//------------------------------// // The Duel of the Year // Story: Magical Mysteries of Hogwarts: Second Year // by Juliaa //------------------------------// "Bombarda!" Mel yelled as explosion hit near Fluttershy. "Expelliarmus!" she yelled. Mel laughed: "Protego! Is this really the best you got?" "I don't want to hurt you!" "Well I want to hurt you!" Mel was angry. "Flipendo!" "Protego!" Applejack jumped in. She was shocked to see Rainbow passed out. "What happened here?!" "No time to explain!" "There will be more time to fight, soon enough. For now, good luck finding the last crystal. You'll need it", she winked. Before she disappeared Applejack and Fluttershy saw a crystal necklace around Mel's neck. "She has the last crystal?" They were both shocked. "Let's take Rainbow to Madame Pomfrey", Applejack said. She was worried about her girlfriend. One would think this would be more epic battle but the real battle is to come soon. _____ Applejack, Sunset and Fluttershy were the only ones left from the group to save the rest of their friends and the world. "I don't understand anything that is going on anymore!" Fluttershy was confused. "Why would Mel do that?" Applejack asked. "Who cares? We need to stop her and we need to do it now! Before she does any more damage!" Sunset was determined. Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by an owl bringing a letter. "This all ends tonight", Fluttershy read out loud, "'meet me by the lake at midnight if you aren't afraid of a little duel. Mel'" "Great..." Applejack facepalmed. "No, no, this is good. The sooner we get this done with the better! Besides there's 3 of us and 1 of her", Sunset was glad. "Okay listen!" she started, "Fluttershy contact Discord for help!" "I can't... I don't know where he is." "Okay then we go without him!" "Isn't the lake a little open and visible to everyone to have a duel?" Applejack was skeptic. "It is but who cares! Maybe someone comes to help us! I just want this over with!" "Okay... will we invite the rest?" Applejack asked. "No way! We don't know what kind of curse she put on them! We can't risk it." "So just 3 of us?" "Yes." "Against her?" "What if Shining Armor and Candence appear?" Fluttershy was still stressing. "Then we defeat them too!" Sunset yelled. "Woah, calm down a bit, Sunset! I think you may be putting too much faith in 3 of us", Applejack was awkward. "I just can't wait anymore for something to happen! It feels like we are in the middle of some crossover fanfiction that's been going on for over a year and it still has no end! I need answers! I need stuff to happen! I need to know!" Sunset was frustrated. "Crossover fanfiction?" Fluttershy was even more worried and confused. "Harry Potter or whatever!" "What does Harry Potter have to do with this? He still doesn't go to Hogwarts?" "Now she sound as crazy as Pinkie Pie!" Applejack was seriously worried for her friend's health but decided not to say anything further. "Just... forget it." "Look, we all want to help our friends as badly as you do! But a little better preparation and plan won't hurt!" Applejack tried to calm her down. "You're right! Let's first think of a plan and then go there!" Sunset agreed. "See? Now we are getting somewhere!" _____ It was time! For the biggest battle of the school year! Or so they said. Applejack was nervously waiting for 10 minutes to pass to hit midnight: "you know if Rarity was here, she would probably make us wear something she designed just for this occassion! She somehow always has new clothes for all of us for every occasion!" She was always impressed by that, even though she would never admit it out loud. "I! Am! TERRIFIED!" Fluttershy was shaking. "It's going to be all right, sugarcube! We got each other to protect ourselves!" Applejack was calming her down. "We still don't know where is Discord", she pointed out. "Let's hope he is far from here!" Applejack said knowing the battle is about to come. In the meantime, Sunset was going through the spells for dueling in her head. She was slowly whispering them out loud. "I see you are nervous too!" "Who wouldn't be?" "You got a point!" Applejack agreed. "These are the longest 10 minutes ever!" A voice behind them said. They all froze and turned around. And to their surprise they saw Trixie standing there. "Trixie? What in the world are you doing here?" Applejack was first to speak. "Well for starters, I was wondering what the 3 of you are doing out this late and went to check." "You were spying on us?" "Not the point! I see you have been sneaking aroumd without Rainbow?" "Let's not talk about that right now!" Applejack was angry. "Then let's talk about what is happening here?" "You will ruin the whole mission, Trixie!" Sunset was angry. "MOVE!" "Someone is annoyed!" "Can you.. uhm.. maybe please go back to your dorm. We can tell you tomorrow about it?" Fluttershy tried to be nice. "Too late! I am here now and I will join!" Trixie was proud. "Then get ready to fight!" Sunset said as she noticed shadows approaching them. "Wait what?" Trixie panicked. Shadows became clearer. Clock striked midnight. In front of them were standing Shining Armor Cadence and Mel holding her wand pointed to Discord she was holding. "Discord! Oh no!" Fluttershy yelled. "Looks like you didn't even bring any backup!" Mel was laughing. "How lame!" "Hey! I am here!" Trixie protested. "Exactly!" Mel was angry. "Let's save the talk for another time, shall we?" Cadence said. "Yeah, you give us crystals we give you Discord!" Shinning armor was smiling. He alwass held himself proudly. "Or", Sunset began. She was determined to win, to get their fight over with and bring back her ex to normal, to fix everything back, to save crystals, and now Discord too and to bring them back to Azkaban, "we take back Discord and your crystal too!" "I would love to see you try!" Mel smiled.