It's Time To Duel!

by DagaYemar

Game Start

“Hey Yugi! It looks like we’re here!” Joey shouted, pressing himself against the glass to get a better view.

Yugi Muto joined his friend at the helicopter’s window and looked down at the island they were swiftly approaching. Duelist Kingdom, the private island owned by the creator of Duel Monsters, lay spread out before them in all its glory. Their helicopter was heading for a landing pad adjacent to the castle in the center of the island, but they were already low enough for the two of them to make out individual features of the island.

Suddenly, Yugi’s attention was caught by a large yacht that had just docked in the bay. There were a number of people getting off the ship and for a split second Yugi felt like one of them was staring back up at him. He sucked in a small, startled breath, but they were passed the group before he could study them any further.

Is something wrong, Partner? A familiar voice in his head asked.

Yugi shook his head and smiled ruefully. No, it’s nothing. “I wonder why Pegasus wanted to meet with us?” he asked aloud.

“I dunno…” Joey said, pulling back from the window to flop against the back of his plush seat. “All we were told before getting rushed on’ta this copter was something about a promotional tournament. Not that I mind anyone who wants ta duel me, but you’d think they’d give us a little warning before hustling us off like a bundle of laundry.”

“Yeah…” Yugi sighed, glancing once more out the window. “This place doesn’t bring up the greatest memories. And it feels strange coming back here without Tristan or Tea.”

“They said they were busy.” Joey said casually, slipping his hands behind his head. “Can’t expect them ta drop everything ta follow us around every time we duel. I’m mostly worried Pegasus is luring us here for some otha’ reason than he’s told us. Nyeeh… like sucking out our souls or something!”

“Well, you can ask him yourself in a minute.” Yugi said, spotting a familiar red-dressed figure standing on the rapidly approaching landing pad.

“Yugi-boy!” Maximillion Pegasus shouted with his usual grand way of talking, opening his arms wide for his guests as they disembarked from the helicopter. “So good to see you again! And dear Joey, how are you doing, my boy?”

“What’s tha big idea, Pegasus? What kind of tournament is this that you had ta bring us all tha way out here?” Joey demanded, pointing a finger right up in their host’s face.

Pegasus casually brushed Joey’s finger aside without twitching an eye. “All in good time, my young friend. I wouldn’t want to explain it more than once.” He gestured at two familiar figures standing just on the edge of the platform.

“Mai!” Joey shouted in surprise.

“And Bakura!” Yugi added, walking over to the two of them. “What are you two doing here?”

“Same as you, I expect.” Mai said, smiling a greeting. “Pegasus invited us for some kind of tournament.”

“Although I’m a bit surprised I was invited. I’m not as strong as the rest of you.” Bakura put in, with his usual modesty.

Pegasus started herding the lot of them towards the castle proper. “Actually, it’s because you all get along so well with Yugi-boy here that I gathered you. You see, I’ve entered in on a little bet, and to win I have to put together a team of duelists. I thought that a group of friends would work together better than strangers, and you all were the first ones to come to mind!”

“I think calling us friends is a bit of a stretch.” A snide voice interrupted as yet another familiar figure stepped out from the shadows as they arrived at the castle gates.

“Kaiba!” Joey shouted in surprise, before quickly falling into his usual anger for the rich snob. “So Pegasus brought you here too?”

“Ha! As if I’d waste my time on a silly thing like this if I had any choice.” Seto Kaiba glared daggers at Pegasus as they were ushered inside. “I only came back to this miserable island to deal with some final legal paperwork Pegasus managed to cling to regarding ownership of duel disks. If he hadn’t made participation in this tournament a condition to handing them over, I’d have blown this rock the minute his signature hit the paper.”

“Oh calm down, rich guy?” Mai said, sticking up her nose at his attitude. “With the lot of us all fighting together, do you really think this is going to last very long?”

Kaiba grunted and crossed his arms, but fell in behind the group without further comment.

Pegasus clapped his hands and ushered them down the corridor they all remembered as leading to the roof of the castle. “That’s the spirit. Now step lively! I’m sure my other guests will have already arrived while we were getting reacquainted. Don’t want to keep them waiting!”

So, this sounds like just a normal tournament. Yugi thought as they approached a large ornate door at the end of corridor. What do you think, Pharaoh?

Yugi’s other half, the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, manifested just over his shoulder. It sounds like he’s genuine, but with Pegasus, things never seem to end quite as simply as they begin. We should keep a close eye on him, just in case.

You’re right. Yugi thought. At that moment Pegasus pulled the big doors open and Yugi shaded his eyes against the sudden bright light…

…

Twilight Sparkle glanced up as the sound of a helicopter passing overhead caught her attention. She shaded her eyes against the sun and for a second thought she saw someone peering out from one of its side windows. She felt a brief thrill of recognition, but before she could place it the helicopter buzzed past and was gone.

“Come on, Twi, or you’re gonna be left behind.” Applejack called.

Twilight blinked and shook her head, coming out of her momentary daze. “Sorry, be right there.” She hefted her shoulder bag containing her duel disk and walked down the ramp of the yacht, quickly catching up to her friends. Together, they started climbing the stone staircase up to the castle proper.

“Duelist Kingdom!” Rainbow Dash cheered, spreading her arms wide and taking it all in. “I can’t believe we’re finally here! I’ve been waiting to visit the birthplace of Duel Monsters for forever! Do you feel me, Pinkie?”

“You know it!” Pinkie shouted. “I’m ready to DUEL!”

Rainbow rubbed her hands in anticipation. “Do you think the Duel King is going to be here? I’d love to test my skills against his!”

“I think that’s going to be a given.” Rarity supplied absently, flipping through her cards one last time to make sure they were perfect. “That one’s good, but I don’t know if this one’s fit for such an occasion… oh, I MUST keep this one…”

“Speakin’ of which, you haven’t told us much about this.” Applejack said to the seventh member of their group. “Didn’t you used to work for Pegasus?”

“I still do.” Celestia said, guiding them up to the castle’s gates and nodding to the waiting attendants familiarly. She continued as the doors were opened for them and they entered the old castle. “Pegasus is an old friend of mine. Back when the game really took off world-wide, I agreed to head up the departments that were starting up in other countries. That’s how I came to meet you girls. But he hasn’t had more than minor contact in years. I was surprised as the rest of you when he called up to propose this little contest.”

“Which you have told us almost nothing about…” Applejack mumbled under her breath, but she broke out in a wide, innocent grin when Celestia shot a glare her way.

“Is there anything we should be worried about?” Twilight asked.

“No, it’s just a minor wager between the two of us. You girls just enjoy yourselves.” Celestia said. She led them through a number of hallways before ending up in a long one with a grand doorway at the end of it. She strode purposely towards it and her students followed.

“Well, I’m worried. We aren’t going to be on television, are we?” Fluttershy asked. She kept nervously pulled a lock of hair down in front of her eyes as she walked.

Rainbow wrapped an arm around her and gave her a reassuring hug. “Come on, it can’t be any worse than the Summer Sun Tournament. Remember that one? You trounced me real good that time!”

Rainbow’s enthusiasm was infectious, but Twilight found herself holding back from celebrating just yet. She had an odd feeling, and she had learned to listen when her sixth sense started acting up. But what could happen? Celestia is here with us, and this is just a simple tournament for fun. There shouldn’t be any danger…

She was interrupted from further introspection when Celestia pulled open the wide doors at the end of the hall, flooding them with bright light. Twilight held up her hands to shield from the glare…

…

“My dear Celestia, it has been far too long!” Pegasus called gaily, quickly crossing the intervening space to the other doorway. He clasped Celestia’s hands warmly and shook them, glancing over the rest of the group. “Are these the girls you’ve been telling me so much about?”

Celestia nodded. “And I suppose that group over there are the duelists you’re so proud of? We’d better get this started, before they grow too bored with your theatrics. We can catch up another time.”

“Oh, if you insist!” Pegasus replied with mock injury in his voice, before gesturing for the two groups to make their way together.

The top of the castle had been cleared out and a large metal duel arena built right into the middle of it. Lines in the ground marked where the players were to stand and where the spectators were to watch from. Each half of the field was divided into ten squares, two rows of five each. Pegasus and Celestia stood in the middle of the arena, watching as their respective teams converged and appraised one another.

“Hey, is that him? The King of Games?”

“It totally is! I call dibs!”

Joey grinned and elbowed Yugi in the side. “Hey, listen to that, Yug. You’ve got some fans!”

Yugi laughed haltingly and tried to look anywhere but at the girls pointing at him.

“Now then, I welcome you all to my humble home!” Pegasus began, drawing everyone’s attention. “I'm excited to see what you all can do, utilizing cards and strategies from half a world apart! The tournament will be one on one games, continuing until there is only one side left standing. No duelist may play a second time until each of your team of six has had a turn and then only in back to back duels if you have no more teammates standing.”

“If your teammate loses a round, they’re out.” Celestia continued. “However, you get to play first in the next game. Other than that, you are each free to decide when you want to duel and who you want to go up against. There are no time limits, so enjoy yourselves as much as you want.”

“Just one problem.” Kaiba interrupted. “It looks like you forgot how to count, because our side only has five members in it.”

Pegasus tsked and waved his finger. “Not quite, Kaiba-boy! See, I was so looking forward to this little get together that I thought it would be more fun if I joined in on it too. I’ll be playing on your team.”

“Say what?!” Kaiba said, stricken.

“We have to duel against the creator of the whole game?” Rarity gasped in disbelief.

“How is that fair?!” Rainbow shouted, almost leaping up onto the stage before Applejack restrained her.

“I have to agree.” Celestia said, turning to fully face him on the stage. “This gives your side an unfair advantage. I would not have agreed to this if I had known.”

“I see.” Pegasus said with a smile, nonchalantly turning to face her as well. “Well, how about a little side duel then? If you win, I will bow out and allow the tournament to go on five against six. But if I win, then I get to continue as planned. Sound fair?”

Celestia breathed in slowly and let it out in a sigh, reaching around to a pouch on her belt and unclipping a deck box. “Very well. I can’t say this comes as a surprise, though. You never could resist getting involved.”

The two of them turned to walk to either end of the arena, but Twilight darted out and grabbed Celestia’s sleeve. “Wait a minute! Don’t you need…?”

“I entrusted those to you, Twilight.” Celestia said, placing her hands on Twilight’s shoulders. “You’ve earned them. I can handle Pegasus on my own, easy.”

Twilight nodded and stepped back, allowing her mentor the trust she deserved. Celestia smiled and walked swiftly over to her place on the stage. Immediately the lines on the ground lit up, and at some unseen signal a large section the size of a decent school desk rose up on a pillar to about waist height in front of each of them. Since neither of them used a duel disk, they placed their decks on the platform and readied themselves. Holographic emitters all around the room glowed into life, bathing the field in additional light.

“Alright, Maximillion.” Celestia said, laying her hand on top of her deck. “Let’s begin!”