Applebloom led the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Applejack, and Arrox to the clubhouse. During the walk Arrox asked Scootaloo some questions about what she does. "So what made you come to the conclusion that playing a card game can get you a Cutie Mark?" he asked.
"Well, there was a tournament twelve years ago in Manehatten. It was the final round and both players were down to 50 Life Points. One player then got all five Exodia Pieces in his hand and won. He got his Cutie Mark that looked like the five cards that have the Exodia pieces. I was thinking that once I was strong enough, I'll play in a tournament and get my Cutie Mark!"
"Really!? Sweet Celestia if that really is true I better get started!"
"Seeing as though you're a duelist, and a blank flank like us, I'll allow you to join up with us!"
"Thanks Scootaloo!"
"Shouldn't we make a decision first Scoots?" Applebloom asked.
"Well I trust him," Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle replied.
"Oh alright..." Applebloom stopped them all. "Hey, look! Another duel! That must be like four or five today!"
"Who's dueling?" Arrox asked.
"Looks like Rainbow Dash and... uh... somepony with a red and green mane... Why the hay are you askin' me? Ah don't know."
They seemed to be in the middle of a duel. They both had monsters on the field. "I, the Blazing Tornado, will take you out next turn," said the new pony.
"Bring it on! No one came close to beating my Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Rainbow Dash replied.
Turn 12: New Pony - 2800 Life Points | Rainbow Dash - 3000 Life Points
"Roc from the Valley of Haze, hang in there." The new pony drew her next card and gasped. Nitro Synchron! she thought. "I summon Nitro Synchron!" Nitro Synchron appeared on the field.
"A Tuner Monster! That means she can Synchro Summon a Level 8 on her field!" Arrox said. The mare looked at him. She never used Synchros before in a duel.
"I tune Nitro Synchron with Roc from the Valley of Haze and Synchro Summon... pause for dramatic effect..." She raised her left hoof as the new Synchro Monster appeared. "STARDUST DRAGON!" Then she flipped open a spell card. "I activate Megamorph! As long as I have less Life Points than you I give my card double attack! If more, it is halved!" Stardust Dragon went to 5000 Attack Points. Rainbow Dash clapped her hooves.
"Good move!" she complimented.
"Thank you," the pony replied. "Stardust Dragon, attack!" Stardust Dragon destroyed Blue Eyes White Dragon. Rainbow Dash felt her Life Points drop to 1000. Stardust then powered down to 1250. The pony then played one card facedown. "That ends my turn!"
"I draw!" Rainbow Dash drew one card. "I activate Nightmare's Steelcage!"
"Reverse Card! Magic Jammer!" Nightmare's Steelcage was destroyed. Rainbow Dash then Special Summoned Cyber Dragon. She then used it to attack and destroy Stardust Dragon. The New Pony felt her Life Points fall from 2800 to 1950. It was then her turn. She drew her next card. It turned out to be the card she wanted. In her hand she had all 5 pieces of Exodia. "Hey Rainbow Dash!"
"What now?"
"I have all five pieces of Exodia now!"
Rainbow Dash nearly passed out hearing this. Knowing the effects of Exodia the Forbidden One, she set her Life Points to 0. "I lost... It felt good! I never done an 8000 Point Duel before and it felt so good! Tell me, what's your name?" she asked the pony.
"I'm Jhi. My parents don't even know what that means. Thanks for the duel though, Rainbow Dash."
"No problem!" Jhi then went over to Arrox and the others. "Thanks for telling me when to Synchro Summon. Can you tell me more?" she asked Arrox politely.
"Well to use a Synchro monster you only need one tuner and one or more non-tuners. They need to add up to the same level as the monster you wish to Synchro Summon. Synchro Monsters have a White Frame," Arrox explained.
"Gee, how do you know so much about Duel Monsters?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I think I read the rulebook twenty times."
"The Blazing Tornado now burns stronger thanks to you," Jhi said. "Tell me fellow colt, who are you and what are you doing?"
"My name is Arrox. I am in search of excellent duelists so I can join a tournament."
"Quick question, why is there a booster box in between us?"
"I'm in the middle of building my own deck with the cards in this box."
"I'm a great deck builder. Maybe I can help you."
"To the clubhouse!" Applebloom called out. Jhi followed Applejack, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Arrox to the clubhouse. Rainbow Dash tagged along to make sure nothing bad happens.
Later after the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Arrox, and Jhi entered the clubhouse, Arrox set the booster box on a table. "Let me see the deck you're working on," Jhi said. Arrox got out the 10 cards. Jhi thought for a moment. "Let me see what I can do..." Jhi opened up the third pack and got some really weird cards except for a Rare Derpy Hooves (Level 5). "If I were you, stick to the deck you have now. This may take a few days." Arrox nodded in agreement and walked over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. As he did, he noticed her flank was as blank as his. Maybe we are pursuing the same goal, he thought.
"We need to decide which two decks are the strongest, but how will we do it with only three players? We should have a fourth to make it work..." Scootaloo said.
"So you're saying we should do a Tag-Team Battle?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Ah think that's what she's sayin' Sweetie Belle," Applebloom replied.
"Hey, I've got an idea! How about I join in this duel?" Arrox asked.
"Good idea!" said the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Outside and to the field!"
The four walked outside. Applejack didn't know what was going on. She was still new to the Cutie Mark Crusaders playing Duel Monsters. Rainbow Dash thought they were going for a four-way duel.
All four ponies put on their duel disks and activated them. "Ah am still confused... What is a tag duel?" Applebloom asked.
"A tag duel is when you play a duel with one ally. Both players share the same Life Points. The player on the left side of the tag team usually starts. When their turns are completed, the players on the right then go," Arrox replied.
"Thanks for telling me that. I was mostly used to one-on-one duels."
"How will the teams be set up Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Applebloom and Sweetie Belle versus me and Arrox," she replied.
"This'll be fun! Let's start it up right away!" Arrox suggested.
"LET'S DUEL!" the four shouted.