Duel Monsters Are Magic GX

by snivygamer97

The Sprite Burn Deck and the Double Team

And so, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Spike went back over to the card vault in order to try and make Rainbow Dash a much better deck.

“Okay, Rainbow Dash. For starters, we need to get you monsters that you can summon without tribute. Most of the monster half of your deck should be built on these types of monsters,” Twilight said.

“So, should I gather as many powerful cards with a low level as possible?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“You could…but Pegasus did tell me that many stronger low level cards have a downside to them,” Twilight warned.

“Sounds lame to me. Still, I need to find some weaker monsters to summon. Let’s see what we got,” Rainbow said as she began to look over the weaker monster cards.

“Um, Twilight?” Spike began.

“Yes, Spike?” Twilight asked.

“Maybe we should talk with Rainbow some more to make sure that her deck is still usable?” Spike pointed out.

“What? Come on! Rainbow here seems to understand now that a deck is in need of balance in order to work. We just need to look it over once she’s done,” Twilight said.

“Are you sure about that? Because Rainbow seems to be looking for powerful cards alone still,” Spike said as he pointed to Rainbow Dash, who was in the middle of looking over some of the monster cards and spells.

“Now, let’s see…,” Rainbow said as she looked at Quillbolt Hedgehog. “Weak.” Then, she looked at Level Eater. “This one won’t help.” After that, she looked at Dark Resonator. “Not too strong.” Finally, she looked over Mad Archfiend. “Now this is a card I can use!”

“Um, you do realize that the card switches to Defense mode when attacked and that it has zero Defense Points, right?” Spike pointed out as he read the card text.

“Hey! It’s my deck we’re working on, right? I can decide what should and shouldn’t be in it! And besides, I learned my lesson. I just need to follow the rules and put in as many powerful cards as possible, right?” Rainbow asked.

“And you can do that. But…at the same time you should be aware that weaker cards have their place in someone’s deck. Sometimes, a weaker card has a great effect to make up for it,” Twilight said as she pointed to Speed Warrior as an example.

“Let’s see…doubles its power when it attacks on the turn it’s summoned? Sounds awesome! Just the type of card I needed!” Rainbow cheered as she looked at the card…only for her smile to become a frown upon seeing the Attack Points. “But only 900 Attack Points? Boo!”

“Not helping that the card doesn’t permanently keep the Attack boost,” Twilight noted only for Spike to shush her. “Sorry.”

“Anyway, I can go without any of the weaker cards. I just need to gather the strongest low level cards and my Deck will be Duel ready,” Rainbow said.

“But…what about…?” Spike tried to ask only to be interrupted.

“Don’t worry. I can manage a few high level cards, too,” Rainbow said, trying to understand the duo’s concerns.

“That’s good, but having only strong cards can be detrimental. Most really strong cards that are low level have many weaknesses. Take Goblin Attack Force for instance,” Twilight said as she tried to use her magic to grab the card instinctually only to blush in embarrassment upon failing. Fortunately, Spike grabbed the card and gave it to her, giving her a comforting smile.

“What about it? It looks cool to me. I mean, a monster with 2300 Attack points? Awesome! Heck, I may not even need a high level monster with stats like these!” Rainbow gushed.

“Maybe…but it’ll then go to defense mode for a while and with zero Defense Points…,” Twilight began.

“It’ll be destroyed leaving you vulnerable to attack,” Spike finished.

“What? Phht! I bet I could win easily with enough spell and trap support. I mean, Axe of Despair? Giving the equipped monster 1000 extra Attack Points? Sounds amazing!” Rainbow countered. “Besides, why can’t I go ahead and make my own deck with my own cards of choice?”

“We understand that it’s your Deck and your choice of cards. And, with the right combinations, it could still work to rely on power. We’re just concerned that your Deck could be easily countered without any proper defenses against your opponent’s moves,” Twilight explained to Rainbow.

“Oh. I guess I understand. Still, I kinda wanna work with a Deck that reflects me and my style,” Rainbow responded.

“That does make sense. We can help out with finding strong cards that don’t have many downsides. However, we should also look over potentially powerful spells and traps to both support your power strategy and protect from counterattacks,” Twilight suggested.

“I guess so. I really wanna test my Deck out after we edit it, though. You game?” Rainbow asked the duo.

“I think we’ll be game. However, can you Duel one of our other friends first? It could help to face a variety of different opponents rather than just Twilight,” Spike pointed out.

“Fine. But we will have that rematch before all is said and done, though,” Rainbow reluctantly agreed.

“Once your deck is fully ready, we’ll do just that,” Twilight agreed.

“Perfect! First I’ll awesomely win my Duel and then to Duel Academy we’ll go!” Rainbow cheered before going to look over the cards some more, with Twilight giving Rainbow Dash some assistance.

Spike, meanwhile, was quickly distracted by what sounded like a roar. Make that three roars. To be honest, the roars made him feel a bit nervous as he didn’t fully know everything about this world. For all he knew, dragons could be a species here that could prove to be just as vicious and dangerous here as they were back home. Still, there was some strange allure that came from their roars. Not only that, but if they were a threat, the last thing he needed was his friends to get hurt on his watch, especially after all the times they’ve had to bail him out in the past.

So, Spike followed after the roars in order to figure out if his friends were in danger or not. After a few moments, he found a trio of dragon cards that were on a shelf not far from the back of the vault. Strangely enough, the dragons appeared to be one of a kind and they roared even more upon Spike getting into range. Reluctantly, Spike picked up the three cards and placed them in his hand. When he did, he felt a strong power flow through him, causing his heart to race and his head to pound. Just as he was about to yell out in response to the overwhelming power, the feeling stopped and Spike regained control, panting heavily for a good minute before things returned to normal.

“Well, well. I take it that you found these three of the four Dimensional Dragons, did you?” A voice asked from behind Spike. When Spike turned around, he saw that the source of the voice was Maximillion Pegasus.

“I guess I did? All I know is that these cards were crying out to me and then I felt some overwhelming power flowing through me. Is that normal?” Spike asked.

“To be honest, most cards do not do anything close to that. But, I must say that this tale on what happened regarding these cards is indeed very curious. Most of my employees that tried to touch them would wind up hurt or worse. I honestly was about to lock them away in order to prevent any further suffering,” Pegasus explained sadly.

“Great. So, I happened to get cards as cursed as the Sacred Beasts then?” Spike snarked.

“Under normal circumstances, that would appear to be the case. But for you, these cards appeared to give you greater power,” Pegasus was amazed.

“I guess they did. So, quick question, what are these Dimensional Dragons? You know, other than the angry cursed cards?” Spike asked.

“Not much is known about them at this time. All that is known is that they are the masters of their particular summoning method; Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz. The fourth card has recently gone missing, and I’ve personally been trying to look for it before it could end up in the wrong hands,” Pegasus explained.

“Interesting…Well, you can have your death cards back now,” Spike said as he prepared to hand them over.

“Actually…I have a bit of a proposition for you, Spike,” Pegasus decided.

“And that would be…,” Spike began nervously.

“These cards hold a lot of mysteries inside of them and I’d like to learn more about them. Perhaps we can find out why they hold such anger and power within them compared to most other cards,” Pegasus explained.

“What? And get me and my friends hurt again? No thanks!” Spike declined.

“Look, I know that you’re concerned about these cards hurting your pals. Under normal circumstances, I’d refuse to allow anyone else to be in contact with these cards for their own good. However, your bond with this trio of cards could wind up saving our world from the Sacred Beasts or even from the Dimensional Dragons themselves. It’ll just be for a few months while you and your pals are handling the Sacred Beasts. Please! I’ll give you a large sum of money if it helps at all,” Pegasus pleaded, acting like a child in order to try and convince Spike and mess with him.

“Look, Pegasus, the last thing I want is for my friends, no, my family to be hurt because I made a dumb mistake. I may not have known most of them for long, but I also know that I haven't been as helpful as I could be. I want to stand with and help Twilight and our other friends, not be a pest that gets in the way. The last thing I need is a dangerous responsibility that I can easily mess up,” Spike explained boldly.

Pegasus looked on in shock and awe at Spike’s conviction and his desire to keep his friends safe. So, he decided, “You know what? I understand. I’ve made a myriad of mistakes in my past as well. Over a decade ago, I practically became a supervillain from one of my precious cartoons in order to revive my deceased love. However, while I still miss her dearly every single day, I realized that I shouldn’t bring harm to others, intentionally or not, over trying to bring her back. I just hope that when the time comes for me to pass on, that she and the gods will forgive me and that I can see her again. So, Spike, I’ve decided not to burden you with these cards, for now at least. However, if you ever do want to hold onto these cards feel free to do so. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some important work to do,” At this, Pegasus started to walk away, leaving Spike with some uncertainty and sympathy for the older man.
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Meanwhile, right outside of the castle…

“Woohoo! This is incredible isn’t it girls? We’re only a little bit away from going to school together and learning more about Duel Monsters!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“D-Do we have to go to school? The last time I went to school things didn’t turn out well for me,” Fluttershy asked meekly.

“I’m afraid so, Fluttershy. If we’re gonna stop these Sacred Beasts from becomin’ a threat, we’re gonna need to be in the school to help directly keep an eye on these cards,” Applejack confirmed.

“But imagine how fun it’ll be to catch the latest gossip. Or even having fun Dueling and defeating our opponents and having fun bringing about new friends and popularity in the throws of victory! Oooh! We just need to improve our Duel skills and in a few day’s time we’ll be in one of the best Duel schools in the world!” Rarity squeed, almost as much as Pinkie Pie.

“Oh…,” Fluttershy gulped in fear.

“Fluttershy, I almost forgot. You were bullied mercilessly back at Flight School. Please forgive me. I get that going to school might bring back uncomfortable memories and that being a large part of too much attention won’t help either. So, how about this? You can stay back home in Ponyville while we start looking for the cards and keep them safe without you,” Rarity suggested.

“T-Thanks, Rarity. But I do want to help you girls out. I don’t want to leave you six to be in danger and get really hurt because of me. So, I’ll go with you,” Fluttershy decided.

“Are you sure? Because while getting out of your comfort zone would be fabulous for you, I don’t think any of us want you to see you suffer due to your fears and insecurities,” Rarity asked to be sure.

“We wouldn’t want you to be fearful at all times due to yer shyness,” Applejack agreed.

“I agree too. But…what is an insecurity?” Pinkie Pie asked as the trio fell comically.

“An insecurity is a doubt or anxiety one can have about themselves. At times I wonder if that is the reason for Rainbow's big head,” Applejack noted.

“Got it! Poor Fluttershy, though. I wanted to see her have a fun time at Duel Academy and make some new friends with us,” Pinkie Pie noted sympathetically.

“But I can go with you! Who knows? There may be some cute little animals that I can make friends with over there,” Fluttershy noted, trying to be confident and assertive for her friends in spite of her fears.

“I understand, Fluttershy. But I can see that you have your fears still. Say…since we haven’t had the chance to Duel yet perhaps we should decide things with a Duel. I win you don’t have to go with us. You win, and you will go with us. Deal?” Rarity asked.

“Uh, shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Applejack asked in confusion.

“Why would Fluttershy not want to go if she already decided to go with us, Applejack?” Pinkie asked innocently.

“I accept! Let us begin our Duel…now!” Fluttershy began as she placed her Deck in the Deck slot and Rarity did the same.

“Let’s Duel!” Both ponies turned to humans cried out.

“I’ll go first. I draw! I summon Ebon Magician Curran to my field in Attack Mode (1200 Attack)! I then play two cards facedown and end my turn. Your move, Rarity,” Fluttershy made her move.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, inside one of the rooms that was being used as a bedroom…

“It’s all coming together, everyone. In about a month, we’re gonna head on out to Duel Academy where we’ll make a big stur along with our adoptive sister. By having fun and doing our best, we’ll have the most enjoyable three years of school we can have! Isn’t that right, Ruby?” A teen with green hair asked his card spirit, whose spirit responded with a nod. “Great! Now I just wonder when Jaden will be back to challenge us to our daily Duel.”

Right on cue, Jesse heard a knock on the door. He went to the door and opened it slowly, with Jaden, a teen with brown hair that many joked looked like a Kuriboh, being on the other side. “Jesse! Jesse! You won’t believe what I saw going on outside!”

“Let me guess. Another seagull taking food to her nest?” Jesse teased.

“No, even better! There is a Duel going on between these two girls!” Jaden said, not responding to her brother’s teasing.

“You’re pullin’ my leg, aren’t ya, Jaden? I mean, there isn’t any female employees working for our dad that live here,” Jesse said.

“No, really! They’re here! I can’t wait to see them Duel! I wonder what cards they have, or what their main monsters are!” Jaden gushed.

“Well…,” Jesse was a bit reluctant to believe Jaden as this could have been a prank. However, his desire to see a good Duel won out and he decided, “I guess we can go and see the Duel, Jay.”

“Yay!” Jaden cheered.

“But…! If this turns out to be a prank, I get to have your dessert tonight!” Jesse made a deal.

“Well, good thing I’m not wrong then. Now, come on! We better hurry!” Jaden said as she dragged her brother to the Duel.
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“Wow! Fluttershy is already starting out a bit big, isn’t she?” Pinkie Pie was amazed.

“What do you mean? She just summoned a monster and played some facedowns,” Applejack was confused.

“The thing is, Applejack, that Fluttershy’s monster can inflict 300 damage during her Standby Phases for each monster Rarity has out,” Pinkie Pie explained.

“So, Rarity will lose Life Points if she has too many monsters out,” Applejack realized.

“Impressive. To both of you. Still, Pinkie Pie, how did you know that effect?” Rarity asked curiously.

“I looked it up,” Pinkie Pie simply answered.

“Very well then. My turn. I start off by summoning out the ferocious and beautiful Botanical Lion in Attack Mode (1600->1900 Attack). You see, this beauty can increase his Attack Points by 300 for each Plant-type monster out,” Rarity played.

“Wow! With that much power, Rarity can turn this Duel in her favor!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Impressive, Rarity. You really have yourself a powerful monster. And such a beautiful one as well,” Fluttershy complimented.

“Thanks. After all, I decided that Black Rose Dragon works well with Plant monsters, but that I can still make my deck pretty and fabulous while still being powerful at the same,” Rarity explained her deck choice.

“I can see that. Still, we’ll need to make use of spells and traps as well in our Duels like Twilight said,” Fluttershy reminded Rarity.

“Good point there, Fluttershy. But that’s not all. I now play the Spell Card Double Summon! With it, I can perform a second Normal Summon during this turn! Meaning, I can summon out the Tuner monster, Witch of the Black Rose (1700 Attack). Considering that Witch of the Black Rose is a spellcaster, Botanical Lion doesn’t gain extra power,” Rarity explained.

“Looks like Rarity may have the upper hand right now. Her monsters are so much stronger than Fluttershys. Still, good luck to both of you!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Now, hold on. Rarity may have the stronger monsters, but Fluttershy still has herself two facedown cards. She can still make a comeback,” Applejack reminded.

“You better hope that your spells and traps can defend you, Fluttershy. Now, Witch of the Black Rose, attack and destroy Ebon Magician Curran!” Rarity cried out.

“Not so fast, Rarity! I play my facedown card Waboku! With it, I am able to not only keep monsters safe from battle, but reduce my damage all the way to zero!” Fluttershy countered.

“See? Fluttershy had a counter ready for attacks against her monster, letting her monster survive and be able to deal damage through her effect,” Applejack realized.

“Still, Fluttershy will only be able to do damage once. I can destroy her monster next turn. I’ll end my turn with a facedown,” Rarity said as she placed a card facedown.

“I’m sorry, Rarity. But I can’t let you hurt my monsters,” Fluttershy apologized.

“What? By why not?” Rarity asked confused.

“Yeah! Isn’t the point of the game to defeat the opponent’s monsters with the aid of spells and traps?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Now. Now. Fluttershy can play the game however she wants. Still, that playstyle is a bit of a hassle to work with. I mean, the opponent can reduce one’s Life Points very quickly if they are able to gather a buncha monsters on their field,” Applejack noted.

“It’s just…never mind. Let’s get back to Dueling,” Fluttershy said meekly.

At this point, both Jaden and Jesse arrived from a nearby window and saw the Duel that was underway.

“See, Jesse? I told ya that there were these ladies Dueling outside!” Jaden said, feeling a little satisfied in being proven right.

“Well, I’ll be. You were right! Sorry I doubted you, sis. So, y’all think we should let them know we’re here or should we wait till the Duel is over first?” Jesse asked.

“I’d say let em play first. I really don’t wanna interrupt the Duel…When it gets started again that is,” Jaden answered.

“It’s my turn now! And with it, Ebon Magician Curran will deal you damage,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, but only 600 damage, and I can deal with that easily,” Rarity said.

“I’m afraid it won’t be that simple Rarity, I apologize, but I play the Trap Card Doubling Burst! With it, I can double any effect damage that is dealt during my turn. Feel the burn, I guess?” Fluttershy said as Rarity’s Life Points dropped (Rarity->2800 LP).

“I must admit that you do have an interesting strategy here, Fluttershy. But I don’t know how long it will work. I mean, on my next turn I can attack and wipe out Curran. Unless…you have a strategy to work around it,” Rarity realized.

“Of course I do! Now, I’ll play the spell card Graceful Charity. With it, I can now draw three cards and them discard two from my hand to the Graveyard. I discard Darklord Marie and Guardian Angel Joan,” Fluttershy played as she discarded her cards.

“What could this Fluttershy be planning? Does she have a way to revive her Guardian Angel Joan to the field or something?” Jaden wondered.

“Could be. I don’t see why else she would discard a monster with 2800 Attack Points,” Jesse noted.

“I now play the spell card Monster Reborn in order to revive my Guardian Angel Joan in Attack mode (2800 Attack),” Fluttershy played.

“Looks like you were right, Jaden,” Jesse admitted.

“Now, Fluttershy can destroy one of Rarity’s monsters,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Maybe…but remember that Rarity still has a facedown card she can play,” Applejack pointed out.

“Oh, okay. Guess those two guys weren’t entirely on track then,” Pinkie Pie said, much to the confusion of the others present.

“Um, who are you talking about, Miss Pie?” Rarity asked in confusion as she looked around.

“Those guys up there,” Pinkie responded as she pointed up to the tower where Jaden and Jesse were at, with Jaden waving joyfully at the Main 4.

“Hey, it’s nice to meet you all! I hope you all are enjoying this Duel so far! We certainly are,” Jaden cheerfully greeted.

“What happened to waiting for the Duel to stop?” Jesse asked.

“Well, plans just changed. I’m surprised that the one girl was able to see us all the way up here, though. Do you think we were talking that loud?” Jaden wondered.

“More like a lucky break, in my opinion,” Jesse guessed.

“Hold on a second here. I thought this island wasn’t open to the public,” Rarity was confused.

“Well, this place was open for a tournament in the past according to Pegasus. Maybe there’s some tournament going on here right now,” Fluttershy suggested as she started to look nervous upon finishing her thought.

“They could be the family of Pegasus or someone who works here, sugarcube,” Applejack suggested.

“That’s what I was thinking! But maybe we should ask to be sure. Hey, you two! Where did you come from?!” Pinkie cried out, her question causing everyone to fall comically. “You both come in peace, right?”

“Um, Pinkie? I think…,” Fluttershy nervously tried to respond.

However, before Fluttershy could respond, Jaden interrupted by calling back, “We happen to be Pegasus’s kids! This is Jesse and I’m Jaden! We live here and at a few other places across the world, traveling with dad as he runs his company!...Oh, and yes we come in peace!”

“Perfect! My name’s Pinkie Pie and these are my friends Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity!” Pinkie greeted the duo. “It’s really nice to meet some new friends!”

“So, Pegasus has kids. Sounds very cute! I just wish we could meet the lovely young lady who married such a dapper and handsome young man,” Rarity wondered.

“Actually…we may be Pegasus’s kids, but not by blood. He did have a love, but she died before they could get married. As for our birth parents…we never got to know them,” Jesse explained.

“Oh. I’m sorry. You know, I can und-,” Applejack was interrupted before she could finish her thought.

“It’s okay. We’ve been able to live a mostly happy and cheery Duel-filled life regardless of those details. So, what are you four doing here anyway?” Jaden curiously asked.

“Well, you see, we’ve come here to practice and learn about Duel Monsters so that we can get into Duel Academy when the next year begins. We’re basically gonna help save the world. Again,” Pinkie Pie explained.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to just relax for most of the year and not have to worry about being stuck on a peril-filled adventure for more than necessary,” Fluttershy said.

“Sounds like you all have a lot on your plate. You know, Jaden and I were gonna go to Duel Academy this year too. Maybe we can help you out with this world-savin’ stuff,” Jesse suggested.

“Oh, we couldn’t impose and make your year harder on you,” Rarity kindly declined.

“Yeah! You just worry about yer grades while we worry about savin’ the world,” Applejack agreed.

“Oh, don’t worry about it! We’re used to saving the world!” Jaden reassured.

“Uh…aren’t you only fifteen?” Pinkie Pie asked in confusion.

“Wait…aren’t we only fifteen by human standards?” Fluttershy asked Pinkie quietly. “Also, are you sure about that? We wouldn’t want you to get hurt or feel pressured to save the world.”

“We’re sure! The last thing we want is fer folks like you or fer any of our friends to get hurt and go it alone when we knew we could help. Together, we’ll keep this world safe yet again!” Jesse said.

“Sounds simply divine. Okay. You can help us and our other friends. Just be careful, though,” Rarity calmly and politely said.

“Yeah! We wouldn’t want for our new friends to get hurt helping out,” Pinkie Pie agreed.

“Even if this isn’t their first rodeo,” Applejack reminded the others.

“Great! Now that that’s settled, let’s finish your Duel!” Jaden cried out.

“Oh. I almost forgot! We were Dueling before we met these lovely folks! Fluttershy, I believe it was your turn?” Rarity reminded her best friend.

“Huh? Oh, right!” Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment as she looked over the cards in her hand. “Okay, for my next move, I summon the elegant and beautiful Fire Princess in Attack mode(1300 Attack)!”

“Aw, what a pretty monster you got there, darling!” Rarity complimented.

“So, what does she do?” Applejack bluntly asked as Rarity fell over.

“Applejack, manners please! But if you don’t mind, can you please answer the question for us?” Rarity asked.

“Well, ya see, Fire Princess deals effect damage to the opponent every time the user gains Life Points. Fluttershy just needs to gain some and she can pull off an effective combo,” Jesse answered.

“Hey! I was gonna explain that! But thank you, though,” Pinkie yelled out before saying the last part quietly.

“But can Fluttershy even pull off such a combo? I mean, Fluttershy still has two cards in her hand, but can either of them gain her Life Points?” Applejack asked.

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see…,” Rarity muttered.

“Well, to be honest…,” Fluttershy began meekly.

“Darklord Marie allows the controller to gain 200 LP while she’s in the graveyard. She can gain Life Points and inflict 500 damage if Fire Princess lasts another turn. Well…make that 1000 damage due to Doubling Burst,” Jaden pointed out as everyone turned back to Fluttershy.

“Jaden got it right. She’s pretty clever! Good going!” Fluttershy congratulated the teen girl.

“Wait. She?” Pinkie Pie was surprised.

“It may not seem like it, but Jaden here is my adoptive sis. Don’t feel bad, though. Most people mistake Jaden for a boy due to her tomboyish personality and looks,” Jesse confirmed.

“Well. Don’t worry too much. We actually caught on pretty quick there,” Applejack reassured.

“Uh huh! Now, let’s get back to our Duel,” Rarity said. “Fluttershy may not know it, but she’s about to walk right into a trap just like I did last turn. Once she has Guardian Angel Joan attack my Botanical Lion, I can play my facedown Wall of Thorns to destroy all her Attack Position monsters! After that, I can attack her directly and win this Duel!” Rarity thought.

“I place two cards facedown and then end my turn,” Fluttershy played.

“Wait…what?!” Rarity was shocked. “You have a much more powerful monster on your field and yet you chose to not do anything?!”

“No, not nothing. I just chose not to attack you or your monsters,” Fluttershy clarified.

“But why? You have the strongest monster out and your entire strategy revolves around burn damage, right?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“But of course!” Fluttershy confirmed.

“Then wouldn’t it be best to wipe out one of Rarity’s monsters in order to prevent a counterattack next turn?” Jesse asked.

“Now, to be fair, Fluttershy does indeed have two facedowns to protect herself. She can still manage to pull out a win depending on what they do,” Jaden pointed out.

“Jaden has a point there, y’all. We’ll just have to see what Fluttershy does next,” Applejack agreed.

“Alright, it’s my turn. I draw!” Rarity cried out as she looked at the card she drew; Graceful Charity. “I play the spell I just drew! Graceful Charity! With it, I can now draw three cards and discard two from my hand to the graveyard. In addition to Gigaplant, I discard the spell Paralyzing Thorn, which lowers the power of a monster on my opponent’s field by 1000 points! So, say goodbye to 1000 of Guardian Angel Joan’s Attack Points (1800 Attack)!”

“I must say you play a good game, Rarity. But I won’t be letting any monsters be destroyed this Duel!” Fluttershy said, which Jaden catched.

“Next, I play the spell Pot of Greed in order to draw two cards!” Rarity said as she looked over the field and her hand. “I have to admit, Fluttershy has been only playing defensively and so far she’s managing to do very well. I guess it’s just Fluttershy’s peaceful and delicate nature showing in her Dueling. I still have one combo to pull that can win me this Duel. Here I go!” “I now summon Twilight Rose Knight to my field in attack mode (1000 Attack)! When this dapper swordsman arrives for battle, he can bring with him a Level 4 or lower Plant monster. So, say hello to Revival Rose (1300 Attack)!”

“It’s cool that Rarity was able to gather a bunch of monsters to her field, but how does she expect to pull out a win this turn? Unless…,” Jaden started to realize.

“Unless Rarity here can Synchro Summon?” Jesse suggested.

“You’re right! We got these rare dragon Synchro monsters from your dad earlier! I bet Rarity is gonna summon hers now!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“We’ll see,” Applejack simply said.

“Let’s go! I tune my Twilight Rose Knight with my Revival Rose! Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon (2400 Attack)!” Rarity summoned her ace as a flurry of petals scattered across the field.

“So, this is what those monsters being summoned is like…,” Jaden said in awe.

“I know, right? I never would have guessed it woulda been so beautiful,” Jesse agreed.

“Now, I play the effect of my Black Rose Dragon! With it, I can destroy all the cards on both of our fields!” Rarity explained.

“But if Rarity does that, she won’t have anything to protect herself!” Pinkie Pie was shocked.

“Yeah! And those poor Duel Monsters will be in pain!” Fluttershy cried out her concerns.

“Don’t worry, y’all! Rarity must have some sort of plan,” Applejack reassured.

“And I do! I play the quickplay spell Protection Rose! Now, during this turn all my monsters can’t be destroyed by card effects!” Rarity played.

“Wait. Hold on a second, you guys. Why do you not want the monsters to get hurt, Fluttershy? Not that it’s a bad thing, but why?” Jaden asked curiously.

“It’s just…I’ve been hearing voices come from cards. They’ve been really nice and I don’t want to treat them poorly, especially if it means they’ll be in pain,” Fluttershy confessed.

“So…that’s why you didn’t attack earlier. You were afraid of hurting my monsters, not just yours,” Rarity realized.

“But…destroying cards is a part of the game. Don’t get me wrong. It’s sweet you don’t want to hurt the cards. We should treat them with respect,” Jaden reasured.

“Yeah! Jaden has a point. You can play however you want. If that means not hurting the spirits in your mind, then go ahead and play defensively. All the power to ya,” Jesse agreed.

“But there will be times that you’ll have to fight the opponent’s cards. There may be times where there will be no other choice, and we shouldn’t be afraid to attack,” Applejack replied.

“R-Really? S-Should I…? Attack? Not in this Duel, but in the future?” Fluttershy wondered to herself before remembering what was currently going on. “I play my facedown card Ancient Barrier! Now, while I control a Light Attribute monster, I can prevent all the cards on my field from being destroyed by effects this turn!”

“What?!” Rarity was shocked as her monster’s effect failed.

“Great! Now Fluttershy has the ability to defend herself and make it to the next turn!” Pinkie Pie sighed comically.

“But how long does she have left? If she can't protect her monsters from attacks, she’ll lose!” Applejack reminded.

“Fluttershy still has a chance to turn things around. After all, the Duel isn’t over till the last card is played,” Jaden said.

“You played a good game, Fluttershy, but this Duel isn’t over yet! I play the spell card Monster Reborn! I’ll use it to bring back out my Gigaplant in Attack mode (2400 Attack)!” Rarity played. Of course, Botanical Lion gains 300 more points due to Gigaplant’s appearance (1900->2200 Attack).

“If Rarity plays this right, then she can win this Duel!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“It’ll all come down to whether Fluttershy’s other facedown can counter it or not,” Jesse said.

“It’s time we bring about the beginning of the end for this Duel, Fluttershy. Black Rose Dragon, attack Fluttershy’s Guardian Angel Joan! This Duel is over!” Rarity cried out.

“I’m afraid not, Rarity. I play my facedown Booby Trap F! Now, I can select one trap card in my Graveyard and use it’s effect as this card’s effect this turn! I choose Waboku! So now, all battle damage is reduced to zero and monsters can’t be destroyed by battle. I’m sorry, Rarity,” Fluttershy said as she closed her eyes and looked away for a second.

“But that means…,” Pinkie Pie realized.

“Rarity loses,” Jesse confirmed.

“Well, since I don’t have any other choice, I end my turn,” Rarity said reluctantly.

“This was a truly good Duel, Rarity. I draw! And now you take 2400 points of damage due to Ebon Magician Curran (Rarity-400 LP)! Next, I gain 200 LP due to Darklord Marie (Fluttershy-4200 LP) and you take 1000 LP of damage!” Fluttershy played as Rarity’s Life Points hit zero. During this time, as Rarity fell to the ground, Jaden and Jesse started to run from their current location in order to reach the group.

As Rarity got back up, Fluttershy walked over to Rarity and held out her hand. “Need some help getting up, Rarity?” Rarity accepted the hand and was helped back up.

“Fluttershy, you did magnificently! You were able to defeat me without even declaring an attack! I know you have reservations about battling, but if you can Duel so well without battling, then you don’t have to worry about getting into Duel Academy, provided you want to go there,” Rarity complimented.

“I agree! You were terrific!” Pinkie Pie agreed.

“This was my first real Duel, and I have to say I’m glad it was!” Applejack complimented as Fluttershy blushed at the compliments.

“You know what, girls? I am glad I was able to Duel so well. And it was fun, too! If it was anywhere near as great to Duel now as it will be later, then I can be glad to say I have a future at Duel Academy!” Fluttershy said.

“So, you’re going to go to Duel Academy with us?” Jaden asked as she and Jesse finally made it back to the group.

“Of course! I made a promise to go if I win after all!” Fluttershy confirmed.

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around…provided she didn’t wanna go?” Jesse asked, confused.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have a new friend to Duel with…even if she doesn’t wanna battle now,” Jaden said cheerfully.

At this point, Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash finally returned to the group.

“Hey there! What’s happening girls?” Rainbow Dash asked as she looked over her new Deck.

“And…who are these two?” Twilight wondered.

“They could be family to a worker or…,” Spike suggested.

“They're Pegasus’s children. He’s a daddy!” Pinkie Pie answered cheerfully.

“Kinda. He adopted these two when they were younger,” Applejack clarified.

“So, Rainbow Dash, how did the whole Deck reconstruction thing go for you all?” Fluttershy politely asked.

“It turned out awesome! I managed to make a real power-based Deck that I plan on using to great effect at Duel Academy!” Rainbow Dash answered. “I just need to test it out and see how awesome it’ll do in an official Duel. So, any takers?”

“Ya know what? I guess I’ll give it a go. I’ll accept your challenge, Rainbow Dash!” Applejack agreed.

Author's Note:

Hope you all enjoy this chapter. And yes, I plan on making Jaden a girl for this story. I thought that it would be a cool idea that my sister and I came up with and an idea that further adds to this story's individual identity. As for how it'll work, I'm not entirely sure yet. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Comments

[nightshroud96]

Curious on what moment Spike does decide to use the Dimension Dragons?