• Published 8th Aug 2016
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Duelists of the Autumn Crown - DrakeyC



The story of Equestria Girls is retold, with less dancing and more card games

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Awakening of Evil

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Awakening of Evil

The sun had set below the buildings and hills on the horizon, and the night had begun to overtake the late afternoon in a wave from one end of the sky to the next. Twilight looked up at the moon and took a breath. The third night. Once I beat Sunset Shimmer, I can get my crown back and we can go home. There were only a few minutes left before the scheduled final duel began. More students and even a number of parents now filled the bleachers and the grass field around the dueling arena.

Sitting on the stairs closest to the grass, Twilight looked down at her deck and flipped through it once more. Sunset’s deck relies on destruction and direct damage effects. I have cards that can stop those, but I have to keep them in play and be able to use them consistently. She shook her head. Of course I only saw a hint of her deck, I can’t even be sure those are all the monsters she has or what support she might use for them. And that card she used to beat Flash… Flash, as she expected, knew nothing of Sunset’s final play. Twilight’s friends didn’t either, the effect of Sunset’s summon and attack had obscured the dueling screen while showing her move. All I know for sure is that Sunset needed her other six monsters in play to summon it. So I have to keep an eye out for when that happens.

She looked back at the display screen over the arena. A montage of the tournament’s duels were being played using footage recorded from both duel disks and school security cameras, intercut with a graphic of the top sixteen finalists’ profile pictures sliding up the ranks of a ranking bracket. Twilight watched the screen zoom in on her and Trixie before it flashed to Trixie’s magicians reflecting Twilight’s attacks between them.

I’ve come a long way. Each opponent has been tougher than the last. Trixie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash. Every duel made me stronger, not just in my magic and how it augmented my deck, but also in my understanding of the game itself. I wouldn’t be the duelist I am now if not for them. She took a deep breath. And this is my final challenge. Sunset’s magic puts her at a whole other level of power. I have to be at my best if I want to win.

“Nervous?” Twilight looked up to see her five friends standing around her. The voice had been Rainbow’s.

“A little… by which I mean a lot.” She shook her head and stood up. “It’s no use fretting over. I’m as ready as I can be by this point. Stressing over things you can’t change is just pointless, right?” She took another breath.

“You read that stress management book I bought you,” Spike said, giving her a knowing smirk. “What’s a good service dog for?” Twilight ignored him.

Applejack smiled and tipped her hat. “You’re ready, hun. You got this.”

“Remember our duel?” Rarity pressed a hand to her chest. “You said you don’t duel alone, that the spirits of your friends in both worlds sleep in your deck.”

“I said that?” Twilight blushed. “Sounds a bit cheesy…”

“Well, I think it’s true.” Fluttershy nodded and smiled softly. “We’ve seen the cards ourselves. You carry our spirits with you.”

“You said it!” Pinkie stuck her hand out towards Twilight. One by one, four other hands piled on top of it. “There’s no one that can take us down! For friendship and card games and magic and stuff!”

Twilight laughed as she put her hand on top of the pile. “Whatever you say, guys. We’re all in this together.”

“Cute.”

The six’s jovial attitudes faded as they turned towards the steps. Standing at the top, Sunset Shimmer looked down at them, rolling her eyes. “Hate to break it to you, Twilight, but the finals are one-on-one.” Sunset descended the stairs and the group parted, Twilight remaining in her way. Sunset stopped in front of her. “Your little girl group here can stand on the sidelines playing cheerleader. Or maybe they can help Celestia commentate. It’ll be all they’re good for as I’m burning away your Life Points one digit at a time. The sound of those chants turning into screams will be music to my ears.”

“Is that so?” Twilight said evenly. She narrowed her eyes, for a moment not even looking at Sunset as much as in her direction.

Sunset frowned. “What?”

The deck reflects what’s in a duelist’s heart… Sunset’s deck is full of demons that just use each other to cause pain and destruction. Twilight looked up at the crowd and pursed her lip. “I can’t help but notice that no one in that crowd is cheering for you. Have they ever?”

For a moment Sunset’s smug expression faltered, her eyes falling. Before Twilight could register the unfamiliar emotion on her rival’s face, Sunset pushed past her and headed to the arena.

Twilight watched her go, her mind still turning over the idea. She was Celestia’s student once, I know the Princess wouldn’t take on a unicorn as cruel and selfish as Sunset. But if her deck is symbolic of what kind of person she is now...

“Don’t let her psyche you out.” Rainbow shook her head. “She’s going down and she knows it. Now get up there and win it for all of us!”

The clock tower of the school sounded its bell. When it finished, Celestia’s voice crackled through the loudspeakers.

“Students, it is now time to begin the final duel of the ninth annual Autumn Crown Tournament!” After almost a minute’s pause while the crowd’s cheers faded, she continued. “Will our two finalists please approach the arena and take their places in the dueling booths.”

“Wish me luck.” Twilight smiled at her friends and approached the dueling booth. Sunset had already rounded the arena to head to the red booth, leaving Twilight to step into the blue. She closed the gate behind her and pressed the button to ascend. The platform jerked and began to rise. In moments Twilight was looking out over the dueling field. Floodlights mounted on the scoreboard to the right illuminated it in the dying daylight, the card zones marked by white lines. Opposite her, Twilight saw Sunset Shimmer rise into place as well.

“I’ve been waiting two and a half years for this duel.” Sunset sneered. “I have to admit, it’s almost disappointing how easy it was.”

“You’ll have to get used to disappointment.” Twilight glared back and held Sunset’s gaze.

The crowd’s cheers were soon accompanied by a new, but familiar sound. Twilight turned her focus to the noise and recognized her name being chanted. She looked out at the crowd and saw two rows of students hold up square cards, large letters spelling out her name on them. She awkwardly waved back.

“You should give them the same advice,” Sunset said. She tossed her hair and sniffed. “I don’t need these brainless losers cheering for me. I don’t need anyone or anything. I have everything I need to crush you right here.” She held up her deck. Twilight did the same with hers.

“Before we begin, a token of encouragement for you both.” Celestia’s voice drew both girls’ attention. Twilight saw Luna approaching the arena, a small wooden box in her hands. “A reminder of what you’ll be dueling for, and what this tournament is all about.”

Twilight felt a tingle of magic from the box, and inhaled sharply, her eyes going wide. That’s…

Luna set the box down on the edge of the arena on a flat surface and pressed a button. A small glass case rose from the metal, and Luna pulled back the lid of the box in her hands. Twilight stared down at the familiar purple-starred crown resting on red velvet.

The Element of Magic.

Luna set the crown on a stand inside the glass case and pressed another button. A fourth panel rose to cover it, locking the crown away. That done, the vice-principal sat back down with her sister.

Twilight looked down at the display case and bit her lip. I could make a run to just try and grab it, but by the time I got it out Sunset would be there, too… then I have no choice. She looked back at Sunset and saw the other girl looking at the crown too. “This is as close to my Element of Harmony as you’re ever going to get, Sunset!”

Sunset’s eyes lifted to Twilight and she turned back. She crossed her arms and leaned back. “Seeing as this is a special occasion, perhaps we should raise the stakes a little bit.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You want to see my magic, I imagine.” Sunset held up a hand, a red aura cracking around her fingers. “And I’ve never had a chance to duel another duelist with powers like mine. This is kind of exciting for me.”

“What of it?” Twilight demanded.

“I’m thinking, perhaps we should duel in a more fitting environment.” Sunset’s eyes lit up red and she snapped an arm out, her palm outstretched towards the Element of Magic. “With your help, of course!” She raised her other arm towards Twilight.

Twilight gasped as her magic aura flared up and began to flow through the air. At the same time magic came from Sunset’s hand. The two streams of magic, red and purple, circled the crown. It lit up in dark purple light.

“What… are you doing?” Twilight gasped out, clutching her chest.

Sunset gritted her teeth and breathed deep. “I’ve heard of this in this world, but I’ve never had the power to go all out with it. But with both of us here…” She pushed her hand forward and sent a final pulse of magic out. The twin trails of magic around the Element of Magic faded and its dark purple glow intensified.

A nebulous cloud of purple mist came from the crown, billowing up and out through the air. Within seconds it surrounded the arena and the duelists, and the night sky above was blotted out. Twilight watched the moon overheard vanish. It’s just like when I dueled Rarity, but much more powerful.

“Twilight!” The girl turned her head to see her friends running towards the arena, but they were soon lost in the purple mist. It grew denser and solidified, covering the arena in a dark cloud of magic.

“There we go.” Twilight looked back at Sunset as the other girl took a deep breath. “A fitting battleground for the duel to decide the fate of both worlds, don’t you think?”

Twilight glared. “Should I be afraid?”

“Aren’t you?” Sunset faked a hurt pout and reached to her deck. “Here, let’s try harder.” She drew a card and held it up in the air. The black and green demon that manifested above Sunset looked down at Twilight and licked her lips. “Luxuria, teach her to fear me!” Sunset snapped her fingers. Luxuria flew forward and perched on the edge of Twilight’s dueling booth, then leapt down to tackle her, pinning her arms.

Twilight stared up at the demon as it grinned down at her. “This… you’re real!” The demon laughed in response and drew a claw down Twilight’s cheek. She shivered as she felt the nail slide down her flesh, not yet drawing blood but close enough to make it clear that was possible.

“I think that’s enough.” Twilight heard Sunset snap her fingers again, and the demon faded in a shower of green particles. “That’s the fullest extent of my magic.” Twilight climbed to her feet to look across at Sunset. Sunset smiled. “You already felt a bit of it when you dueled Rarity under my influence.”

“So that’s what it was…” Twilight reached to her cheek. “You can use your magic to summon real monsters from the cards?”

“Not really.” Sunset slowly shook her head. “I can only cause real damage within the rules of the duel, like Rarity did. But that little empowerment took a lot out of me to pull off, and you weren’t even really in that much danger. Just localized areas of magical radiance like she created takes pretty much all I have. I can’t manifest monsters at full strength or for very long, I just don’t have enough magical power for it.” She grinned. “Yet.”

Twilight paled as realization slowly dawned. “The Element of Magic.”

“Bingo.” Sunset chuckled, leaning forward to brace her arms on the arena. “Once that crown is on my head, I’ll have more than enough power to summon real monsters outside a duel. Not just one, but dozens, maybe even hundreds.” She smiled and waved a hand in the air. “You’ve seen the cards people play in this world. Knights, demons, wizards, dragons, machines of war. Thousands of Duel Monsters waiting to be awakened by the Element of Magic. An unmatched array of variable and powerful minions with which I can conquer both worlds.”

Sunset slowly set her deck in the shuffler. “I’ve spent two years learning this game, honing my control of my magic, waiting for the portal to reopen so I can return to Equestria and get my hands on your crown. All in preparation for this day, the day I return home with an army at my heel! There’s just one detail left to resolve: your final and complete defeat!” Sunset laughed, her eyes flashing.

Twilight scowled. “I don’t think so! You won’t defeat me, Sunset, not here, not in Equestria, not ever!” She set her deck on the shuffler and snatched her cards up just a moment after it finished. “We finish this, here and now! It’s time to duel, Sunset!”

“At long last, yes it is!” Sunset grinned wickedly. “Come, Twilight, and let the Shadow Game begin!”

Author's Note: