Turn 1: Game On!
The city of Canterlot roared to life under the bask of the warming sun as business continued on as usual like they always do in the heavily populated city. Amongst those currently at work was Sunset Shimmer, a young high school girl who just happened to have a bit more...unique past in comparison to her classmates.
Yet, as she sat inside her current classroom, being lectured by a monotone teacher who was drawing on the whiteboard, she couldn't help but desire to experience another magical incident. She'd rather deal with the Dazzlings again then sit through Mr. Doodle's lesson on History. She had tuned him out half-way after the lesson began, quickly finding the scenery outside the window more fascinating.
'It's still strange to me, even after all this time. I guess you can never really adapt to a completely different world, huh?' Thought Sunset as her fingers began drumming against her desk, something she tended to do when in deep thought. 'I wonder what Twilight from Equestria would think of me now. Living with her counterpart, experiencing an average human lifestyle and having loads of friends but still missing the excitement of danger in my life...am I a bad person?'
"Psst! Hey, Sunset!" Whispered Rainbow Dash from behind her desk, tapping her shoulder whilst ducking her head to avoid the Mr. Doodle's wrath. "Have you decided on what deck you're gonna get today?"
She shrugged as she whispered back. "I've put some thought into it, but I haven't really came to an answer yet. I'll probably just choose whatever first catches my eye in the store."
"Fair enough." Replied Rainbow Dash with a snort. "I'm totally going for that Plasma Dragon deck though! That thing looks so freaking cool!"
'I remember her freaking out about it when it was first advertised in the store. Hay, that's the entire reason she managed to convince us to go and get some ourselves.' Thought Sunset to herself, remembering the two headed robot dragon poster being stuck onto the windows of the store.
"SUNSET SHIMMER! RAINBOW DASH!" Roared the voice of Mr. Doodle, making the two yelp in surprise. "How many times do I have to tell you?! Do. Not. Talk. When. I'm. Talki-."
BING-BONG BING-BONG
"Ah well, whatever. You're all dismissed." Muttered Mr. Doodle to himself, waving a dismissive hand at the students as he began to shut down his computer. "Tomorrow I want to you all to have your homework completed; no excuses this time and if I catch Ms. Shimmer and Ms. Dash talking again, I will make you do a ten page essay about self discipline in the classroom!"
Sunset Shimmer sighed blissfully as she heard the chime of a bell echo across Canterlot High School's campus, closing her book and their teacher dismissed the classroom. "Finally." She muttered to herself, standing up from her desk and placing her book in her bag. "Today's lessons were so painstakingly boring."
"I know what you mean, darling." Spoke Rarity's calm voice from the desk beside her. "Even Cheerilee's lessons felt dull this morning. I do wonder if anything is going on with the school."
"Heh, I doubt it. We're probably just to hyped for the hangout today." Replied Rainbow Dash from behind as she vaulted over her desk, much to Rarity's displeasure. "So Rares, have you figured out what deck you're going with?"
"As a matter of fact; I have not." Replied Rarity with a deadpan expression. "Unlike you darling, some people like to see their other options before jumping on the first 'cool' thing they see."
Rainbow Dash scoffed and rolled her eyes, "I guess that means the rest of you haven't got a deck in mind then?"
"Nope!" Affirmed Pinkie Pie cheerfully with an almost inhuman grin stretching across her face as she jumped next to Rainbow Dash.
"Nu-huh." Said Applejack with a slight smirk as she watched Pinkie jump around the room. "Ah just figured Ah'll go with whatever deck has the strongest cards."
"Well...I haven't really...had time..." Squeaked out Fluttershy nervously with a blush across her face whilst she scratched her head sheepishly. "Sorry..."
"Can you all get out of my classroom?" Growled an irritated Mr. Doodle as he packed up his laptop in his bag. "You can talk about your cards literally anywhere else, just not here."
"You're really cranky today!" Commented Pinkie Pie with a giggle at her pun with Mr. Doodle's name. At everybody's horrified silence, Pinkie raised an eyebrow. "Did I say something wrong?"
Mr. Doodle's face morphed from one of stunned silence into genuine malice. "Sounds like somebody wants to fail this course. Should I call your parents?"
"Sure." Replied Pinkie with the same energetic smile on her face, completely oblivious to the threat that their teacher just made.
"...You weren't supposed to say that." Muttered Mr. Doodle with a deep exhale. "Just get out of the room before I blow a fuse."
Pinkie went to open her mouth again but Sunset's hand quickly clasped it shut. "Yep, we'll be doing that now. Bye!" Said Sunset in a panicked voice as she and the other four ushered Pinkie out of the room. "Sorry!"
"Damn kids..." Muttered Mr. Doodle as he continued packing up his belongings.
"She should be here soon." Said Sunset as she and her friends stood outside a large shop in the middle of a busy street, laying her back upon the black window walls that displayed multiple different Duel Monster related products on sale. "Crystal Prep High is quite a while from here after all."
"I bet you I could run from there to here in five minutes flat!" Bragged the rainbow-themed athlete as she puffed up her chest.
"Uh-huh, Ah'm sure you could." Replied Applejack in a disinterested tone, getting a raspberry blown at her as a retort. "Anyways, did the rest of y'all manage to get enough money for a Duel Disk and Duel Gazer? They're mighty expensive. It took me forever to convince Granny to let me use some of that money we've been savin' up."
"Yeah, I got enough. Have to make sure I get the best part of the experience after all." Replied the sporty teenager with a smirk before she broke out into a squeal of excitement, "Soon I'll be able to see my Plasma Dragon animated! This is gonna be so cool!"
"My mum managed to get enough spare money from the veterinary clinic for me." Said Fluttershy with a sad smile as she hid her face behind her bright pink hair. "I just hope I haven't gotten in the way by asking that of her."
"I sold a bunch of useless junk that I had collected over my time here." Replied Sunset with a shrug. "I have just about the right amount to get a Duel Disk and Gazer with fifty to spare."
"Yep! I've been helping Mr. and Mrs. Cake in the kitchen!" Exclaimed Pinkie Pie with as confetti exploded out of her pockets.
"My parents have more than enough for me and Sweetie to both purchase one." Replied Rarity with a smile. "I can easily get another one for any of you if you need another."
"Well, now that ya do mention it, Apple Bloom has been crazin' about gettin' one as well recently. If y'all can actually afford another then..." Applejack began before finding herself unable to finish the question, not entirely happy with the idea of using a friend's money.
"Yeah, I'll get one for her too. Don't worry about my parent's pockets - the only things those two are useful for is money anyways." Replied Rarity, her diamond eyes flashing with hatred when as she spat out the word 'parent's'.
Everyone else winced but understood why there was so much hostility between Rarity and her parents. They had practically abandoned her and left her to take care of her younger sister at a very young age, which the young girl naturally struggled with both mentally and physically.
"Thank ya kindly, Rarity." Replied Applejack awkwardly, trying to hide herself behind her hat.
The group remained quiet after that; nobody really knowing what to do about the depressing turn their conversation took. Just as Sunset opened her mouth to change the topic, Pinkie Pie quickly pointed towards the end of the street and yelled, "TWILIGHT'S HERE!"
Some people around the street took a few seconds to stop and stare at the strange cotton-candy looking teenager who just hummed contently as she watched Twilight walk over to them in embarrassment. Sunset just rolled her eyes at Pinkie's typical behaviour.
"Sorry for being so late girls, my class got held back a few minutes by some of the more...robust students." Explained Twilight, trying to be tactful and not use more insulting words. "Either way, it looks like everybody is here and accounted for. Are we ready?"
Rainbow Dash smirked and nodded, "You better believe it!"
Sunset opened the store's door and walked in, "Let's do this then."
When the girls walked in their jaws dropped in awe; there was hundreds of different card sets amongst the shelves, multiple different Duel Disks mounted upon the counter walls and loads of Duel Gazers on the counter's mini-shelves acted like an extension of the counter itself. All in all, it was impressive for such a humble looking store.
"Ah, hello!" Spoke an bald old bearded man from behind the counter with a smile on his face, his eyes closed tightly as he waved to his new customers. His business suit looked slightly mismatched which made Rarity internally groan but otherwise looked smartly dressed. "Please, take a look around. I'm sure you'll find something to your liking here."
"Yeah, uh, where is the Plasma Dragon deck?" Asked Rainbow Dash with a barely contained grin, excitement practically radiating from her voice. "I saw that poster you have outside."
"Ah! A customer who knows what they want!" Cried the man with cheer. "Allow me to guide you to the correct isle for Dragon decks."
"So cool!" Whispered-yelled Rainbow Dash as she followed him, a bounce in her steps.
"Wow. I wasn't expecting this place to be so...well, packed." Said Twilight as she took in everything around her. "There are so many cards here. I don't even know where to begin."
Sunset shrugged. "Either do I, to be honest. Although I'm going to start checking out decks over there." She pointed the the farthest west isle of the shop. "I'm probably going to keep looking until I find something that strikes my fancy."
Twilight smiled, "Then I'll join you. These girls seem to have already found some decks to their liking." She pointed her thumb towards Rarity as an example, who was currently on her knees and holding a card box with stars in her eyes.
"Oooh!" Yelled Rarity in joy as she stared at a card box in her hands. "The design of these monsters are so fabulous! I NEED these!"
Applejack had already walked off to a isle in the eastern side of the shop, whilst Fluttershy was inspecting all the cards in the closest isle to the door and Pinkie was staring intensely at a box of cards that she pulled out from her hair; occasionally muttering 'yummy' to herself. The Equestrian-turned human shook her head and their antics whilst Twilight giggled into her hands.
"So...how much do you know about the game? I don't even know the basics." Said Sunset as the two began walking to the west side of the shop.
"Well, from what I've seen - the goal is to lower your opponent's life points to zero. Apparently their are different ways to win based on card effects, but I'm not sure." Explained Twilight as she looked at all the cards on the shelves the duo passed. "To defeat monsters you need to use a stronger monster or other card effects. You can set-up or change situations by using other card effects and you also have trap cards to trick your opponents. That's all I know."
"Guess that makes sense." Muttered Sunset as she took in the information and stored it away for later use. "Well, looks like we're here." They currently stood in an isle with the words 'Spellcasters' written on a lamented piece of paper suspended from the ceiling by two small strands of string. "Wow. There has to be at least fifty different decks here."
"Yeah, no kidding." Replied Twilight as she looked over all the cards. "Some of these look really interesting..."
Sunset nodded, "So, you want to check the left while I check the right? Once we're done we can swap sides and see what we missed."
"Sounds good." Responded Twilight as she began to inspect the left side. "So, how was school today?"
"Boring. The most exciting thing that happened was Pinkie driving a teacher up the wall." Replied Sunset as she looked at the decks with an analytical gaze. "Hmm...none of these are really looking all that good to me."
"Really?" Wondered Twilight in confusion. "The decks over here are pretty good. Well, visually at least."
"I'm only really looking for something that looks impressive." Responded Sunset with a sigh. "But maybe this game just isn't for me. I mean, I used to live in a world where all these so-called 'mythical' monsters actually existed. Cards are sort of underwhelming in comparison."
Twilight nodded, "I guess I can understand that. A trading card game can't really bring the same excitement as the real deal, huh?"
"Nope." Replied Sunset, popping the p. "But who knows? Maybe the holographic models can come close."
"Well, if you're looking for excitement - you could always try out for those tournaments." Suggested Twilight, receiving an inquisitive look from Sunset. "Y'know, those famous ones when they duel on motorcycles?"
"THEY DO WHAT ON MOTORCYCLES?!" Yelled Sunset in absolute shock as she spun around to face the Crystal Prep student, the mere absurdity of the concept making her head spin. "Who in their right mind allowed that to happen? Isn't that a massive safety risk?"
Twilight giggled at her friend's reaction. "I thought so at first. Then I heard that they train people to not react at the holograms animations, apparently they even disable the animations in some lower levels. Naturally they're geared up to handle any collision."
Sunset blinked once. Then twice. "Oh. Right. Yeah, that makes sense."
"Heh, getting back onto topic; I found a deck that I like." Said Twilight as she picked up a deck box named 'Elemental Magic', the box art displaying several different mages that represented different attributes. "The name and the ascetic looks interesting. I think I'll be going with this."
"Fair enough. I don't seem to be so lucky though." Replied Sunset somewhat dejectedly. "Well, there's still more to explor-"
"WOAH!" Shouted Rainbow Dash from the other size of the store. "YOU HAVE THAT DECK?!"
"I guess we should check that out before she causes too much of a scene." Said Sunset with a chuckle before she began jogging to the store's counter as Twilight began to follow her.
"That's so awesome!" Yelled Rainbow Dash with an adoring look in her eyes as Sunset and Twilight arrived. "How did you get so many cool cards?!"
Sunset noticed that everybody else had their own purchases, all of them within white bags that they held. The girls had clearly gotten their Duel Disks and Duel Gazers judging by the obvious weight in the bags. She could faintly read the outlines of Pinkie's deck; 'Fudge-Beast Archetype'. 'Figures.' Thought Sunset with a roll of her eyes. 'It's always food with that girl.'
"Ho ho ho! I'm just friends with a very lucky man!" Replied the old man with a hearty laugh. "Oh, hello again you two! Have you decided what decks you want?"
"I have!" Replied Twilight, placing her deck box on the table. "So, what's the commotion about?"
"Ah! Elemental Magic! A bit complicated at first but I'm sure you'll get a hand of it." Said the old man as he scanned the deck box. "That'll be twenty pounds. And to answer your question, they were talking about this."
As Twilight handed him the money, the old man gestured to a deck box titled 'Gods of Chaos' which had a three headed black dragon upon the front of the case, it's eyes a glaring purple that pierced Sunset's soul. Behind it surged lavender flames that assaulted the destroyed land behind it; shadowy monsters standing within the burning landscape with sharp claws and crimson eyes.
"Gods of Chaos, huh?" Whispered Sunset breathlessly, her eyes locked onto the fearsome monster upon the case as a strange feeling of desire swelled in her chest. "Wow...this might be the deck I've been looking for."
The old man raised his right eyebrow, "Oh? Interested in it, are you? There has only ever been one copy of this deck, so I'm not entirely pleased with the idea of just giving it away."
"Oh." Muttered Sunset with a disappointed frown, slightly downcast at the revelation that the only deck she wanted wasn't on sale. Still she figured she would try just in case the man was flexible. "Is there any way we would barter for it?"
"Ha! Who'd in their right mind give up a deck like that?!" Exclaimed Rainbow Dash with an incredulous look. "I know you're new to Duel Monsters but even you should be able to recognise it's value! It's one of a kind! You'd need a fortunate to buy it."
"Ya'll couldn't be more sympathetic with ya response, huh Dash?" Remarked Applejack with an irritated expression sent in the magenta-eyed girl direction.
"Hmm...well, there may be one way I could give this deck to you." Spoke the old man, ignoring Rainbow Dash's shout of surprise. "I was intending to use it in the upcoming Duel Cup but...this old man has grown far too ancient to handle such things."
"So, what? You want Sunset to take your place?" Inquired Twilight with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not sure about that...she's just just a beginner after all."
"Oh heavens no!" Exclaimed the old man with a laugh. "However! I do want to see if she's worthy of this deck!"
"And how do ya expect to do that?" Questioned Applejack with a frown on her face. "She's new to tha' game! Hell, we're all new to this game!"
"I can tell; you don't handle yourself like seasoned duellists or pro's." Responded the old man with a cryptic smile. "But I do see potential. I can tell that this deck speaks to you, Sunset is it?" At Sunset's nod, the man continued on. "Well Sunset, I will provide you with a deck and we'll duel - don't worry I'll be going easy on you. If you win; I'll give you the deck. If you lose; you can keep the deck I provided. How does that sound? You'll gain a deck either way."
"Well, when you put it like that then sure." Replied Sunset, slightly bewildered at the man's idea. "I'm still not sure what you get out of this though."
The old man shrugged. "Entertainment. Besides, who knows? Maybe it'll reignite my old passion for duelling!"
"Old? I thought this game was fairly recent?" Asked Rarity.
"Ha, as if! This game has been going on for years now! It's only gained more attraction because of those Duel Gazers. Everyone loves that virtual reality stuff." Replied the old man with a huff. "By the way, you may get a free deck but you still have to purchase the Duel Disk and Gazer before we begin. There's only so many freebies I can give. Same goes with your violet haired friend over there."
Both nodded rapidly and sheepishly; the realisation that they hadn't even remembered to bring up the topic making them become overwhelmed with embarrassment. They immediately brought the Default Duel Disk alongside Duel Gazers, one tinted purple and the other red.
"This day is far more interesting than I originally imagined." Commented Rarity as she watched the two girls buying the required items for the duel.
"Nah! That would've made this chapter way too boring!" Replied Pinkie with a shake of her head, receiving quizzical looks from the rest, aside from the old man who was too busy counting the money in his hands, before they remembered who they were dealing with and promptly surrendered logic to Pinkie's strange comments.
When Sunset slotted the Duel Disk on her arm, she looked at the old man. "What deck will I be using?"
The old man pulled out a deck box and handed it over to her. "This one."
The deck box was named 'Solar Archetype' with the cover art being a blonde woman wearing intricate golden armour and sporting six large white wings. The woman had a golden staff in her hand, decorated with gems imbued within the tip that looked akin to a blooming flower. The woman was enveloped in a bright glow and her eyes shone with a golden hue. 'She reminds me of Celestia.'
"Huh, not bad looking." Spoke Sunset before she smirked confidently. "But I'll be going home with that deck of yours!"
The old man chuckled. "Ah! There's that fire I saw in your eyes! I won't be using the Gods of Chaos deck when duelling you; I doubt you would last a turn. So instead I'll opt to go with my older deck; The Techno Archetype!" As he announced this he slid on his duel disk that had a different colour for every zone. "Come with me; we'll duke it out in the backyard."
"Alright. Lead the way." Replied Sunset, following the old man to a back door behind the counter as her friends followed them.
"Y'know, I would normally say that it's impossible for this to be happening; I mean imagine the chances of encountering a man literally willing to give away one of the most powerful decks ever made but then I remembered we fought a bunch of Sirens with a song, so what do I know?" Said Rainbow Dash flatly, finally accepting the crazy events unfolding before her.
"Huh, when ya put it like that, our lives do seem sorta strange." Replied Applejack before she looked at her friends and gave a chuckle. "But ah wouldn't change it for the world."
Both the old man and Sunset stood across from each other, the sun shining down on them as the main 6 watched from the sidelines. The backyard was mostly just an empty large piece of land with a few plants growing from the dirt from the sides, whilst the two duellist stood on a large circular stone-carved piece of ground.
"Well then, should we begin?" Asked the old man. After Sunset nodded in confirmation, the old man smiled and continued speaking. "Well first activate your Duel Gazer. Place it on your ear like so," the old man slotted a obsidian tinted Gazer on his ear, "And then activate your Duel Disk by tapping the massive glass screen in the centre of it. The rest of you should also turn on your Gazer's as well if you want to see the holograms for yourself!"
Sunset and the others did as he instructed and the world seemingly re-generated before them in a digital fashion. "Woah." Breathed Twilight in awe. "But wait...can't you see cards on the TV? Isn't that why tournaments get so much attention? Why are we able to see the cards without Duel Gazers on the TV?"
"Good question!" Praised the old man with a toothy smile. "The screen of the recording equipment is built in with a Duel Gazer which is why folks at home can see it happen in real time! Pretty ingenious of them, don't you think?"
"Ah! That makes more sense!" Responded Twilight, slightly giddy from the compliment he gave her. "Thanks!"
"No problem! Now my dear, watch closely as I activate my Duel Disk as well." The old man tapped on his Duel Disk's screen, which made a hologram message pop-up on everyone's screens. "Nobody do anything yet! When a Duel Disk is activated it scans for other active Duel Disk's in the area! If someone is close enough than both will be given a message that asks if they want to duel. In order to activate it we must tap the 'Duel' option and the duel will begin, got it?"
"Yeah, I got it." Replied Sunset as she looked to the hologram that displayed the text: An active Duel Disk is nearby; would you like to request a Duel? Sunset tapped it and it showed a loading bar before the old man tapped his hologram - then two massive holograms appeared above their heads.
Sunset Shimmer: 4000
Swift Draw: 4000
"Your name is Swift Draw?" Inquired Sunset with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, how does it know my name?!"
"It knows your name due to your Student ID; it typically scans your body when activated and when it finds some form of identification it will use it which will be saved onto your Duel Disk for later identification. You can change your Duel Disk's ID manually later should you desire to do so." Replied Swift Draw helpfully. "Now then, let's begin the duel! The image above you displays your Life Points which are required to keep above zero to escape defeat; unless you somehow mange to face an Exodia Deck or something of that nature - but we can get into that later. Now, I will go first. Watch closely."
"Sounds good to me." Replied Sunset as she watched him draw five cards. "Should I also draw?"
"Yes, both players start the game with five cards in their hands." Replied Swift Draw with a nod. "Now, I'll take the first turn! On the first turn you cannot draw and nor can you attack. This turn is purely for setting up your field. Now from my hand I summon Techno Gear onto the field in attack mode!"
A golden mechanical creature appeared upon the field, it's body being a stick of steel whilst a gear was placed upon the head as two small robotic arms jutted out of the sides of the stick-like body. It had a strange blue aura around it's body that seemed to hum.
Techno Gear - Level 2
Attribute: LIGHT
Type:Machine
Attack:600/Defence:800
Effect: This card can be treated as two Machine type monsters when tribute summoning.
"When a monster is placed in attack mode that means they're able to attack you or your monsters, depending on if you have a monster on the field or not. If your monster was in defence mode; you cannot attack but you won't take battle damage when a monster destroys it unless the attacking monster has a piercing effect." Said Swift Draw before he then put two more cards within his Duel Disk, which appeared as two cards behind his monster. "Now I set two face down cards. These face down cards can either be spell or trap cards so be vigilant when attacking once these are on your opponent's field. Now, your move."
Sunset digested all the information and then eventually began to draw a card from her deck. 'Alright so let's see...Oh! This looks good!'. "Alright, first I'll summon Solar Paladin onto the field in attack mode!" Announced Sunset as she awkwardly placed a card upon her Duel Disk.
A man covered in pure white armour appeared upon the field, wielding a large straight sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
Solar Paladin - Level 4 [Tuner]
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Warrior
Attack:1700/Defence:1200
Description: This paladin is said to be one of the most talented knights of the Solar Faith. Legends claim that he took on a dragon bare-handed and lived to tell the tale.
"Now I'll attack your monster with Solar Paladin!" Declared Sunset as her monster charged at Techno Gear.
"Sunset's monster is way stronger than his! That'll deal some major damage!" Exclaimed Rainbow Dash, lost in the excitement of the duel unravelling before her.
"For some reason I don't think that will happen darling." Replied Rarity, recalling the earlier comment of Swift Draw. "He did set some cards down after all."
"Not so fast! I activate my face-down card; Unfair Play!" Shouted Swift Draw as one of his face-down cards revealed itself. The card was a bright pink in colour and had an image of a smug monster holding a bag of coin in his right hand and a bloody sword in the other. "When this card activates I can discard one monster card from my hand! Then I can target one face-up monster on the field and send it to the bottom of your deck!"
"Oh shit!" Yelled Sunset is surprise as her monster was returned to her deck. "But wait - can't I summon another monster?"
"Nope! You can only normal summon once per turn but you can special summon whenever you'd like!" Replied the old man with a toothy grin. "But on the topic of special summoning; the card I discarded was Techno Technician! When this card is sent to the graveyard I can special summon one level four or lower machine type monster from the deck to the field, so give Techno Driller a warm welcome!"
A golden mechanical monster appeared on the field with drills for hands whilst the lower half of it's body was akin to tank tracks. It had two long horns upon it's head and a singular blue eye. The monster had the same blue glow as it's companion on the field.
Techno Driller - Level 4
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Machine
Attack:1900/Defence:400
Effect: When this card destroys a monster; deal 500 additional damage.
"Told you." Spoke Rarity with a smug smirk in Rainbow Dash's direction.
"Yeah, yeah whatever." Replied Rainbow Dash with a puffed up face.
"Then I'll set one card face down and end my turn!" Said Sunset as a face down card appeared on her side of the field.
"My turn then! I draw!" Declared Swift Draw as he drew a card from his deck. "First off, I'll demonstrate what a tribute summon is! A level six or five monster requires a singular monster to be sent to the graveyard in order to summon it to the field, naturally the card that you must sacrifice will be one of yours. Seven and eight levelled monsters require two sacrifices, whilst all above require three or can be summoned through an effect. Understood?"
"Yeah, I think I get it. So, you're going to do this...tribute summon thing?" Asked Sunset with a cocked head.
"Correct! You see my Techno Gear's effect makes it be counted as two machine type monsters when conducting an tribute summon!" Said Swift Draw with a wide, almost menacing grin. "So now I'll release my Techno Gear and summon my Techno Guardian!"
A bright light enveloped Techno Gear as it slowly faded from the field, then from the ground a mechanical claw reached out and slowly climbed from the depths of the earth, making everyone's jaw drop at awe. The monster was massive in nature and dwarfed every other monster on the field; it's two blue eyes staring down at the defenceless Sunset whilst the massive blue core within it's chest span rapidly in place. The monster had one mechanical arm claw and one terrifying arm hammer as steamed poured out from it's head, a bright blue glow surrounding it's body.
Techno Guardian - Level 8
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Machine
Attack:3500/Defence:2000
Effect: This monster cannot attack directly. When the opponent declares an attack; make the attacking monster battle this card instead.
"So majestic..." Whispered Sunset, her heart beating against her chest rapidly in fear. The girls on the sidelines broke out into excited chatter at the sight of the imposing monster.
"Fortunately for you Techno Guardian is unable to attack you directly, however it will topple anything you can summon at this point!" Declared Swift Draw with a cruel glint in his eyes. "But I can't say the same for Techno Driller! Run her through!"
Techno Driller rushed at Sunset and thrust his drill arms through her body as she rose her arms up in reflex, momentarily forgetting it was a hologram.
Sunset Shimmer: 2100
"Turn end!" Said Swift Draw as he relaxed his body posture.
"My turn! I draw!" Declared Sunset, getting into the heat of the match. "How will I take that thing down...Ah! I activate the effect of Solar Attendant from my hand! This lets me special summon her if no monsters are currently on my field!"
A young lady covered in a white cloak appeared on the field, a wooden staff in her right hand as two white wings unfurled themselves on her back.
Solar Attendant - Level 3 [Tuner]
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Spellcaster
Attack:800/Defence:1200
Effect: You can special summon this monster from your hand if there isn’t a ‘Solar’ monster on the field.
"Next I'll tribute this monster so I can summon Solar Dragon!" Declared Sunset with a grin.
Sunset Attendant was covered in a golden aura and faded away before a white bipedal dragon appeared upon the field with four glowing golden eyes. Two curved horns sat up on it's head and four featherless wings flapped furiously at it's back. It reared it's head back and released a primal roar of anger.
Solar Dragon - Level 5
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Dragon
Attack:2600/Defence:1800
Effect: This card gains 100 attack points for each LIGHT monster in your graveyard. If special summoned: This card deals piercing damage.
"Since Solar Attendant is in the graveyard his effect kicks in! Solar Dragon gains 100 attack points for each LIGHT monster in my graveyard!" Said Sunset as a bright glow covered her dragon.
Solar Dragon - Level 5
Attack:2700
"Not bad!" Yelled Swift Draw. "But your monster isn't strong enough to take down my Techno Guardian! Even if you try to target my Techno Driller, my Techno Guardian's effect will activate and forcefully change your target!"
"I'm well aware that I can't destroy your monster like this and because of that I'll activate Holy Sword from my hand! It says here...equip to a LIGHT monster and it will gain 1000 attack points!" Said Sunset with a grin. "My mathematics may not be the best but I think that gives me enough to defeat your monster!"
A sword appeared from the sky, rocketing towards Solar Dragon and was caught within it's strong jaws. It flipped the sword over in it's mouth and growled darkly.
Solar Dragon - Level 5
Attack:3700
"Nice move!" Said Twilight with a smile. "Now Sunset's dragon has two hundred more attack than Swift Draw's monster!"
"Now I'll attack your Guardian!" Declared Sunset as Solar Dragon rushed over and tried to swing at the towering body of the Techno Guardian.
"Not bad! But I activate my other face-down; Power-Play!" Shouted Swift Draw as his face down revealed itself; the image showing an armoured monster staring down at a bowing monster. "When my opponent declares an attack; I can swap the attack points of two face-up cards on the field until the end of the damage step!"
"Say what?!" Shouted Sunset in horror and shock as the Techno Guardian's blue aura grew bigger as it swung it's hammer arm down.
Techno Guardian - Level 8
Attack: 3700
Solar Dragon - Level 5
Attack: 3500
"Uh oh! This isn't good! Sunset's dragon is gonna get annihilated!" Yelled Rainbow Dash in a panic.
"Come on Sunset! There's gotta be somethin' you can do!" Encouraged Applejack.
"I don't have anything that can stop this!" Exclaimed Sunset in frustration as her dragon was crushed under Techno Guardian's hammer arm.
Sunset Shimmer: 1900
"When a monster with an equip card is sent to the graveyard, the equip card is destroyed as well." Said Swift Draw with a smile, before a bright light struck both him and Sunset. "What's this?"
"When Holy Sword is destroyed both players are dealt 500 damage." Said Sunset with a slight grimace.
Sunset Shimmer: 1400
Swift Draw: 3500
Techno Guardian - Level 8
Attack:3500
"Ah! I see! Your life points are looking quite low there, Sunset." Said Swift Draw with a chuckle. "Do you have a plan?"
"As a matter of fact I do; I activate the spell Quick Draw! When my monster is destroyed by battle I can draw two cards!" Announced Sunset as a green card appeared on her field, the card having an image of a hand holding two cards. "Next I'll place one card face down and end my turn!"
"Hmm. Not a bad response. My turn." Said Swift Draw as he drew a card. "This is a good opportunity to show you another summoning method. I summon another Techno Technician from my hand to the field!"
A golden bipedal machine appeared on the field with a singular blue eye and a strange device equipped to it's arm that looked akin to a gun's barrel. Like the others that came before it, it had a blue aura around it.
Techno Technician - Level 4
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Machine
Attack:1300/Defence:1500
Effect: When this card is sent to the graveyard due to a card effect; special summon a Level 4 or lower MACHINE type monster from your deck to the field.
"Now I by using Techno Driller and Techno Technician, I build the Overlay Network!" Declared Swift Draw a massive dark vortex formed on the field. Everyone stared in shock at the vortex as Swift Draw grinned widely whilst the monsters turned into golden orbs and flew into the eye of the vortex. "Arrive from the factory of creation, my instrument of destruction! XYZ SUMMON!"
A massive four headed creature arose from the ground, the seven headed mechanical beast roared as the numerous gears within it's body began to turn and a blue glow began to emanate from it. The monster's golden body reflected his equally massive companion as it released a horrific sounding screech. Two giant balls of golden light circled the monster in a constant pattern.
Techno Hydra - Rank 4
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Machine
Attack:2300/Defence:1900
Effect: When you battle, detach one XYZ material; increase this monster's attack by 800 points until the damage phase has been conducted.
"Now I'll show you how XYZ monsters work! My monster will now attack you directly!" Declared Swift Draw as the Techno Hydra powered up a beam and fired it towards Sunset. "Now I'll activate it's effect! By detaching an Overlay Unit; I can increase this monsters attack by 800 until the end of the damage phase!"
One of the two golden orbs was absorbed by Techno Hydra which made it's beam become even bigger and brighter, which caused Sunset and the others to raise their arms to protect their eyesight.
Techno Hydra - Rank 4
Attack:3100
"If this attack hits it'll be all over for Sunset!" Shouted Twilight.
"Not if I got anything to say about it! I activate my trap card; Token of Good Faith!" Declared Sunset as her face down trap card revealed itself, the pink card showing an image of small fairies standing in front of the woman on the deck box cover. "When I get directly attacked I can special summon two Solar Tokens in defence mode!"
Two small humans with massive white wings and white cloaks appeared crouching in front of Sunset with their arms raised in an 'X' position.
Solar Token - Level 3
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Fairy
Attack:400/Defence:800
Effect: Can not be used as a Tuner monster under any conditions. When destroyed in battle: deal 500 damage to your opponent.
"Very well, my Hydra will attack one of your Tokens!" Said Swift Draw as the Techno Hydra's beam changed course and destroyed one of the Solar Tokens before another beam of light struck him. "Oh?"
"Whenever a Solar Token is destroyed; you take 500 damage!" Said Sunset with a smirk. "And since the damage step has been conducted your monster now loses it's 800 extra attack points."
Techno Hydra - Rank 4
Attack:2300
Swift Draw: 3000
"Then I'll continue to battle! Go, Guardian! Shatter her remaining defence!" Ordered Swift Draw as Techno Guardian fired a beam of pure energy from it's blue core, destroying her final token which sent another bright blast towards him.
Swift Draw: 2500
"Nice! Those Tokens dealt some heavy damage!" Said Rainbow Dash with cheer.
"But Swift still has the advantage." Said Fluttershy, before she quickly hid her face behind her hair. "Um...if you don't mind me saying that is..."
"Next I activate the effect of the Overlay Unit I just detached! Since it was Techno Technician I sent to the graveyard; I can now special summon another monster! So now I bring a second Techno Driller from my deck to the field!" Said Swift Draw with a cocky grin. "I wonder how you'll get out of this!"
The field glowed golden as another Techno Driller came into existence with a roar of its drill arms.
Techno Driller - Level 4
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Machine
Attack:1900/Defence:400
Effect: When this card destroys a monster; deal 500 additional damage.
"And since it's still the attack phase - I'll attack you directly!" Declared Swift Draw as he punched his arm into the air for dramatic effect. "And if you don't stop it then it's game over for you!"
"Then I'll activate my trap card; Swift Recovery! This card allows me to discard any number of cards from my hand and in return I gain 500 for each one!" Declared Sunset as her face-down flipped up, displaying a picture of a wounded soldier healing himself with some strange green potion. "So now I'll discard two cards to gain 1000 life points!"
Sunset Shimmer: 2400
"You may have healed up but you'll still lose the majority of your restored health!" Said Swift Draw as Techno Driller ran his drills through Sunset.
Sunset Shimmer: 500
"Sunset barley managed to avoid being beaten!" Said Twilight with a worried expression. "But I'm not sure if she'll be able to make a come back at this stage of the game."
"Well now, let's see what else you've got!" Said Swift Draw with a smirk. "I end my turn!"
"I'm not giving up until I get that deck!" Roared Sunset as she drew a card. "I draw! I summon Solar Advisor in attack mode!"
A man appeared from a blue light in the sky; he sported two wings and a cane. He had a long white beard and white scraggly hair with a blue cloak covering his body and a hood covering his face.
Solar Advisor - Level 3
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Spellcaster
Attack:1200/Defence:800
Effect: You can add one ‘Solar’ spell or trap card from your deck to your hand if this card is in attack position on your field.
"Now I'll activate his effect! I can choose one Solar spell or trap card from my deck to my hand!" Said Sunset as she began looking through the cards in her deck. 'Wait...this can't be...is this my way out?!' Thought Sunset with a wide grin as she began formulating a plan in her head.
"I choose Service To The Queen! Next, I'll activate it!" A spell card appeared with the picture of a the same staff on the box art. "According to this - I can banish one Solar card on my field, one Solar card in my graveyard and one Solar card in my hand. By doing this I can Ritual Summon Solar Queen from my deck!...That is how that works, right?"
Swift Draw nodded, "Indeed! A Ritual Summon requires a Ritual spell in order to summon a specific card!"
Sunset smirked, "Then here it comes! From the dawning light that governs the land descends the mother of all things righteous; hear my cry and appear - Solar Queen!"
A woman covered in golden armour appeared on the field, her many white feathered wings unfurled as her crimson cloak billowing in the harsh winds generated by a single flap of her wings. Her golden locks hung low as her honey eyes looked softly yet fiercely at the opposing monsters who regarded her with apathy. A golden staff was held in her right arm with multiple different glimmering gems imbued within the tip which looked like a blooming flower. It was the monster from the box art and it was Sunset's only hope of winning this duel.
Solar Queen - Level 8
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Fairy
Attack:3200/Defence:3000
Effect: Once per turn target a Solar monster in your graveyard; special summon it to the field. If ‘Solar Goddess’ is on the field: this card gains 1000 attack points.
"An impressive monster but it can't hope to stand a chance against my Techno Guardian and it's effect means you won't be able to do battle with any other monster!" Boasted Swift Draw. "So what's your plan, my dear?"
"This is my plan! I activate Solar Queen's effect, I can choose a Solar monster in my graveyard and bring them onto the field! I choose Solar Priest so I'll bring him out in face-up defence mode!" Announced Sunset as her field began to glow brightly.
An old man appeared on the field adorned with religious clothing and a singular golden staff with two white feathered wings jutting out of his back.
Solar Priest - Level 3
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Spellcaster
Attack:400/Defence:1600
Effect: When special summoned; boost one Solar card by 1000 attack points.
"What?! When did Sunset summon that monster?!" Yelled Rainbow Dash in confusion.
"I think I know what happened." Replied Twilight with a slight smile. "When Sunset used Swift Recovery she discarded two cards. One of them was probably Solar Priest."
"Twilight's right. Since my monster has been special summoned I can now activate Solar Priest's effect!" Said Sunset as her monster's staff began to glow bright. "I can now boost one Solar card's attack by 1000!"
Solar Queen - Level 8
Attack:4200
"Now Solar Queen attacks your Techno Guardian!" Shouted Sunset as her monster fired a powerful beam from her staff which destroyed the gigantic machine.
Swift Draw: 1800
"Not bad, but next turn you're going down! I activate my face-down trap card; Techno Scrapyard! When my monster is destroyed; I can special summon it back to the field!" Said Swift Draw as his final face-down flipped up; displaying an image of Techno Guardian surrounded by a golden light. "Now my Techno Guardian returns to the field!"
"He already got his monster back?!" Shouted Rainbow Dash in surprise. "That thing just wont stay down!"
"Fine. I'll end my turn here." Said Sunset.
"My turn! I draw!" Said Swift Draw with a smirk. "Since you entertained me for so long allow me to show you something grand! I activate my field spell; Factory Production Line!"
Suddenly the field around them transformed into that of a golden factory with two convener belt lines on the sides; with a Techno Driller being made on the right line and Techno Technician being made on the left line.
"Oh my Celestia..." Muttered Sunset in shock as she nervously bent down to touch the ground; flinching when her finger touched the stone floor that was actually there instead of the metallic floor. "That's so weird."
"Woah! So this is what a field card looks like in person..." Whispered Rainbow Dash. "I've seen these cards used in tournaments but...this is amazing."
"Nothing quite like the real experience as they say." Said Rarity, taking in the look of the factory. "I must admit; this looks absolutely fabulous! I've never seen so much gold in one place."
"Y'all can say that again." Replied Applejack as she looked on in wonder.
"This card is far more than something to gawk at! It's effect allows me to special summon one level 4 machine monster from the graveyard once per turn! Although I do have to pay 500 life points to do so." Said Swift Draw with a smirk. "Now I pay 500 life points to special summon Techno Technician."
Swift Draw: 1300
A blue hue spread across the field before another Techno Technician found itself on the field.
Techno Technician - Level 4
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Machine
Attack:1300/Defence:1500
Effect: When this card is sent to the graveyard due to a card effect; special summon a Level 4 or lower MACHINE type monster from your deck to the field.
"Now I'll normal summon Techno Screw from my hand in attack mode!" Said Swift Draw.
A golden screw appeared on the field, giving off a blue aura like it's brethren.
Techno Screw - Level 2 [Tuner]
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Machine
Attack:200/Defence:1000
Description: This screw used to be a component to a powerful machine's core, through the power of the monster's core it gained a conscious.
"Now I'll show you a new summoning method! It's called Synchro Summoning!" Said Swift Draw with a smirk. "You can special summon Synchro Monsters from your Extra Deck by tuning two monsters that equal that monsters level. When Synchro summoning you have to use at least one tuner monster unless a card's effect is used to change that. Now I tune my Techno Screw and my Techno Driller and my Techno Technician!"
Multiple circular magic symbols appeared the three monsters who had now jumped up into the air. The three took up a glowing light and transcended into a new being.
"Arrive from a mechanical abyss of power; Techno Cannon!" Chanted Swift Draw as a strange golden cannon appeared on the field, a faint blue aura around it as gears placed upon it's body began moving.
Techno Cannon - Level 10
Attribute: LIGHT
Type: Machine
Attack: 2500/Defence:0
Effect: 1 Tuner + 2 Machine type monsters. This card can be equipped to a Machine type card on the field: that monster gains 'Techno Cannon's' attack points.
"Now I activate Techno Cannon's effect! I can equip him to a monster on the field and they gain Techno Cannon's attack points." Explained Swift Draw as the Cannon attached itself onto Techno Guardian's claw arm. "Since I chose my Techno Guardian he now gains enough power to destroy your monster!"
Techno Guardian - Level 8
Attack:6000
"Oh shit!" Yelled Rainbow Dash. "If Sunset doesn't do something then she'll lose!"
"I don't think she can, darling." Replied Rarity sadly. "I think she's lost this match."
"Now go! Attack Solar Queen!" Ordered Swift Draw as Techno Guardian fired off a massive blue beam that enveloped the field, causing Sunset and the girls to raise their hands to protect their eyes from the incredible display of light "Game over."
Sunset Shimmer: 0
Sunset sighed as the factory faded from the field. "Well, at least I tried."
"No need to be so upset, my dear." Spoke Swift Draw as he approached her. "You did well for a novice! I was once considered one of the best duellists in the entire world so to hold me back every now and then was no feat to laugh at!"
"Yeah Shimmy, you did great!" Exclaimed Pinkie as she jumped next to the two.
"Pinkie is right darling, you managed to keep your composure and fend for yourself. against such odds." Complimented Rarity with a smile. "I bet most amateurs wouldn't pass the second turn!"
"Yeah! You kicked ass out there Sunset!" Said Rainbow Dash with an excited fist pump.
"Y'a'll sure impressed me with your skills." Added Applejack with a tip of her hat.
"You and your monsters worked so well together!" Said Fluttershy before she quickly blushed and looked away.
"Everybody is right, Sunset." Said Twilight as she approached the ex-pony. "You're completely new to this but managed to use a deck unfamiliar to you and put some pressure on an accomplished duellist! You should be proud of yourself."
"Thanks you everypon-everybody." Said Sunset, slipping back into her old speech before quickly correcting herself. "I don't know what I'd do without you girls."
"You've got some good friends there, my dear." Said Swift Draw with an approving nod. "Say, do you all intend to become stronger?"
"Heck yeah we do!" Replied Rainbow Dash with a smug smirk.
"Hmmm..." Hummed the old man to himself as he rubbed his chin.
The rest stared awkwardly at the thinking old man, until Sunset decided to speak up and break the humming. "So, I guess I won't be getting that deck, huh?"
"Nope!" Replied the old man, slightly too cheerfully for her liking. "But if you'd like another shot at it then maybe..."
At his silence the others rolled their eyes, quickly coming to realise that trailing off in thought was common thing for him. "Maybe what?" Asked Twilight with a raised eyebrow.
"If you want to gain another opportunity to try it - then I got an idea!" Said Swift Draw with a slight smile. "What do you think about becoming my apprentice?"
Sunset blinked in surprise. "Your...apprentice?"
The old man nodded and stretched out his arm, "You have a natural gift for this! It'd be a shame to let it go to waste after the potential you've shown, so what do you think? I teach you how to play the game and when you finally eclipse me in power; I'll give you the Gods of Chaos!"
"It's like one of my comic books!" Whispered Rainbow Dash in excitement and disbelief, receiving an irritated sigh from Applejack.
"Alright then, I accept your offer." Said Sunset with a smile as she shook his hand, sealing the deal between the two of them. "But how will this even work out?"
"Hmm, come round mine at six o'clock after midday every day and we can get to teaching you how to duel." Replied Swift Draw as he pulled out a sheet of paper with numbers on it from his trousers' back-pocket. "If you can't come then all you need to do is ring this number. Feel free to bring your friends, they would probably enjoy it as well."
"Alright, sounds fair enough." Replied Sunset as she placed the sheet of paper away within her pockets. "So, I guess we should be getting now. It's looking pretty late out."
"Oh my gosh!" Shouted Twilight in surprise and slight horror. "It's eight already! We're late Sunset!"
"Late to what?" Asked Rarity with a raised eyebrow. "Going somewhere?"
"We were supposed to be babysitting for my brother's kid!" Replied Twilight as she began pacing around the backyard. "We are so dead! He's never going to trust me again and Cadence will hate me and..."
"Stop it, Twilight." Said Sunset as she hugged the girl from behind. "You need to relax and look at things a bit more clearly."
"But my glasses give me 20/20 vision." Replied Twilight with a confused expression on her face.
Sunset giggled to herself before she replied, "I meant see the big picture here. Shining is your brother and Cadence has known you since you were in Primary School! There's no way any of them are going to hate you in any way just for being unavailable once. Besides, if they need to blame somebody then they can blame me since I'm the one who kept us out for so long."
"O-oh. Yeah, now that you say it out loud like that..." Muttered Twilight with an embarrassed blush. "It does sound sort of stupid, huh? Thanks Sunset."
"How can someone so smart be so clueless sometimes?" Wondered Rainbow Dash before receiving a slap up her head from Applejack. "Ow! What was that for?!"
Applejack didn't bother responding as she walked up to the two teenagers, "So if y'all are done talkin' now, can we get a move on? I gotta get some of my chores done before sleepin'."
"Right, sorry." Said Twilight as she quickly broke herself out of the hug, much to the displeasure of Sunset as the group began to walk out of the backyard and into the store again. "Let's get going then. See you later, Swift Draw!"
"Good night! Don't go forgetting about our deal, kid!" Said Swift Draw with a friendly wave.
"Don't worry, I won't." Said Sunset as the girls walked out of the store and down the now empty street. "I guess this is where we'll split up for today."
"It would appear so, darling." Replied Rarity with a solemn nod. "But we'll meet up again in school anyway."
"Hell yeah! I've got to tell Scoots about this!" Said Rainbow Dash with a smirk on her face. "It'll blow her mind!"
"Heh, alright then. Be seeing you then!" Said Sunset as her and Twilight began to walk deeper into the city whilst the others wandered off in their own directions. "So...that was a busy day."
"For you at least. Although I must admit, making commentary from the sidelines is sort of fun." Said Twilight with a giggle. "So was that exciting enough for you, Sunset?"
Sunset pondered this for a moment, thinking back to her recent battle with the old man before nodding. "Yeah, I think it's exciting enough...although I REALLY want that Gods of Chaos deck."
"Why was you so interested with that deck anyways?" Asked Twilight in confusion. "The cards you have seem pretty decent to me."
"I'm...not sure myself if I'm going to be honest." Admitted Sunset with a frown. "It just...captivated me, I guess you could say. I don't really know how else to put it. It just overwhelmed me with a strong feeling of desire - I can still picture the box art clearly."
"Huh...that IS weird." Responded Twilight with a confused expression. "Maybe you just liked the idea of owning something that nobody else has?"
"Maybe." Replied Sunset, not truly agreeing with her own words. 'I don't know what it is but...I know that what I feel isn't a normal desire. It's strange...yet it feels right. So I'll pursue it, for now at least.' She thought to herself before she chuckled. "So, what's the plan when we head back then?"
"Well first I'll need to call up Shining and apologise for not being there for the babysitting...then we can probably binge-watch some anime?" Suggested Twilight with a shrug. "Cook up dinner and fall asleep on the couch like usual?"
Sunset snickered and nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
The two of them continued towards their house, chatting with one another and laughing at each other's antics as the moon's benevolent light shone down upon them whilst the shadows watched on from the desolate streets with malicious intent.