//------------------------------// // Journey to Duelist Kingdom:Part II // Story: An Equestrian Element // by Quillion9000 //------------------------------// Duelist Kingdom Cruise:Night… Weevil had finished settling in and was now looking for Yugi. While the insect duelist had confidence in his skills and strategy, he couldn't help worrying about that one. No matter how he tackled it, he couldn’t think of a sure-fire way to do away with Exodia. Several chance cards came to mind, but what duelist relied on dumb luck? It was just as likely those cards would get rid of other cards before doing away with Exodia. In the end, the only thing he could think was to trick Yugi into letting him see Exodia and toss them overboard. “Underwood.” A male voice called out. The insect user stopped and turned to see a teen with aqua blue eyes, long, blond hair in a pony tail, and light green eyes. He wore brown loafers, blue jeans, and a long sleeved, light blue shirt. “What do you want?” Weevil asked since normally someone wanting an autograph came out and said it. “I’m a very busy guy.” “I don’t doubt that, so I’ll get straight to the point.” The guy brought out a sizeable stack of cards and fanned them out revealing all the Battlewasp archetypal cards to Weevil’s shock. “I want to make a deal.” “Where did you get those cards!?” Weevil asked. “That’s a new archetype I’ve failed to secure for my deck since they came out.” “It doesn’t matter where I got them.” The guy retorted seriously. “All that matters is that I’m willing to give them to you in exchange for something you must do for me.” “What would that be?” Weevil asked. “You know that guy who was with Yugi and that girl?” The guy questioned. “The blond who was excited to trade. I want you to duel him before taking his deck. Once you bring it to me, I’ll exchange it for these cards.” “Heh, you want his unfinished deck?” Weevil snickered. “Surely you must be joking.” “I’m serious.” The guy returned. “Duel him right now and take his deck no matter the result. Bring it to me, and I’ll exchange it for these cards.” “Hm.” Weevil got close and investigated the cards before him. “I take it you won’t allow me to do this later.” “If you don’t do this now, you’ll just have to keep looking for these cards.” The guy declared as he tucked them safely away on his person. “Hm, it’s not like I can’t simply dispose of Exodia later while this seems like the deal of a life time.” Weevil nodded. “Very well, I’ll agree to your terms, but what do I call you?” “Blue Blood.” Blue walked away. “Come find me on the ship’s prow with the deck in hand, and we’ll make the exchange.” With Joey: Later… Joey laughed joyfully as he stared at his new cards. “I got some good card trading in!” “Joey Wheeler.” Weevil stated drawing the guy’s attention. “A moment of your time.” “Weevil.” Joey stated. “What do ya want?” "I was wondering if you'd be interested in a bit of a friendly duel.” Weevil smiled. “After thinking on Shining’s words, I want to see if there’s any validity to them. If you like, we can head to my room, so the duel can go uninterrupted." "The chance to take on a high-level duelist with no stakes. Sounds like an opportunity too good to pass up!” Joey smiled. “You’re on. ‘Sides, Yugi and Sunset shouldn’t be expecting me back for a while.” “This was easier than I thought.” Weevil grinned. “Then, let’s go.” Weevil’s Room Joey gave a whistle upon seeing the bug duelist’s digs. “Whoa, now this is more like it.” He redirected his attention to Weevil who took out his deck and had a seat at the nearby table. Joey took his respective seat across from his opponent. The two handed over and began shuffling each other's cards. They then gave back their decks, placed them on the table, and drew their starting hand. Despite only needing to secure the deck, Weevil decided it might be worthwhile to duel someone close to Yugi. After all, even the smallest amount of information was information he could use. “Let’s Duel!” (Joey 2000/Weevil 2000) “Considering I challenged you; I believe the first move should be yours.” Weevil voiced. “Alright, I draw!” Joey drew and smiled. “Just like Mr. Muto taught me.” Joey shivered slightly as he recalled the training that old man put him through, but he shook it off. “I’ll start by summoning Baby Dragon(LV 3/1200/700).” A small, orange dragon was depicted on the card. “Then, I set one card face down and end my turn.” “That’s all?” Weevil adjusted his glasses before drawing. "I expected more from the friend of the person who defeated Seto Kaiba.” Joey narrowed his eyes when he heard the teen's mocking tone. "I summon Armored Bee(LV 4/1600/1200).” An armored bee was depicted on the card. “Once per turn, this monster can target any face up monster you control and half their ATK until the end of the turn. Considering you only control Baby Dragon(LV 3/600/700 effect) he’s the obvious target. Now, my armored bee will destroy your dragon.” Joey smirked. “Nice try pal, but I’m activating my Kunai with Chain. This card has two effects that can be activated together or separately. The first will switch your monster to defense mode while the second equips this card to my monster raising his ATK by 500.” Baby Dragon(LV 3/1100/700 effect) Weevil gritted his teeth as he switched his monster to defense position. “I’ll set one card and end my turn.” Baby Dragon(LV 3/1700/700 effect) "My turn now." Joey drew his next card. “Alright, I just drew Polymerization. With this, I can combine the Flame Manipulator and Misaki the Legendary Swordsman from my hand to bring out one of my favorites. Fusion summon Flame Swordsman(LV 5/1800/1600).” A warrior in blue and orange garbs was depicted on the card. “I’ll now have him destroy your Armored Bee.” “That’s not happening because you’ve triggered my trap Mimesis.” Weevil flipped the card. “Since you targeted an insect monster I control for an attack, this card allows me to return him to my hand and special summon another level 4 or lower insect monster from my hand.” He returned Armored Bee before picking his next card. “I’ll summon my Skull-Mark Ladybug(LV 4/500/1500) in defense mode.” A black ladybug with a white skull design on the back was depicted on the card. “Then, I’ll just have my Swordsman destroy your puny ladybug.” Joey declared. “Thanks for that.” Weevil grinned. “For when this monster is sent to the grave, I gain one thousand life points (Joey 2000/Weevil 3000).” “Grr. I’ll set one card and end my turn.” Joey stated. “I draw.” Weevil drew and smirked at his card. “Rather than bring back my Armored Bee, I’ll instead summon Great Poseidon Beetle(LV 7/2500/2300).” A large, white armored beetle monster was depicted on the card. “Then, I’ll activate the quick-play Half-Shut. This spell card allows me to target any monster on the field and prevent their destruction from battle this turn. In turn, the targeted monster’s ATK is halved as compensation. I’ll target your Flame Swordsman(LV 5/600/1600 effect).” “Even if I’d stay in the game, there’s no way I’m letting you damage me that much.” Joey returned. “I activate my face down Energy Drain. Thanks to this trap, I can select 1 monster I control and increase their ATK/DEF by 200 for every card you hold until the end phase. You hold four cards, so that means my Flame Swordsman(LV 5/1400/2400 effect) gains 800 ATK/DEF. Nice try Weevil.” "That would actually be a good counter if you weren’t facing my Beetle.” Weevil laughed. “This monster is your end because every time he attacks and doesn’t destroy a monster, he can attack that same monster again.” “What, no way!” Joey exclaimed. “Even if the first two attacks wouldn’t have finished you off, this is an effect my monster can use twice per turn.” Weevil continued. “That means he can attack the same indestructible monster three times over! Judging by your reaction, two will be more than enough. Now, my beetle will end this by attacking your Swordsman twice (Joey 0/Weevil 3000).” “Oh man, I lost, and it wasn’t even close.” Joey declared in shock. Without any warning, Weevil quickly snatched everyone of Joey’s cards off the table with a smirk. All Joey could do in the moment was stare on in confusion and disbelief. Acting on instinct alone, he soon darted toward Weevil. Unfortunately, the smaller teen proved to be nimbler. He snatched up his own deck as well and darted over to the door. Joey was about to pursue him again until he noticed the sly, yet demented, grin painted on the bug duelist’s face. “This isn’t funny!” Joey declared angrily. “Give me back the deck before I pound you for it.” This threat did not phase Weevil. "Oh, I welcome you to.” He held out his arms “It’ll be all the proof I need to really get security involved and say you stole this deck from me. I mean, you already had a scuffle with them earlier. Even if you go to them right now, I can easily claim you tried to attack me, and they would take my side. I mean, who are they going to believe? Some guy who managed to only to get into the competition because of a friend, or a Regional Champion personally invited by Pegasus?" Joey’s body trembled with rage as he struggled to keep himself in check. As much as he wanted to stomp Weevil into the ground, he needed his place in Duelist Kingdom. The only chance his little sister had at retaining her eye sight was if he won. As much as he hated to admit it, Weevil was right. If security were to get involved, they would be more inclined to believe the bug duelist. Joey let out a frustrated sigh as he punched the nearby wall hard enough that his fist throbbed, but it hardly registered in the moment. The blond grit his teeth as he allowed his shoulders to slump in defeat. The glasses wearing teen chuckled as he relished the sight of a defeated opponent. With his goal accomplished, the bug user opened the door to his room. "You should run back to your friends now.” Every word Weevil spoke dripped with smugness. “Thanks again for dueling me as it has been more fulfilling than you know." Joey didn’t respond as he left the room. He flinched when he heard the door slam behind him, and his chest ended up tightening. That deck was one Grandpa Muto helped him reconstruct. Now, it was gone just like that. He hung his head. “Even if I’m still in the competition, how will I compete without a deck?” Ship Deck Yugi and Sunset had eventually moved to the ship’s deck; however, the pair were soon joined by Blue Blood. “Ah, I was hoping to come across you before we set foot on Duelist Kingdom.” Blue smiled as they looked at him. “You’re Yugi Muto, right?” “I am, but who are you?” Yugi asked. “My name is Blue Blood, and I’ve heard all about how you beat Kaiba.” Blue smiled. “Most impressive doing what no other duelist has before. I applaud you good sir.” Sunset looked at this newcomer with a raised eyebrow. Despite looking like Princess Celestia’s nephew from back home, he wasn’t acting like it; however, there was still something off about him. Something she didn’t trust… just like with Weevil. “Thanks.” Yugi stated. Blue walked around Yugi, so that he was closer to the edge of the ship, before addressing the man himself. “If it’s not too much trouble, could I see those legendary cards of yours?” Sunset didn’t like how eager this Blue Blood was. “I don’t know about this Yugi.” “What could be the harm, Sunset?” Yugi asked innocently as he retrieved the cards. “Yeah, you don’t have to worry about me.” Blue smiled. “I merely wish to see the cards that bested Seto Kaiba.” The hero user relented since at the end of the day they weren’t her cards; however, she was on guard and ready to move at a moment’s notice. Yugi handed the cards over, and Blue fanned them out before himself. “So, these are the five pieces of Exodia. Simply astounding.” Sunset and Yugi both saw a black aura wash over the five cards. “In fact, these are too astounding for a duelist like you.” Blue Blood tossed them over just as the others moved to the railing. “No!” Yugi cried. “Those where the cards grandpa gave me!” “With that, I bid you adieu.” Blue Blood declared with a smile as he walked away. “You slimy weasel!” Sunset exclaimed, but as much as she wanted to go after Blue Blood, the cards were more important. “Don’t worry Yugi.” She lept onto the railing. “I’ll get them before they’re gone.” Just as she jumped, Sunset’s eyes glowed white, and the cards vanished before her eyes. “T-They were an illusion! He still has them!” Sunset was then beneath the water. “Sunset, where are you!?” Yugi shouted worriedly until she broke the surface. “Sunset, they’re not worth you drowning!” “Er, I was sloppy.” Sunset thought as she moved in a way to stay above the water. “I should have realized what the magic meant.” “Sunset, swim towards the ship!” Yugi exclaimed as he began looking around. “I’ll find some way to get you aboard!” With no other option, as staying down here wasn’t going to help, Sunset swam for the ship. “Here, we can use this to get her up!” Tristan exclaimed. Yugi looked back to see both him and Tea were lugging a ladder. “Tristan!? Tea!?” “Yugi, we need to help Sunset!” Tea shouted. At that moment, Joey happened to be walking along the ship only to hear that Sunset needed help. When he looked up, he noticed Yugi, Tea, and Tristan were lugging a ladder to the edge. “Guys, what’s going on!?” Joey ran over immediately. “What happened? Where’s Sunset?” “She’s in the water!” Tea exclaimed. “Help us get this down to her!” Joey immediately moved to help, and they all dropped the ladder down. “Sunset, are you okay!?” Tristan shouted. “Grab a hold and we’ll pull you up!” Tea added. “Hurry!” Yugi finished. “Grab on tight!” Sunset swam over and grabbed ahold of the ladder before the three of them pulled her up. When she got back onto the ship’s deck, Sunset was doubled over taking deep breaths. As she collected herself, Joey was informed of what happened. “Someone else would take cards, and they did it to my friend!” Joey thought angry with this Blue Blood now as well. “I’m sure glad you guys turned up.” Yugi stated happily. “We’re a team.” Tea replied. “That means we stick together.” “Yeah, we watch each other’s backs.” Tristan added. “I’m sorry, Yugi.” Sunset stated. “I failed you.” “It’s alright Sunset.” Yugi assured. “No, it’s not.” Sunset stated firmly. “When I came to Japan, I had no friends thanks to the many mistakes of my past. I was fine with that until you all brought me into your group. You made me see that I didn’t want to be alone. After everything you’ve all done for me, I failed you. Blue Blood never threw the real pieces of Exodia off the ship.” Everyone gasped. “It was all an illusion done through magic. I didn’t see it, and no one else will believe it if we go to them. He’s taken your cards.” “Hey, it’s alright Sunset.” Joey crouched by her side. “You’re not the only failure because I lost my deck to Weevil.” That shocked everyone. “Now, I’m useless. I can’t help Yugi get his grandpa’s soul back, and I don’t have a shot at winning that money for my sister, Serenity.” “Is this why Joey was interested in the money?” Sunset thought. “Serenity?” Yugi questioned. “We didn’t know you had a sister Joey.” Tea added. “Our parents divorced years ago, and she lives far away with our mother.” Joey explained. “My sis has had bad eyes since she was born. Eventually, she’ll go blind.” “I’m sorry.” Yugi stated. “Thanks, Yugs.” Joey sighed. “I got a message from her. The doctors say that the time has come. Soon, her eyes will become impossible to repair even with surgery, but there are specialist who can repair her eyes before it’s too late. In the end, I could never afford the surgery for her alone, so I must win for her. Winning Duelist Kingdom, and getting that prize money, is the only way I can help her.” His eyes teared up. “Without a deck, there’s nothing I can do!” “Nothing’s over yet.” Yugi stood up and looked at his friends firmly. “Sunset, you said Blue Blood still has my Exodia pieces, so that means I can reclaim them from him. Even if I can’t, I’ll just win with the cards I do have. Joey, there’s still time before we arrive on Duelist Kingdom. I have plenty of extra cards you can have to build a new deck and trade for more cards. Just as Sunset wants to help me reclaim my grandpa’s soul, I’ll do the same in helping you get that money.” “Yeah.” Sunset finally stood and nodded determined. “Nothing’s over yet because I’m still going to give this my all. Now for Yugi’s grandpa and your sister.” She nodded. “I even have some extra cards from decks I was thinking about before my heroes. They’re all yours.” “Don’t count me out.” Tea added. “Any of my cards you want are yours as well Joey.” “Same for me.” Tristan added. “You’ve been getting into duel monsters like us?” Yugi questioned. “Hard not to when four of my pals are into the game on some level.” Tristan nodded before looking at Joey. “Bottom line is any cards of mine are yours as well Joey.” “Thanks guys.” Joey grinned and stood. “With your cards and help, I’ll put together an even better deck than before. If I run into Weevil again, I’ll defeat him as payback for taking my deck!” Through Yugi, the group’s mood drastically improved. They were all determined to help and support each other in any way they could with the coming trials. No matter what obstacles they faced, they’d face them together. Prow of the Ship Blue smirked at his recent acquisition of the five pieces of Exodia which now floated in a black sphere above his hand. In mere moments, the sphere vanished. After all, he didn’t steal these cards for his own deck. Almost as soon as they were gone, he heard a familiar voice. “Alright, I got that deck you wanted.” Blue Blood turned around and faced Weevil who was indeed holding out the deck. “Now, where is what you promised me?” “They are right here as I am a man of my word.” Blue fanned out the Battlewasp cards before holding them out. “Let’s make the exchange at the same time.” Both duelists laid their hands on the cards they desired, and with no resistance from either side, the cards traded owners. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you.” Weevil chuckled. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s so special about that deck. I’ve looked at it, and there’s nothing remarkable.” “Do you really care?” Blue Blood asked. “In the end, you’ve got what you wanted, and I’ll even tell you that I’ve stripped Yugi Muto of his Exodia.” Weevil went wide eyed at that. “I’ve already given the cards away, and they are off the ship. So, again, do you really care?” “I suppose I don’t.” Weevil walked away feeling even better about his odds in the coming tournament. “Since I didn’t ask you to, I hope you weren’t expecting a thank you.” “Trust me, getting Exodia from Yugi was all for me.” Blue Blood walked away. “I simply knew it’d appease you; however, I wouldn’t expect to win this coming tournament. After all, my deck is more powerful than the Battlewasp could ever hope to be.” Duelist Kingdom, Morning… It had taken a couple of hours to construct a deck for Joey. Everyone spent hours trading and giving advice; however, it seemed to be worth it as Joey ended up with a complete deck he felt happy with. After a few hours of sleep, the ship docked getting everyone to gather around. The gang disembarked and reconvened among the other duelists. Of course, Tristan was fortunate that his nervousness didn’t give himself and Tea away as stowaways. Still, everyone made it safe and sound to the island together. Once everyone was off the ship, one of the men from yesterday spoke up. "Welcome, all duelists! Please, follow the stairs to meet your host!" “50 bucks says we all know who’s waiting to greet us.” Sunset stated. “Pretty safe bet to make Sunset.” Yugi commented. “Well, what are we waiting for?” Joey declared before they started making their way up among the other duelists. As they climbed the stairs, Tea spotted something near the trees. “Wait, was that Bakura?” “Bakura from school?” Yugi questioned. “Is he that white haired kid I’ve seen around?” Sunset asked. “Yeah, that’s him.” Joey confirmed. “Come to think of it, Tea and I also saw him on the ship.” Tristan commented. “Yeah, but now I don’t see him out there like I thought I did.” Tea commented. “Well, if you guys saw him on the ship, maybe he’s participating in this tournament to.” Sunset stated. “Either way, he knows where to go, and so do we.” So, the group continued climbing only for Bakura to come back around a tree and peer up at them. Once everyone was gathered, it wasn’t long until Pegasus made his appearance atop a balcony. "Greetings, duelists! I am Maximillion Pegasus!” Pegasus greeted. “It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you all to Duelist Kingdom. You stand before me, the world's greatest duelists, but come tournament's end, only one shall be crowned King of Games! I implore you all to assemble your dueling decks with care, creativity, and cunning, for this competition will test your skills like never before. To track your progress in the tournament, you've each been given a dueling glove. You've also been given two, precious star chips. You must wager these star chips on each duel you compete in. To advance to the final level of competition for a chance at the three-million-dollar prize, you must win ten star chips! Ten star chips will admit you into my castle where you'll face me in one final duel! This will be a tournament unlike anything you have ever experienced. State of the art dueling arenas cover this entire island. Remember, play boldly, think strategically, and duel mercilessly! You have one full hour to prepare. When the skies light up with fireworks, the duels will begin!" The crowd cheered. America: Canterlot High School Applejack walked into the cafeteria and joined her friends at the table. Ever since realizing their mistake, lunch just wasn’t the same. It’s not that they hated each other, but they realized someone was missing. "So, anyone have any luck finding Sunset?” Applejack asked even though she already had an idea what the answer would be. "I got nothing.” Rainbow sighed. “I even found that Kev Ravenwood guy and tried to get anything more out of him. He really doesn’t seem to know anything more than what he told us.” “Uh, this would be much easier if her social media accounts were still active.” Rarity sighed as she put her head down. “Not that I can blame her for deleting them after Anon-a-Miss.” “I doubt she’d have been active on them even if she kept them up.” Fluttershy commented. Suddenly, Rainbow’s phone vibrated, and she pulled it out to see live footage from Duelist Kingdom. “Girls.” She was shocked as she rewound what she saw and paused the feed before showing it. “I think I just found a lead on Sunset.” The others were just as stunned as there was Sunset Shimmer at Duelist Kingdom. From the muttering around the cafeteria, others were quickly coming to see and share the same footage. "Sunset is at Duelist Kingdom!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Even I didn’t expect that!” “That makes no sense.” Applejack stated. “I never heard she was making a name for herself as a duelist, so how did she get into a tournament like that?” “My question is who are those four people she’s with?” Fluttershy asked. “Unlike them standing with everyone else, they seem to be particularly close in comparison.” The others took another look at the feed. “You’re right.” Rainbow looked down and sighed. “Looks like Sunset’s replaced us.” She quickly shook her head. “That doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is we have a lead on where Sunset is.” “Like that does us any good.” Rarity stated. “There’s no way any of us could get on Duelist Kingdom no matter how much we might want to.” “I wasn’t suggesting that!” Rainbow exclaimed. “What I am suggesting is that we need to prepare for the next, big tournament. If Sunset is going to start appearing at these tournaments, then being there is our chance at apologizing for Anon-a-Miss. That’s why we got to refine our skills and our decks while making names for ourselves in Canterlot.” The others looked at each other before all of them nodded resolutely. “If we start now, there’s no doubt in my mind we’ll be ready next time.” “Yeah!” The others shouted. Flash overheard the Rainbooms while he too watched the feed. The rocker agreed wholeheartedly with their sentiment and was a little more eager to get started on his own dueling skills. It was to the point that he dumped what was left of his lunch and left the cafeteria. Canterlot Halls Like many of the other students around Canterlot High, the CMC(Canterlot Movie Club), had seen Sunset among the Duelist Kingdom Duelists; however, they would not see her again unless she earned the ten star chips needed to enter Pegasus’ castle. “Do you think Sunset can actually do it?” Sweetie Bell asked. “I don’t know, but the fact that she’s there has to say something about her skills, right?” Scootaloo asked. Just like the Rainbooms and Flash, the CMC were also thinking along the same lines of getting their names out there as duelists. It would be the only chance they’d have to apologize. While they knew apologizing couldn’t make up for everything, it was a first step they had to take. “Girls, focus.” Apple Bloom stated. “We still need to come up with a way to get better at…” All three of them spotted Flash Sentry turning a corner for the hallway that led to the library. “… duel monsters. Are you two thinking what I’m thinking?” Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell nodded before all three of them ran after the rocker. In this school, Applejack, Rainbow, and Sunset had been the top three duelist, but just behind them was Flash Sentry meaning he was their best option in getting any better at the game than they were. “Flash! Flash! Flash!” Flash stopped and turned only to be met with the CMC. “What do you three want?” Despite everything that happened, no matter how others might feel, Flash was honestly indifferent to these three. Like everyone, he guessed, he didn’t truly blame the CMC for everything that happened. Oh sure, they started this mess, but it takes two to tango. In this case, the whole school played a part in what happened with the only one who had any right to feel angry about this being Sunset. Considering she left before the truth came to light, no one currently had the right to be mad at anyone in his opinion. “We want you to train us to be better duelist!” All three of them shouted at once. “Why?” Flash asked. “Applejack and Rainbow Dash have me beat, and you’re their family.” He noticed how all three of them looked at each other with sad eyes. “If you three think they won’t help you, especially with what I think you want to do, then…” “It’s not that.” Scootaloo interrupted. “We talked with our sisters, well in my case adoptive sister, after everything was done.” “They let us know that they do love us even if they’re disappointed in what we did.” Sweetie Bell continued. “Honestly, they have every right to.” “Even knowing now what we should have before, the three of us don’t want to rely on them for this.” Apple Bloom added. “If we’re going to fix this, it won’t be by piggy backing off them.” “Asking you to train us is our own step towards trying to make amends.” They all finished. “So, please train us!” “Well, I’m not sure seeking help from me isn’t piggy backing, but I suppose I can understand considering the Rainbooms were the most affected, aside from the victim, in all of this. Even though these three aren’t the best, they’re not the worst duelist in school either. Training them could just as easily train me considering I’d always have three willing training partners. Helping them improve would only make them that much better as opponents.” Flash sighed. “Alright, I’ll train you three.” “Yay!” The girls all yelled. “Come on.” Flash nodded. “We’ll find an empty room and have a three on one duel with the time we have left. By going all out against me, I’ll get a true scope of just how good you three are.”