//------------------------------// // RANK 43: Switching Destiny: // Story: My Little Pony: Friendship is Numerous // by Monty Eggman //------------------------------// RANK 43: Switching Destiny: --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE STORY SO FAR...: --------------------------------------------------------------------- In Canterlot High School, every student is wild over the world's most popular trading card game: Duel Monsters! Every day, players of the card game, known as "Duelists", go head-to-head to see who among them is the best around. Among the Duelists in attendance at CHS, one of the best is a young teenager named Sunset Shimmer, a girl from another world... In the second Duel of the WCQ Qualification Tournament's first round, two Duelists not native to Canterlot were paired up: One was Steel Shadows, a nomadic Duelist who traveled all over the country and was an experienced tournament player. The other was Slid Diamond, a young adult-age basketball player who was also skilled at Duel Monsters, having done well in small OTS Tournaments in the past. The two of them clashed, with Steel using a Six Samurai Deck and Slid fighting with Dinosaurs. In the end, the Duel concluded in Steel's victory, but both sides were satisfied with how things went and parted on good terms. Meanwhile, Big McIntosh - Applejack's older brother, overheard a strange conversation between Adagio, Aria, and Sonata (collectively known as the Dazzlings). The three of them seemed to be discussing some sort of plan that they had involving the tournament. Suspicious, Big Mac informed his sister about what he had heard them say. Elsewhere, the chaotic draconequus Discord had once more entered the mind of Sunset Shimmer in order to check up on both her and Twilight...and also to find out more information regarding the Astral World. After looking around for a while, he watched a videotape that showed none other than the bizarre dream that Sunset and Twilight had several nights ago. Now Discord plans to look around Twilight's mind and see if he can find anything else about the Astral World. As for the tournament, the third round is about to begin... --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Ladies and gentlemen," announced Megan Williams, the MC for the WCQ Qualifier Tournament, "There will be a five-minute intermission before the next round. Use that time to take care of any business so that you don't miss another second of the amazing dueling action that is sure to take place!" As Megan was making that announcement, Big Mac was speaking with Sunset Shimmer - the tournament Judge, and Twilight Sparkle - her assistant. Earlier, during the second round, the elder brother of Applejack had overheard a bizarre conversation amongst the Dazzlings - Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, the latter of which had joined the tournament. Since they had shown up during the Preliminary Rounds, Sunset and her friends were suspicious of their motives and keeping a close eye on them. "So that's what you heard?" asked Sunset after Big Mac had finished explaining everything. "And do you know what exactly they were talking about? Like what this 'plan' of theirs was?" Shaking his head, Big Mac told her, "Nnnnope." "I see... Well, thanks for letting me know." stated the red-and-yellow girl. After he left, Sunset sighed to herself and said, "This isn't sounding good at all..." "Maybe it's not as bad as it sounds..." Twilight told her. "For all we know, this could be a misunderstanding. Though I'll admit, it's a bit of wishful thinking on my part. I know full well that there are some people that don't change so easily." "Believe me," Sunset told her friend, "I WANT to think that they've learned their lesson... But I agree, not everyone can just do a complete turn-around as quickly as I did." Tapping her Duel Gazer, she spoke into the microphone, saying, "Snips? Snails? Have you two found out anything about the Dazzlings yet? One of my friends overheard them talking about something a few minutes ago, during the second round." "Yeah, we heard it too!" spoke Snips's voice. "I dunno what they were talking about, but we're pretty sure they're up to somethin' bad! Ya want us to keep spyin' on them?" "Yeah, try and see if you can figure out what this 'plan' they were discussing was..." the otherworldly girl instructed them. "And above all, make sure they don't see you." "Got it!" replied Snips before cutting off the link. Sighing, Sunset knew that - until there was any new information, she would have to just wait and see how things played out. (According to Big Mac,) she thought, (whatever those three are planning, they aren't going to reveal in front us anytime soon... Right now, though...I'd better get ready to judge the next Duel; I'll worry about those three later.) She then glanced over at the three girls in question; Adagio looked back over at Sunset and gave her a sly smirk. After the five-minute break was up and most of the crowds of people had returned to their seats, Megan switched on her microphone and announced, "Alright, everyone! We're just about to begin the third Duel of the tournament's first round! As you already know, Ember and Steel Shadows have both made it into the Quarterfinals so far during the previous two matches. And now we're ready to see who will be the next Duelist to make it up there with them! So let's begin the selection!!" After she said that, the photos of the remaining Duelists began cycling once again. Everyone, especially the competitors watched carefully to see who would face off against who... "And our next two Duelists will be..." said Megan, watching the shuffling reels on the big-screen monitor. Finally the pictures stopped, revealing the next matchups. "Gilda and Night Switch!" "Awesome! I'm next!" said Gilda, who had been anxiously awaiting her turn in the tournament. "Good luck out there, Gilda...!" said Fluttershy encouragingly. "Yeah, go get 'im!!" cheered Gabby in her usual excited-sounding tone. Gilda began walking out into the middle of the arena, ready for battle. Glancing over at Night Switch - a purple-skinned boy with long, light-blue hair, she noticed his solemn-looking expression; it was as if he seemed relatively uninterested in the whole thing. The Griffonstone Duelist felt a bit uneasy just looking at him, but wouldn't let that affect her dueling. Still, she seemed to get a creepy vibe from her opponent. After both Duelists cut and shuffled each others' Decks, Sunset took out a coin and said to Gilda, "Okay, go ahead and call it in the air." After that, she then flipped the coin upwards. "Heads!" Gilda immediately shouted. Night Switch said nothing as he watched the coin fly up into the air. After it came back down, Sunset caught it and placed it on the back of her hand without looking. After moving her hand away, she revealed that the coin result was indeed Heads. "Gilda gets to choose the turn order." the red-and-yellow girl declared. "In that case," the good-natured roughneck began to say, "I'll go first!" Night Switch hummed a little before speaking for the first time since the tournament began. "...As you wish." he simply said. "Yeesh, finally you say somethin'..." Gilda commented. "For a moment, I was almost expectin' you to use sign language for the whole match." The two of them then walked towards their respective sides of the field and activated their Duel Pads. "Alright, Mr. Quiet... Let's get this Duel started!" (Gilda: LP 4,000) "...Yes..." stated Night Switch. "Let us see which one of us destiny favors..." (Night Switch: LP 4,000) Gilda wasn't quite sure what that meant, but she feel a bit more uneasy about her opponent than she did earlier. Still, she wasn't going to let that creepy feeling negatively affect her game, and intended to go at him with everything she had... Up in the audience stands, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash had sat back down in their seats, ready to watch the next Duel. Rainbow was especially excited, since her friend Gilda was one of the competing Duelists. "Alright! Gilda's in the next match! This oughtta be good!" she said, anxious for the Duel to get started. "Ah'm pretty sure it will be." Applejack stated. "Accordin' t' Gilda, she says she's been improvin' since we all saw her at the Inter-school Duel..." "And back then, she was plenty strong to begin with." Rarity pointed out. "I can't imagine just how much more powerful she's become since then..." Just then, the young fashionista noticed something peculiar. "Hang on a moment... Where is Pinkie Pie?" she asked. Looking to her left, Rainbow Dash had only now just noticed that their pink friend wasn't sitting beside her. "Oh yeah... I thought she'd be back by now." the cyan teen said. "She said she was just gonna get a refill on her popcorn." "You know Pinkie; when it comes to gettin' treats, she tends t' get a li'l bit overboard." Applejack reminded them. "Honestly, in Pinkie's case," Rarity added, "saying that she gets 'a little overboard' is an understatement. I mean...just HOW on Earth can she eat all of that food and not gain a single pound?? I swear, I'll find out that secret someday..." Applejack and Rainbow chuckled a little at that comment before turning their attention back to the Duel. Fanning out the cards in her hand, Gilda then told her opponent, "Alright, let's see if you can keep up with me on just the first turn...!" Taking a card from her hand, she declared, "I Summon Raidraptor - Napalm Dragonius in Attack Mode!" Her first monster was a large bird-like creature covered in silver, gold, and green-colored armor. It had a long, snake-like tail, but curiously lacked any visible feet (Raidraptor - Napalm Dragonius: Level 4 / ATK 1000 / DEF 1000). "Hmm... I don't remember seeing that card in Gilda's Deck when I dueled her the first time..." Fluttershy pointed out. "That's not the only new card she's got!" Gabby told her. "Just wait: You'll see!" The two then turned their attention back to the Duel in progress. "Now I activate the effect of Napalm Dragonius!" Gilda began to explain. "Once per turn, my monster can hit you for six hundred points of damage! So take this!! Fire Bomb!" The large bird creature then shot out a massive fireball that hit her opponent in what seemed like an instant (Night Switch: LP 4,000 - 600 = 3,400). "As a drawback," the roughneck continued, "I can't use any non-Raidraptor monster effect for the remainder of the turn... Or that WOULD have been a drawback, except most of my Deck is Raidraptor monsters, so it doesn't really hurt me a whole lot." "...I see." Night simply responded, still not showing much (if any) emotion at all. "Hmph... well, maybe this'll get your attention." Gilda said, taking another card from her hand. "I use the effect of Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius to Special Summon it from my hand in Defense Mode!" After that, her Purple and blue-colored bird emerged onto the field, taking its place right next to her first monster (Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius: Level 4 / ATK 500 / DEF 1500). "And now I'll overlay my two Level 4 monsters to create an Overlay Network!" Everyone watched as both of her two monsters transformed into a pair of purple lights before flying into a red portal in the center of the field. Sunset watched intently, wondering what was going to come out. "Avian hunter of the afterlife," Gilda chanted. "seek the truth with your dark eyes, and grasp glory with your sharp talons! Xyz Summon! Take flight! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Force Strix!" After the chant was complete, her owl-like Xyz Monster appeared on the field in Defense Position with two swirling purple orbs surrounding it (Raidraptor - Force Strix: Rank 4 / ATK 100 / DEF 2000 / OLU 2). "Hmmm, that's a kinda weird..." noted Rainbow Dash. "She started with a defensive monster instead of an attacking one... I've never seen Gilda do that before." "She's probably learned to be a bit more cautious with her Duels since the last time." Rarity figured. "After all, she dueled rather recklessly during the Inter-school Duel and lost because of it. Now it appears she's become a bit more methodical in her play style..." "Sure seems like it, at least for now." Applejack noted. "Now Ah guess we'll have t' see if that'll help her win this time..." Taking a card from under her Xyz Monster card, Gilda then stated, "Now I'll use the effect of Raidraptor - Force Strix. By removing an overlay unit (Raidraptor - Force Strix: OLU 2 - 1 = 1), I can search out any Level 4 DARK Winged Beast monster from my Deck. And I'll choose my Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius!" After taking the card from her Deck, she added, "But I ain't done yet: Since I detached Fuzzy Lanius to use Force Strix's effect, I can get ANOTHER Fuzzy Lanius outta my Deck! Finally, I'll set one card face-down and end my turn." "A brilliant opening play..." thought Bright Mind, one of the other competitors. "She set up a strong defense, reinforced her hand, and even dealt some early damage to her opponent. It's quite apparent that she doesn't want to leave anything to pure chance." "...Hmmm..." hummed Night Switch. "I must say...you made a strong move." Preparing to draw his first card for the Duel, he then added, "But that does not guarantee that the fates are on your side... But we will soon see...in time." Gilda still wasn't sure what he was talking about, but ignored his cryptic remarks for now to focus on the Duel... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, in the stadium tunnels, Pinkie Pie had just finished what appeared to be an adventurous snack run. Somehow, she had managed to get a full bucket of popcorn, an entire medium-size cheese pizza, a large Diet Colta-Cola, a stick of cotton candy, a candy apple (courtesy of Granny Smith), a box of various types of donuts (thanks to Donut Joe), a small box of tacos, and an orange popsicle; all with just two hands. The female vendor she had just finished with then asked the pink girl, "Um... a-are you sure you can eat all that...?" "This?" Pinkie responded, leaning her head over to the side. "Aw, this is nothing! You oughtta see me when I'm REALLY famished!" Tossing the pile of food into the air, the silly girl then quickly grabbed some money from the purse she hand on her shoulder and gave it to the vendor before catching the food pile as it came back down. "Keep the change!" she then replied in her cheerful, sing-song voice before leaving. The woman just stood there, not sure if what she saw was what she saw. Carrying all that food with hardly much effort, Pinkie Pie said to herself, "Wow... I can't WAIT to sit down and dig into all of this!" Her mouth was watering at the mere thought of all that food (she wasn't greedy, though; she would share some with her friends, too). Just then, she heard something coming towards her. "Hm? What's that?" she asked as she looked to the side. She then saw that someone was running in her direction. But that wasn't all: Pinkie recognized the person ahead of her. "Hey! That's Martin!!" Indeed, it was Gilda's friend from school (and former victim of Number possession) running towards her. Of course, he wasn't exactly the athletic type, and was nearly out of breath; apparently, he had been running for a long period of time. Huffing and puffing, he said in between gasps, "I...I'm...I'm almost...there...!! I...I hope that...that I didn't miss...Gilda's or...Gabby's Duel...!" However, he was so focused on making it inside the stadium on time, that he hadn't bothered to lift his head up. If he had, he would have seen Pinkie ahead of him. "Aaaahh!!" the girl screamed. "Watch out!!" This caused Martin to raise his head up, but both them were unable to move out of the way of each other in time. Martin clumsily collided right into Pinkie Pie, causing both of them to fall onto the floor and Pinkie's food pile to fly up into the air. Realizing what had just happened, both of them gasped loudly in shock. "Oh no!!" Martin shouted, "It's gonna spill all over the place!!" But just when it seemed that the custodians would have to work overtime to clean up what would have been a massive disaster of a mess, someone managed to catch everything before the unfortunate happened. Not a drop of food or drink managed to spill on the ground. A bit surprised, Pinkie exclaimed, "Hey, look! Everything's okay! Someone caught all the food!" "B-b-b-but how?!?" asked Martin. "N-nobody could have been able to do that so quickly and accurately so as not to let even a small portion get on the ground!" Glancing over to see who their savior was, Pinkie smiled and told him, "Nobody except for her!" Pointing at the person who managed to save the pink teen snacks, they both saw that it was none other than the bizarre - yet adorable, Fluffle Puff. Standing up along with Martin, Pinkie thanked her, saying, "Thanks a whole bunch! Good thing you just happened to be where it was most convenient for us!" The fuzzy, pink girl replied with her usual response: A raspberry. "Pthbth." "Um...what was that?" asked Martin. "Why did she do that?" "That's...just how she talks." Pinkie explained. "She just said, 'You're welcome.'" "Um...okay then." the boy replied, still not really sure what was going on. Turning back over to Fluffle Puff, Pinkie then asked her, "Say, could you do me a favor? Could you go and bring that food over to where my friends are sitting? They're in Row C, seats 37 to 40." "...Pthbth pth pthbth pthbth pthbth?" Fluffle then "asked" her. "Sure, you can have the tacos if you do that for me!" Pinkie told her. "Just let 'em know that I have something to take care and I'll be back soon!" Fluffle Puff gasped happily and nodded to say that she would carry out her request. And with that, the strange girl happily carried Pinkie's massive snack pile to where the others were. Once Fluffle Puff had left, Martin turned over to Pinkie Pie and - while rubbing the back of his head, said to her, "I-I-I'm really sorry, Pinkie... I wasn't watching where I was going, and we almost had a disaster." "Awww, don't worry about it! Everything's fine!" the pink girl responded. "Let's just forget it happened and be happy that there WASN'T a disaster!" She then asked him, "So, are ya here t' watch Gilda's Duel?" "Yeah, I am!" Martin answered. "And I also came here to see Gabby, too!" Sweating a little out of embarrassment, he added, "Trouble is...I was working on a big school assignment last night and I ended up oversleeping. So I pretty much had to rush over here as fast as I could. If my dad hadn't been off from work today, I don't think I would've made it..." He then asked Pinkie Pie, "So, um...did Gilda or Gabby duel yet? Please don't tell me I've missed it!" "Actually, you're just in time to see Gilda's Duel!" the pink teen told him. "It only just started about two minutes ago! Funny how that always seems to work out just like that..." "Oh good! I didn't miss it...!" the boy sighed out of relief. "In that case, we'd better get going and see it before it's over!" "My thoughts exactly!" Pinkie said. Standing up on one foot and putting her arms out - doing her best impression of Snagglepuss, she then said, "And awaaaaaaaaay we go!!" After that, she sped off like a bullet. "H-hey! Wait for me, Pinkie!!" Martin called out, running to try and catch up with her. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in the stadium, Gilda had just finished up her turn, having Summoned her Force Strix to defend her, and even deal some damage to her opponent, Night Switch. Now it was his turn, and everyone was anxious to see what he had planned, especially Gilda herself. "I draw..." Night Switch said, pulling the top card of his Deck and placing it in his hand. "Alright, buddy... Let's just see what you've got!" Gilda said, preparing for anything he could try. "It is not what I have got... Rather, it is what destiny has in store that will determine your future in this competition..." the boy said, remaining as solemn-sounding as ever. Taking another card from his hand, he played and said, "I activate Destiny Draw. This card permits me to draw two cards after discarding a Destiny HERO card from my hand." He then did just that, sending one of his cards to the Graveyard before drawing from his Deck. "Wait, did you say Destiny HERO?" asked Gilda. "Like the ones that Phoenix guy used?" "Wow...a Destiny HERO Deck..." said Sunset. "I never thought I'd see one with my own eyes..." "So? Spill it: What's so special about that Deck?" asked Spike. "Well, several years ago, there was an expert card designer for Industrial Illusions who was mostly well-known for creating the Destiny HERO archetype." the red-and-yellow girl explained. "That was Mr. Phoenix: The same Mr. Phoenix that also created the Legendary Planet cards. However, before either archetype was submitted to Industrial Illusions for mass-production...Mr. Phoenix was tragically murdered." "M-m-murdered?!" exclaimed Twilight in shock. "That's horrible! Who would want to do something like that?!" "Someone who wanted the cards for themselves, that's who." Sunset told her. "However, it had been confirmed that only one of the Destiny HERO cards - Destiny HERO Plasma, had been stolen by the assailant. The rest were given to Mr. Phoenix's son, Aster. As a result, those last cards he designed became one-of-a-kind, and went unreleased to the public. However, after Aster Phoenix retired from the Pro Leagues, he finally allowed his father's cards to be mass-produced for everyone to use." "Wow... I can't even imagine what that was like for Aster, knowing that someone had killed his father..." said Twilight, feeling sorry for him. "At least he knew his dad." said Spike. "I don't even know if my parents are alive or not... I wish I knew." "Don't worry, Spike." the Princess of Friendship told him. "One day, we'll figure out what happened to them. I don't know how or if we even can, but I'll do my best to help you." Spike was happy to hear that, and hoped that they would find that out one day. Sunset smiled a bit at the moment before returning her attention back to the Duel. (So...this Night Switch guy uses Destiny HEROes... I know a little about the Deck, but not a whole lot... I guess I'll see how well it stacks up to Gilda's Raidraptors...) Taking another card out of his hand and placing it on the D-Pad's card tray, Night Switch then said, "I Summon...Destiny HERO - Drilldark in Attack Position." His first monster of the Duel was a thin humanoid man colored black and red and covered with small drill bits. In addition, he also carried a larger drill, which he wielded like a lance (Destiny HERO - Drilldark: Level 4 / ATK 1600 / DEF 1200). "Hmph... you'll have t' do better than that, bub." Gilda told him. "He's not strong enough to get past Force Strix." "...True, but he is not here to attack your monster." Night explained to her. "Upon his Summoning, Destiny HERO - Drilldark permits me to Special Summon a second Destiny HERO from my hand with equal or fewer attack points... I select and Summon Destiny HERO - Celestial." His second monster was another man wearing mostly black and red, though he appeared a bit beefier compared to Drilldark. Not only that, he carried a pair of incredibly large blades on his back that seemed to resemble the shape of the Sun (Destiny HERO - Celestial: Level 4 / ATK 1600 / DEF 1400). "Now he's got two monsters on the field..." Ember noted. "But what's he planning to do with 'em?" "...Now for my next move." said Night Switch, taking yet another card out of his hand. "I Special Summon another monster from my hand...by discarding a HERO monster from my hand." Pitching a card into his Graveyard slot, he then added, "I discard Vision HERO Increase and Special Summon Vision HERO Faris." His third monster was another human clad in mostly-pink armor, with bits of purple and green here and there, as well as several yellow orbs doted around it, including on the front of its helmet. ******************************* Vision HERO Faris (Effect Monster/Warrior/DARK/Level 5/ATK 1600/DEF 1800) You can discard 1 other "HERO" monster; Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can place 1 "Vision HERO" monster from your Deck, except "Vision HERO Faris", in your Spell & Trap Zone as a face-up Continuous Trap, also you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck for the rest of this turn, except "HERO" monsters. You can only use each effect of "Vision HERO Faris" once per turn. ******************************* "No way...!" said Vinyl Scratch, gasping a little. "He even has Vision HEROes in his Deck, too!" "Indeed..." Octavia told her. "And both they and the Destiny HEROes have a great amount of synergy between them. This will be quite a tough Duel for that Griffonstone student..." Gilda wasn't sure what to make of all this. "Well, you've got three monsters out, but all of 'em only have 1,600 attack points..." she reminded her opponent. "They can't beat Force Strix." "...My turn is not yet over." Night simply told her. "I use the effect of Faris and place Vision HERO Poisoner from my Deck on the field as a Continuous Trap Card." He then took the monster and slid it into the Spell & Trap Zone slot of his device. After he did, a ghostly image of the monster appeared on his field. "Huh? He put a MONSTER card in his back row?" asked Rainbow Dash. "That doesn't make any sense!" "I must admit, I do agree with you a little." Rarity stated. "What good does that move do him? He cannot attack with a monster that's in his Spell & Trap Zone..." "Somethin' tells me that guy's got a different plan for that card instead..." Applejack noted. "Otherwise, he wouldnt've made such an unusual move..." Back at the Duel, Night Switch then continued his turn by taking out a monster from his Graveyard. "Now I activate the effect of the monster I discarded with Destiny Draw: By banishing Destiny HERO - Malicious from my Graveyard, I can Summon an additional Malicious from my Deck in Defense Position." After removing one of his Destiny HERO - Malicious cards, he then placed a second one on his field. The monster seemed to be part-human, part-demon with its mostly dark-colored body, three horns, claws, and giant bat-like wings. He was also covered in thick, dark-brown fur from the waist down (save for his knees and feet), had two thin tails, and a big "D" on his chest (Destiny HERO - Malicious: Level 6 / ATK 800 / DEF 800). "Now the preparations are complete..." said Night Switch. "What d'ya mean?" asked Gilda, who was now starting to get a sense of worry, based on the tone of her voice. Taking another card from his hand, Night said, "I activate...Polymerization! I use my Spell Card to fuse together my Destiny HERO - Celestial and Malicious." Instantly, the two monsters were drawn into a red-and-blue portal up above the battlefield. "Hero of the darkest cosmos... Hero of inevitable evil..." he chanted. "Now become one and reign in the pitch-black future...! Fusion Summon! Come now, Level 8... Destiny HERO - Dystopia!" The portal above then exploded in a flash of purple light. Then, out of that light came an armored human figure. His armor was mostly purple in color, with a few exceptions: his shoulder pads, shin guards and face mask were all golden yellow (in addition, the mask had a big, red "D" imprinted upon it), and there were some streaks of green running along the arms, legs, and the side of his hips. The Fusion Monster then just floated there, crossing his arms and looking down at Gilda (Destiny HERO - Dystopia: Level 8 / ATK 2800 / DEF 2400). "Destiny HERO - Dystopia..." said Twilight, both impressed and a bit fearful of this new monster. Utopia (in spirit form) simply hummed to himself upon seeing the newly-Summoned Fusion Monster. "A Fusion Summon..." the Griffonstone Duelist said. "I see... That's what you were planning. But that's still not enough to scare me!" "In that case, I shall activate the effect of Dystopia." said Night Switch. "When Special Summoned, he is able to inflict damage to your Life Points, equal to the attack power of any Level 4 or lower Destiny HERO in my Graveyard." "He does what?!?" exclaimed Gilda in surprise. "...Consider this retribution for your Raidraptor's attack last turn." the boy spoke to her. "I designate Destiny HERO - Celestial as the target of Dystopia's effect... Go, Squeeze Palm...!" The monster's hands then began to radiate a purple glow, causing a similar glow to envelop Gilda. Then, the roughneck felt like she was being squeezed like a toothpaste tube by some invisible force. "UrrrrRRRRRGH!!!" groaned Gilda as she took the damage (Gilda: LP 4,000 - 1,600 = 2,400). "Oh my...! Are you alright, Gilda...??" asked Fluttershy out of concern. "Urrrgh, I'm fine..." Gilda told her. "Don't worry; I ain't gonna let him get away with that...!" "...I'm afraid that is not up to you." said Night Switch. "I move on to my Battle Phase and attack Force Strix with Dystopia. Seal her fate with your Dystopian Blow...!" His Fusion Monster then fired a pair of black-and-purple orbs straight towards Gilda's only monster. "It's not up to me, you say? Well, I say it is!" the Griffonstone Duelist shouted. "I activate the Trap Card, Raidraptor - Readiness!" After her card flipped face-up, the attack launched by Dystopia was deflected by a bright, fiery-orange shield that surrounded itself around Force Strix. Raising an eyebrow, Night then asked, "And what is that...?" "My Raidraptor - Readiness card makes it so that you can't wipe out my Raidraptors in battle!" Gilda explained to him. "Sorry, but you're not gonna damage me any more this turn!" Saying nothing in direct response, the melancholy boy simply told her, "...I will set one card and end my turn." "That was close..." said Twilight. "Gilda managed to save her monster from being destroyed." (And she also thwarted that boy's chance at a direct attack as well.) said Utopia telepathically. (Had it not been for that Trap Card of hers, she would have been down to a mere 800 Life Points.) Humming a bit, he added, (Still...I have a feeling that this Night Switch still has something else in store for her...and that worries me.) (Why is that?) asked Twilight. However, Utopia gave no response as he continued to watch Gilda's opponent carefully. Twilight couldn't explain it, but she started to get a bad vibe from Night Switch as well... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in the tunnels, Martin had finally caught up to Pinkie Pie after the two of them (literally) bumped into each other. Pinkie, of course, wanted to rush ahead and get to their seats so that they wouldn't miss any more of Gilda's Duel. However, when she saw that Martin was far, far behind her and gasping for air, she decided - for his sake, that they sit down on a bench and take a breather. As they sat on the bench and watched people walking by, Pinkie decided to make some small talk with Martin, asking about how things have been going for him since they last met back at the Manehatten Duel Museum. "So how are things with you and Gilda?" she asked him. "Still good, mostly." Martin told her. "She's been keeping me safe from bullies... However, I still get picked on every now and then." "That's too bad..." said the pink teen, feeling sorry for him. "I don't want to have to keep relying on Gilda to get me out of those situations..." he then told her, "but there's no way I can stand up to guys like them; I'm way too weak and feeble..." "That's not entirely true." Pinkie said to him. "You may not have big, bulging muscles, but you've gotta have at least some things that those bullies don't have! And that's what you've gotta use to stand up to them!" Sighing, Martin then replied, "You and Gilda make it sound so easy... But I can't think of anything that I have that those guys lack...!" "Well...I betcha you're a lot smarter than they are... Am I right?" Pinkie asked him. "...Well, I guess I might be..." "And remember when you dueled Sunnie and Gilda a while back?" she then asked him. "Well, I guess you probably don't wanna remember when you got super-crazy and tried to chain up one of my best friends... Look, the point is that I know that deep down, you want to be able to stand up to those people that pick on you and make you feel bad. You have to try and get over that fear you have of what could happen so that you can make things better for yourself!" Thinking about it, Martin looked over at Pinkie and asked her, "You...really think I could stand up to them?" "Think it?! I know it!!" the pink teen said with complete confidence. Knowing that she had a point, Martin then said to her, "Well, I guess I'll give it some consideration... I'm still not sure yet, but I want to believe that what you and Gilda are saying is possible." Just then, before another word could be said, the two of them heard what appeared to be crying nearby. "What was that??" asked Pinkie. "I don't know..." Martin answered, pointing to the left of them, "but I think it came from over in that direction! Let's go see!" Pinkie nodded as the two of them got up out of their bench and rushed towards the source of the distressing cry. When they got there, the scene they saw shocked them: A young boy - probably no older than ten, was on the ground with a small bruise on his face, crying and shivering as a pair of hooligans stood over him. Though neither Pinkie nor Martin knew it, the two people picking on the young boy were the former cronies of Garble, the bully that Scootaloo had defeated in a Duel some time ago. After Garble had lost, his two cohorts ran off to save their own skin. But it seemed that they hadn't learned their lesson after seeing their former boss suffer a humiliating defeat, as they were still causing trouble for people wherever they went. Pinkie and Martin quickly ducked behind a concrete column and watched at a safe distance. The tall, thin bully with purple skin and yellow hair (some of which covered his eyes) was named Fume; in his hands was what appeared to be a Duel Monsters Deck. "Heheheheh! Looks like we just scored us some new cards!" he chuckled cruelly. "Heh, yeah! Sure looks like it!" said the other bully, named Clump. In contrast to his buddy, he was short and a bit fat. He had dark-brown skin and short, blue hair with red streaks running down. "P-p-p-please...!" cried the young boy. "G-g-give my cards back...! Don't take them...!" "Give 'em back?" asked Fume with a curel smirk. "Dont'cha know the rules? Whiny crybabies aren't allowed to have cards! So they're ours!" "B-b-b-but that's not fair!" the little boy cried. "There's no such thing as a rule like that!" "It is now, Crybaby!" Clump mocked, chuckling himself. "And there ain't nothin' you can do about it!" the boy continued to whimper as the two bullies made fun of him. "That's so mean...!" whispered Pinkie Pie. "We've gotta do something to stop them...!" "...Y-you're kidding, right?" asked Martin. "Us? Stop them...?? You're crazy...!" "Exactly!" the pink girl responded as she reached into her poofy hair and pulled something out of it. It looked like a hand grenade, but instead of having a dirty green color like normal, this one was bright pink with blue polka dots. Martin wasn't sure what it was, but had a feeling he would find out as Pinkie pulled the pin and tossed towards the two bullies. Not suspecting a thing, Fume and Clump continued to make fun of their defenseless victim, thinking that they had the upper hand. But just when they were about to leave with their ill-gotten gains, the pink grenade rolled towards them and bumped into Fume's left foot. "Eh? What's this thing?" he asked, picking it up and looking at it curiously. "Ummm... is it some kinda egg or somethin'?" asked Clump. "Uh... Maybe?" asked Fume, totally clueless. "...You're kidding me..." said Martin, astounded by the bullies' apparent stupidity. "How can they not know a grenade when they see it?" Of course, Martin himself wasn't exactly sure whether it was a grenade or not (but he was pretty sure that it wasn't a lethal weapon). Before another question could be asked, the pink grenade suddenly exploded. But it wasn't the type of explosion one would expect from a grenade...because THIS one let out a massive cloud of colorful confetti that caused the bullies to jump back in surprise, not sure what was happening. As they did, Fume accidentally dropped the cards he stole from the boy. Once he saw that his cards were out of the troublemaker's grip, the little boy quickly scooped them all up and ran away as fast as he could. Realizing what had happened, Fume growled and shouted at the boy, "Huh? HEY!!! Get back here, you little twerp!!" "C'mon, you KNOW that never actually works." said Pinkie as she stepped out from behind the column she was hiding behind. Martin, however, stayed out of sight as best he could. "Huh?!" exclaimed Clump as he and Fume turned to face the pink vigilante. "So that was YOU who threw that exploding egg at us!" "GRENADE!!!" Martin blurted out. "It's a GRE-NADE!!!" He then quickly covered his mouth, realizing that he had just exposed himself to the two thugs. "More specifically," Pinkie began to tell them, "it's my latest work in the field of super-fun party favors! I call them 'Aunt Pinkamena's Confetti Grenades' (patent pending)!" Holding up another one that she had pulled out of her hair, she added, "Light one up, and your everyday, ordinary party becomes a real hoot'-n'-a-holler! ...AJ came up with that last part." The two bullies were a little stunned by what had just happened; unfortunately, that didn't last long as Fume pointed at both Pinkie and Martin and yelled, "GET 'EM!!" Knowing that they were the bullies' targets now, Pinkie and Martin made a run for it, with Fume and Clump trailing behind. "P-P-Pinkie??" the Griffonstone boy then asked her frantically. "What's the next part of your plan?!" "Next part?" asked the party lover. "I really didn't think about a 'next part', to be honest... Aheheh..." "You're kidding me!" Martin said in shock. "Don't worry!" Pinkie assured him with a wink. "I tend to do a lot of my best thinking when I'm in super-extreme danger!" "And...does this count as 'super-extreme' to you?" the boy then asked her. "I sure hope so!" the pink girl replied nonchalantly, still remaining as calm and cheery as before. Of course, that only served to worry Martin more as they continued to evade their pursuers. "Get back here before we REALLY get mad, jerks!!" shouted Fume, becoming more enraged. "I told you: That never actually works!!" Pinkie shouted to them as the chase continued... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in the stadium, Gilda had managed to survive a turn against Night Switch's Destiny HERO monsters. However, she was now staring down Destiny HERO - Dystopia, a powerful Fusion Monster. The kindly roughneck knew that she wouldn't win this Duel unless she took down Dystopia. (Alright, Gilda...) she told herself, (time to bring up your game...! I ain't gonna let this quiet creepy guy keep me from getting my chance to Duel Fluttershy again...! And besides, I've got a reputation to keep up!) Still showing hardly any emotion at all, Night Switch said to her, "I am afraid you have no chance against what fate has awaiting you... Your best option now is to accept destiny and surrender now." "If that's your best attempt at smack-talk, then YOU'VE got no chance at convincin' me t' give up!" the Griffonstone student told him as she drew her next card. Smirking, she then asked him, "Alright, buddy... If you know my so-called 'destiny' so well, did you see this coming? I activate the card I drew: Pot of Extravagance!" Everyone watching gasped when they saw Gilda play that card. "Unbelieveable! She actually has that rare card?!" asked Sunset. "That one card alone's worth over seventy dollars!" No one noticed it, but Night Switch did seem a little surprised by the card that was played (as much as he would allow himself to, that is). Chuckling a little, Gilda then explained, "Pot of Extravagance forces me to banish three or six random cards from my Extra Deck, but in exchange, it lets me draw a card for every three that get banished." Taking six cards out of her Extra Deck, she continued to tell him, "So since I'm gettin' rid of six cards, I get to draw two more!" "...I see." Night Switch simply responded. Gilda then looked at the two cards she managed to draw and hummed to herself. (Hmmm...these cards might be helpful later.) she pondered. (Right now, I need to focus on getting rid of that Fusion Monster he's got.) Smirking, she then said, "For my next move, I'll remove Force Strix's other overlay unit and search my Deck for Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius." She then did just that (Raidraptor - Force Strix: 1 - 1 = 0). "Pot of Extravagance prevents its user from drawing any more cards with card effects." Rarity noted. "However, it DOESN'T prevent her from searching her Deck and adding cards that way." After getting the card she wanted from her Deck, Gilda then declared, "Now that Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius is in my hand, I'll go right ahead and Summon it!" She then played her card right away, bringing out a large bird creature in green, silver, and navy-blue armor (Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius: Level 4 / ATK 1300 / DEF 1600). "Now that I have another Winged Beast on the field, Force Strix gains five hundred attack and defense points." Gilda then explained (Raidraptor - Force Strix: ATK 100 + 500 = 600 / DEF 2000 + 500 = 2500). "But not only that," she continued, "Vanishing Lanius lets me Special Summon ANOTHER Raidraptor from my hand to join it! And I'll choose Raidraptor - Rudder Strix!" Placing her next monster in Defense Position, it appeared as another armored bird, colored mostly blue and silvery-grey. On the armor around its wings were orange, feather-like appendages, and on its back and underside were fin-like protrusions. On its neck area was the Raidraptors' insignia (Raidraptor - Rudder Strix: Level 4 / ATK 0 / DEF 1600). "Another new monster..." noted Sunset; she didn't remember seeing that card in Gilda's Deck either, and was curious as to what it could do. "Now that Rudder Strix is on the field too," the roughneck continued, "Force Strix gets even stronger (Raidraptor - Force Strix: ATK 600 + 500 = 1100 / DEF 2500 + 500 = 3000). But more importantly, since Rudder Strix was Summoned though the effect of a Raidraptor card, you take another 600 points of damage!" The new monster's eyes began to glow red as it fired off a barrage consisting of six fireballs, each one striking Night Switch hard (Night Switch: LP: 3,400 - 600 = 2,800). Smirking, Gilda then asked her opponent, "So tell me: Do ya STILL think that fate ain't on my side?" Night Switch said nothing in response. He didn't even flinch after taking on the blast from Rudder Strix. (This guy's really starting to annoy me...) thought Gilda. (The old me probably would've started getting frustrated by now... But that's what caused me t' lose last time, and now I know better. I guess the only way to get through to that weirdo is to knock him out of the tournament! And I'll do it without losing my cool...!) Taking another card from her hand, she then said, "I use the effect of Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius to Special Summon it from my hand in Defense Mode." She then Summoned yet another monster to her field, powering up her Force Strix in the process (Raidraptor - Force Strix: ATK 1100 + 500 = 1600 / DEF 3000 + 500 = 3500). (Now she has three Level 4 monsters...) Utopia said to Twilight telepathically. (It is quite clear what this girl is doing...) (Yeah, I think so too.) the young Princess replied to him in thought, both of them knowing what was going to happen next. "I overlay all three of my Level 4 monsters - Vanishing Lanius, Rudder Strix, and Fuzzy Lanius!" shouted Gilda as her three monsters each transformed into a purple light that flew into a red vortex in the center of the field "I use my monsters to create an Overlay Network!!" Fluttershy, Gabby, Rainbow Dash, and everyone else watched the phenomenon, wondering what the Griffonstone girl was bringing out. "Obscured falcon!" Gilda chanted in a loud voice. "Raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! Xyz Summon! Appear now! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Rise Falcon!" As soon as the chant was complete, a larger bird creature emerged from out of the red portal and took to the skies above. The creature - like many of Gilda's monsters, was covered in armor. The armor was made up of multiple different colors, such as green, blue, purple, yellow and silver. Orbiting the monster were three, purple-colored spheres of energy. The bird-creature was incredibly massive as it hovered over the arena and gave out a loud screech (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon: Rank 4 / ATK 100 / DEF 2000) (Raidraptor - Force Strix: ATK 1600 - 1000 = 600 / DEF 3500 - 1000 = 2500). "Yeesh...all that for a monster with just a hundred attack points?" asked Rainbow Dash. "You should know by now that looks can be deceiving, darling." Rarity told her. "Remember: Gilda had to use three monsters to Xyz Summon Rise Falcon..." "That's gotta mean that it has some really strong ability to make the Summon worth it." Applejack pointed out. At that moment, the farm girl saw someone coming up with a pile of food. "Hey, look down there!" "Is that Pinkie?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I mean, they're carryin' a lot of food, so it's gotta be her, right?" The person carrying the food pile eventually got to where the other girls were sitting. Setting the pile on Pinkie's seat, the person was revealed to be none other than Fluffle Puff, whom Pinkie had asked to help carry her food while she was with Martin. As if the others needed any more proof that it was Fluffle Puff, the strange girl had a taco in her mouth that she had been munching on. "Fluffle Puff?" asked Rarity. "Did Pinkie ask you to come here with all of that food?" The strange, fluffy girl then replied in her usual manner, "Pthbth. Pthbth." "...Uh, did anyone know what that meant?" asked Rainbow, scratching her head. "I ain't exactly fluent in raspberries..." "Well, don't lookit me, girls..." Applejack told them. "I can't make heads r' tails of what she's sayin' either." Realizing that they couldn't understand what she was saying, Fluffle Puff tapped her chin a few times, seemingly thinking of something. Gasping happily, she came up with an idea: She reached in her pants pocket, pulling out what appeared to be a pink crayon. Taking the donut box - which was plain white, she began scribbling on it. "Now what is she doing?" asked Rarity. Leaning over to look, Rainbow told her, "I...think she's writing some kinda note... Maybe she's gonna explain it to us that way." Once Fluffle Puff was finished she handed them the donut box and said, "Pthbth." Reading the note, Applejack told her friends, "It says: 'Pinkie Pie asked me to carry these snacks up for her. She will be back a little bit later. Also, she let me have the tacos... Yum yum.'" Satisfied with that response, she then told the pink fluffy girl, "Well, until she comes back, y'all wanna watch the rest of this Duel with us?" Fluffle Puff gasped and nodded happily as she sat down in Pinkie's seat and switched on her Duel Gazer. Back at the Duel, Gilda was ready to show off what her newly-Summoned monster could do. "My Rise Falcon may not have a lot of attack points yet," she told her opponent, "but that'll all change right now! I activate Rise Falcon's effect!" Sending one of its materials to the Graveyard, she then explained, "At the cost of one overlay unit, Rise Falcon can absorb the attack points of one of your monsters! And I choose your Dystopia!" Night Switch watched (again with little emotion) as Gilda's Xyz Monster sent one of its three floating orbs over towards his Fusion Monster (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon: OLU 3 - 1 = 2). The orb then dissolved and caused a light-blue aura to radiate around Dystopia, which then flowed over into Rise Falcon and strengthened it (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon: ATK 100 + 2800 = 2900). "Now her monster's stronger than that other guy's!" said Spike. "She can beat it!" "Let's hope so..." said Twilight, knowing that this Duel wasn't quite over yet. "Next, I'll use the effect of my Fuzzy Lanius and grab another copy out of my Deck." said Gilda as she pulled the card in question from her Deck. "And then, I'll switch Force Strix to Attack Mode!" Once everything was set up, Gilda was ready to unleash her attack. "Now for my Battle Phase!" she shouted. "I attack with my Rise Falcon! And thanks to its effect, it gets to attack every one of the Monsters you Special Summoned!" "Wait- did she say EACH ONE?!?" exclaimed Sweetie Belle. "Yeah." Flash Sentry confirmed. "And since Rise Falcon has 2,900 attack points after using its effect...if it manages to attack all of that other guy's monsters, the damage from all those battles - along with a direct attack by Force Strix, will add up to 3,300! In other words, if Gilda's successful, this Duel is over!" Watching from the sidelines as well, Ember and Steel Shadows had also calculated it all in their heads. However, they weren't so sure that Gilda would succeed in ending the Duel right here and now, feeling as though her opponent had a trick up his sleeve that he had yet to reveal... "Go, Rise Falcon!! Attack his Drilldark with Brave Claw Revolution!!" Gilda shouted, thrusting her hand out as she launched her attack. Her Xyz Monster flew in towards Night Switch's monsters, ready to tear them to shreds. However, no one noticed that the strange boy had tapped on his D-Pad's touch screen moments before the attack landed. Drilldark was viciously scratched apart and eliminated from the battlefield. "Now let's see what that does t' ya!" she then said, pumping her fist. "Hmph...I'm afraid not much." Night responded quietly (Night Switch: LP: 2,800 - 650 = 2,150). "What the-? What happened??" asked the Griffonstone teen in confusion. "That should've done way more damage than that!" "Under normal circumstances, it would have..." said Night Switch. "But - as I had predicted, destiny had other plans for us today..." Revealing the card that he had played, he then told his opponent, "Before your attack landed, I activated my Trap Card, Damage Diet. Now for the rest of this turn, the damage I take is cut in half. Which means that I cannot lose the Duel this turn..." "Urrgh...! No way!" But Gilda knew that - thanks to that card, she couldn't finish him off this turn. "Darn...looks like that weirdo saved himself this turn." Rainbow Dash pointed out. "That ain't good..." Fluffle Puff sat there next to the cyan teen, seemingly very focused on the Duel in progress (and munching on another taco at the same time). Huffing, Gilda then told her opponent, "Alright, maybe I can't wipe out your Life Points yet, but that still doesn't mean I can't get rid of all your monsters!" "Perhaps," stated Night Switch, "but there are some places my monsters can go where yours cannot..." "...Meaning?" "I activate the effect of Vision HERO Increase, who sleeps in my Graveyard..." he told her. "After I take any sort of damage, I can move Increase from my Graveyard to my back row as a Continuous Trap." After he did that, another ghostly monster appeared, sitting next to the first one. (That's the second time he's done that...) noted Twilight. (He somehow managed to place a Monster card in the Spell & Trap Zone... But why is he doing that? What sort of reason could he have to do that?) (I'm certain that he has another terrifying strategy in store for her...) Utopia replied in the young Princess's mind. (I am very sure that he plans to unleash something even more powerful on his next turn... And moving those monsters to his back row is part of his strategy, whatever it may be.) Gilda got that same vibe herself, but wasn't sure what her opponent was up to. For now she decided to continue her attack and eliminate as many monsters and Life Points from him as possible. "Rise Falcon!! Continue your attack! Destroy Vision HERO Faris and Destiny HERO - Dystopia!!" Her bird creature screeched as it slashed its claws on both of Night Switch's other monsters, wiping out both his Vision HERO (Night Switch: LP: 2,150 - 650 = 1,500), and his Destiny HERO (Night Switch: 1,500 - 50 = 1,450). Unfortunately, the damage was still weakened thanks to Night's Trap Card, but that wouldn't stop Gilda. "Now that you're out of monsters, I'll have Force Strix attack you directly!" Her other Xyz Monster then let out a loud "HOOT!!", taking off a few more of the enemy's Life Points (Night Switch: 1,450 - 300 = 1,150). Still giving that cold, empty stare, Night Switch then asked his foe, "Are you quite finished...?" Grumbling, Gilda then thought to herself, (I don't know what this creep's up to, but I'd better prepare for whatever he's got as best as possible...) Looking at the two cards she had drawn with Pot of Extravagance, she placed them both into her D-Pad and said, "I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn!" "...Very well. I draw." Night Switch responded, pulling the top card of his Deck. After looking at it, he then said, "First, I will set this card face-down... Then, I activate the effect of Destiny HERO - Malicious in my Graveyard; I banish it and Summon the third copy from my Deck..." After he did so, another Malicious appeared on the field in Defense Position. (Now what's he doing...?) wondered Gilda, bracing herself for the worst. "Now..." Night Switch continued, "I activate the effect of Destiny HERO - Celestial in my Graveyard. I banish it, as well as Destiny HERO - Drilldark and draw two cards, since I currently have no cards in my hand..." He then did so, and looked at one of the cards that he drew. "...Just as predicted." Looking over at his opponent, he then told her, "...It is your destiny to lose here. And for defying your fate...you shall suffer a fitting punishment." Those threatening words hung heavy in the arena as everyone - especially Gilda, wondered just what the boy had planned... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in the tunnels below the stadium's seats, Pinkie Pie and Martin had gotten themselves in quite the situation: They had witnessed two bullies - Fume and Clump, picking on a young boy and trying to steal his Duel Monsters cards from him. Although Pinkie managed to use her usual unusual methods to stop them, the two bullies decided to go after her and Martin out of revenge. The chase lasted for a good amount of time, but Pinkie and Martin managed to lose them and hide away in a janitor's closet. Watching from the small window in the door, the pink girl and the Griffonstone freshman saw Fume and Clump right outside, searching for them. Luckily, they didn't have the foresight to even bother checking the area where the closet door was. "Come on, ya wimps!!" yelled Fume out of frustration. "Get out here n' take yer lumps!!" "Yeah! What he said!!" Clump shouted next. From the safety of the darkened closet, Pinkie quietly said to Martin, "I keep on telling them...no one ever actually comes out like that when they tell them to come out. I've watched enough cartoons to know that." "But we'll have to leave here sooner or later...!" Martin pointed out. "And when we do, they'll be all over us!" Shaking out of fear, the boy then said, "It's no use...! We're done for...! Th-th-there's no way out of here without facing them...!" "...You're absolutely right." Pinkie told him. "At least about the part where we have to face them." "Wh-what are you talking about??" asked Martin. "I'm saying - if we can't get out of here without confronting them, then we'll just have to go out there and show them that we won't be picked on!" Pinkie said with total confidence in her voice. "B-but how??" he asked her. "There's no way we can fight those two guys and escape without a scratch! They'll beat the living daylights out of us!" "In that case, we'll just have to fight those bullies..." the pink girl responded, "by NOT fighting them!" "Huh...? I don't understand..." Facing him and trying to sound as serious as she could (which wasn't usually an easy thing for Pinkie to do), she told him, "Look, Martin: Those guys may have some physical strength on their side, but you've got stuff about you that's way, WAAAAAAY better than that! Next to Twilight and Sunnie, you're one of the smartiest people I know!" "...That's very flattering," he replied, "but I don't think 'smartiest' is even a word." "See? What'd I tell you?" the silly girl said to him. "I'm sure you can come up with a plan that'll help us get out of here safe and sound! I know it! And when you do, we'll get to the stadium and cheer Gilda on!" "I still don't understand... How can you be so sure that I could do that?" Martin asked, still not sounding very confident. "How do you know I won't mess everything up?" "How? That's easy!" Pinkie responded very casually. "I have faith in you, that's all! Trust me: I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it, Martin!" "F-faith...?" "Yeah, just like how Gilda has faith in you!" she explained to him. "That's why she's been helping you deal with all those bullies at school, so that one day, you can stand up to them yourself. And ya don't need big, meaty, CLA- er, muscles to do something like that! You don't even need a super-smarty brain either! All you REALLY need is the guts to stand up for yourself! What ya need is to be brave!" "Me? Brave?" asked Martin. He was starting to get the gist of what Pinkie was telling him. "Yeppity yep yep!" she responded. "Bullies only pick on people that they think won't stand up to them. But once you show them that you they can't pick on you anymore, there's nothing they can do to stop you. I know it sounds really easy, but that's because it is! After all, just think about it: If a bully doesn't have anyone to pick on, what do they have left? What if, one day...everyone decided to stop being afraid of them?" After hearing that question and pondering about it, Martin finally understood what she meant. "I get it..." he said. "The only reason I was so afraid of bullies was because...I was LETTING them scare me...! I can't believe I never thought about it that way before..." He then finally stopped trembling and said, with more confidence in his voice, "But I'm not going to let them scare me anymore...! From now on...I'll do my best to stand up for myself...!" "Yeah! That's the way, Martin!" said Pinkie Pie. Looking around, she then added, "Of course, we still hafta figure out how to get out of this pickle. In fact, I'm surprised they haven't found us yet after we started talking louder... Gotta love that cartoon logic." Humming to himself, Martin then took another look out through the door window. That's when he noticed something that he hadn't before: There was another door across from them with a sign on it. The boy then read the sign, saying, "...Costume Storage..." Humming again, he then said to Pinkie, "I think there might be a way after all...but it'll require a small amount of luck... And I'll need your help." "Whatever you need!" the party lover responded. "Put on your Duel Gazer and synch it up to mine." Martin instructed, putting on his Gazer as he did so. "Then, I need you to go out there and distract those two guys; lead them as far away from here as you can until I say otherwise, okay?" "Got it!" Pinkie responded with a salute after switching on her Duel Gazer. "'Distraction' is my middle name...! Except that it's actually Diane." "Alright, get ready then..." Martin told her. "And above all: Be careful." Pinkie nodded as she quietly opened the door and tiptoed out into the tunnels once again. Outside, Fume and Clump were still trying to figure out where Pinkie and Martin were (again, they didn't think to look near where the closet was). "Grrrrrn...where are those jerks?!" grumbled Fume. "I know they're around here somewhere...!" "Uh, I don't see them..." stated Clump. "Think they left the place?" "No way!" argued the taller bully. "There's no exit on this end of the stadium! Not even a fire exit! They're still here somewhere...! I can just hear their voices ringin' around in my mind!" "Yoohoo~! Over heeeEEEEEre~!!" said Pinkie Pie's voice. The two creeps quickly turned around upon hearing the voice. There, they saw Pinkie, standing a fair distance away from them. Putting a hand on her hip and giving a sly wink, she asked them in a cutesy-sounding tone, "Lookin' for me, boys?" "There! SEE?! I told ya they were around here, didn't I?!" Fume told his chubby companion. "But, uh... weren't there two of 'em?" asked Clump. "We'll find the other wimp later!" Fume informed him. "Right now, let's get her first!!" At with that, Pinkie ran off, with the two bullies pursuing her. As Martin had told her to do, she led the pair far away from the closet they were hiding in earlier. Once he knew that it was quiet outside, Martin slowly opened the closet door and peeked around. Seeing that the coast was clear, the Griffonstone freshman carefully exited the room and headed for the other door. Trying the door, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was unlocked. Walking into the room and flipping the light switch, he glanced around at everything inside. The room was filled with various mascot costumes, and although the room was a bit cluttered, it was easy to see everything inside of it. (Okay...now let's hope that there's something here that we can use to turn the tables on those bullies once and for all...) Martin thought as he rummaged through the different costumes... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in the arena, it was now Night Switch's turn. After drawing an extra pair of cards through the effect of one of his Destiny HERO monsters, he had issued a terrifying message to his opponent, Gilda. "You should have done as I said, Gilda..." he told her, "You should have accepted your fate... Now, this turn...you will confront your destiny the hard way..." "Oh, is that so...?" asked the Griffonstone Duelist. "I've had it up to here with your ooga-booga talk about destiny or whatever! If you think you're gonna beat me, then stop talkin' about it and give me your worst!" "...Very well, but you shall regret those words." Night Switch said as he continued his turn. "I now activate Pot of Acquisitiveness. This card allows me to return three of my banished monsters to my Deck... Then, I draw one card." Taking three cards from his banished pile, he told her, "I select the two Destiny HERO - Malicious cards, as well as my Destiny HERO - Celestial... I reshuffle them into the Deck and draw a card." (I know why he played that card...) thought Sunset. (He did that just to get his two Malicious cards back into his Deck... Now he can re-use their Summoning abilities...) "Next, I activate the card I set at the beginning of my turn: Pot of Desires." Night then told his opponent. "I banish ten cards from the top of my Deck, face-down...then I draw two more." After doing so, he then played one of cards he got right away. "Next, I play another copy of Destiny Draw, and discard the Malicious card I drew to draw an additional two cards." "Yeesh... Just how many cards is that guy gonna draw from his Deck this turn??" asked Spike. "It's obvious he's after a certain card in his Deck..." Twilight told her dragon-turned-puppy. "Now I guess we'll see if he gets it..." After Night Switch drew his next two cards, Gilda then asked him, "So...did ya manage to luck out and get the card you need this time?" "...I do not rely on luck. Fate determines what cards I draw." the strange boy told her. "And unfortunately for you, fate has decided to deal you a humiliating defeat..." Taking a card out of his Graveyard, Night then said, "Now I banish the Malicious in my Graveyard and Summon the remaining copy of it from my Deck in Defense Mode." After his monster appeared, he added, "And now to show you the inescapable future that awaits you... I activate...Vision Fusion!" "Vision Fusion?" asked Gilda. "Yes." Night Switch explained. "This Spell permits me to Fusion Summon a HERO monster from my Extra Deck. However...I can use the Monster cards in my back row as Fusion Materials as well...!" "WHAT?!?" the roughneck then exclaimed. "So that's what he was up to..." Ember said. "That's why he was putting all those monsters in his back row; to set up for this move!" "A Fusion Summon from the Spell & Trap Zone... Most unusual." Steel Shadows said to himself, watching the Duel with an expert eye. Taking the two monsters he had placed in his back row, Night Switch removed them from the field and said, "I use Vision Fusion to fuse Vision HERO Poisoner and Vision HERO Increase...!" After that, a red-and-blue vortex appeared in the sky above as the two monsters (now no longer in ghostly form) were drawn up into it. "Hero who wields burning toxins... Hero who gathers allies..." he then chanted, "Now become one and share your vision of victory...! Fusion Summon! Come now, Level 8... Vision HERO Adoration!" Everyone watched as the portal above exploded in a violet-colored light. When the light faded, a tall man wearing a jet black-colored outfit with various shades of grey and bronze in some spots. He stood there with his arms folded out in front of him, giving off an imposing presence on the field (Vision HERO Adoration: Level 8 / ATK 2800 / DEF 2100). Gilda was a bit surprised by the move, but noticed something about the new Fusion Monster. "Not a bad trick, buddy..." she told him, "but your new guy's still not strong enough to beat Rise Falcon." "...I disagree." Night said back. "I activate the effect Vision HERO Adoration: His power allows me to weaken the attack and defense power of one of your monsters by the attack power of one of my HERO monsters." "You're gonna weaken my Rise Falcon with that?!" asked the Griffonstone Duelist. "...Actually, I plan to reduce the attack power of your other monster - Raidraptor - Force Strix, instead. I lower its attack and defense by eight hundred; the same attack power as Destiny HERO - Malicious." Adoration then used its power to strip away Force Strix's strength, leaving it even more vulnerable to attack (Raidraptor - Force Strix: ATK 600 - 800 = 0 / DEF 2500 - 800 = 1700). "So that's your plan, huh?" asked Gilda. "Now if you attack Force Strix, I'll take enough damage to lose the Duel." But she then smirked and told him, "Too bad for you, I was ready for it! I activate a Quick-Play Spell: Poison of the Old Man! This card has two effects: I can either restore 1,200 of my Life Points, or take out eight hundred of yours! So to keep myself from losing this turn, I'll use the first effect and bump up my Life Points!" After saying that, an elderly man in a brown robe presented her with a green vial of potion. The fumes from the potion swirled around her, producing a healing effect (Gilda: LP 2,400 + 1,200 = 3,600). "Phew... that was a close one...!" said Gabby, wiping some sweat from her forehead. "Now she won't lose!" "...I'm not so sure..." said Fluttershy, feeling worried for her friend/rival. "Huh?" asked the cheery Griffonstone girl. "Whad'ya mean?" "That Night Switch person said he would finish Gilda this turn..." Fluttershy told her. "I really hope I'm wrong...but I have a feeling he has something else planned for her..." She then said in her mind, (Please, Gilda...be careful...!) Not impressed with his opponent's move, Night Switch said to her, "...Once again, you are trying to put off your inevitable defeat... It has become most annoying." "Hey! If anyone's annoying around here, it's you!" Gilda responded, irritated by her opponent's tone. "Now hurry up and finish your turn already!" "...As you wish." said the unnerving boy. "I suppose the only way you'll realize the pointlessness of your actions is to experience your fate first-hand..." Taking a card from his hand, he then declared, "I now release both copies of Destiny HERO - Malicious...!" "He's releasing them??" asked Rarity. "That's right... Ah forgot, that guy didn't Normal Summon a monster yet." Applejack remembered. "Not only was he settin' up for that Fusion Monster, he was ALSO settin' up for a Tribute Summonin' too!" "Aw man... I hope Gilda can stand up to whatever he's bringin' out..." Rainbow chimed in, worried for her old friend. "...Pthbth." was all that Fluffle said on the matter. After Night Switch's other monsters left the field, the skies above began to darken. Then, a massive, brown, sphere-like object appeared above, covering the entire sky. Everyone began to watched with amazement and some fear as Night Switch began to recite a chant. "Greatest of planets in our star system..." he said. "Appear before me and absorb those who defy fate into your great red storm...! Let no one defy your will! Come now... The Grand Jupiter!" The spectators watched as a small speck of light shot froth from the large object above. But as it came closer to the ground below, it got bigger and bigger, appearing more as a comet once in came close enough. The comet then struck the ground, kicking up dust everywhere. It took some time, but after the dust settled, a figure even larger than Adoration now stood on Night Switch's field, appearing behind him. The monster was humanoid - at least in terms of its body structure, and was covered in green, shimmering armor. It had long, clawed hands, and it also seemed to have claw-like protrusions on most other parts of its body as well. But the most striking feature it had was the large orb on its chest, which looked exactly like the planet it was named for: Jupiter. ******************************* The Grand Jupiter (Effect Monster/Warrior/DARK/Level 8/ATK 2500/DEF 2000) Once per turn: You can discard 2 cards, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; equip that face-up monster to this card. Gains ATK equal to the combined original ATK of the monsters equipped to it by this effect. Once per turn, during the End Phase: You can target 1 Monster Card equipped to this card by this card's effect; Special Summon it to your field. ******************************* "I don't believe it...!" gasped Sunset Shimmer in total shock. She certainly did not expect to see a card like that appear in this Duel. "He had a Legendary Planet?!" "The Grand Jupiter...?" asked Lyra, who was in the audience with her best friend, Bon Bon. "Isn't that card similar to the one you've got in your Deck?" "Yeah, it's one of the Legendary Planets, just like my Pluto card." Bon Bon told her. "Who would've guessed that guy would have one?" Even Gilda sweated a little after having a Legendary Plant card Summoned in front of her. "Okay... I guess that guy wasn't just tryin' to get on my nerves with all of that stuff he said... Now I can see why he was so confident..." "...As I have repeated throughout this whole match," Night Switch told his opponent, "it is your destiny to fall before me. Your time in this tournament shall come to a most brutal and undignified end; I will personally see to it..." And with the two powerful monsters he had, the boy seemed as though he would make good on that promise... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in the tunnels below, Pinkie Pie was busy giving the bullies Fume and Clump a run for their money...quite literally as she led them on a mad chase. Giggling a little, she said to her pursuers, "Aw c'mon, you guys! You'll never be able to catch me if you're running that slow!" Behind her, the two brutes were doing everything they could just to keep up with her. But it was clear that they were nearly exhausted from chasing her all this time. Gasping, Clump then said to his buddy, "I...I can't take...all this running...anymore... M-maybe we oughtta just...y'know, forget about this...?" Although he was just as tired as his cohort, Fume wasn't ready to give up just yet. "No way...!" he told Clump in-between deep breaths. "I ain't gonna... let that wimpy brat and her wimpier little friend...*pant*...get away with makin' fun of me! So stop whining and keep runnin'...!" Clump wasn't too happy to hear that he'd have to do more running, but didn't want to look weak in front of his buddy. By this point, Pinkie was quite far ahead of them when she heard a beep from her Duel Gazer. Tapping it, she spoke into the device, asking, "Pinkie here! Got any good news, Martin?" "Yep!" said the Griffonstone boy's voice on the other end. "I think I found something that'll help us turn the tables on those guys!" He then told her, "I need you to get them to follow you back to where we were, near the costume closet. Can you do that?" "You bet I can!" the silly pink girl replied with a giggle. She then slowed down a little and told the bullies, "Hey! I betcha can't catch me even when I'm going at half-speed!" "Ya think so, HUH?!" shouted Fume. "Well, we'll show you!!" Despite their weariness, they toughed it out and tried their best to pick up the pace to catch up to Pinkie. The party-lover, however, was still way far ahead of them, and she still was by the time she reached the costume closet where Martin was. The young boy opened the door and made a beckoning motion with his hand to tell Pinkie to come inside. Nodding and smiling, she ran into the room and closed the door. "There!!" shouted Fume. "She just ran into that closet! And that other twerp's with her!" The pair ran over towards the door together, and Fume began slamming the door with his right fist. "Alright, you jerks!!" he yelled. "We know you're in there!! Come on out before we MAKE ya come out!!" Then, all of a sudden, the door swung open, surprising the pair of bullies. "Huh... That was easy..." commented Clump. Seeing that the room was pitch-black inside, he then asked his companion, "I can't see a thing... Hey, Fume...can ya turn the light on or somethin'?" "Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'm gettin' it!" the other bully said to him. Feeling around for the light switch, Fume eventually found it and flicked it on...and their irises shrunk when they saw what was in front of them: It was some sort of large, serpentine dragon in red scales that was a tad bigger than they were. The pair just stood there, frozen in fear at what they saw. Then, the dragon roared loudly. "RRRAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!" For some reason, the creature's roar sounded a bit feminine and high-pitched. "AHHHHHHHH!!!" Fume and Clump screamed out of fear. They were so scared, they ran off, not even taking a second to question how a dragon could have been hiding in there in the first place. The dragon then gave chase, pursuing the bullies. "I-i-i-it's still behind us!!" said Clump, running as fast as he could. "But what the heck is it?!" "Who cares?!? Keep runnin'!! I ain't gonna be that thing's next meal!!" Fume cried out. The pair looked behind them as they ran, seeing that the dragon was still after them. ...So it was only natural that - because they weren't looking ahead at where they were going, they collided with someone in front of them. Both of them fell over backwards on their rear ends after the impact. "Uhnn...what'd we hit...?" asked Clump. Fume then looked up and gulped: It was a young (but rather large) adult man wearing a black suit. "Uh oh...!" said the bully. "It's a security guy...!" But that wasn't all: Out from behind the security guard stepped a young boy - the SAME boy that Fume and Clump had been picking on earlier. "That's them!" said the younger boy. "They're the ones who tried to steal my cards, big bro!" "B-b-b-b-BIG BRO?!?" exclaimed Fume and Clump, horrified to learn that their victim was the younger brother of one of the security personnel. The older brother then grabbed both of the bullies by their shirt collars and said to them, "I don't recall seeing YOU two coming in here with any tickets... And not only that, you were picking on my little brother, weren't you? Well, it looks like today's not gonna be your lucky day, punks..." The two bullies couldn't hide their fear any longer; they knew they were in deep trouble... Seconds later, Fume and Clump were unceremoniously thrown out of the stadium, both of them landing in a nearby mud puddle. "And stay out!!" shouted the security guard. The two bullies groaned, defeated and humiliated. Back inside of the stadium, the dragon that had been chasing suddenly let out a girlish giggle, and for good reason: Underneath the dragon was Pinkie Pie, with Martin following behind her. As it turned out, the dragon was merely a costume that had once been used during a Chinese New Year celebration. "Wow! Did you see that?!" said Martin. "The plan worked! We scared them right out of here! I can't believe it actually worked!" "Of course it worked, Martin!" Pinkie Pie told him. "And it's all because you faced your fear of standing up to bullies! Now granted, there probably won't be a giant dragon costume available the next time you confront a bully..." "It's okay. I think I got the message, Pinkie." the Griffinstone boy replied. Smiling, he told her, "Thanks for helping me to be brave... I couldn't have done it without you." "That's what friends are for, right?" the party-loving teen asked rhetorically. "And speaking of friends, we'd better get back out there and cheer on Gilda! She'll need the moral support!" "Yeah, let's go!" Martin replied as the two of them made their way back to the arena, hoping that Gilda's Duel hadn't ended yet. Indeed, Gilda's Duel wasn't over yet, but from the looks of the field, it certainly seemed like it was: Night Switch had just Summoned two extremely powerful monsters, including The Grand Jupiter, a Legendary Planet. And he was ready to make good on his promise to wipe out the Griffonstone Duelist. "This Duel shall soon be concluded, as I had told you from the very beginning..." the solemn-sounding boy told her. "You chose not to believe in your fate, and now you will regret it." "...Just get on with your move already." Gilda told him, not interested in his speeches. "...I activate the effect of Jupiter." he began to say. "By discarding two cards from my hand, I can select one of your monsters and have Jupiter absorb it into himself." "Absorb it??" asked Twilight, feeling a bit more worried. "Yeah..." Sunset told her friend. "That's why he didn't weaken Gilda's other monster. He was planning to steal it from her this whole time..." Gilda could only watch as her Rise Falcon was sucked into the orb on Jupiter's chest. As a result, Night's monster became a bit stronger (The Grand Jupiter: ATK 2500 + 100 = 2600), but more importantly, the roughneck was wide open to an attack. "Now do you see?" asked the boy. "I told you there was no escape from your fate... And once you lose, the rest of your destiny shall soon come to pass..." As he said that, he glanced back at his deck box; inside was his Extra Deck, along with another card that seemed to be separate from the rest of the cards in there... Gilda refused to believe that she could possibly lose to this person, but she had to admit that things weren't looking good for her. "No... I can't let this weirdo get the best of me...!" she said to herself. "I can't let him win...! But what can I do...?" Just then, she heard a voice calling out from behind her. "Gilda!!" "Huh? Martin?" she asked herself, recognizing the voice. She quickly turned around behind her to see the source of the voice. It was indeed Martin, standing there at the front of the audience seats along with Pinkie Pie. They managed to finally get back after their adventure deep in the tunnels below and were ready to cheer their friend on. "Don't let that guy get to you, Gilda!" the Griffonstone boy called out to her. "You're the strongest person I know! There's no way someone like him could beat you in a Duel!" Gilda was moved by that comment, as well as a little surprised at how confident Martin seemed to sound. "Martin's right, Gilda!" Gabby called to her next. "You're the best Duelist Griffonstone's got! You even managed to beat your grandpa, and HE used to be a Pro! So this guy doesn't even stand a chance against you!" After hearing that comment, Gilda began to get her confidence back, knowing that she and Martin had a point. Then, Fluttershy spoke up, saying, "Gilda... I can see just how much you've grown since our last Duel... You've become stronger in all sorts of ways..." Putting on the fiercest look she could muster, the normally-shy teenager then said to her. "You're no longer the Gilda you used to be during the Inter-school Duel; you're much stronger now! And I know you'll win!" She then took a deep sigh and asked herself, "Oh my...did I really shout so loudly like that...? I never thought I could be so...vocal.." Looking over at her friendly rival, Gilda thought to herself, (They're right... I AM nothing like I used to be... Back before I met them all, I was all alone, and I thought that power was all that I needed to get by... But thanks to Fluttershy, Sunset, Martin, Gabby, and all the rest of 'em...I've gotten a bit stronger, and not just in my dueling...) Putting on her fierce look of determination, she then thought, (I'm not giving up! I said that I wanted to have my rematch with Fluttershy when I entered this tournament, and that's what I'm gonna get! That weirdo's predictions ain't gonna come true, 'cause I won't let 'em! This guy thinks he may have me figured out, but it's like they said: I've changed a whole lot since the Inter-school Duel!) Then Gilda gasped; thinking back to that Duel made her realize something... "...That look on your face..." muttered Night Switch. "So you still wish to rebel against your destiny...? So be it." Thrusting his right hand out, he then added, "Let this defeat teach you that your destiny cannot and will not be changed...! Grand Jupiter, attack Force Strix with your Great Red Spot...!" His monster then drew in energy into the orb on his chest, turning it red before unleashing a massive, deadly beam of red light that completely engulfed Gilda's remaining monster. "Gilda...!!" Rainbow Dash shouted out of worry for her friend. There was nothing but smoke remaining on the field after the brutal attack. Night Switch huffed a bit, thinking that he had it all won. "This Duel is over." he said to his opponent. That attack has reduced your Life Points to only one thousand. Once I attack directly with Adoration, you will lose...as I had predicted." "...Oh really?" asked Gilda's voice. "If that's what you predicted...then you must've been a little off!" Everyone looked up to see that Gilda was perfectly alright, standing tall and proud...and she hadn't taken any damage (Gilda: LP 3,600). "She's okay!" said Martin, feeling relieved after seeing that she had escaped the attack unscathed. "Yaaaaay!!! She's okay! Gilda's okay!!" cheered Pinkie Pie, giving a friendly (and tight) hug to Martin. "Oh my...what a relief..." sighed Fluttershy, a bit winded from everything that had just happened. The only one not feeling good was Night Switch...whose expression had quickly changed from overconfident to worried. "...N-no...No that's...that's impossible...! How could this be...?!" he stuttered, trying to make sense of what was going on. "How could you have survived that attack...?? Your monster had zero attack points...! You should have taken 2,600 points of damage!" "Well, I would've..." said the kind roughneck, "if I didn't have this card to save me." She then took a card out of her D-Pad's Graveyard slot and showed it to him, saying, "All I have to do is banish my Raidraptor - Readiness Trap Card from my Graveyard, and in exchange, I take no more damage for the rest of the turn!" "So that's how she survived..." said Twilight. (Indeed...) said Utopia from within her mind. (Thanks to that card's Quick-like effect, Gilda will not lose on this turn. Now she may have a chance to turn this Duel around.) Fluttershy then remembered something regarding that Trap Card during her first Duel with Gilda. (Raidraptor - Readiness...) she thought, (she used that during the Inter-school Duel... But last time, she had banished all of the Raidraptor monsters in her Graveyard, so she couldn't use its effect in the Graveyard.) This was just more proof to her and everyone else that Gilda had been learning well from her past defeat. Smirking, Gilda decided to get a little payback for all of Night Switch's comments during the Duel; she taunted him, saying, "So...what was it that you said when you started your turn? Something along the lines of me 'confronting my destiny the hard way this turn' or something? Well, what're ya waiting for? Go ahead and beat me this turn!" Night Switch growled a little from the taunt; he knew that he had no other moves left on this turn. That thought was beginning to make him angry...and caused a faint, blue aura to surround him for an instant. However, only Sunset seemed to notice it. (What was that...?) she asked herself. Sighing with a hint of frustration, Night said to his opponent, "...This changes nothing...! You WILL lose this Duel! There's no chance left for you...!" "That's where you're wrong, buddy." Gilda told him. "Y'see, I've got plenty of chances left as long as I've got cards in my Deck...and friends that support me." As she said that, she then turned back to glance at her friends cheering her on. Turning back to her opponent, she then told him, "You might think you've gotten everything figured out, planned out just the way you expected...There's just one problem: You can't really plan for everything to go the way you want it." Night Switch raised an eyebrow, but said nothing in response. "Sure, I don't really do a whole lotta pre-planning and junk like that when I duel or do anything else," Gilda continued, "but that's not really that bad a thing. At least that way, I can always be flexible enough to adjust to anything unexpected that comes my way. While people like you - on the other hand, panic the very moment something goes even slightly wrong; I can see the sweat runnin' down your face..." Growling a little and feeling mocked, Night Switch told her in a stern voice, "You know nothing...! Nothing! You still shall not win this Duel...! You will lose right here, just as I said you would!" As he said that, Sunset saw that blue aura appear around him again, only it seemed a bit stronger. Again, it only appeared for a moment, but it was enough to make the jacket-wearing teen a bit more concerned. "You still think I won't win, huh?" asked the Griffonstone girl. "Then we'll just see about that once I take my turn." As she prepared to draw her next card, Gilda thought (You might think you've got my future all figured out, but I've got a prediction of my own... And it's telling me that I'll win this Duel and get my chance to fight Fluttershy again! And I know that it'll come true!) Pulling the card off of her Deck, she shouted, "My turn! I draw!!" Everyone waited silently and patiently as the roughneck drew her card. They all wondered what it would be...and if it was enough to help Gilda win. The Griffonstone Duelist then looked at the card she drew...and smirked. "Sorry, buddy...but I think you're gonna need t' get a refund on your crystal ball." she said to her opponent. "Hm?" Night Switch wasn't sure what his opponent was talking about. Taking a card from her hand, Gilda told him, "But first, I'll Normal Summon Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius in Attack Mode, and then use his effect to bring out Napalm Dragonius!" After that move, two more bird creatures appeared on Gilda's field. "Napalm Dragonius..." muttered Night Switch. "That monster can inflict damage with its effect... I will not allow it...!" Taking a card from his Graveyard, he added, "I use the second effect of Damage Diet! By banishing it, I halve all effect damage this turn...!" "Nice move..." said Gilda, still smiling. "It's just too bad I wasn't going to use Napalm Dragonius's effect this time." "You're...you're not??" asked Night Switch. Just as Gilda had said, he had began losing his overconfident tone the moment his careful plans had gone awry. He wouldn't say it, but now he had no idea what Gilda had planned for him. "I overlay Vanishing Lanius and Napalm Dragonius - both Level 4, to create an Overlay Network!!" shouted Gilda as her two monsters transformed into pure, purple-colored energy and flew into a large, red portal in the center of the field. "She's Xyz Summoning!" cheered Gabby, knowing that things were starting to look a lot better for her friend now. "Formed from pitch-black darkness, to fight those foolish enough to oppose it with its treacherous fangs! Xyz Summon!" chanted Gilda as the red portal shot out a powerful ray of red light. "Appear now! Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" And in an instant, the Griffonstone Duelist's ace monster was now on the field, belting out a mighty roar that shook the arena. Surrounding it were two purple orbs; its overlay units (Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: Rank 4 / ATK 2500 / DEF 2000 / OLU 2). "It's Dark Rebellion...!" said Fluttershy, recalling her first experience with that powerful monster. "That's one of Gilda's best cards!" cheered Rainbow Dash. "Bet that weird guy wasn't expectin' to see that!" Indeed, it seemed Night Switch was getting more worried now that Gilda had her best monster on the field. But again, he would never admit it out-loud. "You kept saying that I'd be punished for defying destiny, or whatever it was you said..." Gilda began to tell her adversary. "Well, consider THIS move punishment: For tickin' me off!" Thrusting out her right arm, she then shouted, "I remove both of Dark Rebellion's overlay units and activate his effect!!" Instantly, her dragon absorbed both of its floating orbs into itself (Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: OLU 2 - 2 = 0). She then said, "This lets me snag half of your Grand Jupiter's attack points and add them to his own!" Everyone gasped as Dark Rebellion shot out several purple tendrils that stuck themselves into Night Switch's Planet card. The tendrils then went to work, sucking away most of its power (The Grand Jupiter: ATK 2600 รท 2 = 1300). That power was then fed into Gilda's monster, making it stronger (Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 2500 + 1300 = 3800). "Now her monster can wipe out Grand Jupiter and the rest of his Life Points!" noted Martin. "Urrgh...I shall not allow it!" grumbled Night Switch. "I activate the effect of a Trap Card that was sent to my Graveyard to pay the cost of Grand Jupiter's effect!" "And what would that be?" asked Gilda. Taking the card out of his Graveyard, he revealed it, saying, "I use the effect of Hero's Utility Belt!" ******************************* Hero's Utility Belt: (Normal Trap Card) If you control a "HERO" monster: Add 1 Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. If you control a "HERO" monster while this card is in your GY: You can banish this card, then target 1 Equip Spell in your GY; equip that target to an appropriate monster on the field. You can only use 1 "Hero's Utility Belt" effect per turn, and only once that turn. ******************************* "Now...since I had also sent my Darkworld Shackles Equip Spell Card to the Graveyard for Jupiter's effect," the mopey-sounding boy continued, "I can use Hero's Utility Belt to equip it onto your monster...!" The audience gasped as a pair of large manacles attached to a chain sprung out of the ground and latched onto Dark Rebellion's ankles. Also attached to the chain was a large, weighted, metal sphere with a sinister smirk on its face. Not impressed, Gilda then asked her opponent, "And what's that dopey-looking beach ball supposed to do?" "Even now you continue to mock me...!" growled Night Switch. "That 'beach ball' as you put it prevents your monster from attacking me and lowers its attack and defense power to a mere one hundred...!" The chain and the sphere began to radiate a shadowy purple cloud that served to weaken Gilda's dragon (Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 3800 > 100 / DEF 2000 > 100). "Now do you see?!" shouted Night, becoming much louder than he had even ben the entire Duel. "NOW can see that it was your fate to lose?! I told you that you couldn't change your future, and now you'll pay for rebelling against it!!" But everyone was surprised to hear Gilda chuckling softly...and then going into a full-blown laugh. "Oh man...! Seriously?" she asked, not sounding even slightly worried. "You really think that's gonna convince me that you're going to win?! Sorry to tell you this - ...well, actually...I'm not sorry about it; that move isn't gonna save you from losing this Duel!" "Wh-what?!" exclaimed Night, not knowing what Gilda was planning. Taking a card from her hand (the one she drew this turn), she shouted, "I activate the Spell Card, Rank-Up-Magic Raid Force!!" "A Rank-Up card?!" said Sunset, surprised - as was everyone else watching the match. Placing the card in her D-Pad's Spell & Trap Zone slot, the kind roughneck then explained, "This card allows me to Xyz Summon a Raidraptor from my Extra Deck that's one Rank higher than the Xyz Monster on my field, by using it as the material!" As she said that, her dragon then transformed into a bolt of purple energy and flew into a red summoning portal that was emblazoned with the Raidraptor's insignia. "And since Dark Rebellion's not on the field anymore," Gilda continued, "your Equip Spell isn't either!" Night Switch gasped as the metal ball shattered apart before his eyes. As the pieces of it fell to the ground, the grin that the metal ball displayed actually shifted to a sadder expression. "No... That's impossible...! You couldn't have had this all planned out in advance...!" he said, quivering a little. "For once, you're absolutely right." the Griffonstone Duelist told him. "There's no way I could have known that you would play that card on my dragon...So I guess it's a good thing my Deck has a Plan B or C in store, just in case. After all, you can't always predict what'll happen next." "That was a great move by Gilda!" said Megan with her usual excitement. "By playing that card, she removed the Equip Spell's effect and can now Summon an even stronger monster!" Taking a card out of her Extra Deck, Gilda then chanted, "Ferocious falcon! Break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes! Rank-Up Xyz Evolution!" The portal in the center of the field then exploded in a flash of red light as she played the monster in her hand. "Appear now! Rank 5! Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon!" Out of the massive light came a large fireball that zipped around the arena. When the flames died down, a bird creature in red and black-colored armor was floating there with a single purple sphere orbiting it, ready to strike on command (Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon: Rank 5 / ATK 1000 / DEF 2000 / OLU 1). "Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon..." said Sunset Shimmer. "I see what she's up to..." But Night Switch apparently didn't as he said to his foe, "So that is all you could muster...? Your monster is not powerful enough to defeat either of my monsters. Even my weakened Grand Jupiter surpasses its attack power...!" "Then I guess it's a good thing that Blaze Falcon isn't going to attack either of your monsters." Gilda told him. "Y'see, while he's got at least one Overlay Unit, he can attack you directly! And that's what I'm gonna have him do right now!" The strange boy gasped as Gilda's monster fly up into the air dive straight towards him. He could do nothing but watch as Blaze Falcon let loose a barrage of fireballs that struck him and everything around him (Night Switch: 1,150 - 1,000 = 150). Grunting a little after receiving the brutal attack, he said to Gilda, "I've still got Life Points left...! Your attack did not change anything! Next turn, my Adoration will wipe out your monster!" "Oh, is he?" asked the Griffonstone teen with a smirk. "Take another look at your monster before you say that." Night Switch did just that and gasped in horror when he saw that his Fusion Monster was hunched down and covered in flames. A second later, he shattered and vanished from the field. "What?! What happened...?! I thought you weren't attacking my monsters!! So why was Adoration destroyed?!" "For someone who thought he had this whole Duel figured out, you sure ask a lot of questions... And I'm getting a little sick of having to explain something you should've already known about." Gilda told him. Turning over to Sunset, she asked her, "Care to explain it to Mr. Fortune Teller here?" Nodding Sunset then said, "After it inflicts damage to the opposing player, Blaze Falcon's controller is then permitted to target and destroy any enemy monster on the field. In this case, Vision HERO Adoration was the target of the effect, so it was destroyed." Grumbling more, Night then said, "That still doesn't matter...! I still have Life Points left!" "You won't for much longer." Gilda said oh-so-casually. "Now I'll activate ANOTHER Spell Card from my hand: The Quick-Play Spell Rank-Up-Magic Revolution Force!" "No...! Not another one...!!"said the boy in despair. Shoving the card into her D-Pad, Gilda then said, "I use this card to Xyz Summon again, using Blaze Falcon as the material!!" Her Xyz Monster then transformed into purple energy and went into another portal, much like the one that it had come from earlier. (Another Xyz Summon with an Xyz Monster as material...) thought Sunset. (But what is she planning to Summon this time...?) Stretching out both of her arms, Gilda then recited the Summoning Chant, saying, "Prideful falcon! Spread your wings, dyed in the blood of heroes, and charge through the path of revolution! Rank-Up Xyz Evolution!" The portal - much like the one before it, exploded in a brilliant red light as the Summoning was complete. "Appear now! Rank 6! Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon!" Much like most of her Xyz Monsters, Gilda's newest one was a large bird creature clad in powerful armor. This monster - however, was much, MUCH bigger than the others, almost the size of half the arena itself. The armor was mostly black, with bits of blue, gold, grey, and red in some places. Flying around the creature were two purple orbs as it displayed is massive wingspan (Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon: Rank 6 / ATK 2000 / DEF 3000 / OLU 2). "No... How could this have happened...?" asked Night Switch, completely at a loss for his impending...loss. He could say nothing more as he stared at the gigantic bird creature that would soon end his days in the tournament. "Looks like you couldn't see my destiny after all, huh?" asked Gilda. "Because if you could, then you would've seen that there was no way I was gonna let someone like you spoil my fun! I'm here on a mission, and nobody's gonna stop me until I fulfill it!" Fluttershy smiled a little, knowing what that "mission" of hers was. (Me too, Gilda.) she thought, nodding. (No matter who or what I'll face next...I promise that we'll have our rematch...!) Thrusting out her hand, Gilda shouted, "Go, Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon!! Attack his Grand Jupiter and end this Duel!!" Her monster then flew up higher into the sky, readying its attack. "GO!! Air Raid Revolution!!!" Everyone watched as the bird then opened up parts of its armor, revealing what appeared to be miniature missile silos on its wings. Then, the silo fired several projectiles, covering the field with massive explosions. Even though they knew that it was just an AR projection, several members of the audience ducked for cover anyway out of impulse. Night Switch did nothing, however; he was still in complete shock at what had happened. "...This...this is impossible..." he uttered. "I was...wrong...??" (Night Switch: LP 150 - 700 = 0) (WINNER: Gilda) --------------------------------------------------------------------- "The Duel is over!" Sunset announced. "Gilda will move on to the Quarterfinal Rounds!" "What an AMAZING comeback!!" said Megan as the audience cheered. "Though Night Switch seemed to have everything planned out, Gilda managed to edge out a win and move on in the tournament!" "You did it, Gilda!" said a happy Martin. "You won!!" "Yay! Yay!! YAAAAAY!!!" cheered Pinkie Pie. "I knew she'd do it! I knew it!!" "Aw, YEAH!! That was awesome!!" shouted Rainbow Dash, pumping her fist into the air. "Gilda beat him! And he didn't even know what hit him!" "I must say," Rarity began to tell her friends, "Gilda really has improved a great deal since the Inter-school Duel, hasn't she?" "Sure looked that way t' me." agreed Applejack. "No doubt about it: Gilda's a whole lot tougher than she was before." Back on the field, Gilda ran over to Fluttershy and Gabby, sitting on the sidelines. "Did ya guys see that?" she asked them both. "Not too shabby, if I do say so myself." "That was WAY better than just 'not too shabby'!!" said Gabby, getting giddy and excited. "That was totally AMAZING!! The best I've ever seen!!" "I agree." Fluttershy replied in a much quieter tone than Gabby. "I can tell that you've changed a lot since we first met...It would be my honor to Duel you again, when the time comes." "Thanks. Me too." said Gilda. She then looked across the field and noticed something peculiar. "Huh...what happened that weirdo that I was duelin'?" Turning over towards Sunset, she then asked her, "Hey, Sunset! Where'd that Night Switch guy go? Wasn't he just sitting there a few seconds ago?" "He was..." the red-and-yellow girl replied, "but he left pretty much right after the Duel." "Yeesh...couldn't even be bothered to trash-talk me after losing?" wondered the Girffonstone teen. "What a sore loser..." (Still...) pondered Sunset, (what was that weird feeling I got from him...? When he started losing his cool, I could feel some sort of negative energy coming off of him... But what could it mean?) She wasn't sure what to make out of it right now, but ever since she first saw him during the prelims, she had a bad feeling about Night Switch... Elsewhere, in the tunnels below the arena, Night Switch was facing a large concrete wall. Throwing caution to the wind, he pounded it with his fists, not aware of (or more likely, caring about) the physical damage he could do to himself. "How...?" he said to himself. "How could I have lost...?? Everything was going as I predicted...so how could this have happened...?!" Growling and getting angrier, he then muttered to himself, "They will pay... They will all pay...for defying me of my destiny!!" At that moment, a blue mark began to glow on the back of his left hand, in the shape of the number 60... -- To Be Continued... --------------------------------------------------------------------- TOURNAMENT RESULTS (Round 1): 1. Indigo Bolt vs. Ember [WINNER: Ember] 2. Steel Shadows vs. Slid Diamond [WINNER: Steel Shadows] 3. Gilda vs. Night Switch [WINNER: Gilda] 4. ??? vs. ??? 5. ??? vs. ??? 6. ??? vs. ??? 7. ??? vs. ??? 8. ??? vs. ??? ---------------------------------------------------------------------