//------------------------------// // Turn 23: A Heated Welcome // Story: Crossover Into Chaos // by dabestgamer //------------------------------// “Twilight, are you sure?” Fluttershy asked. “Yeah. If I can get into my castle and free everypony that’s been captured, I should be able to rally them and the rest of Ponyville to drive the humans and those dogs out,” Twilight replied. Twilight sat on Applejack’s bed, staring out the window while Fluttershy stood in the doorway, having come to check on her. “Um… do you plan to free everypony… all by yourself?” “I might have to. If I try to gather other ponies to breach the castle, I risk them getting captured prematurely. I don’t want that.” “But what about—” “Please don’t bring him up.” “B-but… if he’s able to help us, then surely—” “I don’t know right now!” The pegasus whimpered. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I just…” Twilight paused. “I’m just not sure about him right now. There’s just too much that happened recently and I really don’t feel like taking any risks right now—at least not more than I have to. I may just end up heading to the castle alone.” Fluttershy could only muster up a concerned look while she glanced at her friend. Despite the gap in her own memory, it was obvious enough that Twilight had changed in the past few days. Could she blame her? No, she couldn’t, not that Fluttershy typically had it in herself to really blame anypony—or anyone, in Yusei’s case—for most things. “Well… you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Fluttershy asked. “I appreciate the offer, Fluttershy, but I really don’t want them to capture you again,” Twilight answered. “Last thing I’d want is for you to get trapped inside some giant monster again.” Not that Fluttershy could really remember being trapped inside one in the first place. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to try and do everything by yourself, Twilight,” said Fluttershy. “I don’t think I have any other options,” Twilight replied, laying her head on the bed. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to—” “No.” “But…” “No.” Fluttershy sighed. “I’ll just… come back later.” The pegasus turned away from the doorway and began trotting down the wooden stairs. Sure, while it’s probably true that things could’ve ended badly, but she was alive and well in the end. As long as Yusei promises not to be as reckless, it should be fine, right? And hopefully the rest of their friends are still okay? “Is it even possible to check where that other… bike is?” Fluttershy wondered, glancing upstairs as if wanting to head back up. “Maybe I should… leave her alone for a bit. Yusei might know.” Her eyes caught sight of a green elderly pony as she approached the front door. “Poor Granny Smith…” “Yer crazier than Applejack tryin’ to harvest the entire Sweet Apple Acres in one Applebuck season!” Granny Smith shouted, standing firm in the doorway. “But Granny Smith, he—” Fluttershy began. “His kind ain’t welcome here!” the elderly mare interrupted. Twilight did not object, while Yusei turned away like a child being scolded. “He has nowhere else to go right now!” “Oh, yes he does. With the rest of the varmints that done kidnapped Big Mac and the young’uns! Now git!” Granny Smith slammed the front door closed behind her. Fluttershy turned towards Yusei and Twilight. “I’m sorry… she just wouldn’t listen to me.” “Who can blame her?” Yusei said. “I’m sure the inhabitants of the town feel the same way as she does.” “Twilight? Maybe you can—” “No,” Twilight replied. “…Twilight?” “I don’t think I’ll be able to convince her to let him stay here.” “We can’t just leave Yusei out here on his own.” Twilight paused. “You’re not wrong. I’ll see what I can do.” “Are you sure?” Yusei asked. “It should be fine as long as it’s temporary, but I can’t make promises.” “I understand.” From all the yelling Fluttershy and Yusei had heard from outside, they knew it was anything but an easy task. The fact that Twilight managed to convince Granny Smith to let Yusei stay in the Apple family’s barn for the time being was a miracle in its own right. Fluttershy could only wonder how things got so terrible so quickly. As she walked over to the barn, her thoughts were on Twilight and Yusei once more. He couldn’t be a terrible—what was the word Twilight used again? Human. No, he didn’t seem like a bad human. Even with what Twilight said he did, he has been kind to Fluttershy since she regained consciousness. All she could figure was that whatever Twilight must’ve seen scared her a lot for her to end up the way she is currently. Although, she did say that Fluttershy almost died; that’s more than reason enough to be afraid. Even so, there’s no way Yusei could be all bad. Didn’t he say something about not having a choice when he was talking to Twilight back at the cottage? If there really wasn’t another option, then it’s understandable. Okay, maybe not that understandable. Still, things worked out for the better, relatively speaking, and Yusei did say he’d stop taking such big risks in the future. Surely, they could give him the benefit of the doubt—at least Fluttershy would while Twilight may need some more time. “Um… Yusei?” Fluttershy called out as she opened the barn door, scanning the interior. “What is it?” Yusei asked, shifting some hay around. “What are you doing?” “Covering my Runner with hay for the time being.” “Oh. Um, Twilight said something about a… human, I think… trapping me in a card? And how you and he were fighting?” Yusei moved one last chunk of hay into place before turning towards the pegasus. “Yeah, that’s right.” “You wouldn’t… happen to know where exactly that was, would you?” “In the forest. I believe she said it was called the Everfree Forest.” Fluttershy gulped. “Oh. Um… d-do you happen to know where in the Everfree Forest?” Yusei shook his head. “Twilight used her magic to teleport us out. There’s no way I’d be able to retrace our steps back to where we Dueled.” “Oh…” Fluttershy looked back towards the house. “Then I guess Twilight really would be the only one to know… but the Everfree Forest is so… big.” “By the way, Fluttershy.” “Y-yes?” “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask about. The weather and natural light haven’t changed one bit since we arrived here. Is there a reason why that is?” “Why do you ask? Is the weather different in your world?” “Different?” “Well, yes. Here in Equestria, the pegasi are responsible for the weather. Doesn’t that happen in your world?” “No. Humans aren’t capable of manipulating the weather. It’s more like it acts on its own.” “That… sounds an awful lot like the Everfree Forest. The clouds and weather move on their own. Not only that, the animals fend for themselves and plants don’t need our help, either.” “What do you mean?” “It’s usually up to us ponies to tend to the animals. The land is cared for by the earth ponies and, as I said earlier, the pegasi control the weather… but for some reason, my friend Rainbow Dash had some trouble getting rid of those clouds that are up above us now.” “I see, but what about the daylight? It hasn’t been dark in several hours.” “That’s because Princess Celestia controls the sun while Princess Luna controls the moon. I’m not sure why they haven’t done anything about it… or about these humans in Ponyville…” “Celestia, you say?” “Y-yes… is something wrong?” Yusei searched his memory for a bit. A blinding light engulfed the area. Yusei looked up as it faded. Before him stood a large white alicorn with mane that seemed to flow in the wind, even in its absence. Twilight was arched over the alicorn’s back. “Who’s that?” he asked. Twilight opened her eyes, immediately recognizing the newcomer. “I’m sorry I took so long, Twilight,” she said. “Princess Celestia?!” Twilight exclaimed, stumbling onto the concrete and embracing her former mentor. “That’s Princess Celestia?” Yusei said. “Is something wrong, Yusei?” Fluttershy asked. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have the power to control the sun and the moon, right?” Yusei responded. “Y-yes…” “When we saw Princess Luna back in New Domino City, she seemed to be under their control.” “She what?!” Fluttershy gasped. “And Princess Celestia… she…” With the last of her strength, Celestia conjured up an explosion of light, tearing up the Duel Lane as it expanded. Noticing the Duel Lane crumble, Yusei started up his Duel Runner and drove into the portal, his dragon close behind. “Yusei, stop!” Twilight shouted. She and Yusei gasped as she turned her head to look behind them. Pieces of the Duel Lane fell from the smoke toward the sea. Among the falling debris was a white alicorn. Twilight cried out her name as she and Yusei vanished into the light. “She sacrificed herself… to make sure Twilight and I would make it here to Equestria,” Yusei stated. “Th-that’s… that’s horrible!” Fluttershy’s voice shook. “Maybe this is another reason why Twilight feels the way she does towards Yusei.” “To be able to move the sun and moon on a daily basis must take a considerable amount of power. Yet… that group was able to control one and defeat the other…” he thought. “Just who are they?” The two found themselves startled by a sudden explosion. Before they could catch a glimpse of the cause, Fluttershy shrieked as she was grabbed by a large armored canine. “Fluttershy!” Yusei shouted. “So this is where you’ve been hiding, Yusei Fudo,” a male voice said. “It was annoying enough that those dogs were dumb enough to take your bait, and even more so that the cottage was empty. Whatever. We have you now.” A hooded man appeared at the barn’s entrance. “Who are you?” “My name isn’t important. Take her away.” “Yusei! Help!” Fluttershy cried as her captor carried her away. “Let her go!” Yusei demanded, sprinting towards the barn door. “No, you don’t!” The hooded man raised his Duel Disk and inserted a card into its Spell and Trap Card Zone. Yusei braced himself for the gust he felt, only for it to knock him over. “What was that?” he wondered. “It’s over, Yusei. You and the pegasus are coming with us now, along with the princess.”