EPISODE THIRTY-FIVE
Soon, everyone was on board, and the hatch closed.
“Welcome aboard.” Rubeus announced “Prepare for takeoff.”
The sounds and rumbles of the engines were surpassingly soft and gentle, and lifting up into the air felt as easy as rising in an elevator.
“Wow, we’re going so high!” chirped Pinkie.
Applejack began to feel a little green to her stomach. “Is there a bathroom near here?” she groaned, and she ran off.
Terra and Raven looked down, and wondered if Vic and Kori were alright.
“If I know Vic,” said Raven “He and the others will be following us.”
…Indeed they were.
The Titans’ camper wasn’t just super technological inside, it had the ability to fold and transform into a special ship, much like the brothers’ airship.
“This is your captain speaking…” Vic teased, “Please fasten your seatbelts and get ready to fly.”
Robin and Kori were already strapped in and holding hands, as were Shining Armor and Cadance, while Luna could hardly believe this was happening as the ship soft lifted off into the air.
It was a good thing Vic had driven out into an open field where no one would be watching.
“Engaging camouflage…” Vic said as he flipped a switch, and as if by magic the entire ship became invisible on the outside.
“I must say, this is truly remarkable.” said Luna.
Shining Armor nervously asked, “Um, you’re sure we won’t run out furl or anything?”
“Nah…” said Vic “This baby’s hydro-powered-- collecting compensation from the clouds.”
Kori couldn’t help but notice Shining’s tone and his soft trembling. “You’re not scared of flying, are you?”
Cadance giggled, confirming it, and her husband felt embarrassed.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” assured Robin. He looked out the window and could see the brothers’ airship a little ways higher and ahead. “We’re going to keep a close eye on things up there. We’ll be able to watch the duels and everything.
If anything goes wrong, we’re going in.”
“But what if they see us, or know we’re here?” asked Cadance.
“No sweat…” said Vic “They can’t see us, and if those guys got anything that can even detect this baby, let alone try to shoot it… they deserve to catch us.”
Shining felt his stomach turn!
“…Excuse me!” he groaned as he got up and raced for the bathroom!
Cadance sighed.
Vic kept the camper a safe distance away from the airship, and nobody onboard the brothers’ ship seemed to notice them at all, not just because of the camouflage, but because they were far too preoccupied with the great view.
“This is so awesome!” cheered Rainbow.
“It sure is.” peeped Fluttershy. “How high are we?”
Twilight got a good look at the ground below, “I’d say between four-thousand to five-thousand feet up.”
Sunset was the only one amongst the group still lost in her concern. This all just seemed too good to be true; probably exactly what the Prince Brothers wanted everyone to believe.
“Attention! Attention!” Rubeus announced “All duelists and guests, please follow the signs posted on the walls to the main auditorium where lunch is about to be served. It’s all you can eat.”
Pinkie leapt for joy, “That’s all I needed to hear! Maybe they’ve got loads of cakes, and cookies, and sweets!”
Applejack cringed at each word and felt like puking again. Nevertheless, everyone headed down the hall.
Masquerade remained silent and distant from the others as usual.
Terra couldn’t help but casually look over her shoulders at him, and he didn’t even acknowledge her, not visibly.
Under his mask, he rolled his eyes angrily at both her and Raven.
Karle then stepped before him, and he stopped where he was.
“Masquerade, be warned, by the time this tournament is over you’re going to be sorry you ever crossed paths with me!”
He took little to no notice of her, and merely walked right past her.
“Hey! Did you hear me?!” thundered Karle.
Still no response!
Rarity snuffed.
Rainbow glared at Masquerade’s back, “If anyone’s going to get even with that guy, it’s going to be me!”
Celestia really didn’t like the way Masquerade was behaving, but suddenly, as she and everyone else entered the main auditorium, her eyes lit up at the wonderful spread before them.
So many tables with so many hot trays and servings of food--absolutely anything you could imagine at all-- from roast beef, to roast pig, to roast duck, to roast chicken to even boiled lobster!
The salad bar was loaded with so many exotic vegetables and side dishes.
And the dessert area, Pinkie was nearly drooling at the sights of all those hot baked goodies that just sat there waiting for her to taste!
“AAAHHH…! Out of the way! Here I go!!” she cried as she zoomed her way past everyone an began to load up her plate with a bunch of treats.
The girls couldn’t help but chuckle, and then everyone went around helping themselves to a good hearty lunch.
Applejack felt much better in her stomach after having some warm soup, but she felt a little grossed out as she watched Rainbow scarf down so many steaks!
“Really, Rainbow Dash!” snuffed Rarity “Can’t you at least show proper table manners?”
“Sure I can,” Rainbow said with her mouth full “…But I don’t want to. I believe in fast food!”
Twilight didn’t eat a thing. She didn’t even grab a plate, nor did she seem the least bit hungry.
“Aren’t you going to have anything?” Fluttershy asked.
“Oh, no, thanks. I’m not really hungry.”
Her friends found this to be quite odd.
“Are you feeling okay?” asked Pinkie.
“I’m alright.”
“Are you sure?” asked Rarity.
“She said she’s alright!” Karle snapped as she passed by “So why do you geeks just lay-off!”
Rainbow looked up from her plate. “Nobody was asking you! So, YOU lay off!”
Karle growled at Rainbow and she growled back.
“Ladies, please!” snapped Celestia “Save your energy for the duels.”
“…You be quiet!” sneered Karle “Principals have no power during the summer!”
Celestia felt her own rage spiking, but Karle had already left to get more food.
“Well, I certainly hope she gets her just desserts!” Celestia grumbled.
All the girls felt the same thing, even Twilight, but they brushed it off and enjoyed their meal, respecting whether Twilight wanted to eat or not.
Masquerade ate alone at a table in the far corner, again, carefully lifting up his mask to get tiny morsels to his mouth so as not to reveal himself to anyone.
Terra and Raven sat two tables down from him, and Terra kept looking at him, and then finally getting her courage, she decided to go towards him and try to warm up to him again.
Raven quickly grabbed her by the wrist. “Don’t do it.” she cautioned “He’s not worth the effort.”
Terra was still willing to try, and made her way over to the other table.
Masquerade was going through a deck he was preparing for the tournament, and he had already gone over it ten times at least and he felt most content with it.
Then he noticed Terra standing next to him, and his features under his masked grew harder.
“I… I wanted to wish you good luck in the tournament.” she said while holding out her hand, but as expected, he rudely scoffed, “You sure you weren’t just trying to spy on me so you’d think you could actually get an advantage?
Either way, you’re as good as beaten.”
Terra’s anger was starting to boil.
“The sooner I win this tournament and collect my money, the sooner I get out of here and quit putting up with you kids!”
Raven heard that and she stood up from her seat, but Terra held up her hand telling her to back off.
Rather than lash out at him or make a scene, Terra held in her rage as best she could and simply asked “Who are you, and why do you have to be so cruel to us all?”
Masquerade stood in a threatening manner, and Terra felt him glaring at her deeply through his mask.
“That’s for me to know, you NOT to know! So mind your own business, and keep out of mine!!”
Terra felt as if she were staring face-to-face with a monster, and it was becoming increasingly hard for her to keep her emotions steady.
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie came running past yelling, “Out of the way, they got more goodies on the table!” forcing Terra and Masquerade to step hard back.
In the midst of it all, Terra bumped her duel disk on the table, and no one noticed a single card slipped out and landed squarely on Masquerade’s deck that was on the table!
Masquerade growled, and grabbed his deck, still not noticing the extra card. Then he moved to a different table leaving Terra feeling upset and hurt, but she managed to keep calm.
All Raven could do was shake her head pitifully.
Sunset stood where she was at the end of the line where the plates were lined up. She had an empty plate in her hand, but she just stared down by it rather than going for food.
She was still far lost in her concerns for everything, and her mind was racing with questions.
“Why are we here on this ship anyway? True, it’s beautiful and the spread is to die for, but why take us high up in the sky just to duel?
Even still, why were all of my friends invited to come along with us?”
She, too, had her suspicions about that lottery being rigged so all the Equestria Girls would be present, and there was doubt in her mind the Prince Brothers wanted this, for whatever they had planned had to require Equestrian magic!
“Why won’t those two evil creeps show themselves? Then maybe I could find a way to end it all right here and now!”
She then looked around at all the duelists and guests, from herself to her friends, to Karle, to Masquerade, and the two Titan ladies.
“Everyone is here for different reasons; chasing after justice, revenge, power, and aid.”
A waiter then cleared his throat before her.
“Pardon me, Ms. Shimmer,” he said politely “While I’ve never seen anyone not fancy the food of such a feast, but this is for you.” He handed her a simple dueling card, but with a single color on it. Hers was Red.
Each of the finalists was given an exact card with a different color.
Karle: Orange
Terra: Yellow
Masquerade: Green
Rainbow Dash: Blue
Pinkie Pie: Pink
Raven: Purple
Celestia: White.
“What do you suppose these are for?” wondered Celestia.
Rainbow gawked at her card with confusion.
Suddenly, there was a soft fanfare that played, as the head waiter announced, “Announcing your hosts: the directors of the Friendship Cup Tournament and operators of Magic Land and all its attractions-- Rubeus and Loki Prince!”
The doors opened wide and the two gentlemen walked out to greet their guests.
Rarity took one at Loki, but she was now a mix of emotions. She was still enamoured with how handsome he seemed, but keeping well in mind that he was likely the enemy.
Loki noticed her as he passed, and shot her a handsome wink, which made her melt inside and sigh deeply.
“Snap out of it girl!” Applejack cautioned her “They’ve got our friends’ souls!”
Everyone was aware of this, but tried their best not to let their rages out, for fear of what they would do to the soul cards they possessed.
“Welcome everyone!” Rubeus announced “We sincerely hope that you are enjoying our gracious hospitality.”
Loki nodded and added, “And we especially congratulate the eight finalists of The Friendship Cup. At present we are currently traveling at five-thousand feet in the air, because we feel this is a great place to hold the finals.”
The brothers continued to explain that the duels would be broadcast worldwide, so that anyone watching would be amazed and awed by the events, as for why they were aboard the ship…
Rubeus explained, “We want to give you duelists an experience like no other.” He clapped his hands twice, and the lights went out. That’s when a large screen folded out from the wall and showed everyone the duel arena, atop the ship where the duels would take place.
“After sundown, when the stars are shining, the first four duels of the finals will commence.” said Loki “Here, you’ll get the feeling of dueling in the cool breezes, with the high altitudes making it hard to focus, and forcing you to push yourself to the limits to stay in the game.
…Duelists, welcome to a real challenge!”
Masquerade didn’t seem the least bit impressed as he mumbled, “I’ve had more difficult challenges on the ground.”
Pinkie Pie then raised her hand, “Ooh-Ooh-Ooh!”
“Yes?” replied Rubeus.
“Just one question-- How do we know who will be dueling against who?”
Loki chuckled, “We were waiting for someone to ask.”
He then requested for all eight finalists to approach him and Rubeus, and a small machine with a single card slot rose up out of the floor.
Rubeus then asked everyone to take out the colored cards they had received. “These will determine your opponents in the first part of the finals. Please step up and insert your card into the slot.”
Sunset felt a little uneasy as she did as told. “I smell another setup here.” she thought quietly.
As she inserted her card, the brothers gave her a rather polite, yet deep looking grin. She could feel the evil emitting from them.
Everyone put their cards in the slots and the computer began to randomly shuffle the colors on the screen, all facedown.
The cards spun and flipped around, making Rainbow dizzy.
Then, the cards appeared on the screen, four on top, four below, and they were split apart in groups of two. The cards then flipped up to reveal the colors, and the initials “V.S” appeared between each.
Pink Vs Orange!
Blue VS Yellow!
Red VS White!
Purple VS Green!
Everyone gazed up at the board in slight surprise, and they began to look back and forth at one another.
“And the duels are decided…!” Rubeus announced.
On the screen, the colors changed into images of the finalists as Rubeus announced…
“Pinkie Pie VS Karle Plight…”
Pinkie looked over at Karle, and Karle gave Pinkie a threatening motion-- dragging her finger across her throat.
“Rainbow Dash VS Terra Markov…”
The ladies looked at one another with a proud nod.
“Sunset Shimmer VS Celestia, and Raven Roth VS Masquerade…!”
Raven slowly turned to look over at Masquerade, and he turned to look at her. His fists were tightly clenched and shaking, as if he was warning her that he was going to give her a real beat down!
…But he said nothing to her.
“The duels are selected, and shall commence after sundown.” announced Loki “We look forward to seeing you finalists duel your best.”
Rubeus agreed, “We take our leave now. Please enjoy the rest of this luncheon, and you will then be shown to your quarters.
Rest up, prepare, and be ready for a tournament of a lifetime!”
The Brothers left, and Sunset never took her eyes off of them, promising in her head, “Somehow I’ll find a way to get at those two, and free our friends!”
Pinkie Pie could hardly believe this, “I get to duel Karle? All right…!”
“All right?!” snapped Rarity “Darling, I don’t mean to put pressure on you, but you do realize just how powerful Karle is?”
“She’s right.” agreed Applejack “That girl’s got an attitude as bad as a bulldog chasing a barn cat.”
Pinkie still seemed unfazed. “Don’t you see? This is my chance to put on a big show and maybe help her smile instead of being a crab all the time.”
Twilight disagreed, “I’m not so sure Karle’s up to that. Look at her?”
Surely enough, Karle was sitting alone at a table, and looking very frustrated. She really was hoping to be paired up with Masquerade!
“I bet I can make her smile.” said Pinkie “Nobody’s ever dueled against me and has left without a small grin.”
Fluttershy pointed out, “Just don’t forget what we’re really dueling for; we’re trying to help our friends and the Titans.”
Twilight kept to her calculations, “Still, with six out of eight of us in the tournament, the odds are very much in our favor. The only things that stand a threat are Karle and Masquerade. So if they both lose in the first round, then victory is assured.”
The girls all agreed, and the looked over and saw Rainbow shaking hands with Terra.
“Guess it’s you and me out there, huh?” said Rainbow.
“Looks like it. I wish you like.”
Rainbow chuckled, “Well, I don’t think I’ll need it. I’ve been brushing up, but thanks just the same. You help us, and we’ll help you.”
The girls both looked forward to an honorable match, as did Celestia and Sunset.
“I’ve seen you duel, Sunset, and I can tell you’ll be a good opponent to me.”
Sunset smiled, but then she looked worried, “I still just wish I knew what the Prince Brothers were up to.” and she explained her theory.
Celestia couldn’t argue “…Yes, that is a possibility. We’ve had our share of unscrupulous people abusing Equestrian Magic before.”
Sunset then looked down at her duel disk still wondering what the game had anything to do with all of this.
She then pulled out the remaining blank card from her Extra Deck wondering what it was or how to unlock it.
As for Raven, was sitting comfortably while trying to stay focussed on her task ahead. She knew Masquerade wouldn’t be easy, especially given the fact that he had seen her dueling.
“No!” she thought “I’m not going to let him intimidate me. Someone has to put that jerk in his place, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do!”
Masquerade remained silent as ever! He didn’t look towards Raven. He just felt his deck, which he was still confident would shut her out!
Onboard the Titans’ camper, the rest of the group had listened in on everything and saw everything on their monitors.
“Well, I guess there’s nothing to do now but wait.” said Robin.
The others all sighed, but they all had eaten lunch prepared by Vic.
“Well, in that case,” Vic said as he yawned and stretched out “May as well kick back a bit.”
“How can you even think that at a time like this?” asked Shining Armor.
“Hey, there’s nothing else we can do right now. It’ll be awhile before the duels begin, and I don’t want to be caught blinking in drowsiness and missing a thing.”
Kori agreed, “We’re all still here and keep an eye on things. We won’t let that ship out of our sights.”
Shining was just worried about Twilight being on that ship, even if she was with her friends. He tried to call her cell-phone again, but the signals couldn’t get through because of the camper’s special coating.
“You must have faith in your sister,” Luna said to him “You know she and her friends are capable of looking after themselves.”
“She’s right, dear.” agreed Cadance “Twilight’s a smart girl. I have faith in her, and so do you.”
Her husband smiled, and he looked out the window at the big ship, still wishing he could at least see his sister.
Later on, everyone was escorted to their quarters by the waiters.
All the finalists each had their own private suite so they could have some privacy while the rested or went over strategies or stacking their decks.
As for the guests, they all shared a larger room, complete with beds, sofas, television, free online video games, refrigerators full of snacks and drinks, and even a Jacuzzi surrounded by curtains for privacy, and even a box of expensive and very tasty chocolates.
Rarity was nothing short of enamoured, especially by the hot-tub. “Is there anything on this flight they don’t have?”
“You’d think we were in a honeymoon suite of sorts.” said Applejack
Fluttershy sat on the sofa and found it quite cozy, but then she noticed Twilight wasn’t there. “Didn’t she come with us?”
The others didn’t seem to notice as they were busy amusing themselves in luxury.
Twilight was headed towards one of the duelists’ private suites down the hall, and she knocked at one of the doors, and it opened and Karle’s voice was heard.
“What took you so long?”
Twilight looked cross, but she walked right in, and she came out again almost immediately, and pocketed what appeared to be Karle’s ring.
Then she headed back to join her friends muttering to herself, “I hope this tournament ends soon. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.”
She stopped for a moment at the door to Sunset’s suite, and thought she’d drop in on her to see how she was.
She knocked at the door, and Sunset opened it immediately.
“Checking up on me, huh?” she asked with a smile.
“Is it that obvious?”
Sunset assured her she’d be just fine, “I’ve gone over my deck so much I don’t think I can go through it again.”
Twilight chuckled, “Well, at least you’re facing someone friendly. I’m worried about Pinkie and Raven, facing Karle and Masquerade.”
Sunset felt nervous about that too.
Twilight then headed off to join the others in the shared suite, while Sunset went back to her bed and lay flat on her back.
“This is It.” she thought “After so much dueling and struggling to make it here, it all comes down to all this.”
She let out a soft yawn as she starred up at the ceiling of her room, and softly drifted off to sleep.
…Little did she know, the Prince Brothers were watching her from their own room.
“Poor dear…” said Rubeus “While she rests, we rest assured that what we want is nearly in our grasp.”
Loki snickered “Long have I waited for this moment, brother.”
“I have as well, but perhaps we ought to give our favorite guest a little extra reinforcement of what’s at stake.”
Loki caught on the idea, and he agreed.
The Brothers used their special secret magic and began to infect Sunset with another one of their nightmares.
Immediately, Sunset began to cringe in her sleep and she tossed and turned.
She dreamt of once again being lost in that shadowy world where she had twice dueled the Prince Brothers and lost.
“What am I doing here again?!” she wondered.
“We brought you here!” hissed a familiar and evil voice.
Sunset turned sharply, and saw the two dark figures.
Her face curled into an angry glare. “I know who you two are? You can drop the disguises!”
The brothers did just so and revealed their human forms.
“So now you know.” said Rubeus “It took you long enough to figure it out.”
Sunset also figured out that this world they were all standing in, “…This is the Malefic World!”
“You’re slightly correct.” said Loki “This is what remains of our beloved world, even it was sealed away, but soon, that will all change.”
Sunset didn’t like the sound of this, but it became clear what the brothers were trying to do.
“You’re trying to revive the Malefic World!”
Loki clapped in a mocking fashion, “Yes, very good… now if only you could duel as well as you can solve these problems.”
“Loki…!” snapped Rubeus “We ought to show courtesy to the one who’s been helping us revive our world.” he motioned at Sunset.
Sunset felt most livid, “You mean this whole tournament has just been some excuse for you two to get what you need?”
“Naturally.” replied Rubeus, and he began to explain that he and Loki had lived for centuries in the human world as they were.
“We were fortunate to have escaped the Equestria’s siege on our world with what little we had to take on the forms you see before you.
…Quite frankly we find these forms disgusting and degrading.”
Loki agreed, “Still, we couldn’t hope to revive what we had lost. Our powers were low and we felt it was time to secure a new form of energy to rebuild and unlock The Malefic World.
Many attempts failed, but finally, after centuries of researching, working, and building our ways to the top, we found that source.”
Sunset blinked and gasped, “The game of Duel Monsters?”
Rubeus nodded, “You are aware of the game’s connection to the Ancient Past, and the vast powers it can unleash.
You humans, when you duel you put your minds and body hard at work; strategizing, strengthening yourselves, and all that energy just flows and grows!”
Sunset was able to put it all together now, “You forced me and my friends into the tournament because of our Equestrian Magic!”
Loki couldn’t help but mock, “Somebody is really using her brain.”
Rubeus snickered, “And wouldn’t you know it, our tournament’s promise of one-million dollars attracted The Titans, and they possess great power as well-- Lucky us!”
The Brothers didn’t have to go on, as Sunset realized that the finals were the final step in their plan to unlock the Malefic World.
“I won’t do it!” she sneered “I won’t help you guys, and neither will my friends once I tell them the truth!”
The Brother only laughed hysterically, and Rubeus wiped a tear from his eye. “I’m afraid my dear, that is not an option, or have you forgotten…?”
He pulled out the two cards that had Twilight and Spike’s souls sealed inside.
“Sunset…!” Twilight called.
“Help us!!” added Spike.
Sunset began to quiver nervously. She was totally helpless and powerless!
Loki stepped forth, “If you so much as utter a single sound to anyone of our plans?”
He pulled out a single, worthless dueling card, and broke it in half before Sunset, cementing the threat!
Twilight and Spike both gulped nervously, but Twilight’s features hardened.
“Tell them, Sunset!”
“What?!” cried Sunset.
Spike was horrified “What are you, crazy?!”
Twilight seemed dead serious, “Don’t give into these creeps! Don’t give them what they want! We can’t let them unlock The Malefic World! It’s so dangerous! Imagine what power they’ll wield if they succeed!”
“But… But, what about you, and Spike?” asked Sunset “…I can’t just sacrifice you and Spike! I’d never do that, especially not to friends!”
Twilight understood this, but she still insisted, “Never mind us! We’re only two victims! You’re risking the safety of not just Equestria, but your world too!”
Sunset gasped and trembled.
Spike was still not keen on being sacrificed, “Um… wait a minute here, I’d like to say something.”
“Enough!” snapped Rubeus “We have made our point clear. This fantasy is now over!”
“No! No, wait!” cried Sunset, but the entire world around her began to fade away…
…And she snapped upright on her bed!
She panted softly and wiped her sweaty brow, and while she wanted to believe it was just a nightmare, from her past experiences she felt she had no choice.
“I know The Brothers’ plan, but I dare not tell anyone about this?”
She and her friends were officially locked in a losing battle!