyl couldn't help but smirk confidently, "I think you know where this is going."

"Yeah, yeah," Wallflower sighed, "Hurry up and do your fancy summons."

"My pleasure! I discard a card from my hand, and Knightmare Mermaid let's me summon another Knightmare monster from my deck! And I'll choose... My second Orcust Knightmare!"

With that, the all-too-familiar monster reappeared. It casually craned it's neck back and forth, not breaking eye contact with its opposition.

"It's back again..." Fluttershy whined quietly.

Octavia merely nodded, "The recursion of Vinyl's deck is borderline ridiculous. But of course, this strategy drains your resources rather quickly."

"Now then," Vinyl declared, "while it's been nice to see ya again, I'm afraid it's a short return. Now I link my Knightmare Mermaid and my Orcust Knightmare!"

"She's linking again?" Sunset asked.

"Yup," the cellist answered without looking away from the field, "the plan is to Link upwards until she has everything she needs to lock the field in her control."

"Let's go!" Vinyl shouted, dramatically raising her right fist, "I link summon Galatea, the Orcust Automaton!"

Appearing on the field was a creature a bit less jarring. It had the appearance of a young girl, a serene expression on it's face. However, the massive scythe it held prevented it from appearing too welcoming. (Link-2 ATK1800)

"Of course. There she is..." Wallflower whispered to herself.

"Well, there ya go, Flutters. Something not totally terrifying." Rainbow observed.

"Y-yeah... Something about it is still unsettling though."

"Now then," Vinyl smirked, "I'll activate Galatea's special ability! By returning my banished Cymbal Skeleton to my deck, I can set an Orcust spell or trap directly to my field! And I think I'll pick Orcust Crescendo!"

"Naturally." Wallflower sighed.

"Huh. These Orcust cards seem to be able to keep bringing their own stuff out, no matter what it is." Sunset observed.

"It's consistent, to say the least." Octavia agreed, "And that Crescendo can cause problems. It can negate any spell, trap, or monster effect, as long as Vinyl controls an Orcust Link Monster."

"Well, shoot. How d'ya get 'round that?" Applejack asked.

"Try to bait it out, mostly." Octavia explained, "However, it'll take an effect quite valuable to Wallflower in order to have Vinyl consider it important enough to stop."

"I hope Wallflower has a plan, then..." Sunset whispered.

"I think I'll just set two more cards facedown and end my turn." Vinyl finished, "Show me what you've got!"

"I'd be happy to!" The gardener shot back, "Draw!"

"Hey, I just realized something." Twilight spoke up, "Why didn't Vinyl get to draw at the start of her turn?"

"The first turn of the duel doesn't draw to try and keep that player from having a total advantage... As far as I can assume." Octavia responded.

"Trying to balance the game. Got it." Twilight said with an understanding nod.

"Ding ding! It'd be a shame someone won automatically because they went first!" Pinkie spoke up, "Awesome move, Scratch!"

"Yeah! Totally awesome!" Rainbow added in.

"Trying to show off, dear?" Octavia asked with a smile.

"It really was a great way to demonstrate several mechanics in action, though." Rarity added.

"Sure was. Great stuff, Vinyl!" Applejack agreed.

Vinyl smirked and waved at the audience, "Thanks! But you ain't seen nothin' yet!"

"Why do you get all the cheers?" Wallflower asked jokingly.

"I won the crowd. What can I say? I've got great stage presence!" Vinyl responded with a comical exaggeration of confidence. "But, you already have a fan too."

"Huh? I haven't done anything yet?" Wallflower asked, confused. But her question was answered almost immediately after.

"Come on, Wallflower!" Sunset cheered, "Show me something awesome! Turn it around!"

"Oh..." Wallflower said, her trademark blush becoming evident as she smiled contently. She turned and waved back, "Just watch me, Sunny! I'll give you something to really cheer about!"

She didn't notice the gleam in Vinyl's eyes as she finished waving and looked down at her hand.

"Do I sense something extra between you two, Wally?" Vinyl asked, mischievously grinning.

Wallflower looked up from her hand, blushing for a different reason now, "Don't be ridiculous. She's just being a good, slightly over-supportive friend."

"Right." Vinyl responded, rolling her eyes, "Then give her something to really cheer about. Try and get through my defenses!"

"I'd be happy to!" The flower girl shot back, "First, I'm gonna activate Mystical Space Typhoon! Let's get rid of that pesky Crescendo!"

A violent whirlwind of air and water shot out, breaking through the set card. It shattered, much to Vinyl's irritation.

"Lucky draw!" The DJ said in mock arrogance.

"Oh, it looks like Wallflower has gotten privy to Vinyl's tricks." Octavia commented.

"Yeah! Nice going!" Sunset cheered.

"What a low-key way to handle things." Pinkie said, staring off into the distance.

"We're just getting started!" Wallflower shouted, "Next, I activate Seed of Deception! This let's me special summon on level two or lower plant monster from my hand! And I choose Copy Plant in defense mode!"

Rising from the ground, several roots snaked together in formation, until it took a vague upright shape, small eyes peeking through the tangles in the center. (LV1 0/0)

"Wait, she summoned a monster with no attack or defense? Why?" Rainbow asked, a cross between disappointed and confused.

"You'll find power isn't everything in this game, Rainbow." Octavia sighed.

"Well, it doesn't look too scary." Fluttershy said, slightly less tense.

"You know this guy pretty well!" Wallflower declared.

"He's only as good as the other monsters you have on the field. Show me what else you got!" Vinyl shot back.

"Fine!" Wallflower shouted, "Next I summon Lonefire Blossom!"

With that, a flower that had the appearance of a bomb where the bulb and petals should be sprouted from the ground. At the bulb's end, a fuse could be seen. (LV3 500/1400)

"Now, it'll get interesting." Octavia explained, "Lonefire Blossom is one of the most important cards in her deck. Vinyl more than likely wanted to negate its effect and play from there. But now, she's down Orcust Crescendo."

"Which means Vinyl better have a Plan B." Sunset was able to finish.

Wallflower smirked, "Now, I'll use Lonefire Blossom's ability! I tribute it to summon any plant-type monster from my deck!"

"You already know you won't! Crescendo wasn't the only card I had for that! I activate Infinite Impermanence!" Vinyl shouted as her trap flipped face-up. "I'm gonna have to negate that Lonefire effect anyway!"

"Like heck you will!" The gardener exclaimed, "I activate the effect of Rose Archer in my hand!"

"A hand effect?! That's new in your deck!" Vinyl shouted in surprise.

"Just got it today." Wallflower responded easily, "And her effect let's me discard her to negate any trap card as long as I control a plant!"

In that instant, an arrow shot from above, piercing through the Impermanence and shattering its hologram.

"Woah, that's a fancy lil trick right there." Applejack commented.

"I think I wanna call it a hand trap!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"That's... An ironic name but also not entirely inaccurate." Octavia admitted.

Wallflower raised her hands in confidence, "As I was saying, I tribute Lonefire Blossom in order to special summon a monster from my deck! And I choose another new addition! Flower now, Tytannial, Princess of Camellias!"

With that, a massive rose appeared on the field. Slowly, it bloomed, revealing the upper half of a humanoid creature growing directly from the center. It had fitting ornaments and armor resembling the rose itself adorning it. (LV8 2800/2600)

"Oh, now that's a beautiful creature!" Rarity gushed with excitement.

"It looks strong, too." Rainbow nodded.

"It's the friendliest creature I've seen today." Fluttershy said with a smile.

"Oh, dang." Vinyl growled, "Definitely wasn't expecting this. You get her earlier today?"

"You know it!" Wallflower grinned, "And now I'm gonna use her! Tytannial, attack Galatea! Sharpest Thorns!"

"How about no!" Vinyl shot back, "I activate my other trap card, Orcustrated Attack! When you declare an attack, I get to tribute one Orcust monster I control then banish one of yours! I'll choose my Harp Horror and your Tytannial!"

"Wow. Vinyl really did have a backup plan against Wallflower's backup plan." Twilight observed, a bit impressed.

"Better luck next time!" Vinyl taunted.

"You really should research your opponent's cards more!" Wallflower smirked.

"Huh?"

"Tytannial's special ability!" The gardener shouted with confidence, "When a card gets targeted by an effect, I can tribute a plant type monster to negate it!"

"What?! Aww man!"

"Wow." Twilight blinked, "That's a crazy turn of events."

"No kidding!" Pinkie agreed, "Wallflower had a backup plan to counter Vinyl's backup plan against her first backup plan!"

"Woohoo!" Sunset cheered, "Way to go, Wallflower!"

With that, Tytannial raised its index finger at the trap. A single rose Thorn shot out, shattering the card as Harp Horror and Copy Plant disappated from the field.

"Now, continue the attack! Tytannial, destroy Galatea!" Wallflower ordered.

With a slight nod, Tytannial launched several rose vines at its opposition, destroying it in a flood of rose petals.

Vinyl: 3000
Wallflower: 4000

"Well, damn." Vinyl sighed.

"Man, that's crazy. What a move!" Rainbow cheered.

"And that's how we do it!" The gardener declared with a grin.

Unfortunately, Wallflower's triumph wasn't mean to last.

At that moment, a tremor began ripping itself through the area, drawing the girls out of their reverie.

"What the heck?! This isn't part of the game, right?!" Rarity shouted as she braced herself.

"I should hope not!" Octavia responded, quickly grabbing ahold of the guardrail to her left.

"Hold on, guys!" Sunset ordered as the tremor continued.

"This is the second scariest thing today!" Fluttershy whimpered.

Vinyl took a wider stance, trying to keep herself balanced. Across the field, Wallflower had been knocked to the ground and decided it safer to stay down for the duration of the event.

As quickly as it came, the shaking of the earth passed. The girls stayed motionless for a few more moments, before getting back up.

"The heck was that?!" Applejack asked in frustration.

"Whatever it was, at least it's over now." Octavia sighed.

Rainbow glanced down, poking at a device similar to a watch, "Where'd our duel disks go? And what're these?"

"If they aren't being used, they'll return to their compact form." Octavia supplied, "It makes them easy to carry at all times. I did say they were compact models."

Just as the explanation left her mouth, a rapid beeping began emanating from Twilight's bag.

Quickly, she reached in, pulling out a device that Sunset Shimmer recognized.

"Hey!" She shouted, "That's the device you had when you were scanning the CHS statue!"

"I've made some modifications to it, at Rainbow's suggestion." Twilight responded sheepishly.

"Well, what's it do?" Vinyl asked as herself and Wallflower made their way back to the group.

"It detects abnormal energy signatures." Twilight answered as she began playing with it.

Rainbow rubbed the back of her head, "I figured if anything magical came along again, it'd be better if we knew about it ASAP."

"Huh." Sunset blinked, "Good thinking, Rainbow."

"Got it!" The techie exclaimed, drawing the group's attention, "It's coming from the woods out back! And it's close!"

A collective sigh ran through them.

"We gotta check it out, don't we?" Applejack asked with an exasperated expression.

"Afraid so, AJ." Sunset answered with a grin expression.

"I'm coming with you." Octavia declared, "I used to play in these woods all the time as a child."

Sunset shook her head, "It isn't safe, Tavi."

That response got a roll of the eyes from the cellist, "It's not for you lot either. Quite frankly, going to CHS isn't 'safe', as you call it."

"She's got ya there." Pinkie said with a shurg.

"I'll fight you on this all night." Octavia finished.

Sunset was about to respond, before the geode present on neck began to pulsate. Quickly she set her hand upon it. After a moment, she sighed.

"Fine. But stay behind us."

"We're coming too!" Vinyl added.

"Guys..." Sunset groaned tiredly.

"It's safer as a whole group anyway." Wallflower quickly interjected.

"She's not wrong." Twilight agreed, albeit reluctantly.

Sunset thought for a moment, before caving, "Fine. Something tells me it really is better if we stick together. But stay behind us!"

"Gotcha." Vinyl nodded.

Wallflower quickly positioned herself behind Sunset, "Can do."

"Guess you two'll need to finish your game later." Pinkie added in.

"I'm a bit more concerned about the readings at this point." Octavia said neutrally.

"Agreed. Let's get going." Twilight nodded.

With that the girls began their journey towards whatever the device had detected.

None of them could have known the adventures and trials that awaited them.