RANK 61: Bedlah Bedlam, Part 1:
RANK 61: Bedlah Bedlam, Part 1:
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THE STORY SO FAR...:
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In Canterlot High School, every student is wild over the world's most popular trading card game: Duel Monsters! Every day, players of the card game, known as "Duelists", go head-to-head to see who among them is the best around. Among the Duelists in attendance at CHS, one of the best is a young teenager named Sunset Shimmer, a girl from another world...
About two weeks have passed since the WCQ Qualification Tournament at Canterlot High School. By the end of the tournament, a winner had been decided, and they are now on their way to participate in the Duel Monsters World Championship Qualifiers proper. Despite that trouble had once more reared its ugly head during the competition and planned to disrupt everything, overall the tournament ended up being a huge success. Now, things have settled down and everyone in town has returned to their normal, everyday lives once again.
For Sunset Shimmer, this means returning to her investigation and collection of the mysterious Number Cards. Although she hasn't yet found any answers to the questions she has surrounding their strange power, Sunset does know that a group of troublemakers based in the decrepit Skyes Academy school building intends to use the Numbers to cause havoc for her, her friends, and just about everyone else. They do this by planting the cards on unsuspecting Duelists and possessing them through the cards themselves. Sunset is not yet sure of the group's true motives, but she is determined to stop them in any way possible.
Among the many people helping Sunset in her mission is Luna - a former Pro Duelist that is now employed as the Vice Principal of CHS, alongside her older sister Celestia. And through a series of bizarre events, Sunset is about to see a side of Luna that she never expected to see...
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It was early Thursday morning in the city of Canterlot and its surrounding suburbs. At that time, a white Mustang was traveling down the street at a decent speed. While most people in town had yet to start their work day, the occupants of the car - Celestia and Luna, were on the way to their place of work, Canterlot High School. The older of the two offered to drive, while the younger sister sat in the seat next to her. As they headed to the school to begin their day, Luna remained silent and mostly motionless, staring down at her lap for almost the entire trip.
Noticing how quiet her sister was, Celestia spoke up and asked her, "Luna...? Luna, are you okay?"
No response.
"Luna...! Can you hear me?" Celestia said, speaking a little louder this time.
"Hm?" That comment was enough to snap Luna out of her gloomy state. Turning over to Celestia, she then asked her, "Sister? Is something the matter?"
"Well...nothing really..." the pale-skinned woman replied. "It's just that you've been awfully quiet all morning... Hmmm...and come to think of it, you were pretty quiet since you got home from that late-night workout session of yours at the gym."
"Oh...I-I was?" asked Luna. "I...um, I didn't notice."
Showing a bit of sisterly concern, Celestia then inquired her sibling, "Is...everything okay, Luna? I don't mean to pry; I'm just concerned, that's all..."
"It's nothing you need to worry about, Sister." the dark-blue woman told her. "Just a bit tired, that's all. Between getting up early and my cla- er, WORKOUT yesterday, I guess I am just a little...um, worn-out is all."
Celestia said nothing apart from a small hum, as if she wasn't sure that her sister was being completely honest with her. But in the end, she decided that, if Luna didn't want to talk about it, she shouldn't try to force her. "Well..." she then said, "if there is something troubling you, you should speak to someone about it even if it isn't me; it won't do you good to hold something like that in you. When you're comfortable doing so, of course."
"...Sure. Thank you, dear sister." Luna replied. About two minutes after their conversation ended, Celestia and Luna arrived at the school, parking their car in their designated parking space. The elder sister stepped out first and walked towards the school's front entrance, using her keys to unlock the doors.
Luna followed a bit slower, thinking about some things that were on her mind. And one those things was what Celestia had said to her earlier. (When I'm comfortable with it...) she thought to herself. Sighing, she then said, "That's just the problem: I'm not sure if I am ready to tell someone about what is on my mind..." Walking slowly towards the doors, she then pondered, (But...I may not have a choice... After all, there's only one person who can help me with my current problem...)
From that point on, the school day was pretty normal for Canterlot High's students. Most were still talking about the Duel Monsters tournament that had taken place two weeks ago as they went from class to class, or during their lunchtime. But for Sunset Shimmer, her mind was on something else entirely...
In the cafeteria, as she was eating what remained of her lunch - a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich, the inter-dimensional girl was looking over several of her Duel Monsters cards; more specifically, the Number Cards that she had collected. (After that tournament,) she thought to herself, (I managed to obtain several more Numbers... Now I currently have seventeen of them.) Sighing to herself, she then thought, (But even so, there's still so much I don't know about them or the place that they come from, the Astral World... And with those dangerous people from Skyes Academy still out there, I need to figure out this whole thing as fast as I can, before they go after my friends again...!)
Sunset was so deep in thought, that she didn't notice Luna walking into the cafeteria. She had finished her lunch break early and decided to take a bit of a walk to ease her mind. That's when the vice principal saw Sunset looking over her cards at the table she was sitting at. At first, Luna just stared at the jacket-clad teenager, not saying or doing anything else. Then, sighing a bit to herself, she put on a more determined expression and walked over to Sunset.
"...Ms. Shimmer?" the dark-blue woman asked upon reaching Sunset.
"Hm?" The jacket-wearing girl snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that someone was talking to her. Turning around, she saw who it was. "Vice Principal Luna?" she asked. "I didn't even notice you were there beside me."
"I figured as much:" Luna responded. "You seemed to be deep in thought, so I do not blame you for not noticing that I was here." Sighing a little, she then added, "The truth is, I've been experiencing similar thoughts and feelings myself as of lately, and...I might need your help."
"You need my help?" asked Sunset. "With what?"
"...I'd rather not discuss it here, Ms. Shimmer." the vice principal said to her. "Instead...could you meet with me in my office after your homeroom class is finished? I think it would be easier that way...unless that conflicts with anything you might have already planned."
"Well, I would have to let my friends know that I won't be at the music room to practice right away," the red-and-yellow girl told her, "but other than that, I have no problem with seeing you after class."
"Thank you, Ms. Shimmer." Luna politely replied. "Then I will see you later, then." Sunset watched as the woman walked away, wondering just what she wanted to talk about...and more importantly, why she was being so secretive about it. For now, the otherworldly girl decided to worry about it later as she finished her sandwich, packed her Deck and other things before getting ready to go to her next class.
Hours later, after the final bell had rung, almost all of CHS's students were on their way out, with a few staying behind for their extracurricular activities. Normally, this was one of the days where Sunset met with her friends in the Music Room to practice playing their instruments. But today, she had informed them that she would be running late to take care of another matter first. Of course, they understood and said they would practice their solo sets until she could come by.
Satisfied that everything else was in order, Sunset Shimmer walked down the halls of the school, reaching the Main Office. walking inside, she spoke to the clerk at the front desk, saying, "Um, I'm Sunset Shimmer... Vice Principal Luna said she wanted to meet with me."
"Of course, Ms. Shimmer. Go right on ahead." the clerk told her, having previously been told by Luna herself that she wanted to meet with the student.
Sunset walked through the office, passing by the other staff members until she made her way to the door to Luna's office. Knocking on the door, she said, "Um, Vice Principal Luna? It's Sunset. I came as soon as I could."
"Come inside." the vice principal said from behind the door. The jacket-clad teen then opened the door and walked inside, shutting the door behind her. "Please, have a seat Ms. Shimmer."
Sitting down on one of the chairs in front of the desk, Sunset then asked, "So...what did you want to talk about? And forgive me for asking, but why did you want to talk about it in private like this?"
"You'll understand once we begin discussing the matter." the dark-blue woman told her. "But before I can explain the situation, I have to..." She then paused for a moment, as if she had a hard time saying what she wanted to say. Taking a deep breath, she then told her, "There's something that I need to confess to you first..."
"C-confess...?" asked Sunset, a bit surprised to hear that. Luna then pulled out her black leather purse and rummaged through it for a while before pulling out what appeared to be a small business card. She then handed it to Sunset, who then proceeded to read what was written upon it. "Chiffon Veil Studio...White Tail Gardens Shopping Center..." she read out-loud. "Wait...isn't that the name of that dance studio in town?"
"Yes it is." Luna confirmed, nodding her head. "You have heard of it?"
"Only that it's a dance studio," the red-and-yellow girl admitted, "but nothing other than that." She then asked, "So...I'm guessing you're enrolled in a class there?"
"I am, as a matter of fact." the vice principal answered. "Every Monday and Wednesday evening, I take part in a dancing class with a friend of mine. We've been going there for quite a while, actually."
"That's pretty interesting." said Sunset, looking at the business card again. Then, something felt a bit...off to her. Curious, she then asked, "But...what's so unusual about attending a dance class that you had to be so secretive?"
Luna hesitated to answer the question at first. However, knowing that she needed Sunset's help now more than ever, she summoned the necessary courage and told her, "The reason, Ms. Shimmer...is because...well, the class I am attending is for..." Clearing her throat a bit, she then finished by saying, "It's for belly dancing."
Sunset froze up a little bit after hearing that, not expecting an answer such as that at all. At first, she thought that she heard her wrong, but then decided that was not the case at all. Finally speaking, she then asked, "You...you do belly dancing...?"
Luna nodded and said, "That is correct, Ms. Shimmer. I can imagine that you must be a bit surprised to hear that your principal is a belly dancer."
"...I guess that would be an accurate way to put it." Sunset said, still a bit in shock. Taking about a second or two to think about this big revelation, she then smiled and said, "But don't worry, Luna. I don't think any lower of you even after having heard that. I'm sure you have your reasons for wanting to be in that class, and I respect them. Believe me when I say that I don't think there's anything wrong with what you're doing."
Luna was a little surprised herself to hear that Sunset had a very positive opinion about her learning how to belly dance, especially considering how the style of dance was often depicted in the media. However, she was happy to know that the young teen was very accepting of her hobby. Smiling, she then said, "Thank you, Ms. Shimmer. That made me happy to hear you say that. Honestly, I wasn't sure how you would react to hearing my secret; after all, I have never told anyone else about it up until now."
"You haven't?" asked Sunset. "So does that mean-"
"Yes, not even my sister knows about the class." Luna interrupted her, knowing what she was going to ask. "She believes that I'm going over to the gym in that same shopping center for a workout session. I'm not exactly sure how she would react if I told her..."
"Well someday, you'll have to let her know." the red-and-yellow girl said. "And knowing her, she'd probably be very accepting of it too." Sitting up a little more in her chair, she then asked the vice principal, "So, that aside...what is it that you need my help with? Does it have something to do with the dancing class or something?"
"In a way, it does." Luna answered her. "That is why I had to tell you about my being enrolled in the class. However, I feel it would be easier to show you what the problem is rather than tell you."
Sunset wondered about what Luna was talking about as the woman stood up from her desk and retrieved a small television set with a built-in VCR that she had placed off to the side. After plugging it into the wall, Luna opened a drawer from inside of her desk; inside were two VHS cassette tapes. The vice principal took one of them out of the drawer and presented it before Sunset.
"What is that tape for?" asked the jacket-wearing girl.
"This tape contains footage from my class." Luna answered her. "Our teacher video-tapes all of our classes, and every now and then, we watch ourselves so that we can continue to improve our dancing skills. I asked her for permission to borrow these tapes so that I can show you just what it is that is concerning not only myself, but the rest of the class as well..."
As Luna inserted the tape into the TV's VCR slot, Sunset continued to wonder just what this "problem" was, and why Luna needed her help with it. At that moment, the TV displayed an image of several adult women of varying ages, wearing typical workout attire, such as workout pants and small crop tops so as to allow as much freedom of movement as possible. Several of the women also had short, colorful scarves tied around their waists, some decorated with jewels and coin-like pieces of metal.
"This tape was recorded earlier this Monday." Luna told Sunset. "As you can see, everything seems perfectly normal."
"Is that you right there?" the red-and-yellow girl asked, pointing to a woman whose skin was the same color as Luna's.
"That is correct, Ms. Shimmer." the dark-blue woman confirmed. "And standing next to me is the friend that I attend the class with."
Sunset then looked at the woman next to her, who appeared to have light-pink skin and long hair that was colored cream, hot-pink, and purple. She then gasped when she realized who it was. "Hold on!" she exclaimed. "Isn't that Dean Cadance from Crystal Prep?!"
"Yes it is." Luna told her with a small smile. "It was actually because of her that I decided to try belly dancing in the first place. But like myself, she has not told anyone about her involvement in the class; she doesn't want to risk the possibility of Principal Cinch finding out about it."
"Yeah, I see what you mean..." Sunset replied with a nod, figuring that Crystal Prep's principal would not be as accepting of the idea of belly dancing...or at least, that seemed to be the most likely assumption. The two of them continued to watch the recording of the students doing some warm-up stretches, followed by them practicing their various moves, such as shimmies and undulations.
However, Sunset then noticed that one of the students - a woman with cobalt-blue skin and navy-blue hair, seemed to be struggling a bit, barely keeping up with the others. Pointing to her, she then asked, "What's up with her? It looks like she's having a bit of trouble with those moves..."
"That woman is our class's most recent student." Luna answered. "Her full name is Rania Lapis Kamilah. She's been struggling with the lessons ever since she first came to the studio. As a matter of fact, the problem I need your assistance with involves her."
"But...I don't quite understand..." the otherworldly girl began to say. "What can I do to help her? I don't know a thing about belly dancing."
"You'll see when I insert the next video." said the vice principal as she stopped the tape and ejected it. Putting it away, she then took out the other videotape and said, "This tape recorded the class from last night. I want you to pay the most attention to Rania especially." Saying nothing more, Luna put the video into the VCR and started it up.
Once again, the video showed everyone from the previous recording, wearing their workout clothes as they did in their previous class. Sunset immediately spotted Luna and Cadance, as well as the student named Rania. At first, nothing seemed unusual, but once the students began their lesson, Sunset gasped when she saw that Rania - who earlier was struggling with even just the most basic of moves, seemed to have done a complete turn-around and was dancing almost like an expert.
"Huh?? Wh-what??" Sunset uttered, not sure if she could believe her eyes. "That can't be!! Is that really the same person?!"
"As shocking as it may be, Ms. Shimmer..." Luna told her, "it is."
Not surprisingly, Sunset's facial expression shows a mixture of both shock and disbelief after hearing that confirmation. "B-but...but how??" she then asked. "That can't be possible...!" Pointing to the part of the screen where Rania was, she then added, "You said this video was recorded only two days after the previous one; there's just no way that someone who was struggling that much could get so good almost overnight!"
"I didn't believe it at first either, Ms. Shimmer..." Luna told her, "and neither did Ms. Cadance, nor our instructor. But we couldn't deny what we witnessed in front of our eyes." Looking at screen once more before switching off the video, she then said, "Of course, curious as we were, Cadance and I asked Rania about how she managed to improve so quickly. But she refused to tell us anything and rudely brushed us off... Unfortunately, she didn't seem to improve her attitude along with her dancing; she has been like that ever since she first showed up, keeping to herself and refusing to talk to - or accept help from, anyone else."
Sunset hummed a bit to herself after hearing Luna talk about her classmate. The red-and-yellow girl could feel that this Rania person must have felt as though it was her against the world, and that she didn't need or want any friends to help her...a feeling that Sunset herself had once had in the past.
"But that day," Luna continued, "it seemed that Rania was in a much more sour attitude than normal. Before, we figured it was just out of frustration from not being able to keep with the rest of us... But now we aren't so sure what it is that's bothering her. Then, last night, after thinking about it for some time...I finally came to a conclusion...and I knew I had to ask you for your help today."
"But why me?" asked Sunset. "How can I help you with this Rania person?"
"Think about it, Ms. Shimmer:" the vice principal explained. "Rania was having trouble performing in class, and then somehow manages to do a complete turn-around in just a little over a day. And not only that, she begins acting even more aggressively towards others..."
Sunset only had to ponder those facts for about two or three seconds before she realized what Luna was trying to tell her. Realizing what she meant, the red-and-yellow girl began to ask, "Are...are you saying that...that Rania-"
"Indeed." the dark-blue woman interrupted, knowing what Sunset was about to say next. "I suspect that Rania has somehow obtained a Number Card."
"I had a feeling that was it..." Sunset responded. "Numbers often grant the deepest desires of whomever holds them... That must be how this Rania person managed to improve on her dancing so quickly. But you probably know as well as I do that they also come with some kind of nasty side-effect as well, which could also explain why she started acting even meaner towards you and the others in your class."
"Then you know why I have called for you specifically, Ms. Shimmer?" the vice principal asked her.
Nodding, Sunset replied, "You want me to confront Rania and get that Number away from her."
"Exactly."
Looking a bit uneasy, Sunset then told Luna, "Well, I'll do my best to help in any way I can, but..."
"But what?" asked the older woman.
"Well...I'm a little concerned that she might have gotten that Number Card from one of those people that are after my friends and I," the jacket-clad teen informed her, "like that Windmistress person that I encountered a few months ago."
"Oh yes...I do remember that." Luna replied. "Sweetie Drops told me the details of that incident..."
Sunset continued, saying, "If that's the case, whoever gave her that card might have warned her about me, which means she might expect me to come after her."
"Hmmmm...which would mean a direct confrontation is not the best idea..." the vice principal pondered, tapping a pen to her chin a few times. "Somehow you have to find a way to approach her without her knowing that it's you. That way, she can't prepare herself to Duel you ahead of time...or worse, warn the person that gave her the card."
"So what do you think we should do, Ms. Luna?" Sunset then asked.
"Hmmm...I don't know, but I think I know someone that might." Luna told her. She then asked the teen, "Are you busy this Saturday, Ms. Sunset?"
"Ummm...I don't think I am."
"Then if it is alright with you," the vice principal suggested, "I would like for you to meet with my dance teacher - Chiffon Veil, on the Saturday in question. I am certain that the two of you can think of a plan to address the situation with Rania."
"I...I guess that could work." Sunset responded. "I'll just have to let Twilight know that I'll be out that day, but other than that, it's no problem at all."
"Thank you, Ms. Shimmer." Luna told her with a smile. "I knew that I could count on you to help. I'll make a call to Ms. Veil and let her know that you'll be meeting with her." The two then shook hands to agree on their plan. "Good luck to you, Ms. Shimmer. I truly hope that you can help save Rania."
"I'll do my best, Ms. Luna." the red-and-yellow girl replied with a nod before leaving the office.
After she did, Luna picked up her phone and dialed it. After waiting for a while, she then spoke into it, saying, "Ms. Veil? This is Luna. Can I ask you for a small favor...?"
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Sunset rode down the streets of Canterlot City that Saturday, steering her Duel Runner every which way. After her meeting with Vice Principal Luna two days prior, the red-and-yellow teen had been arranged to meet with Chiffon Veil, the owner of a dance studio in town and Luna's belly dancing teacher. Luna was hoping that both Sunset and Ms. Veil could come with a plan to help another student in the class named Rania Kamilah, of whom both Luna and Sunset suspected of holding one of the dangerous Number Cards.
Glancing at her Duel Runner's GPS, Sunset said to herself, "Okay...according to this, White Tail Gardens should be around this next block..." Thinking about what Luna had said to her on Thursday, the girl then thought, (I just hope that we can figure out a way to help this Rania person... I certainly know how it feels when you believe that it's you against the world. I just have to make sure that Rania doesn't go down the same road I did, especially if she has a Number; that could be a disaster...)
When she finally arrived at her destination, Sunset glanced up to look at everything around her. White Tail Gardens looked like quite a peaceful place, with beautiful, intricate-looking fountains and trees carefully planted so as to add to the ambience without getting in the way. A large outdoor seating area was set up so that people could have a meal and congregate with each other to talk about their day. All in all, it was a very relaxing and serene place to be.
Parking her Duel Runner in an open space, Sunset stepped onto the ground and reached into her skirt pocket. She pulled out a business card that Luna given to her so that she could locate the dance studio that Ms. Veil operated. It took a while, since she had not visited the studio before until today, but she eventually managed to find it in the shopping center's second floor. Looking at the sign on the door, Sunset read it out-loud: "Chiffon Veil Studio... Here we are..."
Opening the door, Sunset walked out into the store's lobby. Looking around, she saw an elderly woman that appeared to be a receptionist. Walking up to the counter she was working at, Sunset said to her, "Um, excuse me...?"
Noticing her, the woman then asked in a calm tone, "Hello, dear. How may I help you?"
Clearing her throat, the red-and-yellow girl answered her, saying, "My name is Sunset Shimmer. I'm here to see Ms. Chiffon Veil for a meeting...or something like that."
"I see... Wait just one moment." the woman said as she glanced over to some papers off to her side. "Let's see...hmmmmm..." The woman hummed as she looked at the papers, apparently searching for something - likely searching to see if the studio's owner had arranged to meet with Sunset. "Hmmm... Sunset... Sunset... Ah! Here you are." Smiling, the woman looked up at the teen, pointed over to a doorway with a beaded curtain hanging over it and told her, "Ms. Veil is in her studio right now. Just go through here and walk to the end of the hall to enter the studio. From there, you will see the door to her office."
"O-okay. Thank you very much." Sunset said, nodding as she stepped past the curtain and walked down the short hallway. Taking each step slowly, the girl glanced around the area. There wasn't much to see, other than a door on the left side of the hall with a sign that read, "CHANGING ROOM", as well as a few photos placed along the walls. Sunset figured that, based on their outfits, that they may have been students that had completed the class. Sunset finally reached a door on the other side, which she opened and stepped through.
"Wow..." said the red-and-yellow girl as she stepped into the dance studio. The room looked like the typical one for a dance class, with mirrors set up in the front of the room and a smooth, hardwood floor to give it a relaxed, pristine appearance. The lights lit up the room very nicely as well, adding to the calm atmosphere.
Sunset then glanced over to one of the walls not lined with mirrors. There, hanging on the wall, were pictures of other women dressed in the typical belly dancer fashion. Sunset immediately recognized Luna in one of the photos, as well as Cadance. Also, off to the side was a picture of another woman that she didn't immediately recognize: She, too, was dressed in the same type of costume as the others, had light green skin, brown hair, and violet eyes. The photo seemed to have been taken during a dance recital of some sort, but based on the slight wear of the picture, it seemed to have been taken a long time ago. Sunset continued to stare at the picture in awe, not really aware of what was around her...
So it was no surprise when a sudden voice startled her back into reality. "I can see you're impressed by the pictures I have hanging up here." The red-and-yellow girl then turned towards the source of the voice: Standing just to the left of Sunset was an adult woman dressed in a form-fitting black dress with a dark purple sash tied around the waist. The woman was barefoot, and her only accessory were a pair of shiny, gold hoop earrings. The woman also had long, dark brown hair, light green skin, and violet eyes - just like the woman in the picture Sunset had last looked at.
Noticing the similarities, Sunset said to the woman, "Is...is that YOU there in that photo?"
"It certainly is." the woman answered. "Back in my younger years, I was recognized as among the best of the best belly dancers in the entire country. I had many fans, and recitals that I participated in drew in large crowds." Sighing happily to herself, she then added, "I enjoyed every minute of my time on stage... And now that I've retired from major performances, I'm more than happy to pass on what I know to the next generation of belly dancers."
Putting two and two together, Sunset asked the woman, "If...that's so, then...you must be-"
"Yes. I am Chiffon Veil." the woman then told her guest , offering a handshake. "And you must be Sunset Shimmer. Luna has told me much about you. I'm pleased to finally meet you in person."
"Um, same here I guess." the teenager responded, accepting the handshake. Noticing Veil's bare feet and her own feet wrapped in her boots, she then asked, "Um...should I remove my boots while I'm in here?"
"If you want to." Veil replied. "It's only required of my students during class, so you don't have to take them off." Despite that the choice was optional, Sunset decided to be respectful and took off her boots, leaving her socks on. Afterwards, the woman then asked her, "Now then, I'll show you to my office. As I'm sure you're aware, we have much to talk about."
"I'm aware, alright." Sunset replied as she followed the woman towards a side room.
Once both Sunset and Chiffon sat down, the dance teacher then asked her, "Now...I'm sure that Luna has already told you much about what is going on, correct?"
"Uh, some things." the teenager responded. "She told me that there's a student in your class that's been causing some friction with the others. Other than that, all that I know about the situation was what I could see from the videos that Vice Principal Luna showed me last Thursday." She then asked the woman, "Can you tell me anything else about this student and why she's acting the way she is?"
"I can." Chiffon told her. Clearing her throat a little, she then said to Sunset, "Rania Kamilah came to my studio a little over a month ago, requesting to be part of my belly dancing class. Of course, I am always happy to receive another student, so I met with Rania personally to discuss the details of my class, such as when we would meet, as well as what was expected of her." Sighing slightly, she then added, "But as I was speaking with her, I couldn't help but get the feeling that Rania thought that the class would be easy for her, that she could master the intricate art of belly dancing in a short time..."
"And based on what I saw from the video tapes, it's safe to assume that she found it harder than she imagined?" asked the red-and-yellow girl.
Chiffon nodded and continued talking. "Rania quickly found out that the class was not an easy one; though I try to make my instructions as simple as possible, Rania struggled just to keep up with everyone. I knew she was becoming frustrated and more tense with every misstep she made, but whenever I or any of my students offered to help her, she flatly refused. There was little any of us could do."
Humming, Sunset then spoke up, saying, "I think I know what she must have been thinking; she feels like she's the only person she can rely on, and she sees the other students as competition, rather than as companions." Sunset knew this all too well, as she had those ill feelings herself before Twilight helped her see the error of her ways.
"That's what I thought as well... Though I wished it were not the case." Chiffon said in a sadder tone of voice. "I do my best to make sure that my students know that they are not in conflict with each other, but rather that they are a team working towards a single goal together."
"And now, all of a sudden," the jacket-wearing girl told the woman, "Rania suddenly does a complete 180 and is now dancing like an expert."
Nodding, Chiffon then said, "I cannot imagine just how she could have possibly managed to become so skilled in such a short amount of time... And despite having gotten better in her dancing, Rania still seemed angry and frustrated. That was when Luna suggested that I should speak with you about the matter. I will admit, I wasn't sure why she asked for you specifically...but in the time that I've known her, Luna has always been very wise and seems to know what she is talking about." She then asked Sunset, "So, what do you think might have come over Rania to cause her act in such a way?"
"Well, after having watched the footage of your last two classes, and after hearing what both you and Luna have told me so far," the jacket-clad teenager answered her, "I think I might know what the problem is: Rania has found - and has become corrupted by - a Number Card."
"A what card?"
To help answer the woman's question, Sunset got out her Duel Monsters Deck to provide a visual example. After getting her cards out, the red-and-yellow girl then asked her, "You know about the Duel Monsters card game, right?"
"Umm...not much, but I have heard of it." Chiffon answered, not sure what this had to do with Rania's condition.
"Have any of your students mentioned anything about playing the game?"
"Hmmmm...let me see..." the dance teacher pondered, trying to recall who in her class had shown an interest in Duel Monsters. "Oh!" she gasped, remembering something. "Yes, I think I remember: I know for sure that Luna plays that game, since she told me how she used to be a Pro Duelist... And I think Ms. Cadance also has an interest in it as well. Though she may only be a collector; I never heard her mention anything about playing the game..."
"And what about Rania? Does she play it?"
"Hmmmm...now that you mention it, I think I did overhear her say that she does..." Veil answered. "But I must ask: What does it have to do with her behavior?"
"Possibly everything." Sunset replied. She then pulled out one of her Number Cards (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis) to show the dance instructor. "This is one of the Number Cards that I mentioned earlier. When someone picks one up, it changes itself to match that person's deepest and desperate desires. But they only have that reaction to Duelists as far as I know."
"Oh my... Is that true?"
"It is, though I had a hard time believing it myself at first." the teen told her. "But it gets worse: More often than not, when a Duelist obtains a Number, it causes their personalities and behavior to change...and not for the better. To put it simply, the Numbers grant someone their greatest wishes, but at a great cost."
"Oh dear..." was all that Chiffon could say upon hearing that.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, but I can assure you it's all true..." Sunset then said to her. "I've seen first-hoof...er, first-hand what those cards can do to people, and that's why I'm sure that's what happened to this Rania person! I understand if you don't believe me, but I'm telling the truth..."
Chiffon Veil said nothing at first, thinking about everything that Sunset had said so far. She then smiled and said to her, "I believe you, Ms. Sunset."
"Yeah, I know... It is pretty unbe-" But Sunset stopped her sentence short when she realized what Chiffon had just said. "Wait...did you say you believed me?" she then asked.
Nodding yes, the dance teacher then explained, "While your story may seem unbelievable to most people, I could tell that this was a matter that was upsetting you. The tone of your voice, the look in your eyes... I can tell that you are telling the truth. Luna had the same look on her face when we talked about the situation last Wednesday."
Sunset blushed a little, surprised and happy to know that the woman believed her about the Number cards. "Th...thank you, Ms. Veil." she replied. "That means a lot to hear that."
Chiffon smiled and nodded once more. Putting on a more serious face, she then asked, "So, assuming that this 'Number' is the reason for Rania's change in behavior, what must be done to reverse it?"
"If she does have a Number Card," Sunset answered, "then I have to challenge her to a Duel and beat her. Only then am I permitted to take her Number Card. Once it's no longer in her possession, she'll return to the way she was, and hopefully she'll be able to listen to reason."
"I see..." Chiffon responded. "It sounds simple enough... But from the tone of your voice, executing the plan is more difficult than it sounds, am I correct?"
Sunset nodded and then told her, "And on top of that, we have no idea if there even IS a Number involved. I have to find out if she has one or not before I jump to conclusions."
"Sounds fair. But how will you be able to tell?" asked the older woman.
"That's easy: From what I've seen so far, if a person is controlled by a Number Card, then that Number's symbol will appear somewhere on their body." the red-and-yellow girl answered. "If I spot it, that's all the evidence I need." Sighing, she then added, "But in order to do that, I'll have to get close to her, and that's where it gets tricky again..."
"How so?"
"If my hunch is right, I think I know where Rania might have gotten her Number Card from..." Sunset explained to her. "It's a bit hard to explain, but to sum it up, Rania might know that I'll be coming after her and might be prepared for me. I need to try and take her by surprise..."
"I think I understand..." Chiffon Veil spoke to her. "You want to find out if Rania has the card on her, but without her knowing that it's you." Smiling, she then said to her guest, "I think I know what you can do."
"What is it?"
"...Ms. Shimmer," Veil began to ask, "do you have any plans this coming Monday?"
"Other than school, nothing." Sunset answered her. "Why?"
"Then I would like you to come to my class on that day, at 6 p.m." the woman told her. "I'm sure you can understand why."
It took the girl a second, but she figured out what Chiffon was talking about. "Oh...I get it! If I'm in your class, then I can observe Rania and hopefully find out if she has a Number Card or not! That's brilliant!" But a second later, the jacket-wearing teen then asked, "But wait: How will I be able to make sure she doesn't notice me?"
"Well fortunately, you're in luck: Next Saturday, my class will be performing a recital at the local coffeehouse." Chiffon then explained. "On the classes leading up to the recital, I have my students practice...in full costume."
"F-full costume?" asked Sunset. "You mean...?"
"Yes." said the dance instructor with a nod. "I want you to come to my class that day with a bedlah of your own."
"A...what?"
"It is the name of the traditional costume worn by a belly dancer during a performance." Chiffon explained. "It looks something like this..." The older woman then handed Sunset a picture of herself taken during her time as a professional dancer. The teen looked at the costume that she was wearing, seeing that it was similar to the costumes worn by the people in the video Luna had shown to her two days ago.
"Oh...I...I see..." Sunset spoke, blushing a little. "So...you want me to come to your class...wearing this...?" It was easy to tell that the red-and-yellow girl felt nervous about the thought of herself wearing such a costume. "To be honest," she then began to say, "and no offense or anything...but I don't know if I'm comfortable showing off...well...so much..."
But Chiffon Veil simply chuckled and told her, "It is alright, Ms. Shimmer. Almost all of the students in my class have had similar reactions to wearing a bedlah for the first time. Even Ms. Luna."
"R-really?" asked Sunset. "Luna was nervous about wearing one, too?"
"Indeed." the dance teacher replied. "At first, she never could imagine herself in one. But from the moment she saw herself in costume, she can't imagine performing on stage without it. One could say that it's become much like a second skin to her."
"That's amazing..."
Chiffon continued, telling her guest, "And while it is true that a bedlah does show a good amount of the wearer's...well, own self, it does so while still retaining the wearer's sense of modesty and beauty. Not only that, but it also serves to help give the wearer a feeling of freedom and allows them to act more like themselves. When my students perform in class or on stage, they act and feel much different than how they are at any other time. Take it from me: The art of belly dancing is to help one bring their true self up to the surface and allow them to express themselves without having to worry about other's opinions or anything that might deter them from doing so. That is what my class is about."
After hearing such an inspiring speech from the older woman, Sunset could tell that the art of belly dancing and everything that came with it - including the class she taught, meant everything to her. And that was likely why she was so concerned about the well-being of Rania. Taking a short breath, the teenager then told her, "Well, after hearing all of that from you, I guess I could handle something as simple as wearing this costume. Besides, if I want to help you with Rania, I don't have much choice anyway." She then asked, "But where do I even get one of these things? I mean it's not like I can just go to the nearest box store and ask if they have any belly dancing costumes lying around."
"Not to worry, Ms. Shimmer." Chiffon told her. "It just so happens that I have contacts with an expert costume designer; they have been making bedlahs for my class for almost as long as I've held it here in this studio."
"That's pretty convenient." Sunset commented.
"Not only that," the woman continued, "but you can also remain completely anonymous. The way it works is that, when I have a new student joining the class, I have them tell me what they would like for the design of their bedlah. Afterwards, I give the information to my designer, and by the next class it is all ready for them to perform in."
"Wow! They can really do it that fast?" asked Sunset.
"My designer is very quick and efficient... And even so, they always manage to make sure every last fine detail is exactly as my student wishes." Chiffon told her guest.
"Sounds like they're pretty reliable." the red-and-yellow teen said. "So who is this designer?"
Taking a small piece of paper from her desk drawer, Chiffon presented the small item to Sunset and said, "This is their business card. You may keep it if you wish."
The jacket-clad girl took the business card and looked at it for about a second or two. Then all of a sudden, she gasped and said, "No way! I don't believe it!"
"Hm? Is something the matter?" asked Chiffon.
"No, nothing's wrong..." Sunset told her, "it's just that...I know this place, and the person who runs it...!"
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About a half hour later...
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"...And that's pretty much the whole story." said Sunset as she just finished telling the person in the room with her everything about what had happened involving Chiffon Veil's class, as well as Rania Kamilah. "I made a promise to Ms. Veil that I would help Rania in any way I could, and I plan to keep that promise. So...do you think you might be able to help me out?"
"Hmmmm...I must say, dear...that is quite the situation you are in." spoke the other person in the room - who happened to be none other than Rarity. As it turned out, it was her store - the Carousel Boutique, that was on the business card that Chiffon had given to Sunset. "You need to find out if this Rania individual has picked up a Number Card, and you need to do so without her knowing that it's you..." She then asked her friend, "If I may ask, why do you need to be so secretive about it? I'm almost positive that she doesn't know who you are."
"If she got that card from where or whom I think she did," Sunset told her, "that may not be the case."
That comment made Rarity realize what she was talking about. "You...you think she may have gotten that card from one the people that are after you?" she then asked.
"Considering what they've pulled so far, I wouldn't rule out anything involving them." the red-and-yellow girl answered. "If she DID get that Number Card from them - assuming that she DOES have a Number, then there's a good chance that they may have told her to keep an eye out for me, and they may have told her what I looked like or shown her a picture they may have gotten of me. Geez...I hope that I'm not sounding too paranoid..."
"It's perfectly alright, Sunset darling. I can understand why you would be concerned." the violet-haired teen assured her. "No sense to take any unnecessary chances."
"And that's why I came here." Sunset continued. "When I saw that your store was on that business card Ms. Veil gave me, I knew you'd be able to help me." Chuckling a little, she added, "Though I have to say, I never thought that you were the designer that she was talking about."
"And why wouldn't you?" asked Rarity. "The bedlahs that I design for Chiffon Veil are of the highest quality and authenticity. Not to toot one's own horn, but I can tell you that no other designer here in this town could pull off such a feat as I do on those costumes." She then told her, "I know what you're thinking, that it is strange for me to craft costumes that, in layman's terms, doesn't leave much to the imagination. But after having crafted such pieces before, I truly think that the costume is more than just what can be seen on the surface, but also what it symbolizes: A sense of beauty, freedom, and self expression. That's why I am not at all ashamed of myself for creating these costumes."
"Yeah, Ms. Veil said something like that to me when we were talking about it earlier." said Sunset. "I'm just...well...not sure if I would look alright wearing one, even though I know it's for a good reason."
"But of COURSE you would look alright, darling!" the fashion designer told her. "There is no doubt in my mind that you would look simply extravagant in a bedlah! It would be a perfect fit for you, adding an air of mystique to your personality. Trust me, you just need to give it a try and you shall see what I mean, I promise you!"
Sunset thought about what her friend had said to her, and ultimately decided that it was a least worth a try. "Well...since you put it that way, I guess there's no harm in it." she told Rarity. "Besides, either way I don't have much of a choice here." Sunset then asked her, "So...how does this usually work? After all, I'm sure most of your clients requesting belly dancing costumes don't usually show up in person."
"Indeed they don't." Rarity answered her. "As Ms. Veil told you, she has her students specify what they want me to make for them, and she then informs me of the details afterwards. Very rarely does one of her students come in person for their costume, though it has happened every now and again." Clasping her hands in anticipation, she then added, "But since you ARE here in person, it will make things much easier and faster. Now, let's get your measurements first..."
"Measurements?" asked Sunset. "But I thought you already got mine, when you made those costumes for the Spirit Day Festival...?"
"Yes, but it would be best if I took them again, just in case your body size had changed since the last time." the fashion designer explained. "I'm not saying that as if you gained any weight, Sunset - heavens no... I just want to make certain that your costume will fit you once I'm through."
"Oh...I get it." the red-and-yellow girl replied, understanding her friend's logic. "In that case, do whatever you think is necessary."
"Very well, then let's get started." said Rarity. Getting out her tape measure, she got every last detail concerning Sunset's body size, measuring her overall height, the length of her arms and legs, and the width of her waist and chest areas, just as she had done with her before - along with the rest of their group, when she made their Duel Monsters-themed costumes a few months ago.
After jotting down the last bit of information on Sunset's measurements, Rarity then said to her friend, "That should just about take care of things... And you'll happy to know that your waist size fell by about a quarter inch since the last time."
"Oh! Um, glad to hear that..." Sunset responded, pleased to know that.
"Now that we have updated your measurements," the fashionista continued, "we can now get to work on your bedlah. Now...is there anything specific you want me to do with it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, considering that this will be a costume made just for you to wear, you are free to let me know of anything you want to have done with it." Rarity informed her. "Whatever you like, I will be happy to do it for you."
"Hmmmm...let me think about this..." Sunset pondered, rubbing her chin a little. She didn't really think about what she would want her costume to look like. It took about a half a minute of thought, but then she got an idea. "Hold on...! I think I might know something that I'd like to have done..." At that moment, she then pulled out her dueling Deck and began looking through the cards in it.
"Why do you have your Deck out?" inquired Rarity.
Sunset didn't answer the question right away, as she was busy looking for a specific card in her Deck for whatever reason. Once she found what she was looking for, she showed it to her friend and asked, "Do you...do you think you could make something that looks like the costume on this card?"
Looking at the card that was shown to her, Rarity hummed a bit before saying, "I've never seen one like this before... Did you just get this card recently?"
"Yeah, sometime after the tournament." Sunset answered. "Industrial Illusions gave me three of this and several other cards from the new set they're coming out with next week. It was their way of saying 'thanks' for me helping out as Judge." Handing the card over to her, she then asked, "So...you think you might be able to do it?"
"Hmmmm..." Rarity hummed as she studied the card carefully. After a few seconds, she then told her friend, "I think I can make it happen. I just need to make a scanned image of the artwork first..." The purple-haired teen then walked over to a nearby computer and placed the card in her scanner. Afterward, she then enlarged the image and made a printed copy of it to use as a reference. Once that was taken care of, she returned the card to Sunset and said to her, "Okay, I'll get to work on it immediately. I should have it done by tomorrow."
"T-tomorrow??" asked Sunset, a little surprised. "You really think it won't take that long at all? Then again, I probably shouldn't be THAT surprised to hear that from you."
"I can assure you, I shan't waste any time making your costume become a reality, Sunset dear." Rarity told her. "You just let me worry about all of the details; just go home and get some rest. I will call you when it's ready."
"Thanks a lot, Rarity. I mean it." said the red-and-yellow teen. "And are you sure you don't need me to pay anything for it? Honestly, I don't mind."
"I am most certainly sure, Sunset." the generous fashionista told her. "Considering the circumstances as to why you need the costume, you have plenty to concern yourself with as it is. Besides, it's for a good cause. Now I'll see you tomorrow, Sunset."
"Yeah, okay then... See you tomorrow, Rarity." Sunset replied. "And thanks again!" And with that, she left the boutique to leave Rarity to her work.
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Two days later, after Sunset had finished up her session at school for the day, she found herself steering her Duel Runner back down the road leading to Chiffon's dance studio in White Tail Gardens. The jacket-wearing teen had a different look this time around: Under her jacket, she wore a much more simple attire, consisting of a black sports bra and exercise pants of the same color, along with her usual pair of boots on her feet and the Emperor's Key necklace around her neck. Her hair was in a different style this time, with some of it covering her right eye (though it wasn't so much that she couldn't see where she was going), and a small jeweled hair clip adorned with some small, pink feathers. On her back was a backpack, but it wasn't the same one she took to school: It was a new one that she had purchased yesterday before she went to see Rarity at her boutique.
Upon reaching the shopping center where the studio was, Sunset parked her bike, took a deep breath, and said to herself, "Well, Sunnie...this is it." Taking another sigh, she then added, "It's weird; for once, battling a Number Card ISN'T the main thing I'm nervous about..." Knowing that she had a job to do, the red-and-yellow girl got up off of her Duel Runner, adjusted the straps of her backpack and made her way to where Chiffon's studio was.
Sunset made her way through the door into the studio lobby. There, she greeted the elderly receptionist, who told her that Ms. Veil was expecting her. She then told Sunset where the changing room was, and the young girl thanked her before heading down the hall. As she got closer, she saw several other women heading in and out of the room. Sunset watched the women coming out, all decked out in their beautiful and elaborate costumes. Sunset then removed her backpack and opened it slightly; inside was a costume similar to theirs, which Rarity had made for her during the weekend (as well as of course, her D-Pad and Deck). The inter-dimensional teen was still a bit wary of wearing it in front of strangers, but knew it had to be done. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the room to get herself prepared.
About two and a half minutes later, Sunset Shimmer had just finished changing into her new bedlah and had now stepped in front of the nearby mirror to see herself wearing it. The costume consisted of a dark-blue, sleeveless top connected to a choker necklace that was gold with similarly dark-blue gems. She also wore a pair of arm-length gloves, topped off with a pair of gold bracelets on each of her wrists. The costume's top was short of course, so as to expose the midsection. The lower part of the costume was a skirt with flaps on the front and back, all of it a similar color to the top, with an additional purple stripe on the bottom of both flaps and both lined with gold coin-like decorations on the bottom. The shorter front flap went down as low as her knees, while the back flap reached down to her ankles, and were connected to a gold moon-shaped fastener on her left hip. Her footwear consisted of a pair of gold-colored slippers, each fastened with a blue strap over each foot, along with a pair of fancy-looking anklets above them. She still wore her necklace, but it was now hidden under her top.
Taking a few moments more to pose in front of the mirror, Sunset said to herself, "I gotta admit, Rarity and Ms. Veil were right about this costume... It is kinda pretty; It sort of makes me feel like I'm some kind of mystical goddess or something..."
"I see that someone has taken to their bedlah quite nicely." said a woman's voice that Sunset recognized right away. When she turned to look at who it was that had spoken to her, she saw Luna right behind her. And just like her, she was also wearing a costume similar to her own. Her costume was mostly black, consisting of a bra-like top, belt, and a skirt lined with silver accents. She also had a large, black cloth flowing behind her - almost like a cape of sorts, connected to a pair of silver bracelets worn just below the shoulders.
Beside her was another woman about her age, though possibly a bit younger. Her skin was a bright, light pink color that was complimented well with her regal-looking purple eyes, and long beautiful hair that had long stripes of purple, hot pink, and cream colors flowing down it. Like Luna and Sunset, she also wore a bedlah; hers looked very similar to Luna's, except that it was mostly sky-blue, with gold accents, as well as lacking the cape-like veil that Luna's costume had.
Seeing Luna, Sunset immediately blushed a little out of slight embarrassment before standing up and saying, "V-V-Vice Principal Luna! G-good to see you!"
Chuckling a little, the dark-blue woman told her, "There is no need to be formal, Sunset: Outside of the school, we are equals, especially here. You may simply call me Luna."
"Oh...um, right. Sorry, Vi-...er, I mean, sorry Luna." the normally-confident girl stuttered.
The woman that was with Luna giggled a little and said to her, "Now, now...you have nothing to be nervous about. Everybody will be dancing in full costume during this lesson, so it's not like you need to be embarrassed about your appearance." Sunset saw the logic in her words and nodded to say that she understood.
"Allow me to properly introduce you both." Luna spoke up. "Sunset, this is Cadance, Dean of Crystal Prep Academy. Cadance, this is Sunset Shimmer, a student at my school."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Shimmer." said Cadance, offering a handshake. "Luna has told me a lot about you."
"Oh, uh...that's nice to hear." the red-and-yellow teen responded, accepting the handshake somewhat nervously. "It's uh...nice to meet you, I guess?"
Chuckling some more, Cadance then told her, "I understand if my demeanor seems unusual to you, considering that I work at CPA. But rest assured, I have no ill will towards you; not everyone at Crystal Prep has that 'I'm-better-than-everyone-else' attitude." Sighing a little, she then added, "Though it sure seems that way, what with how Principal Cinch runs things..."
"Oh! Well, that's good to know then." Sunset replied, feeling more at ease knowing that. She then asked, "So...you think my, uh...costume is alright? I was a little worried about it being a bit too...well..."
"Revealing?" asked Luna.
"...Extravagant, more like it." the red-and-yellow girl responded. "I wasn't worried about showing too much, since everyone else was going to be dressed similarly."
"I think Rarity did quite a good job on it." the dark-blue woman told her. "I should know: She made my bedlah as well...not knowing that it was for me, of course." Sunset giggled a bit at the comment.
"In any case, you'll feel at least a little more comfortable once you get in there." Cadance assured her. "Trust me, once you get over your cold feet, you'll feel much better and be able to shimmy with a smile!" She then performed a hip shimmy of her own to emphasize her point (and because she felt like it).
"Uh...sure! If you say so." Sunset replied. "Either way, I'll have to go out there if I'm going to be able to help Rania."
"Yes...Luna told me that you were going to try and find out why she's behaving so differently." said the pink woman. "She didn't give too much detail, but she assured me that, if anyone could help Rania, it would be you. Whatever the case, I really do hope you can figure out how to resolve this."
"Once we enter the studio, we shall point her out to you." Luna informed her student. "After that, it will be up to you figure out what's wrong and help her as best you can."
"I'll do my best, Luna." Sunset replied. "I promise." Satisfied, the three of them headed out of the changing room and towards the studio where the class would take place. Luna and Cadance led the way so that Sunset would not get lost, even though she had been here two days earlier.
As they walked forward, Luna then told Sunset, "By the way, did you come up with an alias to go by?"
"Alias?" asked the teen.
"You were concerned that Rania would recognize you, so I figured you would have come up with a fake name to go by while you're here." the dark-blue woman told her.
"Uh-oh... I didn't think about that..." Sunset admitted, sweating a little. Thinking for a bit, she said to the others, "I-I'll come up with something before too long, I promise." As she said that, they walked through the door where the rest of the students were waiting.
Upon entering the studio where the belly dancing class would take place, Sunset looked around saw several more women inside - about ten or so in total, all of them appearing to be of adult age and wearing similar costumes to hers, Luna's, and Cadance's. Despite that they did indeed show a bit of skin, Sunset did admire the elegance and uniqueness of everyone's outfit. Feeling a little better about being seen in her own costume, Sunset took a deep breath and started walking forward with Luna and Cadance, the three of them slipping off their footwear as they entered.
Almost immediately, several of the students in the class took notice of her. "Oh my, who is that?" asked one of the women.
"I'm not sure..." said another. "I've never seen her here before; she could be a newcomer..."
"She seems quite young... Is she still in school?" asked one more.
"Well, her bedlah looks incredible!" complimented another student. "It has a sort of 'Incan' feel to it. Very unusual, but quite magnificent!"
Sunset heard all of the comments around her. She appreciated the compliments about her costume, but was more relieved to hear that none of them knew who she was. (So far, so good...) she thought. (No one's recognized me yet... I just have to keep it that way for a little while longer.) She then glanced over off to the side and saw a cobalt-blue woman standing off to the side and away from the others, wearing a mostly-red bedlah with gold trimmings. It took her about a second or two, but she recognized the person from Luna's video tape. She then quietly asked her Vice Principal, "...Luna? Is that-"
"Mhmm... That's Rania over there..." Luna whispered in response.
"Indeed..." Cadance softly added. "Staying away from the rest of the group, as she always does..."
Rania then glanced over at the three of them with a serious-looking frown on her face. She then focused her attention on Sunset specifically, eyeing her. The young girl felt a little nervous, praying to the powers above that her cover wouldn't be blown so soon. However, Rania simply huffed and looked away, seemingly uninterested in her for the moment.
Sunset breathed a sigh of relief, figuring that her disguise was working as intended. However, she would make a mental note to keep an eye on Rania should things go south. (Okay...I'm safe for the moment.) she thought. (I just have to keep up this act long enough to figure out if Rania is indeed holding a Number Card...)
"Good evening ladies!” shouted a voice from the far end of the room. Recognizing the voice, Sunset turned herself in the direction it came from, as did all of the others in the room. It was, of course, the dance class teacher, Chiffon Veil. She was wearing the same outfit that she did when Sunset met with her last weekend, which exuded a great amount of beauty and confidence to those in the room.
"Good evening, Ms. Veil!" said most of the women in the room, showing respect for their instructor.
Ms. Veil glanced over to where Luna, Cadance, Sunset were standing. Seeing the young teen there with them, she thought to herself (Good...she was able to come by. And I must say, she chose a rather unique design for her bedlah... In any case, that means it's time to carry out our plan to help Rania... I just hope that everything will be alright after it's all said and done.) Taking a slight glance over towards the defiant, blue-skinned student, Veil then spoke to her class, telling them, "Now my students, as you are most certainly aware, this Saturday will be our long-awaited recital over at the Old Town Theater. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how much we all look forward to it. Therefore, I expect you to use everything you have learned up to this point so that, when this weekend comes, we can give another stellar performance that will please our audience. But most importantly, I hope that the experience will continue to keep your spirits and passion for dancing high and help you to work even harder for the next recital."
Sunset glanced around at all of the other students. She could see a bright, hopeful smile on each and every one of them; a smile that told her that they were eager to learn and practice the art of belly dancing purely for the fun of it... But the only one that didn't share that same smile was Rania, who had her arms crossed in front of her chest in a sort of defiant manner. And the look on her face seemed to be a bored and uninterested one, as if she didn't seem to care much about what the teacher was saying.
"But," Ms. Veil then said, "before we begin our class, we have one important matter to take care of: As I'm sure you've noticed, we have a newcomer to our class today." Looking over to Sunset, she asked her, "Could you come up here and help the rest of us get to know you better?"
"Huh? Oh! Sure, o-of course!" the red-and-yellow girl said, doing as she was asked. She walked up towards the dance instructor and turned to face the rest of the class. "Um...hi! I'm, uh...I'm really glad to be here with all of you! I hope we can get along with each other...!" Most of the class clapped their hands in response (except for Rania, who still didn't seem interested in Sunset, much less with getting along with anyone).
"I truly hope so too. After all, we are all a team working towards a goal to help each other learn and improve." said Chiffon. She then asked, "Now...what is your name?"
Sunset's irises shrunk a little; she still hadn't come up with a fake name to disguise herself with. "Uh, yes! Of course!" she said, stalling a bit until she could think of something. "Knowing what my name is would...DEFINITELY help us get along better, wouldn't it? Aheheh..."
"She...sure seems shy, doesn't she?" asked one of the other women.
"It's her first time here; it's only natural." one of the other students responded. "I still remember my first day here; I stumbled over my words so much when I was introducing myself..." She gave a light chuckle after recalling that moment.
"That's nothing." said another student. "When I tried to introduce myself, I actually forgot my own name for a brief moment, I was so nervous!" Se chuckled a little thinking about that time.
Rania glanced over towards Sunset, humming a little to herself. Still, she suspected nothing.
(Okay...fake name...fake name... What's a good one I can come up with...?) thought Sunset, panicking and sweating a little. Wiping some of the sweat away, she said to herself, (Yeesh...it feels like I'm in the Saddle Arabian Desert right now, under a hot, blazing sun...) Just then, an idea came to her after making that thought. "Oh!!" she said. "M-my name is...um, 'Desert Blaze'...?"
"Hm?" hummed Ms. Veil after hearing the name Sunset came up with.
"...Sorry." the otherworldly girl whispered to the teacher. "It's the best I could think of."
After a few seconds of silence, Chiffon smiled and said, "That's a very lovely name you have. Powerful and mysterious...I like it. I think you'll feel very much at home here in this class." Sunset breathed a slight sigh of relief, happy that her new alias was acceptable. "Go ahead and rejoin the rest of the class, and we can get started." Chiffon suggested.
Sunset did so, walking back to the rest of the students, who kindly welcomed her into their group (Rania, however, remained anti-social about the whole thing). As she returned to where Luna and Cadance were, the CHS Vice Principal quietly asked her, "So...'Desert Blaze', huh?"
"What's wrong with that...?" asked Sunset in the same low volume. "Is it too cliché?"
"Eh, maybe a little." Cadance admitted. "But I think it's okay. We've had less subtle names for some of the students here."
"Well, as long as it keeps me under that Rania woman's radar, it'll do just fine." Sunset replied. Looking over at the person in question, she added, "So far, she doesn't seem too interested in me, so it's safe to assume she doesn't suspect a thing." She then asked the others, "If she does find out who I am for any reason, what do we do to make sure that she can't contact those Skyes Academy people?"
"The door we used to enter the studio is the only way in or out of the room for us students... The other door that leads to the locker room is, naturally, locked, and only Ms. Veil has the key for it." Luna explained. "Once Rania realizes who you are, Cadance and I will block the way so that she can't leave."
"We've got your back, Suns-er, 'Desert Blaze'." replied Cadance, making sure to only use Sunset's fake identity, just in case Rania might hear it. "You just worry about what you need to do." Sunset nodded to say she agreed with the plan.
"Alright, everyone." Ms. Veil then spoke to her class, "Now that introductions are out of the way, let's begin practicing for the recital, doing just what we have done so far." The rest of the class then gave her their full attention. "Ms. Blaze," the teacher then said to Sunset, "do not worry if you have a hard time keeping up with us on your first day here. We'll try to go at a decent pace, but for the most part, just do your best."
"Y-yes, Ms. Veil." Sunset responded with a respectful head bow. She then thought, (Geez..."Ms. Blaze"...? I didn't realize that having that as part of my fake name would make it sound like that member of the Dazzlings... No offense to her, of course.) She then sighed, knowing it was too late to pick a different name now.
The class session started off very simple: It began with a few stretching exercises to help loosen their body muscles and allow for much freer and more fluid movements for the dance practice that was sure to follow. After that followed some basic hip movements; side-to-side hip sliding, followed by lifting and dropping. Naturally, the other students in the class were performing these movements very well. Sunset wasn't anywhere as skilled at it yet, but did surprisingly well, especially since Luna and Cadance were there with her to help her keep up the pace.
Occasionally, Sunset would glance over to Rania, but in a way that she wouldn't see her looking. Rania was also performing the basic movements just as well as the rest of the class, but not with the same smile as everyone. It was as if she was focusing too much on doing it perfectly and not as much on having fun with it. In fact, it seemed as though having fun wasn't on Rania's agenda. On that note, Rania shot a small glance over at Sunset, noticing that she was looking over at her. Sunset quickly looked away at that moment, focusing on her own movements. "...Hmmm..." hummed Rania as she watched Sunset carefully.
Several minutes passed by, and Sunset was starting to get the hang of Ms. Veil's lessons, as she was finally able to keep up with even Luna's and Cadance's movements, moving her legs and hips in time with Ms. Veil's instructions, even as they got a bit more complex. Being immersed in the experience fully, Sunset felt as though her movements were becoming more natural, and she even started to enjoy herself a little. In contrast, Rania - while still performing her moves well, still had that annoyed look on her face...a bit more so when she saw the new girl in class seemingly having little to no trouble with moves that used to trip her up.
After the first half hour of class had passed by, Ms. Veil said to her students, "Alright, class... You all have done quite well so far, so I think a well-deserved break is in order. After that, we'll continue practicing our undulations and hip circling, as well as reviewing our footwork. I am truly confident that you'll all do just fine!"
"Thank you, Ms. Veil." said all of the students, giving a small head bow as a show of respect.
After that, the class broke up into smaller groups to rest and talk with each other, about the class so far or just their day in general. Of course, Rania stood off to the side, not wanting anything to do with her classmates as usual. Sunset decided to stay with both Luna and Cadance, as well as with Ms. Veil, so that they could continue to discuss their plan involving Rania.
"You seemed to do very well in our class, Sunset...er, I mean 'Desert Blaze'." Luna complimented.
"Yeah, especially since you said you had never tried belly dancing in your life up until now!" Cadance then added.
"Um...well, really... It was nothing." Sunset responded, remaining humble about the whole thing. "Honestly, I was just copying what you two were doing, that's all." It was at that moment that Rania glanced over towards them, listening in on their conversation. Though she still had no idea who "Desert Blaze" really was, she seemed to be very focused on her...
"And there's nothing wrong with that." Chiffon then told her. "What you were doing was simply learning through observation; you watched your classmates and saw how they performed their moves, allowing you to pick up on them and try it yourself. I have to say, I'm quite amazed that you were able to keep up like that after just a glance. Perhaps you ought to consider attending my class full-time; I'm sure you can only get better."
"Um, well...I-I'll think about it, I guess." Sunset answered, not sure about the idea but not dismissing it completely either.
"...Hmf." huffed Rania, deciding to leave the spot she was standing in, her sneering eyes looking towards Sunset, her teacher, and the others.
Changing the subject (and switching to a more serious tone), Ms. Veil then asked Sunset, "So...about Ms. Rania... Have you figured out anything concerning her yet?"
"Not yet, I'm afraid..." Sunset admitted, shaking her head. "I haven't gotten a close enough look at her to see if she has any signs of owning a Number."
"How do these 'signs' - as you call them, normally appear?" asked Luna.
"Well...based on past experience," Sunset explained to them, "more often than not, the Number's symbol will appear somewhere on their body whenever they display a great amount of emotion; often times, that's usually anger or some kind of malicious feeling. I'm not sure if it's a hard rule, but that's what I've seen so far."
"So, if Rania gets angry or something like that, you might be able to see this symbol on them?" asked Cadance, still not fully understanding the whole thing, but trying her best to. She then recalled that - some time ago, one of the students at Crystal Prep - namely Lightning Dust started showing off that kind of emotion towards others... Until the day that she was let out of the hospital, after what was described as an 'accident' at the Cheese Sandwich Fun Center's go-kart tracks.
"That could be an issue..." said Luna. "While Rania is certainly rude to all of us in the class, she's never actually gotten angry at anyone."
"...You. Desert Blaze, was it?" said a female voice from nearby the group that sounded a bit irritated.
The four of them turned around to see none other than the subject of their conversation, Rania Kamilah, standing right there. The look on her face seemed just as irritated as her tone of voice was, and she had her eyes centered straight towards Sunset Shimmer. "Rania...?" asked Cadance. "What are you doing here? You never socialized with the any of us before."
"Well, I suppose now I have a reason to this time." Rania responded, walking straight towards Sunset and staring at her intimidatingly. "...So, what is it with you?" she then asked.
"Um...what are you talking about...?" replied Sunset, not understanding. "Could you...explain it a little better...?"
"Don't even try and pretend as if you don't know." Rania told her sternly. "How could you have possibly been able to follow along with the rest of the class so easily, despite this being your first time belly dancing? There's no way you could have known what to do so quickly!"
"You're asking that as if that's impossible." Luna commented. "And besides that, I seem to recall that it didn't take very long for you to improve yourself, either. Care to explain yourself about that?"
"Stay out of this, Luna." Rania said back. "This is between me and the newbie." Sunset hummed a bit in response to the condescending remark.
"Ms. Rania, haven't we discussed this already?" Chiffon told her calmly. "There is no need to speak that way to your fellow students. And there is no need to show any sort of disrespect like that."
At that moment, Sunset stood up from the floor and put a hand out towards Ms. Veil, telling her, "...It's okay; I can handle myself, Ms. Veil... But I appreciate the support. Right now, however, I'll deal with Rania myself."
Chiffon was a bit hesitant at first, but put her faith in Sunset, nodding her head to say she understood.
Facing the rude woman, Sunset then asked her, "She is right, however. Just because you're good at this, it doesn't give you the right to look down on everyone because of it. And besides, why is it such a problem for you if I do well in this class or not?"
Rania hummed a little, becoming a bit frustrated with what Sunset was saying to her.
"As far as I can see, we're not in competition with each other." she then told Rania. "I'm just here to have fun, and I have no intention of doing any better than anyone else here. From what I can tell, based on what you've been doing and what you've been saying, you're the only one here that seems to think that, and it's causing you to miss the whole point of the class."
"Me missing the point?!" asked Rania, getting a bit angry. "You think this class is just a game to you? YOU'RE the one missing the point! I came here to become the best; better than anyone! You don't know what you're talking about!" The commotion now attracted the attention of everyone else, and they watched the scene unfold for themselves.
(Hmmm... Now I get it...) Sunset thought. (I can see what makes this woman tick, not to mention what's ticking her off...) She then said to her, "If you joined this dance class just to out-do everyone and brag about it, then all you're doing is proving me right: We're just here to enjoy ourselves and try something new and unique, while you treat this whole thing as if it's life-or-death. Trust me: it's not healthy for you to think that way about anything, especially something like this class where everyone else is just trying to have some fun."
"Grrrrr...I've heard enough about what you think of me, newbie!" shouted Rania, now nearly whipped into a fury. "You know NOTHING about what I'm trying to do, and I won't allow some random person like you to just come in and get all the glory! I've come too far now to let you hog everything for yourself!!"
...And it was at that moment, that Sunset caught sight of what she was looking for: During that outburst, Sunset spotted something on Rania's exposed midsection. It was a glowing, pink 45. That told Sunset everything she needed to know. (Just as I thought...!) she said to herself. (She IS a Number Holder! That is what's causing her to act so aggressively!)
"Cut it out, Rania!" Candace told her. "This is not the place to be fighting over something like this!"
"Actually, it just might be." Sunset spoke, remaining calm even after being yelled at by Rania. "After all, I've seen all I need to see." She then gave a slight nod to Luna and Cadance - both of whom nodded back to her before quietly slipping away from where they were. Sunset then walked up closer to her rude classmate and asked her, "So...you won't let me out-perform you here, huh? I guess that 'special gift' you got from Skyes Academy must mean a whole lot to you, huh?"
That comment startled Rania, as it was the last thing she expected to hear. "Wh-what? Skyes Academy??" she asked, confused. "How do you know about that place?"
Chuckling a bit (and looking off to her side, where the dance room's entrance was), Sunset then answered her, "How do I know...?" She then adjusted her hair, returning it back to the way it normally looked before saying, "Because I think I might look a bit familiar to you, even though this is the first time we've met...am I right?"
"What...are you talking about...? Just who are you??"
Rania was about to get the answer to that question as the young girl told her, "Because I'm the one they probably told you about; the one to keep an eye out for, possibly in exchange for letting you have that Number card of yours."
It was at that moment, when the words "Number card" were said, that Rania pieced it all together. "You...it's you...! You're Sunset Shimmer, aren't you?!" she then exclaimed in surprise.
"Honestly, I'm a little surprised that you couldn't tell who I was right away." Sunset then said to her. "Guess those dopes at Skyes couldn't provide you with a picture; otherwise, you might have recognized me by my hair colors." Now putting on a serious tone, she then told Rania, "In any case, you probably know what I'm here for."
Growing a little under her breath, Rania then told her, "I do, but you will NOT get it! I was told to keep an eye out for you and not allow you to take my Number Card! But now that you're here, I can complete my end of the bargain to those people and tell them that I've found you!" She then started to head towards the door leading back to the hallway, only to immediately stop in her tracks.
That was because Luna and Cadance were standing there, blocking the only unlocked door leading out of the room. "You won't be contacting anyone, Rania." Luna told her in a stern voice. "Especially anyone that could bring harm to one of my students!"
"Stay out of this, Luna...!" grumbled Rania, annoyed that she couldn't leave the room with the door blocked. "This doesn't involve you!"
"Perhaps that's true; this matter IS between you and me." Sunset said to her. "But it's a matter that will be handled on my terms, not yours." Folding her arms in front of her, she then said, "I came here and disguised myself to see if you had a Number... And lo and behold, you do have one!"
"And I suppose you think you can take it from me?" Rania asked. "That is something I will not allow! That Number card is mine, you hear me?!"
"I understand why you accepted that card, and why you think you need it, but that card's power is too dangerous for you to handle." Sunset told her, trying to talk some sense into the angry woman. "Just give me the card quietly, and I promise things will be better for you. It's not worth all of this stress you're causing everyone AND yourself..."
"I already told you, Sunset! I'm not letting you take that card away from me!" Rania shouted back. "I'll fight you for it if I have to!!"
"...I suppose that's the only way, then." Sunset calmly replied. "We'll duel each other right here, and whoever wins gets the Number cards of the loser. How about that? Do you accept the terms?"
Looking frustratingly back at Luna and Cadance, who were still blocking the door leading out of the room, Rania huffed and said, "Well, it doesn't seems like you're leaving me much any other choice... So I guess I'll have to agree to that. And when I win, I'll take your Number Cards and get an even greater reward from those people! And I'll become the best! At dancing, at dueling, and everything else!!" That comment made the Number symbol on her midsection reappear for a brief moment.
Sunset, noticing this, thought to herself, (Rania's anger...it's causing the Number to take a greater hold on her. It's controlling her actions, her emotions... Just like with the Dazzlings during the WCQ Qualifier Tournament, her anger is only making the darkness in that card stronger... So for her own good, I HAVE to get it away from her!) Looking straight towards Rania, she then said to her, "So it's settled, we'll let this one Duel decide everything! And I promise that I'll save you from yourself in the process!"
"We'll just see about that!" Rania snapped back, determined not to allow Sunset to take away the card she felt she needed to be at her best. Though Chiffon and most of the students had no idea what was about to happen, everyone knew that things were about to get even more intense...
-- To Be Continued...
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Hey, I have a question. On the anime, CXyz Monsters have the ability to destroy Numbers in battle. Will that rule apply here?
hey are you looking for any oc's for number's 14 and 21?
11806101
More than likely.
11806108
I already have someone for Number 21, but not yet for Number 14 (or at least I think I don't).
11806109
well if you need a new face with the card i can lend you my mug for it.
Surprised in seeing a new chapter so soon
Did not expect something like belly dancing to happen here
11806109
So Barian cards like CXyz is showing up too?
Sunset, Luna, and Cadance all involved in a belly dancing class while Rarity makes costumes for the class. Nice. In any case, looking forward to the duel to see what happens and what sort of Deck our opponent uses.
I know I've already mentioned it, but I am liking how you have integrated Chiffon Veil and some of the elements of my story Cheering Section into your story's lore. I especially admire your take on Chiffon's personality - she is every bit the empathetic mentor I envisioned her to be.
I look forward to seeing how this duel plays out!
Wow, this is an interesting idea. A chapter about belly dancing, and that Luna was actually taking a class on it with Cadance. But, it resulted in Sunset learning about another Number Card and a possible link to Skyes Academy so I guess major props to Luna for not just taking the class but bringing it to Sunset's attention despite wanting to keep it a secret.
Looking forward to seeing Sunset and Rania duel, and see Number 45 in action.
11806124
Yeah, oddly enough, I wasn't even planning to upload one this month, but after writing a bit more of this, I felt comfortable publishing it, so I figured I would.
11806478
Glad you liked it. If you want to see other stories with the belly dancing theme, then check out mayorlight's work.
11806545
I'm happy to hear that I portrayed Chiffon the way you imagined her. I cobbled her personality together based on what you've told me, as well as from reading your stories. I'm glad it turned out well, and I hope to continue to portray her well in Part 2.
11806679
Glad you enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to writing the Duel in the next episode, and I have interesting new ideas not only for Rania's Deck (which we have yet to see), but ALSO for Sunset's Deck.
Question, what monster did Rarity design Sunset's costume after?
11807740
Based on what was described, I think its Supay. Duskwalker. It's a support card for the Incan Dragons based on the orriginal Tuner for Moon Dragon Quilla.
11809849
I do have a Genex collection set aside, so I could probably do that.
I'll be honest, was not expecting Luna to be taking belly dancing lessons. Also, can't wait to see what kind of deck Rania uses.
11811997
Thanks
But on second thought, why not have the Genex deck as my OC's main deck and say that his dinosaur deck was his 2nd deck?
11834185
Sure. That'll be fine.
11842822
Well, a lot of characters in the early days of Yu-GiOh! had Pot of Greed, so...
11847391
Thanks 👍
11806841
I also realized now with this chapter, this fic reached over 1 million words I think