“So your supposed to be tough?” Alexis asked as she readied her duel disc looking at Mai Valentine who readied her duel disc in response and both prepared to duel as Jaden sat by watching. Elsewhere Zane and Aster were having a rematch, with the winner getting all the pride from the duel and also hoping to win two extra star chips from the duel.
“So who’d you recommend we duel first, Yugi?” Twilight asked as they walked through a forested area. So far they had not bumped into anyone else, not that Twilight was in any rush to start duelling people, the fact remained they didn’t know much about their cards, Twilight had looked over the cards a few times now but even with Yugi’s help the use of the deck wasn’t clear. It made things even worse that either Fluttershy or herself did not have any experience duelling “Well?”
Yugi sighed shaking his head “I’m afraid with all the duellists I don’t know, I wouldn’t know who to challenge for certain, you might want to see if it’s possible to switch your deck out for something else because as things stand that deck might only lead to defeat” Yugi said with a sad sigh “Otherwise we’ll just have to see who we come across first. Also I wouldn’t gamble both your star chips in your first duel” he elaborated by saying “You might very well lose the first duel”
Basil ruffled and said “Yeah right. Twilight will most certainly kick any opponent’s deck into the long grass!” he smiled with a big grin.
“Not if the grass fights back” a voice said behind them, they turned to see the signers, Akiza standing in front of the group and she said “I challenge you to a duel!” she pointed to, Fluttershy “Or are you just some fangirl!”
Fluttershy tried to hide behind Basil “No, I’m not ready!” but Basil turned and she looked up at the kind hare’s face “Please…no”
“Ma ladies, if we are to save our friends…then you’re going to have to accept this challenge and promptly kick her ass!” he said before turning to Akiza and saying “No offence” Fluttershy nodded and readied her duel disk “Jolly good show!” Akiza nodded and the two stood across from each other. Basil smiled as Yugi, Joey, Twilight and himself walked over to where the other group was sitting and the duel began.
Akiza smiled across and asked “So may I get a name and do you want to go first?” Akiza looked at the timid girl across from her, clearly she wasn’t the most confident person but that didn’t matter as long as she was a duellist worth duelling “Well?” she asked kindly.
“Um…my name’s…Fluttershy and…whatever you want” Fluttershy said rubbing her arm trying to hide behind her curtain of hair, she didn’t want to duel, besides surely all they needed was for Twilight to win and she wouldn’t need to keep duelling.
“I’m sorry, what was that? It sounded like Fluttershy” Akzia said sounding very confused “You do know you have to declare your moves loud enough for your opponent to hear them? I’ll go first then!” she felt frustration as she drew a card from her deck and said “I’ll start by summoning Bird of Roses in attack mode!” the massive bird monster appeared screeching it’s battle cry and Akiza said “I end my turn by playing a card face down”
Basil sighed and said “I hope Fluttershy doesn’t let the tension of this first duel get to her” he looked at Akiza with a frown “Because her opponent certainly seems like a jolly tough opponent” he then noticed the looks he was getting from Crow and Jack who both looked a little uncertain “Um what’s wrong?”
“Did you just say this is your friend’s first duel?!” Crow asked clearly concerned, Leo and Luna then heard the conversation and both turned with horrified expressions “Because if that’s the case she's in real trouble! Akiza’s duelling skills are fearsome!”
Fluttershy looked at her hand and flinched unsure of what to do “Um…I summon…um…Pikachu smash in defence mode” she said as the Pikachu appear with 800 attack points and 1200 defence points but it wasn’t in defence mode, the energetic monster jumped excitingly in attack mode and Joey noticed as he ran forward “What’s wrong?”
Joey looked into her eyes and said “Do you know how to work a duel disc?” he had heard his sister had once made the same horrible mistake and Tristan had paid the price “You have to lay the card sideways on the duel disc if you want the monster in defence mode!”
“Oh…oh no!” Fluttershy said as she tried reposition the card but she couldn’t “What’s going on?”
The voice of Beerus answered the question coming from the duel disc “Naughty naughty, cheating is forbidden in my tournament” he said as the duel disc gave Fluttershy’s fingers a small electric shock “So you’ll just have to wait for your next turn to change it’s mode”
Akiza snapped “Let her! It was just a simple mistake!” she felt so sorry for the girl in front of her and the fact was quickly becoming clear she was duelling someone who didn’t know what they were doing “She’s just a beginner!”
“Yeah, man that ain’t cool!” Joey said as he looked at the duel disc but there was laughter from the device “What the?! Are you laughing at me?!” Joey wondered what causing Beerus such amusement and he snapped “Oh come on!”
Whis’s voice said “Mr Wheeler, please stand back and let Miss Fluttershy finish her turn” as he finished Joey disappeared before he reappeared beside Yugi and Whis continued “Now Miss Fluttershy is that all you’re going to do?”
Fluttershy looked at her hand before sniffing in fear, “I play a card face down and…end” she said as she looked across at Akiza who looked at her sympathetically “Thank you, for trying to help” she said as Akiza drew a card from her deck “I really appreciate it”
Akiza looked at the card she’d just drawn before saying “It’s not fair but I have to win, so I have no choice but to end this. I summon Twilight Rose Knight and set a card face down!” the small warrior monster appeared on the field wielding it’s sword “Now I synchro summon Black Rose Dragon!” the massive dragon roared as it appeared on the field and looked down at Fluttershy who tensed up “Now Black Rose Dragon attack! Rose Flame Blast!”
Fluttershy quickly tried to remember how to activate a trap and hit the button “Go! Negate Attack!” the trap activated just in time to stop the attack and she sighed. Close one “Is it my move?” she asked unsure of her next move but Akiza nodded smiling and Fluttershy drew a card “I summon Samus Smash by tributing Pikachu Smash” Pikachu disappeared as a woman in a blue jumpsuit appeared wielding a gun, her attack points were 1800 and defence sat at 1200 “I then play the equip spell Armour up!” Samus smiled as her armour appeared and she jumped into it, her attack points jumped to 2700 and her defence went to 2000 “I did it!” Fluttershy said looking at her monster that looked ready for battle “Attack, Samus!” but as soon as Samus flew up to the dragon something opened in front of the dragon “Oh no, where did it go?!”
Akiza sighed and pointed to the trap she’d just triggered, Dimensional Prison “Sorry your monster has been removed from play and won’t return in time to help you” she said with tears in her eyes and said “Do you end your turn?” Fluttershy nodded and Akiza drew a card, she felt nothing but sympathy for Fluttershy “You have played a valiant duel and I respect you but this ends now! I play Monster Reborn to revive Rose Knight and then I summon Rose Fairy! I’ll Synchro summon Splendid rose!” the monster appeared “Now go Splendid Rose attack!” the attack struck and Fluttershy was send reeling from the impact.
“Thank you” she mumbled looking at Akiza with a smile, then noticed Akiza looking confused “For trying to help me…I appreciate it” she then looked at the dragon and like it’s master, it had tears splashing from its eyes but roared “It’s beautiful”
Akiza then said “It’s not fair…you probably have just as good a reason as we have and…it doesn’t seem fair to be thrown in with players with infinitely more experience than you!” she then sighed and smiled “You did well! Black Rose Dragon attack!” the dragon roared as the attack was send from it’s mouth at Fluttershy and she smiled as her points hit zero.
Akiza walked forward as Fluttershy presented her with her two star chips but “Keep one, it wasn’t a fair duel….Flutttershy…I want to help you” Akiza said as she looked into the kind girl’s eyes “Everyone on this island is fighting to protect something they cherish and…I think you and your friends are duelling for something beyond our imagination”
Basil smiled as he walked up “Jolly kind of you” he said as he bowed to Akiza “You fought with such honour and valour! Jolly good show, valiant attempt worthy of the best meal we can conjure up later...An army fights on it's stomach, don't ya know!” then everyone present got a chance to chat and talk Crow apologising to Twilight for accusing her. It was then Basil brought up a good point “If only four of you can make it to the finals, then everyone here will have to duel each other at some point, won’t they?”
Jack nodded and said “Maybe but we can delay the duels with Twilight and Fluttershy till we can teach them more about duelling” he then pulled out his deck “Besides we still need to wait till Yusei’s on his feet again and then we can really kick butt”
Joey whispered to Fluttershy “You really did well”
“Thank you” Fluttershy said in return “That really means a lot….from a duellist of your um…skill” she couldn’t help but feel great respect for Joey as they walked through the forest “So um…I was wondering why…are you and Yugi duelling in the tournament”
Joey pointed to the puzzle around Yugi’s neck and said “There are some things that should have passed” he then explained quietly about the return of the puzzle and how it wasn’t right for it to be back “I mean Atem is a great guy but…he’s not supposed to be part of Yugi’s life anymore and the longer it’s with Yugi…the more likely he’ll be tempted not to give it up”
Fluttershy nodded and said “Oh…okay” she wanted to explain the full details of Equestria but now she could appreciate how much the other competitors had in this tournament “So um it’s really nice to have you as a friend”
“Same” Joey said with a smile.
Elsewhere the duel between Zane and Aster was reaching it’s end. Zane yelled “Cyberdark Dragon attack! CyberDark Pulse blast!” the giant beast roared with it’s attack points set their maximum and Aster looked on in horror as his Destiny hero Dogma flew up to encage the giant dragon and one blast later “I win!” Zane said in triumph.
Mai looked on as her life points dropped to zero as Alexis claimed her victory “Sorry Mai but I win…now hand over your star chips” Alexis said as the monsters disappeared “I did it Jaden! A few more duels and we’ll save our friends!”
“Way to go, Alexis” Jaden said as he thought about challenging Yugi “Then I’ll get my chance to duel Yugi in the finals!” he smiled excitingly “It’ll be then I can truly get my game on!”
Alexis groaned “Jaden, we talked about this…that catch phrase is really silly” she said as they walked away from Mai.
Beerus smiled as he watched the duels with a pot of popcorn “AH Whis humans have the most delightful food…now where’s that delicious orange beverage that small island calls Irn Bru?” he found his drink and drank deeply “Ah! This is so entertaining, I just love reality TV…do you think our favourite little couple will get to together?”
Whis smiled and said “I’m sure they will” he then chuckled as he pulled out a deck of cards “But I can’t wait till the end of the day and I’ll get my chance”