A year has past since our heroes battle against Sombra. Now, a new threat appears in the form of a tournament. Will our heroes be able to overcome this evil, or is the peace they worked so hard to achieve gone forever?
A year has past since our heroes battle against Sombra. Now, a new threat appears in the form of a tournament. Will our heroes be able to overcome this evil, or is the peace they worked so hard to achieve gone forever?
Fireworks filled the air, as people began to enter the Freeze Stadium. Within the stadium, the audience screamed in excitement at the prospect of watching what was about to unfold.
Suddenly, the stage was lit up by explosions, as a pair of women stepped up onto the stage. They were the world famous Celestic Sisters, Luna and Celestia.
Both: HELLO CANTERLOT!
The audience's screams increased at the sight of them.
Celestia: Well here we are, the Double X Tournament
Luna: For those of you not in the know, the Double X is a Dueling competition open to any and all challenges who are aged twenty or younger.
Celestia: Being a team contest, Duelists must be in groups of three to enter. It's been a long road for our contestants, but these young teams are ready to take on anything that might phase them. Let's welcome them onto the stage.
The doors on the side of the field opened, allowing all the duelists to enter out onto the field. They were all walking in groups of threes, signalling their teams.
Luna: Many of our young hopefuls you might remember, as several of them competed in last years Celestic Cup. This includes its champion.
The megascreen above switched on and showed the image of Flash, alongside Spike and Sunburst.
Down on the field, Flash saw his face up on the big screen and blushed. Spike laughed as he elbowed him in the side, while Sunburst tried to hide his face. Flash looked away from the screen and looked around, spotting Twilight standing besides Fluttershy and Sunset. He also spotted Rainbow leading Soarin and Gilda, close to Applejack, Rarity and Mac. He also spotted Pinkie and Maud, along with another girl he did not recognise.
Then he spotted her, the one he had entered this tournament to face once against. As she turned towards him, Flash remembered when he had first met her.
A year has passed since the battle against Sombra and his Doom-Vader invaders.
In that time, Canterlot had rebuilt and life had returned to normal. The hero of that event, Flash Sentry, was currently walking to school alongside his sister Scootaloo. In the year since he had saved the word, the teen had cut his hair shorter and was now wearing a black zipped up jacket with his crest on the shoulders. Scootaloo meanwhile, wore the same clothes she always wore.
The two turned a corner and found themselves outside Canterlot High. The school was bustling with students on their way to class.
As they heard the bell ring, Scootaloo turned to Flash. "See you later bro."
"Yeah," Flash replied, "see you later sis. Stay out of trouble."
"I will," Scootaloo said before rushing off to find her friends. Flash meanwhile, continued over to his homeroom. As he reached his locker and put his stuff away, he took out his phone and checked it for texts or messages.
"Flash," the boy looked up to see his friends Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity stepping down the hallway towards him. The three of them had changed their look in the passed year, making them look much more mature.
"Hey guys," he said as he walked up to them. "What's up."
Fluttershy pulled out her phone and showed it to him. On it was an article showing of their friend Rainbow, who was carrying a large trophy along with several other teens. They were all wearing the same sports gear. "Rainbow's team won the school district championships."
"Wow," Flash said as he looked the article over. "That's great."
"Yeah," Pinkie said, "we should throw her a party to celebrate."
"But she lives in Cloudsdale now," Flash told her. "I doubt she could come by for a party."
Pinkie's eyes suddenly burned with determination. "I will find a way." Everyone laughed at this.
"Hard to believe she's only been attending that sport school for a few months," Rarity said.
"Yeah," Applejack agreed, "I'm still amazed about how much convincing it took us to get her to go there."
"Well she didn't want to leave her friends behind," Flash said. "But she knew it was her best chance of going pro."
"That's true," Applejack replied before noticing Flash's phone. "So any word from Twilight?"
Flash frowned for a moment, but then hid it behind a smile. "Yeah, we emailed a few days ago. She's really enjoying France. She's already become fluent in the language."
"Of course she is," Rarity laughed before looking Flash over. "How are you since she left. I know long distance can be hard."
Flash's smile did not falter, "I'm fine. Twilight's having fun, so I'm happy for her." In that moment, the bell rang. "I gotta get to class," he shut his locker and began to run off. "See you guys later." With that, he was gone.
As soon as he was gone, the three girls all frowned. "You two see that?" Applejack asked.
"Yes," Rarity said, "something's up with him."
"He seems upset by something," Pinkie agreed.
"And I don't think it's just about Twilight," Fluttershy said.
"Ah have noticed he seems really distant lately," Applejack agreed.
"More like bored," Pinkie said. "Maybe he needs a party."
"I don't think this is something that can be fixed by a party darling," Rarity told her. In response, she got a loud gasp from the pink haired girl.
"Blasphemy!" Pinkie cried, getting another lot of laughs from them. As they continued on to their own homeroom, they spotted a guy looking around in confusion. "Hello," the boy turned to them, "you lost?"
The boy, who had orange skin and red hair while wearing a blue vest over a white shirt and brown pants with glasses over his eyes, turned to them. "Oh...yes, I'm new here. Haven't memorised the schools layout yet."
"No problem partner," Applejack said. "We'll help ya'h out."
"Thanks," the boy replied, "I'm Sunburst by the way."
As Flash sat in his class, barely listening to the teacher, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his most prized possession. His deck.
It was hard to believe that a stack of cards could change your life so much, but it had. Before finding his deck, he had been alone with no friends. Now, not only did he have friends, but he also had a girlfriend and a whole lot more.
But then why did he feel so empty right now?
Later that day.
Flash was in his room, doing his homework, when his computer beeped singling a call. He put down his pen and accepted the call, smiling when he saw who it was. "Hello milady."
"Hey babe," Twilight replied. Twilight, like the rest of his friends, had gone through changes in the last year. She had stopped wearing her contacts and now wore glasses, after Flash had told her she looked cute in them, while also having her hair up in a ponytail. She also wore a blue blouse under a pink vest, with a pink bow around her neck. A dark purple skirt with a pink star pattern was equipped to her body, along with blue knee high socks and purple shoes. "So what you up too?"
"Nothing much," Flash said. "Homework really."
"Bien ne vous précipitez pas ir."
"You realise I have zero idea what you're saying right?" Flash told her.
"I know," Twilight replied with a smirk. "So how are things back home."
"Not bad," Flash said. "Cadance asked me to babysit next week."
Twilight laughed at this. "Well you knew being godfather would come with its responsibilities."
"I ain't complaining," Flash told her. "You know I love Flurry. Besides, someones gotta do the fun aunt and uncle stuff until you get back."
"And I appreciate it," Twilight replied. "So, how have things been for you? Duel anyone lately?"
Hearing this caused Flash to frown, lasting only a second but enough for Twilight to notice. "Yeah, I get challenged every other day or so. Some are pretty good, others are getting in way over their head."
"Well you knew winning the Celestic Cup would cause this," Twilight told him. "I remember Shining had the same problem when he won, people coming to try and knock him off his throne."
"Yeah, I can definitely get that." Before Flash or Twilight could say anything else, the door opened and Scootaloo peaked her head in.
"Flash, gramps said it's your turn to take out the trash."
"Right," Flash turned towards Twilight, "I'll be five minutes."
"Okay," Twilight replied before he stood up and rushed out the room. As soon as he was gone, the girl turned to Scootaloo. "Alright, what's up with him?"
Scootaloo turned to her and frowned before sitting down. "You noticed to?"
"The Illusionist Faceless Mage could notice," Twilight replied. "What's wrong."
"I'm not sure to be honest," Scootaloo said. "I think...he's bored."
"Bored?" Twilight asked. "Of what?"
"Dueling," Scootaloo replied. "Gramps and I noticed it a little bit ago. Before when he Duelled, he always had a large smile on his lips. But over time, that smiles started getting smaller and smaller until now."
"It doesn't show up?"
"Yeah," Scootaloo said.
"I can't blame him," Twilight said. "After what he went through last year, a duel with no stakes wouldn't give him much excitement."
"I just wish I knew what to do to help," Scootaloo said. "I don't want him to grow bored of his favourite thing in the world."
"None of us do," Twilight replied as she pushed her glasses back up. "But you can't force him to have fun. We just have to hope someone comes along who can give Flash the challenge he need, to remember how much he loves Duelling."
"I guess," Scootaloo replied. "But what are the chance of that happening."
That night.
Atop a tall building, a single figure stood overlooking the city.
She was a woman with dark purple skin and dark pink hair. She was wearing a black leather overcoat over black clothing, with a black fingerless glove on her right hand. A large scar could be seen on her face, running down from her forehead and over her right eye.
She reached into her jacket and pulled out a picture, showing Flash with his Duel Disk. "Flash Sentry," she looked out at the city. "Time to test you."
The next day.
Flash was walking home from school, alone since Scootaloo and her friends were heading off to their local card shop to Duel, as he cut through the park. As he did, he could not help but remember this had been the place he had used his deck for the first time.
As he continued to walk through the park, he suddenly got the feeling that he was being watched. He looked around, not seeing anyone around, but he knew he was not alone. "Whoever you are, come on out already."
A soft chuckle filled the air, "not bad." From behind a tree, the leather clad woman stepped out to stare at him. "The fact you were able to detect me is impressive."
Flash raised an eyebrow. "I have good senses."
"Obviously," the woman said, "I am Tempest Shadow."
"Flash Sentry."
"Oh, I already know who you are." She stepped over to him. "Flash Sentry, Celestic Cup Champion and the one who saved the world from invasion."
"And let me guess," Flash replied. "You want to Duel me."
"If you wouldn't mind," Tempest replied.
Flash sighed, a little annoyed by all the people coming to challenge him. "Sure, I've got nothing better to do."
"Excellent," Tempest said before turning and walking off, "then let's go somewhere we're less likely to be disturbed."
Flash raised an eyebrow at this. Usually, his challengers prayed for people to see, thinking the victory over the Celestic Cup Champion might be recorded and put online. He eventually shrugged and followed after her, until they arrived at the same clearing he first Duelled Garble.
Tempest pulled out a purple Duel Disk and placed it on her arm, causing a black blade to appear. Flash did the same with his, placing his deck into the device and activating it. "DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Tempest: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Flash reached for his deck and drew a card. He looked at his hand and began to formulate a stratagy. "I'll start by summoning Shining Fang Magna Wolf to the field in ATK mode." In a flash of light, a large white wolf appeared wearing silver armour and having a pair of sabre-tooth tiger like fangs. (A1500/D1200/L4) "I'll place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn," Tempest reached for her deck. "I draw and summon Storm Guard Dominator Spear to the field in ATK mode." A bolt of light flew down and struck the ground, causing a bright flash of light which forced Flash to look away. When the light dimmed, he looked back and saw a new monster appear. It was a bulky ape like creature with grey fur and a pitch black armour, covering its chest, arms and head. It had a white mane covering the top half of its body and was carrying a large two pointed spear. (A1800/D800/L4)
Flash raised an eyebrow, having never seen this monster before.
"Next," Tempest went on, "I activate the Spell card Obsidian Orb."
Another card he had never heard of. What was going on?
"The way it works is simple," Tempest explained as a black orb appeared in her monsters hand. Inside it was a strange green mist. "I select a Dominator on my field and a monster on your side of the field whose ATK is less then mine, then I Dominate that monster!"
"Dominate?" Flash asked.
"Let me show you," Tempest explained. In that second, her monster tossed the orb at Magna Wolf. The orb bounced off him and shattered, releasing the strange green mist.
"Magna Wolf!" Flash cried as he watched his monster be consumed by the mist, which quickly faded to reveal a black stone statue that used to be his monster. "No way."
"Impressive, wouldn't you say?" Tempest asked. "Any monster that has been Dominated, cannot wage an attack. It also cannot switch battle positions, activate effects or be tributed."
Flash's eyes did not leave his petrified monster. "So...all he can do is stand there and do nothing."
Tempest smiled. "This is the power of the Dominators. They conquer the weak, allowing only the strong to survive."
Flash frowned. Maybe this woman was better then he had originally thought. "This might just be interesting." He looked down at his face down, which was the Quick-Play Spell Lightspeed. When Tempest's monster attacked, he would use it to raise his monsters ATK points by one thousand.
Tempest pointed at Flash. "And now, I'll use Storm Guard Dominator Spear's ability. Since a monster whose been Dominated is on the field, I can half his ATK points to wage a direct attack on you."
"What?" Flash asked in shock, as the giant ape's body surged with electricity. (A900/D800/L4) That electrical power flowed into its spear, which it then tossed towards Flash. The spear landed infront of the teen before discharging the lightning, zapping him. "Aaahhh!" Flash cried as the power shot through him.
Flash: 3100 Tempest: 4000
Tempest looked pleased with her turns outcome. "I place two cards face down and end my turn. My monsters ATK points now return to normal." (A1800/D800/L4)
Flash panted as he recovered from the attack. "Okay...this is definitely...gonna be interesting." He placed his hand on his deck, "I draw and play Pot of Greed. This card lets me draw two new cards," he looked at his cards and smiled. "I'm using Scale eight Magna Caster Solaris and Scale one Magna Caster Lunara to set the Pendulum Scale." He placed the two cards on the far ends of his Duel Disk.
On each side of him two pillars of light appeared as the two Pendulum monsters floated upwards, hovering once they were ten feet high as the image of a one and eight appeared below them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" Flash chanted as the two wizards pointed their staffs up, and each shot a beam of light which connected and opened a portal above him. "I can summon monsters levelled two through seven all at the same time!" Flash explained. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
Two lights shot out of the portal, and as they hit the ground they took shape and faded to reveal the monsters.
The first was a large robotic Minotaur with mainly blue armour and red trim, with pipes sticking out its back and shoulders. "Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
The second was an orange pegasus with Flash's emblem on its flank appeared. It was wearing gold armour on its chest, hooves, and head. "Sky high, Flash Wing Magna Pegasus." (A1400/D800/L4)
Tempest smiled seeing this. "So this is the famous Pendulum Summon you are known for. Makes me wonder what else you have under yours belt."
"Let me show you!" Flash cried out as he pointed at her. "Magna Pegasus's effect activates whenever he's special summoned. The effect lets me randomly banish one card from your hand." He selected the card and Tempest placed it in her jacket pocket. "Now, Magna Bull, attack!" Steam shot out of the pipes around the monster, as it charged forwards before throwing a punch at the giant ape and destroying it.
Flash: 3100 Tempest: 3700
"You activated my Trap," Tempest called out as he face down flipped up. "Storm Guard Resurgence!" This Continuous Trap activates whenever a Storm Guard monster is destroyed. Now I can add any Spell card in my grave back to my hand."
Flash groaned, knowing she only had one Spell card in her grave. "At least I can do a bit more damage. Flash Wing, attack her directly!" The pegasus took to the air, as sparks surged around its wings. It then took a large flap and sent a bolt of lightning towards Tempest.
"I activate my other Trap," Tempest called out. "Defence Draw! Now the damage I take is set to zero and I can draw a card." A force field appeared around her, which the bolt bounced off while she drew a card.
"Not bad," Flash said. "I end my turn." As soon as he said that, the sound of cracking filled the air. He turned towards the source and saw it was Magna Wolf, as the rock around it cracked before shattering. Magna Wolf shook its newly freed body, getting the remaining bits of stone off of it. "So the Dominate only lasts until my End Phase."
"That's correct," Tempest explained as she went to her deck. "I draw and active the spell card Graceful Charity. So I can now draw three cards as long as I discard two." She did so, nodding at the cards she had drawn before placing two of them into her grave. "Now I activate the effect of my Spine-Hog Dominator."
Flash: 3100 Tempest: 3400
"Since he was sent from the hand to the grave by a card effect, I can pay three hundred life points to place him in the Pendulum Zone." A column of light appeared by her side, as a blackish gray hedgehog like creature flew up into it as a stylised one appeared beneath it.
"Sneaky," Flash said.
"Next," Tempest went on, "I activate the effect of the other monster I sent to the graveyard." A ghostly form appeared behind her, looking like her Spear Dominator only instead it was carrying a long metal chain with a three point claw on the end. "Storm Guard Dominator, Chain Claw. Once while this card is in the graveyard, I can normal summon a high level Dominator without paying a tribute." Another bolt of lightning flew down struck the ground, taking the form of another ape that was carrying a twin bladed axe. "Storm Guard Dominator, Battle Axe." (A2300/D1500/L6)
"Not good."
"I now activate the Spell card Obsidian Orb!" A familiar looking orb appeared in her monsters hand before it tossed it towards Magna Bull, smashing against its armour and releasing the green smoke. Flash could only watch as his monster was transformed into a stone statue.
"I'm really starting to not like that card," Flash said.
"Then you'll hate this card," Tempest explained as she activated a Spell card. "Dominator Lightning! Now I can increase the attack of a Dominator on my field by five hundred for each Dominated Monster on your side of the field." Electrical energy shot out of the Magna Bull statue and flew at Tempest's monster, charging its battle axe as it pulsed with energy. (A2800/D1500/L6) "Now attack Magna Pegasus!" The Dominator charged towards the armour wearing pegasus.
"I activate my face down," Flash's Spell flipped up. "Lightspeed, which will increase the attack of my light attributed monster by one thousand." An aura of light appeared around Flash Wing, increasing its power. (A2400/D800/L4) Though it was not enough to save Flash's monster, it was enough to weaken the damage he was gonna take. And that damage came when Dominator Battle-Axe swung its namesake weapon up at the Pegasus and destroyed it, the excess lightning shocking Flash.
Flash: 2700 Tempest: 3400
"Now I can activate Battle-Axe's ability. When he deals damage to you, I can search my graveyard for a Dominator whose ATK is equal too or less then the damage you took." A card came out of her Duel Disk, "now I can summon it to the field. "Storm Guard Dominator, Chain Claw!" The ape monster appeared before her, swinging its weapon around. (A300/D1900/L4) "And since a Dominator was special summoned to the field, Spine-Hog's Pendulum Ability allows me to draw a card. I'll then place that card face down and end my turn." Battle-Axe's ATK returned to normal.
"Man she's good," Flash moaned as he looked down at his hand. "Her deck works really well together. I'm gonna need something big to swing this Duel into my favour." He placed his hand on his deck. "Alright, here goes. I draw!" He drew his card and saw what he had got. "I'll start by activating Spell Recovery. Now, by removing the top card of my deck from play, I can add a Spell card in my graveyard back to my hand."
He looked at the card he had drawn and frowned before placing it in his pocket, then pulled a Spell card out of his graveyard. "Now I'll activate it, Pot of Greed." He drew two new cards, smiling when he saw what he had gotten. "Once again, my Magna Casters will cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to open above his head once again "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out and struck the ground, taking form before fading to reveal the monster. Said monster was a twenty foot humanoid in red tiger styled armour. On its left arm was a large metallic gauntlet, with a star shape on the back of the wrist that three large claws poked out of. "Unleash your roar, Star Fang Magna Tiger!" (A2400/D2100/L7)
"Next I summon my Aura Pulse Magna Rat!" In a flash of light, a small clockwork rat with gears for ears appeared at his feet. (A300/D200/L1) "Now I'll activate my Rat's special ability." A giant portal opened up above their heads, as Magna Rat leapt up towards it. "By banishing himself, Magna Rat lets me summon any monster that's been removed from play to the field."
Magna Rat flew into the portal, as another monster flew out the other side. It was a twenty foot high silver robotic humanoid creature, with light blue armour and orange trim on its arms, legs, chest and shoulders. From its shoulders were a pair of square jet booster like wings, and it wore a red scarf which was emblazoned with the same symbol as the one on Flash's shirt. "Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
Tempest smiled up at the monster. "So there it is, the legendary Flash Heart Dragon."
"Flash Heart X's ability," Flash called out. "Since it was special summoned, the weakest monster on your side of the field is removed from play!" A portal opened up beneath Chain Claw, as it fell into it and disappeared. "Now Flash Heart, ATTACK!" The dragon's jets ignited, sending it flying towards Battle-Axe before it sucker punched it into destruction.
Flash: 2700 Tempest: 3200
"Since a Storm Guard Monster was destroyed, I can add Dominator Lightning back to my hand."
"Well now my Magna Tiger, will attack you directly!" The tiger themed monster charged towards Tempest, using its massive claws to slash at her
Flash: 2700 Tempest: 800
"Now Magna Wolf will finish the job," Magna Wolf rushed towards Tempest. "And during the Battle Phase, Magna Wolf gains one hundred attack points for each card that's been removed from play. (A1800/D1200/L4) Magna Wolf pounced towards Tempest, but she was not looking at it. Instead, she was staring directly at Flash. When the teen saw this, he looked at her and their eyes met.
The woman smiled. "Come on then...Flash Sentry." Suddenly, the entire field was bathed in a bright light.
Flash was forced to shield his eyes, as the light washed over him. When he felt the light die down, he opened his eyes and found he was no longer in the part. Instead, he appeared to be in space.
A light caused him to turn towards it, only to find himself staring at the planet earth. "What the...where am I?"
"Flash Sentry." Flash spun around to see Tempest standing a ways off, a planet that looked different from earth but still familiar floating behind her. She smiled at him, "the one who links the two worlds together. Are you something special, or simply an anomaly?"
"What?" Flash asked, only to once again shield his eyes when another bright light shined. "Aaah!" The light suddenly faded and Flash could open his eyes, seeing he was back in the park. "What was that?" He turned to look at Tempest, "did she do that?" Suddenly, the sound of Magna Wolf's cry caught his attention. He looked over and saw that his attack had been blocked, by Dominator Battle-Axe. "How?"
"I activated my Trap," Tempest explained as she pointed to her flipped up face down. "Storm Guard Defender. By banishing a Storm Guard from my graveyard, I can negate the attack of any monster whose ATK is lower then the banished one." Battle-Axe pushed Magna Wolf away before disappearing, "it also lets me draw the same number of cards as your monsters level." She drew four cards.
"Looks like she survived by the skin of her teeth," Flash said. "I end my turn." Magna Bull was freed from its petrification, as Magna Wolf's ATK returned to normal. (A1500/D1200/L4)
"Then its my turn," Tempest reached for her deck. "I draw." She smiled at the sight of her card. "I'm using Scale eight Tempest Unicorn Dominator, to set the Pendulum Scale." A second column of light appeared besides her, as a purple unicorn with black armour and a broken horn appeared within it. Once it was in place, a portal opened up above Tempest's head. "Now I will cut through space time and carve the arc of victory." The portal opened above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A single light shot out of the portal and struck the ground, taking shape before revealing the monster. Said monster was a woman in crimson leather armour, with a black hooded cloak. Her mouth was covered by a mask, while a scar similar to the one Tempest had was over her eye. In her hand was the handle of a sword, which appeared to have been broken halfway down the blade. "Tempest Rogue Dominator....SCARVOLT!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"Wow," Flash said in amazement.
"Scarvolt's ability!" Tempest said as her monster pulled out what appeared to be a pair of Obsidian Orbs from beneath her cloak. "Whenever she's special summoned, she can Dominate two monsters on your field whose ATK is less then hers." She tossed the orbs at Magna Wolf and Bull, encasing the two of them in stone once again. "Next I activate another Obsidian Orb, to use on Magna Tiger!" Scarvolt pulled out another orb and tossed it at Magna Tiger, petrifying it.
"Oh no," Flash whispered.
"And now I activate the Spell card, Dominator Lightning!" Electrical Energy shot out of the three statues and and flew up to Scarvolt, surging around her body and increasing her power. (A4000/D2000/L7/P4) "What's more, Scarvolt can attack once, for every Dominated monster on your field."
"So Scarvolt can attack three times?" Flash asked
"That's right. Though the attacked monster won't be destroyed since Scarvolt was special summoned this turn, plus the damage you'll take is halved. But it'll be enough. "Scarvolt, attack Flash Heart Dragon X!" The Dominator flew towards Flash's dragon, as the lightning around her body flew into her sword and took the form of a blade. "And since it's the Battle Phase, Tempest Unicorn's ability increases the ATK of all Dominators on the field by two hundred for each Dominated Monster on the field. (A4600/2000/L7/P4)
Scarvolt reached Flash Heart and used her sword slash upwards at his shoulder, the lightning from her sword striking the robotic dragon and causing it to scream out.
"Aaahhh!" Flash cried, as he clutched his shoulder. "What the heck?"
Flash: 1650 Tempest: 800
Scarvolt suddenly disappeared and then reappeared behind Flash Heart before slicing at him once again, causing the him and his partner to cry out once more.
Flash: 600 Tempest: 800
Once again, Scarvolt disappeared. This time when she reappeared, it was right infront of Flash Heart chest. She raised her sword before, slowly, pushing it forwards into the dragon's chest. Both Flash Heart and Flash cried out, as Flash fell to his knees while his life points dropped.
Flash: 0 Tempest: 800 (Winner)
As the monsters faded away, Tempest looked down at Flash. The boy was clutching his chest, still reeling from that last attack. "How?" He asked.
Tempest chuckled as she walked up to and passed him, heading towards the exit of the clearing. "Not bad Sentry, but I suggest you improve your abilities."
Flash heard this and quickly picked himself up, turning towards her. "WAIT!" Tempest stopped, "let's Duel again."
Tempest remained quiet for a few moments, until she finally spoke up. "The Double X." Flash raised an eyebrow at this, "it's a Duel tournament I'm competing in. If you wish to Duel me, then enter." With that, she walked off a disappeared.
Flash meanwhile, thought back to the Duel he had just had. It was crazy, intense, terrifying. "AWESOME!" He screamed in exhilaration. He had not felt that much of a rush while Duelling in ages. He definitely wanted to Duel her again. Then he remembered what she had said, the Double X Tournament.
Grand was in his apartment, relaxing after a hard days work.
Suddenly, the apartment door flew open and his grandson rushed inside. "No running in the house."
"Sorry gramps," Flash replied but did not slow down and raced into his room.
Grand smirked, happy to see Flash was back to his enthusiastic self.
Flash sat down at his computer and began typing away, until he found what he was looking for. A website explaining the rules of the Double X and how to compete. It was taking place in several weeks and was open to anyone who was aged twenty or younger, but required you to enter a team of three. It seemed that anyone from around the world could enter.
New Duelist, hopefully just as strong as her, would be coming to compete. "This is just what I'm looking for." Flash's boredom was all but forgotten, as he looked forward to entering this new test of his skills. Would he be able to to come out on top and would he be able to Duel her again? He could not wait to find out.
"The Double X Tournament?" Twilight asked over the computer.
"Yeah," Flash replied to the girl on screen, "it's a special Duelling Tournament open exclusively to Duellists who are twenty years old or younger. I'm gonna enter it."
Twilight giggled, happy to see her boyfriend was excited. "Well I'll be rooting for you."
Flash nodded, "though it won't be easy. First I gotta get myself a team."
"Team?"
"Yeah, its a team tournaments. If I wanna enter, I'm gonna need to be part of a three man team."
"I'm sure you'll find someone," Twilight assured him. "Who wouldn't wanna be teamed up with the Celestic Cup Champion."
"Got a point, like always. Besides, I've already got an idea about who I want on my team."
"Good," Twilight nodded with a frown, "it's just too bad I won't be able to come support you in person."
Flash smiled hearing this, glad he had a girlfriend who'd want to be there for him. "Well I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend, if I expected you to drop your studies just to come be my cheerleader. You just keep up with your classes and make sure to record my matches."
"You got it," Twilight told him. "So I have to ask, what brought this all on? I know you love Duelling, but I wouldn't expect you to just enter a tournament out of the blue like this without a reason."
Now it was Flash's turn to frown, as he sat back and allowed the memories to flash infront of his eyes. He remembered Tempest's face, how she kept turning his monsters to stone, and how her ace completely destroyed his. He looked back to the screen, "I met someone. They were like...no Duellist I've ever faced before. I didn't stand a chance against them."
Twilight seemed intrigued by this, "who were they?"
"She said her name was...Tempest Shadow. Her style was crazy, barely leaving me with any options to use against her. She said she was gonna be in the Double X, so that's my best bet to face off against her again."
"So you want to enter, just to get a rematch with this one Duellist?"
"Partly, but really I wanna see what else is out there. I might have won the Celestic Cup and saved the world, but that's far from meaning I can't get better. If I wanna improve, I've gotta face off against new challenges and be really pushed to my limit. So yeah, I'm entering to get a rematch with this woman, but I'm also doing it to broaden my horizons."
Twilight smiled as she listened, because Flash's spark was finally back. Gone was the almost bored expression, replaced with a blazing desire to push his limits and reach the apex of his skill. "Well, whatever happens I'll be rooting for you."
"Thanks," Flash smiled at her before looking at his clock and seeing the time, "well I need to get to bed. Lot to do tomorrow."
"Alright," Twilight prepared to log off, "talk to you tomorrow?"
"You bet," Flash replied. "Love you Twilight."
Twilight blushed hearing that, "love you too." With that, she logged off and Flash did the same before climbing into bed.
Meanwhile, across town, the boy Pinkie and the others had helped was laying in his bed. As he did, he turned to his bedside desk and spotted a deck of cards.
Sunburst frowned as he stared at them, his vision impaired without his glasses, wondering if what he planned on doing tomorrow was a good idea. "Do I really want to be part of that again?" He asked himself. "Especially after what happened before?" There was no answer, of course, making Sunburst sighed before turning away from the cards. "Guess I'll find out tomorrow."
The next day.
As soon as he got to school, Flash instantly went in search of his first teammate hopeful.
He spotted him by his locker, Spike. The teen had had quite the growth's spurt in the last year, with the top of his head now reaching's Flash's forehead. He was also wearing a purple short sleeved scale patterned hoodie over a green long sleeved shirt, with dark grey pants.
"Spike!" Flash rushed over to the teen as he turned to him, a smile appearing on him.
"Hey man, what's up?"
Flash replied by first placing his hands on the younger teen's shoulders, "how'd you like to join my Double X team?" This question was met by Spike's own.
"Come again?" Flash quickly explained, Spike's eyes getting wider with each second, until finally he finished at the teen was literally shaking on the spot. "Are you serious? You want me on your team."
Flash nodded, "wouldn't want anyone else."
"Then of course I'll join!" The two smirked before fist bumping, signifying their new partnership. "So what's our first step into this thing?"
"Well first we need to find a third teammate, then...er...I'm not sure."
Spike slumped, "seriously?"
Flash chuckled, "sorry man. Guess I got so focused on the actual tournament, that I didn't stop to think about what we needed to do to enter."
"Well we can tell you that darlings." The two turned to see Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie walking towards them.
"Wait," Flash asked, "you know about the Double X Tournament?"
"We saw an ad for it yesterday," Applejack explained.
"It does look like a lot of fun," Fluttershy said.
"So you guys are competing?" Spike asked.
Rarity nodded. "Applejack and I are teaming up with her brother."
Pinkie then bounced up and down, "and I'm gonna do it with Maud and Marble. It's gonna be fun, fun, FUN!!!"
The others laughed at her excitement. "Marble's the girl Maud said was the best Duellist out of your siblings, right?"
Pinkie nodded springily, "you got it. She doesn't get out much and can be a little shy, but she's almost unstoppable in a Duel. With her on our team, we can't lose."
"So," Spike spoke up, "how do you get into the tournament?"
"Oh it's quite simply Spikey. In a few weeks, there are gonna be many Micro Tournaments going on. It's only by winning one of those, that you earn a spot in the Double X Tournament."
"But ya'h need three teammates ta enter," Applejack told him. "Any idea who ya'h gonna pick?"
Flash hummed as he leaned against the locker, "Good question. I was gonna ask one of you, but since you've got your own teams I'll have to ask someone else. Plus they need to be under twenty."
Spike also thought about it, only for an idea to pop into his head. "I know," he turned to Flash. "What about Thorax?"
Flash smirked, "of course. That's a great idea."
"Are you serious," Rarity asked in disbelief. "You honestly expect a king, who's busy trying to pull his nation out of recession, to drop everything and fly to Canterlot just for a Dueling Tournament?"
Both Flash and Spike slumped as they realised Rarity was right. "There goes that idea."
"Back to square one," Spike moaned. In that moment, the bell rang to single they needed to get to class.
"Looks like we'll need to bench this problem until after class," Applejack told them.
The others nodded and separated, making their way to their homerooms. As they did, Flash and Spike began thinking about who could be their third member. Flash was so focused on this that he didn't notice something step around the corner, causing the two to collide and hit the ground.
"Ow!" They both moaned as Flash turned to see who he had run into, finding it to be Sunburst. "Sorry."
"My glasses," he began to tap around on the floor as he squinted. "Where are my glasses?"
Flash looked and spotted the aforementioned glasses, picking them up and holding them out to the teen. "Here."
Sunburst took them and placed them over his eyes, allowing him to see properly. "Thank you."
"No need, it was my fault you dropped them." They stood up, "I wasn't watching where I was going. Sorry."
"That's alright," Sunburst replied. Before either of them could say anything else, the warning bell went off. "I've gotta go." With that, he rushed off leaving Flash behind.
As Flash turned to continue his own journey, he noticed something on the ground. It was a deck box, which Flash guessed belonged to the boy he'd just run into. "Oh boy," he picked it up and opened it to see that it was containing cards. "I hope I run into him again, so I can return these." Closing the box, he put it in his backpack before heading for his class.
After school.
All day Flash had been searching for the boy he'd run into, between classes and during lunch, but found no trace of him. Now that school had let out, it was likely he had gone home so Flash wasn't sure he'd see him again that day. That only lead to one option, give the deck into the lost and found.
But it seemed lady luck was on Flash's side today, as when he arrived at the lost and found desk he saw the bespectacled teen there. "Are you sure no one's handed something like that in?" He asked nervously, "it's really important."
The girl sitting behind the desk shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I haven't been given anything for the lost and found all day."
The teen moaned as he banged his head on the counter, "why did this have to happen."
Flash decided to to put the boy out of his misery, "hey!" The teen looked around and saw him, as Flash held up the card box. "Looking for these?"
The teens eyes went wide before he ran over to him, snatching the box out of his hand and opening it up to shuffled through the cards. He then breathed a sigh of relief, "they're all here."
"Yeah sorry," Flash said. "You must have dropped them when I ran into you. I've been hoping to return them all day."
"It's not a problem," the teen replied. "As long as their safe, that's what matters."
Flash nodded, "you seem to really care about those cards."
He nodded, "they mean a lot to me."
"So do you Duel?" It was a simple question, so why did it seem to make him look uncomfortable?
"I...used to, but not anymore. Ever since I moved here, I've been thinking of starting again."
"Great," Flash pulled out his Duel Disk, "then how about we have a match?"
"WHAT!?"
"A match. You know...a Duel."
He rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't know."
"Oh come on. What's the worst that could happen?"
The teen seemed to be having an internal battle, but eventually he nodded. "Alright, let's do it."
"Great," Flash shined his signature smile, "I'm Flash by the way. Flash Sentry."
"Sunburst."
Soon enough, Flash and Sunburst arrived at the park.
Flash had suggested the school roof, but Sunburst had asked for a location that was less likely to be found. So Flash had taken him to the spot he had Duelled Tempest.
"You ready?" Flash asked as he placed his Duel Disk on his arm and switched it on.
Sunburst pulled out an orange Duel Disk and put it on his arm, then took his cards out of the box. Looking at his deck for a moment, Sunburst took a deep breath before placing the cards into the slot and causing a red disk to appear. "Ready." Flash nodded.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Flash said as he reached for his deck and drew his card. "I'll start by summoning Reflector Scale Magna Snake, in ATK mode!" In a flash of light, a nine foot long robotic snake appeared. It was green, with multiple gears running along its side. Around its neck was what looked like a satellite dish. (A1600/D1300/L4/P7). "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then I guess it's my turn," Sunburst replied as he reached for his deck. "I...er...draw," he did so and looked at his hand. He then hummed as he began to go over every move he could do with them.
After a whole minute, Flash finally spoke up. "You gonna make a move some time this century?"
"Oh," Sunburst said as he corrected his glasses, "yes. Sorry. I summon Blaze Wizard to the field in ATK mode." Fire exploded in front of him, which quickly died down to reveal the monster he had summoned. It was a man wearing fire themed wizarding clothes, carrying a staff that was burning at the end. (A1200/D1100/L3) "And when Blaze Wizard is summoned to the field, I can add a special Spell Card from my deck to my hand." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which Sunburst placed into his hand."
Flash smiled. "Took him a while, but he finally made a good move. But his monster's still weaker then mine."
"Next," Sunburst explained, "I activate my Quick-Play Spell Card. Wildfire Cyclone." A tornado of fire shot out the ground and surrounded his monster. "This card increased my monsters ATK and DEF points by the number of cards in your hand, times two hundred." Flash looked down at his four cards, quickly doing the math in his head. (A2000/D1900/L3)
Flash smirked, "now things are getting interesting."
Sunburst once again pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I guess I attack with Blaze Wizard." The fire wizard pointed his staff at Flash's monster and unleashed a stream of fire.
"Sorry," Flash said as his face down flipped up, "not happening. I activate my Trap, Dimensional Prison." A portal opened up infront of Magna Snake and unleashing a powerful sucking force, which pulled in not only Blaze Wizard's flames, but the monster itself. "This trap negates your attack and removes your monster from play."
"I see," Sunburst said. "An ingenious move. Not only did you protect yourself, but you also left me wide open for an attack."
"Exactly," Flash said. "Now are you done?"
Sunburst hummed before looking down at his hand, then placed one card face down. "Now I am."
"Alright," Flash went to his deck, "then it's my turn. I draw and summon Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" In a flash of light, a robotic monkey with white and gold armour appeared. It had a white mane of hair and a golden mechanical tail, along with large clawed hands with lights that shined. (A1800/D600/L4/P9) "And since you're field's open, I'll use him to attack!" The monkey rushed towards Sunburst, its claws beginning to glow brighter.
"I activate my Trap," Sunburst called out as his face down flipped up. "Fire Guard, which will negate any battle damage dealt to me." A wall of fire appeared between Sunburst and the attacking monster, with Magna Chimp pulling away before it could get burned.
Flash sighed. "Alright, then I'll end my turn."
"Then it's my turn," Sunburst said as he reached for his deck. "I draw and since it's now my Standby Phase, Fire Guard's effect forces me to give up four hundred points for ever monster on your field." The wall of fire appeared once again, only to unleashed a pair of fireballs that struck Sunburst.
Flash: 4000 Sunburst: 3200
"Next I summon Sunburst Apprentice, in ATK mode." Another explosion of fire appeared, fading to reveal another fire themed wizard. (A1500/D1300/L4) "Now I activate his ability, which lets me increase the ATK of a Sunburst monster on field by five hundred points until the end phase. (A2000/D1300/L4) "Attack!" The magician pointed his staff at Magna Chimp and shot a burst of fire, which struck the monster and destroyed it.
Flash: 3800 Sunburst: 3200
"I'll end my turn there for now." Sunburst Apprentice's ATK returned to normal. (A1500/D1300/L4)
Flash nodded and reached for his deck. "My turn, I draw. I'll start by tributing Magna Snake to summon my Twin Laser Dragon!" The mechanical snake disappeared and was replaced by a large robotic brachiosaurus with a cannon on either side of it. (A2100/D1500/L5) "Attack!" One of the cannons fired, unleashing a laser blast which flew at Sunburst Apprentice and destroyed it. "Usually Twin Laser can attack twice, but since you're Fire Guard's protecting your life points I'll end my turn there."
"Then it's my turn," Sunburst drew as Fire Guard burned away some more life points.
Flash: 3800 Sunburst: 2800
He looked at his card and nodded, a plan obviously forming in his head. "I summon Sunburst Familiar, in DEF mode." In a burst of fire, a bright red fox with nine tails appeared before him. (A1200/D1000/L3) "I'll end my turn there."
"It's my turn," Flash drew his card before pointing at the kitsune. "Twin Laser Dragon, attack!" The robot fired its cannon and destroyed the fox, but that only made Sunburst smile.
"When Sunburst Familiar is destroyed by battle, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add any two Fire monsters to my hand." He drew five cards and looked them over, his smile widening as he saw what he'd gotten before pulling two out. The other three were placed back on his deck, which quickly shuffled.
Flash hummed as he looked at the cards, getting the feeling whatever Sunburst got was gonna be trouble for him later. "I end my turn with a face down."
"It's my turn," Sunburst placed his hand on his deck and whispered a silent pray. If he could draw the right card, he'd have everything he'd need to take the lead. "I draw!" He looked at the card and smiled, then pointed at his face up trap card. "I'll refuse to pay the life point cost for Fire Guard, meaning it's now destroyed."
Flash got even more nervous as he watched the card explode. If he was willing to part with a card that kept him from being blasted, he must be really confidant in whatever card he'd gotten. "What are you planning?"
"Let me show you," Sunburst replied before taking the cards he'd gotten last turn and holding them up. "I set the Pendulum Scale with scale two Red Sun Magician and scale seven Blue Sun Magician." The twin pillars appeared on either of him, as a pair of monsters flew up into them. They were a pair of wizards wearing almost identical sun patterned clothing, though one was red and the other was blue.
Once high enough, the two fired off a beam of light which connected to open a portal. "Now I will cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" Sunburst pushed his glasses up before the portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A single light shot out of the portal and hit the ground, exploding before taking the shape of a suit of armour that was filled with fire and holding a flaming sword. "Burn Blader!" (A1800/D100/L4)
"Is that it?" Flash asked. "Decent move and all, but I was expecting you to pull out something...bigger."
"This is only the start," Sunburst looked up at the magician to his right. "Red Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability now activates, increasing the level of any Fire monster on my field by a maximum of three." The Pendulum Monster waved his staff and unleashed a trio of fireballs, which struck the possessed suit of armour and increasing its fire's power. (A1800/D100/L7) "Now," Sunburst placed a card into his Duel Disk, "I have everything I need to activate this."
Behind Burn Blader appeared a large stone gate with wooden doors. Above the doors was a sun emblem and twelve star shaped indents running around the edge. "Say hello to the Sunburst Gate, the Ritual Spell I got thanks to Blaze Wizard. Now all I have to do is sacrifice any Fire monsters whose Levels equal seven or more." Burn Blader exploded into seven fireballs, which flew up and entered seven of the twelve indents.
"Here we go," Flash said as he watched the ritual take place.
Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "Mystical fire, that burns like the sun, give life to the wizard whose intellect cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The flames faded to reveal the monster Sunburst had summoned. It was a wizard with a long red hair and goatee, with a pair of glasses similar to Sunburst's over his eyes. He was wearing a bright red cloak that wrapped around his whole body and went all the way down to his knees, while also carrying a wooden staff with a figurehead in the shape of the symbol on Sunburst's breast pocket. It swung its staff around, a trail of flame shooting out of the figurehead to swirl around him. "Sunburst Magician!" (A2300/D2200/L7)
Flash smirked, "there's the big move."
"I activate Sunburst Magician's ability," Sunburst went on. "By paying three hundred life points, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and summon any Level four or below fire monster among them."
Flash: 3800 Sunburst: 2500
He drew five cards and picked one before returning the others, "I summon Sunburst Guardian to the field in DEF mode." Sunburst Magician unleashed a fireball, which hit the ground and exploded to reveal a knight in bright red armour and carrying a sun shaped shield. (A1400/D1800/L4) "Also, since a Sunburst monster is on my field, I can revive Sunburst Apprentice to my field." The young wizard appeared besides the other two monsters, "now he'll use his ability to increase Sunburst Magician's ATK points." (A2800/D2200/L7) "Attack!" Sunburst Magician unleashed a stream of fire from his staff, which struck Twin Laser Dragon and destroyed it.
Flash: 3100 Sunburst: 2500
"Now, Sunburst Apprentice will attack you directly." A fireball was soon headed towards Flash, but he was ready.
"I activate my Trap, Defence Draw!" As the face down flipped up, a force field appeared to block the fireball. "This card negates your attack and lets me draw a card," Flash did so.
"Alright," Sunburst replied, "I end my turn." Sunburst Magician's ATK returned to normal, as Flash started his turn.
"I draw and play the Spell card Pot of Greed, to draw two new cards." Looking at his cards, Flash nodded as she finally got what he needed. "Now it's my turn to set the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Nightlight Magna Sheep and scale eight Lustrous Feather Magna Leghorn!" The pillars of light appeared besides him, as two new monsters flew up into them. The was a small anthro sheep wearing pink armour that had lots of light bulbs on them, while the other was a robotic chicken with green wing that glowed and a star on its stomach.
Once the two were high enough, a portal opened up above Flash's head as he began to chant. "Now it's my turn to cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A pair of lights shot out of the portal and struck the ground, taking shape before fading to reveal the monsters.
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
Before Flash could say anything else, Sunburst spoke up. "I think this is as good a time as any to tell you that while it's in defence mode, Sunburst Guardian is the only monster you can attack."
"Really?" Flash asked, feeling let down that his plan wasn't gonna work. He looked down at the other card Pot of Greed had given him, which would have come in handy.
"Yes," Sunburst said, "and Sunburst Magician has his a secondary effect. While I have a Fire monster on the field, he can't be targeted for an attack."
"I see," Flash sighed before placing a card face down. "I'll end my turn there."
"Then it's my turn," Sunburst reached for his deck. "And now I'll activate my Blue Sun Magician's effect. So instead of drawing, I can add any Spell card from my deck to my hand." He pulled out his deck and shuffled through it, taking out a card before placing the deck back. "Now I'll activate that Spell card, Blazing Aura."
Flash looked up and saw Sunburst Magician was suddenly consumed by a veil of flames, as it seemed to increase in power. (A3300/D2200/L7) "What happened?"
"This Equip Spell increases Sunburst Magician's ATK by five hundred, for every other Fire Monster on the field. With Sunburst Apprentice and Guardian on the field, he gains one thousand points."
Flash gulped. This guy might have been slow at the start, but now he was really piling on the pressure. "I might be in trouble."
"No might about it," Sunburst said. "Now I switch Sunburst Guardian to ATK mode and use Sunburst Apprentice's effect to increase his ATK by five hundred. (A2000/D1300/L4) "Then I'll pay three hundred life points to activate my magician's effect."
Flash: 3100 Sunburst: 2200
He looked at the top five cards and frowned, "no level four or belows." He put the cards back and looked over at Flash, "but Sunburst Magician is still strong enough to blast your Magna Chimp!" The wizard unleashed a stream of fire, which was aimed straight at the robotic monkey.
"I activate my face down," Flash's card flipped up to reveal a Spell card. "Multiversal Spirit! This nifty little card lets me send a monster in my Extra Deck to the graveyard, then increase my Magna Chimps ATK by its Level times one hundred." Flash's extra deck opened and he pulled out a card, showing it to Sunburst. "So I'll discard my Level eight Flash Dragon Accel!"
Sunburst saw the ghostly image of a robotic dragon appeared around Magna Chimp, increasing its power. (A2600/D600/L4/P9) The flames struck Magna Chimp and even with his increased power, he wasn't able to survive.
Flash: 2400 Sunburst: 2200
"Now my Sunburst Apprentice will destroy your Magna Snake." The younger wizard unleashed a fireball, which flew at the mechanical snake and destroyed it.
Flash: 2000 Sunburst: 2200
"And lastly, Sunburst Guardian will attack you directly." The warrior leapt towards Flash before slamming his shield into him.
Flash: 600 Sunburst: 2200
Flash grunted as he staggered back, barely managing to keep himself upright. Sunburst meanwhile, sighed. "That should have ended it. If only I could get one more monster onto the field. I end my turn." Sunburst Apprentice's ATK returned to normal.
Once Flash caught his breath, he stood up tall. "You're good, I'll admit that. It was luck that really saved me there." He reached for his deck, "now let's see if my luck holds." He smiled, "and if my belief in my deck will be rewarded."
Sunburst raised an eyebrow at this, "belief?"
"I draw," Flash looked at the card he got a smiled. "I activate Starburst Reload. So by removing Twin Laser Dragon from my grave, I can draw five new cards." He did so and smiled when he saw what he got. "It's go time!" The portal once again appeared above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground.
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Unleash your roar, Star Fang Magna Tiger!" (A2400/D2100/L7)
"What he planning?" Sunburst asked. Those monsters were strong, but not strong enough to beat his Magician.
"Next," Flash slapped a card onto his Duel Disk, "I summon Vail Pixie X in ATK mode!" A tiny fairy monster appeared on the field, having silvery skin and a green dress along with sparkling insect wings and purple hair. (A100/D100/L1) "Now, I'll tune Vail Pixie with Magna Bull!" Vail Pixie transformed into a ring of light, which Magna Bull leapt into. "Memories of strength long forgotten, return in an explosion of power!" The two monster disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal a new monster. It was a fifteen meter long robotic serpentine dragon with white armour, carrying a large golden orb in each of his claws. "Flashback Dragon!" (A2300/2200/L7)
Sunburst watched in amazement, as the beast flew above his head. "Incredible."
"You haven't seen anything yet," Flash said. "I activate Flashback Dragon's ability." The serpentine curled up and bit its own tail, creating a circle that was soon filled with light which Magna Tiger leapt towards. "By banishing my Magna Tiger, I can summon two monsters from my deck whose Level equals his." As the robotic man tiger flew into the portal, two lights shot out the other side. "Say hello-"
The first became a teenager in steampunk attire, with a portal gun strapped to his right arm. "To Magna Fighter Gun Runner!" (A1600/D1400/L4)
The second became a pink anthro pig robot, with bronze gears on its arms and tusks made out of glowing crystals. "And Crystal Tusk Manga Boar!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P2)
"An interesting ability," Sunburst said. "But why would he do that?"
"I now activate my Leghorn's ability," Flash pointed at Sunburst Guardian. "Which lets me increase the level of any monster that's face up on the field, whether it be on my side of yours, by three or less." Leghorn spread its wings as the star on its stomach glowed before firing out three shooting stars. They struck Sunburst Guardian, increasing its level. (A1400/D1800/L7)
"Why?" Sunburst asked.
"Because now my Gun Runner's gonna attack?" The steampunk teen pointed its weapon at his foe before firing, striking it in the chest and destroying it. Doing so decreasing Sunburst Magician's ATK. (A2800/2200/L7)
Flash: 600 Sunburst: 2000
"And now for Gun Runner's ability." The monster fired its portal gun again, this time causing a small wormhole to open up infront of it. "Whenever he destroys a monster, I can banish him and summon a monsters whose Level is equal to or lower then the one of the monster he destroyed."
"So that's why you levelled up my monster," Sunburst realised.
Flash just nodded as Gun Runner jumped through the portal, with a bright light flying out the other side. That light landed in the center of the field before fading to reveal Flash's ace, "Flash Heart Dragon...X!"
Sunburst marvelled at the sighed of the monster.
"Now," Flash pointed at Sunburst Apprentice, "for Flash Heart X's ability. Whenever he's special summoned, the weakest monster on your field is banished." A portal opened up behind the young wizard, which sucked him into it before it disappeared. "And without the extra monsters, Sunburst Magician's back to its regular ATK points." (A2300/D2200/L7)
"Oh no," Sunburst whispered.
"Flash Heart Dragon X, attack!" The robotic dragon's boosters fired, rocketing it across the field towards Sunburst Magician before it sucker punched him. The spellcaster exploded into flames, which struck Sunburst and singed him.
Flash: 600 Sunburst: 1800
"And now Flashback Dragon will finish this Duel!" The serpentine dragon slithered through the air until it blocked out the sun, raising the other in its claws as they began to glow. It brought them together, causing a beam of light to fly out with Sunburst as its target.
Sunburst saw this and his eyes went wide before he braced himself, the beam of light hitting the ground infront of him and causing an explosion that knocked the boy off his feet. "Ahhhh!"
Flash: 600 (Winner) Sunburst: 0
As the monsters disappeared, Flash saw Sunburst sit up and start patting the ground. It was then he noticed the teen was missing his glasses. Moving over to him, being sure to be careful of his footing, he spotted the glasses. Picking them up, he held them out to Sunburst. "Here."
Sunburst took the spectacles and placed them over his eyes, "thanks."
"No problem," Flash held out his hand and Sunburst took it before being pulled up. "That was a pretty good Duel."
"I guess," Sunburst replied. He then looked down, "I lost though."
"Don't sweat it, the match was close. I just got a few lucky draws in the end."
"Maybe," Sunburst then turned away, "I gotta get going." With that, he began to walk off, leaving Flash a little confused. Sure it wasn't fun to lose, but he had done really well. So why did he look like he lost everything?
"He's good," Flash told him. "Really good. I wonder...could he be who Spike and I are looking for?
Flash's search for a teammate may have just ended, if Spike was willing to let him join and if Sunburst even wanted to compete. Only time would tell.
"What, you think you've found someone who could be part of our team?"
Flash smirked as he looked back at Spike, who just stared at him in shock after hearing what he had just said. The two were currently in the park, going over their decks in preparation of the tournament. "Yeah, I think I have. I'll have to ask if he wants to join, but I know he'll be a great asset."
"So who is he?"
"His name's Sunburst. He goes to our school and he's in my grade. He was a little nervous when we first met, especially when he thought he'd lost his deck. On the upside, I got to see how much he cares about his cards."
"So you guys Duelled. Was he really that good?"
"Yeah, though at first I wasn't so sure." Flash flashed back to the Duel and how it had played out. "When the match started, he wasn't sure on what moves to use."
Spike frowned hearing that. "You sure you want someone like that on the team."
"I do. Because the more into the game he got, the faster he made his plays. I think he was just nervous when it started. With a little more experience and practise, I'm sure he won't be as hesitant."
"If you say so. But first things first, I wanna see how well he Duels. I'm a member of this team too you know, so I get a say on who our teammates are."
Flash laughed. "Sure, no problem. I'll see if I can't set up a match."
"Sweet." With that, the two continued to work on their decks. Spike paid extra attention to how he made his, since he wanted to be able to go all out when he Duelled this guy.
The next day.
Flash had been sure to head to school early that day, so he could wait outside the main door for Sunburst to arrive. After about twenty minute, he spotted the spectacled teen approaching. "Hey."
Sunburst looked up at him in surprise, obviously not expecting to be called out to. "Oh, hello." He pushed his glasses up his nose, "can I help you?"
As Sunburst stepped into the school, Flash walked besides him. "I wanted to talk to you about the duel we had."
"What's there to talk about? We duelled, you won, I lost. That's all there is to it."
"There's more to it then that. The match was close, real close. I only won because I got a lucky draw. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I told a friend of mine about how well you duel and he's interested in a match. What do you say?"
"Is this friend of yours a good Duellist?"
"One of the best I know."
"Then no thank you."
Flash's face faulted, that response not the one he had been expecting. "What, why?"
They had arrived at Sunburst's locker, which he began to open. "If his skills are equal to yours, then Duelling him will result in the same outcome as our Duel." He opened the locker and pulled out the books he'd need. "He will be victorious, so there is no point in me Duelling against him." He shut the locker, "it would just be a waste of time."
"That's not true. Just because you lost to me, doesn't mean you'll lose against anyone else. You have to at least try."
Sunburst sighed as he turned to Flash. "I'm sorry, but I have more important thing to do. I can't be spending time trying something I know I'll fail at." He pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Now if you excuse me, I have classes to get to."
"They don't start for another fifteen minutes."
"Which leaves me five minutes to get there and ten minutes to pre-read the subject matter we'll be discussing." With that, Sunburst walked off leaving a very confused Flash behind.
The teen sighed and he slumped over. "Oh, Flash." He stood up and looked around, seeing Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity walking towards him. "Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked.
"We didn't know you were friends with Sunburst," Rarity told him.
"You know him?"
They all nodded, as Pinkie spoke up. "We showed him around on his first day here."
"And he's in some of mine and Fluttershy's classes," Rarity continued.
Applejack tipped her hat, "so what chew two talkin bout?"
Flash explained how he had duelled Sunburst, barely managing to beat him and wanting him to join his and Spike's team. "So Spike wants to test him out?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah," Flash replied, "but he doesn't want to Duel. He says that he knows he'll lose, so what's the point."
"That's silly," Pinkie said.
"I know," Flash leaned against the lockers as he turned to Fluttershy and Rarity. "So what do you guys know about him, since he's in your class."
"Oh," Fluttershy said, "well he's not very sociable. He really only ever talks when someone talks to him."
"I already figured that. Anything else?" Rarity and Fluttershy both shock their heads no, making him sigh.
"We're sorry Flash," Fluttershy said. "But like we said, he's not very social. The only other thing I know about him is he seems to go to the library after school."
"Really?" Flash hummed in thought, an idea popping into his head.
"Flash," Applejack asked, "what a ya'h scheming?"
After school.
As soon as the bell rang, everyone in the classroom grabbed their stuff and headed out the classroom. Only one person remained, Sunburst.
He continued to read his book until the teacher told him he needed to vacate, making him sigh before closing his book and heading out the classroom. He worked his way through the crowds of teens wanting to escape the confines of school, eventually arriving at his own little sanctuary.
"There he is," Flash said as he and Spike peaked over the large book they were hidden behind.
Spike raised an eyebrow at Sunburst as he watched him find a table to read at. "That's the guy you want on our team."
"Yeah."
"He doesn't look like much."
"Neither does Twilight, Fluttershy or Thorax when we first met him. Any of them as weak as they look."
"Point. So what are we doing?"
"Recon. We need to find out as much as we can about our prospective new team member."
"If you say so." And so the two sat and watched as Sunburst read. Thirty minutes later they were still watching, and kept watching for another thirty minutes. After the third half hour, Spike sighed. "Well this is boring. He's just sitting there. This is worse then Twilight...actually-"
"He's getting up!" The two raised the book as Sunburst stood up, stretching for a moment before heading towards one of the bookshelves opposite where Flash and Spike were sitting.
"Where's he going?"
"Probably to get another book. Let's just sit tight and wait for him to come back." And so they waited, about ten minutes.
"How long's it take to pick a book?"
Flash sighed as he put the large book down. "Come on." The two stood up and headed over to the bookcase, looking down each other them to see if they could spot him. But then-
"Can I help you?" The two cried out as they spun around and leapt back, seeing Sunburst staring at them with a frown.
"Hey Sunburst," Flash laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "We were just-"
"Spying on me." Flash laughed again. "You weren't very subtle. I knew you were watching me the moment I sat down."
"You did?" Spike asked, Sunburst turning to him.
"And who are you? Flash roping elementary school students into stalking?"
"He didn't rope me into this, and we weren't stalking." Spike then went back over what Sunburst said and realised he said something that made him frown. "And I'm in junior high."
"Look," Flash stepped between then, "we're sorry for spying on you. We just wanted to know what was so important that you couldn't Duel Spike."
Sunburst's gaze moved to Spike, realising this was who Flash wanted him to Duel. He then turned his back to them. "Well now you know, so will you please just leave me to do it in piece."
"No way!" Spike told him, "you and I are gonna Duel."
"I already told your friend I didn't want to. There's no point in Duelling if I already know I'm going to lose."
"You don't know that," Flash told him. "You haven't seen Spike's deck, so you don't know if you can beat it or not. What's the harm in at least playing just one Duel."
Sunburst sighed, his glasses sliding down his nose, before he turned back to face them. "You're not gonna leave me alone until we Duel, are you?" Both Flash and Spike nodded, making him sigh again before pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Fine, one Duel. But win or lose, you've gotta leave me alone afterwards." Flash and Spike both smiled at him.
The two soon headed out the library and onto the schools back field, Flash sitting on the bleachers as Spike and Sunburst strapped their Duel Disk's onto their arms.
"Alright," Spike said, "time to see if this guy's as good as Flash says he is." The green blade shot out of his purple Duel Disk, "you ready?"
Sunburst sighed as his Duel Disk activated. "I guess."
"Then let's do this."
"DUEL!"
Spike: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Spike went to his deck. "I draw and summon Flame Sabre Dragon, in ATK mode!" A fireball appeared on the field and exploded, revealing a red humanoid dragon carrying a pair of swords that were set ablaze. (A1500/D1200/L4/P5) "I'll place on card face down and end my turn."
"It's my turn, I...I draw." Sunburst looked over the cards in his hand, humming as he began to go over every move he could do with them. "Okay. I'll...um, I'll..."
Spike raised an eyebrow at this before turning to Flash, who gave him a small shrug. "Just give him a minute." Spike rolled his eyes and turned back to Sunburst, who looked liked he had finally decided on his move.
"Alright, I'll start by summoning Burn Blader!" In a burst of fire, the flaming suit of armour appeared. (A1800/D100/L4) "I'll attack." The monster charged forwards and swung its fire sword at Spike's dragon, who tried to block with his own sword only for it to break and allow Blade Burner to slash the dragon in half.
Spike: 3700 Sunburst: 4000
"And since Burn Blader destroyed a monster, his ability deals four hundred points of damage to you." Burn Blader pointed its sword at Spike before unleashing a torrent of fire. Spike's eyes went wide as he shielded himself from the fire, which struck him and caused him to stagger back a few inches.
Spike: 3300 Sunburst: 4000
Once the flames decreased, Spike steadied himself and looked over at Sunburst. "Alright, maybe he's as good as Flash said he was."
"I'll place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn. I draw," Spike looked at the card he'd drawn and smirked. "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Flame Breaker Dragon and scale eight Flame Core Dragon!" Twin pillars appeared on either of him, as a pair of dragons flew up into them. One was a dragon that looked like Flame Sabre Dragon, only it was carrying a flaming hammer instead of a sword. The other was a younger dragon carrying a red orb that was almost as big as it was.
Once high enough, the two fired off a beam of light which connected to open a portal. "Now watch, as I cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" Spike smirked as the portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
Two fireballs shot out of the portal and exploded as they struck the ground, taking shape and fading to reveal the monsters hidden below.
"Flame Sabre Dragon!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P5)
The second was a dark blue quadrupedal dragon with two heads atop a pair of extra long necks. "Twin Headed Dragonia!" (A2300/D1100/L6)
"Not good," Sunburst gulped as he looked upon the paired dragons that were currently staring him down.
"I attack Burn Blader with Twin Headed Dragonia!" The two dragon heads opened their mouths before both unleashing a flurry of fire, which struck the flaming suit of armour and destroyed. "And when Dragonia destroys a monster, any damage you take is doubled.
Sunburst grunted as the flames surrounded him, melting away his life points.
Spike: 3300 Sunburst: 3000
"I activate my Trap card," his face down flipped up "Light the Beacons!" A bonfire appeared infront of him. "Since you destroyed a monster, this cards lets me take a Level four or below Fire Monster from my hand or deck and summon it to the field." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which Sunburst took out as the bonfire exploded to reveal a familiar kitsune. "I summon Sunburst Familiar in DEF mode." (A1200/D1000/L3)
Spike smirked, liking the way Sunburst was managing to keep himself in the game. "Alright, Flame Sabre Dragon will attack your fox!" The dragon flew towards Sunburst's monster before performing an X slash on it.
"When Sunburst Familiar is destroyed by battle, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add any two fire monsters to my hand." He drew five cards and looked them over, the look on his face showing he had more then two to pick from. After several seconds, he picked two and returned the rest to his shuffling deck.
"I end my turn."
Flash looked between the two, looking over what they had done so far. Whilst Spike was powering through, relying on his instincts and experience, Sunburst was thinking his moves through and picking them carefully. "Both strategies have their merits, so not its all a matter of which one can use their strategies the best." His focus turned to Sunburst as he hummed. "In a Duel, a person's true nature is revealed. So what will this duel reveal about your nature and how you'll manage against Spike, once he goes all out?"
"It's my turn," Sunburst reached for his deck. "I draw," he looked over his cards and smiled seeing he had everything he needed. "Alright," he pushed his glasses up his nose before grabbing two cards, "it's time that I set the Pendulum Scale. Say hello to scale two Red Sun Magician and scale six Green Sun Magician." The pillars of light appeared besides him, as Red Sun Magician and a green version of it flew into them before firing the magic that opened the portal. "Now watch, as I cut through space time and carve the arc of victory." The portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A single light shot out of the portal and hit the ground before taking shape and fading, "Sunburst Guardian!" (A1400/D1800/L4)
Spike raised an eyebrow at this. "All that, for a monster he could summon already?"
Flash turned to him. "Don't get overconfident. That's the same move he used on me, so be careful."
"I activate Red Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability, which lets me increase the level of a Fire monster by up to three." With a wave of his wand, the wizard and launched a trio of fireballs at Sunburst Guardian. (A1400/D1800/L7)
"Here it comes," Flash told him.
"I activate the Ritual Spell Sunburst Altar!" Between them appeared a large stone table with the Sunburst emblem carved into it, whilst a bronze basin sat atop it. Around it stood twelve candle stands, all of which were unlit. "Now I can sacrifice any Fire monsters whose Levels equal seven or more." Sunburst Guardian burst into seven fireballs, which moved over and lite seven of the candles around the altar. "Mystical fire, that burns like the sun, give life to the wizard whose intellect cannot be extinguished!" The fire on the candles shot up before flying into the basin, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and took form before fading. "Sunburst Magician!" (A2300/D2200/L7)
Flash raised an eyebrow at this. "That's not the same Ritual Spell he used to summon it last time." He smirked, "this is starting to get interesting."
"I activate my Magician's ability, to look at the top five card of my deck and summon any Level four or below Fire monsters."
Spike: 3300 Sunburst: 2700
He drew the five cards and smirked. "I summon Sunburst Apprentice and another Sunburst Guardian!" The two monsters appeared on his field, Apprentice in ATK mode and Guardian in DEF mode. (A1500/D1300/L4), (A1400/D1800/L4) "And now I'll equip Sunburst Magician with Blazing Aura!" A veil of fire surrounded Sunburst Magician, increasing his attack power. (A3300/D2200/L7) "And then I'll use Apprentice's ability to increase his own power by five hundred ATK." (A2000/D1300/L4)
"This could be a problem," Spike said.
"Sunburst Magician, attack Twin Headed Dragonia!" The older Spellcaster pointed its staff at Dragonia and unleashed a fireball, which struck the two headed dragon and destroyed it.
Spike: 2300 Sunburst: 2700
"Now my Apprentice will destroy Flame Sabre Dragon!" The younger Spellcaster copied its elder, unleashing his own fireball and destroying the sword wielding dragon.
Spike: 1800 Sunburst: 2700
"I end my turn." Apprentice's ATK points returned to normal. (A1500/D1300/L4)
As Spike recovered from the attack, he looked up at Sunburst and smirked. "He really is as good as Flash said. He's been planning this out from the start." He reached for his deck, "I'll just have to kick things up a notch. It's my turn, I draw!" He looked at the card he got, then up at his Pendulum Monsters and nodded. "Alright, I activate Flame Breaker Dragon's Pendulum Ability. An ability that lets me pay four hundred life points to banish a Dragon monster from my hand."
Spike: 1400 Sunburst: 2700
"I banish Gandora-X, the Dragon of Demolition!" A massive black dragon covered in red lights appeared on the field, as Flame Breaker Dragon tossed its hammer into its back. As soon as it made contact, the dragon exploded and the flames split into eight fireballs. "Now I can search my deck for any Dragon monsters whose total Levels equal Gandora-X's." Two of the fireballs split off, while the other six floated around each other before combining. The last two did the same and began to take form, "Behold!" The first was a red a yellow dragon, "Magna Drago!" (A1400/D600/L2) The second became a large red dragon with orange blades on its arms and tail end. "And Iron Tail Dragon!" (A2100/D1400/L6)
Sunburst looked over the monsters that had been summoned, beginning to sweat when he realised what one of them was. "A Tuner Monster."
"That's right," Spike said, "and now watch as I tune level two Magna Drago with level six Iron Tail Dragon." The smaller dragon flew into the air and transformed into two balls of fire, which carved a pair of burning rings that Iron Tail flew into. "Cast your flames across this battle field, and burn everything that is weak to ashes" Spike said as his monsters burst in an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames erupted, as Spike's ace burst free and revealed itself. "Dragonic Blazemaster!" (A3000/D2000/L8)
To say Sunburst was intimidated was an understatement. "That's...um...quite an impressive beast," he corrected his glasses. "But it's no match for my Sunburst Magician."
Spike smirked. "I'm not done. I'll now Pendulum Summon Flame Sabre Dragon back to the field!" The portal reopened and a light shot out to take the form of Spike's Pendulum Monster. (A1500/D1200/L4/P5) "Now I'll have Dragonic Blazemaster attack!"
"Well Sunburst Guardian ability forces you to attack him before any other monster."
"Then that's what I'll do." Blazemaster's sword ignited before he swung it down towards the shield baring warrior, said shield not being strong enough to protect it from being destroyed. "And with one less monster on the field, Sunburst Magician's attack power goes down." (A2800/D2200/L7) "What's more, Blazemaster's ability now activates. Since he destroyed a monster, he can attack once again."
"What?" Sunburst asked in horror.
"Go, Eternal Flame!" The sword ignited once again, this time being swung in Apprentice's direction. Sunburst Magician meanwhile, was reduced by to its original power level. (A2300/D2200/L7)
Spike: 1400 Sunburst: 1950
"Sure it's only half the damage you'd usually take, but I'd say it's worth it. Especially since I'm about to destroy your Sunburst Magician, leaving your field empty for Flame Sabre Dragon!" Blazemaster's sword ignited one final time, as the dragon bared down on Sunburst Magician before impaling him on the end of his blade.
Sunburst watched as his last monster was destroyed, leaving him defenceless.
Spike: 1400 Sunburst: 1600
Sunburst shook all over, unable to believe his best combo was so easily defeated. Even worse, this was the second time it had been outdone. "I guess things haven't changed."
Flash heard this and raised an eyebrow, "what do you mean?" Sunburst realised he had been caught speaking his mind, making him turn away. "This situation's looking bad," Sunburst turned back to Flash. "But it doesn't mean you'll lose. Even if Spike attacks, you'll have enough life points to survive." He turned to stare at him, "so what are you gonna do?"
Sunburst wasn't sure. "Flame Sabre Dragon!" He turned to Spike, "attack!" The dragon flew towards Sunburst, ready to slash him with his sword. For some reason, watching this made him remember something.
A ten year old Sunburst was sitting on the back porch of his house, his card out as he played again an opponent whose face was shrouded. "I attack!"
"Oh," the opponent cried, "that wipes out all my life points. I wish I could be as good as you Sunburst."
"Sunburst laughed. "It's alright, you just need to learn all the abilities of your cards. Once you know them all, figuring out how to win will be easy."
"Yeah," his friend replied, "I'll just have to look at the cards and know how to win. It'll be one glance and bam, winning stratagy." Sunburst and his friend laughed. "Sunburst, you think we'll even become duelling masters?"
Sunburst smiled. "Oh course. With my brains and your skill, we'll be two of the best that ever existed."
His friend laughed. "Alright, then let's make a promise. Not matter what, the two of us are gonna meet on the big stages of the Duelling world. And we won't give up until we get there." Sunburst's friend held up a pinkie finger, which Sunburst gripped with his own.
"Promise."
Sunburst opened his eyes, time seeming to stop as he saw the dragon approaching.
That's right, he made a promise long ago. He couldn't give up now. It was in that moment that the light of his Pendulum caught his eye, making him look up and realise something. "That's it!"
Flame Sabre Dragon was inches away from Sunburst, ready to deal an attack that would leave him with only a hundred life points. But then, out of nowhere, what appeared to be a UFO popped up and shielded Sunburst from the attack.
"What?" Spike and Flash asked as they watched the UFO be destroyed.
Spike: 1400 Sunburst: 1500
Sunburst smirked at the two as he pushed his glasses up. "You're probably wondering where that monster came from?" The two nodded. "Well you see, it's thanks to my Green Sun Magician. When you attacked me directly, his Pendulum Ability let me draw a card. And since it was a monster card, I could summon it to the field."
"Smart," Flash quipped while Spike nodded.
"Thanks. And since UFO Turtle was destroyed, his ability lets me summon any Fire monster with fifteen hundred or less ATK points. So I'll summon, another UFO Turtle." A copy of the previously destroyed monster appeared, opening up to show it was a turtle. (A1400/D1200/L4)
"Alright," Spike spoke up, "I end my turned."
Sunburst looked up at Dragonic Blazemaster, not sure how he was gonna beat it. He then looked down at his deck and went through it mentally, trying to find a card he could use to win. Only one came to mind, but getting it out onto the field was a slim possibility. But even so, he had to try.
"It's my turn," Sunburst slowly reached for his deck.
'Believe in your cards Sunburst' Flash mentally told him. 'Believe they want to help you win.'
Sunburst took a large gulp of air as his finger touched the top card, "I draw!" Time seemed to slow, as Sunburst brought the card up to his face and opened his eyes. Said eyes went wide when he saw what he'd got, "inconceivable." Spike and Flash raised an eyebrow, "I summon Blaze Wizard!" The fire mage appeared besides UFO Turtle. (A1200/D1100/L3) "And when he's summoned to the field, I can add a Ritual Spell Card from my deck to my hand." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which Sunburst took out. "Now, Red Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability activates. With it, I can increase the Level of UFO Turtle by three." The Pendulum Monster waved his staff and unleashed a trio of fireballs, which struck UFO Turtle and increased its fire's power. (A1400/D1200/L7)
"Here it comes," Flash told Spike.
"Now," Sunburst placed the card Blaze Wizard had gotten him into his Duel Disk, "I activate the Sunburst Gate Ritual Spell!" The magical door appeared behind him, whilst UFO Turtle exploded into seven fireballs. "Now all I have to do is sacrifice any Fire monsters whose Levels equal seven or more." The fireballs entered the holes surrounding the door, whilst Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "Courageous flames, that burns like the sun, give life to the warrior whose fiery heart cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The flames faded to reveal the monster Sunburst had summoned. It was a knight, wearing a golden suit of armour with a fire red cape. It carried a large golden sword that had the Sunburst symbol on the hilt. "Sunburst Knight!" (A2600/D1900/L7)
Spike whistled, "nice."
"It's about to get nicer, because I'm using Sunburst Apprentice's ability to revive him from the graveyard." The young magician appeared besides the rest of Sunburst's monsters.
"As strong as those cards are, they can't beat my Blazemaster."
Sunburst smirked, "you sure about that." He turned to look at his knight, Flash and Spike doing the same, and watched as he drew his sword and lifted it into the air.
"What's he doing?" Spike asked.
"Spike," he turned to Flash, "your monsters." Spike looked up at Blazemaster and Flame Sabre, whose flames appeared to be being sucked out. He followed fire and saw it flowing into Sunburst Knight's sword, whist Blaze Wizard and Apprentice were also being drained. (A4600/D1900/L7)
"No way."
"Sunburst Knight's ability increases his ATK points during the Battle Phase, by five hundred for every other Fire monster on my field...or yours."
"Eep."
They watched as the teen pointed at Blazemaster. "Sunburst Knight, destroy Dragonic Blazemaster and end this Duel!" The Knight leapt into the air and swung its blazing sword at the dragon, who raised his own sword but found it getting sliced in half before being stabbed in the chest. The dragon released a mighty roar before exploding, the flames consuming Spike.
Spike: 0 Sunburst: 1500 (Winner)
As the monsters faded away, everyone stood there looking shocked at what had just happened. And no one was more shocked then Sunburst, who was looking down at his cards as his glasses slid down his nose. "Did I...win?" He looked at the score on his Duel Disk and saw the word 'winner' next to his name. "I did."
Flash finally got over his shock and stepped over to Sunburst. "You sure did. Your deck heard the cry of your heart and responded, giving you what you needed to pull off a win."
Sunburst raised an eyebrow at this. "My deck...heard the cry of my heart."
Flash nodded as he took Blaze Wizard off his Duel Disk. "These cards are more then just paper and ink, they're a gateway that links our world with another and can transmit our feelings to the monsters on them. Blaze Wizard didn't just happen to be on the top of your deck. You reached out and asked for help, which he heard and responded to."
Sunburst didn't understand a single thing Flash was telling him, but decided to not tell him he thought he was crazy.
"Hey," he looked up at Flash, "would you be interested in joining our team?"
"What?" Sunburst asked in surprised, while Spike smirked.
"Spike and I are wanting to compete in a tournament, but we need a team of three who are twenty years old or younger. You've obviously got the potential to be really good, and this would be the perfect way for you to improve your skills. It's a great opportunity for you, so what do you say?"
Flash and Spike both watched Sunburst expectedly, obviously waiting for his answer. As for Sunburst, he didn't seem to know whether or not this was a good idea. "I don't know," he pushed his glasses back up. "I think you might be putting my skills a little to high. I doubt I could keep up with a skilled Duellists you think are gonna be there."
Spike chuckled hearing this. "You kidding. You managed to beat me, so that's gotta show how good you are. And hey, if you don't think your good enough yet, we've got a few weeks until the tournament starts to train."
"He's right," Flash told him. "And even if you're not as good as the others Duellists, what's the harm in competing? You'll get to face off against new opponent, test yourself against monsters you wouldn't usually get the chance to face, and maybe make some new friends." Flash held out a hand, expecting him to take it in agreement.
Sunburst stared at his hand for several long moments, until finally he sighed and took it in his own. "Alright, I'm in...I guess."
"Sweet," Flash replied, "then our training begins tomorrow. Watch out world, you've just witnessed the birth of the team that's gonna win the next Double X Tournament!"
"Ow yeah!" Spike cheered. Sunburst meanwhile simply sighed, not sure what he had just gotten himself into.
The sun was barely raising in the city of Cloudsdale.
Despite this, one of its residents was already up and ready for action. That was Rainbow Dash, the newest student of Cloudsdale's prize school. The Wonderbolts Academy.
As the sun rose high above the horizon, Rainbow was running at an even pace.
Despite her team's season being over, she saw it as no reason to lounge around and change her schedule. She was dressed in a dark blue tracksuit, with yellow running down the seams on her arms, legs and the zip of her jacket. On the breast of her jacket was the image of a lightning bolt with wings.
The sight of a certain building made her smile. Wonderbolt Academy was a boarding school for students who wanted to focus on a career in sports, while teaching them skills in other areas for when they chose to leave the playing field or are forced out due to injury. Rainbow had earned a spot there on a soccer scholarship thanks in part to her showcasing of skills in not only to Celestic Cup, but also when her Duel in the Crystal Tower was broadcast to most of the world.
She had been a little worried about going at first, but her friends had talked her into it and now she was glad they did. Not only had she gotten many new friends, but she had also been able to lead her team to victory in the school district championship.
And now that the season was over, she could kick back and work on catching up with what she had missed lesson wise in school. However, she had been surprised with how fast she managed to catch up with the rest of her class. She guessed it was Twilight, rubbing off on her.
She stepped inside the school and arrived at her locker, opening it up to grab her towel and wipe her brow while checking her phone. A text from Fluttershy caught her attention, telling her about the Double X Tournament and the rest of her friend's intentions to enter it.
Rainbow laughed as she headed to her room, knowing all about the Double X. "To bad I can't enter." One of the down sides of being a student at the Wonderbolt Academy, was that Cloudsdale had significantly less Duellists then Canterlot did. As such, finding someone to Duel was next to impossible and finding those wanting to form a team was even harder. She shrugged, "oh well."
She returned to her dorm room to wash and change out of her sweat soaked suit into an identical copy of it. After that, she went down to the school's cafeteria for breakfast. As she sat eating, the rest of her team showed up. This included Fleetfoot, High Winds, Fire Streak and Misty Fly.
"Sup Crash?" Fleetfoot asked before starting to dine on her cereal, using the nickname Rainbow had earnt in her first week of the team.
"Not much," Rainbow said. "Just kinda bored."
"That's what happens when you speed through your catch up work," Misty told her. "You and Soarin thought it was a good idea, but now look at you."
"Where is Soarin anyway?" Streak asked.
"I'm not sure," Fleetfoot replied. "Hey, have you guys noticed how weird Soarin's been acting lately?"
"No," Rainbow said, "not really."
"I have," High Winds said. "Whenever he's not on the soccer field, he's constantly tripping over his own feet." Rainbow knew this was true. The boy they were talking about, Soarin Skies, was a wizard when he was playing soccer. But whenever she saw him off the field, he suddenly seemed to have two left feet.
"How's that different from usual?" She asked.
"It wasn't like this last year," Streak explained. "He was never this much of the klutz back then."
"Here he comes now." The others looked up to see a teenage boy in the same tracksuit as them, with light blue skin and dark blue hair, walking up to them carrying a plate of food.
"Morning guys," he said as he moved over to their table.
"Morning," Fleetfoot said, "late night."
Soarin nodded as he tried to find a spear seat on the table. "I was doing some last minute work."
"On what?" Streak asked, "I thought you were caught up on your work."
"I am. This was something-" he yawned once again, "else."
"Like what?" Rainbow asked, but didn't get an answer. That was because Soarin suddenly tripped over a chair that had been left out, causing his food to go flying. Their target was the unlucky prism haired girl, who soon found herself covered in cereal and orange juice. "Awe!"
The others laughed, "nice one Clipper."
Soarin's eyes went wide as he looked up, seeing what he had done. "Oh man. Rainbow, I'm so sorry."
"It's cool," Rainbow stood up and took off her jacket before it soaked her undershirt. She then brushed as much of the cereal as she could out of her hair.
"I'm really sorry," Soarin unzipped his own jacket and offered it to her. "Here. You can use this until you clean yours. Don't want you getting cold."
Rainbow rolled her eyes but accepted the jacket, finding it several sizes to big for her. She then excused herself and rushed to the nearest bathroom and spent the next twenty minutes trying to get the milk and orange juice out of her hair. She had just finished when the bell for the start of classes rang, making her yell and rush to get there with only seconds to spare.
The rest of the day was relatively uneventful, despite needing to carry and soaking jacket around. During her lunch break she managed to run to her dorm and throw it in the wash while getting her last clean one, Soarin's being way to big to actually be of any use to her.
Eventually, the school day ended and Rainbow set out to return the jacket to its owner. The only problem was, she had zero clue where Soarin hung out after class. She asked a boy to go knock on his dorm room, since girls weren't allowed in the boys section, but was annoyed to learn he wasn't there.
Now all she could do was carry the jacket around in hopes of running into him, with the last option being keeping it until tomorrow breakfast. But as luck would have it, she spotted him sitting on the school bleachers hunched over. He had his back to her, so she couldn't tell what he was doing. But he was so engrossed in it that he didn't hear her approaching.
When she was finally behind him, she looked over his shoulder and went wide eyed when she saw what he was doing. "You Duel?"
"HOLY!" Soarin jumped from shock and accidently fell off the bleacher. Once he recovered, he looked up to see Rainbow. "Don't do that!"
Rainbow laughed. "Call it payback for this morning. Here's your jacket by the way." He took it and threw it on, then returned to the cards he had been sorting through. "So anyway, I didn't know you Duelled."
"I do it whenever I can. Not a lot of opponents to practise with, so I don't have much experience."
"That's cool," Rainbow sat on the other side of his card. "You know, I Duel too."
Soarin laughed. "Yeah, who doesn't know that." He looked up at her. "I was there you know, in Canterlot when you and the others saved the world. You were awesome."
Rainbow blushed, unsure why since this wasn't the first time she'd been praised for it. Something then clicked in her head. "So, why didn't you ever ask for a game. You must have wanted a chance to face me."
"Well," Soarin looked down at his deck, "I figured you wouldn't want to be distracted from soccer. Then when the season ended, I kept deciding to ask you but just chickened out. After all, why would a world class Duelist want to face off against me." He looked up at the sky. "To be honest, ever since you started at this school I've been a little intimidated by you. You actually saved the world, so why would you want anything to do with me."
Rainbow's eyes went wide as she realised why he was so clumsy. He was nervous around her. This made her smile as an idea popped into her head. One which would relieve her boredom and hopefully get rid of his nerves.
She got up and pulled out her Duel Disk. "Come on, let's go."
Soarin raised an eyebrow. "Go where?"
"Not go. Go!" She pointed a finger at him, the tip only inches from his face. "Soarin Skies, I challenge you to a Duel!" Soarin's eyes went wide as he realised what just happened, as Rainbow jumped back until she stood in the centre of the soccer field. "Come on. You game, or are you scared?"
Soarin frowned. No one called him a coward.
He jumped up before pulling out a light blue Duel Disk and strapping it to his arm before inserting his deck, a yellow blade appearing. "I'm game. Let's do this."
Rainbow smiled, seeing the same confidence and focus she saw him have when playing soccer. "Good. Then let's start."
"DUEL!"
Rainbow: 4000 Soarin: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Rainbow reached for her deck. "I draw and summon Rainbow Wing Knight Kestrel, in ATK mode!" A tornado exploded into existence infront of her, quickly disappearing to reveal a winged knight in red bird like armour. (A1500/D1200/L4/P5) "I'll end my turn there."
"Then I'll go," Soarin reached for his deck and drew his card. As he did, he started going over the best ways to take the lead with what he had in his hand. "Alright, I'll start by summoning my Techno Force Jet Jammer!" In a flash of light, a red eurofighter typhoon appeared. It whizzed around their heads for several seconds until it started hovering over Soarin's head. (A1800/D1000/L4)
Rainbow looked up at the machine in amazement, "awesome." She then looked down at Soarin, "what else you got?"
Soarin smiled before taking another card out of his hand and placing it into his Duel Disk. "How about this, Frontline Base. This Continuous Spell lets me summon a Level four or below Union monster from my hand. And I summon Techno Force Armoured Assault!" This time a yellow M1117 armored security vehicle appeared, rolling around the field before stopping next to Soarin. (A500/D2000/L4)
"So he's a Union Monster user," Rainbow smirked. She'd never faced one of those decks before.
"Now," Soarin pointed at Rainbow's monster, "Jet Jammer attack!" The fighter jet fired its missiles at Kestrel Wing Knight, destroying it instantly.
Rainbow: 3700 Soarin: 4000
"And now Armoured Assault with attack you directly!" The tank aimed its guns before firing a round of bullets, which rained down on Rainbow.
"Wow!" She cried as she raised her Duel Disk to shield her face.
Rainbow: 3200 Soarin: 4000
Rainbow smiled as she lowered her arms. "Since I took damage from a direct attack, I can summon Rainbow Wing Yellow Eagle to the field." Another tornado appeared and from out of it flew the yellow bird of prey. (A1700/D1300/L4)
Soarin smirked at the girl's counter. "I'll end my turn by placing two card face down and activating Jet Jammer's ability." The jet fired a lazer at Armoured Assault, causing it's engine to die as it switched to DEF mode.
Rainbow looked over Soarin's field, seeing It was solid. Definitely one that would be tough to beat, which would make it all the sweeter once she did. "It's my turn. I draw!" The prism haired girl looked down at her hand and nodded at what she'd got. "Alright, I summon Rainbow Wing Purple Condor!" Once again a tornado signalled the arrival of Rainbow's monster, reveal the purple bird of prey (A1800/D100/L3) "And with Condor's ability, I'll be dealing you six hundred points of damage."
Purple Condor beat its wings, creating a gust that pushed Soarin back.
Rainbow: 3200 Soarin: 3400
"Next I'll play the Spell card Blustering Winds, to increase Condor's ATK power by a grand!" Another gust of wind swept across the field, spiralling around the bird of prey. (A2800/D100/L3) "Now attack Jet Jammer!" Condor flew up high before dive bombing towards the fighting plane.
Soaring smiled. "I activate my Trap!" One of his face downs flipped up, "Emergency Power-Link!" Since you declared an attack on a Machine type monster whilst I have a compatible Union monster on the field, I can join them together." Jet Jammer dodged Condor as Armoured Assault kicked into gear. The guns on its top folded out to the side as the jet landed atop it. "Say hello to Super Techno Force Jet Assault. And with this combo, Jet Jammer's power increases by five hundred (A2300/D1400/L4)
"That still won't be enough to save it!" Rainbow cried as Condor repeated its attack.
Soarin smiled. "Maybe, but my Trap has another effect. It protects Jet Jammer from being destroyed this turn." As Condor struck Jet Jammer with its talons, the combined vehicles remained in one piece.
Rainbow: 3200 Soarin: 2900
Rainbow smiled, "I'll place on card face down and end my turn." The wind around Condor died down. (A1800/D100/L4)
"It's my turn. I draw," when Soarin saw what card he'd gotten he smiled. "First, I'll separate my combo monster back into its separate components." The two machines detached from one another. "Then I'll active the Spell card Overclock. This bad boy lets me send a Machine monster from my deck to the grave," a card slotted out of his deck and he transferred it to the grave. "That allows me to supercharge another machine by the discarded cards Level times three hundred."
The two watched as an engine appeared in the air before flying into Armoured Assault, making it rev up even louder. (A1700/D3200/L4)
Rainbow whistled, "sweet move."
Soarin smirked, "that's nothing." His last face down flipped up to reveal a Trap, "wait until you see what my Roll Out can do. This lets me take a Union Monster in my grave and equip it to a compatible monster." In a flash of light, a rectangular blue submarine appeared. "This is Techno Force Sub Surfer, which I'll be equipping to Jet Jammer." The two machines linked together, Sub Surfer on the bottom and Jet Jammer on top. "Meet Super Techno Force Jet Surfer." (A2200/D1400/L4) "Don't blink, you might just miss him."
"Why?" Rainbow asked.
"Because I'm banishing all three of my Techno Force monsters in order Unison Summon something better." Armoured Assault changed to way it had before, its guns shifting to the side as Jet Surfer landed on top of it. The tank then split down the middle before separating, folding down to take the form of legs and a waist. Sub Surfer also spilt down the middle, extending forwards to reveal a pair of upper arms while two fists came out the end. The arms moved to the side to give the machine the appearance of having a midsection and arms. Finally, Jet Jammer split into three. Its tail and wings folded back while the nose folded forwards. The midsection remained where it was, as a robotic humanoid head popped up.
This new monster looked humanoid. It had a yellow waist and legs, blue arms and chest with a red jet nose shielding the chest. A red metal cape could be seen on its back and atop it stood a silver head. "Introducing Mega Techno Force Attack Convoy!" (A2800/D2600/L8) Soarin looked towards Rainbow and saw she had stars in her eyes. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"It...is...so...awesome," she whispered out that last word.
"Thanks," Soarin said, "now let me show you what he can do. First I'll discard a card from my hand, which lets me destroy one monster one your side of the field whose ATK points are lower then Attack Convoy's. I'll destroy...your yellow Eagle." The guns that were attached to Attack Convoy's hips aimed as the bird of prey before firing and destroying it. "Plus since the card I discard was Techno Support AFV, it's ability lets me draw two cards. Now I'll attack with Attack Convoy."
Rainbow watched, as the missiles on the jet wings were launched into the air before arching downwards towards Purple Condor. "I activate my Trap card," her face down flipped up. "Tornado Guard!" A powerful tornado appeared around Condor right before the missiles struck, causing them to explode off the vortex but left Condor unharmed. The force of the explosion did hit Rainbow, who skidded back.
Rainbow: 2700 Soarin: 2900
The tornado disappeared as Rainbow lowed her arms. "Tornado Guard lets me protect my monster and cut the damage I take in half."
Soarin nodded at this. "Alright, I'll place one card face down and end my turn."
"Alright," Rainbow went for her deck, "it's my turn. I draw." She looked through her hand and saw she didn't have any Level threes, meaning she couldn't Xyz Summon. That was likely what Soarin was planning, when he destroyed the monster that attacking would have caused more damage. But, he obviously didn't know her deck as well as he thought he did. "I activate the effect of Supporting Filly"
In a flash of light, a small orange pegasus with purple hair and tail appeared. Seconds later, the filly was surrounded by a tornado.
"By banishing this little squirt, I can move one Winged-Beast Pendulum Monster from my Deck to my Extra Deck." Rainbow's Deck slotted out a card and she took it, "so I'll be moving Rainbow Wing Knight Condor there." The tornado exploded and revealed a winged knight in purple condor armour, which flew into Rainbow's Extra Deck. "Next, I'll activate the Spell Second Wind. This card let's me take up to two Wind Pendulum Monsters out of my Extra Deck and place them in the Pendulum Zones. So I'll be setting the Pendulum Scale with scale two Wing Knight Condor and scale five Wing Knight Kestrel."
The pillars of light appeared on either side of her before the two Rainbow Wing Knights flew into them. Once high enough, the two unleashed beams of light which connected to open a portal. "Now watch, as I cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" Rainbow smirked as the portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and unleashed a single light, which struck the ground before revealing the monster. Said Monster was a blue pegasus with a rainbow coloured mane and tail, with Rainbow's emblem on its flank. "Rainbow Wing Pegasus!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P5)
"Huh," Soarin said, "haven't seen that monster before. Or that other pegasus."
"Well wotcha expect?" Rainbow asked, "you gotta keep upping your game, or you'll never move forwards. That's not the only new addition my deck has."
Soarin smiled hearing this, "love to see what else you got?"
"With pleasure," Rainbow replied. "First off, since Rainbow Wing Pegasus was Special Summoned, her ability lets me add a Winged-Beast to my hand that's Level four of below." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took before slapping onto her Duel Disk. "And I'll summon it right now. Rainbow Wing Blue Falcon!" A tornado appeared and from it appeared a blue bird of prey. (A1600/D1400/L4) "And that's not all," Rainbow said as Falcon and Pegasus started glowing. They then morphed into lights that shot into the air "with these two monsters I build the Overlay Network." The black hole appeared below her which the lights flew into. "Wings of freedom, descend upon this land and unleash a hurricane of power." The black hole exploded in a burst of light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The new monster was a person in black cloths with golden armour around his chest, waist, arms and feet. A single black wing was sprouted from the right side of his back while a metallic wing made of gold folded out of his left arm gauntlet. A scabbed carrying a long katana was strapped to the back of his hip, and a golden bird mask concealed all but his mouth. Finally, two green lights flew around him. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold." (A2500/D1500/R4/P7)
Soarin was just as amazed as Rainbow had been seeing Attack Convoy. "Awesome, so this is Assault Wing Gold's evolved form."
"That's right," Rainbow replied. "Now let me show you his ability. By removing an Overlay Unit, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and summon any Level four or below Winged-Beast." Battle Wing crushed an Overlay Unit in his talon's hands, allowing Rainbow to drew her cards. She looked them over and found only one fit the bill, "I summon Rainbow Wing Pink Owl in DEF mode." Yet another tornado signalled the arrival of a fluffy pink barn owl. (A100/D100/L1)
Soarin frowned, wondering if Battle Wing had the same ability as its predecessor.
"Now I'll have Battle Wing target Attack Convoy" The Xyz Monster leapt into the air before unsheathing his sword. "And when Battle Wing attack, his power goes up by three hundred for each Winged-Beast on the field." (A3100/D1500/R4/P7) With a slash of its sword, Attack Convoy was destroyed.
Rainbow: 2700 Soarin: 2600
"I activate my face down," the card flipped up to reveal a Trap. "Interdenominational De-Fusion. Since I have a Fusion Monster in my graveyard, I can now banish him to add one of each of my banished materials to his hand." He took his three cards and added them to his hand. "And since I got three cards back, I get two hundred life points for each one.
Rainbow: 2700 Soarin: 3200
"Well they won't be around long, because Condor's ability will knock six hundred life points away from you." The bird beat its wings and unleashed the wind blade, which slashed at Soarin.
Rainbow: 2700 Soarin: 2600
"And he's still got his attack left." With a strike of its talons, Condor slashed away eighteen hundred of Soarin's life points.
Rainbow: 2700 Soarin: 800
"I'll end my turn there." As the battle phase ended, Battle Wing's ATK points returned to its normal total. (A2500/D1500/R4/P7)
"Then it's my turn." Soarin knew if he wanted to end this Duel and a win for him, he needed something big. He place a hand on his deck, "I draw!" He looked at the card and compared it to the others, nodding as a plan came to mind. "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale with scale two Techno Support MAZ-Six-Three-Seventeen and scale six Techno Support WC-Five-Four!"
Two pillars of light appeared besides him. In the first appeared a green truck with a load that had cloth covering it, while in the other appeared an old fashioned army ambulance. Once the two were high enough, a portal appeared between them. "Now watch, as I cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
Three lights shot out of the portal, striking the ground and transforming into the three machines that Soarin had banished last turn. "Not bad," Rainbow said. "But none of them'll be enough to take out my Battle Wing, even if you combined two of them. And you've got no cards, so your only hope would...be..." She looked up at the pillars, making Soarin smirk.
"That's right, I'm using WC's Pendulum Ability. An ability that lets me resummon a Fusion Monster that's been removed from play. And all I gotta do is banish its materials from the field, which I have." The ambulance shot a beam of light from its headlights, which caused a portal to appear above the machines. Those machines flew up and into the light, coming out the other side as Attack Convoy. (A2800/D2600/L8) "Now attack Battle Wing!" The missiles launched and then arced back down before striking Rainbow's Xyz Monster, destroying it in an explosion. Rainbow meanwhile, staggered back due to the force.
Rainbow: 2400 Soarin: 800
"What's more, when Attack Convoy destroys a monster, you take damage equal to that monsters Rank or Level times three hundred." Attack Convoy aimed its hip guns at Rainbow and fired, knocking her off her feet.
Rainbow: 1200 Soarin: 800
"And with that, I end my turn." Soarin watched as Rainbow picked herself up, "you okay."
Rainbow smiled. "More then okay. That was a pretty sweet move, how you managed to get your monster back from being banished."
"Thanks," Soarin told her. "I'm just happy I get to Duel an awesome opponent. Man I wish more Duellists came here."
Rainbow smirked as she reached for her deck, "well focus on trying to win this match before you go looking for your next opponent."
"No problem. Especially with your best monster chillin in the grave."
Rainbow's smirked grew bigger. "Who said he was in the graveyard. I draw." Rainbow looked at her card and nodded as the portal above her began to form, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and two lights shot out and struck the ground.
The first became a large pink bird. "Tornado Bird!" (A1100/D1000/L4)
And the second became Rainbow's Xyz monster. "Rainbow Battle Wing!" (A2500/D1500/R4/P7)
"What the?" Soarin's eyes went wide, "how'd you manage to summon your Battle Wing back?"
"Because he's a Pendulum Xyz monster, meaning whenever he's destroyed he gets sent to the Extra Deck. So as long as I have a Pendulum Scale that lets me summon a Level four, I can always summon him."
"Oh boy," was all Soarin could say.
"Oh boy is right," Rainbow pointed to Attack Convoy. "Battle Wing, attack! And don't forget, that he gains three hundred point for every Winged Beast on my field." (A3700/D1500/R4/P7) Battle Wing unsheaved his sword and flew at Attack Convoy, unleashing several swipes that shredded the metal giant to pieces.
Soarin's eyes went wide as he watched the junked remains of his monster rain down on him like meteors.
Rainbow: 1200 (Winner) Soarin: 0
As the monsters faded, Rainbow moved over to Soarin. "You good?"
Soarin lowered his arms and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."
"Great," Rainbow smiled, "that was an awesome Duel."
"Thanks," Soaring said as he removed his Duel Disk, "sorry I couldn't be more of a challenge."
"You kidding. You were great. Those Techno monsters of yours were awesome. Can't wait to see more of them."
Soarin gently laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "I guess you'll have plenty of chances to see them, since I'm likely the only one around you'll be able to get a match with." He laughed again, "sorry if I end up boring you. To bad there aren't other Duellists around we can play against, but there's nothing we can do about that."
"Yeah," Rainbow nodded...only to stop as a thought entered her head. "Actually, I think that is something we can do."
"Really?" Soarin asked, "what?"
Rainbow's lips slowly curved into a smile as she turned to Soarin, "just follow me and try to keep up." With that, she turned and raced off the field with a surprised Soarin in pursuit.
Inside one of the school's offices, we find Wonderbolts Academy's principal at her desk. Around the room were many shelves, some holding books but mostly they were filled with trophies. The only out of place thing in the room was a single table besides the window, which had the stone statue of a dragon surrounded by tornadoes on it.
Spitfire had once been at the school she now ran before heading out into the pro soccer world. After many years, and many victories, an injury had ended her career. But instead of mopping about it, she took it as a sign that she was meant for something else. That something else was returning to her alma mater as its English teacher and soccer couch, until eventually she found herself as its principal.
And currently, that principal was going over the strenuous amount of paperwork that came with the title. Luckily, today appeared to be a lax day so as long as nothing interrupted her she would have it done-
Knock, knock, knock.
Spitfire sighed as she stopped writing before taking off her reading glasses. She looked up to the door, "come in." The door opened and Spitfire saw her newest and probably most talented student walk in, another of her best students following after. "Rainbow Dash, Soarin Skies, what can I do for you two today?"
Soarin turned to Rainbow, the look on his face telling Spitfire he was as in the dark of the situation as her. The rainbow haired soccer star stepped up. "Well ma'am, as you know the schools soccer season has recently ended."
"I'm aware," Spitfire told her. "If you're here looking for some thanks and a pat on the back because you won, then I thank you not to waste my time."
"No ma'am. I'm here to request permission to form a new team to take on a new tournament."
This statement caused Soarin's eyes to go wide in surprise, while Spitfire raised a single eyebrow in intrigue. "Go on."
Rainbow took a deep breath, knowing this pitch would decide whether or not her plan would work. "The Double X Tournament is coming up and I would like to form a team to enter it."
"I see," Spitfire sat back and fought it over. "The Double X Tournament is a Duelling contest, if I'm not mistaken. I know you have the skill for it, but one good player won't be much use if the rest of the team isn't up to par." She turned to Soarin, "how confidant in your Duelling skills are you Soarin?"
"Um," Soarin began to sweat as he hadn't been expecting this, "I'm...pretty good."
"Don't let him sell himself short," Rainbow stepped in. "I just Duelled him and he's got skill. I'm sure if we enter our team will win, and if not we'll be sure to rank high."
Spitfire hummed. "This is a very interesting proposal. This time between season is suppose to be so the players can catch up on school work, but you both are fine in that category."
"So you'll let us enter?" Rainbow asked.
Spitfire spun in her chair, getting up to stare out the window. The room was completely silent as they waited for her to talk, only to watch as she turned to the table besides her. She picked up the stone statue and placed it in the centre of her desk. "Do you know what this is?" She asked as she sat down, the two shaking their heads no. "It is known as Marventus, the Dragon of Limitless Skies."
"Marventus?" Soarin asked.
"It was said to have control over the winds and lightning. long ago, the beast was said to have appeared and reeked havoc on the land. That was until a great warrior stood up to the dragon and slayed it, trapping its spirit within this statue. That day proved the limitless potential of any human that is willing to push themselves, not because they have to...but because they want to." She looked around the room. "It was that warrior who first built this building, which was later made into a school. Our school and its teams were named after the beasts most powerful attack, the Wonderbolt."
"Cool," Soarin said, "but what does any of that have to do our current situation?"
Spitfire rolled her eyes. "I'm agreeing to let you form a team for the Double X Tournament." This made the two smile as they high fived, but Spitfire wasn't done. "However, I have a few ground rules for the picking of your third member. Like you, they're teams season needs to have ended and they need to be caught up on all their work. I know that might lower your options, but I can't risk any other team or students grades."
"We understand ma'am," Rainbow assured her. "We won't let you down."
Spitfire narrowed her eyes in serious focus, "I'm putting a lot of faith in you. Don't let me regret it."
"We won't" Soarin said. "Expect to see Team Wonderbolts in the very finals of the tournament."
Spitfire nodded. "Very well. Once you've found your third teammate, come tell me so I can start on the...paperwork. Dismissed." The two stood to attention before turning to march out the office.
The continued marching until they were halfway down the corridor before stopping and turning to one another, massive grins plastered on their faces. "YEAH!!!" They both high fived.
"I can't believe we're actually gonna be in the Double X!" Soarin almost yelled.
Rainbow grinned. "Well believe it, cause we're going all the way to the top."
"Yeah. All we need to do is find a third teammate, though that might be tricky."
Rainbow's grin only grew larger. "I wouldn't worry to much about that. I've already got someone in mind for it."
"Really?" Soarin asked, "who. Their team's season's over right?"
"Yup. It ended on the same day ours did. And like us they managed to win first place as well."
"Wait," Soarin said, "are you talking about someone on the kick boxing team?" All Rainbow did in reply was smile.
Inside the schools gym, we find a girl pounding away at a boxing bag. She had light brown skin and white hair that was dyed purple at the tips, wearing a white tank top with the schools sports jacket tied around her waist. She also wore the schools blue pants with yellow seem stripe.
This girl was known as Gilda and she was focusing all her attention and beating the ever loving snot out of the poor bag. Eventually, she spun around before kicking it so hard it was knocked off its hook and flew across the room.
Gilda sighed in relief before moving over to a bench and grabbing her water bottle, taking a drink before drenching her head to cool off. The look on her face was one of relief before it morphed into one of boredom. "This is so lame," she said.
Rainbow and Soarin's dreams to enter the Double X were only just beginning. But, could they find a final teammate in time and get them to join?
The final bell of the day singled the end of classes at the Wonderbolts Academy, freeing the students from the imprisonment of studies and allowing them to head off and do their own thing.
Two of those students, Rainbow and Soarin, were walking down a corridor alone. As they turned a corner, Soarin turned to his teammate. "Hey, Rainbow."
"Yeah?" Rainbow asked as she turned to him.
"The other day, you said something about the third member of our team. I was just wondering, who are they and how are you sure they'll want to join us?"
Rainbow smiled back at him, "I'm pretty sure she'll want to join. She's probably bored out of her skull now that her teams season is over."
"Yeah, about that. You said this person was apart of the kick boxing club, but I still don't have any idea who she is."
"She's an old friend of mine from before I came here. We met during the Celestic Cup."
Soarin's eyes went wide at this. "If she was competing in that, she must have been really good."
"She is. Heck, before she was accepted into the academy, she was the leader of the Duel Gang the Black Griffons."
"No way!"
"So way. They've disbanded while she's attending the school, but before they did she managed to seriously turn the group around."
"Wow. To think someone like that comes to this school. She's gotta be really good, so we've gotta get her on our team." Soarin then frowned. "but will she want to be on the same team as me."
Rainbow rolled her eyes, "stop feeling sorry for yourself. You're good, you just lack some experience. And that's something we can work on. Once you're confidant in your skills, we can ask Gilda if she want to join or not."
"Gilda?" Soarin asked, only to realise that must be their hopeful new teammate. "Wait, I've heard of her. She's the best fighter in the kick boxing club. She single handedly carried her team to victory. I'd heard rumours she'd been part of a gang before coming here, but I didn't know it was a Duel Gang. I even heard that she's so scary, not even her own team hangs out with her outside of their clubs."
Rainbow smirked, "she not that bad. Actually, once you get to know her she's a lot of fun to hang with."
"I didn't even know you knew her, let alone being friends with her. How come I've never seen you around her."
"She doesn't like hanging out on school grounds. She said it could kill her street cred. He usually meet in town whenever we decide to do something together. But trust me, Gilda's gonna jump at the chance to Duel in the Double X. She's not the kinda girl that takes things easy, so having to come to school while not getting to kick someones butt in some way's gotta be torture for her." They turned a corner and Rainbow spotted someone that made her smirk, "right on time."
Soarin raised an eyebrow at this before following her gaze, only to go wide eyed when he saw who she was talking to. "S...Shine...Shining Armor!"
The pro-duellist turned to them and smiled. "Hey," he walked over to them, "nice to see you Rainbow." He then turned to Soarin, "this the kid?"
"Yeah," Rainbow nodded before pointing to her teammate, "this is Soarin Skies. He's the guy you'll be Duelling."
"WHAT!?" Soarin yelled in panic before grabbing Rainbow's arm and dragging her around the corner, "wanna tell me what the heck is going on. Why is one of the best Duellists in America here?"
"To Duel," Rainbow told him like it was nothing. "I asked around and he was free, so I asked if he could come and Duel against you. He's the type of Duellist that's gonna probably be our opponent in the Double X, so I thought it would be a great way to help you gain some experience."
Shining stepped around the corner, smiling at the two. "Nice to met you Soarin. So, we doing this or not?" All Soarin could do was release a five second 'errrrr', which made Shining chuckle. "Don't worry, I won't go to hard on you." He then got serious, "but I'm only available today and tomorrow. So we really shouldn't waste any time."
Soarin was still a little star struck by this, but quickly shook his head before turning back to Shining. "I'm ready. Teach me everything you've got to teach."
Both Shining and Rainbow smiled before heading into the classroom she'd booked. The sports fields were all in use, so they would have to settle for a tabletop Duel. Once the two had their decks shuffled and hands drawn, they began their match.
"I Synchro summon!" Shining declared halfway through the match, as he placed a card on the table that showed a warrior in white armour that was carrying a pair of curved single edged swords. "Royal Paladin, Sword Striker!" (A2100/D1800/L6/P5)
"A Synchro Pendulum," Soarin said in amazement.
Shining just smiled as he continued. "Then I'll use the Spell card, Paladin's Mage. This card will destroy your Frontline Base and allow me to add a Spell from my deck to my hand."
Soarin frowned as he moved the card to his discard pile, while Shining shuffled through his deck before pulling out a card.
"Then I'll play this Spell. Paladin's Lance, equipping it to Sword Striker. Card lets him deal you damage, even if your monsters in DEF mode." Soarin's eyes went wide as he looked down to see his Sub Surfer was in DEF mode. "I attack."
Shining: 3700 Soarin: 2200
Soarin moved his monster over to the discard pile while Shining grabbed his deck again. "And whenever Sword Striker deals you damage, his ability lets me summon a monster whose ATK is equal to or less then the damage you took. So now I summon Royal Horn Paladin." He placed a card showing a young knight carrying a trumpet in DEF mode. "I place one card face down and I end my turn." He looked up at the teen. "Remember, Duelling is all about foresight. Don't just think about the cards you have in your hand, but the cards still in the deck. Even if you don't draw them, it's a good idea to try and image how the Duel will play out if you do. And don't lock onto a single stratagy. Try and be flexible."
"Right," Soarin said before reaching for his deck , "I draw." He looked at the card and smiled before placing it on the field. "I summon my Techno Force Jet Jammer, then play Power-Link. This card lets me take the Armoured Assault in my hand and equip it to Jet Jammer. Then, I'll banish these two in order to Union Summon Super Techno Force, Jet Assault." He placed a Fusion card on the field that showed the two banished machines linked together. (A2300/D1500/L6)
"Nice," Shining told him, "but what now?"
"Now, I'll discard one card from my hand to activate Jet Assault's ability and destroy your face down." Shining smiled before grabbing his face down, placing it face up in the graveyard and allowing them to see it was Mirror Force. "And whenever an opponent's card is destroyed by an effect, Jet Assault gains five hundred ATK points. (A2800/D1500/L6) "I attack!"
Shining: 3000 Soarin: 2200
"I end my turn," Soarin said while his monsters ATK returned to normal.
"Not bad," Shining told him as he moved Sword Striker to the Extra Deck. "You've definitely got skill. With enough practise, you could become a Duellist most would fear to face."
Soarin's heart skipped a beat hearing that. "Thank you. It's a real honour hearing you say that."
Shining smiled as he drew his card, "but that doesn't mean you stand a chance against me at this point. I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale with scale two Royal Paladin Gentleman and scale seven Royal Paladin Tactician."
"Not good," Soarin said as Shining took a card from his Extra Deck and placed it back on the field.
"I Pendulum Summon Sword Striker. Then I'll use Royal Horn Paladin's effect, which lets me tribute him to look at the top five cards of my deck." As he drew his cards, he smiled before taking one out. "Since one of them's a Tuner monster, I can summon it to the field. Come on out, Royal Paladin Apprentice Swordsmen!"
Soarin watched as a card showing a teenage knight carrying a simple looking sword appeared on the field. (A1200/D1200/L4) "Not good."
"Not good is right," Shining said as he grabbed his Extra Deck. "Because now I tune Apprentice Swordsmen with Sword Striker, in order to Synchro summon!" He slapped his card on the table, "Royal Paladin Grand Emperor!"
Soarin grew nervous when he saw Shining's best card, but knew he couldn't let it falter him.
"You ready?" Shining asked, while Soarin gave him a serious look.
"Bring it on."
They continued playing until the sun began to set before Shining announced he had to get home, so the two escorted him to the front of the school. "Well," he told the students, "this was fun. Same time tomorrow?"
"Sure!" Soarin said, the nerves he'd felt earlier now nowhere in sight. "It was a real honour to play you."
Shining nodded with a smile before walking out the door towards where he'd parked. As they watched him leave, Rainbow turned to Soarin. "So, how'd that feel?"
"Awesome!" Soarin turned to her with a massive grin on his face. "Even though it was just one day, I know I've improved a load." He thought for a moment before nodding to himself and looking at her again. "Rainbow, let's ask Gilda to join our team tomorrow."
This statement took Rainbow by surprise. "You're suddenly way more sure of yourself."
"Yeah, I'm as amazed as you are. But if Gilda's as strong as you say, we might not be the only ones wanting her to join their team. And if she's as bored as you make out, then she probably won't refuse. We need to ask her before anyone else gets the chance."
Rainbow thought about that and had to admit he had a point. Plus, if Soarin was gonna be what Gilda would be critiquing before agreeing to join, it would be better to ask her while he's still riding his confidence high. Alright, we'll ask her tomorrow."
"Great!" Soarin yelled.
The next day.
And just as they'd agreed, the next day during lunch the two headed in the direction of the school gym.
As they stepped inside, they were met with the sounds of many different students working out. They walked through the gym, waving at the students they knew, before finally arriving at the area where the punching bags were kept. There they spotted their target, who was currently beating a bag with such ferocity that you would assume it had insulted her mother or something.
Soarin shivered when he saw the bag wheeze under the punishment it was receiving. "Maybe we should do this after school," he suggested.
"She'd still be doing the same thing," Rainbow told him before walking over to Gilda unnoticed. She waited for the girl to finally take a break before announcing herself. "That bag must have seriously pissed you off with how hard your hitting it."
Gilda stopped her next punch before turning around to her, a smirk appearing on her lips. "What are you doing here loser."
"We wanted to talk to you about something important."
"We?"
Soarin took this moment to step up next to Rainbow. "Hey, I'm Soarin."
"I know who you are," Gilda said before looking back at Rainbow. "So, what's so important you had to come all the way over here?"
"The Double X," Rainbow told her simply. This one thing made Gilda raise an eyebrow, "we want to enter and we need three to form a team. We want you to join us."
Gilda seemed genuinely curious about this, as she moved over to where he bag was and grabbed a bottle out of it. After taking a quick swig of her water, she looked back at the two. "Why me?"
"Because you've got the skills we need to win this thing," Rainbow told her. "And I know you're probably getting bored now that your season's over. So what do you say? You wanna join us on our journey to win the Double X?"
Gilda stared at Rainbow for a moment, then slowly turned to Soarin as she took another drink. The two stared at one another for several seconds, until Gilda finally finished her drink and answered. "Sorry, not interested."
"What!?" Soarin moved over to her as she returned to the bag, "why not. Don't you want to see how well you do against others our age? This is our chance to turn pro if we impress the agencies that'll be there watching."
Gilda turned to him. "I just had to spend several months carry a bunch of weaklings all the way to the finals. I'm in no hurry to do that again."
Soarin frowned at this, having worried something like this would happen. "You won't be carrying us. Rainbow and I'll be pulling our own weight."
"Really?" Gilda leaned in closer to him, giving him a judging look as they're faces were inches from each other. It took all of Soarin's will not to pull away. "What's the best you've done in a Duelling tournament?"
"Well...I've...never actually competed in a tournament before. But-"
"So you want to take on the Double X, one of the hardest tournaments ever, even though you've never actually Duelled in another contest before?"
"Hmm...yes."
Gilda just shook her head before grabbing her gym bag and heading to the door, "no thanks. I'd rather not have to save your but."
"Hang on," Gilda stopped and turned to Rainbow. "I know Soarin might not have a lot of experience, but he's really good. He almost beat me after all."
"Rainbow," Soarin rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"Just think about it. We're meeting later on the soccer field for some training. Feel free to head over their if you change your mind. Shining Armor will be there." Gilda didn't say anything, only turning away and walking out of the room.
Soarin sighed, "that didn't go as well as we'd hoped."
Rainbow smirked as she patted the boy on the shoulder, "don't sweat it. She might not look it, but she's interested. We just need to peak her interest."
When school once again ended, Soarin and Rainbow began to make their way to the field.
None of the teams were using it today, so it was free for them to Duel on. Rainbow was still confidant that Gilda was gonna be joining their team, but Soarin wasn't so sure. Maybe it would be best if he stepped down and the two of them find another Wonderbolt to join.
As they stepped out of the building, Soarin turned to her. "Rainbow, listen-"
"I knew she'd be here," Rainbow interrupted. Soarin turned in her direction and saw Gilda sitting on the bleachers besides the field.
"No way." He started running in her direction, the girl looking up at him when she heard his footsteps. "Does this mean you're gonna join. Oh, please say you are."
Gilda just rolled her eyes before picking herself up and turning to Rainbow. "I admit, entering the Double X does seem fun, but I stand by what I said earlier." She pointed to Soarin, "I don't wanna be part of a weak team. So here's how it's gonna work. Me and this loser our gonna Duel and if, by some miracle, he beats me, I'll join."
Soarin's eyes went wide, "you wanna Duel me?"
"You know it loser. And you'd better not hold back. I wanna see everything you've got in that deck of yours." She pulled out her Duel Disk and moved over to the far side of the field, while Soarin turned to Rainbow.
"I'm not sure I can do this."
Rainbow just smiled at him, "you've got this. Just remember everything you learned from Shining."
Soarin nodded before turning to Gilda, knowing this was his only hope of getting a team for the Double X. "I guess it's now or never." He pulled out his own Duel Disk and attached it to his arm before walking over to stand opposite Gilda.
"DUEL!"
Soarin: 4000 Gilda: 4000
Gilda gave Soarin a glare. "You can take the first turn loser."
"Alright then," Soarin reached for his deck. "I draw." He looked the cards over and nodded. "I'll start by summoning my Techno Force Sub Surfer, in DEF mode." The blue submarine appeared on Soarin's side of the field. (A1200/D1500/L4) "Next, I'll activate the Continuous Spell card Frontline Base. This card lets me summon a Union Monster to the field, like my Techno Force Armored Assault!" The yellow armed security vehicle appeared besides the sub. (A500/D2000/L4)
Gilda didn't look impressed, "that all you got."
"Far from it," Soarin replied as his two machines revved their engines. "I'm now combining my Armored Assault with my Sub Surfer." The submarine flew through the air like it was water before coming down to link onto the top of Armored Assault, increasing the two's power. (A1700/D2000/L4) "I'll place one card face down and end my turn."
Rainbow nodded while watching from the bleachers. "Looks like I'm just in time." She looked around to see Shining walking up to her. "So," he nodded at Gilda, "that's your hopeful third teammate?"
"Yeah," Rainbow replied, "but she'll only join if Soarin can impress her."
"I see. Well by the looks of that opening, he's off to a strong start."
"Maybe," Rainbow turned back to the field, "but Gilda's no slouch."
"It's my turn," Gilda reached for her deck. "I draw!" She looked at the card she'd drawn and smiled, "get ready loser." Soarin didn't like the sound of that. "First, I'll ditch my Harpie Queen to the graveyard to activate her ability," Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which Gilda took out. "Hope you're ready, because your about to enter...the Harpie's Hunting Ground!" She placed a card into her Duel Disk and suddenly, the ground around them began to change. The grass of the field was replaced by hard stone, while mountains began to grow out of the ground.
Soarin looked around, wondering what this place would do.
"Here in the Harpie's Hunting Ground, any Winged-Beast monster gains two hundred ATK and DEF points." Gilda took a card from her hand, "like my Cyber Harpie Lady for example." Seconds later, a tornado exploded infront of her. It then faded to reveal a woman that looked like Harpie Lady, but had metal armouring around her chest, waist and upper arms. She was also carrying a long electric whip. (A1800/1300/L4) An aura flew out of the ground into Cyber Harpie Lady, boosting her power. (A2000/D1500/L4) "And that's not all."
"There's more?" Soarin asked.
"Lots more," Gilda pointed at him. "Whenever a Harpie Lady monster is summoned, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on the field. And guess what your Armored Assault is while equipped to Sub Surfer."
Soarin's eyes went wide as he watched Cyber Harpie Lady leap into the air, then cracked her whip to strike his machine and destroy it. And without the equipment, Sub Surfer's power returned to normal. (A1200/D1500/L4)
"Now attack!" Gilda's monster once again cracked its whip at Sub Surfer.
"I activate my Trap," his face down flipped up. "Roll Out. This card lets me take a Union Monster out of my graveyard and equip it to a compatible monster. So welcome back, Armored Assault!" The tank reappeared on the field and recombined with Sub Surfer, increasing their defence power to match Cyber Harpie Lady's. (A1700/D2000/L4)
Cyber Harpie Lady's whip struck the combo monster, but bounced off without issue. Gilda frowned at this, "I'll place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn," Soarin drew his card and smiled when he saw what it was. "I'll start by playing my Magical Mallet, which let's me place the other three cards into my deck, shuffle it and draw the same number of cards to my hand." He did so, smiling when he saw what he got. "I'll now set the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Techno Support MAZ-Six-Three-Seventeen and scale eight Techno Support B-One!"
Two pillars of light appeared besides him, with a pair of vehicles flying into them. Alongside the truck, a standard looking tank appeared. Once the two were high enough, a portal appeared between them. "Now watch, as I cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A single light shot out of the portal and struck the ground, fading to reveal his monsters. "Techno Force Jet Jammer!" (A1800/D1000/L4)
Rainbow and Shining both smiled, knowing what having those three on the field would do.
"Now watch as I banish all three of my monsters, to Union Summon!" The trio shot into the air, Jet Jammer linking onto the top of Sub Surfer before the three began to transform into the giant robot. "Mega Techno Force, Attack Convoy!" (A2800/D2600/L8)
Gilda looked up at the giant robot with a smirk. "Alright, I guess you're not a total wimp."
"Thanks," Soarin replied, "I think." He pointed at Cyber Harpie Lady, "attack!" The robot launched its missiles into the air before they arched down to strike Cyber Harpie Lady, destroying her and sending Gilda flying back.
Soarin: 4000 Gilda: 3200
"There's more. When Attack Convoy destroys a monster, it deals you three hundred points of damage for each of its Level stars. Since yours was Level four, that's twelve hundred points."
Gilda, who had jumped back onto her feet, watched as the robot aimed its cannons at her. She then smiled, "I activate my Trap!" He face down flipped up, "Harpie's Guardian! This card activates whenever I'm about to take effect damage. Its cancels out the damage and then lets me summon a Harpie monster whose ATK is the same or less then the damage I would have taken."
As Attack Convoy fired, a tornado appeared infront of Gilda to block them. It then exploded to reveal a monster similar to Harpie Lady, only it was blonde with white wings. "Harpie Dancer!" (A1200/D1000/L4) "And with this card's arrival, another of your Spell and Trap cards are destroyed."
Soarin watched as his Frontline Base was destroyed. "That activated B-One's Pendulum Effect. When a card is destroyed by a card effect, I can destroy one card on your field that's the same as the one destroyed. Since Frontline Base was a Spell card, I can destroy one of your Spells. And I know the perfect one. Your Harpie's Hunting Ground." The tank aimed its barrel at the ground and fired a laser, which hit the ground and caused the Field Spell to disappear. As the field returned to normal, Soarin went to his deck. B-One has another effect. When its first effect is activated, I draw a card for each card destroyed." He drew two cards, "I end my turn."
"It's my turn," Gilda went to her deck. "I draw and summon Birdface to the field." A creature appeared on the field that looked like the cross between a man, a robot and a bird. It had a metal body and arms, human legs and a bird's head and wings. (A1600/D1600/L4)
"Two level fours," Rainbow realised what she was up to. "This is bad for Soarin."
"And now," Gilda's monster glowed before turning into lights, which flew up and then down. "I'll use these two monsters to build the Overlay Network!" A black hole opened up, the lights shooting inside. "Mighty winds of battle, ever changing and ever unpredictable, blow onto this battle field!" The black hole exploded, "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Gilda's new monster. It was a Harpie Lady, wearing purple armour and a purple mask covering its mouth. Its light blue hair was short and styled to look like a pair of wings, while its wings feathers the light brown. Around its neck was a long black scarf, while two green lights flew around it. "Harpie Lady Zephyr!" (A2100/D2300/R4/P3)
Soarin was amazed by this new monster. "Another Pendulum Xyz monster."
"I activate Zephyr's ability!" Gilda removed a card from her grave before her monster crushed one of its Overlay Units in its talons. "By removing an Overlay Unit, she can revive a Wind monster in my graveyard and summon it to the field in DEF mode." Zephyr flapped its wings and created a tornado, Cyber Harpie Lady appearing from it and taking a defensive stance. (A1800/1300/L4) "And it doesn't stop there. Zephyr's ATK points also increase by half the ATK of the monster she summons. (A3000/D2300/R4/P3) "Attack!"
Zephyr flew through the air before slashing its talons into Attack Convoy, destroying it. Soarin held his arms up in defence as the pieces on his monster fell around him
Soarin: 3800 Gilda: 3200
"It doesn't stop there," Gilda then told him. "Because when she destroys a monster, Zephyr's other ability deals you seven hundred points of damage for every other Wind monster on the field." Zephyr flapped its wings, creating a gust of wind that knocked Soarin off his feet.
Soarin: 3100 Gilda: 3200
"I'll place one card face down and end my turn there," Gild said. Her monster's ATK returned to normal. (A2100/D2300/R4/P3)
Soarin slowly picked himself up, his legs still shaking from the wind. "It's my turn. I draw!" He saw what he had gotten and smiled, as his Pendulum Monster reformed the portal. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and two lights shot out. The first became a green Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter, "Techno Force Rush Rotor!" (A1700/D1400/L4)
The second light became black M1 Abrams tank, "and Techno Force Tank Trasher!" (A1600/D1200/L4)
"What are those two suppose to do?" Gilda asked. "Neither of the junk heaps can hurt my Harpie Lady."
"Maybe not on their own," Soarin replied with a smile before pointing to the sky. "But if I bring them together!" Gilda's eyes went wide, realising what he was planning. "I banish Rush Rotor and Tank Trasher, in order to Union Summon!"
The two machines shot into the air before beginning to transform. The helicopter's rotor detached while the tail split in half to form a pair of legs, with the rest of the body reshaping into a waist like shape. The tank's caterpillar treads folded out, now attached to the rest by a single spinning joint. The rear of the tank connected to the robotic waist and legs, giving it a humanoid look. Part of the front folded forwards, revealing a human head while the helicopter's rotor attached to the left caterpillar track. "Mega Techno Force, Defence Convoy!" (A2100/D1800/L6)
The three all stared up at Soarin's monster, amazed by it. "Not bad Soarin," Rainbow said.
Gilda, finally getting over to robot's appearance, just huffed. "So what. It's ATK is the same as Zephyr's. If they attack, you'll just be leaving yourself wide open."
"Except I'm not attacking her," Soarin pointed to Gilda's Cyber Harpie Lady. "I'm attacking her!" The cannon on Defence Convoy's back extended before the barrel folded over its shoulder, energy beginning to build up within until it eventually fired. The blast struck Gilda's monster, causing an explosion which knocked the girl flying.
Soarin: 3100 Gilda: 2500
Gilda moaned, "hey. How come I took damage? My monster was in defence mode."
Soarin smirked as he held up the one card in his hand. "Since I have less card in my hand then you, Defence Convoy can inflict piecing damage. Anyway, I'll end my turn there."
"Then I'll go," Gilda drew her card. "And now, I'll set the Pendulum Scale with Scale one Harpie Crone and Scale seven Harpie Child."
The pillars of light appeared on either side of her before of Harpies flew into them. The first was a haggard elderly looking harpy with greying hair and wings, while the others was a young harpy of around four or five. Once high enough, the two unleashed beams of light which connected to open a portal. "Now watch loser, as I cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" Gilda smirked as the portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened as a single light shot out and struck the ground, exploding and taking form into a Harpy with crimson hair and wings of red and gold that ignited upon entry. "Harpie Lady Phoenix!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P4)
"Next, I active Zephyr's ability!" The Pendulum Xyz Monster crushed its last Overlay Unit as a tornado appeared to reveal Cyber Harpie Lady, with Zephyr gaining halve it's ATK power. (A3000/D2300/R4/P3) "Now attack!" The Harpie Lady took off and flew at Defence Convoy, but Soarin wasn't scared.
"I activate one of Defence Convoy's abilities!" He declared. "These abilities can be activated by discarding cards. If I discard two cards, your monster is switched to DEF mode. But since I only have one card in my hand, I'll settle for the ability which lets me negate your attack." He discarded his card, as Defence Convoy held up the rotor on its arm before it started spinning.
This created a shield of wind, which stopped Zephyr in its tracks.
Gilda growled, "I'll end my turn." Zephyr's power returned to normal. (A2100/D2300/R4/P3)
"Then it's my turn," Soarin went to his deck, "I draw!" He saw the card he'd gotten and his eyes went wide, "perfect." He turned back to Gilda. "I summon, Techno Support M-Six!" A cream coloured chaborz attack buggy appeared. (A500/D500/L2/P9) "And here the thing, he can equip himself to any level five or above Techno Force Monster and increase it's attack power." The buggy flew into the air before equipping to Defence Convoy's other arm. (A2400/D2100/L6)
"Not good," Gilda gulped.
"Now," Soarin pointed at them, "attack Cyber Harpie Lady!" The robot pointed its buggy arm at Gilda's monster before the cannon atop it fired, destroying it. "There's more. When a monster equipped with M-Six destroys a monster, he can attack another monster." Gilda's eyes went wide as Defence Convoy targeted Harpie Lady Phoenix and fired, destroying it.
Soarin: 3100 Gilda: 1400
Soarin: 3100 Gilda: 500
Defence Convoy then targeted Zephyr and fired, destroying it with a force that sent Gilda flying.
Soarin: 3100 Gilda: 200
"I end my turn," Soarin finished. He watched as Gilda slowly picked herself up, looking slightly winded as she did. "You okay."
"I'm fine," she then smiled at him. "I gotta admit, you really ain't half bad. To push me this hard, I'm impressed."
Soarin smiled back at her. "Thanks. The future of my dream to compete in the Double X is riding on me winning this Duel. No matter what, I have to win."
"You got guts kid," Gilda reached for her deck. "But I don't go down so easily. I draw." She saw what card she'd drawn and smiled. "I activate Harpie Lady Crone's Pendulum Ability. By paying half my life points, I can activate a Trap from my hand."
Soarin: 3100 Gilda: 100
"Now I activate Hysteric Party! This Continuous Trap card lets me ditch a card from my hand, then summon as many Harpie Lady monsters from my grave as possible." She ditched a card before a trio of tornadoes erupted infront of her.
Cyber Harpie Lady and Harpie Lady Dancer appeared, along with a new monster. This Harpie Lady was wearing camouflage coloured clothing and had green wings and hair. "Meet Harpie Lady Commander!" (A1900/D2200/L6/P8) "Next I'll once again carve the arc of victory," the portal formed above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a pair of lights shoot out, exploding as they hit the ground. "Harpie Lady Phoenix!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P4) "And Harpie Lady Zephyr!" (A2100/2300/R4/P3)
"And when Phoenix is special summoned from the grave or Extra Deck, her ability activates. Now I can select a Pendulum Harpie Lady on my field and increase its ATK by three hundred, for every other Harpie Lady on the field." Phoenix's wings exploded, its flames flying over to Zephyr a spiralling around it. (A3300/2300/R4/P4)
"Not good," Soarin gulped as he looked down at his hand and saw it was empty. "Really not good."
"Attack!" Gilda cried, Zephyr taking to the air and shooting towards Defence Convoy and striking it into destruction.
Soarin: 2200 Gilda: 100
"And don't forget about Zephyr's ability!" Soarin watched as the Harpie spread its wings and created a powerful gust, which blew into him and knocked him off his feet.
Soarin: 0 Gilda: 100 (Winner)
As the monsters vanished, Rainbow and Shining both sighed. On the ground, Soarin couldn't believe he had lost. "No," he whispered, "I failed."
"Hey," he looked up to see Gilda staring down at him, "get up you baby." Soarin frowned, but picked himself up as Rainbow moved over to them.
"So I guess this means...you won't be joining the team." Soarin was about to suggest he would leave the team if she joined, but she spoke up before he got a chance.
"Naw, I'll help you losers out."
Soarin's eyes went wide, "you mean it."
Gilda just smirked, "you're not completely hopeless. So I guess I'll join you," she then shot Soarin a scary look. "But don't think this means we're friends. And don't think for a minute I'm gonna let you stay as weak as you are. From now until the Double X, you're gonna be training like mad. You're not gonna get to eat, sleep, or scratch you butt unless I think you're getting better. GOT IT!"
"YES MA'AM!" Soarin saluted, just happy they had a teammate."
Rainbow just smirked as she turned to Gilda, "I knew you'd want to join once you saw how good Soarin was."
"Yeah," Gilda crossed her arms, "whatever." She was trying to look cool, but Rainbow could tell she was happy.
From the sidelines, Shining watched with a smile on his face. He could already tell they had the makes of a great team, though they were still a little rough around the edges.
Up in her office, Spitfire had been watching the Duel and was pleased with the team that would be representing her school. She then looked over at the dragon statue and smiled, "things are starting to look interesting."
The Freeze Stadium was as busy as ever, as multiple Duellists of twenty and younger had come to train their teams in preparation of the up and coming Double X Tournament. One said team was the one consisting of Flash, Spike and Sunburst, the three stepping closer to the stadium and Sunburst gazing at it.
"So this is the Freeze Stadium?"
"You know it," Flash told him. "This is where the Double X is going to be held, but for now it's open for teams to train for it."
"Including our teams," the three of them turned to see Rainbow and her team walking up to them.
"Hey," Flash moved over to them before he and Rainbow high fived, "glad you could make it."
"Same," Rainbow replied with a smirk. "You guys ready to see what my team can do?"
Flash smirked back. "Only if you're ready to what mine can do."
"Ay now," they turned to see Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy, Scootaloo, Sweetie and Applebloom walking over to them. "Don't y'a be forgettin about us."
"Yeah!" Pinkie almost screamed, "we're here to duel our socks off. I'm even wearing six pairs to make sure I have enough," they all looked down at her feet and saw she wasn't kidding.
Flash chuckled before turning to Sunburst, "let me introduce you guys to my third teammate."
"Hello," Sunburst said to the ones who didn't know him.
"What's up!" Rainbow replied, then turned to her own team. "This is Soarin and Gilda. And together, we're Team Wonderbolts!" She posed triumphantly, Soarin trying to do the same with less success while Gilda seemed more focused on a hangnail.
Everyone smiled at this before heading inside. There they spotted Shining, alongside his wife Cadance and the newest member of their family. Though being only a few months old, Flurry Heart had grown considerably. She had whitish pink skin, purple and blue striped hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a light blue dress and had a pink dummy in her mouth, a yellow snail toy with a green shell in her hands.
When the family of three spotted them, they all smiled and stepped over to them. "Hello everyone," Cadance said as she waved Flurry's arm at them.
Flash smiled at the sight of his goddaughter, taking the baby in his arms and smiling at her. "Hey there squirt." Flurry laughed happily at the sight of one of her favourite people. The others all smiled at the sight of them, as Shining turned to them.
"Welcome everyone. We've prepared the area you'll be using. Is this everyone?"
They all nodded as Applejack explained. "Mac has work, so he can't make it. Pinkie's filling in for him."
Pinkie nodded, "Maud and Marble can't make it either, so that's why I'm with Applejack and Rarity today." Shining nodded before bringing them over to the spot that had been preserved for them. There, five standing Duel tables were waiting for them.
"So," Shining moved over to a white board and began writing, "we have Team Wonderbolts. Who else do we have."
"Team Crusaders!" Scootaloo announced to him, "because we're on a crusade to win the Double X."
"Nice," Shining replied as he wrote the name down. "Who else."
"Team RAP!" Pinkie cheered.
"Rap?" Applejack asked?
Pinkie smiled. "RAP. Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie. Since we're not an actual team, why use whatever names we were planning on using for them?"
"She has a point," Rarity agreed.
"RAP it is," Shining wrote that down before turning to Flash, Spike and Sunburst. The three all blinked as they turned to one another, each obviously expecting another to announce their team name. "You do have a name, right?"
Flash scratched the back of his head, "err...not...really."
"Typical," Rainbow said.
Cadance moved over to them, "just think of something to call yourself quickly. It doesn't have to be your official name."
"I know!" Spike spoke up as he turned to Flash. "Since you're the one who started it, how about we call ourselves the Flashers!" This name caused several of the others to gasp, Pinkie even pulling a glass of water out of nowhere and taking a drink before spitting it out.
"We are not calling ourselves that," Sunburst told him. "I'm here to Duel, not get arrested."
Flash slumped with a sigh before turning to Shining, "guess we're still unnamed."
Shining smirked before writing on the board 'Team Still Unnamed', which caused the three of them to almost anime fall. Once he was done, he turned to them. "Alright, here's the thing. The Double X has limited spots, so before you can enter the actual tournament you'll need to win a qualifier tournament."
Cadance continued. "These qualifiers are taking place in a number of areas around the city. There are ones sponsored by the tournaments sponsors, but the majority are ones taking place in local card shops."
"So we'll need to win these shop tournaments before we can enter the Double X?" Flash asked, the adults nodding. This made him smile, "awesome." He turned to the others, "let's train hard so we can all meet there."
"YEAH!" Almost everyone replied before splitting into groups and started Duelling. With four teams of three and only five tables, Flash and Rainbow opted to sit out while the others practised.
Currently, it was Applejack against Sweetie, Scootaloo against Pinkie, Applebloom against Rarity, Spike against Gilda and Soarin against Sunburst. The Duel tables they were using were a more shrunken down version of the original Duelling system, that had first been used in the Duellist Kingdom days before the Duel Disk was created. The tables had an area where the Duellist placed their cards, with a flat holographic area between them where the monsters were projected.
With this system, the monsters would appear much smaller then usual.
Once everyone had their decks set up, they spoke out in unison. "DUEL!" And the Duels had begun, each one going differently due to the Duellist's skills and strategies.
"I Xyz Summon!" Scootaloo cried as she placed her ace on the board, "Wild Rush Raptor!" The furry winged dinosaur appeared on the table, its size taking away some of this viciousness. "Attack Balloonimal Griffon!" The dinosaur ran across the table smashed Pinkie's own Fusion monster, popping it.
Scootaloo: 2300 Pinkie: 2700
"Meanie," Pinkie told her with a pout, "no balloons for you at your next party." She then smiled, "just kidding."
"I Pendulum Summon!" Gilda cried as she slapped three cards onto the field. "Harpie Lady Zephyr, Phoenix and Dancer!" The three harpies appeared side by side, staring down the Iron Tail and Lava Fang Dragon on Spike's field. "Next, I'll equip Zephyr with Aero Nail, which raises its ATK strength by thee hundred." A gauntlet with a sword like blade attached appeared on Zephyr's arm, increasing its power above that of Spike's monster.
"Not good," Spike gulped.
"Attack Iron Tail Dragon!" It flew at the dragon and beheaded it with the blade.
Spike: 3100 Gilda: 1800
"And since Zephyr destroyed a monster, her ability lets her deal seven hundred points of damage to you for every Harpie Lady on the field."
Spike: 1700 Gilda: 1800
"And she's still got her other two monsters," Spike realised as Phoenix burned Lava Fang before Dancer slashed at Spike.
Spike: 400 Gilda: 1800
As Spike steadied himself from the attack, he looked over to see Gilda smiling at him. "What the matter loser? Don't tell me your already done. I only just started having fun."
Spike growled. "I'm not done yet. I don't go down that easily."
"I ritual summon!" Sunburst placed his monster onto the field, "Sunburst Magician!" The magician appeared on the table, standing off against Soarin's Jet Jammer which was Equipped with Armoured Assault. Soarin looked over his options, his only face downs being his Call of the Haunted and Scrap Guard. He looked over at Sunburst, only to frown seeing him looking through his cards. "Alright, if I use this card...no, that's better saved for later. Then maybe I should use this."
"You gonna play or not?" Soarin asked him, making Sunburst almost jump.
"Sorry," he said, "I activate my Magician's ability. Paying five hundred life points, I can looks at the top five cards of my deck and summon any Level four or below Fire monsters."
Sunburst: 3300 Soarin: 2900
He drew five cards and smiled, "I summon Sunburst Apprentice, and Burn Blader." The two monsters appeared besides the Ritual Monster. "I activate Apprentice's ability, to increase the ATK of my Magician." Flames shot out of the younger wizard's staff, spiralling around Sunburst Magician and increasing his power. "Attack!"
"I activate my Scrap Guard," Soarin flipped his Trap Card up. "This card forces me to send three cards from my deck to the grave," he did so. "And for every Machine Monster I send to the grave, a Machine Monster on my field can survive one attack. One monster was sent to the grave, so Jet Jammer can survive one attack." Sunburst Magician unleashed a fireball, right as a piece of scrap appeared infront of Jet Jammer to shield it.
Sunburst: 3300 Soarin: 2400
"I end my turn," Sunburst replied as his monster's power reset.
Soarin smiled as he drew, "thanks for that. I wouldn't have been able do this next bit if you hadn't." Sunburst raised an eyebrow. "I activate my Call of the Haunted, to revive Sub Surfer." The blue submarine appeared on the table.
"That's the card your Trap sent to the grave."
"That's right. Now I can banish it and my other three monsters, to Union Summon Mega Techno Force, Attack Convoy!" The three machines came together, morphing and linking into their robot form.
"This is bad," Sunburst cried.
Watching from the sides, Flash and Rainbow smirked at how their teammates interacted against one another. Flash then turned to Rainbow, "you sure have an interesting team."
Rainbow then smiled back at him, "thanks. Your's isn't half bad either." They looked back at them. "That Sunburst guy seems a little...slow."
Flash chuckled. "He might be overly cautious, but once he gets into a Duel he can be hard to keep up with. And he's smart, Twilight level smart." This statement made Rainbow look at him in surprise. If Flash was comparing someone to Twilight, they were someone to be careful around. "What about your guy, Soarin? He seems to be really getting into the game."
"Oh, he's strong alright. His Techno Force cards are in a league of their own." She turned back to the Duels, "the Double X Tournament. Winning it is a great way to show the world to watch out for you. With the competitors all being so young, the spotlight won't be on the more experienced Duellists. No matter what, I'm going to make sure my team reaches the very top. I might have been knocked out of the Celestic Cup in the first round, but this time I'm going all the way."
Flash showed her a serious face, "well I didn't form this team with the intention of losing." His memory flashed back to his Duel against Tempest, "there's someone I need to play against. And, I wanna see how far I can push myself. After everything I've been through, I don't wanna just step down and let someone else steal the spotlight. I'll Duel with everything I have to get to the top. Watch out, cause my team doesn't play soft."
Rainbow turned to smirk at him, "wouldn't want ya to." Gilda and Spike's Duel ended a few minutes later, freeing up the table. "You ready?"
"Bring it on," Flash replied as he pulled out their deck. They stepped up to the table and once prepared, they drew their cards before crying out in unison.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Rainbow: 4000
On the table next to them, Soarin noticed the beginning of the Duel and wondered how she'd play against this opponent.
"I'm first," Rainbow drew her card. "And I summon Shield Wing, in DEF mode." A large green bird with a massive wingspan appeared on the field, said wings wrapped around it protectively. (A0/D900/L2) "I'll end my turn there."
Gilda raised an eyebrow. "She's starting with defence. That's not like Dash."
Spike smirked. "It's because of who she's playing. She knows acting careless against Flash is the best way to an early lose."
Shining nodded. "She's waiting to see what she's working against before forming a stratagy."
Gilda looked startled by this. "This guy must be something else if she's acting like that."
"Of course," Cadance told her. "Flash isn't your everyday Duellist." She held up Flurry so she could watch, "let's cheer for Flash." The baby laughed and clapped as her godfather started his turn.
"My draw." Flash looked at the cards he'd drawn and smiled, "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale with Scale two Bright Bounce Magna Bunny and Scale nine Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" The pillars appeared on the far left and far right side of Flash's field, as the two monsters appeared within them. Magna Chimp was accompanied by a bipedal mechanical rabbit, wearing metal steampunk clothing and a round helmet with goggles. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" Flash chanted as the portal formed above the table. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and shot out a pair of lights, which struck the table and took shape. The first became a young woman in steampunk attire, holding a large golden shield. "Magna Defender Arma!" (A1800/D0/L4) "And Flash Wing Magna Pegasus!" (A1400/D800/L4) "And now, Flash Wing's ability will banish a random card from your hand." Flash pointed at the middle card in Rainbows hand and the teen placed it in her pocket.
It was in this moment that Soarin and Sunburst finished their Duel, the two moving over to the side with the others. "So," Soarin said, "Flash's deck has evolved since the Celestic Cup."
"In more ways then you know," he turned to see Scootaloo and the others moving over to them. It appeared Flash and Rainbow's Duel was the only one going on now. "My brother's super strong. You can tell Rainbow's taking him seriously. Just look at her eyes."
Soarin did so, noticing a look on Rainbow's face he hadn't ever seen when they'd Duelled.
"My Pegasus now attacks Shield Wing!" Lightning surged around Flash's monster before shooting at the large bird, who held up its wings and seemed completely unharmed. "What?"
Rainbow smirked. "Sorry Flash, but it ain't gonna be that easy. You see, Shield Wing can survive up to two attacks per turn. Meaning you're gonna need to hit it three times to destroy it."
Flash frowned and this. "I end my turn."
"I draw and activate the Spell card Hatchling's Flight, which lets me take a Level three or lower Winged-Beast from my deck and summon it to the field." She picked up her deck and shuffled through it until she found the card she wanted. "I summon Rainbow Wing Knight Osprey!" The orange bird armour warrior appeared out of a tornado, landing besides Shield Wing. (A1200/D1000/L3/P7) "And when a Rainbow Wing Knight is special summoned, I can add its Rainbow Wing counterpart from my deck to my hand." She shuffled through her deck again, taking the card out before instantly throwing it onto the table. "I summon Rainbow Wing Orange Osprey!"
As the third bird of pray appeared. "Now I activate the Winds of Change Spell card. This lets me tribute my Shield Wing for a monster that's one Level higher." Shield Wing was engulfed by a tornado, which then exploded to reveal Rainbow Wing Green Hawk. (A1400/D800/L3)
Flash grew nervous. "Three level threes."
"And you know what that means," Rainbow said. "I now Overlay them." A black hole appeared on the table, the three monsters being sucked it. "It's time to fly as one in a victory formation, to defeat our enemies." The black hole exploded, "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded revealing a new monster. I looked like a human chicken standing at about four feet, with silver feathers. Its wings were long and more humanoid, with three metal claws on each end. It had three large feathers in a fan shape on its head, along with giant chicken feet and three green lights flew around it. "Rainbow Assault Wing Silver. (A2100/D2000/R3)
"And since Osprey was used an Overlay Unit, Assault Wing gains an extra three hundred points. (A2400/D2000/R3) "Now attack Flash Wing Magna Pegasus!" The Xyz monster charged forwards, aiming a kick at the winged horse. But before it could make contact, Magna Defender Arma leapt infront of it and blocked it with her shield
Flash: 3400 Rainbow: 4000
"What gives?" Rainbow asked.
Flash smirked. "Sorry Rainbow, but as long as Arma's face up, she's the only monster you can attack. And, since you have more cards removed from play then me, she can't be destroyed by battle."
Rainbow smirked at her opponent before placing one card face down and ending her turn.
Soarin saw this smirk and frowned. Rainbow'd never given him a smirk like that. He knew Flash was good, but to get this kind of reaction out of the girl.
"It's my turn. I draw." Flash looked at the cards in his hand and nodded. "Alright, time to even the playing field."
"And how you gonna do that?" Rainbow asked in a cocky manor.
"By overlaying my two level four monsters!" Arma and Flash Wing glowed before flying into the air, as a black hole appeared on the table before they were sucked within. "Destiny is the thing that binds us together, now new bonds will be formed and grant unbridled power." Flash's Extra Deck opened and he pulled out the new card, as the black hole exploded and released a new monster onto the field. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
"But that'll destroy both monsters?" Sunburst asked in confusion.
"Not once Flash activates Destiny Bound's ability," Spike told him. "By removing an Overlay Unit, he can increase it's ATK by the same as the boost Assault Wing got." Flash did just that, Destiny Bound biting down on its Overlay Unit as the crystals glowed. (A2700/D2100/R4)
"Fate Rider Missiles!" The dragon's wings opened up before unloading a barrage of rockets, which struck Assault Wing Silver and destroyed it.
Flash: 3400 Rainbow: 3700
"I activate my Trap, Overlay Recovery. Since you destroyed an Xyz Monster, I can summon any Overlay Units it had and increase their level by one." Green Hawk and the two Osprey monsters returned to the field, equipped with an extra level point. (A1200/D1000/L4) (A1200/D1000/L4/L7) (A1400/D800/L4)
Flash groaned seeing this. "Alright, I end my turn." Destiny Bound's ATK returned to normal.
"Alright, then I draw." Rainbow then smiled, "and I'll now Overlay my two Osprey Monsters. The two transformed into lights, which then shot into the air as a black hole opened up. "Wings of freedom, descend upon this land and unleash a hurricane of power." The black hole exploded in a burst of light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Rainbow's ace. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold." (A2500/D1500/R4/P7) "And with Osprey as an Overlay Unit, it now gains three hundred ATK points. (A2800/D1500/R4/P7) "Next, I'll activate Battle Wing's ability." The Xyz monster crushed an Overlay Unit in its claws, as Rainbow drew five cards from her deck. She looked through them, but it seemed luck was on Flash's side as there weren't any monsters she could summon. "Alright then," she shuffled the cards back into her deck. "Battle Wing, take out Destiny Bound!"
Everyone watched as the bird man flew high above the table while unsheathing his blade, then dive bombed Flash's monster. "And with Green Hawk on the field, his ATK power goes up even more. (A3100/D1500/R4/P7) Battle Wing slashed Destiny Bound, destroying it.
Flash: 2700 Rainbow: 3700
"Now, Green Hawk will attack you directly." The bird of pray shot at Flash.
"I don't think so!" the teen said, "because I'm activating Magna Chimp's Pendulum Ability. When you attack me directly, I can destroy the other card in my Pendulum Zone to summon him straight to the field." Magna Bunny exploded as Magna Chimp leapt out of the light column, landing infront of Green Hawk.
The bird of prey pulled itself to a stop seconds before it could strike Magna Chimp, flying backwards as the robot monkey tried to slash at it. "Too close," Rainbow breathed in relief. "Nice one Flash. Alright, I end my turn."
"Then I'll go," Flash drew and smiled when he saw what he got. "I activate Starburst Reload. So by banishing Flash Wing Magna Pegasus, I can draw four new cards." He did so and smiled. "Now, I'll reset the Pendulum Scale with scale two Crystal Tusk Magna Boar and scale eight Magna Caster Solaris!" The pillars of light appeared as the two monster flew up into them. "Now, I can cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal formed above the table. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a pair of lights shot out, before taking form.
"Shine your light of Victory, Flash Heart Dragon X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
The second light became a monster no one expected, a robotic dragon with crossed legs holding a metal staff. "Reek havoc, Chaos Command Dragon!" (A3000/D2500/R7/P4)
Soarin gasped. "He summoned an Pendulum Xyz monster without needing to Xyz summon it first. But how?"
"That's Chaos Command's ability," Scootaloo explained. "It can be Pendulum Summoned, but when it's destroyed it'll go to the graveyard. Plus, without any Overlay Units, it can't activate its effect."
"But he won't need it with what he plans on doing," Shining explained.
"Since Flash Heart was special summoned, his ability banishes your Green Hawk!" A portal opened up and sucked the bird inside. "Now, attack Battle Wing!"
"But why?" Sweetie asked.
"Battle Wing's stronger," Applebloom agreed.
"Not while I have Manga Boar in the Pendulum Zone. This Pendulum Ability increases the ATK of all Pendulum Monster by five hundred during the battle phase." His monsters all glowed and their power increased. (A3000/D2000/L7/P4) (A3500/D2500/R7/P4) (A2300/D600/L4/P7) Flash Heart shot forwards and sucker punched Battle Wing, destroying it.
Flash: 2700 Rainbow: 3500
"Now, Chaos Command will attack you directly!" The Pendulum Xyz raised its staff before unleashing a bolt of lightning.
"I activate the effect of Tornado Tortoise!" Rainbow called out as he took a card from her hand and placed it in the graveyard. "By discarding it, he can negate the attack of one monster on the field." The hologram of a tortoise wearing goggles and having a propeller on its shell appeared. It spun the rotors, creating a tornado that stopped the lightning.
"Not bad," Flash said. "But Magna Chimp's still gonna knock your life points back a bit." The robot monkey leapt at Rainbow and slashed her.
Flash: 2700 Rainbow: 1200
"I end my turn." His monster's ATK points returned to normal
"My turn," she drew her card and gasped at what she'd got. She smiled before taking two other card our of her hand. "I set scale five Rainbow Wing Knight Kestrel and scale two Rainbow Wing Knight Eagle into the Pendulum Zones!" The columns of light appeared on the table, as the monsters flew up into them. "Alright, now I'll cut through space time and carve the arc of victory." The portal appeared, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out and hit the table, exploding to reveal Rainbow's monster. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold!" (A2500/D1500/R4/P7)
Flash smirked. "You might have gotten your best monster back out, but without any Overlay Units it won't be hurting Flash Heart or Chaos Command."
"Don't be so sure," Rainbow told him as she took the card she'd drawn. "Because I'm activating my Rank-Up-Magic, Rainbow Force!" Flash's eyes wen't wide as Battle Wing Gold transformed into a stream of light, which flew up and into a black hole as it opened. "With this I can now rebuild the Overlay Network," Rainbow explained. "Let the rainbow shine its brilliant light upon you, as you take flight to a new future," she chanted as the black hole exploded. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The light faded, revealing Rainbow's most powerful monster as it flew down onto the table. "Rainbow Assault Wing Platinum!" (A2800/D2200/R5)
Everyone was in awe at this. "That's Rainbow's best card," Scootaloo exclaimed.
Soarin stared in amazement. Rainbow never used that card in any of their Duels. He smiled, making a decision. "One day, I'll make it so she has to go all out against me."
Rainbow then pointed at Flash's Xyz monster, "I'm now gonna use Platinum's ability on Chaos Command Dragon. By removing an Overlay Unit, I can reduce your monsters ATK points by seven hundred for every Rainbow Wing or Rainbow Assault Wing in my graveyard." The new Xyz monster crushed its single Overlay Unit in both hands, before extending his wings. They shone a brilliant light which spread and began to take the form of the monsters in Rainbow's graveyard.
Orange Osprey, Green Hawk, Assault Wing Silver and Battle Wing Gold flew around the Xyz monster as astral projections, before flying towards the giant robot and striking it. With each strike it became weaker and weaker, until the four strike weakened it to its new number. (A200/D2500/R7/P4)
"Attack!" Rainbow ordered as her monster flew up and the charged toward Flash's, bringing its hands together and spinning around till it was like a rainbow coloured drill. The spinning monster struck Chaos Command, cutting right through it as it was destroyed.
Flash: 100 Rainbow: 1200
Flash stumbled back, just managing to grab the edge of the table and steady himself. After that, he regained his footing and smiled at Rainbow. "Nice." Rainbow smiled back.
"I don't get it," Sweetie asked. "Why'd she attack Chaos Command. If she attacked any of Flash's other monsters, she would have won."
"Where's the fun in that," Rarity asked her sister while chuckling. "Rainbow wants this Duel to keep going. She wants to see what Flash will do next."
Applejack nodded. "Facing her opponents very best is the only ways she'll get stronger."
Pinkie smiled. "And besides, this Duels way to fun to stop now."
"I end my turn," Rainbow told Flash. "Let's see what you've got to pull this Duel around."
"Lets!" Flash said as he placed his hand on his deck and took a deep breath, connecting with his cards and mentally searching for one that could help him. Then when he found it, he silently prayed he would get it. "Here goes. I...DRAW!" He drew his card and saw what he had gotten and smiled.
Rainbow saw this and was intrigued. "So...what you get?"
Flash placed the card on the field, "this! Rank-Up-Magic, Pendulum Force!" Everyone raised an eye at this. That was a new card. "This bad boy let's me take a Pendulum Xyz monster on my field or in my graveyard and use it to rebuild the Overlay Network!" Chaos Command Dragon reappeared on the field before reverting to a light, which was sucked into a black hole that appeared on the floor. "Turn everything to nothing and continue from the beginning. Unleash the trustiest form for chaos," he chanted as the black hole exploded. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The black hole exploded, revealing the new monster. It was an evolved version of Chaos Command Dragon. It's armour was now thicker and made out of gold in place of bronze, which was styled to look like robes that had purple trim. Its crescent moon wings were now larger, with half gear shapes sticking out of the ends. Its staff was gone, while its bulky arms had gear shaped cuffs. Finally, it had crystal antler shaped horns sticking out of its head. "Chaos Command...REVOLUTION!" (A3500/D3000/R8)
"Wow," the younger teens all breathed out.
"Look at that thing," Applejack said.
Rarity nodded as she clasped her hands together. "I must admit, the design is quite something."
Spike nodded. "And it's powers off the hook."
"And it gonna get stronger. Because my Rank-Up card give a power boost equal to Chaos Command Dragon's Pendulum Scale time one hundred." The spectral form of Chaos Command Dragon appeared infront of Flash's new monster before evaperating into sparkles, which flew around the evolved dragon. (A4200/D3000/R8)
"So much power," Cadance said in amazement. "I'm curious to see what else it can do?"
"Here's what it can do!" Flash replied. "Since Chaos Command Dragon is an Overlay Unit, Chaos Command Revolution can remove all his Overlay Units and banish every monster, Spell and Trap on my opponents side of the field!" Everyone gasped as Chaos Command Revolution smashed its single light between its hands, then opened them to reveal a red and black orb that it tossed into the air.
The orb then exploded into a red and black vortex, which sucked Rainbows three Rainbow Wings up into it and left her field barren. "No way," Rainbow said in amazement.
"Talk about overkill," Gilda said.
Spike nodded. "Chaos Command sure has gotten powerful."
"There's more," Flash told Rainbow. "Revolution can attack once for every Overlay Unit removed, which is currently one. But that's more then enough to end this."
"Rainbow doesn't have any cards on her field or in her hand," Soarin said.
"So there's noway she can stop the attack," Sunburst agreed. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His first Duel with Flash appeared infront of his eyes, as he realised just how many ways the teen had to beat him back then. "Just how strong is he?"
"Attack!" Lightning surged around Revolution's claws, which it thrusted at Rainbow and fired the electrical power. "It's over!"
"Not yet it isn't!" Rainbow cried as a tornado appeared infront of her on the field, blocking the lightning and leaving her well protected.
"What the?" Flash asked, only to look down at his screen and see it was saying that he was now in his second main phase. "What happened?" Rainbow smiled before holding up a card, "Tornado Tortoise?"
"That's right. This little guy has another effect. By banishing him from the grave, I can end the battle phase. Didn't see that coming, did you?"
Flash smiled, "no I didn't. Not bad."
Everyone sighed, unable to believe Rainbow was able to protect herself like that. "That was intense," Soarin breathed. "Even though she had not cards in her hand or on the field, she was able to stop that super strong monster effortlessly."
"Just goes to show how strong she is," Scootaloo told him.
Soarin smiled at her, "yeah."
Rainbow and Flash smiled at one another. "Well," the prism haired Wonderbolt said, "it's no doubt you're gonna be my biggest obstacle in winning the the Double X."
"And I don't plan on taking you lightly either. I'll come at you with everything I've got."
Off to the side, Sunburst continued to stare at the two as they continued. If these two were competing, how many other strong Duelists were gonna be there. No one noticed him gripping his pants, as he asked himself a fundamental question. Did he really have what it took to Duel on this level?
Later.
After many Duels, each more intense then the next, the Duellists all finally took a break. As Soarin finished off a can of soda, he sighed before turning to Spike. "Those Duels were all awesome, especially the ones between Rainbow and Flash."
Spike nodded. "Six matches with three wins a piece." He smiled as he thought back, "did you see that stratagy Flash made during the third battle?"
"And did you see how Rainbow defended against it. I had no idea you could use those cards like that."
A few tables over, Flash, Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow listened to them go over the Duels. When he heard the girls all chuckling, he turned to them. "What?"
Rarity turned to him. "It's clear you're gonna be the one to beat in this tournament. After all, you did win the Celestic Cup."
"Ya," Applejack agreed, "a'h intend to even up the score from back then. Be sure of it."
Flash smiled before looking up at the ceiling. "I might have won the Celestic Cup, but I'm not the one to watch out for. That's Tempest Shadow. She's got mad skills, and we're gonna need to pull out all the stops if we go up against her. But that's what's so great about Duelling, the fact that there's always someone better then you. Someone who you need to push your limits to beat."
The girls all smiled with a nod, agreeing with him whole heartedly. Of to the side, Shining and Cadance were watching this interaction with glee as they played with Flurry. "Look at them," Shining said. "Constantly pushing passed their limits. I wish I had rivals like that back when I first started out." A cough from his wife made him realised his blunder, causing him to laugh nervously as he scratched his head. "Aside from you of course hun."
Cadance rolled her eyes, while Flurry laughed. "What a silly daddy."
Later, Flash and his team were walking along the riverbank talking.
"All those fights were awesome!" Spike cheered, "and with each match I could feel myself getting stronger and stronger."
"That's good," Flash told him. "We'll need to be at our A-game if we want to stand a chance in the Double X." He smiled as he looked up at the red skies. "Tempest Shadow, Rainbow, and so many other people I'll have to beat. But I'm gonna win, no matter what." With that, he and Spike continued to walk down the road.
What they didn't notice, was that Sunburst had stopped in his tracks. Sunburst continued to stare at Flash's back, a memory from long ago flashing into his eyes.
A younger Sunburst felt himself be pulled along by his mother, only to hear the sounds of someone crying behind him. He look back and saw someone his age, on their knees balling their eyes out.
He tried to pull away from his mother and run to them, but she was too strong. All he could do was hold out his hand to try and reach them, but the were much to far away.
Sunburst sighed as he pulled out his deck, shuffling through them until he reached his Ritual Monsters. As the sun set, he simply stared at the pair.
It was a beautiful morning in the french city of Paris. And within one of these rooms, a young purple haired girl was sleeping.
The sudden ringing of her alarm stirred her, making her reach out of knock it off before picking up a pair of thick black glasses. Bringing them under the covers, she soon emerged to reveal herself as Twilight Sparkle. The young teen got out of bed, stretching out her muscles before walking over to a window and flinging it open.
The fresh morning air hit her face, as she looked out to see a boat sailing along the Seine with the Eiffel Tower standing in the background. She smiled at the beautiful morning before saying, "bonjour."
Later that day.
Twilight was sitting in her class, listening as the teacher started his lecture. Despite him talking in french, along with everything in the classroom being written in french, she could understand what was being said and read perfectly.
Later, at lunch, the bespectacled girl was walking through the cafeteria when she heard someone speak out. "Twilight," she turned to see several of her classmates waving over at her, "over here." She smiled before sitting down besides them.
"Thanks," she started eating while looking up at the TV on the wall. It was showing the semi-finals of the European Duel Championship, and one of the competitors was a Duelist she knew quite well.
"My heart...IS FULL!" Tidal Wave cried as he spun on the spot in the Action Field, Soveruin floating behind him. He then shot a smirk at the camera, "this next move is dedicated to an amigo of mine who I hope is watching." A certain purple haired bookworm blushed in embarrassment. "I draw and play the Spell card, Rebirth Ritual!" A tornado of water enveloped Soveruin.
"What's happening?" His opponent asked.
"RITUAL EVOLUTION!" Tidal replied as Master of the Storm, Admiral Soveruin, appeared before them. "And with Rebirth Ritual, is ATK goes up by one thousand. (A3800/2500/L8) "Now I attack you Tyrant Dragon!" Soveruin rode his sea-serpent towards his opponents monster and slashed at it, causing it to be destroyed. "And now Soveruin's ability will allow him to destroy one monster whose ATK is less then you Tyrant Dragon's, so say adiós to your Masked Dragon and hola to fourteen hundred points of damage.
Tidal: 2200 Backdraft: 1300
"Now, Splash Sargent, let's finish this!" The jet ski riding navy officer flew at the man, slamming his vehicle into him.
Tidal: 2200 (Winner) Backdraft: 0
The crowd roared at Tidal's victory, the Mexican Duelist waving and blowing kisses to them.
Twilight smiled as she watched Tidal showboat, finally finishing her lunch and getting up. Once she'd deposited her tray, she headed over to the library to get in a little reading before her next class. But as she did, her phone went off.
Looking down at the screen, she smiled at who it was before answering. "Hey Tidal, just saw your match. Great comeback."
"You're welcome mi señora. Now it's onto the grand finales next week, and I hope you'll be there to cheer me on."
"Sure," Twilight replied, "so how about we celebrate tonight. I know this great cafe we can eat at."
"Sound maravilloso. I just hope Flash doesn't get jealous."
Twilight laughed. "I'm sure he'll be fine. There's nothing wrong with two friends getting a meal together, is there?"
"Nope. In fact, you mind if I invite another friend along. I've been meaning to introduce you and this would be a great chance."
"Sure. I look forward to it." She'd finally reached the library, "I gotta go. Au revoir." She cut the call and headed inside.
Later that day.
As the sun began to set, Twilight sat at a table outside the cafe she had suggested. She had been waiting for over twenty minutes, but Tidal or his friend hadn't shown up. Her phone then chimed, showing a text.
Sorry amigo, but traffic's being a nightmare. Be there as soon as possible.
Twilight sighed before pulling out her deck, going over it and making sure there weren't any oddities that had accidently made their way inside. She did this for several minutes, until a loud clatter made her look up and around to see a girl who had tripped over a chair.
"I'm sorry," she said as she picked herself up and righted the chair before brushing herself off.
Twilight noted her voice didn't have the normal french accent that everyone besides Twilight had. Instead, this girl's voice was comprised with the same accent she had had when she had first learnt french.
She looked the girl over, seeing she had cream coloured skin and red hair with two streaks of purple running through it. She wore a thick black hoodie with two pink buttons on the front, along with pink leggings and a pink skirt with purple crescent moon pattern. She wore a single black fingerless glove on her right hand, along with pair of glasses that were just like Twilight's.
The girl bowed to the waiter in apology before continuing to walk, only to trip over the exact same chair. Twilight stood up and stepped over to her. "You alright?" She said in English as she grabbed the chair and moved it as far away from the girl as possible.
The girl moaned before replying in her native language, "I'm okay." Twilight quickly noted her accent had a more European tint to it. She was likely from an English speaking euro country, like the U.K or Finland. She then looked up at Twilight and went wide-eyed, noticing the deck of cards in her hand. "You're a Duelist?"
Twilight raised an eyebrow but shrugged, "I guess so."
"Great," she picked herself up, "I'm Moondancer. Say, if you're not to busy, wanna Duel right now?" This question took Twilight by surprise, but she shrugged.
"I'm suppose to be waiting for a friend, but he's held up right now and Duelling would be a great way to pass the time and build up an appetite. So sure." She took out her Duel Disk, slotted her cards in and placed in on her arm.
Moondancer did the same with her Duel Disk, her's being black with a blade the same colour as her hair.
Tidal ran as fast as he could, having ditched his taxi in favour of running to the cafe. "I hope my amigos haven't started dinner without me." He finally arrived on the street, only to see a large crowd had gathered.
He managed to push his way to the front, only to go wide-eyed at what he was seeing.
"DUEL!"
Twilight: 4000 Moondancer: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Twilight drew her card. "I'll start by summoning White Wing Magician to the field in ATK mode." A lady wearing white and blue clothing with crystal trim and a crystal wand appeared on the field. (A1600/D1400/L4/P1) "I'll then place one card face down and end my turn."
Moondancer placed her hand on her deck. As she did, he body suddenly went tense. Twilight noticed this and raised her eyebrow. "My turn," Moondancer drew her card before smiling. "I activate the Spell Card, Spellbook of Summoning."
"What?" Twilight asked as her other eyebrow to lift in surprise.
"This card lets me draw until I get a Spellcaster that I can normal summon," she did so and got one on her first card. "Now I can summon it to the field, then take one hundred points of damage for each of its level points. "I summon Apprentice Scholar." A young teen in dark robes appeared, carrying a large book in her hands. (A1200/D1300/L3)
Twilight: 4000 Moondancer: 3700
"Next I summon Ideal Scholar Tiora, in ATK mode." An older teen in red and white robes appeared besides Moondancer's other monster, book in hand. (A1700/D1000/L4) "Now I'll attack."
"I activate my Trap," Twilight's card flipped up. "Negate Attack!"
"Sorry," Moondancer stepped in, "not happening. Because Tiora's ability lets me negate the activation of a Trap, and all I have to do is discard a Spellbook from my hand." She did so as Tiora opened her book, which unleashed a beam of light that struck Twilight's Trap and made it flip back down. She then pointed her book at White Wing Magician before firing another beam of light, which destroyed Twilight's monster.
Twilight: 3900 Moondancer: 3700
"And now my Apprentice Scholar's ability activates. When another Scholar monster destroys a monster, Apprentice can destroy one card on your field and deal you five hundred point of damage." The younger Scholar opened up her book and fired a beam of light, which destroyed Twilight's Trap.
Twilight: 3400 Moondancer: 3700
Moondancer smiled. "Apprentice can't attack after using this ability, so I'll end my turn there."
As Twilight steadied herself after the attack, she looked over at Moondancer. "So, you use Spellbooks?" She smiled, "this is gonna be fun." She reached for her deck, "I draw." She did so and looked through her cards. "I summon Defender, the Magical Knight, in ATK mode." The giant shield carrying knight appeared on the field. (A1600/D2000/L4) "And when he's summoned, I can place a Spell Counter on him." He gem in the middle of his shield glowed, "next I play Spellbook of Power to increase his ATK points." (A2600/D2000/L4)
Moondancer smiled, "so you use Spellbooks as well."
"And with it I'll destroy you Tiora!" Defender rushed forwards and smashed the Scholar monster, destroying it.
Twilight: 3400 Moondancer: 2800
"And when a monster empowered by Spellbook of Power destroys a monster, I can add one Spellbook from my deck to my hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took out and instantly set face down. "I end my turn." Defender's power returned to normal.
"My draw," Moondancer looked at her cards and nodded. "I summon my Fated Scholar Diefatalia, in ATK mode." A woman wearing green and blue robes appeared, pushing the glasses she wore up her nose as she opened her book. (A1400/D1400/L4) "And when she's summoned to the field, she can steal one Spell Counter from anywhere on the field and place it on herself."
"What?" Twilight asked as she watched Moondancer's monster point its book at Defender, whose shield gem glowed before unleashing a red beam of light that flew into the pages.
"And now, Diefatalia can remove a Spell Counter to let me add any Spellbook from my deck to my hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which Moondancer took before playing. "Now I'll activate my Spellbook of Power, to increase Diefatalia's ATK power!" (A2400/D1400/L4) "Attack!" Diefatalia opened her book and launched a beam of light, which struck Defender and destroyed him.
Twilight: 2600 Moondancer: 2800
"And now, I can add a Spellbook from my deck to my hand while Apprentice Scholar's ability will destroy your face down." Once again, the younger spellcaster fired a magic laser at Twilight's face down Spellbook of Wisdom and destroyed it.
Twilight: 2100 Moondancer: 2800
"I end my turn." Diefatalia's ATK returned to normal.
Twilight panted, "she's good. Every time I get a little ahead, she catches up and then zooms even further forward. If I wanna win, I'm gonna need something big to get ahead." She reached for her deck, "I draw!" She looked at her card and smiled, "I summon Magi-Beast, Mystic Dracoteen!" A monster that looked like a winged version of her Mystic Dracokid appeared on the field. (A800/D800/L4/P8) "His ability lets me look at the top three card of my deck and if any are Pendulum Spellcasters with fifteen hundred or less ATK points, I can place it in my Extra Deck." She drew three cards and smiled.
"I'm guessing you got one," Moondancer guessed.
"I did. Harmonizing Magician, which has zero ATK and DEF points." She placed the card in her Extra Deck, "now Dracoteen's other ability activates. I can search my deck for a Tuner monster whose Level is equal to or lower the Harmonizing Magician's, then summon it to the field." Her deck slotted out a card that she slapped down onto her Duel Disk, "Shadow Charmer!" The younger wizard in dark clothing appeared before her, twirling his staff like a batone. (A1200/D700/L3)
Moondancer grew nervous. "If she has a Tuner Monster."
"I tune my Level three Shadow Charmer with Level four Mystic Dracoteen." Shadow Charmer flew into the air and transformed into a trio of lights, which carved a circle for Dracoteen to fly into. "Beings of mystical might, unite you power and let the magic shine for all eternity." In that moment her monsters disappeared in an explosion of light, "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Twilight's new monster. He wore black clothing below a purple overcoat and a purple pointed hat, with the same star pattern as on Twilight's skirt. in his hand he carried a long black metal staff with a star carved on the end, "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4)
"Incredible," Moondancer said. "A Pendulum Synchro Monster."
"And wait until you see what he can do," Twilight explained. "Once per turn, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add any Spellbook that's among them to my hand." She drew her cards and saw what she'd got, taking one and placing it into her hand before shuffling the rest back into her deck. "Now I'll activate it. Spellbook of Rebirth, to revive my Defender back to the field." A portal opened up before the shield carrying spellcaster reappeared from out of it. (A1600/D2000/L4)
Off to the side, Tidal smiled at Twilight's skill in managing to level the playing field.
"Twilight Warlock now attacks your Fated Scholar!" The wizard leapt into the air before pointing its staff at Moondancer's monster, as purple lightning shot out and struck it.
Twilight: 2100 Moondancer: 1700
"Now my Defender will take out your Apprentice Scholar!" The shield carrying wizard slammed its opponent with its shield, destroying it as the force knocked Moondancer off her feet.
Twilight: 2100 Moondancer: 1100
"I end my turn."
Moondancer slowly picked herself up, shakily getting to her feet. "I have to admit, you've got skills Sparkle." Twilight smiled, only to then realise something. How did she know her second name, when Twilight was sure she hadn't told it to her.
But before she could ask, Moondancer drew her card and began her turn. "I activate Spellbook of Mirage. With this, I can banish a Spell card from my deck and activate its effect. So now, I'll activate the effect of my Magical Mallet." She placed her hand back into her deck, which shuffled before she drew four new cards. "I'm now gonna set the Pendulum Scale, with Scale three Mirage Scholar Impatia and Scale nine Alchemy Scholar Hongia!"
The pillars of light appeared on either side of her, as a pair of smartly dressed book holders flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" She chanted as the two opened their books, each shooting a beam of light which connected and opened a portal above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out, hitting the ground and taking form before fading to reveal Moondancer's monster. It was a woman wearing a black lab-coat with Moondancer's moon emblem on it, with hair and glasses like Moondancer's and was carrying a large book. "Moondancing Scholar, Saltalunam!" (A2100/D2800/L7/P3)
"That must be her ace," Twilight realised.
"I'm now activating Saltalunam's ability. Whenever she's special summoned, I can take a Spellbook from my deck or grave and add it to the hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took before activating. "And now I'll activate it. The Magic Tome of Starswirl!"
Twilight's eyes went wide as she looked up and saw the large blue book with light blue stars and dark blue swirls replace the Scholar's original book. "No way. That's...that's the rarest Spellbook card there is. I didn't even know it was still in circulation."
Moondancer smiled. "I know right. I was as surprised as anyone when I came across it. And you're gonna get a front row seat of its power. Once per turn, I can take a Spellbook from my deck and send it to the graveyard to activate its effect." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took and placed in her graveyard. "I activate another Spellbook of Power, which increases Saltalunam's ATK by one thousand!" (A3100/D2800/L7/P3) "And there's more. Starswirl's Tome grants the equipped monster a hundred extra points for each Spellbook in the grave." (A3500/D2800/L7/P3) "Now attack!"
Twilight watched as Saltalunam opened the tome and unleashed a extra bright burst of light, which flew across the field and destroyed Twilight Warlock and knock Twilight back.
Twilight: 1100 Moondancer: 1100
"Now I get to add a Spellbook to my hand, which I'll now use. Spellbook of Rebirth, to revive my Apprentice Scholar in DEF mode." The young spellcaster returned to the field and crouched down. "I end my turn," Moondancer announced as Saltalunam's ATK returned to normal. (A2600/D2800/L7/P3)
Twilight steadied herself as she reached for her deck. "It's my turn. I draw!" She smirked, "you're not the only one with a Magical Mallet. So I'll use it and redraw my hand." She placed her three card into the deck, which shuffled before she drew her new cards. "Next, I'll play Pendulum Spellbook. This card lets me take two Spellcaster-Type Pendulum monsters, out of Extra Deck and place them in my Pendulum Zones. So now I'll set the Pendulum Scale, with Scale one White Wing Magician and Scale eight Harmonizing Magician!"
The pillars of light appeared on either side of her, as the two magicians flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" She chanted as the two pointed their wands at the sky, each shooting a beam of light which connected and opened a portal above Twilight. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair lights shot out and struck the ground. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4)
"Spirit Chanter!" (A500/D300/L2)
"Next, I summon Royal Charmer!" (A100/D100/L1) The royally dressed Tuner monster appeared besides the other two."
"And now!" Twilight almost yelled, "I tune Royal Charmer with Twilight Warlock and Spirit Chanter!" Her Tuner's staff gave off a brilliant light which almost blinded everyone. The light began to take shape, forming a twenty foot transparent version of Royal Charmer who held his hands together as Twilight Warlock and Spirit Chanter jumped between them into a ball of light. "Eternal Magic born from the united strength of friends working together," Twilight chanted as the two monsters became transparent before disappearing in an explosion of light that once again blinded everyone in the stadium. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light slowly began to fade, as Twilight's new monster was revealed. "Imperial Magician of Twilight!" (A3500/D2800/L10)
"I attack!" Twilight yelled as her monster levitated itself into the air and then raised its staff towards the Scholar. "Now I'll activate my Magician's effect, which lets me remove any number of Spellbooks from my graveyard." Three Spellbooks appeared infront of Twilight's Magician, the three opening before firing a beam of light which struck Saltalunam.
"What's happening?" Moondancer asked.
Twilight smiled. "For every Spellbook removed from play, my Magician of Twilight can suck away five hundred ATK points from your monster and add them to his own."
"I see," she replied as she watched her monster grow weaker. (A1100/D2800/L7/P3)
Meanwhile the books closed and then flew around Imperial Magician of Twilight, forming a circle before opening and shooting the beams at him. Unlike before as the beams hit him he felt a rush of power as he gained the strength sapped from his opponent. (A5000/D2800/L10)
"Go! ROYAL BLAST!" The Magician fired a massive burst of magical energy at Saltalunam, who didn't look nervous.
"I activate Moondancing Scholar's ability!" Moondancer cried. "By tributing a Spell card from my field, I can switch her battle position." The Magic Tome of Starswirl vanished before she kneeled down, seconds before the blast struck and vaporised her.
As the shockwaves of the attack finally settled, everyone stared at Moondancer and saw she was alright. This was met with murmurs, until Tidal started clapping. The rest soon followed, amazed her her effortless defence. Even Twilight had to agree it was amazing, but that didn't mean she was gonna let her beat her and ordered Defender to destroy Apprentice Scholar. Once that happened, "I end my turn." Imperial Magician's ATK returned to normal. (A3500/D2800/L10)
Moondancer looked down at her deck before placing a hand on it. "You truly are an amazing Duelist Twilight." She looked up at the girl, the two's eyes meeting before the entire street was consumed by light.
Twilight shielded her eyes, waiting several seconds before the light's heat died down and allowed her to open her eyes. Once she did, she found she was no longer in the street. Instead, she found she appeared to be in some form of library. She recognised it easily, especially where she spotted an area in the centre of the room with a large orb floating in it, as the Spellbook Library of the Crescent.
"How?" She reached out to touch one of the books, only to notice she was now wearing different clothing. Looking down, she now saw she was dressed like Twilight Warlock.
"You look good in that." Twilight spun around to see Saltalunam standing a ways off, having spoken in Moondancer's voice. "What do you think of my favourite library?"
"I...I...how am I here?"
Saltalunam smiled, "because you have such a strong bond with your monster. With it, it's possible to perform a great miracle. Soulink."
"Soul...link?" Twilight asked, only to once again be blinded by the light.
"I draw," Twilight opened her eyes and found herself back in the french street. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened and our shot a light, which took the form of Moondancer's ace. "Now I activate Saltalunam's ability and return Starswirl's Magic Tome to my hand." She did so, only to then activate it and increased her monster's power. (A2600/D2800/L7/L3) "I'll then activate my Spellbook of Secrets from my hand, increasing her power as I add another Spellbook to my hand. (A2700/D2800/L7/L3) "I'll then activate that Spellbook of Mirage."
Twilight shook off what she had just seen, needing to get her head back in the game. "Which Spell card is she banishing?"
"I banish my Shrink, to cut the ATK of your magician in half." Everyone watched as Twilight's monster shrank to half its size. (A1750/D2800/L10) "And don't forget, another Spellbook in my grave increases Saltalunam's power. (A2800/D2800/L7/L3)
"It's alright," Twilight said. "She seems hellbent of attacking Imperial Magician, so I'll still have fifty life points left."
"And lastly," Moondancer said. "I'll use my Tome's effect, to send Spellbook of Organisation from my deck to the grave and activate its effect." She drew her three cards before placing them back in the same order, as Saltalunam's power increased once more. (A2900/D2800/L7/L3)
"Oh no," Twilight said.
"ATTACK!" The Pendulum Monster opened Starswirl's Tome and fired off the beam of light, which struck Twilight's monster and destroyed it while sending her flying backwards.
Twilight: 0 Moondancer: 1100 (Winner)
As the monsters disappeared, the crowd cheered for the eventful show. Moondancer stepped over to Twilight, a smiling down at her while offering a hand. "That was a good Duel. You're certainly a strong opponent."
Twilight smiled while taking her hand. "Thanks," she was pulled up to her feet. "You're really strong too. That Magic Tome Spell was incredible."
"Thanks," Moondancer smiled.
"Bravo amigos," they turned to see Tidal step over to them. "Your Duel truly filled my heart with joy."
"Thanks Tidal," the two girls said in unison. Twilight then turned to Moondancer in surprise, "you two know each other."
"Of course," Tidal said. "This is the friend I was telling you about. I knew you'd both get along great."
Moondancer turned to smile at her. "Sorry I didn't tell you, but I wanted to see how good you were in a standard Duel. If I told you I knew Tidal, you might have taken me too seriously. I wanted to have a fun, relaxed, Duel to get to know you."
Twilight went other this info in her head and smiled. "Don't worry about it. I get it. But how did you know I knew Tidal."
"He showed me a group picture of you and your friends once."
Tidal nodded before placing a hand on both girl's shoulders. "A new budding friendship, what could be more beautiful. Come, let us sit and enjoy a heart warming meal." The girls nodded and sat down, as the waiter took their order. "So Twilight, did you know Moondancer here is planning on competing in the Double X Tournament?"
Twilight was surprised by this, turned to give her new friend a 'really' look. Moondancer smiled, "yes. I'll be competing with a pair of highly skilled Duellists. I was as surprised as anyone when the team captain came and asked me to join."
"Well, from what I've seen, you've definitely got the skills. Just don't take the competition too lightly. My boyfriends competing and he's the Celestic Cup Champion."
Moondancer smiled. "Then I look forwards to facing him." And so the rest of the night was spent eating and talking, until the three finally decided to call it a night and head home.
The next morning, Twilight was once again awoke from her sleep by her alarm.
This time, after shutting it off, she buried herself back into her blanket. It was Saturday, which meant no school, which meant lying in. That would have been the plan, had her phone not gone off.
Twilight moaned as she reached out and grabbed it, "hello?"
"Twilight?"
"Moondancer?"
"Hey. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today. Tidal's busy doing interviews, so..."
"Sure. Where'd you wanna meet?"
"How about in champ de mars?"
"Sounds good. I can be there by about ten."
"No problem. See you then." The call cut and Twilight smiled before slowly getting up, ready to tackle the day and see the sights with her new friend.
At nine fifty five, she arrived at the park and had just reached the fountain when she heard her name being called out.
Looking around, she saw Moondancer running towards her waving. Twilight was about to wave back, but flinched when she saw Moondancer trip over her own feet and slam face first into the ground. "You alright?" She asked as she helped the girl up.
Moondancer moaned as she corrected her glasses, "I'm fine. Happens all the time." Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, as if confused. Moondancer saw this look and gave her one of her own, "what?"
"Nothing," the girl replied, "it's just...when you Duel you're so graceful and barely need to move a hair out of place. But when you're not, you're...er..."
"Clumsier then a Dizzy Angel after ten bottles of hot sauce," Moondancer said. This caused both Twilight and her the burst out laughing.
"I guess."
Moondancer shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just...like that I guess." Twilight nodded at this as they began their day together. The first thing they did was head to the market place near the park, where they checked out a stall hosting many exotic fruits, laughed at each other while trying on a bunch of different french hats being sold at a stall and spent almost a full hour checking out a book stall.
When their stomachs started grumbling, they each bought a pan bagnat from a vender and sat down besides the carousel while watching boats sail across the river. After taking their first bite they both moaned in delight.
"Delicious," Moondancer said.
Twilight nodded. "I'd say it's on par with Pinkie's cooking."
"Pinkie?"
Twilight turned to smile at her. "She's a friend of mine back in America. Fun person, loves to bake. You haven't lived till you try one of her cupcakes. If you find yourself with some free time during the Double X, go to a store called Sugercube Corner. She works there and will probably throw you a big party when she find our we're friends."
This made Moondancer smile. "I will, thanks." She looked back out at the water, a distant look in her face. "It must be nice, having so many amazing friends."
Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, "I guess. But, you must have just as many friends as I do?"
"Not really. When I was younger, I was a bit of a shut in. I spend all my spare time locked in a library, reading for no reason other then it was all I was able to do on my own."
"Why didn't you ever go outside?"
"I guess...I was just afraid of what the world might throw at me. I was scared of being hurt, in more ways then one. It wasn't until about a year ago that I finally got up the courage to come out and see what the world had to offer me."
"And?" Twilight asked, wanting to know what she thought of the world.
Moondancer smiled back at her before standing up and walking a few steps forwards. "I have to admit, this place is pretty amazing. I want to see everything that I can in this world, before it's too late."
Twilight smiled as she finished off her lunch, then had an idea and looked behind her. She then stood up and grabbed Moondancer's hand. "Come with me." She pulled her along until they reached the Eiffel Tower, where the two climbed all the way to the top.
Once there, though slightly winded, they looked out to see all of Paris below them. "Amazing," Moondancer whispered.
Twilight smiled at Moondancer, "now you can say for certain you've seen all of Paris." Moondancer smiled back at her before suddenly freezing on the spot. Then, before Twilight could ask what was wrong, she relaxed before reaching into her pocket.
The girl pulled out her deck before shuffling through the cards, until she came across one that she took out and handed to Twilight. "Here."
Twilight took the card and gasped when she saw it was Magic Tome of Starswirl. She looked up at Moondancer, "I can't take this."
"You will. Consider it a symbol of our friendship. I won't let you refuse."
Twilight smiled at the girl before looking down at the card. "Thank you." She placed the card in her own deck before the two of them looked back out at the city.
That night.
After her fun day with Twilight, Moondancer returned to her hotel room. As soon as she arrived, she reached up to her gloved hand and pulled it off.
In doing so, she reveal a glowing purple circle on the back of it, that had a series of white shapes similar to the one that symbolised a the Duel Monster attribute of dark.
As she placed the glove on a table, her phone went off.
"Hello?" She answered. As soon as she heard who was one the other line, the emblem on her hand glowed brighter as her entire body language changed to a more sturdy form. "I'm here. Understood. We'll be arriving in Canterlot next week." She sat on her bed, "we never asked. What exactly are you entering this tournament for?" She listened before sighing, "well that's a clique response. Whatever, we'll talk to you when we see you. Goodbye." She cut the call and laid back on her bead, as her emblem's glow died down and her body language changed back.
The next morning.
We once again find Twilight sitting at the cafe she'd first met Moondancer at. She was once again waiting for the girl, who was currently late.
"Oh geez!" Moondancer cried as she ran as fast as she could, "what else could go wrong today." Her alarm had failed, along with the wake up call she'd ordered. So now she was running as fast as she could to get to Twilight in time.
Only a few blocks away from the cafe, she spotted an upcoming crosswalk whose light was currently on green. She umped out to get across the road as fast as possible. But as she was halfway across, the sound of a car horn and screeching tyres made her look around before gasping.
Twilight was once again going through her deck, having rejigged it last night to fit her new card in, when she suddenly heard the sound of an ambulance siren. She looked up and saw it race passed, something in her heart suddenly making her feel uneasy.
Getting up from the table, she ran after the ambulance.
When she finally found it, she saw it was parked next to a big crowd. Her unease increased as she rushed up to and through the crowd, finally reaching the front and seeing what they were all staring at.
And what she saw, made her heart stop. "MOONDANCER!"
A week had almost passed since the day of the tragic accident.
The victim, Moondancer, had been severally injured by said accident and was already passed the point of no return when the ambulance arrived. The poor girl was declared dead on arrival to the hospital.
Twilight Sparkle was in her apartment, her heart aching as she sat on her bed. Moondancer's body had been flown back to the U.K this morning, so her family could give her a proper funeral. Twilight had hoped she could go as well, but couldn't manage to get a flight or boat ticket there before it was set to happen.
"Moondancer," she whispered before a ring brought her attention back to the real world. She turned to her phone and saw the name of her boyfriend, picking it up in preparation of answering. But instead of hitting the accept, she pressed the decline call button and threw her phone away. The one thing she couldn't stand any more of was the constant calls from everyone she knew, wanting to ask if she was alright. She appreciated it, but still felt like she'd rather be alone right now.
Across town, Tidal was sitting in his hotel room looking at his computer.
"Flash just called and said she wasn't picking up" Cadance's voice came out of the laptop. She and Shining were both on screen, the two sharing a pained look as they spoke with Tidal. "I'm worried. It's not good for her to shut out the world like this."
"I know," Tidal said. "But we can't force her to open up. I think she's having trouble accepting that it's happened."
"I should be there with her," Shining said. He then stared at Tidal, "how's she doing?"
"Not good," Tidal replied with a sad look upon his face. "This whole thing has hit her hard. I know they'd only just met, but in the short span of time they'd become good friends. Then to suddenly lose her."
"She's never had to really deal with a situation like this," Cadance told him. "There was the time Flash was in a coma, but even then she still had hope that she'd see him again."
"The pain of losing someone can sometimes be to much to bare," Shining said. Tidal nodded in agreement, knowing Twilight needed him as the only close friend who was actually with her right now.
"I'll try and do everything I can to help her." Shining and Cadance both nodded, thanking him before finally ending the call. As the screen went blank, Tidal sat back in his chair before sighing. Like Twilight, he too was working to deal with the pain of loss. "Moondancer."
The next day.
Twilight walked like a zombie through her school.
They had offered her some time off after the accident, but Twilight had declined as all she'd do is sit in her apartment letting the thoughts of her lost friend swirl around in her head. No, she was better off here where she could keep her mind off of those things.
"Twilight," the bespectacled girl turned to see one of her classmates walking towards her. "I'm glad I found you. If you're free, I'd like to try out a new deck that I've been working on."
Twilight thought for a moment, until she finally nodded. "Sure," this would hopefully help her keep her mind off things. The two moved over to an empty classroom, where they would compete in a table top duel. Once they'd shuffled each other's decks, they began their Duel.
At one point in the Duel, Twilight had her Warlock in ATK position and Magician's Valkyria in DEF position. She also had her Pendulum Scale set to let her summon monsters between Levels three and eight. Her opponent had Amazoness Tiger and was halfway through her turn.
"I Fusion Summon!" The girl said as she placed a card from her extra deck onto the field. "Amazoness Empress. I attack your Twilight Warlock with Amazoness Empress." Twilight took her destroyed monster and placed in on the Extra Deck. "Next, My Amazoness Tiger will attack your Magician's Valkyria. And thanks to my Empress, you'll still be taking damage."
Twilight sighed as her field was now empty.
Even thought she could summon her Warlock back, she'd need a way to destroy that Empress. But how? "It's my turn," Twilight reached for her deck. "I draw." But as she saw what card she'd drawn, her eyes went wide and she felt a tearing pain in her heart.
Flashback
The girl pulled out her deck before shuffling through the cards, until she came across one that she took out and handed to Twilight. "Here."
Twilight took the card and gasped when she saw it was Magic Tome of Starswirl. She looked up at Moondancer, "I can't take this."
"You will. Consider it a symbol of our friendship. I won't let you refuse."
Twilight smiled at the girl before looking down at the card. "Thank you."
Flashforwards
Now, as she stared at the last gift given to her by her lost friend, the pain of remorse overwhelmed her and caused tears to begin leaking out of her eyes. "Twilight?" She looked up at her opponent, who was staring at her worriedly. "Are you okay?"
Twilight looked down at the card one last before placing it back on her deck and grabbing the rest of her cards. "I'm sorry," she put her deck away. "I...I can't." Before the girl could say anything else, Twilight rushed out of the room.
Tidal was walking down the street near Twilight's school, wondering if she'd want to get some lunch with him.
But he hadn't expected to find her sitting on a bench just outside its gate. "Twilight," she looked up and saw him.
"Oh, hello Tidal. What are you doing here?"
Tidal was about to respond, but then noticed the red puffiness around her eyes. She had been crying. "I...I came to see if you wanted to get some lunch with me," Tidal replied.
"Oh," Twilight looked down towards the pavement, "no thank you. I'm really not hungry."
Tidal sighed, expecting this outcome but hoping a different one. "Okay, that's fine." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, "here." Twilight took it and saw it was a ticket. That's right, tonight was the finals of the European championships. Tidal's big night. "It's a pretty good seat, so I hope you'll come."
Twilight didn't say anything, instead just placing the ticket into her pocket before walking off.
As she left, Tidal sighed. "Twilight, I fear what might happen if you let your grief overcome you." He knew what might happen when he learned of Moondancer's accident. The thing that first connected the two had been Dueling, so there may be a chance Twilight's grief would cause her to link dueling with the pain of her friend's death.
If that happened, Twilight might lose the will to Duel.
Twilight continued trekking through Paris until she reached the Seine, which she began to walk besides until she finally reached a spot that made the pain continue to build.
The carousel she and Moondancer had eaten lunch together at. The tower the two of them had climbed to look out at all of Paris, and where her lost friend had given her that special card.
As Twilight sat on the bench next to the carousel, she reached into her bag and pulled out her deck. This deck, which once held so many great memories for her, now only reminded her of the Duel she'd had against Moondancer. Simply looking at it reminded her of how they'd met, the way they'd faced off against one another, and even the images she'd seen.
And following those memories, was the pain of no longer having that friend in her life.
How could she go on Dueling, if this pain continued to plague her every time she looked at her deck. "Moondancer," tears began to escape as she spoke the name, "WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO!?" With that, the tears came in full force and she started weeping with no power to stop herself.
Later.
Tidal was currently in the Duel stadium of Paris, ready to go on stage to compete for the Euro Championship title.
When her heard the announcer call out his name, he stepped out. As he did, he looked over to the seat he'd reserved for Twilight and frowned when he saw it empty. "Oh me amigo." He knew she was having a hard time, but he'd hoped he could show her it was possible to get passed the pain. Like her, he was missing Moondancer and Dueling like that was a struggle. The reason he wanted her to come was because if she could see how he channelled his grief into the game, then maybe...just maybe.
He reached the centre and met his opponent and the ref. They shook hands, shuffled decks and did the coin toss before starting the Duel.
Twilight simply stared out at the river as she watched the sun begin to set.
She had lost track of how long she'd simply been sitting there wallowing in her own misery. Her thoughts were finally broken when one of the passers by chose to stop near her while fiddling with their radio. Eventually, he found the channel he was looking for and Twilight was forced to listen to it.
"We're live here at the Paris Dome to watch the final match of the European Championship. Let us now hear some words of encouragement out two competitors.
"Hola," she turned to the radio as she heard Tidal's voice, "I'll be dedicating this match to a friend of mine who is, sadly, no longer with us. Moondancer, I know you'd want me to give it my all and I will do so in your name."
Twilight simply stared at the radio, realising just how selfish she was being. "Tidal," she got up and rushed away from the carousel towards the stadium. How could she not realise how much Tidal was hurting, yet still he prevails. He was Duelling because Moondancer would want him too.
"I RITUAL SUMMON!" Tidal cried as his ace card appeared before him. Once it had completed its entrance, Tidal took a deep breath. "This one's for you Moondancer," he pointed at his opponent's Cyber Dragon. "Soveruin, attack!" The Ritual Monster rode his seahorse towards the robotic serpent and slashed it into destruction.
Tidal: 3100 Short Circuit: 3800
"Now, Officer Cadet Andrew will attack!" His other monster leapt at the opponent and stabbed him with his rapier.
Tidal: 3100 Short Circuit: 2800
Twilight rushed into the stadium and arrived inside the Duel arena just in time to see Tidal and Soveruin facing off against Cyber-End Dragon, three Cyber Dragons and a Cyber Phoenix.
"I attack!" His opponent declared as Cyber-End fired a triple laser blast at it.
"I activate my Trampa!" Tidal yelled as his face down flipped up, "Raging Whirlpool. I can only activate this card when you declare an attack. Now I can destroy your attacking monster and any monsters on your field whose ATK is equal to or lower then Cyber-End."
A whirlpool appeared below the machine monsters and sucked them within. Everyone watched as the Cyber Monsters were washed away, like being sucked down and plug hole. Tidal's opponent looked horrified by this, now forced to end his turn as Tidal started his.
"Attack!" Soveruin rode forwards and slashed the young man.
Tidal: 1200 (Winner) Short Circuit: 0
The crowd exploded into a cheer, Twilight remaining quiet as she watched Tidal be given his trophy.
Time seemed to blur as she returned to the stadium foyer, the many other audience members funnelling passed her until she was the only one left. She simply stood in the same place, as the world revolved around her. Until-
"Twilight?" She turned to see Tidal walking towards her, a curious look on his face.
"Tidal," she said back before bowing, "I'm sorry!"
Tidal raised an eyebrow at this, "you're sorry?"
"I should have known you were hurting as well, but all I cared about was myself." Tears once again leaked, "I'm so so sorry." She didn't expect Tidal to forgive her, which meant she was incredibly surprised when she felt Tidal's hand on her head.
"Don't worry me amigo, I don't blame you. I know you're hurting right now, so don't feel like what you're doing is selfish."
Twilight looked up at him before nodding, wiping her eyes as she did. Tidal smiled back before turning to walk away. "Tidal," he stopped and turned back towards her, "can we Duel." This surprised Tidal. "You were able to push through your pain to Duel in Moondancer's name. I need to see if I can do the same."
This made Tidal smile before nodding. "Sure."
Tidal and Twilight returned to the stadium's public Duel Fields, which wasn't an ARC System, as the two took out their Duel Disks and placed them on their arms. They the took out their Decks, ready to slot them in.
But as they did, Twilight froze as the memories returned once again.
Seeing her issue, Tidal spoke out. "Twilight," she looked up at him, "let's dedicate this Duel to Moondancer and give it our all."
Twilight nodded, pushing the memories to the back of her head as she slotted her Deck in. She would do this, for Moondancer.
"DUEL!"
Twilight: 4000 Tidal: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Tidal said as he reached for his deck. "I draw and I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Big Wave General Strain and scale eleven Torpedo Jet Dolphin!" The columns of light appeared on either side of him, as two monsters flew up into them. One was a man in navy gear who was carrying a gatling gun, while the other was a dolphin wearing a navy hat and a pair of propulsion jets strapped to either side of its dorsal fin.
"Cortar through space time and carve the arc of victoria!" He chanted as the two opened their books, each shooting a beam of light which connected and opened a portal above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, taking form before fading to reveal a pair of monsters.
The first was a navy officer riding a jet ski, "Splash Sargent!" (A1700/D1300/L4)
The second was a women wearing navy uniform and a headset, "and Deep Sea Officer!" (A1200/D800/L3) "And when Deep Sea Officer is special summoned, I can take a Ritual card from my deck and add it to my hand." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which he took before placing inside his Duel Disk. "And now I'll activate it. Raging Storm Ritual, which by sacrificing monsters of seven stars or more will allow me to summon Commander of the Raging Storm, Soveruin!"
An underwater tornado appeared, sucking Tidal's monsters into its centre. "I RITUAL SUMMON!" The tornado exploded, revealing Tidal's ace riding the giant seahorse and swinging its cutlass. (A2400/D2200/L7) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then I'll draw!" Twilight did so and looked through her cards before nodding. "I'll also be starting by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Pendulum Caster and scale five Rising Dusk Magician!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of her, as two wizards flew up into them. The first was wearing light blue ropes and had a piece of string around his neck, that held a crystal like shape in front of his chest while his staff had a similar crystal head. The second was wearing dark moon patterned ropes and had a crescent moon on its staff.
"Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" She chanted as the two pointed their wands at the sky, each shooting a beam of light which connected and opened a portal above Twilight. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out and struck the ground, taking shape before fading to reveal a teenage wizard carrying a sword with a blade shaped like the hand of a clock. "Timebreaker Magician!" (A1400/0/L3/P2) "And when Timebreaker is Pendulum Summoned on his own from the hand, his ATK points are doubled. (A2800/D0/L3/P2) "Then I'll summon Twilight Unicorn to the field, in ATK mode." The purple unicorn with her emblem appeared besides the magician. (A1800/D1300/L4/P7) "Attack!"
Tidal watched as Timebreaker Magician rushed at Soveruin, the two clashing swords before the Ritual Monster's shattered before he was destroyed.
Twilight: 4000 Tidal: 3600
"I activate my Trap!" Tidal cried as his face down flipped up, "Torrential Reborn. This card lets me revive every Water monster that's been destroyed this turn, then deal you five hundred points of damage for each one." A wave of water surged out of the card, Soveruin riding it, which crashed into Twilight and knocked her off her feet.
Twilight: 3500 Tidal: 3600
Twilight moaned as she picked herself up and stood back on her feet. "I'm activating Pendulum Caster's ability." The Pendulum Monster pointed his staff at Timebreaker Magician, then fired a rainbow beam out and struck him. "This allows me to turn a Level three or below monster into a Tuner monster for this turn, which will now allow me to tune him with Twilight Unicorn."
Tidal watched as Twilight's Tuner leapt into the air and transformed into three spheres of lights, which carved three circles that Twilight Unicorn leapt into. "It's time to embrace the power given by those we call friends and ascend to a higher plain of life." Instead of disappearing in a flash, the light infused into Twilight Unicorn as two new appendages appeared on its back. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded from the monsters body, revealing Twilight Unicorn's new form. She was almost exactly the same, except she was now sporting a pair of wings on her back and was slightly taller. "Twilight Alicorn!" (A2600/D1900/L7) "I end my turn."
"Then it's my turn. I draw before using Torpedo Jet Dolphin's Pendulum Ability," he sent his drawn card to the graveyard. "By discarding one card, I can add a Spell Card from my deck to my hand." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which he took and activated immediately. "Now I'll activate it. Rebirth Ritual!"
Twilight frowned as she watched Soveruin be enveloped by the tornado of water.
"RITUAL EVOLUTION!" The tornado exploded, revealing the evolved version of Tidal's best card. "Master of the Storm, Admiral Soveruin!" (A2800/2500/L8) "And don't forget, Rebirth Ritual increases his ATK points this turn." (A3800/D2500/L8) "Now I attack!" Soveruin's snapped the rains of his leviathan, which began to slither through the air like it was water towards Twilight Alicorn. Once close, Soveruin used his cutlass and slashed through Twilight's monster destroying it.
Twilight was knocked back by the force of the attack, slamming into the ground with a loud outcry.
Twilight: 2300 Tidal: 3600
"You alright senorita?" Tidal asked, as Twilight began to pick herself up.
"I...I'm fine," she said once she was back on her feet. She was shaky at first, but managed to stay up and get he balance.
Tidal nodded, "then I end my turn." Admiral Soveruin's ATK power returned to normal. (A2800/D2500/L8)
"Then it's my turn. I draw!" Twilight looked down at the card she'd gotten and gasped, seeing it was the card Moondancer had given her. The aching in her heart returned, as she fought to keep the tears back.
"Twilight," Tidal noticed this, "are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Twilight said as she hid the card behind her other two. "Once again, I'll cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal opened up above her head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a pair of lights shot out, hitting the ground and fading to reveal Timebreaker Magician and Twilight Unicorn. "And once again, I'll have Pendulum Caster use her ability to make Timebreaker a Tuner monster." The magician did so, firing the rainbow of light at Timebreaker before he leapt into the air and transformed into the three lights. "Now I tune my level three Timebreaker Magician with my level four Twilight Unicorn!" Once again, the unicorn leapt into the rings and was super charged. "Beings of mystical might, unite you power and let the magic shine for all eternity." In that moment her monsters disappeared in an explosion of light, "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Twilight's ace. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "I activate my Warlock's ability, to look at the top five cards of my deck and add one Spellbook to my hand." She drew five cards and looked through them, then pull one out before shuffling the rest back into her deck. "Now I activate it. Spellbook of Secrets, which let's me add another Spellbook to my hand." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which she then took."
Tidal hummed as he tried to predict Twilight's stratagy. "Knowing senorita Sparkle, it's probably a card to make her monster stronger then mine."
"I activate the Spellbook of Power, which'll increase the attack of my Warlock by one thousand!" The spellcaster roared as red energy surrounded him, his power increasing as it did. (A3500/D2100/L7/P4) "Now I attack your Master of the Storm!" The wizard raised his staff before unleashing a beam of magic energy, which struck Soveruin and destroyed it.
Twilight: 2300 Tidal: 2900
"And when a monster empowered by the Spellbook of Power destroys a monster, I can add another Spellbook from my deck to my hand." Her deck once again shuffled out a card, which she drew and placed in her hand. "I end my turn with a face down." Twilight Warlock's ATK returned to normal. (A2500/D2100/L7/P4)
As Twilight's turn ended, her eyes once again caught sight of the card Moondancer gave her. She shook her head before looking up, only to gasp at what she saw.
Standing between her and her monster, was Moondancer. The girl turned towards Twilight and smiled, making the girl flinch away and shut her eyes. "NO!"
"Twilight?" She slowly opened her eyes, seeing the image of Moondancer was gone, as Tidal stared at her in worry.
"We should stop."
"No!" Twilight said forcefully, "I have to do this."
"Alright." Tidal drew his card, "I play Graciosa Charity." He drew his three cards, smiling as he saw what he'd gotten, then placed two in the graveyard. "Now, since I Coral Medic was sent from my hand to the graveyard, I can use her ability to revive one monster in my graveyard." The woman in coral patterned nurse clothing appeared on the field before she was enveloped by a tornado of water, which then exploded to reveal Admiral Soveruin. "Now, I'll cut through space time once more and carve the arc of victory!" The portal formed above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened as a single light shot out, struck the ground before fading to reveal a penguin in a navy uniform and holding a harpoon with a trident head sticking out the barrel. "High Tide Penguin Solider!" (A1000/D800/L3/P8) "And when High Tide Penguin is special summoned, I can summon as many other copies of him from my deck." The penguin opened its mouth before spitting out a bubble, which grew in size before popping to reveal another penguin.
Twilight grew worried, wondering what Tidal had planned.
"And now," Tidal took the last card in his hand and held it above his head. "It's time to unleash my ultimate card!" A water spiral exploded out of the ground, engulfing Soveruin and the two penguins. "By tributing Master of the Storm, along with two other Water monsters, I can give birth to his ultimate form." He slapped his card on the Duel Disk, as the water spiral exploded to show Tidal's monster.
Soveruin, now dressed in even more flamboyant navy gear, was sitting on the neck of what looked like the loch-ness monster with wings and spikes. This sea-dragon released a mighty roar, which made the earth beneath Twilight's feet shake. "Hurricane Incarnate. Lord High Admiral, SOVERUIN!" (A3000/3000/L10/P1)
Twilight gasped at the sight of this. This card was definitely Tidal's most powerful, and beating it was not going to be easy.
"Soveruin's effect now activates," Tidal said as the sea-dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a stream of freezing cold air. That breath flew over Twilight's field, causing her face down and Pendulum Monster to become frozen solid. "During my turn, you cannot activate any Spells or Traps on your field. I now activate Soveruin's other ability!" Soveruin raised his sword, as water and wind spiralled around it. He then slashed it through the air, unleashing a tidal-wave that struck Twilight Warlock and destroyed it.
Twilight was also struck by the water, knocking her off her feet as her life points went down.
Twilight: 1800 Tidal: 2900
Twilight moaned as she sat herself up before looking towards Tidal, "what was that?"
Tidal smiled. "High Lord Admiral Soveruin can destroy every monster on the field whose ATK is less then his own, then deal you damage for each one."
Twilight frowned. Simply attacking would have lead to the same result, but he chose to use that effect. He was showing off.
"Twilight," Tidal said, "to defeat this opponent, you will need to push passed what's holding you back." He ended his turn, as Twilight tried to pick herself up.
"I know that," she told him as she got to her feet. "But...it's hard. Even after all I've been through, what if this is as far as I can go?"
"Maybe it is," Tidal told her. Twilight looked down in shame at this, "maybe." She looked up at Tidal in confusion. "If you think this is as far as you can go, then no matter what you'll remain at this level. True strength, is a state of mind. No matter how well you build your deck or how many Duels you win with it, you'll never get any better unless you believe you can get better. Moondancer knew that, same with Flash and the rest of our amigos."
Twilight said nothing, simply continuing to listen as he spoke. "Everyone comes across obstacles in their lives. When that happens, you can either give up and accept that you'll never improve, or keep pushing through the pain and hardships the reach whatever goal you want. It all depends...on you."
Twilight continued to remain quite, as she looked down at her hand and saw the card Moondancer had given her. The question of why she had given such a valuable card to her, still alluded her. Had she known the end was near and wanted to give Twilight something to remember her by, or was it something else.
Twilight looked back up, only to go wide eyed when she saw Moondancer standing infront of her once again. A pain in her heart began to beat, making her tear up.
"I understand what you're going through," Twilight looked passed the ghostly image and focused on Tidal. "Moondancer had so much ahead of her, only for her life to be cut short." Twilight's tears with in full flow at this, "but she wouldn't want her life's end to ruin the one you are still living. She would want you...no, us, to keep chasing our dreams. To let her death stop us, only dishonours her memory."
"Dis...dishonours her memory?"
Tidal nodded. "I will keep chasing my dreams. Not just for me, but for Moondancer too. Now, will you dishonour our friends name and let yourself be stopped from reaching your goals?"
Twilight wasn't sure how to answer that, looking back to the image of Moondancer she saw. A new look appeared on the girls face, one of sadness. Strangely, seeing that hurt more then the pain of loss. "No," she said, "I won't." She stood up straight and strong. "I'll keep pushing forward, in Moondancer's memory." Both Tidal and Moondancer smiled at her, as the image of the girl stepped over to Twilight and hugged her. Twilight gasped at this, as the image exploded into light before spreading around her body like a comforting aura. Twilight smiled at this, knowing now that even though Moondancer was gone, a piece of her still remained within her.
Tidal saw this smile and sighed in relief. It seemed Twilight was back. "Alright amigo, let's see how well you do honouring Moondancer's name. It's your turn."
Twilight smiled as she reached for her deck, "and I draw!" She looked at her card and smiled at what she'd gotten, a plan forming in her head. "Alright, I'll start by playing Magical Mallet. With this, I send all but one of my cards back to the deck and redraw the same number." She did so, replace her two cards and smiling at what she'd gotten. "Perfect, I summon Trunade Magician!" A small elderly wizard appeared infront of her, wearing green wind patterned robes. (A600/D400/L2) "And when Trunade Magician is normal summoned, I can return every Spell and Trap card on the field back to our hands."
Tidal watched as the wizard raised his staff before a powerful gale exploded from around him. The cards in their Pendulum Zones were blown out of the light columns, as the two added the cards back to their hands.
"Next, I'll reset the Pendulum Scale with Scale two Pendulum Caster and Scale eight Harmonizing Magician!" The columns appeared besides her, as the two magicians flew up into them before creating the portal above Twilight's head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and four lights shot out before hitting the ground, taking form and fading to reveal Twilight's monsters. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4)
"Twilight Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7)
"Timebreaker Magician!" (A1400/D0/L3/P2)
"And Rising Dusk Magician!" (A1200/D2000/L4/P5)
"I activate my Warlock's ability, too look at the top five cards of my deck and add one Spellbook to my hand." She drew the cards and looked the over, choosing one to add to her hand while shuffling the rest back into her deck. "Now I activate it. Spellbook Star Hall. Now whenever a Spellbook is activated, this card gains a Spell Counter and increases all my Spellcaster's ATK points by one hundred points for each counter."
Tidal was intrigued. What was she up to.
Twilight took hold of the last card in her hand, the pain slowly returning as she did. But even so, she took a deep breath before slotting the card into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Magic Tome of Starswirl!"
Tidal's eyes went wide. "But even with it and Star Hall's effect, you won't have enough points to defeat Soveruin." Twilight just smiled, as the magic book appeared...on Rising Dusk Magician. "What?"
"With this card, Rising Dusk's ATK strength increases." (A1400/D2000/L4/P5) "And since a Spellbook was activated, Star Hall gains a counter and my monsters all gain ATK points." (A2600/D2100/L7/P4), (A700/D400/L2), (A1900/D1300/L4/P7) (A1500/D0/L3/P2),(A1500/D2000/L4/P5)
"Now what?" Tidal asked.
Twilight smiled as she pointed at Tidal's ace. "Now, Rising Dusk Magician attack!"
"What?" Tidal asked as he watched Rising Dusk unleash and blast of dark magic, which Soveruin deflected with his sword. The blast rebounded and struck Rising Dusk Magician, destroying her and shocking Twilight.
Twilight: 300 Tidal: 2900
"Why?" Tidal asked tha panting Twilight, who looked up at him and smiled.
"To win," she said as the ghostly image of Rising Dusk appeared infront of Tidal's monster. "When Rising Dusk Magician is destroyed, I can destroy one card on your field." Tidal's eyes went wide as he realised what she was getting at before looking up and seeing the ghostly image unleash another magical blast, this one actually destroying Tidal's best card. "And with your field empty, the rest of my cards and free the finish you off."
Tidal looked over at Twilight's Warlock and Unicorn as they both fired magical blast at him, the young adult crying out and he was zapped.
Twilight: 300 (Winner) Tidal: 0
As the monsters faded, Twilight walked over to Tidal. The young man had fallen to the ground after that last attack, but suddenly found a hand being offered to him and smiled up at Twilight before taking it. "Gracias," he said as she pulled him up.
"No," Twilight shook her head, "I should be thanking you."
Tidal nodded as he continued smiling. "I'm sure Moondancer was looking down at our Duel and smiling."
Twilight nodded, "you're probably right." She placed a hand over her chest, "I'll keep the words you told me close to my heart."
"Hey," Tidal laughed, "that sounds like something I'd say." The two laughed at this before heading out of the stadium towards Twilight's apartment.
As the two walked along the edge of the Seine, Twilight looked up at the stars for a moment. Finally, she released a gentle sigh before nodding to herself. "I've decided," Tidal turned to her in curiosity. "I'm going home, to enter the Double X Tournament."
To say Tidal was surprised by this announcement was an understatement. "Are you sure. The Double X is one tough contest."
"You said it yourself, true strength is a state of mind. Moondancer had her eyes set on the Double X, and now that she's...gone, I think she'd want me to compete in her place." She turned to look up at the Eiffel Tower, the place Moondancer had given her her best card. "I'll compete and make it to the very top, to honour her memory." She turned back to Tidal, only to find his whole body was vibrating.
"Amigo...you have filled my heart, WITH JOY!" Twilight laughed at his enthusiasm. "Alright, then I'll help you. We'll make sure that by the end of the Double X, you're standing on the winners podium."
Twilight nodded, happy her friend was willing to help her. "Alright, but we'll need to act fast. The entry deadline's coming up and I still need to find a team."
Tidal nodded in agreement, as an idea popped into her head. "I think I can help with that." Twilight turned to him, confused at the confidant smirk he was radiating.
Today's adventure begins one morning in a small little apartment, situated between a bakers and a DMV.
Within that apartment, the sound of a buzzing alarm clock filled the air and caused the awakening of a certain girl. This girl had orange skin and hair that was a mix of red and yellow. She moaned as she reached over and struck the alarm, then got up and looked around.
Sunset Shimmer looked around at her apartment and smirked.
After the events around the Crystal Tower incident, Sunset had wanted to become a little more independent. As such, she had moved out of the apartment atop Freeze Industries and found this little place. It might not have been much, but it was hers. Sure, she had to work two jobs in order to pay for it, but she didn't care.
Speaking of which, Sunset needed to get up and get going. She had a Duelling Class at the Freeze Stadium before she had to pick up her sushi shift at the mall. Long day.
Sunset sighed as she got out of bed and began to prepare, her TV automatically switching on as the weather and news came on. As she changed into an orange shirt, purple skirt and black leather vest, her ears picked up as a particular news article was talked about.
"We are only one week away from the qualifying rounds of the Double X Tournament. Many Duellists under the age of twenty will be competing for the chance to turn pro, but who will be the one standing at the top by the end."
Sunset sighed. She of course knew about the tournament, but it wasn't like she could compete. She was far to busy with her work to do that. And even if she had the time, she didn't have anyone to team up with. "Maybe next time," she said before switching off the TV and heading out the door.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Canterlot, there was a large airport with many planes flying to and from it.
Within the terminal we find Twilight, riding an escalator down to the first floor while trying to hide her face under a large hat and sunglasses. The reason for the disguise you ask. Well...
"HOLA CANTERLOT!" Tidal screamed from a few steps up the escalator, dressed in flashy clothes with multiple shopping bags in hand. "Tidal here, ready to show you all the hip new trends direct from Paris."
Twilight just sighed as they reached the bottom of the escalator, trying not to make eye contact with anyone staring at the lunatic behind her. "Can't you be a little more calm?"
Tidal stepped up next to her and grinned down at her, "of course not. I'd have thought you'd be even happier then I am, being back home."
"I am," Twilight replied. "But you don't need to scream it at the top of your lungs."
"Twilight!" The girl turned to see the face of her sister in law, accompanied by the face of her niece. This made her grin almost as much as Tidal, as she rushed over to them.
"Cadance, Flurry!" The three hugged each other, Twilight pulling away while taking the baby in her arms. "Oh, look at you. Already so big." The baby laughed as her aunt gave her funny faces, while Tidal stepped up next to them. Doing so made Twilight remember something, as she gave Flurry back to her mother and reached into one of his bags. "Flurry," she pulled her hand out to show she was holding a blue teddy bear, "look what I've got."
Flurry laughed even harder as she reached out for the bear, the adults laughing as Twilight handed it over. With the baby occupied, the adults talked while heading out the terminal. "So could Shining not make it?" Twilight asked.
"No," Cadance shock her head, "he's really busy helping with the promotion of the tournament. But if you want, we can head over to the Freeze Stadium and see him."
Twilight smiled, "I'd love that." And so it was decided, as the lot of them headed to where Cadance was parked and got in the car. It was a long drive from the airport, but Twilight didn't mind. It gave her lots of time to play with Flurry and her new bear.
Eventually they arrived outside the stadium, parked up and headed inside.
The place was very busy, with Duellists of all ages playing on tables, the floor and a few Duel Tables. "Wow," Twilight said, "I didn't expect so many Duellists here right now."
"They're all training for the Double X," Cadance explained to her. "Freeze Industries has been financing coaches to help the less experienced Duellists with understanding the rules and what kind of strategies they can come up with."
"Excelente!" Tidal cried as they made their way through the building.
Eventually, they spotted a familiar head of blue air among the crowd of young Duellists around him. "Shining Armor!" The man looked up and smiled brightly at the sight of his sister, quickly making his way through the crowd until the two met and pulled each other into a hug.
"Twily!" He cried as he spun her around, then placed her back on her feet before pulling away. "It's so good to see you."
"It's great to see you too BBBFF." With that, the lot of them began walking through the stadium again. However, Shining's face appeared to be one of concern.
"Twily, are you sure you're okay? After what happened, and now you dropping out of school to compete." This made Twilight frown for a moment, only to then smile back up at her brother.
"I admit, it hasn't been easy. But I really think this is what's best for me right now. I need a challenge that can push me, and the Double X is that challenge." She gave her brother a wink, "so don't worry about me Shiny."
Shining continued to give her a look of concern, but her words and the confidence with which she said it seemed to help him decide to trust her. "Okay Twily. But if you're gonna compete, you're gonna need to get a team together fast."
"I know," Twilight said. "I already have one member of my team picked out," Tidal smirked at this while going a heroic pose behind her. "Now all I need is my third."
"That's gonna be tricky," Cadance said. It was in that moment that they walked to an area of the stadium where a bunch of kids were playing, while a familiar red and yellow haired girl was watching them.
"Wait," Twilight said as she saw her, "is that?"
"I'll take the first move," one of the kids said. "I draw and summoned Barrel Dragon to the field."
"Hold it," Sunset said. "You can't play Barrel Dragon." This made the kid look at her in confusion.
"Why not?" He asked.
"Barrel Dragon's Level is too high," she explained. "You can't just summon it from your hand."
"So how do I summon it?"
"First you have to sacrifice monsters from your field."
"But I don't have any monsters on my field."
"That's why you need to summon a low level monster to the field and then tribute it."
"Oh," the kid said, "alright. Then I'll summon X-Head Cannon. Then I'll tribute it to summon Barrel Dragon!"
"You can't do that!" Sunset almost yelled, scaring the kids slightly. Everyone chuckled at this, as they watched the girl almost pull her hair out. This laughing was heard by Sunset, who spun around as her face went red with anger. "Which of you twerps is laughing!?" But when she saw who the culprits were, she seemed to calm down. "Twilight?"
Twilight waved at Sunset, "hey. Long time no see."
Several minutes later.
After they had calmed down the kids and Tidal agreed to take over Sunset's lesson, she, Twilight, Shining, Cadance and Flurry headed over to the stadium's food court for lunch. "Thanks guys," Sunset said. "I'm not sure I would have been able to deal with those brats on my own."
"Don't sweat it Sunset," Twilight said.
Sunset just sighed as she grabbed her drink and and started slurping up the liquid through the straw. "Maybe it was a mistake to volunteer as a training coach."
"Don't say that," Shining said. "You're a great Duellist."
"That doesn't make me a good teacher though," Sunset pointed out. "I just can't seem to connect with them." She sighed once again, "I want to try and spread the joy of Dueling to as many people as possible. But that seems to be easier said then done."
"I'm sure you'll find a way," Cadance encouraged her.
"I don't know," Sunset said.
As she listened, Twilight thought for a moment until she came to a decision. "Sunset, you're the same age as me right?"
This question confused the girl, "of course."
Twilight smiled, "then how would you like to join my team?"
The three stared at her, contemplating what she was talking about. Eventually, Cadance and Shining grinned. "That's a great idea Twi," Shining told her.
"Wait," Sunset spoke up, "what team." Twilight quickly explained about her plans to join the Double X, Sunset's eyes going wide as she heard. "Really? you want me on your team."
"Of course," Twilight said. "You're a great Duellist and this would be a great way for you to show the world how amazing the game is."
Sunset thought about this, agreeing that it would be nice to compete. But the biggest problem was that she couldn't. "Sorry guys," she said as she put her drink down. "But I can't join you."
"Why not?" Twilight asked with a pout.
"Because I don't have the time. I'm working two jobs in order to just make ends meat. I don't have time to compete." This made the others all frown.
"I'm sure there's some way for you to join," Twilight said.
"Maybe Cold could help you out," Cadance suggested.
"No," Sunset crossed her arms, "Cold's already done too much for me. I need to be independent."
The others sighed before Shining spoke up. "Just because you're independent, doesn't mean you can't have any help. If Cold is willing to lend you a hand, then it's alright to take it."
"And besides," Cadance went on. "Wouldn't you want to go pro. That's a great way to become independent and show the world the beauty of the game."
"Come on Sunset," Twilight placed a hand on the girl's. "I can't do this without you."
Sunset stared at Twilight for a moment, seeing how much trust she was putting in her. Eventually, she sighed but nodded. "Alright, I'm in."
"YES!" Twilight screamed.
Later that day, in the park.
Flash, Spike, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie were waiting at the fountain. The lot of them were feeling rather impatient as time seemed to drag on. However, eventually the one they were waiting for arrived.
"Guys!" They all looked around and smiled when they saw Twilight running up to them.
"Twi!" Flash cried as he ran towards her. The two met halfway as Twilight threw her arms around Flash's neck, the boy spinning the girl around before putting her down. Once back on her feet, Twilight leaned up to give him a kiss on the lips.
Everyone except Spike awed at this, as the two pulled away from one another. "Hola mi amigos!" They all turned to see Tidal walking towards them, along side Sunset. "Do I get some of that love."
Flash just stepped back. "Not the same kind of love, but I'm good for a handshake."
"Dulce!" Tidal cried as they did so, while the rest of their friends grouped up around them.
"So darling," Rarity said to Twilight, "why the sudden decision to enter the Double X?"
Twilight smiled. "It's...complicated. All you guys need to know is I'm entering and I'm going to win."
"Not against our team," Spike told his sister before turning to Sunset. "So are you gonna be on Twi's team as well?"
Sunset nodded. "I am. I took a little convincing, but they managed to twist my arm."
"That's great," Applejack said. "But what about ya'h third?"
Before Twilight could say anything, Tidal leapt infront of her. "That would be me! The one and only Tidal Wave will be standing besides these two lovely ladies as we take our victory lap." He let out a long laugh before turning to the lot of them, only to see looks of confusion dawning on their faces. "What?"
"Tidal," Flash spoke up, "I don't think you can enter."
"What?" Tidal asked, "why not?"
Rarity just sighed as she explained. "Because the last I checked, you're twenty one."
"So?"
"This is the Double X Tournament," Flash reminded him. "Not the Double X I Tournament. You've gotta be under twenty to enter."
Tidal let these words sink into his head, only to fall to his knees. "NOOOOO! I'm sorry Twilight. I failed you!"
Twilight laughed at this before patting him on the head. "Don't worry Tidal, I'm happy you'd go to such lengths for me. Besides, I already have the third member ready."
"You do?" Tidal asked.
"Hello everyone." They all turned to the source of the rather quite voice, only to smile when they saw Fluttershy walking up to them. "Sorry I'm late."
Twilight smiled as she moved over to her, "don't worry Fluttershy. I'm so glad you agreed to join the team."
"Wait," Flash spoke up, "Fluttershy's on your team?" The two girls just nodded their heads, "but I thought you hated competing in tournaments?"
"I admit I'm not a big fan of them," Fluttershy replied. "But if a friend is in need, I don't mind."
"So then why didn't you let me know that when I was looking for a third?" This made Fluttershy pout.
"You didn't ask. You just assumed I wouldn't help you." Everyone turned to give Flash a questioning look, making him feel very embarrassed as he tried to think of a way to get the eyes off of him. Then he saw it.
"Sunburst!" He rushed passed them to stand right infront of his teammate, who had just arrived in the area. "Great timing," he started pushing the boy to the others. "Twilight, let me introduce my third teammate Sunburst."
Twilight smiled at the boy, "it's nice to meet you."
"Err...hi," Sunburst said.
"I figured you two might get along," Flash told them. "You both use spellcaster monsters, plus he's almost as big a bookworm as you." Sunburst just glared at him for calling him a bookworm. "And he's strong. So strong that he almost beat me when we Duelled." This got Twilight's attention, along with someone else.
"He did huh?" Sunset asked before stepping over to him. She looked the boy over, making the boy feel a little uneasy. "Someone close to me went to a lot of trouble to get this chump to where he is now."
"Chump?" Flash asked.
"So if you were able to push him to the limit you must be pretty strong."
Sunburst just looked away, "I'm okay I guess."
"Don't be humble," Spike said with a punch to the shoulder. "Sunburst is really strong."
"Alright then," Sunset said. "Then let's see it." She pulled out her Duel Disk. "I could use a warm up Duel to get the cobwebs off my deck. What do you say?"
Sunburst didn't look so sure, turning to glance at the rest of his friends. But seeing them give him a nod of agreement only made him sigh. "Alright," he pulled out his Duel Disk, "let's do this."
Sunset smiled with a node before they moved to a more open spot. Once their, the two strapped on their Duel Disks as the others moved over to the side.
"Duel!"
Sunset: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
As the Duel began, Sunset looked over at Sunburst. "I'll let you take the first move." Time to see what it was about this kid that made the others think he was so good.
"Alright," Sunburst said as he drew his card. Once again he took some time to look through his options and decide the best course of action, eventually making his move before everyone could get bored. "I'll start by summoning Burn Blader to the field, in ATK mode!" The blazing suit of armour appeared, swinging its flaming sword as it did. (A1800/D100/L4) "I'll place one card face down and end my turn."
"Took him long enough," Tidal said.
Twilight nodded. "After all that planning, I was expecting something a little bigger."
"That's just Sunburst's style," Flash told her. "He likes to start cautiously so he can get a feel for his opponent's tactics."
"Time to see if Sunset can impress him," Spike said.
"Here goes!" Sunset drew her card, smiling as a plan formulated in her head. "I'll start by summoning Knight of Summer, Aestas, in ATK mode." A fireball erupted infront of her before a knight in golden armour and an orange cloak appeared, carrying a flaming rapier. (A1500/D1200/L4) "Now I attack your Burn Blader!"
"What?" Sunburst asked while the others looked confused. "But my monster's way strong then yours."
"Maybe," Sunset said, "but that'll change once I activate Aestas's ability. By giving up a maximum of five hundred life points, I can decrease your monsters ATK by the same amount."
Sunset: 3600 Sunburst: 4000
Sunburst looked up at his monster and saw its power begin to drop. (A1400/D100/L4)
"That's not all," Sunset continued. "If I take damage due to an effect, I can summon Scorch Sorcerer from my hand." Another fireball exploded infront of her before a wizard in red and black robes appeared. (A2000/D1600/L4) As it did, Aestas stabbed Burn Blader with his rapier and destroyed it.
Sunset: 3600 Sunburst: 3900
"I activate my face down," Sunburst said as his card flipped over to reveal a Trap. "Light the Beacons!" A bonfire appeared infront of him. "Since you destroyed a monster, this card lets me take a Level four or below Fire Monster from my hand or deck and summon it to the field." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which Sunburst took out as the bonfire exploded to reveal Sunburst's UFO Turtle. (A1400/D1200/L4)
"Alright then," Sunset said. "Then I'll have my Scorch Sorcerer destroy it." The spellcaster fired a blast of fire at the metal turtle, destroying it.
Sunset: 3600 Sunburst: 3300
Sunburst groaned at the heat. "Well when UFO Turtle's destroyed, I can summon a Fire monster from my deck whose ATK is fifteen hundred or less. So I'll summon Sunburst Apprentice," the young wizard appeared before him. (A1500/D1300/L4)
Sunset smiled as she placed a card from her hand into her graveyard. "By discarding Magician of Unified Flames, I can activate his effect." Another fire patterned wizard appeared, holding up a staff before unleashing a blast of magic the struck the sky to create a vortex above Sunset's monsters. "Now watch, as I combine the burning courage of a warrior with with blazing intellect of a magician!" The two jumped into the vortex, "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The vortex exploded to reveal a monster many mistook for Dark Paladin. This one however, was dressed in red and yellow clothes and the blade of his weapon was on fire. "Mystic Paladin of Glorious Sunstroke!" (A?/D?/L10) "And when Mystic Paladin is Fusion Summoned, his ATK and DEF points become the combined Levels of the materials times three hundred. (A2400/D2400/L10) "I'll end my turn by playing a Continuous Spell called Mind Scan. Now, you have to show me every card you draw."
Sunburst frowned while the others looked impressed. "Sunset clearly hasn't lost any of her skill," Spike said.
Rarity nodded, "but can Sunburst keep up?"
"He will," Flash assured her. "This is where the Duel gets interesting."
"It's my turn," Sunburst reached for his deck. "I draw."
"Remember," Sunset told him, "I get to see what you drew."
Sunburst just smiled. "That's fine. He showed his card and everyone saw it was Blaze Wizard. "Because I'm summoning it to the field in ATK mode!" His monster appeared in a burst of fire. "And when he's summoned, I can add a Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand!" His deck slotted out a card, which he took before activating. "Sunburst Gate!" The stone arch appeared behind his monsters, the two of them exploding into fireballs that flew into seven of the archway's star holes.
Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "Mystical fire, that burns like the sun, give life to the wizard whose intellect cannot be extinguished!" The wooden doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The fireball exploded to reveal Sunburst's ace. "Sunburst Magician!" (2300/D2200/L7) "Next, I'll activate his ability."
Sunset: 3600 Sunburst: 3000
"By paying three hundred life points, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and summoned a Level four or lower Fire monster to my field." He drew his cards showing them to everyone as he frowned. Only one of them was a monster and it's level was above four
"Not one card was what he needed?" Twilight asked.
"I activate Sunburst Apprentice's ability. Since I have another Sunburst monster on my field, I can summon him from the graveyard." The younger version of Sunburst's Ritual monster appeared besides it's older counter part. "Now, Sunburst Apprentice's other ability can increase the power of any Fire monster on my field." Apprentice pointed his staff at Magician and shot a fireball at it, said fireball exploding around Magician and raising his power. (A2800/D2200/L7) "Attack!" Sunburst Magician unleashed a fireball, which Mystic Paladin tried to block but couldn't. His staff shattered before the flames struck him in the chest, destroying him.
Sunset: 3200 Sunburst: 3000
"Now, Sunburst Apprentice will attack you directly."
Sunset's eyes went wide as she watched another fireball come flying at her, only to raise her Duel Disk in defence. The flames struck the device, making her stagger back but manage to stay on her feet.
Sunset: 1700 Sunburst: 3000
"You alright?" Twilight asked her teammate.
"That was a hard hit," Fluttershy worried.
Sunset lowered her Duel Disk before turning to them, giving a thumbs up to show she was fine. "Don't worry about me," she turned back to Sunburst. "This kids not bad. No wonder Flash wanted him on his team."
Sunburst simply stared at her, wondering if he'd be able to keep this lead up. "I'll end my turn there. Sunburst Magician's ATK returns to normal." (A2300/D2200/L7)
"Then it's my turn," Sunset went to her deck. "I draw and activate Eruption Reloading. Now, by banishing a Fire monster from my grave, I can draw the same number of cards as its level." She removed Scorch Sorcerer before drawing four cards. "Next, I'll summon my Knight of New Dawn, Novaculo!" A female knight appeared, wearing golden armour while carrying a a gold ram dao and triangular shield. (A1300/D500/L3/P4) "And when Novaculo is summoned, I can discard a card to add any Fire monster from my deck to my hand. Once that was done, she sighed. "Now, I'm using scale two Rocket Smasher and scale eight Corona Beast Sun-Heart Lion Cub, to set the the Pendulum Scale!"
The pillars of light appeared besides her, as two monsters flew up into them. One was a teen girl carrying a massive golden hammer, while the other was a lion cub with a golden helmet and dagger in its mouth. "Now I can burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory, to summon monsters levelled three through seven all at the same time." Above her, a portal formed. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single fireball shot out, smashing into the ground and exploding as a new monster flew out. "Ignite your flame of victory, Solar Flare Phoenix." (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "And since Solar Flare Phoenix was Special Summoned, her effect now activates." Sunset's monster flapped its wings and spread fire around her. "Since my life points are below two thousand her ability will cause them to double."
"What!?" Sunburst asked before looking down at his Duel Disk.
Sunset: 3400 Sunburst: 3000
"No way." In one monster, Sunset had managed to turn the tide.
"Now," Sunset continued as her knight rushed forwards, "Novaculo will attack your Apprentice!"
"But Apprentice is stronger?" Pinkie asked.
"What's she thinking?" Spike asked.
Sunset just smiled, "I'm thinking of using Sun-Heart Lion Cub's Pendulum Ability. Since a Fire monster is declaring an attack on another monster, its ATK increases by the target's level time one hundred." Sunburst's eyes went wide as he watched Novaculo's ATK power suddenly increase by four hundred. (A1700/D500/L3/P4) With one single slash of her ram dao, Sunburst Apprentice was destroyed.
Sunset: 3400 Sunburst: 2800
"And now my Solar Flare Phoenix will attack your Sunburst Magician!" The bird's entire body ignited before it flew high into the air. "And don't forget, Lion Cub will increase it's ATK by your monster's level. (A3200/D2100/L7/P4) Sunburst watched as the Phoenix circled around before dive-bombing his monster, causing an explosion as it made contact.
Sunset: 3400 Sunburst: 1900
Sunset smiled as she took a card out of her hand. "I place one card face down and end my turn." Her monster's ATK points returned to normal. (A2500/D2100/L7/P4), (A1300/D500/L3/P4)
Sunburst simply stared at the girl as he took Sunburst Magician off his Duel Disk and placed it in his grave. That girl had performed a high level duel stratagy like it was nothing. That kind of skill should take years to hone and developed and she did it without even thinking. She was just like..."him." Sunburst turned to the one in question, Flash.
He and lot of his friends had the type of skills most spent their whole lives trying to gain. What kind of training or opponents had they gone through in order to reach this level.
Suddenly, he found himself flashing back to a time long ago.
The past
Sunburst fell to the ground as his life points hit zero, while laughter filled the air.
"Another loss for him," his opponent said.
"To bad," a bystander agreed. "If he could actually win a Duel, he'd be top of the class." Sunburst sighed as he heard this, knowing they were right.
Later, Sunburst was standing infront of a desk as the teacher behind it looked through a folder. "Your academic skill is remarkable, but in the field you collapse under the pressure."
"I know," Sunburst said.
"I'm afraid if you don't start showing improvements, you won't be able to pass the semester." This just made Sunburst look down at the floor in shame, knowing that wasn't going to happen.
Present
Sunburst shook his head to clear the memories away, refocusing on the Duel in front of him. He had to focus on winning. "It's my turn," he reached for his deck. "I draw!" He looked at his card, then showed it to everyone else. It was another Ritual Card, but did he have enough monsters to use it. "I activate the effect of Sunburst Gate from the graveyard." He took both it and Sunburst Magician out of his graveyard, then shuffled his spell into his deck as his monster was placed back into his hand.
"What'd he do?" Spike asked.
"Best guess," Twilight replied. "By shuffling the Spell back into his deck, he can add a Ritual Monster from his grave to the hand."
"That's right," Sunburst replied. "Now I have everything I need, to activate my other Ritual Spell. Sunburst Altar!" Everyone watched as the stone table and bronze basin appeared infront of Sunburst, along with the twelve candle stands. "Now, I sacrifice Sunburst Magician." The Ritual Monster monster appeared above the altar before exploding into seven fireballs, which flew over to the candles and lit them. "Courageous flames, that burn like the sun, give life to the warrior whose fiery heart cannot be extinguished!" The fire on the candles shot up before flying into the basin, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and took form before fading. "Sunburst Knight!" (A2600/D1900/L7) "Next I play Sunburst Guardian in DEF mode." Another knight appeared besides Sunburst Knight, holding its sun shaped shield up defensively." (A1400/D1800/L4) "Now, I'll have him attack your Knight of New Dawn. But not before his effect kicks in." Sunburst Knight raised his sword, as every other monster on the field suddenly found themselves being drained off power.
"What's going on?" Sunset asked.
"Sunburst Knight gains five hundred ATK points from every other Fire monster on the field during the Battle Phase. Including yours, there are three Fire monsters. That makes a total of fifteen under points for him." (A4100/D1900/L7) Once fully powered up, Sunburst Knight rushed forwards, aiming for Sunset's knight.
The others grew nervous, as Fluttershy spoke up. "If this attack hits, Sunset's only gonna have six hundred life points left."
"Come on Sunset," Twilight cheered.
Seconds before Knight could hit Novaculo, Solar Flare Phoenix suddenly flew between them as the sword slashed it in half. It let out on final cry before exploding into flames, the embers raining down on Sunset and singing her.
Sunset: 1800 Sunburst: 1900
"What happened?" Sunburst asked, only to spot the cause flipped upwards infront of Sunset. Her face down.
"Interception. This Trap lets a stronger monster take the hit, so Solar Flare protected Novaculo."
Sunburst groaned at this, knowing that next turn she'd revive her monster and increase her life points again. He was gonna be back to square one again. "I end my turn." Sunburst Knight's ATK power returned to normal. (A2600/D1900/L7)
Sunset smiled at Sunburst as she reached for her deck. You've got skill, I'll grant you that. A little rough around the edges but there's a lot of potential there." She drew her card and smiled at it, "I can see why Flash wanted you on his team, but don't think you'll be beating me. I activate the Pendulum Effect of Rocket Smasher. During my Standby Phase, I can ditch a monster before summoning a monster from my graveyard whose Level is lower then the discarded monster. So I'll discard Blaze Wing Firebird in order to summon Sun Ray Salamander from my graveyard!"
Sunburst watched as a black and gold lizard appeared besides Novaculo. (A100/D100/L1)
"When did that card get in your graveyard?" Sunburst asked.
"Remember Novaculo's effect?" Sunset asked, making him realise what must have happened. "Next, my Pendulum Scale will once again blaze the arc of victory!" The portal appeared above her once again, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a pair of fireballs shot out of it before hitting the ground, exploding to reveal Sunset's monsters. "unsheathe your claws, Blaze Fang Sun Tiger." (A1200/D1100/L3)
"Ignite your flames of victory once more, Solar Flare Phoenix." (A2500/D2100/L7) "And don't forget her ability," Sunset smirked as the healing flames surrounded her.
Sunset: 3600 Sunburst: 1900
"And whenever my life points change due to an effect, Sun Tiger's ATK goes up by the same amount." (A3000/D1100/L3)
"Not good," Sunburst gulped
"I'm not done yet," Sunset told him. "Now watch as I tune level one Sun Ray Salamander, with level seven Solar Flare Phoenix." The little lizard glowed before transforming into a ball of light, which flew high up into the sky before carving a single ring that Solar Flare Phoenix flew into. "Awaken the power sleeping within us all and allow your flame to burn brighter then ever." The Phoenix was consumed by a burst of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Sunset's monster. "Solar Phoenix Rebirth!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
"Really not good," Sunburst said as Sunset pointed towards his Monsters.
"Sun Tiger, Take out his Sunburst Guardian!" The tiger's fangs ignited before it bounced at Sunburst's monster, tearing through his shield and destroying him. "Next, Rebirth will destroy your Sunburst Knight!" The giant bird exploded into fire as it flew up.
Sunburst looked at his hand and field, trying to find a way to stop this but couldn't. And not only that, Sun-Heart Lion Cub's effect was still active and increased Rebirth's ATK by seven hundred. (A3700/D2500/L8) Rebirth arched around before diving-bombing Sunburst Knight, destroying it as a wave of fire struck Sunburst and knocked him over.
Sunset: 3600 Sunburst: 800
"Now, Novaculo will end this!" The knight charged forward, ram dao igniting as she raced towards Sunburst as he finished picking himself up.
Sunburst saw the monster coming and realised the Duel was over. "Guess I still have a lot to learn," was all he said as he lowered his head in shame. With one mighty slash, Novaculo wiped out the last of his life points.
Sunset: 3600 (Winner) Sunburst: 0
As the monster began to fade, Sunset moved over to the now kneeling Sunburst. The teen seemed to be in a daze, which only broke when a hand came into his sight. "Huh?" He looked up at a smiling Sunset.
"That was a great Duel. I'm sure now that Flash was right to pick you for his team."
Sunburst said nothing, simply accepting her hand before being pulled up to his feet. Then, without a word, he turned away from her and began to walk away. "Sunburst?" Flash asked as he walked away, "what's up? Don't you want to Duel Twilight or someone else?" Sunburst said nothing, simply continuing to walk away from the now frowning group.
"What's up with him?" Sunset asked before turning to Flash, "did I do something in the Duel to upset him?"
Flash just shrugged, "I don't know."
Spike stepped up next to Flash, a look of concern on his face. "Flash, I'm worried."
Flash sighed, also a little worried. Hopefully, whatever was wrong with Sunburst would be fixed before the qualifier next week. All the teams were together and setting their sights on the Double X, but who would stand at the very top by the end of it?
The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day and the start of the weekend.
Many students had been excited about this particular weekend, as tomorrow the first of the Double X qualifiers were taking place. Everyone was going to be at this one, as it was the best chance of getting a spot.
"Remember," Flash told Sunburst as the teen closed his locker, "ten o'clock tomorrow at Freeze Stadium."
"I know," Sunburst replied before walking off.
"If we win this, we'll be on our way to the Double X!" Flash cried with a smile, but Sunburst remained quite as he continued making his way out of the school without a word. Once he was gone, Flash sighed. "I hope he's okay."
The next day.
The stadium was packed with people, both participants and spectators, who where here for the Double X Qualifier. Inside the stadium, Flash and Spike stood together as Flash handed Spike their team's entry form.
"Wow," Spike said as he looked it over, "what a great name. It sounds so cool"
"I know right," Flash said smugly with crossed arms, "it was worth staying up half the night coming up with it."
"Does it really matter what name we use?" Sunburst asked as he stepped up next to them, his teammates smiling now that he was finally here.
"Of course it matters," Spike said. "The first thing everyone's gonna learn about us is what we're called. If our name isn't something awesome, then no one's gonna respect us."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Sunburst asked. "If they think we're weak, they might not put their all into the Duel and we'll have an advantage."
"Maybe," Flash agreed, "but what would be the point of this if we weren't beating our opponents at their best." Spike agreed with this while Sunburst just shrugged, the three heading over to the reception deck and handing in their form. Once they were registered, they headed over to the main stage so as to hear how the qualifiers would work.
"Flash!" They turned to see Twilight and her team stepping up to them. Behind them, Applejack, Rarity and Big Mac were following, along with Scootaloo and her team.
"Hey guys," Flash cheered back. He turned to Big Mac, "long time no see."
"Eyup!" Mac replied, making Flash smile.
"Same as ever."
Scootaloo took this moment too look up at the megascreen, which had just come on to show the teams competing. When she spotted her brothers name, she frowned at the name he'd given his team. "Seriously, that's what you're going with."
"You know it," Flash said positively. "We're the V-Fighter's."
Everyone just raised an eyebrow at this. "What's the V stand for?" Scootaloo asked her brother.
"Vegetable Fighters?" Applebloom guessed.
"Valentines Fighters?" Sweetie wondered.
Flash sighed. "Isn't it obvious. It stands of Victory." He gave a heroic pose. "We are the fighters who always claim victory against our opponents."
Spike smirked, "pretty awesome right?"
Twilight just gave her boyfriend and brother a 'seriously' look. "It sounds kinda...generic if you ask me."
Flash swept dropped before glaring at his girlfriend, "there's nothing wrong with it."
"Yeah," Spike agreed. "Besides, what's your name?" This made Twilight's face turn red before slowly pointing to where her team's name was. Everyone looked up at the screen and spotted their names, only to almost burst out laughing. "Tidal Maidens."
"How...interesting," Rarity said.
Sunset sighed while Fluttershy tried to hide behind her hair. Twilight just turned redder, "I didn't come up with it. Tidal registered the team without telling us."
"How embarrassing," Sunset sighed again.
"Come now Sunny!" Tidal cried as he suddenly appeared between her and Fluttershy, "you know it's super cute." He placed his arms around the two and pulled them in close, "maidens in both my arms." Everyone just sighed at this, until Tidal suddenly remembered something. "Oh. Sorry, gotta go." With that, he rushed off while leaving a group of very confused teens.
Once he'd recovered, Flash turned back to Applejack. "What about you guys?"
Applejack just sighed before pointing at a smiling Rarity, "we're team Applejewels. I think it's a truly exquisite name."
Flash just raised his eyebrow at this before turning to her teammates, "you didn't agree to this did you?"
"Nope," the siblings replied.
"Hey there!" Everyone turned to see the Wonderbolts walking up to them. Rainbow saw Twilight and smirked, having not been able to see her since she came home. Once they said their hellos, Rainbow looked around. "Hey, where's Pinkie?"
"I got a message from her earlier," Rarity said. "Apparently, she and her sisters are competing in a another qualifier across town. Said she didn't want to compete against us yet." The others all agreed with this, knowing that was something Pinkie would usually do.
Before anyone could say anything else, the screen changed as a pair of women showed up on it. It was the Celestic Sister, Celestia and Luna.
Both: Greetings Canterlot!
Celestia: Welcome the first qualifying round of the Double X tournament.
Luna: Many Duel Teams want to compete, but we only have a limited number of spaces. That's why we're holding these micro-tournaments to thin the heard.
Celestia: That's right sister, and here at the Freeze Stadium we have a total of three spots open.
"Only three?" Soarin asked, as he looked around at all the competing teams.
"Wonder how they're gonna narrow it down?" Gilda asked.
Luna: For today's contest, your teams will compete in five rounds of one on one matches.
Celestia: Who you face will be a random selection, so this event will be all about your ability to adapt to whatever threat you might face.
Luna: Now for the points system. Winning a Duel will earn you three points, drawing will earn you one point and losing will earn you zero points.
Celestia: At the end of the five rounds, your points will be added to your teammates to make a single score that your team will be judged on. At the end of the tournament, the three teams with the highest scores will be given a spot in the Double X.
"Easy enough to understand," Twilight said.
Luna: What's more. Due to the number of teams, we don't have enough for even distribution. As such, a team of rogues have been added to even things up. If you manage to win against them, you'll earn five points instead of three.
As soon as she said that, the screen changed to show the image of three people. Shining Armor, Cadance and Tidal. The many teams looked away from the screens and saw the three standing together, ready to take on any challengers.
"This is gonna be fun," Twilight said.
"All we need to do is focus on winning!" Rainbow cried.
Spike nodded as he turned to Flash. "We can do this. Are you ready?"
"Oh yeah," Flash replied before turning to Sunburst. "Let's get out there and win."
"Yeah, alright," Sunburst said in a less then enthusiastic tone. Flash and Spike both frowned at this, as the teams began to line up to get their opponent's table.
There were three lines, A, B and C, which each had a box with a slip of paper on them. When the V-Fighters arrived, at the front, they reached into the boxes and pulled out slips of paper.
Flash got A7, Spike got B3 and Sunburst got C12. Once they had their slip, the three headed for the table with the same designations on them. The rest of the teams did the same.
"Alright," Scootaloo said as the Crusaders arrived at the front of the line, "time to see who my first victim is." She reached in and pulled out a slip of paper, which read 'C1'. "Sweet." She rushed over to the table with that mark, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw who she'd be facing.
"Hey Scootaloo," Shining said as he shuffled his deck. "Are you my opponent?"
"Sh...sh...Shining Armor?" Scootaloo said in horror.
Once everyone was at their table, an overhead announcer spoke. "First round Duel...begin."
All across the stadium, a single word was uttered by everyone competing. "DUEL!" And just like that, the qualifiers began. Some Duel lasted only a few turns, showing the difference is skill levels between the Duellists, while others lasted longer.
At one of the Duel Tables, Rainbow was facing off against Tidal.
"I PENDULUM SUMMON!" Rainbow placed her card on the field, as the same monster appeared on the field. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold and Rainbow Wing Pegasus. Now, since she was special summoned, Pegasus lets me search my deck for a Level four or below Winged-Beast monster and add it to my hand." She did so, shuffling afterwards. "Now I'll summon it, Rainbow Wing Blue Falcon." The bird of prey appeared on the field. "I'll activate my Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy your face down."
Tidal smirked as he removed his Raging Whirlpool from the field.
"Now, Battle Wing will attack your Admiral Soveruin. And with three Winged-Beasts on the field, his power goes up by nine hundred." (A3400/D1500/R4/L7) The bird armoured Xyz monster drew his sword and slashed at the monster, destroying it.
Tidal: 1700 Rainbow: 900
"Now, Pegasus will destroy your Splash Sargent!" The winged horse flapped its wings and created a gust that blew Tidal's last monster away, leaving his field bare.
Tidal: 1600 Rainbow: 900
"Falcon, end it!" The bird of prey flew up before shooting at Tidal and hitting him in the chest.
Tidal: 0 Rainbow: 900 (Winner)
"Bravo amigo," Tidal said as they gathered their cards. "You really know your stuff."
Rainbow just smiled, giving him a thumbs up. "Thanks. Well, better go get my next opponent."
"Same here," Tidal agreed. as they walked off.
Back at the reception deck, we find Scootaloo was once again in line to get her next opponent. The last Duel had ended fairly quickly, but that didn't mean her team couldn't still win. "C4," she said as she read the slip before rushing over to her table.
She was the first one there, so had to wait for her opponent to show. But not a minute later, "hello again." Scootaloo looked up and saw that her opponent was Shining Armor.
"Oh come on!" Scootaloo cried.
All across the room, more and more Duels were taking place. "I XYZ Summon!" Sunset cried, as she placed the card on the field. "Radiant Sun Knight Gallantine! I'll now remove one Overlay Unit to destroy your face down." Her opponent growled as he moved the card to the graveyard, Sunset seeing it was Mirror Force. "I attack!"
"Gem-Knight Lady, Brilliant Diamond, attack!" Her knight rushed across the table and stabbed Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon.
Rarity: 2100 Spoon: 1900
"Now, Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli, finish him off!" Rarity's other Fusion Monster unleashed a beam of light, which struck her opponent and defeated him.
Rarity: 2100 (Winner) Spoon: 0
"Twilight Alicorn attack!" Twilight's winged and horned horse took flight before firing a blast of magic at the opponent, destroying it and dealing major damage.
"Seed Shooter, attack!" Applejack's de-evolved Xyz monster aimed its weapon at the opponent's Dark Rogue Dragon. "Now a'll remove an Overlay Unit and banish every level four monster in ya'h graveyard, and up his ATK points by five hundred for each one." The opponent frowned as he removed the four dragon monsters he had in his graveyard, dropping his monster's ATK to o while Seed Shooter's went up to three thousand. The little cowboy fired and destroyed the dragon, reducing the opponent's life points to zero.
"I Pendulum Summon my Sacred Beast, Kindness Dragonoid!" Fluttershy placed her card on the field, the dragon appearing on the table besides Rush Rabbit and Winged Kuriboh.
"I activate my Spellbinding Circe!" The opponent cried. "Now your Kindness Dragonoid can't attack."
"Maybe," Fluttershy replied, "but she can use her ability. Now, by decreasing her ATK points by two hundred, I can increase a Level four or below monster's ATK by the same amount." They watched as Kindness Dragonoid turned to Kuriboh and began breathing a pink mist onto it, increasing its power while lowering the dragons. (A2400/1900/L7/P5), (A500/D200/L1)
"So what?" The opponent asked.
"So," Fluttershy said, "I can keep using that effect again and again."
"What?" He watched as the dragon continued breathing on the fairy, transferring its power until their scores read. (A0/D1900/L7/P5), (A2900/D200/L1) "Oh boy."
"Attack!" Rush Rabbit rushed at the opponent's Axe Raider, destroying it while Winged Kuriboh flew forwards and hit him in the chest to deplete his life points.
"A'h play Polymerisation," Mac cried as he activated the card. "With it, a'h fuse Advanced Mecha Handyman with Advanced Mecha Tool Drill Saw and Nail Hammer!" A vortex appeared above Mac's monster, the three robots leaping into it as they were joined together. "A'H FUSION SUMMON!"
The vortex exploded as Mac's best card flew out, with both Drill Saw and Nail Hammer linked to its back. "Advanced Mecha Worker, Multi-Tool Giant!" (A2500/D3000/L10) "And since a'h used two Advanced Mecha Tools to summon him, he gets an extra thousand points!" (A3500/D3000/L10) "Attack!"
Across the room, Sunburst's second match had just ended. "Well," the opponent said, "guess I lost. Thanks for the good match."
"Yeah," Sunburst replied, "sure." With that, he moved over to the reception desk and grabbed his table number. Once he had it, he looked up at the screen and found his team was actually in the top three. They were only behind the Wonderbolts, who hadn't lost a match yet. As for them, it seemed Sunburst was the only one who'd lost so far.
"One win, one lose." Seems he was dragging the other two down, not that he was surprised.
"Well, hello." Sunburst turned to see his table number and spotted who he was facing off against. "Looks like I'm your third opponent," Shining told him. Off to the side, Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief as she saw she wasn't facing him again.
Sunburst didn't say anything, as he placed his deck on the table. Sunburst knew that he couldn't underestimate this opponent, since he was one of Canterlot's top ranked pros. Did Sunburst even have the skills to take him on?
"Shall we get started?" Shining asked as he drew his cards.
"Sure," Sunburst did the same.
"DUEL!"
Sunburst wasn't the only member of the V-Fighters going up against a rogue Duellist. Not to far away, Flash was facing off against Cadance. She currently had her Crystal Empress and Crystal Knight on the field, while Flash had Twin Laser and Magna Snake on his.
'She's gotten quite a lead over me,' Flash thought to himself as he drew his card. 'But I'll be sure to finish her off on this next turn.' "I summon Bright Bounce Magna Bunny to my field," the rabbit monster appeared besides the other two. "And with him and Magna Snake, I can now Synchro Summon!" The bunny transformed into the rings that Magna Snake flew into before they exploded, revealing Flash's monster. "Flashback Dragon!" (A2300/D2200/L7) "With Flashback's skill, I banish Twin Laser Dragon to summon Gun Runner and Magna Rat!" The dragon curled into a circle, that the robotic dinosaur jumped into before being replaced by said monsters. "Now, I'll use Magna Rat's ability to banish itself and return Twin Laser to the field.
Cadance smirked as she saw this. "Not bad. You managed to get some pretty strong cards without much of a sacrifice."
"Thanks," Flash smirked back, "but I'm not done. I activate my Reverse Polarity, to swap your Empress's ATK with Flashback's." (A2300/D2500/L10), (A3500/D2200/L7) "Attack!" The serpentine dragon brought its glowing claws together and unleashed a beam of light, which it aimed straight at Cadance's ace.
"I activate my Synchro Out Trap!" Cadance cried, as her monster disappeared and was replaced by her Crystal Princess and Crystal Child. "Now your attack has no target."
Flash just chuckled, "I thought you'd do that. Now, I activate my Lightspeed and use it to increase Gun Runner's ATK." (A2600/D1400/L4) "And I'll have him attack your Knight!" Cadance watched as her Pendulum Monster was shot by the blaster, shattering it.
Flash: 300 Cadance: 1900
"And since Gun Runner destroyed a level four, I can banish him to summon a monster of the same level." Gun Runner created a portal, which he jumped through to be replaced by a robotic wolf with armour similar to Flash Heart's. "Say hello, to Lightspeed Dragon." (A1700/D1100/L4) "And with him, I'll now attack you Crystal Child!" The wolf robot's jets erupted into life and sent it flying across the table, where it then slashed Cadance's Synchro Tuner to bits.
"Meanie," Cadance said, "destroying such a sweet and innocent monster."
Flash shrugged. "It may have been mean, but it now gives me a clear aim Twin Laser. Attack one!" The robotic brachiosaurus fired its first laser, destroying Cadance's monster. "Now, attack two!" It fired its second, hitting Cadance in the chest.
Flash: 300 (Winner) Cadance: 0
Cadance sighed a happy sigh. "Nice one Flash. You earned those five points."
Flash smiled as he gave his thanks, then headed off to get his next opponent. However, as he was heading to the reception, he spotted Sunburst and Shining. "Huh," Flash decided to lend his teammate his support and moved over to watch.
Currently, Shining had his Royal Spear Paladin and Royal Paladin Sword Striker while Sunburst's field was completely empty and his hand was down to only one card.
"It's my turn," Sunburst reached for his deck. "I draw." He looked at the card he'd gotten and nodded before instantly playing it. "I'll start by playing the Spell card Eruption Reloading. So by banishing my Sunburst Guardian, I can now draw four cards." It seemed Sunburst had taken a few pointers from his Duel with Sunset. "Then I'll set the Pendulum Scale, with Scale one Yellow Sun Magician and Scale Six Green Sun Magician."
"Here it comes," Flash smirked.
"I PENDULUM SUMMON!" Sunburst threw a pair of cards on the field, "Sunburst Apprentice and UFO Turtle! Then I'll activate my Sunburst Altar," the table and candle stands appeared on the Duel Table. "And with it, I'll sacrifice my two monsters in order to ritual summon." His monsters exploded into fireballs, which then lit seven of the candles. "Mystical fire, that burns like the sun, give life to the wizard whose intellect cannot be extinguished!" The fire on the candles shot up before flying into the basin, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and took form before fading. "Sunburst Magician!" (A2300/D2200/L7) "And since I have a Sunburst monster on the field, I can summon Sunburst Apprentice back from the graveyard." The younger wizard appeared besides his teacher. (A1500/D1300/L4)
"Not bad," Shining told him. "But what else have you got."
Sunburst frowned, "how about my Magician's ability. I pay three hundred life points in order to look at the top five cards of my deck and special summon any Fire monsters that are Level four or below."
Shining: 3700 Sunburst: 2900
Sunburst drew his cards and smiled before taking two of them. "I summon Sunburst Familiar and Burn Blader!" Sunburst Magician swung his staff and unleashed a pair of fireballs, which exploded to reveal a red kitsune and a blazing suit of armour. (A1200/D1000/L3), (A1800/D100/L4)
"Nice one Sunburst!" Flash cheered for his teammate, seeing the boy's field being so full. "Take him down."
"I activate Sunburst Apprentice's ability. This ability lets me increase the ATK of a Fire monster on my field by five hundred until the end phase. "So I'll increase Burn Blader's ATK!" (A2300/D100/L4) "Sunburst Magician, attack Sword Striker!" The flaming spellcaster unleashed a fireball, which struck Shining's Pendulum Synchro monster and destroyed it.
Shining: 3600 Sunburst: 2900
"Now my Burn Blader will attack your Spear Paladin!" The flaming suit of armour's sword ignited before it slashed the Royal Paladin, destroying it.
Shining: 3200 Sunburst: 2900
"And when Burn Blader destroys a monster, it deals four hundred points of damage to you."
Shining: 2800 Sunburst: 2900
"Well you activated my Trap," Shining flipped his face down over. "Paladin's Banner. When a Royal Paladin is destroyed, I can summon it back to the field with its ATK and DEF zeroed out." Royal Spear Paladin returned, taking a defensive position. (A0/D0/L4)
"Fine, then Sunburst Familiar will destroy it again!" The fox's tail tips ignited before unleashed nine fireballs, which struck the knight and destroyed it once again. "Now my Apprentice will attack you directly!" The younger wizard unleashed a burst of fire, which struck Shining in the chest and made him stagger backwards.
Shining: 1300 Sunburst: 2900
"I end my turn with a face down," Sunburst said. Happy he managed to get ahead of Shining.
"Then I'll go," Shining drew his card and smiled. "I'll start by playing Pot of Greed, to draw two new cards. Then I'll set the Pendulum Scale with Scale nine Royal Paladin Trumpeter and scale three Royal Paladin Guidance Sage." The pillars of light appeared infront of him before a pair of monsters flew up into them. One was a child like angel wearing armour and the other was a teenager in metal robes. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a light shot out and hit the ground, then faded to reveal Shining's Synchro Pendulum. "Sword Striker!" (A2100/D1800/L6/P5) "Next, I'll activate my Royal Paladin Trumpeter's Pendulum Ability. By discarding a Tuner Monster from my hand, I can increase the level of a Synchro Monster on my field by that Tuner's level. So I'll discard my Flag Bearer in order to increase Sword Striker's level by three." (A2100/D1800/L9/P5)
"So what?" Sunburst asked.
Shining smiled back at him. "You'll see after I activate Guidance Sage's Pendulum Ability. By zeroing out its ATK and DEF points, I can summon Trumpeter to the field." They all watched as Guidance Sage turned to Trumpeter and waved its hands around, causing the pillar of light to disappear while Trumpeter flew down next to Sword Striker. (A100/D100/L1/P9) "Now watch, as I tune level one Royal Paladin Trumpeter with Level nine Royal Paladin Sword Striker!" Trumpeter transformed into a light, which carved the a single circle that Sword Striker leapt into. "Enter the fray, kneel before your king." The monsters disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing a monster they all recognised as Shining ace. It rode onto the battle field, atop its blue steed. "Royal Paladin Grand Emperor!" (A3500/D2500/L10)
Flash paled at the sight of this, "oh boy." He really wasn't holding back.
"Word of warning Sunburst," Shining explained. "On the turn he's Synchro Summoned, Grand Emperor can attack once for every Tuner monster in my graveyard."
Sunburst's eyes went wide as he counted the number of Tuner's in Shining's grave. "There's three, so that means he gets three attacks."
"Exactly," Shining said as his monster began to gallop forwards, raising its sword as it aimed it at Sunburst's Ritual Monster.
"I activate my Trap," Sunburst flipped his face down up. "Fire Guard! Now all the damage I would have taken is negated." Sunburst watched as Grand Emperor cut Sunburst Magician in half, then turned and did the same to both his Apprentice and Familiar. "When Sunburst Familiar is destroyed, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add any two Level four or below fire monsters to my hand." He drew his five cards and saw two that fit the bill.
Shining smiled as he placed the last card in his hand on the field. "I end my turn."
"Then I'll go," Sunburst drew his card as Fire Guard's effect kicked in.
Shining: 1300 Sunburst: 2500
Sunburst looked at his card and saw it was Sunburst Gate. But even if he used the monsters in his hand or field to summon Sunburst Knight, he wouldn't have enough ATK. Sunburst sighed, thinking he had no way of overcoming this opponent.
"Sunburst," the teen looked to his teammate and saw him smiling at him. "You've got this. Just remember, your deck won't let you down if you put your faith in it."
Sunburst just stared at him for a moment before turning back to the field, trying to go over every effect of the cards he had. And as he did, he suddenly realised there was a way to beat Shining. "Here goes!" Sunburst cried, "I activate my Sunburst Gate Ritual Spell." The gate appeared before him on the table.
"Interesting," Shining said, "but will the monster you summon be strong enough?"
"Oh he will be," Sunburst told him. "I activate my Yellow Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability." Shining and Flash watched as the Pendulum Monster waved its wand, causing the spiritual image of Sunburst Magician to appear infront of the gate. "By removing Fire monsters from my graveyard, I am allowed to fill the Ritual requirements without using cards from my field or my hand."
"Smart," Shining smirked as Sunburst Magician exploded into seven fireballs. Said fireballs flew into of the gate's twelve indents.
"Courageous flames, that burn like the sun, give life to the warrior whose fiery heart cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The fireball exploded to reveal, "Sunburst Knight!" (A2600/D1900/L7)
"Next, I'll burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory." The portal appeared above the table, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up as a pair of fireballs shot out and struck the ground before exploding. "Sunburst Guardian!" (A1400/D1800/L4) "And Blaze Wizard!" (A1200/D1100/L3)
"With those three on the field," Flash started.
"You're mine!" Sunburst cried as he pointed at Shining. "Sunburst Knight, attack!" The knight raised his sword up, as the other monsters unleashed an aura of fire that surrounded his sword and increased his ATK power. (A4100/D1900/L7) The knight leapt at Grand Emperor, raising his blazing sword high above his head before swinging it down.
But just as it was about to make contact, something appeared in Grand Emperor's hand. It was a shield, which the Synchro Monster raised just in time to block Sunburst Knight's sword.
Shining: 700 Sunburst: 2500
"What?" Sunburst asked as he looked over at Shining, wondering what the heck was going on. But then he saw it, Shining had flipped over his face down.
"Paladin's Shield. This Trap equips itself to a Royal Paladin and makes it so that monster can't be destroyed by battle."
"No way," Sunburst said. Even after all that, Sunburst couldn't beat him.
"Sunburst," Flash saw the hope leave his teammate's eyes. "Don't worry. His Grand Emperor can only attack once this turn, so you'll survive as long as he doesn't draw a monster or a card that can increase Grand Emperor's ATK."
"Well let's find out," Shining said as he reached for his deck and drew. "First, I discard my Royal Paladin Tactician so I can activate her effect. That allows me to activate the effect of a Spell in my graveyard, so I'll use Pot of Greed's effect to draw two cards." He drew his cards and smiled at what he got. "I activate the Spell card, Assault Mode Activate!"
"NOT THAT CARD!" Both Flash and Sunburst yelled, as they watched Grand Emperor turn into a stream of lights that shot into the air.
"See the king as he once was. Knights unified by the light!" The light shot down and struck the table, taking form and fading to reveal Shining's best card. "Royal Paladin Grand Emperor, ASSAULT MODE!" (A4000/D3000/L12)
Sunburst just stared at the card, knowing full well what it could do. "Don't sweat it," he turned back to Flash. "You've still got your Fire Guard Trap. You can survive this no problem."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Shining said as he showed them the last card in his hand. That card was a Spell called Paladin's Sage. "This card means my opponent must select a Trap on their field and destroy it." Sunburst and Flash both went wide eyed at this, as Sunburst removed his only Trap off the field. "Plus, I get to add a Trap of my own from my Deck to my hand." He picked up his deck and shuffled through it until he found the card he wanted.
"Okay," Flash said, "things still look bad but you can pull it back." Sunburst didn't believe him.
"I activate my Assault Mode's ability. By banishing a Tuner monster from my graveyard, I can revive one level four or below Royal Paladin." He took out his Flag Bearer as Royal Spear Paladin suddenly appeared next to Grand Emperor. "Attack."
For Sunburst, time seemed to slow down as he watched Grand Emperor rush at Sunburst Guardian. Even if he managed to put a stop to this and the next attack, that Trap Shining got would likely stop any counter attack Sunburst tried to make. Was this really all he could do?
Memories of long ago once again flashed infront of his mind.
"Sunburst, you think we'll even become duelling masters?"
Sunburst smiled. "Oh course. With my brains and your skill, we'll be two of the best that ever existed."
His friend laughed. "Alright, then let's make a promise. Not matter what, the two of us are gonna meet on the big stages of the Duelling world. And we won't give up until we get there." Sunburst's friend held up a pinkie finger, which Sunburst gripped with his own.
"Promise."
"I'm sorry," he whispered as he raised his hand towards his deck. "I couldn't keep our promise." Grand Emperor was inches from Sunburst Guardian, raising his sword as he prepared to end the battle. But then- "Enough."
Flash and Shining watched as the holograms disappeared, then turned to see Sunburst with his hand on his deck. He'd forfeited. "What are you doing?" Flash asked in shock, as he watched Sunburst collect his deck.
"There's no point in me going on," Sunburst replied.
"Are you sure?" Shining asked. "That Duel could have still gone either way."
"No," Sunburst shook his head, "the outcome was determined the minute you became my opponent." He turned to walk away from the table, "I can't beat you." He began to walk away, Flash and Shining sharing a concerned look before Flash followed after Sunburst.
"Hey," he caught up with him, "what are you doing? You didn't know you couldn't have beat him."
"Yes I did," Sunburst replied. "Just forget it. This was a mistake."
"What was a mistake?" Flash asked, as he suddenly realised which way Sunburst was going. "Hey, the reception desk's the other way."
"I'm not going to the reception desk." Sunburst made his way towards the door, as Flash stopped walking.
"Sunburst?"
"Forget it Flash. I shouldn't be on your team. I'm just...holding you back." And with that, Sunburst stepped out of the stadium.
"Sunburst!" Flash called out after him, but received no reply. "SUNBURST!"
Later.
"And with that, the Freeze Stadium qualifiers have come to an end." Shining looked out at the many teams that hadn't made it through, then turned to three that had. The Wonderbolts had come in first, having not lost a single game, followed closely by team Applejewel and another team he didn't personally know.
At the back of the crowd, the Tidal Maidens, Crusaders and what remained of team V-Fighters watched and applauded the teams who made it through. But even so, they were still bumped they hadn't won.
"I'm sorry," Fluttershy turned to her team. "If I'd just won that last Duel."
"It's okay," Sunset assured her.
"We're not out of this yet," Twilight agreed.
Shining then turned back to the crowd, "now don't be disheartened. You still have another chance. There are still two weeks of qualifiers left to win the chance of getting in."
"You heard him!" Applebloom cried, "we're still in this."
Sweetie agreed. "We just have to train super hard and win a shop tournament."
"Then let's get started right now!" Scootaloo cheered before the three rushed out the door. The rest of the crowd soon followed suit, with Flash and Spike at the very back.
"I can't believe that guy," Spike almost yelled once Flash explained what had happened. "How could he just ditch us like that? And for what, because he was gonna lose"
"There's something more to this then we're seeing," Flash told him. "Sunburst sees himself as a bad Duellist and left because he thinks he'll slow us down. We need to find a way to help him overcome that idea."
"But how?"
Flash just sighed. "I'm not sure. But if we're to stand any hope of entering the Double X, we've gotta figure it out soon." The two continued down the road, trying to think up ways to help Sunburst overcome his doubts. They only had two weeks to do this, or lose their chance of entering the Double X.
Today's adventure opens up in one of Canterlot's many card shops.
Usually, the place would only house a couple of kids having table top matches while others came in and out to get boosters. But today was a different story, as the shop was hosting a micro tournament to see who would get its spot in the Double X Tournament.
It was a tournament where the three teams duelled at the same time, with a two out of three system in play. The tournament came to an end when the winning team defeated their opponents at the same time.
"Winners!" The shop owner called out as he pointed towards Twilight, Fluttershy and Sunset, "which means the Tidal Maidens are today's big winners. They'll be taking the shop's spot in the Double X."
"ALRIGHT!" Twilight and Fluttershy cheered while Sunset just smiled. "You were great Twilight," Fluttershy told her friend.
"So were you two," Twilight replied before turning to the wall and seeing a large sheet of paper that had the tournament roster on it. At the very bottom was a team name that had been crossed out with a purple pen, signifying they had forfeited. V-Fighters. "Where are they?"
Two of the V-Fighters were standing outside the shop, not daring to show their faces there since they hadn't been able to compete. "I can't believe he didn't show up," Spike almost yelled in frustration.
Flash was also annoyed, though he was having an easier time keeping his anger in check. He looked down at his phone again, another call to Sunburst going unanswered. "I don't get it. What's up with him?" It had been a week since Sunburst walked out on the Freeze Stadium micro tournament and since then, he'd been avoiding Flash and Spike like they had the plague.
Flash had sent him the address of the card shop yesterday and had asks that he come, but there was no sign of him. Flash then remembered what Sunburst had said back then.
"I shouldn't be on your team. I'm just...holding you back."
"But he wasn't," Flash said. "He's a really good Duellist. So why does he think so little of himself?"
"There's only one way to find out," Spike said. "Let's go find him. We have to make sure he comes to the micro tournament we signed up for tomorrow. This one's our last chance." Flash nodded and the two ran off, completely unaware of the fact that they were being watched.
In one of the alleys between a pair of shops were three figures, who were completely hidden in the darkness. They stared at Flash and Spike, glares of hatred burning in their eyes. "There he is," one of them said. "Let's get him!" He was about to jump out of the alley, but the leader of the three stopped him.
"No you idiot. Not while he's with someone. We gotta wait until he's alone to strike. But until then, we don't let him out of our sight." The other two nodded in agreement, looking forward to what they had planned.
Flash and Spike spent the whole day searching for Sunburst, looking in all the teen's favourite places.
But no matter where they looked, they couldn't find him anywhere. "Awe man," Spike moaned as they sat on a park bench. "This is ridicules. He can't have just vanished."
"The only place he could be that we haven't searched is his house," Flash said. "But I have no idea where he lives."
"Me neither," Spike agreed. "So what do we do now?"
Flash sighed while sitting back, "I don't know. There's no time to find someone who can take Sunburst's spot. We either find him and get him back on the team, or give up on entering the Double X." Despite not liking the second option, it looked like that was the one the V-Fighters were gonna have to pick.
But just as all hope seemed lost, the sound of footsteps brought new hope to our heroes.
"Oh," the two looked towards the voice and went wide-eyed when they saw it was Sunburst. "Hey guys."
"Sunburst!" Flash jumped up onto his feet, "where have you been!? You forget we had an appointment today."
"No," Sunburst looked away from them, "but I had somewhere I needed to be. Sorry."
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Spike yelled as he too got up. "Something's up with you and we want to know what it is. So spill it. What's up?"
"Nothing," Sunburst said, "I just realised I shouldn't be on your team." He turned away from them, "I'm not good enough."
"What makes you think that?" Flash said. "You're not just good, you're great. With your skills, you could become a professional duellist."
"No I can't," Sunburst replied while his whole body began to shake.
"Why not?"
Sunburst suddenly spun around to face them, an angry look on his face. "Because if I was any good, I wouldn't have flunked out of DUEL ACADEMY!" This outburst made Flash and Spike both jump, as they processed the information.
"You went to Duel Academy?" Spike asked. "That means you're a really good Duellist."
Sunburst sighed as he looked away. "I told you, I flunked out. When I first got in, I was a Ra Yellow and everyone expected me to make Obelisk by the end of my first year. But no matter how many tests I aced, whenever I Duelled I always lost. I was eventually demoted to the red dorm, but even then I kept losing. By the years end, I couldn't get the win record needed to return next term."
So that was it.
"I vowed that day to never pick up my deck again. It wasn't something I was meant to do."
"But you did pick it up again," Flash reminded him. "The day we met."
"And it was a mistake," Sunburst began to walk off. "I'm sorry, but I'll just end up dragging you down if I'm on your team. It's better if you just replace me." And with that, he was gone while leaving the two sighing.
"Well," Spike said, "now we know what the problem is."
"Yeah," Flash agreed, "but we've got no idea how to fix it."
Spike nodded before looking at his phone, seeing the time he turned back to Flash. "I need to be getting home. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah," Flash said, "I'll see if I can think of a way to get Sunburst to come." With that, the two of them headed off in different directions. As he made his way home, he continued to think of how he might be able to convince Sunburst to stay with the V-Fighters. He was so focused on this, that he didn't notice the rapid footsteps coming up behind him.
By the time he'd sensed a presence, something hard hit the back of his head with enough force to make him black out.
As the sun began to set, Sunburst continued walking through town.
He hadn't felt like going home, so had just been pointlessly wandering with no real destination in mind. As the street lights came on, he looked around and found he was near the harbour. He should probably get home soon.
But just as he was about to leave, his phone went off.
Picking it up, he sighed seeing who it was. He answered the call, "I already told you I don't want to be in your team anymore."
"This isn't about that," Spike's voice replied through the phone. "Flash is missing?"
This made Sunburst's eyes go wide. "What?"
"Grand just called and said he hasn't gotten home yet. He was on his way there when we split up, so I'm starting to get worried. Has he contacted you since we split up?"
"No, he hasn't. Are you sure he didn't just remember something he needed to do?"
"Yes. If he was gonna be late, he'd have called home to tell them. If Flash is missing, something must have happened to..."
"Sorry," Spike eventually replied, "Twilight just told him Grand's using Flash's phone to trace him. Hold on." Sunburst listened carefully, getting anxious as he waited. Then finally, "Flash is at the harbour."
"The harbour?" Sunburst asked while remembering where he was, "where exactly. I'm close by."
"A warehouse near the port. I'll text you the address. But listen, be careful." Sunburst said he would be before cutting the call and running in that direction. He wasn't sure what he was planning on doing if he found himself in a dangerous situation, but he knew he needed to make sure Flash was alright.
The first thing Flash noticed when he woke up was a serious headache.
He moaned as he tried to pick himself up, only to find he was tied to whatever he was sitting on. His eyes opened and he looked down to find his hands and feet were tied to a wooden chair. He then tried to look around, but the place was too dark to really see anything. "Oh great," he said. "What have I gotten myself into this time?" His question was met by a light coming from behind him, illuminating the room and allowing him to see he was in some kind of warehouse.
He spun around and saw the source of the light was an old incinerator.
Before he could ask who turned it on, he suddenly heard the sound of laughter. "Well well well," he looked towards the voice and spotted three familiar teen looking teens step towards him. "Looks whose finally up." They finally stepped into the light of the fire, revealing who they were.
"Garble," Flash growled.
"Long time no see Sentry," Garble said as he and his cronies stepped up to him. "Been about a year, hasn't it."
"Yeah," Flash replied. "Last time I saw you, you were laying on the ground after my monster deep fried your ass."
This made the three frown. "That wasn't fun."
"It was fun for me," Flash smiled before he was socked in the jaw and cried out. Once he'd recovered enough, he looked up at them. "So what you been up to?"
"Wasting away in juvie," one of the other two said.
"Thanks too you," the other finished.
"How is that my fault?" Flash asked, "you're the ones who beat up a guy and damaged someone else's stuff."
Garble growled. "If you hadn't fried us, we wouldn't have been arrested. Now it's pay back."
He reached into his hoodie, "I heard you're trying to enter the Double X." This made him chuckle, "that'll be hard without this." He pulled out a familiar looking deck box, which made Flash go wide-eyed as he looked between it and the incinerator. "Exactly. You're gonna watch us toast this thing, then we're gonna beat you within an inch of your life."
"Coward!" Flash cried as they walked towards the incinerator, "needing to knock me out to do this. What, knew you couldn't take me on in a Duel?"
"I was willing to Duel you if I needed to," Garble replied. "But this way is a lot more...guaranteed." As he got closer and closer to the incinerator, Flash started pulling at the ropes while letting out cries and insults.
And just as Garble was about to throw it in, the creaking sounds of the opening warehouse doors caught everyone's attention. They all turned towards the door and saw Sunburst step inside, panting after running all the way here. "Flash?" He looked around and spotted his teammate, gasping as he saw what kind of situation he had found himself in. "What's going on?"
Garble grumbled, "so annoying." He stepped away from the incinerator and stared at Sunburst. "What are you doing here?"
"I...I came to find F...Flash," Sunburst asked while being slightly intimidated.
"Well you found him, now scram!" This made Sunburst's entire body want to run away, but before he could he spotted the deck box in Garble's hand before noticing the incinerator.
Putting two and two together, Sunburst gasped. "W...what are you doing with Flash's deck? And...and why is he tied to that chair? Let him go...now!"
This made the three begin to laugh, Sunburst's demands obviously seen as amusing. "And what if I don't?" Garble asked. "What's stopping me from torching this deck and beating the two of you into oblivion?"
"Because...the police on one their way. Flash's grandfather's a detective and his phone has a tracer." The three went wide eyed at this before looking back at Flash, who nodded.
"It's true."
Garble growled as he turned back to Sunburst. He wasn't gonna let this end that easily. "I can still torch the deck and high tail it." He turned back to the incinerator.
"NO!" Sunburst cried. He couldn't let Flash's deck be destroyed, since he knew how much it meant to him. "I won't let you." He turned back to the door and closed it, noticing the key to lock it in the lock and doing so. Everyone raised an eyebrow as Sunburst turned back to them, holding the key in his hand. "Now you can't escape."
Garble growled, then smiled. "Alright, how's this for a deal. We Duel."
Sunburst raised an eyebrow, "what?"
"We Duel. You win, I let you both go and give back the deck. But if you lose, I get the key, his deck...and yours." Sunburst went wide-eyed at this, as he took out his deck and looked down at it. Could he really bet it like this?
But one look at the deck in Garble's hands made him change his mind. "Alright," Garble said, "it's a deal."
"Good," Garble replied before turning to his friend and tossing his deck to him. "If the punk pulls anything, cremate it." They nodded as Garble and Sunburst pulled out their Duel Disks and placed them on their arms.
Sunburst grew nervous, but knew he just needed to stale long enough for the cops to get here.
"Oh," Garble said, "another thing. Since you had the nerve to come onto my turf and threaten me, you'll be starting off with a penalty."
"Penalty?" Sunburst asked, not liking the sound of that.
Garble nodded. "Starting with half your normal life points should work."
"WHAT!?" Sunburst's chances of stalling suddenly got way worse.
Flash, seeing Sunburst was starting to panic, spoke up. "You can do it!" Everyone turned to him, "just believe in your deck. It'll help you. There's no way this chump can beat you. Just play the game and you'll see what I mean."
"Shut it!" One of Garble's friends cried before punching Flash again.
"That's enough out of you," Garble growled before turning back to Sunburst. "Now let's get this over with."
Sunburst was still panicking, but quickly stole his nerve and nodded while taking a deep breath. "let's."
"DUEL!"
Garble: 4000 Sunburst: 2000
"I'll let you take the first move," Garble told Sunburst. Internally he smirk, since he'd be getting the first attack.
"Alright," Sunburst drew his card and looked through them. Already his brain was beginning to go over the multiple ways the Duel could go. After about a minute, Garble growled.
"Hurry up already!" To show he was being serious, his friend held Flash's deck closer to the furnace.
"Wait!" Sunburst cried before taking grabbing his card, "I summon Blaze Wizard!" The young fire wizard appeared infront of Sunburst. (A1200/D1100/L3) "And when he's summoned, I can add a Ritual Spell from my deck to my hand." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card for Sunburst to take. "I place one card face down and end my turn."
Garble smirked, "is that all you've got?" He drew his card, "pathetic!" Sunburst flinched at this cry, feeling highly intimidated.
"Don't listen to him!" Flash called out, only to receive a punch to the face.
"Let me show you a real turn. I summon Alexandrite Dragon!" A silver dragon appeared infront of him. (A2000/D100/L4) "Now attack that weaklings wizard!" The dragon unleashed a burst a silver fire, which headed straight for Blaze Wizard. But before it could make contact, a strange looking shield appeared in his hands.
"What?" Garble asked as Blaze Wizard lifted the shield as it created a force-field around him, which transformed the fire that struck it into a light that flew over to Sunburst.
Garble: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
"How?"
"Draining Shield," Sunburst pointed to his now face up face down. "This card let's me negate an attack and increase my life points by the attacking monster's ATK."
"Alright!" Flash cheered. Despite the penalty, Sunburst managed to get his life points back up to match Garble's.
The teen growled. How dare he, "you'll need more then some cheap tricks to save you. I place one card face down and end my turn.
Sunburst "Then I'll draw!" Sunburst did so. "And I'll summon my Sunburst Apprentice to the field!" The spellcaster appeared besides its younger teammate, the two ready to battle it out. "Next, I activate my Sunburst Gate!" The stone arch appeared behind his monsters, the two of them exploding into fireballs that flew into seven of the archway's star holes.
Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "Mystical fire, that burns like the sun, give life to the wizard whose intellect cannot be extinguished!" The wooden doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The fireball exploded to reveal Sunburst's ace. "Sunburst Magician!" (2300/D2200/L7) Flash smiled while Garble and his cronies frowned. "Next, I activate my Magician's ability."
Garble: 4000 Sunburst: 3700
"Now I can look at the top five cards of my deck and summon any Level four or bellow fire monsters," he drew his five cards and took one of them while shuffling the rest back into his deck. "I summon Green Sun Magician!" (A1400/D1300/L4/P6) "And then I'll have Sunburst Apprentice use its ability to revive itself," the younger version of Sunburst Magician appeared besides its future self.
"Don't think you're tough with all these monsters on your field," Garble said.
"Well he'll probably look a lot tougher when he uses his Apprentice's other ability," Flash mocked.
"That's right," Sunburst agreed. Sunburst Apprentice, power up Green Sun Magician." He did so, covering the Pendulum Monster in a veil of fire (A1900/D1300/L4/P6) "Now, Sunburst Magician attack!" The Ritual Monster waved its staff and unleashed a burst of fire, which struck Garble's Alexandrite Dragon and destroyed it.
Garble: 3700 Sunburst: 3700
"Sunburst Apprentice, you're up next!" The younger wizard did the same, launching a fireball that struck garble and sent him backwards.
Garble: 2200 Sunburst: 3700
As Garble hit the ground, he pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "I play my Trap." His face down flipped up. "Dragon Guts Egg!" Three fireballs appeared infront of him, as he began to pick himself up. "I can only use this card whenever I take damage," the fireballs faded to reveal a trio of blood red eggs. "It let's me summon a Guts Egg Token for every five hundred points of damage I take." (A500/D500/L1)
Sunburst frowned before having his Pendulum Monster launch a fireball at one of the eggs, destroying them but doing no damage as it was in DEF mode. "I end my turn. Green Sun Magician's ATK points return to normal. (A1400/D1300/L4/P6)
"Then it's my turn," Garble drew his card. "And I activate Guts Egg Hatching. Now, for every Guts Egg I ditch, I can summon one level four or below Dragon Monster from my graveyard. So I'll get rid of both of them, in order to summon a pair of Golem Dragons!" The eggs shattered, unleashing a burst of fire that faded to reveal the two rock skinned dragons. (A200/D2000/L4)X2
"Two thousand DEF points," Sunburst saw as they two took up a defensive position. "No problem. If I can draw a monster with sixteen hundred ATK or more, I can use Apprentice's ability and Magician to destroy them. Then he'll be open." However, his planning was interrupted by Garble's laugh.
"Sorry four eyes, but that's not happening. As long as Golem Dragon's on the field, you can't attack any other Dragon monster. And since I have two."
"You've got an impenetrable wall," Sunburst finished in shock.
"That's right. Now, I'll summon my Blackland Fire Dragon!" A green bipedal dragon appeared between the two Golem Dragons, steam coming out of its mouth. (A1500/D800/L4) "Attack his Green Sun Magician!" The dragon launched a fireball, which struck the Pendulum Monster and destroyed it.
Garble: 2200 Sunburst: 3600
"I end my turn," Garble said.
"Then...I'll draw." Sunburst looked at the card he'd gotten and knew it might come in handy later. "I activate Sunburst Magician's effect."
Garble: 2200 Sunburst: 3300
He drew his cards and smiled before taking two cards, while placing the rest in his deck. "I summon a pair of Sunburst Guardians!" The shield carrying knights appeared besides Sunburst's Magician and Apprentice, holding up their weapons protectively. (A1400/D1800/L4)X2.
"Sweet!" Flash said, "now Garble can't attack him either." Garble heard this an suppressed a laugh, knowing he had just the card needed to destroy Sunburst's defences.
"I place on card face down and end my turn."
"Then I'll go," Garble drew his card and went wide eyed when he saw what he'd gotten. Then he started laughing, which did not fill Flash and Sunburst with confidence. "Perfect. This Duel is mine!" He raised the card above his head, as his three dragon burst into flames. "Behold, my ultimate monster!" The three fire pillars flew up and spiralled around one another. "Born from the flames of the underworld, comes a beast of hatred and destruction. Once it sees you, all hope is lost!"
Everyone watched as the flames combined into a giant fireball, which quickly faded to reveal a giant sphere of red feathers. Before anyone could ask what it was, the feathers began to pull apart to reveal that they were a pair of wings. From out of the gap came a giant blazing eye, followed by another before the rest of the creature was freed. Said creature was a blood red humanoid dragon, with black chest armor that had multiple scratches and cracks to make it look like a skull. Lava spilled out of those cracks, as well as dripping off It's claws. Its dragonic head and horns were covered in scars, while some kind of steaming liquid dripped out of its mouth. Its tail was as long as it was tall, with a large spearhead like appendage on the end. "Hellfire Apocalypse Dragon!" (A3000/D3000/L10)
Sunburst stared up and the hell beast, which was so big it barely fit in the warehouse. "No...way."
"This is bad," Flash said. Luckily, Sunburst's Guardians would keep him protected.
"Don't think you're safe," Garble said. "I added this card to my deck encase I had to Duel against your little friend over there," he pointed back at Flash. "This card is the ultimate Pendulum slayer, and he'll destroy you the same way it'd destroy him!" As soon as he said that, the feathers on his monsters wings ignited to give him a pair of burning wings.
"What's happening?" Sunburst asked.
"By skipping my battle phase, Hellfire Apocalypse Dragon has the power to destroy every monster on your side of the field!" Sunburst's eyes went wide as the dragon flapped its wings, unleashing a wave of fire that struck his field and consumed his four monsters. But before Sunburst could do anything else, a giant flaming serpent shot out of the flames and flew at him.
"AAARRRHHH!" He cried as he was sent flying backwards, his life points taking a serious hit.
Garble: 2200 Sunburst: 1400
"SUNBURST!" Flash cried as his teammate hit the ground, "what happened?"
"The second effect of my dragon," Garble boasted. "He lost one hundred life points for every level point the destroyed monsters had."
Flash growled at this. All those monsters had seemed like they were giving Sunburst the edge, but in fact they were just giving Garble more ammo. "Sunburst," he turned to his friend and saw he was still on the ground, "get up!"
Sunburst moaned, "why? There's...no way I can beat him."
"You don't know that! A Duel isn't over till the last card is played. And you've still got cards left to play. So don't give up, and don't let your past decide who you are today. If you want to get better, then you have to keep trying no matter how many time you fail!" Flash would have said more, but another punch to the face shut him up.
"Will you be quite!" Garble said. "Even if he kept trying, what card in his deck could save him now?"
That was a good question. What card in Sunburst's deck could save him? Sunburst thought about it, but nothing he came up with would give him the edge with what he had right now. It was hopeless.
And as Sunburst opened his eyes, he suddenly found he wasn't in the warehouse anymore. Instead, he was now in a black void. Was his fall making him hallucinate?
The sound of footsteps made him turn to see someone walking away from him. His prized monster, "Sunburst Magician!" He started running after the Ritual Monster, "wait!" But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't catch up to him. Was his monster abandoning him?
A sudden light in the distance caught his attention, the mere sight of it telling him what was happening. Sunburst Magician wasn't abandoning him, he was walking towards the light of its future. Sunburst couldn't catch up, because he didn't have the drive needed to reach for his future.
"I want to get stronger," he whispered once he'd stopped running. "But I don't know how. Nothing I try seems to work. How am I suppose to grab hold of my future, if I don't know how?" He closed his eyes and looked down in shame, feeling himself be consumed by the darkness.
But before he could be completely enveloped, the ice cold of the darkness vanished and was replaced by a mighty warmth.
"Huh?" He opened his eyes and looked up, seeing Sunburst Magician standing infront of him. It was using his fire to chase away the darkness, while holding up its other fist. "What?" The fist opened to show the light they had been chasing, which seemed to fill Sunburst with a new sense of hope. "You want me to...?" Sunburst Magician nodded. It wanted Sunburst to walk beside him, as they chased after their future potential.
Sunburst raised his arms and slowly reached for the light, flinching back a few time until he looked into his monsters eyes. The two stared at one another, both telling the other the same thing. "I might not know how to get stronger...but as long as you're with me, I'll keep trying!" He grasped the light, which exploded and forced Sunburst to shield his eyes.
Seconds later, he opened them again and found he was back in the warehouse and back on his feet.
"So," Garble asked, "you still wanna fight me."
Sunburst looked down at his deck. It might have just been a trick of the light, but he couldn't help but think it was glowing. That glow once again filled him with hope, as he looked up at Garble. "I'll fight," he placed his hand on his deck. "AND WIN!" He drew his card. When he saw what it was, he gasped before smiling. "This is it." He pointed at his face down, "I activate my Trap!"
The card flipped up before unleashing a burst of light, which broke apart to reveal Sunburst Magician in DEF mode. (A0/D0/L1)
"How?" Garble asked.
"Ritual Spirit," Sunburst explained. "It let's me revive a Ritual Monster, but its ATK and DEF is zeroed out and its Level is reduced to 1."
"Then what good is it?"
"You'll see. But first, I'll activate my Magician's ability."
Garble: 2200 Sunburst: 1100
Sunburst drew his five cards and smiled at what he'd gotten. "I summon Burn Blader!" The blazing suit of armour appeared besides Magician, ready to fight the good fight."
"What's the point of that?" Garble asked. "All you're doing is giving Hellfire more monsters to destroy and hurt you with."
"Don't be so sure," Sunburst said as he took the card he'd drawn and placed it in his Duel Disk. "I activate my Spell Card. Rebirth Ritual!" A pillar of fire exploded out of the ground and engulfed Sunburst Magician.
Flash smiled at this, while Garble and his cronies stared at the fire in confusion. "What's happening.
Sunburst just smiled. "Rebirth Ritual, a card that allows Ritual Monsters to transcend their limits and take on their true forms!" The pillar grew in size, until it eventually exploded and unleashed a powerful light. "RITUAL EVOLUTION!"
The light faded to reveal Sunburst's new monster. It was Sunburst Magician, only now it was dressed in crimson armoured wizard robes. The goatee he was sporting was now replaced with a full on beard, while his staff now appeared to be made out of obsidian. He was also wearing a red wizards hat, which had metal on the rim and tip. "Sunburst...ARCHMAGE!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
"Wow," Flash said while the criminals began to worry.
Garble however, stole his nerve and growled at Sunburst. "So what. Your monster's not stronger then mine, so it can't beat it. And next turn, Hellfire Apocalypse Dragon will fry you losers."
"Don't be so sure," Sunburst told him. "Because Rebirth Ritual will grant one thousand extra ATK points to the monster it summons." (A4000/D2500/L8) "Then I'll activating Archmage's ability!" The evolved Ritual monster pointed his staff at Burn Blader before the suit of armour exploded into fire, which wrapped around the head of the staff. "By tributing a Fire monster, I can burn away your monsters ATK and DEF points."
"What?" Garble asked as he saw Archmage toss the fire at his dragon, who quickly found himself trapped in a cage of flames. He watched as Hellfire Dragon was scorched, his ATK and DEF lowering by Burn Blader's. (A1200/D2900/L10) "This can't be happening."
"There's more," Garble turned back to him. "Whenever a Fire monster leaves the field, Archmage gains half that monster's ATK power until the End Phase." The armoured parts of Archmage's armour began to glow red hot. (A4900/D2500/L8) "ATTACK!" Everyone watched as Archmage flew into the air, its staff head igniting before it unleashed a stream of fire towards Hellfire Apocalypse Dragon.
The beast roared as it was struck, the flames proving to hot for even it as it was soon destroyed. Garble saw the burning remains of his monster came flying at him, making him yell out as they collided with him.
Garble: 0 (Winner) Sunburst: 1100
As the holograms vanished, Sunburst stared at his Archmage card in shock. Despite every piece of logic in his brain telling him it was impossible, he had managed to defeat Garble. "No way," he whispered as he look up and caught eyes with Flash. The tied up teen smiled as he gave his teammate a nod, said teammate smiling back and nodding as well.
But then.
"HOW DARE YOU!" Sunburst turned to Garble, who had rushed over to him and threw a punch before he could react.
"Ahh!" He cried as he fell back, his glasses going flying. And opened his eyes and saw the blurry image of Garble standing over him.
"Big mistake geek. Now I'm gonna beat you to a pulp and destroy both your decks." Sunburst gasped as he raised his arms defensively.
Flash saw this and frowned, seeing no other option. Looking at Sunburst's Duel Disk and focusing on the Sunburst Archmage card. And just like that, the hologram of the spellcaster appeared between Garble and Sunburst.
Garble saw this but, despite being surprised at first, he continued to try and rush at Sunburst. A little hologram wasn't gonna stop him. But he would soon learn how wrong he was, when Archmage swung its staff at him.
"AUGH!" Garble cried as the staff struck him and sent him flying, crashing into pile of crates.
"GARBLE!" His friends cried as they rushed over to him, freeing Flash to pull on the ropes binding his wrists until they finally snapped. By the time the two realised their mistake and turned back to him, he leapt up off his chair and dealt the two a quick punch and kick.
This allowed Flash to retrieve his deck before rushing over to Sunburst, as the three criminal teens regrouped.
Seeing all its foes in one spot, Archmage pointed it staff at them before unleashing a fireball. Said fireball exploded into a ring of fire, that surrounded the three as the monster disappeared.
"Here," Flash placed Sunburst's glasses back on his head.
"Thanks," Sunburst's vision returned just in time to see the trapped teens. "What the heck happened?"
"Doesn't matter," Flash replied as the sound of sirens filled the air. "Come on." He pulled the boy out of the warehouse, as police cars rushed onto the scene.
"Flash!" Grand cried as he and Scootaloo got out of the car before rushing over to them, "you alright?"
"I'm fine gramps," Flash assured him despite the aching in his face. Before anyone could say anything, the sets of screaming voices filled the air as a trio of teens with burning clothes rushed out the warehouse before leaping into the water.
"What was that about?" Grand asked, while Flash smiled.
An hour later, the three were thrown into the back of the cop cars after Flash and Sunburst explained what had happened. The fire had been blamed on them, the cops guessing they had filled the place with fuel while intending to torch the place with Flash and Sunburst in it.
Flash agreed to this with Sunburst, who had been blinded at the time, just going along with it. "Don't worry," Grand said. "Those three won't be causing any issues for a long time."
"That's good," Flash said before turning to Sunburst. "Thanks for helping."
Sunburst just shrugged. "Don't sweat it." He turned to walk away. "Well, see you around."
"Hang on," Sunburst turned and looked back at Flash. "You've still got the address of the card shop I sent you, right?"
"Yeah."
"Please, come tomorrow. I know you think you're not a good Duellist, but you saw what you were able to do back there. Your deck wants to get stronger with you, so please don't let it's wishes go unfulfilled." Sunburst just stared at him for a few seconds, until he turned and walked off into the night.
Flash sighed as Scootaloo stepped up besides him. "You think he'll be there?"
"I don't know," Flash replied before looking up. "I hope so."
Today's adventure begins in yet another card shop, where many Duel Teams had come to compete in the Double X Qualifying Micro Tournament. Currently, most of the teams were inside finishing their registration.
The only team who wasn't were the V-Fighters, with Flash and Spike standing outside the shop looking around nervously. "Where is he?" Spike asked in a near hysterical way.
"I don't know," Flash said. After what had happened yesterday, he had been hoping Sunburst had turned a corner and would decide to come. But by the looks of it, no such luck.
"Flash," he looked to the front of the card shop and saw his sister and her friends step out of it. "Still no sign of him?"
"No," Flash sighed, "what are we gonna do?"
"Could you maybe compete without him?" Sweetie asked. "This micro tournament doesn't seem to have the same rules as the last one."
"By the looks of things, that's what we'll have to do." Spike then pushed off the railing and ran off. "I'm gonna go look for him. Maybe he just got lost."
Flash nodded, "just be back here in ten minutes before it starts." Spike nodded back and began running down the street, turning a corner out of sight while Flash went inside to register his team.
Ten minutes later, Spike returned to see Flash handing the paper in. "Nothing," he sighed. "What did they say?"
Flash turned to him. "They said we're allowed to compete as a two man team, but match three will be seen as a loss."
"That means the two of us are gonna have to win every single match," Spike didn't like the sound of that. One bit of bad luck and they'd be out.
"We don't have a choice if we want a chance at the Double X."
Spike sighed. "Okay, let's do it." As he said that, the girl who worked at the shop spoke up.
"Alright, it's time for the first round. Can everyone please make their way to their assigned seats for their first match." The entire shop began to shift, as each competing Duellist found their table and sat opposite their first opponent. "Alright everyone. The shop tournament will start in three, two, one!"
"DUEL!"
And so the Duels began. Since the place was a small establishment, it only had the one holo-duel table. As such, the tournament would consist of table top Duels until the finals.
"Chaos Command Revolution, skill activate!" Flash removed a card from under his hyper evolved Xyz monster, "every card on your side of the field is removed from play."
"What?" His opponent asked in horror before he did as he was told.
"Now, Chaos Command Revolution will attack you directly!"
Flash: 1500 (Winner) Norman: 0
"I summon Dragonic Blazemaster, Assault Mode!" He placed his evolved dragon onto the table top, "and I'll attack your Felgrand Dragon!"
Spike: 950 Caldera: 1600
"And since he destroyed a monster, I can now destroy another one on your field and deal you damage equal to its Level times three hundred." He pointed at the monster he was destroying and his opponent saw it was his Montage Dragon.
Spike: 950 (Winner) Caldera: 0
"Yes!" Spike cheered as he stood up, Flash walking over to give him and high five. "We did it."
"One round down," Flash agreed. "And we'll keep winning until we're in the Double X."
And that's exactly what happened. Round after round, Flash and Spike gave it their all and managed to win every match. Between matches, the two would try calling Sunburst but still they had no answer. Eventually, they managed to win their semifinal matches.
"Okay," the store girl said as she finished drawing the red line up the bracket. "We have our finalist." She turned to Flash and Spike, "Team V-Fighters."
"Alright!" Spike and Flash both yelled as they high fived, then turned back to the bracket and traced the other line back to the name of their opponent. Once they did that, they both gasped as they read the name.
"And Team Crusaders!" Everyone turned to Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie, clapping as they did so. "We'll be taking a fifteen minute break, then it's onto the final match." Everyone nodded and started mingling, as Flash and Spike headed outside to once again try and contact Sunburst.
"Still nothing?" Spike asked as Flash looked down at his phone.
"No," Flash replied, "it looks like we're gonna be doing this one on our own as well."
Spike sighed as grabbing his hand down his face. "This is nuts. And to top it off, we're going up against Scootaloo and her friends."
"Yeah," Flash agreed, "this isn't gonna be easy. Unlike our last opponents, they actually know what our decks are capable of know the best way to counter it."
"But that doesn't mean they can counter it," Spike pointed out. "And we know what their decks can do as well, so we're on pretty even ground."
"You're right," Flash said. "Either way, we shouldn't take them likely. They managed to get to the finals after all. And they've been training just as hard as we have for this."
"Then let's make sure we give it our all."
"No doubt." With that, the two headed inside as the break came to an end. They moved over to where the stores holo-table was sat, seeing the Crusaders standing on the opposite side.
With both teams present, the store girl stepped up to the holo-table. "Alright, let's get the finals underway. This round will be held one match at a time and the first team to score two wins, will be crowned champion and will be allowed to enter the Double X Tournament." She then turned to Flash and Spike, "just a quick reminder. If the V-Fighters lose a match, their third team member must turn up within ten minutes or the team will forfeit their place in the tournament. Is that clear."
"Yes," Flash replied while he and Spike both nodded.
"Alright," she activated the holo-table. "Both teams, select your first member to compete." Spike stepped up to the table, as Applebloom stood opposite and placed her deck on it.
"So I'm up against Applebloom," Spike whispered to himself. He remembered her play style. It was to get as many plant monsters in the graveyard as possible, so her Maiden of Great Bloom would get the power boost. That would mean she wasn't likely to use many Pendulum Monsters, which meant he had to be careful about destroying her monsters.
"Ya'h ready Spike?" Applebloom asked him as she drew her cards.
"I'm ready," Spike replied while doing the same.
"Final round first match," the girl announced. "Begin!"
"DUEL!"
Spike: 4000 Applebloom: 4000
As soon as the Duel started, the audience all began to cheer. "You got this Crusaders!"
"Win this and get to the Double X!"
"Beat those losers! They don't deserve to go to the Double X with only two teammates."
"Talk about favouritism," Flash said.
Scootaloo smirked. "Sorry bro, but you're on our turf."
"We come here all the time," Sweetie explained. "And we've each duelled our way to the very top of the store."
"So they have home field advantage," Spike said. He suddenly grew very nervous.
"Don't worry," Flash assured him. "We've still got this. Just do what you do best and we can still win."
"You got it," Spike turned back to the table. "I'll take the first move," he drew his card and nodded. "Eruptor Horn Dragon, ATK mode!" A fireball appeared on the table before a red dragon with a nose horn shaped like a bugle appeared out of it, it snorting as lava shot out the horn. (A1800/D1000/L4) "I'll throw down a pair of face downs and end my turn."
"Then a'll go!" Applebloom drew her cards. "A'll start with setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Maiden of Cherry Blossoms and scale nine Azalea Maiden!" The columns of light appeared on either side of the field, as the two plant dress wearing ladies flew up into them. "A'h cut through space time and carve da arc of vic-tree." The portal formed above the table, "A'H PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a pair of lights shot out, hitting the ground and taking shape before fading to reveal the monsters. The first was another woman in plant attire that carried a wooden bow, "Iris Maiden!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P5) The second was a green serpent with branch like arms and a pair of leaf like wings, "and Nutrient Dragon!" (A1200/D1100/L3)
"Pendulum Summoning already?" Spike asked.
"She's not kidding around," Flash said while the rest of the audience cheered her on.
"Alright, next a'm using Nutrient Dragon's skill. Now one of ma'h Plant monsters gets a power boost, of one hundred points for each of their level stars." The serpent turned to Iris Maiden and breathed a green gas onto her, increasing her power. (A2000/D1300/L4/P5) "Now attack Eruptor Horn Dragon!" The lady drew an arrow from the quiver on her back and fired it at Eruptor Horn, destroying it.
Spike: 3800 Applebloom: 4000
"You activated my Trap," Spike flipped his face down over. "Dragonic Soul Guard. Since Eruptor Horn was destroyed, the damage dealt by any monster with less ATK then him is halved for this turn."
Applebloom frowned, "ya'll still be taking damage. Nutrient Dragon, attack!" The plant dragon breathed its mist in Spike's direction, as the ghostly image of Eruptor Horn appeared infront of him and blocked it.
Spike: 3200 Applebloom: 4000
"A'h end ma'h turn." Iris Maiden's ATK returned to normal. (A1600/D1300/L4/P5)
"My draw," Spike looked at the card he'd gotten and nodded. "I summon Assault Wyvern!" A large blue and silver dragon appeared on the table, it's wings and body covered in sharp spikes. (A1800/D1000/L4) "Attack!" The beast flew towards Nutrient Dragon and cut it in half.
Spike: 3200 Applebloom: 3400
"And when Assault Wyvern destroys a monster, I can sacrifice him to summon a dragon from my hand or graveyard." Assault Wyvern disappeared, as Iron Tail Dragon appeared in its place. (A2100/D1400/L6) "Attack Iris Maiden!" Once again, Spike's dragon destroyed Applebloom's plant.
Spike: 3200 Applebloom: 2900
"I end my turn."
"Ma'h draw," Applebloom did so before revealing the card she drew. "With Maiden of Cherry Blossom's Pendulum Ability, by revealing any number of Plant type maidens in ma'h hand I can increase ma'h life point by three hundred for each one."
Spike: 3200 Applebloom: 3200
"Then a'll use ma'h Seed Reload. By banishing a plant in ma'h grave, a'h can draw its level's worth of cards." She took Nutrient Dragon out of the grave before drawing three cards, as the portal appeared above the table once again. "Now a'll Pendulum Summon!"
The portal opened and unleashed a trio of lights, which hit the ground and took shape before fading. "Iris Maiden!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P5) The second was a short elf in a green tunic that was carrying a acorn shaped shield. "Seed Shield Squire!" (A100/D2000/L3) The final one was a teenage girl in bright flower clothing, "and Maiden of Summer's Growth!" (A1500/D1200/L4)
"Alright Applebloom!" Scootaloo cheered.
"Show what you're made of!" Sweetie agreed while the rest of the shop cheered.
"A'h plan too," Applebloom cried. "A'h tune level four Maiden of Summer Growth with level three Seed Shield Squire!" Applebloom's Tuner Monster changed into a quartet of lights, which flew into the air and carved four circles that Seed Shield Squire leapt. "Seasons change and bring new life. Now bloom into a bright future!" The monsters disappeared in an explosion of light, "A'H SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded revealing the new monster. It looked like Maiden of Great Bloom, but she looked a little older and her clothing was slightly different. Her scythe like hoe looked like it had also been given an upgrade. "Bountiful Maiden of Grand Bloom." (A2300/D2200/L7/P3)
"Bountiful Maiden of Grant Bloom?" Spike asked.
"A Pendulum Synchro," Flash realised
Spike suddenly got the sinking feeling that Applebloom had upgraded her deck since their last match. "Not good." He didn't know what was coming now.
"And since ma'h Bountiful Maiden was special summoned, her ability lets me add a Plant monster from my deck to ma'h hand." She grabbed her deck and shuffled through it until she found what she was looking for, taking it out and shuffling her deck "Now a'll summon it, Celosia Maiden!" Another plant dressed lady appeared besides the other two, spinning a wooden staff around. (A1800/D1000/L4/P3) "And with Celosia Maiden's ability, a'h can select one Plant monster on the field and increase every other Plant monster's ATK to match its." The lady pointed her staff at Bountiful Maiden before unleashing a light, which surrounded it before shooting off and hitting Iris and Celosia. (A2300/D1300/L4/P5), (A2300/D1000/L4/P3)
"Really not good," Spike gulped. She had completely shifted her play style.
"Now," Applebloom cheered, "Bountiful Maiden will attack Iron Tail Dragon!" The Pendulum Synchro rushed forwards, hoe at the ready. "And during the battle phase, she gains one hundred ATK Points for every Plant of the field!" (A2500/D2200/L7/P3)
"I activate my Trap!" Spike cried as he flipped his face down up, "Dragon Scale Armor!" This card protects a Dragon monster from being destroyed this turn."
"But ya'll still take damage!" Bountiful Maiden swung her weapon into Iron Tail, who flinched but survived.
Spike: 2800 Applebloom: 3200
"Iris and Celosia Maiden. Ya'h up next!" Celosia rushed forwards while Iris drew her bow, both striking Iron Tail and dealing Spike damage.
Spike: 2200 Applebloom: 3200
"A'h end ma'h turn with a face down," Applebloom announced.
Spike sighed as he looked his situation over. Applebloom's new stratagy was a good one, and probably would have one her the game in most matches. "I gotta admit, you've gotten way better since the last time we duelled."
Applebloom smiled. "Ma'h friends and a've worked day and night to hone our skills. Late nights fine tuning our decks, and early mornings training. We've worked to hard to let our chances at the Double X slip by. So no matter what, a'h can't afford to lose. There's to much at stake." Scootaloo and Sweetie both nodding, agreeing whole heartedly.
Spike smiled, liking the girl's dedication. It was obvious they really wanted to win. "But even so," he drew his card and looked back to Applebloom. "I can't afford to lose either!" He slapped the card on the table, as a small red dragon appeared on the field besides Iron Tail. (A1000/D800/L2)
"Fireheart Dracokid," Flash smiled seeing this while the girls frowned.
"I tune level two Fireheart Dracokid with level six Iron Tail Dragon." The small dragon flew into the air and transformed into two balls of fire, which carved a pair of burning rings which Iron Tail Dragon flew into. "Cast your flames across this battle field, and burn everything that is weak to ashes" Spike said as his monsters burst in an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames erupted, as Spike's ace burst free and revealed itself. "Dragonic Blazemaster!" (A3000/D2000/L8)
"Yes!" Flash cheered while everyone else frowned. Spike meanwhile, simply remained calm.
Like he said, he couldn't afford to lose. "Dragonic Blazemaster will now attack your Bountiful Maiden!" The dragon rushed over to the Synchro Pendulum, it's sword exploding into flames, while Spike simply thought.
When Flash had offered him the spot on his team, he had been so happy. A great Duellist like him, thinking he was worthy of being his teammate.
Dragonic Blazemaster slashed Bountiful Maiden in half, those halves being incinerated by the flames.
Spike: 2200 Applebloom: 2500
"Blazemaster's ability. Since he destroyed a monster on your field, he can attack another one." Blazemaster's sword reignited, as it turned to Iris Maiden. "Eternal Flame!"
That's why Spike had vowed that no matter what, he would help him get to the Double X and eventually win the whole thing. That's why he couldn't afford to lose, he owed it to Flash for giving him this chance.
Blazemaster once again cut one of Applebloom's monsters down, burning it to ashes though the damage wasn't as sever as it should have been.
Spike: 2200 Applebloom: 1800
"One more time! Eternal Flame!" Blazemaster turned to Celosia and did the same as before. Applebloom's new play style might have been more powerful then her old one, but it left her open to Spike's play style of pendulum slaying.
Spike: 2200 Applebloom: 1200
Applebloom flinched at the lose of her monsters and life points, stumping back until she felt two pairs of hands steady her. She looked back and saw her teammates smiling at her, the three nodding before Scootaloo and Sweetie pushed her back to the table. "You finished?"
"Almost," Spike placed one card face down and nodded at her.
"Alright," Applebloom drew her card. Since she didn't activate her Pendulum Monster's effect, she must not have had any maidens in her hand. "A'h Pendulum Summon!" The portal opened above the table before a trio of lights shot out, hitting the ground and reveal the three monsters Spike had just destroyed. (A2300/D2200/L7/P3), (A1600/D1300/L4/P5), (A1800/D1000/L4/P3)
Spike did the math in his head and even if she managed to summon two more monsters, her Bountiful Maiden wouldn't have enough ATK points to destroy Blazemaster. "I'm safe."
"Don't count ya'h chicken before they atch," Applebloom said. "Since Bountiful Maiden of Grand Bloom was special summoned, a'h can add a Maiden card to ma'h hand." She did so, smiling before she smacked the card on the table. "A'h summon ma'h Maiden of Winter's Rest." A young girl in white flower clothing appeared. (A300/D200/L2) "And then a'll use her skill," Applebloom discarded a card before drawing three. "Now a'h can look at the top three card of ma'h deck and summon one level three or below plant monster in DEF mode." She took one of the cards and placed in on the field, "Dandylion!" the weird hybrid of a lion and a flower appeared on the table. (A300/D300/L3) "However, it's level goes down to one and it'll be destroyed during the end phase. (A300/D300/L1)
"So what's the point of it?" Spike asked, until his eyes went wide. "Wait, are you-"
"Gonna use it in a Synchro Summon," Applebloom finished. "Ya'h bet I am!" The two new monsters leapt off the table, Maiden of Winter's Rest transforming into a pair of lights that drew the circles for Dandylion to fly into. "Spirit of nature, give new life to the earth's newest protector." The monsters disappeared in an explosion of light, "A'H SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal a teenage girl with flowery attire, with an array of red flowers on her chest that made the shape of a heart. "Maiden of Floral Heart!" (A1200/D700/L3)
To say Spike was panicking right now would be an understatement. "Don't tell me. That's a...a Synchro Tuner."
"Got that right," Applebloom replied. "Also, since Dandylion was sent to the graveyard, I now get a Fluff Token." A dandelion seed with a face appeared besides the four maidens, ready to do battle. (A0/D0/L1)
"Now watch as a'h tune her with ma'h Bountiful Maiden of Grand Bloom!" waved its staff before transforming into three rings of light, which flew up towards the roof. Once there, Bountiful Maiden flew up towards them. "The strength of flowers, constantly growing to reach the next stage of life. Now let their true power be revealed." As Bountiful Maiden flew through the rings, they exploded into light which covered the woman before the light formed a cocoon around her. "GO ACCEL SYNCHRO!"
The light began to fade, as the new monster floated down to earth and revealed itself. It looked like Bountiful Maiden, but she was taller and was wearing white robes, with an open front skirt to allow for great mobility. She was now wearing a crown with many flower attachments, which had a pair of long pigtails coming out the side. The blade of her scythe was now heart shaped, giving it more of an axe appearance. "Maiden of Blooming Heart's Glory!" (A3500/D2500/L10)
Everyone awed at the sight of this monster, as Applebloom continued on with her turn. "Since Floral Heart was sent to the graveyard through a Synchro Summon, her ability let's me summon a Plant monster from my graveyard." Maiden of Summer's Growth appeared to fill up the last monster slot. (A1500/D1200/L4)
"This could be bad," Flash worried. However, Spike still had a smirk on his face.
"I activate my Trap," he flipped it over. "Roar of the Mighty Dragon."
"What's that do?" Applebloom asked.
"You'll find out," Spike replied.
Applebloom frowned. "Alright, well a'm activating Celosia's ability!" The maiden pointed her staff at Heart's Glory before unleashing a light, which surrounded it before shooting off and hitting the rest of the monsters. (A3500/D1300/L4/P5), (A3500/D1000/L4/P3), (A3500/D1200/L4), (A3500/D0/L1) "There's more," Applebloom said before anyone could say anything. "Maiden of Blooming Heart's Glory has her own effect, which lets her increase the attack of every other Plant Type monster by five hundred points for every plant monster on my field."
"WAIT WHAT!?" Spike and Flash both yelled, as they watched Heart's Glory strike her weapon into the ground before light broke out of it and flew into the other four monsters. (A6000/D1300/L4/P5), (A6000/D1000/L4/P3), (A6000/D1200/L4), (A6000/D0/L1)
"Six thousand ATK points each?" Someone in the audience asked in amazement.
"Her field has over twenty seven thousand points."
"Let's end this!" Applebloom cried as Heart's Glory rushed forwards, ready to slash at Blazemaster.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Spike said. "Because attacking a level seven of higher Dragon monster, activates the effect of Roar of the Mighty Dragon. Now we both draw until we get a monster." They did so, Spike revealing Twin Headed Dragonia while Applebloom revealed Maiden of Safflower. "Since the monster I drew is a higher level then the one you drew, the attack is negated." Everyone watched as Blazemaster unleashed a powerful roar, which sent Heart's Glory flying back to her side of the field.
Applebloom groaned as she and Spike placed their drawn cards in the graveyard. "Fine, then Iris Maiden will attack!" Her monster drew its bow.
"And my Trap activated once again." Spike and Applebloom drew again, both revealing their monsters to each other. Spike's was a Level six, while Applebloom's was level four. Once again Blazemaster roared, Iris's arrow being repelled by it.
"Celosia!" Applebloom's monster flew forwards once more, as the two drew their cards again. Spike's was level four while Applebloom's was level three. Another roar sent Applebloom's Maiden flying back. "Summer's Growth!" The teenager ran forwards, as Spike and Applebloom drew once again. Spike's was Level eight, while her's was level five. "No!" The fourth roar pushed her monster back. "Last chance. "Fluff Token, ATTACK!" The little puffball flew forwards, Blazemaster unleashing its roar attack.
As the little guy struggled to push through the soundwaves, Applebloom drew her card and revealed a level four monster. She looked to Spike, as he placed his hand on his deck.
This was it. If Spike could draw a level five or above monster, he'd have stopped all her attacks and would be free to end the Duel. It all came down to this.
Time seemed to slow down, as Spike drew his card and brought it up to his face. His vision zeroes in on the level stars, only for his eyes to go wide while the card slipped out of his hand. "I'm...sorry Flash," he whispered as the card hit the table and fell face up to reveal Peewee Dragon. "I failed you."
Blazemaster's roar finally gave out, as the Fluff Token finally pushed through and body checked it with enough force that it was destroyed.
Spike: 0 Applebloom: 1200 (Winner)
Spike stumbled back as the holograms disappeared, while the shop girl moved over to Applebloom and raised her arm in the air. "Winner, Team Crusader's Applebloom!"
"I did it!" Applebloom cheered as she jumped on the spot, with Sweetie rushing over to hug her while doing the same. The rest of the store all clapped in celebration, while Flash stepped over to Spike and put and hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Flash."
The teen just smiled, "don't worry about it. That was a great Duel and you should be proud. You managed to stop four super powerful attacks" He gently pushed him aside to step up to the table. "I'm up next." But before he could begin setting up, the store girl spoke up.
"Hold on," she held up a stop watch. "If your third team member doesn't arrive in the next ten minutes, you'll be disqualified." Both Flash and Spike gasped at this, noting that a minute had already passed on the watch.
"Wait a minute!" Flash said, "can't you wait until my match is over? This isn't fair, you have to let me fight."
Spike nodded, "Sunburst could still show up before they're done."
"Those are the rules you agreed to when you entered. I'm sorry, but you've forfeited the right to Duel right now." All Flash could respond with was an annoyed sigh, fearing further complaint might get them disqualified before the time limit.
And so, all they could do was wait.
The ten minutes dragged on like an eternity, as Flash and Spike both tried to contact Sunburst with no answer. The rest of the audience were all getting impatient, while the Crusaders all frowned. "I wanted to win," Scootaloo said. "But not like this."
"It doesn't feel right to get the spot without really earning it," Sweetie agreed while Applebloom nodded.
"You have one minute left," the store girl announced. Flash looked down at the ground, feeling completely defeated. After everything he'd gone through, this was how it ended. "Ten seconds." Images of everyone he'd promised to see in the Double X flashed before his eyes. Twilight, Rainbow and Applejack. Pinkie and Rarity. Fluttershy, Sunset and of course...Tempest. It seemed he wouldn't get the chance to face off against them.
"Sunburst!" Flash's head shot up and turned to Spike, who was staring at someone infront of the door.
That someone was Sunburst, who was panting heavily. "Hey," he said as he straightened up, "sorry I'm late."
Spike and Flash rushed over to him, "where have you been?" As Flash asked that, he noticed several bags under Sunburst's eyes. "What the heck were you doing all this time?"
"Sleeping," Sunburst replied. "I overslept. But your constant calls managed to wake me up. Sorry about not calling back. I rushed out of the house so quickly, I forgot my phone. He-he."
Flash and Spike both sighed at their teammate's carelessness before turning the the store girl. Did he make it in time?
Their answer came when the girl smiled and showed everyone the stop watch, which was stopped while showing one second remaining. "He just made it."
Everyone sighed in relief before Flash got serious and prepared to step up to the table, "wait." He stopped and turned to Sunburst, as he came up next to him. "Let me go before you. As team leader, you should play the final Duel and take us to the Double X."
Flash nodded before they turned to see Sweetie step up to the table. "They're in the lead. If you don't win this, we're out." He saw Sunburst begin to panic, only to then take a deep breath.
"Then I guess I shouldn't lose." This made Flash smile, liking the attitude.
The two set up their decks and drew their cards, as the girl spoke up. "Final round second match, begin!"
"DUEL!"
Sweetie: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Sunburst drew his card. "I summon Blaze Wizard!" The young magician appeared on the field, "and activate his ability." He grabbed his deck and shuffled through his cards, eventually taking one while returning to rest to their spot. "Now I'll activate the Spell card I just got. Sunburst Altar!" The table and candle stands appeared on the Duel Table. "And with it I'll sacrifice the Blaze Wizard on my field, along with this card from my hand. Ashes Magician!" A wizard in ash coloured robes appeared before it and Blaze Wizard exploded into fireballs, which then lit seven of the candles. "Mystical fire, that burns like the sun, give life to the wizard whose intellect cannot be extinguished!" The fire on the candles shot up before flying into the basin, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and took form before fading. "Sunburst Magician!" (A2300/D2200/L7)
"A pretty standard opening for him," Spike said.
"Maybe," Flash replied, "but something's different." Spike turned to him in confusion. "This time, he didn't spend forever making his first move. He's not overthinking it, which was his biggest weakness before."
Sunburst heard this and smirked. Unbeknownst to them, the reason he had overslept was because he had spent half the night reworking his deck so he could help them. "I have to make it up to them for being late. I activate Sunburst Magician's ability."
Sweetie: 4000 Sunburst: 3700
He drew his cards and grabbed two of them, "I summon UFO Turtle and Burn Blader." The two monsters appeared besides the Ritual monster. (A1400/D1200/L4) (A1800/D100/L4) "I'll then equip Sunburst Magician with Blazing Aura, to increase his ATK points for every other Fire monster on the field!" Everyone saw a veil of flames surround Sunburst Magician, increasing his power. (A3300/D2200/L7) "I place on card face down and end my turn."
"Then I'll go," Sweetie drew her card. "And I'll activate the Spell card, First Movement Solo. Now since I don't have a monster on my field, I can summon a level four or lower Melodious monster from my hand to the field. So I summon Aria the Melodious Diva." A woman in strange harp shaped clothing appeared on the table. (A1600/D1200/L4) "And now that I have a Melodious Monster on my field, I can special summon Canon the Melodious Diva to join her." A mask wearing pop idol monster appeared besides Aria. (A1400/D2000/L4)
"So what?" Sunburst asked, "neither of them can destroy my Sunburst Magician."
"Maybe," Sweetie said, "but the monster I'm tributing them for is." The two monsters disappeared, "before Mozarta, the Melodious Maestra!" A woman in a red dress with metal butterfly wings appeared on Sweetie's field. (A2600/D2000/L8) "I'll now activate a Continuous Spell card called Fortissimo. Now, I can increase the ATK of a Melodious on my field by eight hundred until my next Standby Phase." Mozarta released a musical note as she glowed, her power increasing. (A3400/D2000/L8) "Attack."
"Don't forget, Sunburst Magician can't be targeted for an attack while I have my other Fire Monsters on the field.
"Then I'll attack you Burn Blader!" The songstress unleashed a powerful soundwave, which flew across the table hit the blazing armor in the chest and destroyed it. With one less Fire monster on the field, Sunburst Magician lost ATK power. (A2800/D2200/L7)
Sweetie: 4000 Sunburst: 2100
"I end my turn with a face down," Sweetie said while Sunburst recovered from the attack.
This was bad. Maybe he should have let Flash face off against this girl. No, they'd still be in the same position if Sunburst went up against Scootaloo and lost. If he wanted to make up for everything, he needed to find a way to win this Duel. "It's my draw, and I'll activate my face down."
Sweetie looked down at the field and saw her monster be surrounded by a fiery aura, while the aura around Sunburst Magician intensified. (A3300/D2200/L7) "What the?"
"My face down was the Trap card DNA Transplant. Now every monster on the field becomes the attribute I decide on, and I pick fire."
"So Mozarta's a Fire monster now?"
"Yes, and any other monster you summon. Now I activate Sunburst's ability."
Sweetie: 4000 Sunburst: 1800
Sunburst drew his card, "I summon Sunburst Familiar!" The flaming kitsune appeared on the field. (A1200/D1000/L3) And with it there, Sunburst Magician's ATK increased. (A3800/D2200/L7) "Attack!" The wizard pointed its staff at Mozarta and unleashed a burst of fire, destroying her and singing away Sweetie's life points while Sunburst Magician grew weaker. (A3300/D2200/L7)
Sweetie: 3600 Sunburst: 1800
"Now you're open to a direct attack!" Familiar prepared to fire its attack, but in this moment Sweetie smiled as she flipped her face down over.
"I activate my Trap!" A pillar of light appeared on her field, as Aria, Conan and Mozarta flew up into it. "Necro Fusion. Now I can banish monsters from my graveyard to Fusion Summon."
"Awe man," the V-Fighters all said together.
The three monsters joined hands as they began to glow. "Now listen, as these three harmonise and fuse into one. As their powers merge and transform into something even more melodic." The three transformed into a trio of lights, which spiralled together before exploding. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal a woman in a yellow dress with musical notes on it. From her back sprouted a pair of blue lowers. "Behold, the show stopping songstress whose voice will blow you away. Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir!" (A1900/D1000/L7) "And what's more, she gets an extra three hundred points for each monster used in her Fusion."
"She used three monsters to fuse it," Spike did the math. "That's nine hundred points!" (A2800/D1000/L7)
"This Duel just got a whole lot harder," Flash said. If Sunburst lost this battle, they dreams of entering the Double X would go up in flames. Could Sunburst pull this match back from the brink? There's only one way to find out."
The second match of the micro tournament was underway, with Sunburst and Sweetie Belle battling it out. Sweetie was currently in the lead, having twice as many points as Sunburst, and had just managed to Fusion Summon her Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir. Sunburst meanwhile, had his powered up Sunburst Magician along with Sunburst Familiar and UFO Turtle.
Sunburst frowned as he looked at Bloom Prima. It's summons had prevented his monsters from attacking her directly, but on the plus side it being there meant his Sunburst Magician's ATK strength went up. (A3800/D2200/L7) "I switch my UFO Turtle to DEF mode, then place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then I'll go!" Sweetie drew her card, "I activate the effect of my Fortissimo." Bloom Prima glowed while harmonising, her power increasing. (A3600/D1000/L7) "Attack Sunburst Familiar!" The lady began to sing, firing a powerful soundwave as she did. This attack flew at the kitsune.
Sunburst flipped his face down over, "I activate my Spirit Barrier Trap card. Now, as long as I have a monster on my field, any battle damage I receive is negated."
Flash and Spike smiled. "So only Direct Attacks and Effect damage will hurt him," Spike realised.
"That's gonna come in handy," Flash said.
Bloom Prima's soundwaves struck Familiar and destroyed it, activating its effect. "Now I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add two Fire Monsters to my hand." He did so, while Sunburst Magician's ATK power went down. (A3300/D2200/L7)
Sweetie then smiled. "My turns not over yet, because Bloom Prima can attack twice." Sunburst frowned while Sweetie's monster unleashed another sonic blast, which struck his UFO Turtle and destroyed it.
This then made Sunburst smirk. "Sorry, but when UFO Turtle is destroyed, I can search my deck for a Fire Monster with fifteen hundred of less ATK and summon it to the field." He grabbed his deck and shuffled through it, "and I'll summon another UFO Turtle." Said Turtle appeared on the field. (A1400/D1200/L4)
Sweetie smiled, "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"My turn," Sunburst drew his card. "I activate Sunburst Magician's ability!"
Sweetie: 3600 Sunburst: 1500
He drew his cards and grabbed two. "I summon a pair of Sunburst Guardians!" The shield carrying knights appeared on the holo-table, standing besides Sunburst Magician and UFO Turtle. With them, his magician gained an extra thousand ATK points. (A4300/D2200/L7) "I switch UFO to ATK mode and attack with Sunburst Magician!"
"I don't think so," Sweetie told him. "I play my Trap, Compulsory Evacuation Device!" Everyone went wide eyed at this, as a machine appeared on the table and sucked Sunburst Magician inside before shutting its door and finally launching the Ritual monster into the air. "Now your Sunburst Magician is sent back to your hand."
Sunburst frowned as he placed the back with the others. "Fine," he placed a card face down, "I end my turn."
"Then I'll go," the effects of Fortissimo wore off and Bloom Prima's ATK returned to normal. (A2800/D1000) "Since I have a Melodious monster on my field, I can special summon Sonata the Melodious Diva!" Said songstress appeared besides Bloom Prima. (A1200/D1000/L3) "And as long as this special summoned card is out, all Fairy Type monsters get five hundred extra ATK points." (A3300/D1000) (A1700/D1000/L3) "Then I'll use Fortissimo's effect on Sonata, increasing her power by eight hundred points. (A2500/D1000/L3) "Now attack one of his Sunburst Guardians!" Sonata unleashed her sonic attack.
"Not happening," Sunburst explained. "I activate, the Trap Draining Shield." Said shield replaced the one Sunburst Guardian was holding, which blocked the attack. "Not only is your attack concealed, but my life points increase by Sonata's ATK strength.
Sweetie: 3600 Sunburst: 4000
Flash and Spike both cheered. "Sunburst's life points are back to full."
"Way to play!" Flash cried.
Sweetie frowned at this, but Scootaloo and Applebloom called out to her. "It's alright. You've still got this."
"Yeah," Applebloom agreed, "he just got lucky. And you've still got attacks left."
Sweetie nodded, "that's right. Bloom Prima, attack his two Sunburst Guardians!" She did so, unleashing both attack simultaneously and destroying them both. "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"My draw," Sunburst did so while Sweetie flipped her face down over.
"I activate my Trap, Musical Mayhem. This card deals you eight hundred points of damage for every Melodious monster on my field. And with two, you lose sixteen hundred points."
Sweetie: 3600 Sunburst: 2400
"Alright," Sunburst looked down at his cards and saw he'd drawn Ritual Spirit. However, he didn't have any Ritual monsters in his grave to use it. Unless. "I activate the effect of my Ashes Magician." The ghostly image of said magician appeared on the field. "By banishing him from the grave, I can add one Spell card from my grave to the hand." The magician burst into flames, the ashes transforming into a card that flew into Sunburst's hand. "And now I'll use that card. Sunburst Altar!"
Sweetie gasped, as the table, candles and basin appeared on the field. "He's Ritual Summoning again."
"That's right, and what better card to use in a Ritual Summon then a Ritual monster." Sunburst Magician appeared above the table before exploding into fireballs, which then lit seven of the candles. "Courageous flames, that burn like the sun, give life to the warrior whose fiery heart cannot be extinguished!" The fire on the candles shot up before flying into the basin, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and took form before fading. "Sunburst Knight!" (A2600/D1900/L7) "Next I summon Pink Sun Magician, in DEF Mode." A woman in pink sun patterned clothing appeared besides the other monsters. (A1000/D1000/L3/P8)
"Get'em Sunburst!" Spike cheered his teammate on.
Sunburst nodded before turning back to the Duel. "Sunburst Knight, attack Bloom Prima!" The knight raised its sword, as all the other monsters on the field glowed a fiery aura. "During the Battle Phase, Sunburst Knight gains five hundred points for every other Fire monster on field. And since my DNA Transplant changed all yours to Fire types, they're also fuelling the fire. (A4600/D1900/L7) "GO!" The knight shot forwards and cut Sweetie's monster in half.
Sweetie: 2300 Sunburst: 2400
"I place one card face down and end my turn, activating Pink Sun's effect." He showed his Ashes Magician and placed in back in his graveyard. "By paying three hundred points for each one, I can return any number of banished Fire monsters back into my graveyard."
Sweetie: 2300 Sunburst: 2100
Sunburst's turn ended, with Sunburst Knight's ATK returning to normal. (A2600/D1900/L7). "It's my turn," Sweetie drew while Sonata's ATK returned to normal. "I play Graceful Charity, which lets me draw three cards before I have to discard two." She looked at the cards she'd gotten and nodded. "I activate, Dimension Fusion!"
"Did she say Dimension Fusion?" Sunburst asked.
"What's that?" An audience member asked.
Another member of the crowd replied. "By paying two thousand life points, she can summon any number of banished cards."
Sweetie: 300 Sunburst: 2100
"She's putting everything on the line for this," Flash realised.
"I summon back Aria, Conan and Mozarta!" A portal appeared above the table, which the three monsters flew out of and landed next to Sonata. (A1600/D1200/L4) (A1400/D2000/L4) (A2600/D2000/L8) "And since Sonata's on the field, they all get a power boost." (A2100/D1200/L4) (A1900/D2000/L4) (A3100/D2000/L8) "And then I'll use Fortissimo to increase Sonata's power. (A2500/D1000/L3)
"This is gonna be a big," Spike gulped.
"Sunburst can handle it," Flash said before mentally adding 'I hope.'
"Mozarta, take out his knight!" The red dressed woman unleashed her sonic blast, which flew at Sunburst Knight and destroyed him. "Now Aria will attack UFO Turtle." Another sound blast was sent across the table, hitting Sunburst's other monster."
"Don't forget about his ability," Sunburst grabbed his deck and shuffled through it until he found the card he wanted. "Sunburst Apprentice!" The young wizard appeared on the field, (A1500/D1300/L4)
"He won't be sticking around for long," Sweetie told him. "Sonata!" Another sound attack was unleashed, destroying the newly summoned wizard. "Conan!" With another sonic blast, Sunburst's last monster was destroyed.
Sunburst's entire field was now empty, while Sweetie had three monsters on hers. "I'm now using the effect of my Melodious Tenor," she took that card out of her graveyard and placed it in her pocket both taking three more cards out of the grave and holding them up. "Pick one." Sunburst raised an eyebrow at this before pointing to the middle one, which Sweetie placed in her hand while sending the others back to the grave. Tenor let's me pick three Spell or Trap in my grave, which you then pick. That one's added to my hand." She placed that card face down, "I end my turn."
Sunburst frowned. If that card was Musical Mayhem, he'd lose. "It all comes down to this," he said as he placed his hand on his deck. "It's my turn. I draw," he looked at Sweetie but she did nothing. Looks like he hadn't given her the card that'd win her the match. He then looked at the card he'd drawn, "seriously." Of all the cards to get, he drew this one. "Perfect."
Sweetie raised an eyebrow at this. "What'd you get?"
"Let me show you," Sunburst replied. "First, I activate my Ritual Spirit Trap card. With this, I can revive one Ritual Monster on my field. Arise once again, Sunburst Knight!" The Ritual monster returned to the field, swinging its sword around. "Now I can activate the Spell I just got. Rebirth Ritual!"
"Alright!" Flash and Spike both cheered, knowing what was coming next. The crusaders meanwhile, began to sweat as a pillar of fire exploded out of the table and engulfed Sunburst Knight.
"With this, Sunburst Knight can evolve to the next stage of his existence!" The pillar grew in size, until it eventually exploded and unleashed a powerful light. "RITUAL EVOLUTION!"
The light faded to reveal Sunburst's new monster. It was Sunburst Knight, only his armor looked more regal with robes being seen beneath it. His cape was the same, except now it had a golden fur trim around the edges. His sword had been replaced by a golden staff with a blade on the end of it. "Sunburst...PALADIN!" (A3200/D2300/L8)
Everyone awed at the sight of this new monster. Sweetie was just as impressed. "Nice monster, but it won't save you. Not once it's back in your hand." She flipped her face down over, as a familiar looking machine appeared on the field.
"Compulsory Evacuation Device," Spike said in worry.
"So that's the card she got back," Flash continued. "This is bad." He looked to Sunburst, expecting to see him panicking, but was instead surprised to see him looking completely calm.
"Don't worry guys," Sunburst took a card out of his hand and placed it in the grave. "Whenever my opponent activates a card effect, Paladin's effect let's me discard a card and negate it."
"What?" Sweetie asked in shock before everyone looked down at the field and saw Sunburst Paladin's staff ignite. It then pointed said weapon at the machine and caused it to explode.
"There's more!" Sunburst announced, "First off, Rebirth Ritual increases Sunburst Paladin's ATK points by one thousand for this turn. (A4200/D2300/L8) "And he has another ability, which grants him an additional 300 ATK points for every Fire monster on our fields or our graveyards."
"Seriously?" Sweetie tried to count how many Fire monsters Sunburst currently had in his grave, "was it ten?"
"Twelve," Sunburst correct, "which equals thirty six hundred points. Plus the cards on your field that my DNA Transplant changed to Fire, make it forty eight hundred!" Sunburst Paladin raised its staff, as the ghostly images of Sunburst's fallen monsters appeared around him before bursting into flames. They surrounded the blade of the staff, while Sweetie's monsters gave off a flaming aura that did the same and raised the Paladin's power. (A9000/D2300/L8)
"Nine thousand ATK points!" And there was nothing Sweetie could do to stop it.
"Sunburst Paladin, attack Mozarta and end this Duel!" The evolved Ritual monster rushed across the table and raised its blazing weapon, then swung it around and cut Sweetie's monster in half while shooting flames at her.
"Ahh!" Sweetie cried as the holographic flames hit her.
Sweetie: 0 Sunburst: 2100 (Winner)
Sweetie stumbled back as the holograms disappeared, while the shop girl gestured to Sunburst. "Winner, Team V-Fighter's Sunburst!"
"I did it!" Sunburst cheered in excitement, while Flash and Spike rushed over to him.
"Sunburst!" Spike cried as Sunburst spun around, the three all raising their hands in the air and triple high-fiving.
Sunburst smiled at the two, "I did it. I beat her."
"Yeah you did," Flash agreed. His smile then faded when he realised what this meant, as he turned back to the table and saw Scootaloo standing on the opposite side of it. If he wanted to get to the Double X, he had to beat his sister.
"You up for this Flash?" Spike asked him."
"Yeah," Flash replied, "I won't let all your hard work go to waste." He stepped up to the table and took out his deck, "you ready sis?"
Scootaloo smiled while placing her deck down on the table, "I was born ready." The whole shop went quite, as the two drew their cards.
"Good luck Flash," Spike told his teammate.
"Make sure you win this," Sunburst went on.
"You got this Scootaloo," Applebloom cheered her teammate on.
"The Double X," Sweetie said. "Here we come."
Before the shop girl could even announce it, the siblings began the final match. "DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Scootaloo: 4000
"Come on Scootaloo!" A watcher in the crowd yelled.
"Go Team Crusaders!"
"You got this!"
"Oh geez," Sunburst said. "It doesn't feel like anyone's on our side."
"Do you blame them?" Spike asked, "this shop is their home ground, so their bound to support their home team." He then smiled, "but Flash isn't the type to let the atmosphere distract him."
"True," Sunburst agreed.
"Alright," Flash drew his card, "I'll start by summoning Lightspeed Dragon in ATK mode!" The small wolf version of Flash Heart appeared on the table, "I'll place two cards face down and end my turn." He turned to his sister and smiled, "you're up squirt."
"Then here I go!" Scootaloo drew her card and nodded. "And I'll start with a Spell card known as Xyz Gate. This bad boy lets me summon an Xyz monster, by discarding the monsters required for it from my hand. So I'll ditch two cards in order to summon Grenosaurus!" From out of the table came a large red T-rex with metal and fire covering its body. "And since he was summoned using Xyz Gate, Grenosaurus's Rank now becomes a Level. (A2000/D1900/L3)
"I get the feeling she's not done yet," Spike said.
"What's she up to?" Sunburst asked.
"Next, I activate my Ghosts of Extinction Spell card." Two pillars of light shot out of the table, as a pair of monsters appeared out of the ground. "This card let's me summon any Dinosaur monsters in my graveyard, but they're destroyed during the End Phase and I take a thousand points of damage for each one." The two monsters were Rush Raptor and Velocity Raptor. (A1200/D1400/L3) (A1000/D1200/L3)
Everyone in the store clapped at this and rightly so. "She got a bunch of Level three monsters out without even needing to Pendulum Summon," Sunburst awed.
"And she's not done," Spike said.
"And now!" Scootaloo yelled, "I'm using these three monsters to build the Overlay Network." Her three monsters changed into lights, which shot into the air before flying into the black hole that had just formed. "Watch as the ancient powers of a Dinosaur are awakened!" The black hole exploded in light as a new monster appeared. "I XYZ SUMMON."
"And with Rush Raptor as an Overlay Unit, Wild Rush gains five hundred ATK points." (A2500/D2000/R3) "Next I'll activate his ability!" One of the lights shot into Wild Rush Raptor's mouth. "Now any battle damage he deals for this turn is doubled. So attack Flash's Lightspeed Dragon!" The winged dinosaur shot into the air before flying at the armoured wolf and spinning around. It's tail smashed into Lightspeed, only for the image to shatter like glass to reveal another Lightspeed Dragon behind it.
Flash: 2400 Scootaloo: 4000
"Sorry sis," Flash told her. "But with my Reflection Card, I can negate my monster's destruction."
Scootaloo frowned. "I place on card face down and end my turn."
"My turn. I draw and then I'll tribute Lightspeed in order to summon my Twin Laser Dragon!" The robot wolf was replaced by the cybernetic brachiosaurus. (A2100/D1500/L5) "Now I'll have him attack your Wild Rush Raptor!"
"But my monster's way stronger then yours?" Scootaloo asked. "Why have it attack?"
"Because I'm also activating this Spell card," Flash flipped his face down over. "Go, Multiversal Spirit. Now I can take one monster in my Extra Deck and send it to the grave," he drew his Flash Dragon Accel and discarded it. "Now my monster will get a power boost equal to Accel's Level times one hundred." (A2900/D1500/L5) Twin Laser fired one of its cannons and destroyed Scootaloo's Wild Rush Raptor.
Flash: 2400 Scootaloo: 3600
"And don't forget that Twin Laser can attack twice in a single turn."
"Not before I activate my Trap," Scootaloo flipped her face down face up. "Go, Survival Instincts. Now I can banish any number of Dinosaur monsters in my graveyard and gain four hundred points for each one." She took out Rush Raptor Grenosaurus and Velocity Raptor
Flash: 2400 Scootaloo: 4800
Flash smirked, "not bad kid." Twin Laser fired its ATK and struck Scootaloo in the chest.
Flash: 2400 Scootaloo: 1900
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Twin Laser's ATK power returned to normal. (A2100/D1500/L5)
"Alright, then it's my draw!" Scootaloo drew her card, smiling when she was what it was. This was just what she needed. "I'll start my activating my Last Ditch Effort Spell card." Flash raised an eyebrow at this, seeing the card he'd given her so long ago. "Now I can revive my Wild Rush Raptor back to the field." Said monster appeared infront of her, "but that's not all!" She took the card she'd just drawn, "I activate Rank-Up-Magic Jurassic Force!"
Flash smirked, "now things are gonna get interesting."
"You know it. Jurassic Force let's me Rank up any Dinosaur-Type Xyz monster on my field, so I'll be Ranking up my Wild Rush Raptor." Wild Rush transformed into a stream of light, which flew up and into a black hole as it opened. "Let the Primal instincts take over, and help you achieve power long since forgotten by history!" she chanted as the black hole exploded. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The light faded, revealing Scootaloo's new monster. It's entire body was now more dragonic, being a combo of red and white with black stripes. It stood on four legs and had a quartet of metal bladed wings. It had a large metal horn on its snout and white fur running down the back of its long neck. On the end of its long tail, was a golden spearhead like weapon. "Jurassic Raging Raptor!" (A2600/D2400/R4/P6) The beast roared.
"Impressive," Flash said while everyone else awed, "now what?"
"Now I activate Jurassic Raging Raptor's ability," Scootaloo drew three cards. "Since he was special summoned, I can look at the top three cards of my deck and add any Level four dinos to him as Overlay Units." She spun the cards around, "and I got Black Stego, Two-Headed King Rex and Bone Armour Raptor." She placed the cards under her monster card, as three new lights appeared along with the first. "Now, I attack your Twin Laser Dragon!"
Everyone watched as the beast took flight and flew at Flash's monster. "Next I'll activate his other ability. By removing any number of Overlay units from him, I can reduce you monster's ATK by four hundred for each one." She removed three of its four Overlay Units, the dinosaur biting down on the lights before unleashing a powerful breath attack that struck Twin Laser. (A900/D1500/L5) Jurassic Raging Raptor flew down and slashed the robot with its tail.
"I activate my face down," Flash flipped his card face up. "Defence Draw! Now I can negate the damage dealt to me and draw one card."
Scootaloo frowned, "well my Raptor has one last ability. Since he has Wild Rush Raptor as an Overlay Unit, whenever he destroys a monster I can draw cards equal to that monster's Level." She drew five cards, then took two of them and placed them on the field. "I'll now set the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Dino Knight Tricera Guard and scale seven Dino Knight Rap-Tearer!" The columns of light appeared on either side of the field, with the two monsters flying up. Flash knew the blue triceratops knight, but the green knight with raptor themed armour and sharp clawed gauntlets was new to him.
Everyone watched as the portal appeared above the table while Scootaloo cried out, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened before a single light shot out, revealing a red knight in T-Rex armor that held a lance. "Dino Knight, Tyrano Lancer!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P5) "I end my turn with a face down."
"Then I'll go," Flash drew his card and nodded before turning to his sister. "There's no doubt, you've certainly gotten a lot stronger. You must have been training really hard." He took two cards from his hand, "but not hard enough to beat me."
Scootaloo just smirked, "we'll see."
Flash nodded before setting the cards down. "Now I'll set the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Crystal Tusk Magna Boar and scale nine Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" The pillars of light appeared on the field as the two monsters flew up, a portal appearing between them once they were high enough. "Now watch, as I cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A single light shot out and struck the table, taking form and fading to reveal Flash's ace. "Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"There it is," Sweetie said.
"This is where the battle gets interesting," Applebloom nodded.
"Come on Flash!" Spike cheered.
"You'll need more then that," Sunburst told him.
"I know," Flash agreed. "I activate Flash Heart X's ability!" A wormhole opened up below Scootaloo's Dino Knight, "Tyrano Lancer in banished!" It was sucked inside, leaving Jurassic Raging Raptor alone."
"Come on Flash," Scootaloo told him. "You really think I didn't realise you were gonna use Flash Heart?"
Flash just smiled, "well did you see this coming?" He slapped a card on the field, as a familiar looking fairy monster appeared besides Flash Heart. (A100/D100/L1)
"Vail Pixie?" Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at this. Flash had sent Accel to the grave, so he could....wait. She looked at the last card in Flash's hand, "you were planning this from the start."
"To right," Flash replied. "I now sacrifice Flash Heart and one Level one Light monster, in order to awaken Flash Heart's ultimate power!" With that, Flash Heart and Vail Pixie glowed before they shot into the air, with Vail Pixie morphing into a cocoon of light that completely enveloped Flash Heart Dragon.
Almost everyone in the store knew what was coming, many of them having been watching the events of last year, and all grew worried. The only one who wasn't worried was Scootaloo, whose smirk hadn't left her face. "Bring it on."
Flash smiled back before slapping his card on the field, "TRANSCEND!" The cocoon of light exploded off of his monster, revealing a hyper evolved Flash Heart. "Flash Dragon...MAGNA HARMONY!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Sweetie began shaking while Applebloom spoke, "oh no. Magna Harmony. He's really not holdin back now."
"Activating Magna Harmony's skill," Flash took Twin Laser and Accel out of the grave. "Magna Harmony attack!" The dragon shot forwards, ready to claw at Jurassic Raging Raptor."
"I activate my Trap!" Scootaloo cried as she flipped the card over, "Overlay Guardian! Now, I can remove one Overlay Unit to negate your attack!" The light around her monster flew off before transforming into Wild Rush Raptor, which intercepted the attack and was destroyed in place of its evolved form.
"Well don't forget that Magna Harmony has Twin Laser's effect, so he can attack twice this turn!" The dragon spun around and slammed its tail into Scootaloo's monster, destroying it.
Flash: 2400 Scootaloo: 1500
"And now that your field's empty, you're open for I direct attack. And if you've been paying attention, you'll know what's coming." Magna Harmony disappeared in a flash of light and was replaced by Flash Heart, which shot forward ready to attack. Plus, Magna Boar's Pendulum Ability raises the ATK of Pendulum Monster by five hundred during the battle phase. (A3000/D2000/L7/P4)
"I activate the Pendulum Ability of Tricera Guard!" Scootaloo cried, "if I have a dinosaur monster in my other Pendulum Zone, when you declare an attack I can summon it to the field!" Rap-Tearer leapt out of the light pillar to intercept Flash Heart's attack, then swung its claws through the air to unleash blades of wind that hit Flash's monster. (A1500/D2000/L7/P4)
"What the?"
"Oh," Scootaloo said, "did I forget to mention that when Rap-Tearer's special summoned, he can cut the ATK of a monster on your field in half." Flash Heart sucker punched Rap-Tearer, destroying it.
Flash: 2400 Scootaloo: 1000
Flash sighed, "I end my turn." He then smiled. "Gotta say sis, that was impressive. Not just anyone can stop Magna Harmony."
"I know," Scootaloo drew her card. "I told you, the Crusaders won't stop until we're the best of the best."
"Then show me your best!"
"I will," Scootaloo slapped a card on the field. "I reset the Pendulum Scale with scale six Para Shooter!" The right hand pillar reappeared as a knight in black parasaurolophus armored appeared inside it while carrying a crossbow with said dinosaur's head on the front. "Now I can recarve the arc of victory, allowing me to Pendulum Summon!"
The portal appeared above the table and opened as a pair of lights shot out, hit the ground and faded to reveal the monsters Flash had defeated last turn. "Jurassic Raging Raptor!" (A2600/D2400/R4/P6) "And Dino Knight Rap-Tearer!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P7) "And since they were special summoned, their abilities activate. Rap-Tearer slashed the air, firing wind blades at Flash Heart and cutting its ATK power in half. (A1250/D2000/L7/P4) Scootaloo drew three cards and showed them to Flash, revealing a Spell and a pair of dinosaur monsters. One was Level three while the other was her Level four Element Saurus, which she placed under her Xyz monster.
"This is bad," Spike said.
"This might be the end," Sunburst agreed.
"Jurassic Raging Raptor, attack Flash Heart Dragon X!" Scootaloo removed her monster's Overlay Unit, allowing her beast to unleash its breath attack and weaken Flash Heart even more. (A850/D2000/L7/P4) Jurassic Raging Raptor used its tail to cut Flash Heart in half.
Flash: 650 Scootaloo: 1000
"It's over Flash," Scootaloo told her brother. "Rap-Tearer, finish this!" Her Dino Knight shot forwards, preparing to slash Flash in the chest. But before it could get close, something else jumped infront of it. Magna Chimp, who had jumped out of the Pendulum Zone and blocked the claws with his own while Magna Boar exploded. "What happened?"
Flash smirked. "Sorry sis, but you're not the only one whose Pendulum Monsters can protect them. When I'm directly attacked, I can destroy my other Pendulum Zoned monster to summon him."
Scootaloo groaned, suddenly remembering him pulling the same trick against Rainbow. How could she have forgotten about that? "Doesn't matter," she placed on card face down. "I end my turn." She looked down at her face down, which was her Mirror Force. Even if Flash summoned a super strong monster, as soon as it attack she'd destroy every card on the field.
Flash and his teammates suspected something like this, with Spike shaking. "Flash managed to survive, but he's got nothing in his hand. And Magna Chimp won't be enough."
Sunburst nodded. "If he doesn't draw a game changer, it's all over."
Flash looked back at them, knowing they were right. It all came down to this draw. "Here goes," he drew his card and smiled. "Sweet. I activate Starburst Reload!" The Crusader's faltered while the V-Fighters smiled. "Now I'll banish Lightspeed Dragon and draw four cards. "I now reset the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Lustrous Feather Magna Leghorn and scale nine Nightlight Magna Sheep!" The pillar of light appeared on his side of the field, with the two monsters flying up into them. Once there, the portal began to open. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out of it.
"Illuminate this battle field, Crystal Tusk Magna Boar!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P2)
"Shine your light of Victory, Flash Heart Dragon X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
Scootaloo went wide-eyed at the sight of the third card. Chaos Command? You wouldn't summon that unless you were..." She looked up at her brother and saw him hold up a card, which he spun around to show to her.
"Unless I had this," Flash finished before activating said card. "Go, Rank-Up-Magic Pendulum Force!" Everyone gasped as Chaos Command was sucked into a black hole that appeared on the floor. "Turn everything to nothing and continue from the beginning. Unleash the trustiest form of chaos," he chanted as the black hole exploded. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The light faded, revealing his evolved Xyz monster. "Chaos Command...REVOLUTION!" (A3500/D3000/R8) And with Chaos Command Dragon as an Overlay Unit, Pendulum Force grants him seven hundred extra ATK points. (A4200/D3000/R8) "And now, by removing all his Overlay Units, I can banish every card on your side of the field!" Chaos Command Revolution smashed its single light between its hands, then opened them to reveal a red and black orb that it tossed into the air.
The orb then exploded into a red and black vortex, which sucked up Jurassic Raging Raptor, Rap-Tearer, the cards in Scootaloo's Pendulum Zones and her face down. "No way," Scootaloo whispered before turning to look at her brother. She then noticed a look of doubt on his face. She knew what was up, he didn't want to beat her and prevent them from getting into the Double X. Well to bad for him, because she wouldn't let him go easy on her.
Stepping back from the table, she held out her arms. "COME ON!" Everyone turned to her in surprise, "bring it on. I'm not afraid of your attack. What's up, to wimpy to hit a girl?"
Flash's frown turned to a smirk, seeing what she was doing. "Thanks sis." He looked down at the field. "Flash Heart, do the honours!" His ace's boosters ignited before rocketing it forwards, Flash Heart pulling its fist back before thrusting it forwards into Scootaloo's chest.
The girl cried out for a second, but still smiled. "Nice one bro. I'll get you...next time."
Flash: 650 (Winner) Scootaloo: 0
The shop went dead silent, until the store girl spoke up. "And the winner of the match is team V-Fighter's Flash Sentry. With two wins and one lose, the V-Fighters are the winners." She turned to them, "congratulations. You've earned the right to compete in the Double X."
"WE DID IT!" The V-Fighters all cheered, while the rest of the shop's customers all clapped.
Scootaloo and her friends moved around the table to the V-Fighters, holding out her hand. "Great work Flash, you really deserved it."
Flash smiled back at her both taking her hand, only to pull her into a hug. "Thanks sis. We won't let you down."
"You better not," Sweetie said as she shook Sunburst's hand. "Now you've beaten us, you're representing this shop."
"So don't go embarrassing us," Applebloom warned as she and Spike shook hands.
"We won't," Spike and Sunburst laughed. The V-Fighters turned to one another and smiled. Finally, after everything they'd been through, they had earned a spot in the Double X. Now it was onto their next mission, becoming the champions of the entire thing. But who knows what challenges they'll face, on the road to achieving that dream.
Later that day
The sun was setting, bathing the city in an orange glow. In the garden of one of these houses, we find Tempest Shadow sitting in a a patio chair reading something off of a clip board she was holding. "So," she said, "they made it in." Her thoughts were broken by the door of the house opening, making her turn to see two people step outside. "Ah, Starlight, Heath, you've finally arrived."
The two figures were a boy and a girl. The girl had pink skin with purple and blue hair, wearing a blue top over a black vest with purple ripped jeans. She was also wearing a pink hat with white stars. The boy had light purple skin and red hair, wearing a mainly red jacket and brown pants. The two of them were also wearing a single fingerless black glove on their right hand.
They both walked over to Tempest as she placed the clipboard on the table next to her. They sat down as the girl took the clipboard. "Are these the teams we'll be going up against in the Double X?"
"Yes, they are. And almost all the Duellists from the Shadow Gate incident are competing. Our mission begins now."
"Whatever," Heath said, "it's not like they're actually gonna beat us."
"That's what we're trying to find out," Tempest replied before standing up. "We must find it, the one worthy of our lord."
Tomorrow, the Double X Tournament would begin. Over a hundred Duellists would be trying to claim the title of champion, but only one team could win it. But today, many of the teams were enjoying a day of rest before the big event.
That included the V-Fighters, as Spike and Sunburst were sitting outside the park. They were waiting for Flash, who had promised something fun for them as a sendoff for the Double X.
"If it's a sendoff, isn't someone else suppose to organise it?" Sunburst asked.
Spike just shrugged, "so let's call it a rally. Doesn't really matter, as long as we have fun."
"I guess, but what's taking Flash so long? He said to be here at ten and now it's ten fifteen." Before Spike could answer that, the revving of an engine made them turn to see something zoom down the street before coming to a stop. Now stationary, the two saw it was a dark blue Duel Runner with orange trim. Someone in a blue body suit and helmet sat atop it.
The rider lifted the visor of his helmet and allowed the two to see it was Flash. "Hey, sorry I'm late." He then pulled out two more helmets. "Come on, let's get going."
Spike smirked and moved over to climb on, but Sunburst didn't look so sure. "You want us to ride of that thing?"
"Sure," Flash replied, "why not? It's perfectly safe. I've been driving this thing for a year and I haven't had a single accident."
"Yeah," Spike was no one the Runner with his helmet on, "don't be such a wuss."
Sunburst sighed, seeing he was outvoted, before climbing on behind Spike and putting on the helmet. "Alright, just don't drive to FAST!!!" His plea was lost to the wind that surrounded the Duel Runner as it zoomed down the street.
Across town, Team Tidal Maidens were starting their own pre-tournament day of fun.
Only instead of whatever Flash had planned, they were at a spa ready to spend the day relaxing. "This is gonna be good," Twilight said as they stepped out of the changing rooms wearing pink robes. "A nice long dip in the hot springs is just what we need to wash away the stress and be ready for whatever the Double X throws at us."
Fluttershy looked a little worried about something. "Hmm...the hot springs aren't...hmm...mixed bathing are they?"
"Of course not," Sunset assured her. "It'll just be us girls in there."
"But everything else is mixed gender," Tidal said as he stepped in a blue robe. "Massages, saunas, mud masks the whole shebang! Shall we get going ladies?" The girls nodded before heading in.
The first thing they did was spend a good half hour in the sauna, sweating out all their problems. "So nice," Fluttershy sighed in comfort. Twilight, Sunset and Tidal all nodded.
"I know all that stuff about saunas detoxifying you is a total lie, but this feels to good to care."
"Agreed," Sunset replied. "So after this, what do you guys wanna do next?"
"How about a massage?" Tidal suggested, with the girls nodding. Once their sauna session was over, they moved over to the massage room. Fluttershy was a little apprehensive to taking off her robe with Tidal in the room, but luckily they managed to persuade her that he couldn't see a thing through the divider he was standing behind.
"Right there," Twilight told her masseuse as she massaged the area she described. Sunset and Fluttershy were receiving the same treatment, while Tidal was getting the full on karate chop action.
"O-o-o-o-h-h-h-h y-y-y-y-e-e-e-e-a-a-a-a-h-h-h-h," he let out as his back was repetitively struck.
Canterlot wasn't the only city with Duellists preparing to take on the Double X challenge.
In Cloudsdale, Team Wonderbolts were walking down the hallway. They had been doing some last minute deck work when they'd been asked to come to gymnasium five. "Wonder what's up?" Gilda asked.
Soarin suddenly got a look of worry on his face. "You don't think they're gonna tell us to drop out of the Double X, do you?"
"No way," Rainbow said. "We were one of the first teams to win a place in it. There's no way they'd have us pull out now."
"Then what is it?" Gilda asked.
Rainbow shrugged her shoulders as they reached the gym. "Looks like we're about to find out," they all took a deep breath before Rainbow pushed the doors open. They stepped inside and found the place was pitch black, "hello?"
"Anyone here?" Soarin asked.
"If this is some kinda lame prank," Gilda began but the lights came on before she she could finish her threat.
"SURPRISE!" The three looked around and saw the place was decorated for a Pinkie Pie level party, with many students and teachers there.
"What?" Fleetfoot asked, "you thought we'd let you guys head off to a big competition without the right send off? What do you take us for."
The three were still surprised by this, but then all smiled and quickly jumped into the party.
"YAHOO!" The V-Fighters all yelled as the roller-coaster shot down the downward track.
Yes, Flash's sendoff idea was to spend the day at an amusement park. He had managed to get his hands on three fast pass bracelets, so they could enjoy the rides without needing to spend three hours in line. This meant the intervals between awesome rides was only how long it took to run from one to the other, which was not long.
"That was awesome!" Spike cheered as they climbed out of the carts and moved over to the park map. "What do you guys wanna do now?"
"How about the Mystical Space Typhoon," Flash suggested. "I hear that's nothing but loop the loops."
"Or we could go on the Sanctuary in the Sky," Sunburst pointed to said ride. "That ride goes up pretty high."
"Or we could play some of the games," Spike pointed to an area of the map. "If they've got a basketball shot game, I'd clean up." Flash and Sunburst both liked the idea of that and headed over to the games area, stopping only once so Flash and Spike could batter Sunburst in the bumper cars.
Once at the games area, they began having the time of their lives. Flash won big at a shooting game while Spike did as he had said and managed to clean up at a basketball game, while Sunburst had trouble with the many skill oriented game. Flash and Spike both left their won games carrying the rewards, Flash holding a Black Luster Solider figurine while Spike had a stuffed Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
It seemed the universe then decided to give Sunburst a break, as when they headed to the mini-golf field the glasses wearing teen got eighteen holes in one. He said it was thanks to his vast understanding of geometry, but Flash and Spike just figured he got lucky. Either way, they left the area with Sunburst's picture now hanging in its hall of fame.
Finally, they spotted a caricature and all sat down. Several minutes later, they left with a poster like sketch of them in different Duel Monster designs. Flash was Dark Magician, Spike was Buster Blader and Sunburst was Flame Swordsmen. "Not bad," Flash said before rolling it up and putting it away. "So what do you guys wanna do next?"
Sunburst was the one that answered. "Err, Flash. Did you check the weather today?"
"Yup. Sunny all day."
"You sure?" Flash and Spike turned to him in confusion, only to see him looking up at the sky. When they did the same, they spotted several dark clouds were filling the skies.
"Oh great," Flash sighed before looking around. "Over there." He lead them into another building, just in time to evade the rain as the heavens opened up. "Sorry guys. I could have sworn it said it was gonna be sunny."
"It's not your fault," Spike assured him. "Since when is the weatherman ever right." The others smiled as they looked around the building they'd run into, finding they were in some kind of Japanese restaurant. Seeing as it had just turned one, they decided to grab a bite to eat.
"Hello there," the waitress said as they sat down at a table. "What can I get for you."
The boys all hummed as they grabbed a menu, "not sure."
"What would you recommend?" Sunburst asked.
The waitress then smiled. "Well, considering the weather outside, how about the rainy day challenge. If you're able to finish it, the meal's free." The boys were intrigued and agreed with it. A few minutes later, the waitress returned along with two over girls. The reason was obvious once they saw what they were carrying. "Here you go," she place a bowl infront of Flash that was so big the three of them could fit their heads in it all at once. And inside said bowl was a pile of meat in sauce with a fried egg on top.
"What is this?" Spike asked as the same thing was put infront of him and Sunburst.
"The Mega Meaty Beef Bowl Challenge," the waitress reply before they walked off.
The boys looked back at their lunch, feeling slightly intimidated. "They can't seriously think we could finish something like this off," Sunburst whimpered.
Flash however, just smiled as he grabbed his chopsticks. "Scared?" This struck a nerve with Sunburst before he grabbed his own chopsticks, Spike doing the same before the three of them began to eat.
Meanwhile, over at the spa, the Tidal Maidens were relaxing in the hots springs. After a quick and easy lunch, they had all come to take a dip in the warm water.
"I don't know about you girls," Sunset said. "But I could spend all day in here."
"Enjoy it while you can," Twilight told her. "Once the Double X starts, we're not gonna get much chance to relax."
"Twilight," Fluttershy spoke up. "Do you think we'll be able to make it far in the tournament. I mean, you made it into the top four of the Celestic Cup and Sunset's just as strong as you. But I'm-"
"Just as good a Duellist as anyone else," Twilight interrupted her. She swam over to Fluttershy and grabbed her hands, "I didn't ask you to be on my team because there wasn't any other choice. I asked you because you're a great Duellist and the world should see how amazing you are. I know you don't really like to be center of attention, but you've come along way to overcome your shyness. I'm sure you'll help us a lot."
Fluttershy smiled at this, nodding. "Thank you Twilight."
Twilight smiled as she sat back. "And to answer your question, I don't know how far we'll be able to get in the Double X. That's why I want to compete, to see how I stack against the rest our generation." She suddenly had memory flashes of Moondancer, causing her to frown before taking a deep breath. "I made a promise to someone really important, so I'm gonna honour that promise no matter how hard I have to Duel."
Sunset and Fluttershy both nodded. "Well, you can count on me." Sunset gave her a thumbs up, "I'm in this to win it. Don't worry."
"Same," Fluttershy agreed, "I'll give every Duel everything I have to help you achieve your goal."
"Thanks guys," Twilight replied with smile on her face.
Completely unaware to them, their conversation was heard by the final member of their team. Tidal smiled after hearing to the girl through the hot-springs divider. "Looks like my little flowers are starting to blossom. Excelente." He then got up and tapped on the divider. "Girls?" Fluttershy's outcry filled the air, "sorry. But we need to be getting out soon. There's something I wanted to show you and it's quite a ways off."
"What?" Twilight asked.
Tidal just smirked. "Just trust me. You'll love it."
This might have been a mistake.
Spike moaned as he looked at his bowl, which didn't seem any less empty after twenty minutes of eating. "I eat and I eat and I still can't see the rice."
Sunburst unleashed his own moan. "So much meat. And the grease its covered in. That can't be healthy."
"Come on guys," Flash told them. "If we can't beat a bowl of food, how can we hope to beat our opponents in the Double X. We just have to give it everything we've got." The two let out another moan, but kept eating anyway.
"HAHAA!" Misty Fly yelled as she, Rainbow, Fleetfoot Fire Streak and several other students played Power Pony Mane-iac Grand Prix on the gym's big TV. "Take this, my Hairspray Ray of Doom!"
"No" Everyone but Rainbow and Fleetfoot moaned as their racers were frozen in place.
"Nice try," Rainbow said. "Now have a taste of my thunderbolt." Her Zap racer unleashed a burst of electricity, which caused Misty Fly's cart to shrink.
"Hey!" She cried while Rainbow laughed.
Across the room, Soarin was playing a fighting game against High Winds with several other students watching. "Come on, come on, come on. Almost, almost, UPPERCUT!" His character did so before Soarin typed in the button code to use his final move. After an extremely awesome animation sequence, the screen was filled with one word. Fatality. "YES!"
In another part of the gym, Gilda was busy arm wrestling a bunch of the more masculine students. Currently, she was facing off against their fifth opponent and didn't look to be stopping. She then yawned before putting real effort into it, slamming her opponent's arm into the table as everyone else cheered.
Later on, the three were sitting at a table chowing down on some pizza. "What a blast," Rainbow said.
"Almost makes doing this tournament worth it," Gilda joked.
"Very funny," Soarin told her. "We all know you're excited about being in the Double X as the rest of us."
"Whatever," Gilda scoffed.
Rainbow just smiled at her teammate's interaction. "Listen guys," they turned to her. "Thanks, for agreeing to join me in this."
Soarin just smiled, "I should be thanking you for asking. This is like a dream come true for me."
"And I have nothing better to do," Gilda told her. "Just don't go making me look bad." Rainbow smirked and nodded in agreement, as the rest of their classmates moved over to them.
"Alright," Misty Fly said, "time for phase two of the send off."
"What's that?" Soarin asked.
"You'll see," Fleetfoot assured him. "There's a bus waiting for you outside. It'll take you to where you need to be." The three weren't sure what to make of that, but just shrugged and followed them.
"Augh," Flash moaned, "it's a monster." He looked down at his bowl, but it wasn't even half empty yet.
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "I can't eat anymore. If I try, I might explode."
"At least we were able to make some kind of a dent in it," Sunburst said.
"This bowl is just way to big," Spike told them. "I don't think I'll ever see the bottom of this thing."
Flash took a long breath, then looked back at his bowl. "If we keep pushing and don't give up, I'm sure we'll figure out a way to do this." Spike and Sunburst both smiled, having a feeling we wasn't just talking about the big bowl of food.
"You're right," Sunburst said. "We'll get there eventually, if we just keep at it."
"Heck yeah," Spike agreed. "We might not be able to see the end now, but no matter what we just gotta keep pushing on."
"It won't be easy," Flash said. "We have to keep at it...but it's such a big bowl." This made Spike and Sunburst sweat-drop, as they realised Flash wasn't talking about the Double X. Flash then sighed and placed his chopsticks together over the bowl. "We fought a good fight, but I think it's over." The other two agreed and did the same, as the waitress stepped over to them.
"That'll be twenty five dollar each."
"HOW MUCH!" The three screamed.
Several hours later.
After their massive meal, both physically and in expense, the boys headed out of the amusement park to walk off their overstuffed stomachs. Thankfully, the rain had stopped so they weren't drenched.
Now, as the sun began to set, the three were standing near the river as they watched the last bit of the day's light disappear. "Pretty great, huh?" Flash asked them.
"Yeah," Spike said, "it is. But why'd you bring us here?"
Flash just smirked. "You'll see." This confused the two.
They weren't the only ones confused.
Twilight, Sunset and Fluttershy were all wondering what Tidal had in store for them. On the very river the boys were sitting besides, a large boat sailed on it with the four of them riding. Sunset turned to Tidal, "why are we here again?"
Tidal just smiled at her and tapped his nose, "you'll see." The girls all raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what he was planning.
"What are we doing up here?" Soarin asked. The Wonderbolts were currently standing on the top floor of a large glass tower, having been told to come here after the bus had dropped them off.
"No idea," Rainbow said. "But it's gotta be something good if they went to all this trouble."
"It better be," Gilda said.
Flash simply stared at the setting sun, while the others stared at him in suspense. Then, once the last bit of light disappeared, it happened.
KABOOM!
Spike and Sunburst turned towards the sound of the explosion and watched as the night sky was filled with a flurry of light. "WOW!" Spike cried, "Fireworks!"
"So pretty," Fluttershy said as she and the rest of the girls all cued at the sight. More and more explosions followed the first one, filling the sky with the bright colours.
Tidal just smiled, happy the girls enjoyed the surprise and thanking Cold for telling him and several others about this little spectral.
"Awesome!" Rainbow and Soarin both cried, while Gilda just smirked. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was pretty impressed by the display.
Sunburst smiled at this, while sitting down besides Flash. "Thank you."
Flash turned to him, "for what?"
"For everything. For wanting me as your teammate. For not giving up on me, no matter how many times I let you down. And for helping me remember that there's more to Duelling then just winning." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his deck. "A long time ago, there was someone in my life that I made a promise with. We promised to both make it to the top of the Dueling word one day. When I dropped out of Duel Academy, I thought I'd never be able to keep that promise. But now...now I feel like I can." He turned to Flash, "you helped me feel that. So thank you."
Both Flash and Spike smiled, "you're welcome. And I know you'll keep that promise one day, because we're all heading to the top of the Dueling world together." He stood up and help out his hand, "V-Fighters."
Spike quickly rushed over to him and slapped his hand on Flash's, "V-Fighters."
Sunburst smirked and stood up, walking up to the two and doing the same. "V-Fighters."
The three stared at one another, knowing that they had many obstacles between them and the Double X championship. But together, they wouldn't stop until they were number one. "V-FIGHTERS!" The threw their hands into the air before turning to watch the rest of the fireworks show.
The next day.
Fireworks filled the air, as people began to enter the Freeze Stadium. Within the stadium, the audience screamed in excitement at the prospect of watching what was about to unfold.
Suddenly, the stage was lit up by explosions, as a pair of women stepped up onto the stage. They were the world famous Celestic Sisters, Luna and Celestia.
Both: HELLO CANTERLOT!
The audience's screams increased at the sight of them.
Celestia: Well here we are, the Double X Tournament.
Luna: For those of you not in the know, the Double X is a Dueling competition open to any and all challengers who are aged twenty or younger.
Celestia: Being a team contest, Duelists must be in groups of three to enter. It's been a long road for our contestants, but these young teams are ready to take on anything that might phase them. Let's welcome them onto the stage.
The doors on the side of the field opened, allowing all the duelists to enter out onto the field. They were all walking in groups of threes, signalling their teams.
Luna: Many of our young hopefuls you might remember, as several of them competed in last years Celestic Cup. This includes its champion.
The megascreen above switched on and showed the image of Flash, alongside Spike and Sunburst.
Down on the field, Flash saw his face up on the big screen and blushed. Spike laughed as he elbowed him in the side, while Sunburst tried to hide his face. Flash looked away from the screen and looked around, spotting Twilight standing besides Fluttershy and Sunset. He also spotted Rainbow leading Soarin and Gilda, close to Applejack, Rarity and Mac. He also spotted Pinkie and Maud, along with another girl he didn't recognise.
Then he spotted her, the one he had entered this tournament to face once again. As she turned towards him, Flash remembered when he had first met her. He quickly shook the memories away as he stared at Tempest, who smiled back at him before turning to say something to her teammates.
Flash did the same and turned to Sunburst and Spike, only to notice Sunburst was still staring at one of Tempest's teammates. A look of shock was visible on his face. Flash turned to see who Sunburst was staring at, seeing it was the other girl with purple and blue hair. "You okay?"
Sunburst turned to him in surprise, but quickly shock his head. "Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about me."
"You sure?" Spike asked him, "if something's bothering you then it's alright to tell us."
"I'm fine, I promise."
Flash wasn't sure about that, but got the feeling he wouldn't be able to get any answers out of him. Instead, he started looking around to see if there was anyone else he recognised. And sure enough, there were a few Duellists he'd seen before. Vinyl Scratch, Octavia and Derpy appeared to be on a team. There was also Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon and a girl he didn't know. He also saw Trixie along with two girls, who all had smug expressions on their faces.
But then he spotted one particular group of girls that made him stop in his tracks. "No way."
"What's up Flash?" Spike asked him, only for him to point at what he had seen. Spike and Sunburst looked that way before Spike went wide eyed, "is that Adagio!?" It was. Adagio Dazzle, alongside Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. The trio were wearing their standard leather pop star costumes.
Flash looked around and saw that the rest of their friends had also seen them, but before anyone could do anything the lights went off them and returned to the Celestic Sisters. They were no longer the only ones on stage, as Cold Steel and Shining Armor were standing besides them.
Celestia: Now, here to explain the rules, Cold Steel and Shining Armor.
Luna: Let's give them a big round of applause.
Everyone did, as the two step back and let the men take the spotlight. "Hello," Cold said into his microphone, "I am Cold Steel. Head of Freeze Industries and the one in charge of this event."
"And I'm Shining Armor," Twilight and Spike's brother announced. "Now, time to explain how the Double X Tournament works. The event is spilt up into three rounds, with the first round named the Dueling Scramble!" This statement got a lot of people murmuring in confusion, which doubled when the Duel Field below the competitors feet activated.
A bright flash of light covered the area, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
The Flash felt the light die down, he opened his eyes and saw that he, Spike and Sunburst were now standing in a rocky area. "A Duel Field?" Before he could say anything else, Cold's voice filled the air.
Cold: "You are now standing on one of five Action Duel Fields. Meadow, Canyon, Forest, Arctic and Volcano. You will freely move around the area, engaging in Duels as you do so.
Shining: Every competitor has been given a device known as a Duelling Radar, or Raduel for short.
Everyone looked down at their wrists, which were sporting black watch like devices with round faces.
Cold: Once two Duellists come within a certain distance of each other, an alert will be sounded. Once the recognition has been established, there is no backing out of the Duel. This is probably a good time to remind you that since you're on an Action Field, Action Cards will be littered around the area.
Shining: The Duelist who wins the match will be rewarded a single Duel Point, which will be recorded by the Raduel. Once a team has earned a total of fifty points, they'll move on to the next stage.
Cold: As soon as sixteen teams move on, the stage will be over.
"So it's a race," Sunset said. Her team were currently in the Meadow Field.
Twilight nodded, "we just have to make sure we get our points quicker then anyone else."
"I'll try," Fluttershy said nervously. "I'll get as many points as I can. I promise."
Shining: Another thing to keep in mind is that you can't challenge a Duellist more then once.
Cold: And if you lose a Duel, your Raduel will lock and you'll be removed from play.
"Removed from play?" One of the competitors asked.
Cold: Whilst you are removed from play, you must remain in an area dubbed the graveyard. Plus, half the points you have earned up to that point will be given to your opponent.
Shining: The only way to get out of the graveyard will be if one of your teammates wins a Duel. After that, you'll be freed from the graveyard but will not regain the points you lost.
Cold: If all three members of a team are sent to the graveyard, then your team will be disqualified.
That last statement sent shivers down every competitors necks. "Alright," Flash said. "So basically, we just make sure we don't lose. Piece of cake."
"Yeah, alright!" A seriously pumped up Spike replied, "you got it."
"Hang on," Sunburst told them. "It's easier said then done. We'll need to be careful."
In the Arctic Field, Soarin turned to his teammates. "This first stage isn't gonna be as simple as we thought."
"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked. "Why isn't it?"
"Sure your chances of making it to the next stage increase with every win," Soarin explained. "But the more wins you have, the more points you'll lose if someone beats you."
Rainbow thought about that and caught on, "so losing while you have a really high score gives your opponent more chances to move on."
In the Volcano Field, Rarity finished explaining the same thing to her teammates. "With only sixteen spots, this round is all about how fast you can defeat your opponents."
"So a deck that requires little set up has an edge ear," Applejack caught on.
Cold: I hope these rules were easy to understand. The first round will begin in ten minutes, so those of you who want to split their teams better spread out. With that, all that's left to say is...good luck.
With that, everyone's Raduels beeped. They all looked down and saw the watch project a holographic screen that had a timer counting down from ten.
Everyone knew what this meant before several of the teams split up to start scouting around. Almost ten minutes later, the timer hit zero as the Celestic Sister took the stage.
Celestia: It's time for the Double X Tournament to finally start!
Luna: Round one, Duelling Scramble!
Both: BEGIN!
Seconds later, the stadium was filled with multiple announcements of the same phrase.
"DUEL!"
And just like that, the Double X was finally underway. All over the five Duel Fields, Duels were taking place. And with each Duel, the Celestic Sister were doing what they did best, after Duelling, commentary.
Celestia: From Team Tidal Maiden, Twilight Sparkle is Duelling against Team BFFs Lyra Heartstrings in the Forest Zone.
Luna: Her Maiden of the Enchanted Harp has taken over Twilight Tempest Conjurer, but that doesn't seem to be slowing her down.
"I equip my Twilight Warlock with Magic Tome of Starswirl! Which, since I have six Spellbooks in my grave, grants him six hundred points!" (A3100/D2100/L7/P4) "Next I'm using my Tome's other ability, to send Spellbook of Power to the grave and activate its effect to pump up my Warlock even more!" Her Synchro Pendulum glowed as his power rose. (A4100/D2100/L7/P4) "Attack Tempest Conjurer!" The wizard pointed his staff at Twilight's controlled monster and zapped it into destruction.
Twilight: 1900 Lyra: 1100
"Terra Charmer, finish her off!" The earth wizard thrust its staff into the ground and caused several rocks to shot out and hit her.
Twilight: 1900 (Winner) Lyra: 0
Celestia: Truly impressive. And she's not the only highlight of her team. Fluttershy is currently in the lead in her Duel against Gabby of team Black Griffon, while Sunset Shimmer is on the hunt for her next opponent after defeating Shining Spoon.
Up in the stands, Tidal was busy waving a banner with the three girl's faces on it. "Go Twilight, win Fluttershy, woohoo Sunset!"
Luna: Speaking of Shining Spoon. His teammate Pipsqueak is currently Duelling against Team Wonderbolts Rainbow Dash.
"I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened up, as Rainbow's monster shot out. "Rainbow Battle Wing, Gold!" (A2500/D1500/R4/P7) "Attack Dread Pirate Nightmare!" The bird man flew forward and unsheaved his blade. "And since I have two Winged-Beast monster on the field, he gets an extra six hundred ATK points!" (A3100/D1500/L4/P7) Battle Wing cut Dread Pirate in half.
Rainbow: 900 Pipsqueak: 1600
"Now, Rainbow Wing Pegasus attacks you directly!" Her pegasus shot up before spinning around and dive-bombing him, creating a small sonic-boom and rainbow combo as it landed.
"AAAAHHHH!" He cried.
Rainbow: 900 (Winner) Pipsqueak: 0
Luna: Looks like that pirate's ship has sunk. Let's now head over to the Forest Field, where Flash Sentry's teammate Sunburst is facing off against Team Illusion's Lavender Lace.
"RITUAL EVOLUTION!" Sunburst's fire pillar exploded to reveal Sunburst Archmage. (A3000/D2500/L8) "And with his ability, I'll sacrifice Sunburst Apprentice to decrease the ATK and DEF of your Fairy King Truesdale while increasing his ATK by half." HIs monster pointed his staff at the young wizard before it exploded into fire, which wrapped around the head of the staff before it launched it at Lavender's monster. (A700/D200/L8) (A3850/D2500/L8) "ATTACK!" Sunburst's monster launched a stream of fire, which consumed the Fairy-Type and destroyed it.
Lavender: 0 Sunburst: 2200 (Winner)
Celestia: Meanwhile, Flash's other teammate is making a name for himself as he plays his third Duel of the day.
"Dragonic Blazemaster, attack Ojama Yellow!" The humanoid dragon swung his blazing sword and cut the little yellow gremlin to pieces, said pieces then exploding. "Now, Eternal Flame!" Blazemaster's sword once again ignited before it slashed Ojama Green and Black. "Now, Flame Breaker Dragon will finish you off!" Said dragon swung his blazing hammer into his opponent and knocked him off her feet.
Luna: And of course, the V-Fighter's leader is doing just as well with his third match of the day.
"Flash Heart Dragon X, ATTACK!" Flash's ace rocketed across the field before sucker punching his opponent's Dark Valkyrie, destroying it and wiping out the last of the opponent's life points. "Yes!" He then looked down at his Raduel and saw the timer in the top left corner. Said timer was currently counting down from twenty minutes and when it hit zero, the day would be over. "Already?"
Each day of the tournament lasted only three hours. Most of that time was spent travelling around the area in search of an opponent, so there was realistically time for only three or four matches a day unless you found yourself in a large group of Duellists.
Flash probably only had time for one more match, but only if he hurried up and found himself an opponent.
No sooner had that thought entered his head, when his Raduel beeped while the word 'alert' appeared on screen. Seems an opponent was nearby, but where?
"HEY!" Flash began looking around frantically, trying to find the source of the voice, when he suddenly noticed part of a nearby rock pillar shadow was moving. Looking up at the top, he spotted his opponent sitting on top of the rock with a large smile on her face. "Hey Flash," Pinkie grinned. "Ready to Duel?"
The Double X Tournament was underway. With the first day coming to a close, most Duellists were starting what they knew would likely be their last chance to get points that day.
Applejack was currently in the Volcano Field, Duelling against a boy named Bright Idea. Said boy having a pair of Shining Angels on the field, while Applejack had Apple Paladin on her field along with Blooming Daisy and Seed Sprite in the Pendulum Zone. She also had one card face down on the field.
"It's my turn!" Bright drew his card, "and I sacrifice my two Angels to summon Bright Idea Dragon!" His monsters were consumed by a brilliant light, which took shape before fading to reveal a large white and yellow wyvern with light bulbs tipped horns. (A2700/D2100/L8) "And now I activate Bright Idea's ability, to take a Continuous Spell card from my deck and activating it." A card slotted out of his deck that he instantly used, "so I activate Rank Removal. Now the Rank of any Xyz Monster on the field becomes a Level."
Applejack frowned. That meant she couldn't rank up or down her monsters, so her best cards just became a lot harder to summon. "That won't stop me."
"Well let's see if you say that after Bright Idea Dragon destroys your Apple Paladin!" The dragon unleashed a burst of light, which destroyed Applejack's Pendulum Monster
Bright: 1100 Applejack: 800
"I end my turn with a face down."
"It's ma'h turn. A'h draw!" Applejack looked at the card she'd gotten and smiled, "A'H PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened up above her before shooting out a light, which transformed into her Apple Paladin. (A1200/D600/L3/P8) "Then a'll play ma'h Reseeding Spell card. This bad boy let me ditch ma'h Astilbe Archer and summon two Plant monsters from ma'h deck who have a combined level that's the same as his. Since we was Level five, a'h can summon ma'h Level two Apple Kid and Level three Maiden of Vines." The two monsters appeared on the field. (A200/D300/L2) (A1000/D1000/L3)
They won't help you," Bright told her.
Applejack smiled, "what about when Apple Kid's skill kicks in? Since he was special summoned, his level goes up by one." (A200/D300/L3)
"Okay," Bright said, "that might help you."
Applejack's smiled increased as her monsters shot into the air. "With these three monsters, a'h can now build the Overlay Network." The black hole appeared on the ground, which her monsters flew into. "As the seasons bring fourth new growth, it can also bring fourth a new power." The black hole exploded in a burst of light, "A'H XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded revealing AJ's Xyz monster. "Orchard Cowboy!" (A2100/D600/R3)
"Don't forget about my Spell card," Bright told her. "My Rank Removal means your monster's Rank becomes a Level." (A2100/D600/L3)
"And ya'h have ma'h thanks for that."
"What?"
Applejack activated a card. "Since he's now got a Level, Orchard Cowboy can now use this card." In a flash of light, Orchard Cowboy could be seen holding a long shovel. "Say hello to Rockhoof's Shovel of Strength. It can only be wielded by an Earth monster that's Level three or below. Now, it's ATK points double."
"WHAT?" Bright screamed as the shovel glowed, making Orchard Cowboy's muscles increase. (A4200/D600/L3)
"ATTACK!" Applejack's monster charged forwards, holding the shovel like one would a battle axe.
"I activate my Trap!" Bright's face down flipped up, "Sakuretsu Armor! Say goodbye to your Cowboy."
"Sorry," Applejack said, "not happening." Her monster drew his pistol as an Overlay Unit flew into it, then fired a shot which hit the Trap and destroyed it.
"No!" Bright cried before Orchard Cowboy swung the shovel at his Dragon and slicing it in half, destroying it.
Bright: 0 Applejack: 800 (Winner)
Celestia: Another win for Team Applejewel's Applejack!
Luna: That puts her team's current point score at nineteen!
"Yeehaa!" Applejack cheered as her points went up.
"This isn't over," Bright told her. "I might have lost, but I'll get you back in the next round."
"A'h look forward to it," Applejack tipped her hat before the ground beneath Bright's feet began to retract downwards. Once he was completely consumed by the hole, a flash of light made said hole disappear.
Meanwhile in the Forest Duel Field, Fluttershy was Duelling against a boy with bright blue skin and orange hair. Currently, Fluttershy had a Kuriboh, Winged Kuriboh, Kuribon on her field along with Breezy Fairy and Silk Spider in her Pendulum Zone. Meanwhile, her opponent had an Insect Knight on his field.
The two were currently standing atop the branches of one of the larger trees.
"My turn!" He drew his card, "and I summon Blast Hornet!" A large yellow bee with black stripes and a pair of lance like weapons on its arms. (A100/D1500/L3) "And with him in ATK mode, his ability causes any monster on your field to lose all their ATK points." The hornet pointed its stinger at the three hairballs before unleashing a surge of lightning, which zapped them all and lowered their ATK to nothing. (A0/D200/L1) "Then I'll activate my Stop Defence, to change your Winged Kuriboh to ATK mode."
Fluttershy's eyes went wide as she looked around for something, then saw what she needed on a nearby tree branch.
"Insect Knight, attack!" The warrior bug leapt forwards, ready to slice Fluttershy's monster in half and deplete the last of her life points. But Fluttershy leapt off her branch, grabbing a nearby vine and swinging over to the other branch. There, she grabbed the Action Card.
"I activate the Action Card Evasion, to have Winged Kuriboh dodge your attack." The winged furball jumped back, just in time to miss Insect Knight's sword.
Her opponent frowned, "Blast Hornet!" The wasp flew forwards and impaled Winged Kuriboh with its lance, destroying it.
Cornicle: 1600 Fluttershy: 500
"I end my turn."
"Then I draw!" Fluttershy did so and saw what she'd gotten, as the portal appeared above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a light shot out and landed between the two Kuribohs, then faded to reveal a yellow pegasus with a pink mane and tail that had Fluttershy's emblem on its flank. "Sacred Guardian Beast, Kindness Pegasus!" (A1000/D1800/L4/P5)
"Don't forget, Blast Hornet's effect decreases your monster's ATK to zero." The hornet fired the lightning and zapped Fluttershy's monster. (A0/D1800/L4/P5)
"Well Kindness Pegasus has her own ability," Fluttershy told him. "When she's special summoned, I can add a Sacred Guardian Beast from my deck to my hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took and slapped onto the field. "Now I sacrifice my two Kuriboh's in order to summon Sacred Guardian Beast, Kindness Dragonoid!" Said furballs were quickly replaced by the yellow and pink dragon. (A2600/D1900/L7) But no sooner had it appeared, that Blast Hornet's power weakened it.
"Doesn't matter how many monsters you summon," Cornicle told her. "Blast Hornet will make them all as weak as those Kuriboh monsters you have."
This got Fluttershy annoyed. "My Kuriboh's aren't weak. They're stronger then your Blast Hornet, that's about to be destroyed."
"And how do you expect to do that?" Cornicle asked.
"By equipping Kindness Dragonoid, with the Mystic Mask of Meadowbrook!" A yellow and blue bird mask appeared on her dragons head, with green and orange feathers on the back. "The monster equipped with this card becomes completely immune my opponent's monster effects and when it destroys a monster, I gain life points equal to its level time one hundred.
"Say what?" Cornicle asked as he looked up at Kindness Dragonoid and saw its ATK return to normal. (A2600/D1900/L7)
"Attack, with Silent Roar!" The dragon breathed in before unleashing its mighty wind breath attack, which struck Blast Hornet and destroyed it while knocking Cornicle off his branch.
Cornicle: 0 Fluttershy: 800 (Winner)
Celestia: Team Tidal Maiden's Fluttershy wins once again. Despite not having any tournament experience before this, the young girl is showing great promise.
Fluttershy smiled before looking down at her opponent. "I'm sorry Thorax," she heard him say before he was pulled underground.
Meanwhile, in the Canyon Duel Field, Flash was staring up at his next opponent.
Pinkie was smiling down at him, as she swung her legs over the side of the field. Before Flash could say anything else, he spotted to more people step up to the side of the rock next to her. One was Maud, while the other was the girl he'd seen them with before. "Let me guess. Marble?"
The girl just nodded, trying to hide herself behind her hair. Flash was getting a very Fluttershy vibe from her. Pinkie stood up and threw her arm around the girl, "yup. She's my younger twin sister. She might be a little on the quiet side, but when she Duels it's like fighting a rock slide."
"Huh," Flash remembered Maud telling him something similar last year. "So which of you am I Duelling? Don't tell me you're all gonna gang up on me?"
"Of course not silly," Pinkie held up her Raduel and showing it beeping. "Mine went off, so I'm your opponent."
Flash smiled as he activated his Duel Disk. "Alright then. Let's get this party started."
"Pinkie," Maud told her sister, "Marble and I are gonna go see if we can find one more opponent to get a few more points. Do your best."
Pinkie gave a joke salute, "will do." Maud and Marble both jumped down from the rock and ran off, as Pinkie's Duel Disk activated.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Pinkie: 4000
Celestia: And it's Flash Sentry of the V-Fighters, verses Pinkie Pie of Team Rock Party. Will Flash be able to keep up with Pinkie's unusual Duelling style?
"Me first!" Pinkie drew her card, "I play Balloonimal Party Cannon!" A large and brightly coloured cannon appeared besides her, "I'll leave what it does as a surprise. Next, I'll summon my Balloonimal Hawk to the field in ATK mode!" A bunch of yellow balloons appeared infront of her before wrapping together, until they took the shape of a large bird that floated in the air. (A1500/D1200/L4/P3) Pinkie then leapt off the pillar and grabbed onto the bird's leg, the two floating safely to the ground.
"Same old Pinkie," Flash laughed as he chased after her.
"I'll place one card face down and let you have a go," Pinkie let go of the birds leg and landed on the ground without issue.
"Here goes!" Flash drew his card. "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Bright Bounce Magna Bunny and scale nine Nightlight Magna Sheep!" The pillars of light appeared on the field, as the two monsters flew up into them. Once high enough, the portal formed between them. "Now I can cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal finally finished forming, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened as a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground.
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7) "Now, Magna Bull attack!" Steam shot out of the pipes around the monster, as it charged forwards before throwing a punch at the balloon animal.
"I activate my face down," Pinkie's card flipped up to reveal a Trap card. "Half Unbreak! Not only is my monster safe this turn, but the damage I take will be cut in half as well." A bunch of bubbles shot out of the card, with one of them surrounding Balloonimal Hawk. Seconds later, Magna Bull punched said bubble but his fist bounced off it.
Flash: 4000 Pinkie: 3700
Flash smirked, "alright then. Magna Snake, attack!" The satellite around Magna Snake's neck glowed before firing a powerful burst of light, which struck the bubble and pushed it back while leaving the monster with in unharmed.
Flash: 4000 Pinkie: 3650
"I end my turn." Flash knew that Pinkie's big counter would be starting now, so he had to be careful with what he did.
In the Arctic Duel Field, a loud scream could be heard.
The source, Ms Octavia Melody. She was currently on her knees, panting after her Duel against Tempest Shadow. "She's...to strong." The girl looked up and watched as her opponent walked off, while the ground began to sink down. "I'm sorry Vinyl. I couldn't avenge you!"
Tempest wasn't the only member of her team overwhelming their opponent. Starlight had just defeated Shining Spoon, while Heath had completely crushed his opponent.
Luna: Incredible. Tempest and her teammates are just walking through the opposition.
Tempest's face was completely stoic. "Nothing. Not one Duellist of the calibre I'm looking for." She then stopped as her Raduel beeped, showing her next contestant was nearby. "Whose there?" The answer came when the sound of footsteps made her turn to see her next opponent. "Hello. You're...Twilight I believe."
Twilight said nothing, as she stared at her opponent.
"It's my turn," Pinkie reached for her deck. "I draw. And since it's now my Standby Phase, my Party Cannon now activates."
"So what's it do?" Flash asked.
Pinkie smiled. "First I guess a monster Level, then draw until I get a monster. If that monster's Level is the one I guessed, I can summon it. If not, it goes to the graveyard." This made Flash frown. For a normal person, the odds of drawing the right card was pretty slim. But for Pinkie-"I'm gonna guess Level four," she drew her card as a big grin appeared on her face. "I was right. Come on out Balloonimal Pony!" The cannon appeared besides her before firing, the ammo turning out to be a bundle of pink balloons that came together into the shape of a horse and landed next to her hawk. (A1700/D1100/L4)
"Not good," Flash knew what was coming next.
"Now I'm playing the Spell card Polymerisation!" She placed a Spell into her Duel Disk, as a portal appeared above her and sucked the monsters inside. "I'm fusing the dashing speed of a pony, with the winged flight of a hawk!" The portal suddenly exploded. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Pinkie's Fusion monster. "Balloonimal Pegasus!" (A?/D?/L7) Pinkie ran up a rock formation before leaping off and landing on the back of her monster. "Now my Pegasus's ATK and DEF points become the sum of the two monsters used to make him. (A3200/D2300/L7) "Attack Manga Snake!" The giant winged horse flew at Flash's monster.
Flash leapt onto the back of his Magna Bull before it and Magna Snake before to run as fast as they could. With Pinkie in hot pursuit, he looked around until he managed to spot what he was looking for. "There!" He leapt off his monster and reached for something that was sticking out of a rock pillar, an Action Card.
"Hurry!" Pinkie cried, not wanting him to get that encase it destroyed Pegasus.
However, Flash managed to grab the card and pull it free. He then looked at it and activated it. "I play the Action Card Dust Storm. This card lowers the ATK of every monster on your field by one thousand, until the end phase. A cloud of dust kicked up and blinded Balloonimal Pegasus. (A2200/D2300/L7) It still had enough ATK to destroy Magna Snake, belly-flopping onto it.
Flash: 3400 Pinkie: 3650
The dust cloud faded and Pinkie, after taking off the goggles she'd put on before it, placed one card face down. "I end my turn." Balloonimal Pegasus's ATK points returned to normal. (A3200/D2300/L7)
Celestia: Pinkie's monster's gonna be tough to beat. How will Flash deal with it?
"My turn. I draw!" Flash saw what he got and a plan began to form in his head. "Once again, my Pendulum Monsters will cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal formed above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot on and struck the ground.
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
The second became a blue robotic wyvern with a spinning turbine in its chest. "Appear on this plain, Space Warp Dragon!" (A800/D1200/L3) "Since Space Warp Dragon was Special Summoned whilst we have the same number of card removed from by, his effect lets me draw two cards." He did so, "then I'll activate the Pendulum Ability of my Bright Bounce Magna Bunny." The rabbit brought its hands together and created a shining light between them, which it then threw at Space Warp Dragon and caused it to glow. "Once a turn, he can turn any level three of below monster into a Tuner Monster."
"So you're Synchro Summoning?" Pinkie asked.
"That's right! Space Warp and Magna Snake, I now tune you together!" The dragon leapt into the air, transforming into a trio of light rings, which Magna Snake slivered into. "Memories of strength long forgotten, return in an explosion of power!" The two monster disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Flash's monster. "Flashback Dragon!" (A2300/2200/L7)
"Not good," Pinkie gulped.
"Now I'll use Flashback's ability!" The dragon curled up and bit its own tail, creating a circle that was soon filled with light that Magna Bull leapt towards. "By banishing my Magna Bull, I can summon two monster from my deck whose Level equals his." As the robotic man bull flew into the portal, two lights shot out the other side.
They then exploded, revealing the summoned monsters. "Magna Fighter Gun Runner!" (A1600/D1400/L4) "And Multi-Tool Magna Droid!" (A500/D1000/L2/P6) "I'm now activating the Spell card Reverse Polarity! With this, I can swap the ATK of one monster on my field with the ATK of a monster on your." Pinkie's Balloonimal glowed, alongside Flash's Magna Droid. (A3200/D1000/L2/P6) (A500/D2300/L7) "Gun Runner, ATTACK!" His monster aimed its blaster at Pinkie's monster.
Pinkie meanwhile, was looking around and spotted what she needed atop a nearby rock pile. She jumped onto her feet and bounced on her monster like a bouncy castle, catapulting herself off it towards the rock pile just as Gun Runner fired. But before she could reach the card, the blast struck Pegasus and made it burst. A powerful gust of wind escaped the beast, blowing the card away before Pinkie could grab it.
Flash: 3400 Pinkie: 2550
Flash watched as Pinkie was hit the ground. "You okay?" Then Pinkie raised her legs up and over her head, doing a backwards roly-poly to get back on her feat.
"I'm okay.
Flash sighed in relief, "then I'll use Gun Runner's ability!" Gun Runner fired another blast from his weapon, which created a portal. "Since he destroyed a Level seven monster, I can banish him and summon a Level seven monster from my deck!" He leapt through the portal, a new monster flying out the other side. "Say hello to Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Attack!" The dragon's booster ignited and rocketed it towards Pinkie.
"I activate my face down!" Pinkie's card flipped upwards, revealing a Spell card. "Balloon Party! This lets me summoned a quartet of Balloon Tokens to the field, in DEF mode." Four different coloured balloons appeared on the field, each with a smiley face on them. (A0/D0/L1)X4. Flash Heart was now forced to attack one of those, punching the blue balloon and making it burst.
"Magna Droid!" The robot flew forwards and used on of its tools to pop the red one. "Flashback!" The dragon flew up and blocked out the sun, then fired a blast of light that burst the green balloon and left only the pink one.
"Meanie!" Pinkie pouted, with Flash just shrugging at her threw down a face down and ended his turn. Magna Droid's ATK returned to normal (A500/D1000/L2/P6)
"Alright, it's my turn!" She drew her card as her Party Cannon activated. "I'm guessing...Level three." She drew again and smiled, "it's Balloonimal Fishy." The blue balloon animal appeared infront of her. (A1000/D500/L3) "Then I'll use Surprise Draw. By popping my Balloonimal Fish, I can draw the same number of cards as his level." The fish popped as Pinkie drew her cards, then smiled.
"This is gonna be big," Flash realised.
"I activate Future Fusion!" Now I can send monsters from my deck to my grave and in two turns, I can summon a Fusion Monster." She took three cards out of her deck and placed them into her graveyard, "then I play another card. Fusion Pop!" Flash's eyes went wide. "By your scared expression, I'm guessing you figured out what it does. By banishing monsters on my field and in my grave, I can fuse them all together!" Her field lit up as her formally destroyed monsters reappeared. Balloonimal Pony, Fish, Pegasus and a trio of Dogs appeared, before a vortex opened and they were sucked and the last Balloon Token inside. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The vortex exploded, revealing Pinkie's best monster. "BALLOONIMAL CHIMERA!" (A?/D?/L10) "And since I used seven cards in the fusion, his ATK and DEF become eight hundred times that number. (A5600/D5600/L10) "Plus, it can attack once for every card used."
"That means it can attack seven times!" Flash cried
Celestia: Incredible. Pinkie has summoned a monster with enough power to wipe Flash out in a single move. And it has seven of them.
Luna: Can Flash withstand this titan?
"Chimera," Pinkie leapt up onto her monster's back, "attack Magna Droid!" The beast bounced forwards, targeting Flash's Pendulum Tuner before jumping into the air and belly flopping onto it. Magna Droid was crushed, but Flash activated his face down.
"Go, Defence Draw! Not only does this protect my life points, but I also let's me draw one card." Flash did so before leaping up onto Flash Heart's back, his boosters exploding as he and Flashback ran away.
"You're not getting away," Pinkie told him. "Chimera, attack Flashback Dragon." The giant monster began bouncing after them, targeting the serpentine creature.
Flash meanwhile, looked around to try and find an Action Card. But before he could find one, Pinkie and her monster caught up and Chimera leapt into the air before crushing his Synchro Monster beneath it. The explosion was so powerful, that it sent Flash flying off Flash Heart and hitting the ground rolling. Flash Heart was blown into a rock pile, knocking it over while Chimera got closer.
Flash: 100 Pinkie: 2550
Flash moaned as he picked his head up, only to see something that had flown infront of him when Flash Heart had knocked over the rocks. Speaking of Flash Heart, he pulled himself free from the rocks as Chimera got within striking range.
"It's been fun Flash," Pinkie told him as her monster leapt into the air.
Flash rolled onto his back as he placed his card into his Duel Disk. "Sorry, this isn't ending yet. Go Rubble Trap!" The rocks Flash Heart had knocked over last turn flew into the air towards Chimera, slamming into it and sticking to it like glue.
Pinkie saw this and leapt off her monster before she could be trapped, landing on a rock pile before looking up at her monster. Said monster was now buried within a moon like construct. "What the?"
"Rubble Trap," Flash picked himself up. "An Action Spell that lets me prevent one monster on the field from attack for this turn."
Pinkie smiled, "smart. Alright, I end my turn." The moon crumbled and Chimera was free, landing infront of the rock pillar Pinkie was standing on.
Flash breathed heavily, knowing he needed to bring that thing down and end this match this turn. "Here goes," he placed his hand on his deck and drew his card. Seeing what he'd got, he knew what he had to do. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal formed and opened before a pair of lights shot out, hitting the ground and took shape.
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Unleash your roar, Star Fang Magna Tiger!" (A2400/D2100/L7)
The two monsters stood besides Flash Heart and stared up at Chimera, ready to take it down. "Cool monsters," Pinkie told him. "But they're not gonna be able to stop my Balloonimal."
"Maybe not on their own," Flash replied. "But what if I fuse them together." Pinkie's eyes went wide hearing this. "I now activate the Pendulum Ability of my Nightlight Magna Sheep!" The light-bulbs on Magna Sheep's armour glowed before unleash a blast of light, which struck the sky above them and created a vortex.
Flash Heart and Magna Snake were sucked inside. "Now watch as I fuse the unequalled might of a dragon," Flash said, "with the shining light of the Pendulum!" The vortex exploded and released a burst of bright light. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
Celestia: There it is folks. The monster that won Flash the Celestic Cup. Now can is save him against Pinkie's mighty beast?
"Bring it on Flash," Pinkie told him.
"Alright!" Flash replied as his monster raised his bazooka weapon, aimed it at Balloonimal Chimera. A red beam of light shot out of its sight and struck Chimera. "Since Spiral Vector Dragon was Fusion Summoned using a monster with a Pendulum Scale of seven, I can look at the top seven cards of my deck and for each Pendulum Monster I reveal, your monster loses five hundred ATK points."
Luna: Flash is going to need at least five Pendulum Monsters to weaken Chimera enough to win. Can he do it.
"Let's find out!" Flash drew the top card before looking it over and revealing it, "Magna Caster Exitium!" (A5100/D5100/L10) "Next!" Flash drew again, "Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A4600/D4600/L10) "Number three!" Flash frowned seeing it was a spell card, "number four!" He drew again, his frown becoming a smile. "Crystal Tusk Magna Boar!" (A4100/D4100/L10) "The fifth card!" He drew again, "Lustrous Feather Magna Leghorn!" (A3600/D3600/L10) "Card six!" This time it was a Trap card. This was his last chance, he just needed on more Pendulum. "I...DRAW!" He looked at the card and smiled, "Magna Caster Solaris!" (A3100/D3100/L10)
Celestia: Incredible! Flash managed to get just the cards he needed to defeat Balloonimal Chimera.
Pinkie looked up at Spiral Vector as its weapon charged up, trying to find anything that might save her monster. Then she spotted it, an Action Card. It was trapped between the rocks of a pillar
She leapt onto her monster before the two bounced off towards the card, while Spiral Vector's attack finished charging. "Go, Vortex Pulsar BLAST!" The dragon fired, unleashing a powerful beam of white light which flew towards Pinkie and her monster.
And as it got closer to them, they arrived at the rock pillar and Pinkie bounced up and off her monster to be sent flying upwards. She grabbed the card and pulled it free before landing back on her monster, only to look at the card and gasp as she saw it was an Action Trap.
Luna: Too bad. She got Rock Slide. That Trap deals her five hundred points of damage.
Seconds later, the rock pillar crumbled and fell towards them. Pinkie cried as the two were buried.
Flash: 100 Pinkie: 2050
Pinkie pulled herself free of the rocks, just in time to see Spiral Vector's attack flying towards her. Balloonimal Chimera leapt out of the rocks and met the attack head on, exploding into pieces and leaving her completely defenceless.
Flash: 100 Pinkie: 1650
"Now, Star Fang Magna Tiger, end this!" The tiger armoured warrior flew at Pinkie, its clawed star shaped gauntlet primed. Once it reached Pinkie, it slashed downwards at her and sent her flying with a loud cry.
Flash: 100 (Winner) Pinkie: 0
Celestia: And Flash Sentry is the winner!
Luna: Pinkie had him on the ropes for a moment, but in the end the Celestic Cup Champion pulled through.
Flash rushed over to Pinkie, who was still laying on the ground. "You okay?" He asked as he crouched down besides her.
Pinkie had a massive grin on her face, "you kidding? That was so much FUN!"
Flash smirked, "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up to her feet, "hopefully we can Duel again in the next round."
"No doubt," Pinkie agreed. "We'll definitely be two of the sixteen teams to make it through to the round, so we'll have our rematch then."
Flash nodded, "you got it. I'm looking forward to it." With that, the ground below Pinkie began to retract. She waved him goodbye before she disappeared, while Flash looked down at his Raduel and saw there was only about five minutes left of day one. He then looked at his team's points and saw they'd gotten a good amount of points. If they kept this up, they'd make it to the second round by the end of tomorrow.
Five minutes later, a bell rang to signal the day's end.
Any Duels still taking place would be allowed to continue, while the none Duelling competitors headed off stage. Once the last Duel concluded, the Duel Field's dissolved as the teams looked up at the megascreen to see a large sixteen on it.
"The first day went pretty well," Sunburst told Flash and Spike.
"None of us lost a match," Flash agreed as he sipped on a soda he'd gotten from a vender. "Let's do the same tomorrow."
"You got it!" Spike agreed.
"Attention!" They heard Celestia announced, "we've just received some great news." They looked up at the megascreen and saw the sixteen change to a fifteen. "Amazingly, one team in the competition has already made it past the first round."
This statement made everyone gasp and begin to murmur. They all continued to stare at the megascreen, knowing said team would be shown on it. Finally, Luna spoke up. "Accumulating the fifty points required on the very first day tournament, everyone give a big round of applause to Team Dominator!" In that moment, the screen changed to show the images of said winners. "Tempest Shadow, Heath Burns and Starlight Glimmer, who all managed to win their Duels quick enough to gather the points needed
Flash raised an eyebrow seeing Tempest and her teammates. "So that's her team name. Dominator." He remembered his Duel against her, along with the theme of her monsters.
"I can't believe they managed to get enough points in one day," Spike said.
Sunburst simply stared at the other female member of team Dominator, "Starlight."
The screen changed to show a replay of Tempest Shadow walking away from her opponent, who was someone the V-Fighters all knew. "Incredible," Celestia said. "Tempest Shadow managed to defeat Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle and Big Mac, to help his team clear the first round so quickly. This is big news and we're only on day one of the tournament.
"She beat all three of them?" Flash asked. Those were some of the best Duellists Flash knew, and she apparently beat them all with ease.
Several minutes ago.
As she was being lowered into the Graveyard, Rainbow growled. How could she had been so utterly trounced the way she had been. Meanwhile, down in the graveyard, Twilight and Mac were frowning.
As the Three thought back to their Duels, they all remembered a moment right before the end.
They had all been shown the exact same thing. They had been in space, with a pair of planets floating off in the distance. Tempest had been there, mumbled something, then the whole thing had disappeared. Before any of them could ask what they had just seen, Tempest had finished the Duel off so viciously that they were taken by utter surprise.
Flash realised now just how powerful Tempest really was. And if she saw them as worthy of being on her team, Starlight and Heath would be just as dangerous.
The Double X Tournament had only just begun, but with how powerful Team Dominator appeared to be, the winner might have just been decided.
The second day of the Double X Tournament had arrived.
Currently, there were only fifteen places left in the next round. The first spot having been taken by Team Dominators, the rest of the teams were now anxious to get as many points as they could today.
Out on the Duel Field, the Duellists that hadn't been sent to the Graveyard were standing together in their teams waiting for it to start. Over by the Wonderbolts, Rainbow turned to Gilda. "Listen, about yesterday, thanks for that." She was referring to how Gilda managed to win her last match a few minutes after Rainbow was defeated by Tempest.
Gilda just rolled her eyes while crossing her arm. "Yeah, whatever. You owe me big time loser."
Rainbow nodded while frowning, still trying to figure out what had happened during her battle against Tempest. There was only one thing she knew for sure, and that was that Tempest's skill far outweighed her own.
Over in another area of the Duel Field, Twilight was standing with her teammates. Like Rainbow, she had been saved from the Graveyard by her teammate's victories. "Sorry I lost," she told them. "But I promise I'll make up for it today."
"Don't worry," Fluttershy told her. "There's no shame in losing every now and again."
Sunset nodded in agreement. "And if you learned something from that defeat, it isn't truly a loss."
Twilight smiled back, trying to suppress the frown that was fighting to appear on her lips. The cause of that frown, was something Tempest had told her yesterday.
Flashback
Twilight and Tempest were in the last few rounds of their Duel, Twilight having her Warlock and a pair of Dominated monsters on the field while Tempest has Scarvolt out. Twilight had also Equipped Warlock with her Tome of Starswirl. "She's good," Twilight panted to herself. She looked at Tempest and saw she was just stared at her, as if studying her. "Problem?"
Tempest just looked up at the book in her monster's hands, "that card. Where did you get it?"
Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, "a friend gave it to me. Why?"
"That friend, she wouldn't happen to have been called...Moondancer?" This made Twilight's eyes go wide, as gasp escaping her mouth. "By your reaction, I assume my guess was correct." She drew her card, "I wonder what it was that my former teammate saw in you?"
"Teammate?" Before Twilight could ask anything else, she was surrounded by light and when it faded she found herself floating in space. "What is this?"
Flashforwards
To think Moondancer had been teammates with her. Twilight was beginning to think there was more to her lost friend then she originally knew.
Before she could think about that any more, the announcement of the next round brought her focus back to their current situation. After a quick speech by the Celestic Sisters, the ARC System activated and the Tidal Maidens found themselves in the Arctic Duel Field. "Good luck guys," Twilight told her team before they split up in search of their first opponent.
As the Duelling commenced, a particular group of three were sitting in one of the VIP boxes of the stadium.
They were Team Dominator and the three of them were all doing something different. Heath was laying on a couch listening to his music, while Starlight was sitting on a chair with a magazine in her hands. Meanwhile, Tempest was standing infront of the large window, staring out at the Duel Field and seeing the many Duellists doing what they could to get to the next round.
Celestia: What an exciting first day we had yesterday.
Luna: After the opening ceremonies, the Dominators lived up to their team name and stormed their way into the first round.
Tempest frowned. "Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow Dash and Big Mac. None of them did very well against me. With those skills, it was a miracle that they manged to defeat Sombra."
Starlight closed her magazine and stood up, stepping over to stand besides Tempest. "It's possible they purposefully decided to not show you the extent of their abilities. But considering they're friends with Flash and he would have told them about your Duel, that's highly unlikely. Hopefully they'll be able to get to the next round and we'll have another chance to see how well they do."
"I guess," Tempest agreed. The screen she was looking at then shifted to show the images of a team that had been removed from play, the three being disqualified in the process. "Humans. They're so...fragile." She then saw the screen change to show Twilight, who was Duelling and had just played the Magic Tome of Starswirl. "Moondancer."
Starlight sighed, "she really should have been here with us."
"What's that suppose to mean?" They turned to Heath, as he sat up while pulling down his headphones. "Am I not good enough to be on this team?" Despite trying to sound angry, his question came off much more sarcastic. He then yawned as he sat back, "I'll do my best to fill in for her." With that, he put his headphones back on before closing his eyes.
Tempest and Starlight both rolled their eyes and turned back to watch the Duels.
In the Forest Duel Field, Sunburst was rushing through it in search of his next opponent.
But as he travelled, he couldn't help but keep thinking about what he'd seen yesterday. "Starlight," he whispered while coming to a stop. The fact was, that girl had actually been a childhood friend of his. The one he'd promised to meet at the top of the Duelling world. It seems she had been working to keep that promise.
Then, before Sunburst could think of doing anything else, his Raduel beeped to signify the arrival of his next opponent.
He looked around, trying to spot the Duellist, when he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He turned to see who it was, spotting Maud Pie walking towards him. "Err...hi."
"Hello," Maud replied with no emotion in her voice, "you're a member of team V-Fighters."
"I am."
"I see," Maud activated her Duel Disk. "Your teammate sent my sister to the Graveyard, so I guess it makes sense to get her out by beating you."
Sunburst activated his own Duel Disk, "I'm not gonna make that easy for you." The two drew their cards and stood ready for their match.
"DUEL!"
Maud: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
"I'll be taking the first move," Maud placed a hand on her deck. "I DRAW!" Sunburst was surprised by the sudden personality shift of his opponent, but quickly got over it when Maud began her turn. "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Stone Snail and scale ten Stone Armadillo!" The pillars of light appeared besides her, as a pair of monster flew up into them. One was a grey snail with a shell made of rock, while the other was an armadillo that also had a stone shell. Once they were high enough, the portal began to form between the pillars. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out of it, hitting the ground and fading to reveal a twelve foot snake made out of boulders. "Stone Serpent!" (A2100/D1500/L5/P3) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Here goes!" Sunburst drew his card, "I summon my Sunburst Familiar, in DEF mode!" A fireball appeared in front of him and exploded, reveal his nine tailed fox. (A1200/D1000/L3) "Then I'll place down two cards and end my turn."
"Then I draw!" Maud did so before the portal began to open above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up and unleashed a single white light, which struck the ground faded to reveal a ten meter tall golem. It was made entirely of stone, with metal armouring around its wrists, chest and a metal helmet on its head. A white cape flowed down its back. "Megastone Golem!" (A2800/D3000/L8)
"Now, Stone Serpent, ATTACK Sunburst Familiar!" The rock snake tunnelled head first underground, only to pop back out right underneath Sunburst's monster and destroying it.
Sunburst was knocked off his feet by the shaking, but managed to press button on his Duel Disk as he did. "I activate my two face downs. First is Light the Beacons!" A large bonfire appeared in front of him.
"What?" Maud asked
"Since you destroyed one of my monsters, this card lets me summon a Fire Type from my hand or deck with fifteen under or less ATK points. So come on out, UFO Turtle!" The bonfire exploded to reveal the creature, which took up its DEF position. (A1400/D1200/L4) "Next, is Eruption Draw. Since you destroyed a Fire monster with fifteen hundred or less ATK, this card let's me draw cards equal to its Level." He drew three cards. "Finally, since Familiar was destroyed, his ability lets me look at the top five card of my deck and add any two fire monsters among them to my hand." He drew five cards and grabbed two, placing the rest back into his Deck.
Maud smirked, "impressive. Alright, Megastone Golem, attack!" The giant rock beast pulled its fists back before launching it forwards, destroying UFO Turtle. "And whenever Megastone attacks, it gains two hundred ATK points." (A3000/D3000/L8)
"Well when UFO is destroyed, I can summon another Fire Type with fifteen hundred or less ATK." Another fireball appeared in front of Sunburst and exploded, revealing Ashes Magician. (A1400/D1400/L4)
"I end my turn."
"Alright," Sunburst drew his card and added it to his already oversized hand. "And I'll set the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Red Sun Magician and scale seven Blue Sun Magician!" The pillars of light appeared besides him as the two monsters flew up into them. "Burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out and struck the ground, exploding to reveal the two monsters.
"Burn Blader!" (A1800/D100/L4)
"And Sunburst Apprentice!" (A1500/D1300/L4)
"Next, I summon Blaze Wizard!" Another fireball appeared in front of him and exploded to reveal the young fire magician. (A1200/D1100/L3)
"Why didn't you just Pendulum Summon it?" Maud asked.
"I'll tell you why," Sunburst's deck began to shuffle before slotting out a card. "Whenever my Blaze Wizard is Normal Summoned, I can add one Ritual Spell from my deck to my hand." This caught Maud's attention. "But before I activate it, I'll use Red Sun's Pendulum Ability to increase Ashes Magician's Level by three." Said magician did just that, increasing the grey clothed magician's Level. (A1400/D1400/L7) "Now, I'll activate my Sunburst Gate!"
The stone arch appeared behind his monsters, Ashes Magician exploding into fireballs that flew into seven of the archway's star holes.
Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "Courageous flames, that burn like the sun, give life to the warrior whose fiery heart cannot be extinguished!" The wooden doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The fireball exploded to reveal Sunburst's monster. "Sunburst Knight!" (A2600/D1900/L7)
"An impressive card," Maud told him. "But it won't be enough to stop my monsters.
"We'll see about that," Sunburst told her. "First, I activate Sunburst Apprentice's ability, which lets me boost the power of a Fire monster on my field by five hundred. So I'll use it to increase Burn Blader's ATK." The wizard pointed its staff at the suit of armour before unleashing a wave of fire, which flew around Burn Blader and powered it up. (A2300/D100/L4)
Maud raised an eyebrow at this. Why didn't he increase his knight's ATK power?
"Burn Blader, attack Stone Serpent!" The suit of armour charged forwards before slashing the rock snake with its flaming sword, causing it to fall apart.
Maud: 3800 Sunburst: 4000
"And when Burn Blader destroys a monster, it deals you four hundred points of damage." It pointed its sword at Maud and unleashed a wave of fire, which surrounded and burnt her.
Maud: 3400 Sunburst: 4000
"Now, Sunburst Knight will attack your Megastone Golem!"
"But my monster's stronger?" Maud asked.
"Not after his ability kicks in," Sunburst replied. His knight raised his sword, as Blaze Wizard, Burn Blader and Sunburst Apprentice glowed. That glow flew into its blade, which ignited and raised the Ritual Monster's ATK power. (A4100/D1900/L7)
Maud quickly realised what was going on and looked around, spotting an Action Card on the leaf of a tree. As Sunburst Knight drew closer to her monster, she jumped onto the tree trunk and spring boarded up to pluck the card into her hand.
But as she landed, she looked down at the card and raised an eyebrow before adding it to her hand. Seconds later, Sunburst Knight slashed Megastone Golem and destroyed it. The crumbling remains of her monster fell towards her, forcing her to jump back and avoid all but the smallest of the rocks.
Maud: 2300 Sunburst: 4000
"I activate my face down!" Her card flipped up to reveal a Trap. "Rubble Summon. Since you destroyed a Level eight Rock Monster, I can summon two Rock monsters whose combined Levels equal eight." The rocks that remained of her monster began to float into the air before flying together, forming to new monsters. "I summon Stone Rhino and Stone Eagle!" (A800/D1800/L4/P9) (A1900/D1300/L4/P7)
Sunburst sighed at the sight of the monsters, "I end my turn." His monster's ATK points returned to normal. (A2600/D1900/L7) (A1800/D100/L4)
"My draw!" Maud drew her card before taking the Action Card she'd gotten and placing it in her Duel Disk, "I activate the Action Spell Mystical Fertiliser. This card lets me remove a monster from my grave to add a monster that's the same Level and Attribute to my hand." She removed Megastone Golem before her deck shuffled and slotted out a card. She took the card, while the portal above her began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair lights shot out and struck the ground, then faded to reveal her monsters. "Stone Serpent!" (A2100/D1500/L5/P3)
The second became a fifteen meter humanoid woman, whose body was made out of earth and vegetation. Her chest, hands and feet were a mass of rock that resembled armour, while her arms and legs were made out of mud. He head was also made out of mud, with a rock like helmet covering everything but her face and long green vines for hair. Around her waist was a skirt that was made out of giant leaves, and grass could be seen growing out of the back of its rock like gauntlets. "Giga-Rock Titan, Gaia!" (A3000/D3000/L8/P3)
"Wow!" Sunburst cried, craning his neck and stepping back in order to see the entirety of the monster now standing before him.
"Behold my most powerful monster," Maud said as Gaia bent down and held out her hand, allowing her, Stone Rhino and Stone Serpent to climb on before standing back up and placing them on her shoulder. Stone Eagle landed on the other shoulder "Now I activate Gaia's special ability!" The rock serpent slithered down Gaia's arm towards her palm, Gaia closing said palm into a fist and crushing the monster into dust.
"She destroyed her own monster?" Sunburst asked, only to see Gaia begin to glow. (A51000/D3000/L8/P3) "I see." So by sacrificing a monster, Gaia could increase her own ATK. This was bad for him.
"Gaia, attack Blaze Wizard!" The giant raised its colossal hand, ready to crush Sunburst's monster. If that happened, he's only have a hundred life points left and Eagle would be able to wipe out the rest by attack Burn Blader.
Sunburst looked around and spotted a tree with a large hole in its trunk. Deciding to take his chances, he rushed towards it while Gaia began to bring its hand down to crush Blaze Wizard. But second before it could land its hit, Sunburst reached the tree and peered inside.
Doing so allowed him to see not one, but two Action Cards. No doubt one was a Spell and the other a Trap. He only had time to grab one, so he closed his eyes and reached in to grasp the first card he felt before pulling out.
Seeing what it was, he smiled before placing the card inside his Duel Disk. "I activate Power Magnet. This Action Spell makes it so that you can only attack the strongest monster on my field!" Sunburst Knight jumped in front of Blaze Wizard, raising his sword in a vein attempt to damage Gaia but only found himself being destroyed instead.
The force made when Gaia's hand hit the ground sent a gust of wind sweeping across the field, sending Sunburst flying backwards.
Maud: 2300 Sunburst: 1500
"Stone Eagle, destroy Burn Blader!" The bird jumped off Gaia's shoulder and took flight down towards the flaming suit of armour, smashing into it and destroying it.
Maud: 2300 Sunburst: 1400
"I switch Stone Rhino to DEF mode and end my turn," Maud announced as Stone Eagle landed back on Gaia's shoulder while the Giga-Rock Titan's ATK returned to normal. (A3000/D3000/L8/P3) Maud looked down at her opponent, as he picked himself up and stood shakily on his feet.
"Man," Sunburst said, "you're really not pulling any punches are you?"
"Of course not," Maud replied. "I have to win, for my sisters." Maud wasn't going to let Pinkie waste another minute in the Graveyard, not when she could be out spreading joy to everyone through her Duelling. That had always been Pinkie greatest talent.
Flashback
Maud had just arrived home from school, only to hear the sounds of crying.
Following the sound, she walked around the back of the house and spotted her little sister Marble curled up on the back porch. Her face was hidden behind her hair, but the sobbing sounds were a dead give away of her crying.
Despite Maud's face not showing it, she was very upset about her sister crying. She wanted to go and help her, but she had no idea what to say. She wasn't very good at the whole being supportive thing.
But before she could even attempt to come up with an idea, the backdoor opened and Pinkie stepped out. She saw her twin cry and sat down besides her, pulling Marble into a hug. "Aw, Marble, please don't cry. Those meanies at school don't know what they're talking about. You're awesome."
The girl, Marble, just continued to cry.
"I know," Pinkie said while getting up. "Let's Duel. That always manages to cheer you up." Marble didn't say anything, as Pinkie stood her up and walked her over to their usual Duelling area. Maud remained where she was, able to see the spot they were Duelling on quite well from where she stood.
"DUEL/duel."
Pinkie: 4000 Marble: 4000
"I DRAW!" Pinkie spun around while drawing. "I'll start by summoning Balloonimal Dog, in ATK mode." The balloon animal appeared in front of her. (A1000/D1000/L3) "I place one card face down and then let you play."
"Alright," Marble said as she drew her card. "I play Graceful Charity. So now I draw three cards and then I have to discard two." She drew and discarded her cards. "I can now summon a monster from my hand." A knight like monster whose armour was made out of some kind of gravelly rock. Seconds later, rocks appeared around it and began sealing the knight in a moon like construction. "By banishing Gaia Knight Corundum and one Rock monster from my graveyard, I can summon Gaia Knight Ruby to my field.
The moon crumbled as a knight in ruby armour appeared, carrying a sword made out of the same rock as its armour. (A3000/D2400/L8) "And since I have two Rock Monsters removed from play, he gains two hundred ATK points." (A3200/D2400/L8) "I attack Balloonimal Dog." The knight rushed forwards, ready to pop Pinkie's monster with its sword.
"I activate my Trap!" Pinkie's face down flipped up, "Half Unbreak!" The Trap started spewing bubbles, one of which surrounded Balloonimal Dog and shielded it from the attack. The sword hit the bubble and bounced off, saving Balloonimal Dog and cutting the damage Pinkie took in half.
Pinkie: 2900 Marble: 4000
"Hey!" Pinkie reached into her hair, "check this out!" She pulled out a flashlight and turned it on, then pointed it at one of the bubbles. The light went through the bubble and when it came out the other end, it was now a rainbow of colour. That rainbow flew into another bubble and was reflected into another one and another one. Soon enough, the entire Duel Field was covered in rainbows.
Marble's eyes were wide at this, looking up at the spectacle and causing her hair to fall back away from her face. Seconds later, a smile of pure joy appeared on her lips.
Maud saw this and also cracked a smile, happy that Marble wasn't upset any more.
Leave it to Pinkie to bring a smile onto anyone's face. No matter what had happened to them, or how depressed someone was, Pinkie always knew how to put a smile back on their face. That was why she started Duelling. Not to win, but to spread joy and laughter to all those around her. It was what she was meant to do.
It was in that moment, that Maud made a vow to help Pinkie master her Duelling craft. To help her develop a style that would never fail to make anyone who saw it laugh.
Flashforward
"I can't afford to lose." Not if she wanted Pinkie out of the Graveyard, so she could show the world the style they'd worked so hard to create.
Sunburst smirked as he put his hand on his Deck. "Well I can't afford to lose either. Not after everything me and my team have been through to get here. It's my turn. I...DRAW!" He looked at the card he'd gotten and smiled, "I activate my Eruption Reload. This card let's me banish UFO Turtle from my grave and draw four cards." He did so, "I'll then use the skill of Ashes Magician! Now, by banishing him from my graveyard, I can add a Spell back to my hand." A card slotted out of his Duel Disk.
That has to be his Ritual card," Maud realised.
"I'll now activate the effect of Red Sun Magician, to increase the level of Blaze Wizard by three." Once again, the red clothed wizard unleashed a trio of fireballs that flew into Blaze Wizard. (A1200/D1100/L6) "Now, I'll once again activate my Sunburst Gate." The arch appeared, as Blaze Wizard exploded into six fireball that flew into half the indents.
Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "furious hellfire, that burns like the sun, give life to the demon whose fury cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The flames faded to reveal the monster Sunburst had summoned. The monster looked like a human teen, but he was wearing a crimson leather trench coat over black clothes and had a demonic black mask over his face that had red hair coming out the back along with a pair of red horns [AN]. Its left arm appeared to have been replaced by a red monster arm with spikes running up the forearm and on the shoulder as well as sharp claw like fingers. In its right arm was a wooden staff with an axe like blade in the shape of Sunburst's emblem. "Sunburst Ravager!" (A2000/D1800/L6)
Maud was on guard, unsure what Sunburst was planning.
"Here's the thing. While Sunburst Ravager is on the field, no other cards can attack."
"Doesn't sound like a very useful ability," Maud said before catching on. "Unless."
"Unless Ravager gets one attack for every monster on my field," Sunburst smirked. "And once I Pendulum Summon, that count's gonna go up." The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out and hit the ground, exploding to reveal his monsters.
"Sunburst Guardian!" (A1400/D1800/L4)
"And Yellow Sun Magician!" (A2200/D1800/L6/P1) "With these two out, Ravager's attack count is four."
"So what?" Maud asked. "Even if you can attack four time, Gaia still has much higher ATK then your monster."
Sunburst's smile increased as he activated another card. "That won't be true when I equip him with Blazing Aura." His monsters all glowed a fiery red. "Now he gains an extra five hundred ATK points, for every other Fire monster my side of the field." The glow flew off Apprentice, Guardian and Yellow Sun, surrounding Ravager and increasing his ATK points (A3500/D1800/L6) "Next, I'll use Apprentice's ability to increase Ravager's ATK by another five hundred." The young wizard unleashed his fireball, while further powered up the Ritual Monster. (A4000/D1800/L6) "ATTACK!"
Ravager leapt up into the air, both its claws and axe igniting into flames.
Maud gasped seeing this and leapt off her monster's shoulder as Stone Eagle took flight, grabbing its foot and gliding down towards one of the tree. Ravager thrust its axe into Gaia's chest, destroying it and causing Stone Rhino to fall to the ground.
Maud: 1300 Sunburst: 1400
Maud finally reached the three and jumped onto one of the branches, while Ravager landed on the ground and turned to Stone Eagle. The demon rushed towards the stone beast, axe primed, as Maud rushed over to grab what she'd seen from Gaia's shoulder. "I activate the Action Spell Unblooming. This card let's me pay five hundred life points to change any monster to DEF mode.
Maud: 800 Sunburst: 1400
Stone Eagle curled itself up, seconds before Ravager cut it into rubble. The rocks sprayed all over the place, hitting Maud and knocking her off the branch. Ravager then turned to Rhino and slashed it into pebbles, leaving Maud's field empty. "Finish this!" Ravager rushed towards Maud, its claw still aflame and prepared to slash her.
But seconds before it could make contact, the ground broke open before a rock golem appeared between them. (A1400/D1300/L4) Ravager's claws ripped into the golem, crumbling it be leaving Maud's life points intact.
"What the heck?" Sunburst asked, only to then notice Maud's Pendulum Zones had disappeared. "A Pendulum Ability?"
"That's right," Maud said. "Stone Armadillo's. When I'm attacked directly, I can sacrifice him and my other Pendulum Monster to look at the top three cards of my deck. If one is a monster with fifteen hundred or less ATK points, I can summon it. Luckily, My Stone Sentry qualified."
Sunburst frowned, his victory seeming so assured, but just chose to switch Apprentice to DEF mode and end his turn. Ravager's ATK reduced. (A3500/D1800/L6)
"It's my turn," Maud reached for her deck. "I DRAW!" She looked at her cards and nodded, "I activate the effect of Stone Sentry. By banishing it from the graveyard, I can draw two new cards!" Once she did that, she threw down two of her cards. "I will now reset the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Stone Crocodile and scale five Stone Penguin!" The pillars reappeared before the two statue like monsters flew up into them. "I activate my Crocodile's Pendulum Ability. If my Penguin's Pendulum Scale is six of below, which it is, I can double that scale. The number beneath Penguin went up from five to ten, giving Maud exactly what she needed.
Sunburst frowned, as he watched the portal above her then begin to form.
"I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened and five lights shot of it.
Giga-Rock Titan, Gaia!" (A3000/D3000/L8/P3)
"Stone Serpent!" (A2100/D1500/L5/P3)
"Stone Rhino!" (A800/D1800/L4/P9)
"Stone Eagle!" (A1900/D1300/L4/P7)
"Stone Armadillo!" (A400/D2000/L3/P10)
"I'll then activate Stone Penguin's Pendulum Ability. Once per turn, I can swap the ATK and DEF of one monster on my field. So I'll swap my Rhino's points." Penguin shot out a light, which struck Stone Rhino and made it glow. (A1800/D800/L4/P9) "Then, I'll sacrifice Stone Armadillo to increase Gaia's ATK power!" The giantess reached down and grabbed the stone armadillo, crushing it in her hand. (A3400/D3000/L8/P3) "Stone Serpent, attack!"
Sunburst watched as the rock snake once again burrowed underground before shooting up and destroying Sunburst Guardian, lowering Ravager's ATK power. (A3000/D1800/L6)
"Stone Eagle!" The rock bird took flight and grabbed Yellow Sun Magician, flapping up high before dropping the wizard and destroying it. Once again, Ravager's power decreased. (A2500/D1800/L6) "Rhino!" The horned rock monster charged forwards, impaling Sunburst Apprentice and destroying him while Ravager's power returned to its base level. (A2000/D1800/L6) "Now, Gaia will end it!"
As the Giantess reached down to splat Sunburst's monster, he looked around for an Action Card that could save him. He once again spotted a tree with a hole inside, which he rushed over to and reached inside.
Feeling only one card, he grasped it and pulled it out to reveal...a trap. "No!" Sunburst cried as the Trap, Poison Ivy, took effect and dealt him five hundred points of damage. "Ah!" He hissed as a sting surged through his hand, while the card vanished.
Maud: 800 Sunburst: 900
He tried to see if he could find another card, but saw nothing around him. All he could do was turn back to Ravager, as Gaia's giant palm crushed him into nothing while creating a powerful gust of wind. "WOW!" Sunburst cried as he was sent flying through the forest.
Maud: 800 (Winner) Sunburst: 0
Maud sighed in relief, knowing that Duel hadn't been easy. She was till exhausted from the running around to grab the Action Cards. But despite all that, she smirked knowing she'd helped free her sister.
Down below, Pinkie was sitting on one of the benches while humming to herself.
Her humming stopped when she heard the beeping noise of her Raduel, which she held up as the hologram appeared. On it was the info saying she was free to leave, making her smile. "Thanks sis."
Maud turned back to Sunburst, who moaned as he was pulling himself free of the tree he'd crashed into.
"Are you alright?" She asked, back in her monotone voice.
Sunburst groaned as he cricked his back, "I'm fine." He then turned to smile at Maud while fixing his glasses, "this isn't the last you've seen of me. Next round, you're toast." Before Maud could reply, the ground beneath him began to sink down. As he travelled down the tube like pathway, he frowned. "Sorry guys. I let you down." Hopefully one of them would win their next match quickly, so he could get out and regain some of the points he'd lost.
As Flash was running through the Arctic Field, a beeping caught his attention.
Expecting it to be the alert of his next opponent, he looked at his Raduel as the screen appeared to show what had happened. "He lost?"
"No way," Spike said from the Meadow Field. "Sunburst can't be in the graveyard." He switched off his Raduel and sighed, "I'd better hurry up and save him." But just as he said that, his watch beeped again. Fearing it might show that Flash had lost, he called on the screen only to find it was a Duel alert. His next opponent was in range.
Before he could look around, the sound of footsteps and a familiar voice caught his attention. "Huh, Spike?"
The teen spun around, his eyes going wide at the sight of his next opponent as they stood atop a large hill. "Twilight." His sister just stared at him, the two realising what they had to do. For the sake of their teams, they had to beat each other.
Luna: The excitement build in day two of the Double X. Many incredible Duels have already taken place, and many more are sure to follow.
Celestia: Lets head over to the Canyon Field, where Rarity of Team Applejewel is facing off against Micro Chips of Team Righteous Galaxy!
Rarity's currently had her Gem-Knight Lapis, while Micro had his Galaxy Hero Ecliptor. He also had the Trap Gravity Bind, along with the Spell Motion Wave Cannon. On his next turn, it'd be charged enough to defeat her.
"Alright," Rarity drew her card and smiled at what she'd gotten. "I pay five hundred life points, in order to activate the Equip Spell Mistmane's Flower of Everlasting Beauty!"
Micro: 2100 Rarity: 1800
A black pot with a pink long steamed flower appeared besides Lapis. "This card allows me to revive a monster from my graveyard, so I'll revive my Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond!" The flower glowed, as a portal opened up beneath it and out flew Rarity's best monster. Said monster grabbed the plant pot in its hand and held up its rapier. (A3400/D2000/L10)
"I think you may have made a critical error," Micro told her. "Don't forget, my Gravity Bind stops all Level four or higher monsters from attack."
"Don't be so sure darling," Rarity told him. "A monster equipped with Mistmane's Flower, also becomes immune to all Spells, Traps and Monster Effect." Micro's eyes went wide, as Brilliant Diamond rushed forwards and stabbed Ecliptor with its sword.
Micro: 1100 Rarity: 1800
"And now you have nothing to protect you from Lapis's attack!" The weaker Gem-Knight leapt forwards ballerina style, then performed a spinning kick into Micro's stomach.
Micro: 0 Rarity: 1800 (Winner)
Luna: It's over. Rarity managed to overcome her opponent's strategy and earn a come from behind victory.
Rarity and Micro both shook hands. "Excellent move. I'll need to rework my Duel formula to accommodate for immunity cards."
"Glad I could help you," Rarity smiled before Micro was pulled underground. Once her was gone, Rarity began her search for the next opponent.
Celestia: Meanwhile, over in the Volcano Field, Adagio Dazzle of team Dazzlings is currently facing off against Vinyl Scratch of Team Muffins.
Currently, Adagio didn't have any monsters on the field, while Vinyl had Sound Striker.
She did however, have a Pendulum Scale. In one pillar was a monster named Ocean's Idol Allegra, which was a blond mermaid in a black and white dress with a silver tail. In the other pillar was Ocean's Idol Medley, which was a white haired mermaid with a white tail and purple dress. Allegra's pendulum scale was one while Medley's was eight.
Adagio also had a face up Continuous Spell called Idol's Backup.
"It's my turn," Adagio drew her card and smiled as the portal opened up above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and five lights shot out of it, hitting the ground and taking shape before fading to reveal her monsters. The first was a blond mermaid in a purple dress and pink gloves going up to her elbows. Her tail was yellow and she wore pink microphone headset. "Ocean's Idol Operetta!" (A2400/D2100/L7/P4)
The next was a brunette mermaid carrying pompoms, wearing an orange vest and skirt with a green tail. "Ocean's Idol Nera!" (A1400/D1300/L4/P8)
The third was a redheaded mermaid with a cream dress and red tail, said dressing being covered in bows. "Ocean's Idol Rhapsody!" (A2300/D1900/L6/P2)
The forth was a blue haired mermaid with pink highlights, wearing an orange and black dress that had an opening to show off her belly button. Her tail was the same blue as her hair and had pink on the fine. "Ocean's Idol Vespers!" (A1800/D900/L4/P2)
Finally, the last was a peach haired mermaid with a peach coloured tail. She wore a dress that was red, white and black and was wearing a pair of white gloves. "Ocean's Idol Cabaletta!" (A2000/D100/L4/P2)
"I'll now use Operetta's ability!" Nera, Rhapsody and Vespers all transformed into lights before flying towards Adagio, the girl catching them as they returned to being cards. "My returning any number of Ocean Idols to my hand, I can lower the ATK of you Sound Striker by five hundred points for each one!" Operetta began to sing, unleashing a powerful soundwave that struck Vinyl's monster and weakened it. (A1300/D700/L8)
"Not cool!" Vinyl cried.
"Operetta, ATTACK!" The mermaid swam through the air towards Vinyl and her monster.
"Not so fast! I'm using DJ Pon-3's ability, to pay five hundred life points and change your monster to DEF mode!" The DJ started blasting out beats, which flew right at Operetta.
Vinyl: 600 Adagio: 1400
"Sorry," Adagio said, "not happening. I'm using Idol's Backup to return Cabaletta back to my hand!" The peach mermaid transformed into a light, which flew into Adagio's hand. "Now I can negate the effect of one card on your field that's targeting an Ocean's Idol." A shield appeared around Operetta, blocking the soundwaves and allowing her to get close.
Once she was inches from Sound Striker, she unleashing a high pitched scream that made the DJ's machine shake itself apart. Vinyl managed to jump clear, seconds before it collapsed.
Vinyl: 0 Adagio: 1400 (Winner)
Luna: And the winner is Adagio Dazzle, of team Dazzlings.
Vinyl sighed as Adagio stepped over to her, "nice Duel."
"Yeah," Adagio replied, "sure. Anyway, I need to ask you something. You were the first one to Duel against Tempest Shadow yesterday, weren't you?"
Vinyl frowned. "Yeah, I was. And she totally kicked my butt."
"So what was she like?" Adagio asked.
Vinyl hummed, "she wasn't your usual opponent. From the Traps she used, her monster's abilities and...well...everything. It felt as if the whole Duel was rigged in her favour." This got Adagio curious, but couldn't say anything else as Vinyl was pulled underground.
Once she was gone, Adagio sighed. "Geez, what did we get ourselves into?"
Meanwhile, in the Meadow Field, two of the tournament competitors were staring each other down.
Celestia: The next challenger for Twilight Sparkle, is none other then her younger brother Spike.
Luna: Not only is Spike her little brother, but he's also the right hand man to her boyfriend Flash Sentry. No doubt this contest will be anything but boring.
Up in one of the VIP boxes, Shining, Cadance and Flurry were watching. Besides them was Cold, Grand and team Crusaders. Tidal had also been invited, but had opted to sit in the stands where his cheers could be heard.
From his seat, Shining frowned as he looked at his little siblings being paired off against one another. Though he knew there was a chance they'd end up against one another, he had been hoping the universe would keep them separate until they were further into the competition.
But it seemed fate had other ideas. "Twilight. Spike."
As Spike activated his Duel Disk, he couldn't help but feel nervous.
Sunburst was already in the Graveyard, so he couldn't afford to lose. But he had never beaten his sister in a one on one Duel before. No, he had to win. A look of determination became etched onto his face
Twilight was also sporting the same look. There was no way she was losing another match, not after what happened yesterday. Even if her opponent happened to be her brother.
Spike the said with great confidence, "this is what it means-"
"To compete in the Double X!" Twilight finished with the same level of confidence.
"DUEL!"
Spike: 4000 Twilight: 4000
Down below in the Graveyard, Sunburst and the rest of the defeated Duellist saw a nearby TV switch on and show Twilight and Spike's Duel on it.
"Come on Spike," Sunburst told him.
"I'll take the first move!" Spike reached for his deck, "I draw! I'll start by summoning Lava Fang Dragon in ATK mode!" A fireball appeared in front of him before exploding, revealing a red serpentine dragon with lava spewing out of its mouth. (A1400/D1300/L4) "Next, I'll equip him with my Dragon Shield!" A spiky suit of armour materialised around the winged snake. "With this, Lava Fang can't be destroyed by battle and neither of us take any damage from battles involving him."
Twilight frowned. Obviously he was hoping to keep his monster around long enough to use in a Synchro Summon. She had to get rid of it before he could pull it off.
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn," Twilight drew her card before placing it and another card in her hand onto her Duel Disk. "And I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Pendulum Caster and scale eight Magi-Beast Mystic Dracoteen!" The pillars of light appeared besides her before her monsters flew up into them, the portal forming once they were there. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal finally finished forming, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out and hit the ground, then faded to reveal the hook staffed magician girl. "Magician's Valkyria!" (A1600/D1800/L4) "Next I summon Flame Burst Magician!" The fire styled wizard appeared next to Valkyria. "And when he's normal summoned, he deals you eight hundred points of damage.
Spike's eyes went wide as he saw the wizard shoot a fireball at him, which struck his chest and made him stagger backwards.
Spike: 3200 Twilight: 4000
"Then I'll use Pendulum Caster's Pendulum Ability, to turn my level three Flame Burst Magician into a Tuner Monster." The Pendulum Monster pointed his staff at Flame Burst, then fired a rainbow beam out and struck him. Once the transformation was complete, Flame Burst leapt into the air. "And now I tune my Level three Flame Burst Magician with my Level four Magician's Valkyria!" Flame Burst exploded into a trio of lights, which quickly carved three ring that Valkyria leapt into. "Beings of mystical might, unite you power and let the magic shine for all eternity." In that moment her monsters disappeared in an explosion of light, "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Twilight's ace. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "I activate my Warlock's ability, to look at the top five cards of my deck and add one Spellbook to my hand." She drew five cards and looked through them, then pull one out before shuffling the rest back into her deck. "Now I activate it. Spellbook of Disenchantment!" A book appeared in Warlock's hand, which he opened before it shot out a beam of light.
That beam struck Lava Fang Dragon, causing the armour it was wearing to disappear. "What the?" Spike asked.
"Spellbook of Disenchantment allows me to destroy one Spell card on the field, as long as I have a Spellcaster on my field." Twilight smiled while Spike frowned. "Now, Twilight Warlock, attack Lava Fang Dragon!" The wizard pointed its staff at Spike's monster and unleashed a blast of magic.
"I activate my face down," Spike card flipped up. "Dragon Scale Armour!" This card protects my monster from being destroyed and cuts the damage I take in half!" Lava Fang curled itself up as its scales glowed, the magic attack hitting it but the dragon was able to endure.
Spike: 2650 Twilight: 4000
Twilight frowned. It seemed Spike had a backup plan in case she managed to destroy his Dragon Shield. "I end my turn."
While this was happening, Flash was in the Arctic Field Duelling against his own opponent.
He was hoping to end the Duel quickly and free Sunburst, but there was one small problem. His opponent was TAKING FOREVER! He was currently hiding within a Nightmare's Steelcage, which had prevented Flash from attacking for two turns. Luckily, that was about to end.
"I place one card face down and end my turn." With that, the cage began to vanish, freeing up Flash's monster to attack his opponent next turn.
"Alright," his opponent drew his card, "I play the Spell card Swords of Revealing Light!"
Flash's eyes went wide before looking up, seeing as swords made of pure light shot down from the heavens and surrounded him. Now his monsters couldn't attack for three turns, "OH COME ON!"
"It's my turn," Spike reached for his deck. "I draw!" He looked at what he'd gotten and nodded, "I summon Burning Salamander to the field in ATK mode!" Another fireball appeared and exploded, showing a red lizard with a yellow underbody and a stream of fire running down its back. (A1600/D1400/L4)
"A Tuner Monster!" Twilight gulped.
Spike smirked as Burning Salamander leapt into the air. "I tune my Level four Burning Salamander, with Level four Lava Fang Dragon!" The flaming lizard transformed into a quartet of fireballs, which each carved a burning ring that Lava Fang Dragon flew into. "Cast your flames across this battle field, and burn everything that is weak to ashes" Spike chanted as his monsters were consumed by an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames erupted, as Spike's ace burst free and revealed itself. "Dragonic Blazemaster!" (A3000/D2000/L8)
Twilight looked up at her brother's best card, knowing that stopping it was gonna take everything she had.
Spike leapt up onto his monster, as it spread its wings and took to the sky. "Attack!" The humanoid dragon raised his sword before charging at Twilight Warlock, while it and Twilight began rushing through the meadow in search of an action card.
Twilight spotted one laying on the ground, leaping for it as Blazemaster swung his sword. But when Twilight grabbed the card and flipped it up, her eyes went wide seeing it was an Action Trap.
Luna: Card Blast. That Action Trap forces Ms Sparkle to send three cards from her deck, then take three hundred points of damage for every monster sent there.
Twilight frowned and drew three cards, spotting two monsters among them.
Spike: 2650 Twilight: 3400
Seconds later, Blazemaster struck Twilight Warlock and destroyed it while sending Twilight flying backwards.
Spike: 2650 Twilight: 2900
"I end my turn with a face down," Spike announced while Twilight picked herself up.
"It's my turn!" Twilight reached for her deck, "I draw!" The portal began to form above her head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, taking shape before fading to reveal Twilight's Synchro Pendulum and another monster. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "And Twilight Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7) "I'll now activate Twilight Warlock's ability!" Twilight drew five cards and smiled seeing one of them, taking it before shuffling the rest back into her deck. "Now I equip Twilight Warlock with the Magic Tome of Starswirl!" The book appeared in the Synchro's hand.
Up in another of the VIP boxes, Tempest and Starlight sat watching the Duel unfold while Heath listened to his music.
When Twilight had played that card, it made Starlight raise an eyebrow. "Isn't that the girl you beat the other day?"
"It is," Tempest replied. "And she apparently got that Starswirl card from Moondancer." This made Starlight's eyes go wide as she turned to her, then looked back to fire a quizzical look at Twilight.
"But why? Why would she give up such a powerful card?"
"I don't know," Tempest said. "Maybe she knew what was coming and wanted a way for us to become interested in her."
"Not like it matters," Starlight then said. "Even with that card, she didn't stand much of a chance against you."
"Maybe," Tempest said.
"Here's the deal," Twilight told her brother. "While holding that Tome, my Warlock gains a hundred ATK points for every Spellbook in the graveyard. And right now, I have two of them." (A2700/D2100/L7/P4) "Also, I can send one Spellbook from my deck to my grave in order to activate it's ability. So I'm sending Spellbook of Power to my graveyard, to power him up another eleven hundred points. (A3800/D2100/L7/P4) "Attack!" The wizard aimed its staff at Spike's Dragon and fired.
"I activate my Trap!" Spike ordered, as his face down flipped over. "Roar of the Mighty Dragon! Since you're declaring an attack on a Dragon monster that's Level seven or higher, it's effect activates. Now we both have to draw until he get a monster and if my monster's Level is higher then yours, your attack is negated."
Twilight frowned, but drew her card. Her monster was Star Charmer, a Level one. "Not good," she looked over at Spike as he revealed his monster. It was Ember Dragon, a low level monster but still stronger then hers.
As Twilight Warlock's attack flew towards Blazemaster, the dragon opened its jaw and let loose a mighty roar. The entire field rocked, as the sound created a force strong enough to deflect the blast.
Twilight frowned at this, she and Spike both sending their drawn cards to the graveyard, then jumped onto the back of her Unicorn before it galloped across the field. "I end my turn." Twilight Warlock's ATK returned to normal, though still powered up by its Spellbook. (A2800/D2100/L7/P4)
"It's my turn!" Spike drew his card, "I summon Flame Sabre Dragon!" A burst of flames signalled the arrival of the twin sword wielding dragon. (A1500/D1200/L4/P5) "Now, Dragonic Blazemaster, attack Twilight Warlock!" The Synchro Dragon flew forwards as it sword ignited, Twilight still on the hunt for an Action Card.
But before she could spot one, Blazemaster's sword stabbed her Warlock and destroyed it.
Spike: 2650 Twilight: 2700
"And now it's time for Blazemaster's ability," Spike announced. "Since he destroyed a monster, I can have him attack another monster on your field!" Blazemaster's sword reignited as it turned to Twilight Unicorn, "Eternal Flame!" The dragon flew forwards and raised its weapon.
In that moment, Twilight spotted an Action Card and reached down to grab it. Plucking it up off the ground, she looked at it before frowning. She then leapt off her monster, right before Blazemaster burnt it to a crisp.
Spike: 2650 Twilight: 2100
As Twilight shakily landed on her feet, she placed the Action Card into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Action Spell Untrained Replacement. I can only activate this Action Spell when you destroy a monster. Now I can summon a monster from my deck that's one Level lower then my Unicorn, so I can now summon a Level three." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which Twilight took and slapped onto her Duel Disk. "Come on out, Timebreaker Magician!" The teen in clock themed wizards clothes appeared in front of her. (A1400/D0/L3/P2)
Spike smirked, "not bad Twi. Alright, Flame Sabre Dragon attack!" The dragon rushed forwards and slashed Twilight's last monster, burning it into nothing.
Spike: 2650 Twilight: 2000
"I end my turn." Spike turned to Twilight as she sighed. Spike had definitely gotten much stronger since their last Duel. But even so, she couldn't let that stop her.
Twilight looked down at her Duel Disk, remembering the Spell card resting in her graveyard that had been given by Moondancer. She still wasn't able to Duel at her level yet, to honour her. Until she could, she had to keep pressing forwards and improve her game. "I draw!" Twilight looked at the card she'd gotten and smiled, a plan forming in her head as the portal formed above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of lights shot out, revealing Twilight's revived monsters. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "Twilight Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7) "And Timebreaker Magician!" (A1400/D0/L3/P2) "I'll now activate Twilight Warlock's ability!" Twilight drew her five cards and smiled, seeing just what she'd been hoping for. "I activate the Spellbook of Rebirth, to revive Star Charmer back to the field!" The Level one Tuner monster appeared besides the rest of her magicians. "And finally I summon Spirit Chanter!" Twilight's fifth wizard finally appeared. (A500/D300/L2)
Celestia: Impressive. Despite the odds, Twilight's field is now completely full. Will this give her the edge she needs?
The army of Spellcasters all stared up at Spike's dragons, ready to take them down. "Let's go!" Twilight yelled as her Tuner monster leapt into the air. "I now tune Level one Star Charmer and Level two Spirit Chanter." Star Charmer waved his wand and transformed into a ball of light, which carved a ring that Spirit Chanter flew into. "Now watch," Twilight said, "as both power and magic surge towards each other and collide to create pure might." The two disappeared in a burst of radiant light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Twilight's strongest Tuner monster. "Celestial Charmer!" (A1200/D600/L3) "And since Celestial Charmer was Synchro Summoned, I can draw one card." She did so and found it was Pendulum Spellbook.
Spike watched as energy surrounded his Flame Sabre Dragon, de-powering it. (A1000/D1200/L4/P5) "Not good."
"And now," Twilight said. "Level three Synchro Tuner Celestial Charmer tunes with Level seven Twilight Warlock!" Celestia Charmer waved its staff before transforming into three rings of light, which flew up into the sky. Once there, Twilight Warlock flew up towards them. "Ancient power of the heavens, let your might flow through me, so I may carry out your work." As Twilight Warlock flew through the rings, they exploded into light which covered the Spellcaster before the light formed a cocoon around him. "GO ACCEL SYNCHRO!"
The light cocoon disappeared from around Twilight's monster, revealing her hyper evolved Synchro Monster. "Celestial Body Magician!" (A3500/D3000/L10)
"There it is," Spike said while looking up at one of his sister's best monsters.
"Now for Celestial Body Magician's ability!" Twilight said as she drew five cards, looking them over before showing them to Spike. Two of them were monsters, one was a Trap and the last two were Spell cards. "Since two of the cards I drew were Spellbook card, Celestia Body Magician is allowed to attack twice."
Celestial Body Magician waved his staff, creating a pair of ethereal books which spun around his body. He then pointed his staff down towards Dragonic Blazemaster, with one of them going flying at it.
"Don't forget about my Roar of the Mighty Dragon!" Spike told her as his Trap activated. "Now we both draw until we get a monster." They did so, Twilight revealing her Level three Ventus Charmer while Spike got Level six Iron Tail Dragon." Blazemaster unleashed another roar, which hit the book and sent it flying back at Celestial Body Magician.
"Well my magician still has another attack," Twilight announced while the second book went flying. It shot through and destroyed the first book, then headed straight for Blazemaster. Spike's Trap activated again and the two drew until they got a monster. Twilight saw she'd gotten Defender the Magical Knight, a Level four, and when she turned to Spike she saw a frown on his face.
The reason soon became clear when he turned the card around and showed it was Underling Dragon, Level two.
Blazemaster unleashed another roar, but this time the book broke through the soundwaves and struck the beast in the beast. It let out a might cry and it was destroyed, Spike sent hurtling towards the ground and crashing into it near a bush.
Spike: 2150 Twilight: 2000
"And with Flame Sabre Dragon now weakened, Timebreaker can easily destroy it!" The clock themed wizard rushed forwards, clock hand sword primed.
As Spike was picking himself up, he happened to spot something hidden under the bush. Seconds later, Timebreaker's Sword struck Flame Sabre's crossed over blades. But despite being weaker, the dragon remained where it was and pushed Timebreaker back.
"What?" Twilight asked before looking down at her Duel Disk, seeing Spike's life points decrease.
Spike: 1750 Twilight: 2000
"Sorry Twi," Spike said as he stood up. "But Flame Sabre ain't going anywhere. I got the Action Card Fading Will. At the end of this turn, Flame Sabre will be destroyed. But until then, he can't be destroyed by battle."
Twilight frowned, "you'll still take damage though. Twilight Unicorn!" The horse she was riding pointed its horn at Spike's dragon and fired its magical blast, which struck the beast and pushed it back while shocking Spike.
Spike: 950 Twilight: 2000
"I end my turn," Twilight announced. As soon as she said that, Flame Sabre Dragon dropped its swords as it fell face first into the ground and exploded.
Now Spike was monster-less and facing off against three powerful monsters. Something like this was to be expected from Twilight, but Spike couldn't let it end like this. For Sunburst...for Flash...for the team. Spike had to win, even if it meant doing the impossible and defeating his sister. "I won't give up!" He placed his hand on his deck, "I just need something big to put me back in this Duel!" With that, he drew his card. Unfortunately, all he got was Assault Wyvern and that wasn't gonna be of any use. "What can I do?" He asked, only to remember an effect he could play. "That could work."
"What could work?" Twilight asked.
"My Flame Sabre Dragon's ability," Spike announced. "By sending him from my Extra Deck to the grave, I can draw one card for every monster on your field." He moved his Pendulum monster to the graveyard before drawing three cards, smiling when he saw what he'd gotten. "Sweet."
Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what he'd gotten.
"I set Flame Breaker Dragon into the Pendulum Zone!" A single light pillar appeared besides him before the hammer wielding dragonoid flew up into it. "And now that he's there, I can pay five hundred life points to banish a Dragon from my hand."
Spike: 450 Twilight: 2000
"I banished Assault Wyvern!" Said dragon appeared on the field, as Flame Breaker Dragon tossed its hammer into its back. As soon as it made contact, the dragon exploded and the flames split into four fireballs. "Now I can summon two monsters whose combined Levels equal his. So I summon Fireheart Dracokid and Peewee Dragon!" the fireballs paired off and combined, creating the two young dragons that flew down next infront of Spike. (A1000/D800/L2) (A300/D200/L2)
"Two Tuner monsters?" Twilight asked in confusion. "What's he planning."
"You'll see," Spike said as he placed another card into his Duel Disk. "As soon as I used Monster Reborn to revive Dragonic Blazemaster." A pillar of fire exploded behind him, which Spike's ace quickly flew out of. (A3000/D2000/L8) The beast roared, while Twilight's eyes went wide.
"Don't tell me."
"THAT'S RIGHT!" Spike cried as his two Tuner Monsters leapt into the air. "Level Two Fireheart Dracokid and Level two Peewee Dragon, now Double Tunes with Level eight Dragonic Blazemaster!" The Tuner's exploded into a quartet of fireballs, which quickly blazed four rings of fire. Those four rings lined up, as Blazemaster flew up into them.
All over the stadium, the crowd's attention became focused purely on this one Duel. "Flames of Apocalypse, incinerate everything in this world!" The flaming rings exploded, wrapping Blazemaster into a ball of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flaming sun began to extinguish, reveal Spike's new monster. It looked like Dragonic Blazemaster, but it was now twelve meters in height and had blue and yellow armour on its shoulders, chest, knees and tail. The horn on its snout was twice the size and it had a single dragon wing on the back of its wrists and ankles. A pair of bat wing shaped ears extended out of the sides of its head and on the end of its tail were another pair of wings. Connected to its shoulder armours were a pair of tube like scabbards, each holding three blades within them. "Dragonic Blazemaster...INFERNO LEGEND!" (A3500/D3000/L12)
Twilight could only stare up at the beast in amazement, awestruck at its majesty.
Luna: Incredible! Despite the previous disadvantage, Spike has managed to claw himself back up and summon a truly mighty beast.
"Now watch," Spike announced. "As the molten ashes of my fallen dragons rise up from their fiery graves, ablaze with new life. Each granting Inferno Legend three hundred ATK points." From out of the ground, spirits of Spike's monsters phased out before exploding into fire. That fire flew into Inferno Legend's mouth. As it swallowed, the beast roared as it suddenly began to grow until it was almost twice its original height. (A5900/D3000/L12)
All over the Meadow Field, Duels came to a halt as the Duellists all turned to stare at the giant dragon.
Twilight frowned as she started galloping away, hoping to find an Action card that could save her.
As the dragon picked Spike up and placed him on its shoulders, the teen turned to his fleeing sister. "Inferno Legend, attack Celestial Body Magician!" This confused many people. Sure, he'd still win, but wouldn't attacking a weaker monster make that easier? Especially given Celestial Body's ability.
"Since you've attacked him, my Synchro Monster's ability lets me remove him from play at negate your attack." But as soon as she said that, Twilight's Duel disk beeped. She looked down and saw it say the action was prohibited. "What gives?"
"What gives is Inferno Legend's ability," Spike explained as his dragon took to the skies. "With Blazemaster in my graveyard, all your monster effects are negated during my turn. The only down side is he's forced to attack your strongest monster."
That explained it. Twilight needed something, quickly.
Then she saw it, a nearby bush. If Spike had found an Action card in one, then she might she. Twilight Unicorn picked up speed, as Inferno Legend reached back and drew one of his six swords. It pulled back, just as Twilight reached the bush.
She jumped off her Unicorn and reached into it, feeling a familiar something on her fingers. "Yes," she pulled back and saw what she'd gotten before placing it in her Duel Disk. "I activate the Action Spell Grass Guard!" A tornado of grass appeared around Celestial Body, as Inferno Legend tried to slash at it. "This card might not save my monster, but it'll cut the damage I take in half!" The sword broke through the tornado, slicing Twilight's Accel Synchro monster in half while sending a way of wind across the field.
Twilight cried as she was knocked off her feet.
Spike: 450 Twilight: 800
Twilight sighed. She'd lost her monster, but at least she'd survived. "You're not safe yet sis," she looked up and saw Spike's dragon unsheave another sword. "Whenever Inferno Legend destroys a monster, I can banish a Tuner from my graveyard and have him attack again!" Twilight gasped as Burning Salamander appeared in front of Inferno Legend before bursting into flames, wrapping around the sword as the Synchro Monster turned to Twilight Unicorn.
As she watched the sword fly down towards her monster, Twilight could only sigh. "I'm sorry guys." With that, the sword struck and destroyed Twilight Unicorn while sending Twilight flying backwards.
Spike: 450 (Winner) Twilight: 0
Celestia: And he's done it. We've just watched a major upset here, as young Spike managed to narrowly defeat his sister and rescue his teammate from the Graveyard.
Shining sighed while sitting back, Cadance placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He knew one of them had to lose, but it didn't make it any less painful to watch.
Out in the stands, Tidal also saw this and frowned.
"Twilight," Fluttershy whispered in the Forest Field. In the Volcano Field, Sunset also saw this and sighed.
Back in the Meadow Field, Spike said nothing as Twilight was lowered into the Graveyard. He was still in shock at the thought that he'd actually managed to beat her. "Spike!" The teen turned to see Sunburst appeared from out of the ground, a smile on his face as he rushed over to him. "Thanks," he said while scratching the back of his head, "sorry to put you through that."
Spike just smiled, "well you bailed me out at the shop tournament. Now we're even." The two smirked, then broke out laughing. They laughed for so long, that when they stopped they spotted Flash rushing towards them.
"Hey," he cried as he got up close to them.
"Oh hey," Sunburst replied.
"What's been keeping you?" Spike asked, wondering why Flash wasn't able to free Sunburst before him.
Flash just sighed, "my opponent was taking forever. He kept using stall tactics and by the time I'd beaten him, Spike's match was already over."
"Whatever," Spike said before turning to Sunburst. "Come on, we gotta earn back the points you lost."
Sunburst smirked as the two began to walk off, "I'll get back double that much. Just you watch me." The two headed off, leaving Flash just standing there.
"Hey!" Flash rushed forwards, "guys!" He chased after them, Team V-Fighters now back to full strength. Now they had to all find their next opponent.
The second day of the Double X Tournament continues.
In the Arctic Field, we find Gilda facing off against Rose of Team Fighting Flora. Rose currently had a monster named Naturia Barkion on her field, while Gilda had Birdface and Harpie Harpist on her field along with a face down.
"I attack your Birdface with Naturia Barkion!" The serpent like dragon crawled towards the winged beast. "Turn that bird into compost!"
"I don't think so," Gilda said as her face down flipped up. "Go Protective Winds. This card lets me negate one attack, as long as I have a Wind monster on my field." Rose smiled before removing two cards from her deck, Barkion then unleashing a mighty roar that caused Gilda's Trap to explode. "What the?"
"Sorry," Rose said, "but Barkion's ability lets me banish two cards from my grave to negate your Trap's effect and destroy it." Gilda growled as she watched Rose's monsters eat hers.
Gilda: 1900 Rose: 1700
"Well since Birdface was destroyed by battle, I get to add a Harpie Lady from my deck to my hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took before Rose placed a card face down and ended her turn. "My draw and I'll summon the Cyber Harpie Lady I got thanks to Birdface." The armoured harpy appeared next to Harpist, only for them to both glow before shooting into the air.
"What's happening?" Rose asked.
"What's happening is I'm using these two monsters to build the Overlay Network!" A black hole opened up, the lights shooting inside. "Mighty winds of battle, ever changing and ever unpredictable, blow onto this battle field!" The black hole exploded, "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Gilda's ace. "Harpie Lady Zephyr!" (A2100/D2300/R4/P3) "Now for Zephyr's ability!" Gilda removed a card from her grave before her monster crushed one of its Overlay Units in its talons. "By removing an Overlay Unit, she can revive a Wind monster in my graveyard and summon it to the field in DEF mode." Zephyr flapped its wings and created a tornado, Birdface appearing from it and taking a defensive stance. (A1600/1600/L4) "And it doesn't stop there. Zephyr's ATK points also increase by half the ATK of the monster she summons. (A2900/D2300/R4/P3) "Attack!"
Zephyr flew through the air before slashing its talons into Naturia Barkion, destroying it. Rose held her arms up in defence as the remains of her monsters flew into her
Gilda: 1900 Rose: 1300
And since she destroyed a monster, Zephyr can now deal you seven hundred points of damage for every Wind Monster on the field. And last I checked, I have two." Rose went wide eyed as she watched Zephyr flap her wings and unleash a wind blade, which struck her and sent the girl flying backwards.
Gilda: 1900 (Winner) Rose: 0
Celestia: "Another victory for Gilda of team Wonderbolts. Her team is now one step closer to round two."
Gilda smirked as she turned to her opponent, who was crying as she was sucked into the ground. "The horror!" This made Gilda roll her eyes before turning to find her next opponent.
Over in the Volcano Field, Sunset was staring down at her Raduel's holographic screen.
On it were the images of her and her teammates, Twilight's image having the word 'graveyard' next to it while Fluttershy's had the word 'roaming' next to it. In that second, the word 'roaming' was replaced with 'Duelling'. It seemed Fluttershy had found an opponent.
In the Forest Field, Fluttershy was facing off against none other then Trixie of Team Illusions.
"Oh," Trixie said with a happy smile on her face, "this'll be fun. Once I take you down, your team'll be one loss away from getting knocked out of this tournament."
Fluttershy frowned. Seems Trixie was still holding a bit of a grudge for Twilight, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was winning this Duel and getting Twilight out of the Graveyard. "Don't worry Twilight, I'll save you."
"DUEL!"
"Do I take action, or wait until I know the outcome of Fluttershy's match?" Sunset asked before her Raduel beeped to single the arrival of her next opponent. She looked around for them, only for a voice to catch her attention.
"Well hello there," she spun around to see someone step out from behind a large rock. "Small world, isn't it."
Sunset just raised an eyebrow, "Adagio Dazzle." She watched as the Dazzling stepped closer, activating her Duel Disk. Sunset did the same, still staring at the girl with suspicion. "Tell me, why did you and your team decide to enter this tournament?"
"Why not," Adagio replied. "My sisters and I are all about getting attention, so this is the perfect method to get it."
"I figured you'd be over that after the trouble it caused you last year," Sunset saw Adagio flinch at the memory. Obviously there was more to this then she was letting on.
"Enough talk," Adagio held up her Duel Disk. "Let's get this done." Sunset knew there was nothing else to say, so just did the same before they drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Sunset: 4000 Adagio: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Adagio drew her card. "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Ocean's Idol Medley and scale eight Ocean's Idol Allegra!" The pillars of light appeared besides her before the two mermaids swam up into them, The portal forming above Adagio's head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, then faded to reveal another pair of mermaids. "Ocean's Idol Nera!" (A1400/D1300/L4/P8) "And Ocean's Idol Vespers!" (A1800/D900/L4/P2) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Ocean's Idols?" Sunset asked with a raised eyebrow, "not using your Alluring monsters?"
Adagio just smiled, "my sisters and I put those cards behind us. But don't worry, I can crush you just as easily with these cards as I could with them."
"We'll see about that," Sunset drew her card. "Now I'll set the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Magician of Radiant Sunlight and scale eight Corona Mage Marlena!" The pillars of light appeared besides her before the two magicians appeared within them, one a man and one a woman. "Burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory!" The portal formed above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out and struck the ground, exploding as her monsters appeared. "Duel Cannon Phoenix!" (A2100/D1500/L5) The second became a knight in gold armour with blue trim, carrying a golden long sword. "Corona Paladin Haslash!" (A2100/D1700/L5/P4)
Adagio smirked, "not bad. But what else have you got?"
Sunset raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was baiting her. "Only one way to find out. "Duel Cannon, ATK Vespers!" The phoenix's first cannon powered up, as it aimed it at the mermaid.
"I activate my Trap!" Adagio's face down flipped up, "Idol's Harmonic Blast!" This card lets me return a monster from my field to my hand, then lower to ATK of a monster on your field by half its ATK points. So I'll be returning Nera in order to power down your Phoenix by seven hundred!" The mermaid glowed before transforming into a light, which flew into Adagio's hand as the Trap unleashed a blast that hit Duel Cannon (A1400/D1500/L5)
"Not good," Sunset gasped.
"There's more," Adagio said. "When Nera is returned from the field to my hand, she lets me draw two cards." She did so, "and then there's Vesper's ability. Since a monster was returned to my hand, she deals you three hundred points of damage!" The mermaid began to sing a high pitched note, which created soundwaves that flew across the field and struck Sunset.
Sunset: 3700 Adagio: 4000
"And don't forget your Phoenix is still attacking!" Duel Cannon fired its first shot, but Vesper unleashed another sonic blast that hit the laser and sent it flying back. Sunset watched as her Phoenix was hit by its own attack, destroying it.
Sunset: 3300 Adagio: 4000
Sunset groaned, "well don't forget that I still have Haslash!" The knight rushed forwards and used his sword to cut Vespers in half, destroying her.
Sunset: 3300 Adagio: 3700
"And when Haslash destroys a monster, I can add a Fire monster from my deck to my hand whose Level is lower then Vespers." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which she took. "I place one card face down and end my turn."
Up in the stands, Tidal was watching the Duels. He was concerned over the current predicament of his favourite team. Twilight in the Graveyard, Fluttershy going up against a pretty strong Duellist and Sunset facing off against an opponent who made it into the top eight of the Celestic Cup. "Sunset," he stared up at the screen showing her Duel.
Luna: Things are really starting to heat up in this Duel, heck I'm stating to sweat. Hey sis, it okay if I go down to the Extra Deck Cafe for a drink.
Celestia: Absolutely not. That area is reserved especially for Duellists competing in the Double X, so they can grab a drink or a bite to eat, rework their decks or safely strategies with their teams.
Speaking of the Extra Deck Cafe, that was where we find Flash Sentry taking a quick break.
He was standing at a vending machine, seeing what drinks it had to offer, when he heard a voice that caught his attention. "Flash," he turned to see Rainbow walking up to him with a sports drink in her hand.
"Hey," he said while finally picking his own drink. "I expected to see you out on the field, not in here."
"Same for you," Rainbow replied. Once Flash had his drink, the two sat down at one of the tables and began to drink.
Flash then turned to Rainbow, wanting to know something. "Rainbow, you Duelled Tempest Shadow yesterday." Rainbow stopped drinking and turned to him, "you know I've Duelled against her in the past. And I lost big time."
This made Rainbow almost spit out her drink, instead choosing to quickly swallow it and turn to him. "Tell me everything." Flash did so, explaining how he met and Duelled Tempest and the strange vision he'd seen. "I see," Rainbow said. "So your whole reason for entering the Double X, was so you could Duel against her?"
Flash nodded. "How did your Duel go?"
Rainbow sighed, "she totally kicked my butt. I don't know how, but it's almost like she knew how the match was gonna play out from the starts." She then frowned, "but that's not the weirdest thing."
Flashback
Rainbow was in the middle of her Duel with Tempest. She had Battle Wing Gold and a Dominated Rainbow Wing Blue Falcon. on her field, while Tempest had Scarvolt and a face down on hers.
"I summon Rainbow Wing Knight Kestrel, in ATK mode!" The bird armoured knight appeared besides the rest of her monsters. (A1500/D1200/L4/P5) "Then I'll equip Battle Wing Gold with the Courageous Shield of Netitus!" A bronze shield with a winged emblem appeared in her Xyz monster's hand. "This card increases the DEF of my monster by three hundred points. (A2500/D1800/R4/P7) "ATTACK!" Battle Wing took to the skies and drew its sword before flying towards Scarvolt, as its ability increased its ATK points (A3100/D1800/R4/P7)
"I activate my face down," Tempest's card flipped up to reveal a Spell. "Black Lightning. This card increases the ATK of a Tempest Rogue or Storm Guard by seven hundred points until the End Phase!"
Rainbow went wide eyed when she saw Scarvolt become surrounded by black electricity. (A3200/D2000/L7/P4) Battle Wing saw the power up and re-sheaved his sword before holding up his shield, as Scarvolt tried to slash it with her broken sword.
The lightning flew over to Rainbow and zapped her, making her cry out as her life points decreased.
Rainbow: 1700 Tempest: 2600
Rainbow panted, but continued to smile as Battle Wing landed in front of her. "Nice move, but a monster equipped with Netitus can't be destroyed by battle."
Tempest just smirked, "I see. I think I've come to understand your way of Duelling." Before Rainbow could ask what she meant, a sudden flash blinded her. The next things she knew, she was floating in space.
Flashforward
"The same thing happened to me," Flash told her. "Hard to believe someone could do something like that."
"Yeah," Rainbow said, "but if it happened to us both then it couldn't have been a hallucination." She finished off the last of her drink before tossing it into the trash, "no use fretting about it. I'm sure we'll come up against Tempest in the future, so we can figure out what the deal is with her then."
Flash smirked, finishing off his own drink and doing the same. "Yeah, not a doubt."
Celestia: And another team has made it through stage one, to go to the next round.
Luna: Now only twelve slots remain. Who will be the lucky teams to earn those spots?
Rainbow smirked. "First off, we gotta get through to the next round."
Flash nodded, "no rest for the wicked." They headed off towards the exits, but Rainbow stopped when she saw something one a nearby TV.
Said TV was showing images of the Graveyard, where she spotted a certain someone. "Twilight's in the Graveyard?"
Flash sighed. "Yeah, she lost to Spike." This made Rainbow turn to him in shock.
"You gotta be kidding me."
Down in the Graveyard, Twilight sat on one of the chairs while thinking over her last Duel.
There was no doubt Spike had improved by leaps and bounds, but she hadn't really had her head in the game. Looking back on it, she now saw several alternative ways she could have used her cards to stop Spike. But at the time, she hadn't been thinking about it.
"What am I doing here?" She asked herself. Was she just fooling herself when she decided to enter the Double X? Was this just a way to get over what had happened to Moondancer? The team, the training, the Duels she had competed in up to this point. Had it all been just meaningless distractions to get over what had happened.
Celestia: Let's take a closer look at the Duels between Sunset Shimmer and Adagio Dazzle.
Twilight looked over at the screen, which was now showing the images of her teammate's Duel. "Sunset." She had been the one to ask Sunset to join. Would she have agreed if she'd known what a burden Twilight was being?
"It's my turn," Adagio drew her card as the portal formed above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before four lights shot out and struck the ground, fading to reveal Adagio's monsters. "Ocean's Idol Operetta!" (A2400/D2100/L7/P4)
"Nera!" (A1400/D1300/L4/P8)
"Allegra!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P8)
"And Vespers!" (A1800/D900/L4/P2)
"Not good," Sunset said.
"I activate Operetta's ability. By returning any number of monster from my field to the hand, I can decrease the ATK of a monster on your field by five hundred." Nera was once again returned to her hand, allowing Operetta to unleash her sonic blast and power down Haslash!" (A1600/D1700/L5/P4) "And don't forget about Nera and Vesper's abilities," she drew her cards as Vespers fired her sonic blast and struck Sunset and sent her flying back.
"Ahh!" Sunset cried as she hit the ground and rolled until she came to a stop next to a stream of lava.
Sunset: 3000 Adagio: 3700
As she picked herself up, Sunset spotted something floating down the river before hearing Adagio speak up. "Now for Operetta's attack!" Her mermaid unleashed another sonic blast, which headed straight for Sunset's knight. But at the last second, Haslash jumped out of the way of the attack. "What?"
"Sorry," Sunset said as she turned around, "but my Evasion Action Spell let my monster dodge your attack.
Adagio frowned, "well I've still got my other two monsters. "Vespers!" The other mermaid sang, hitting the knight and destroying it.
Sunset: 2800 Adagio: 3700
"And now for Allegra!" The mermaid sung, but Sunset was ready.
"I activate my Trap," her card flipped up. "Beacon of Hope. Now I can draw a card and if its a monster, I can summon it." She drew her card and smiled, "Radiant Sun Knight Scarmick!" The young knight appeared on her field. (A1000/D1000/L3/P2)
Adagio raised en eyebrow at this, "I'll still attack!" Allegra continued to sing as Scarmick rushed forwards, firing the sonic blast that struck the knight as he tossed his blade at her and hit the mermaid in the chest. They were both destroyed. "I end my turn with a face down."
"Alright," Sunset drew her card, "time for a come back." The portal formed above her, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a pair of fireballs shot out before exploding to reveal Haslash and Scarmick. (A2100/D1700/L5/P4) (A1000/D1000/L3/P2) "And since Scarmick was Special Summoned while another Fire monster was on the field, he gains five hundred ATK points." (A1500/D1000/L3/P2)
Up in the VIP box, Cold watched as his former ward continued to push forwards.
That inextinguishable will had always been something he'd admired about the girl. It was why he had taken her in and trained her, because he knew she could take the punishment.
He then turned his attention to Adagio. Maybe it had been a mistake to ask her to do this, but what choice did he have. He knew Sunset would have accepted if he'd asked, but he couldn't do that to her again. No, this was better.
"You can do this Sunset," he told her.
"Now I'll summon Corona Beast, Sun-Heart Lion Cub!" In a burst of fire, the helmet wearing, dagger holding young lion appeared besides her other monsters. (A800/D800/L2/P8)
"What can that pipsqueak do?" Adagio asked her.
"A lot actually," Sunset told her as her Pendulum Monster pointed is staff at the lion. "Since he's Level three or below, Magician of Radiant Sunlight can use his Pendulum Effect to turn him into a Tuner monster." The beam of light struck Lion Cub, who glowed before leaping into the air. "Now I can tune him and Haslash together!" Sun-Heart transformed into a pair of fireballs, which carved two burning rings that Haslash leapt into. "Ignite the inner flames of harmony, and let them shine for all eternity!" Her monsters were engulfed by an explosion of light, "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Sunset's monster. It looked just like her, but her hair was styled with and she was wearing a pink dress. A pair of golden flaming wings sprouted out of her back, while a long horn of light was coming out of her forehead. "Shimmering Phoenix Princess, Daydream!" (A2300/D2200/L7)
Adagio stared at the majestic monster in awe, though that feeling quickly vanished when she remembered she was going to be battling this monster.
"I activate Daydream's ability," Sunset took a card out of her Extra Deck. "By sending a Pendulum Monster from here to the graveyard, I can decrease the ATK of your monsters by its Pendulum Scale time one hundred. So I'll send Lion Cub to the graveyard and weaken your monsters by eight hundred." The ghostly image of Sun-Heart appeared in front of Sunset's Synchro monster before morphing into a fireball that she held in her hands.
Adagio watched as Daydream launched the fireball, which morphed into a flaming wave that struck her monsters. (A1600/D2100/L7/P4) (A1000/D900/L4/P2)
"Attack!" Daydream flew towards Operetta, her hands igniting with flames.
"I activate my Trap!" Adagio's face down flipped up, only for Daydream to toss a fireball at it and destroy it. "What?" She asked before looking down at her Duel Disk.
Sunset: 2500 Adagio: 3700
"Another ability?"
Sunset nodded. "One that lets me pay three hundred life points to negate the activation of a Spell or Trap and destroy it."
Adagio frowned at this before she and her monsters rushed off, looking for an Action Card. She eventually spotted one in a pool of lava and grabbed it, only to see it was an Action Trap.
Celestia: "Ow, Burning Heat. That card will deal her five hundred points of damage.
The lava pool exploded, the heat burning Adagio as she staggered back.
Sunset: 2500 Adagio: 3200
While this was happening, Daydream finally reach Operetta and thrust both her burning hands into the mermaid's chest and destroyed her
Sunset: 2500 Adagio: 2500
"Now Scarmick!" The Pendulum Monster rushed towards Vespers, slashing it with his sword.
Sunset: 2500 Adagio: 2100
"I place one card face down and end my turn!" Sunset announced while Scarmick's ATK returned to normal (A1000/D1000/L3/P2) "And since I'm ending my turn, Sun-Heart's ability activates. Now by removing him from my graveyard, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on your field for every Fire monster on my field. Then deal you four hundred points of damage for each one!"
Sun-Heart reappeared on the field and this time morphed into two fireballs, which Daydream and Scarmick grabbed before tossing at Adagio's Pendulum Scale. Both Allegra and Medley were destroyed, as the fireballs flew through them before striking Adagio.
She let out a cry as she was pushed back, almost falling off her feet.
Sunset: 2500 Adagio: 1200
Once Adagio manged to get her balance back, she looked over at Sunset and smiled. "Not bad bacon head," she reached for her deck. "But I'm not done yet. I draw!" She looked at what she'd gotten and smiled before slapping two of her cards onto the Duel Disk, "I'm resetting the Pendulum Scale with scale eight Ocean's Idol Nera and scale two Ocean's Idol Rhapsody!" The pillars of light appeared before the two mermaids flew up into them. Once there, the portal began to form above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before five lights shot out and struck the ground, then faded to reveal Adagio's monsters. "Ocean's Idol Operetta!" (A2400/D2100/L7/P4)
"Allegras!" (A1400/D1300/L4/P8)X2
"Vespers!" (A1800/D900/L4/P2)
"And Medley!" (A2000/D2000/L5/P1) "Now I activate Operetta's ability!" The two Allegras returned to Adagio's hand, while her ace unleashed a sonic blast that struck Daydream and weakened her. (A1300/D2200/L7) Vesper's ability then activated, firing another sonic blast that struck Sunset.
Sunset: 1900 Adagio: 1200
"What's more, whenever Allegra is sent from the field the my hand, her ability lets me destroy one card in your Spell and Trap zone" The mermaid appeared and fired a sonic bullet, which destroyed Sunset's face down.
"No," Sunset paled at the lose of her card, "this isn't good."
"And it's about to get worse. Operetta, attack Shimmering Phoenix Princess!" The mermaid swam towards Daydream, while Sunset began to run as fast she she could to find another Action Card. She spotted one sitting on a nearby boulder and managed to grab it, but when she saw what it was she frowned.
Seconds later, Operetta reached Daydream and unleashed her sonic attack on her and destroyed her.
Sunset: 800 Adagio: 1200
"Now Vespers will destroy Scarmick!" Her mermaid swam through the air, ready to deal the finishing blow.
"I activate the Action Spell, Flame Surge!" Scarmick was encased by a veil of flames, increasing his ATK power (A1400/D1000/L3/P2)
Sunset: 400 Adagio: 1200
"Nice try," Adagio told her. "But don't forget that I still have Medley!" The final Mermaid swam at Sunset, who was still panting after her last big run. She was completely out of options, with no other Action Card in sight, so it looked like she was gonna lose.
A beeping from her Raduel made her look at it, only to gasp when she saw what it said.
Trixie: 500 (Winner) Fluttershy: 0
Trixie laughed as she watched a sad Fluttershy descend into the earth, "I'm sorry Twilight." Fluttershy looked up at air before yelling out, "save us SUNSET!"
This was bad. If all three members of a team end up in the Graveyard, that team would be disqualified.
"What do I do?" Sunset asked herself. Was this it for their team? As she watched Medley get closer and closer, the disappointed looks of her teammates flashed in front of her eyes. Along with them, was the image of Tidal and something they had talked about a few days back.
Flashback
At the spa, Sunset and Tidal were both sitting in a mud bath while Twilight and Fluttershy were getting hair treatments. In that moment, Tidal asked Sunset a favour.
"You want me to keep an eye on Twilight?" She asked, Tidal nodding in return.
"Yes," he sighed before looking up at the ceiling. "The thing is, even if she won't admit it, entering the Double X is her way of handling the grief. A way to ignore the pain. But I doubt that'll last forever, so I want you to be there to make use she's alright."
Sunset thought about this, "why me?"
Tidal just smiled, "because you're her friend."
Flashforward
Friend. It hadn't really hit her, but she was Twilight's friend. As oppose to how things had been when they first met. Back then, the only one she cared about was Cold. But now, after everything she'd been through with Twilight, Fluttershy and the others, she couldn't deny she cared about them.
If she lost, she wouldn't just be letting the team down. She'd be letting her friends down.
"I...I can't let that happen." Digging deep, she tapped into all the energy she had and started running. This made Adagio chuckle as her monster followed.
"This might be fun." She ran after them.
Sunset ran as fast as her legs could move, looking around frantically for an Action Card. Medley meanwhile, continued to follow her. At certain points, she shot a sonic attack at Sunset but she managed to dodge them. One sonic blast hit the ground behind her and threw her into the ground, rolling to a stop besides a boulder.
Medley finally reached her, floating right above her, and took a deep breath.
Sunset looked up at the mermaid and tried to pick herself, using the boulder for support. But as she did, she noticed the boulder had a hole in it. She turned to that hole had her eyes went wide, as Medley unleashed her attack.
Adagio was running towards her monster when she saw the explosion, smirking as she thought the Duel had just been won. But when she got there, the smoke cleared to reveal Sunset was still standing.
Sunset: 200 Adagio: 1200
"How?"
"The Action Spell Emergency Trap. I let me activate a Trap in my grave, for the cost of half my life points. I used it to activate the Defence Draw Trap you destroyed."
Adagio smirked at this, but had to admit that was a pretty good save. "I equip Operetta with Raregold Armor. Now she's the only Monster you can attack." She placed another card face down, "I end my turn."
Sunset panted, feeling completely wiped as she looked down at her hand. Defence draw had gotten her her ace, along with the Sun-Ray Salamander she's had since the Duel began. If she summoned Rebirth, would that be enough? No, it wouldn't. She looked down at her deck. This all depended on what she drew next. Her teams hopes of staying in the tournament, rest on one card.
"That's all I need," she reached for her deck. "I can't lose...I WON'T LOSE! I have to win, for my friends. I...DRAW!" Time seemed to slow down as she looked at what she'd gotten, only to go wide eyed at the sight. "This is..."
"Well?" Adagio asked with crossed arms, "wotcha get?" Her confidant smile disappeared when she saw Sunset smirk.
"Let me show you," Sunset replied as the portal appeared above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up and a single fireball shot out and struck the ground, exploding as Sunset's ace flew out. "Ignite your flame of victory, Solar Flare Phoenix!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "Solar Flare's skill!" The firebird flapped its wings and created a healing fire, which flew around Sunset and doubled her life points.
Sunset: 400 Adagio: 1200
"Next, I summon Sun-Ray Salamander!" The spotted lizard appeared next to her Phoenix. (A100/D100/L1)
"They can't help you," Adagio told her before the two were surrounded by a flaming aura.
"Won't they?" Sunset asked as she held up her last card, while her two monsters shot into the air. "I now sacrifice Solar Flare and one Level one Fire monster, in order to awaken my Phoenix's ultimate power!" With that, Sun-Ray exploded into a massive burst of fire that wrapped around the bird to become a flaming cocoon.
Adagio gasped, remembering hearing something like this happening a year ago. "I can't be."
"TRANSCEND!" The flaming sun faded to reveal Sunset's new monster. It was Solar Flare Phoenix, but now it was wearing golden wing and head armour with blue trim. Its feet were encased within golden armour while its tail was extended, with blue flames burning on the end of each tip. "Solar Phoenix BLAZE-INCARNATE!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Adagio just started the giant bird.
Completely unaware to them, a certain someone had arrived on the scene and saw what had just happened.
Flash smirked as he looked up at the evolved phoenix, knowing exactly where the inspiration for it came from. "Still copying me I see. Guess it makes sense to copy my best card. Now how are you gonna use it?" He walked off, not really in the mood for Duelling against one of them after they were done. He'd wait for the next round.
"I activate Blaze-Incarnate's ability!" Sunset removed Daydream and Duel Cannon from her graveyard. "By removing two Fire monsters from my grave, Blaze-Incarnate gains their abilities." She looked up at her monster, as the banished monsters spirits appeared in front of it. "Inheriting the inextinguishable souls of our fallen comrades, to help blaze a new future. Go, Will of Fire!" They burst into flames, which wrapped around Blaze-Incarnate as it let out a mighty cry.
"This isn't good," Adagio said before looking down at her face down. If she activated it, Blaze-Incarnate would use Daydream's ability to negate it. Her only hope was an Action Card.
Sunset leapt up onto her monster's back. "I activate the effect inherited from Shimmering Phoenix Princess Daydream!" She removed Haslash from her Extra Deck and sent it to the graveyard, as his spirit appeared in front of Blaze-Incarnate before exploding into a wave of fire that hit Operetta, Vespers and Medley. (A2000/D2100/L7/P4) (A1400/D900/L4/P2) (A1600/D2000/L5/P1) "ATTACK!"
Blaze-Incarnate took to the skies as its entire body exploded into flames, Sunset standing atop them feeling nothing but a pleasant sensation. Adagio meanwhile, continued to rush through the Volcano Field in search of a card.
She finally spotted one a ways in a lava pool, jumping to grab it as Blaze-Incarnate drew closer. She grabbed it and placed it in her Duel Disk. "Go, Evasion!" Operetta swam out of Blaze-Incarnate's way, dodging the attack.
"Lucky draw," Sunset told her. "But will that luck hold out against our second attack?" Blaze-Incarnate spun back around, ready to attack again.
Adagio turned back to her, only to notice something floating down a nearby river. She knew she could take this attack, but where was the fun in that. She rushed over to the river and plucked the card out of the lava, only to spin it around and see it was another Burning Heat card.
The river exploded, the heat singing Adagio.
Sunset: 400 Adagio: 700
Seconds later, Blaze-Incarnate's burning form smashed into Operetta and turned her into calamari. The flames raced across the field and struck Adagio, burning away the last of her life points.
Sunset: 400 (Winner) Adagio: 0
Sunset jumped off her bird before it and the rest of the monsters disappeared, landing on the ground before moving over to where Adagio had fallen. She watched as the girl picked herself up, then looked over at the victor. "Why'd you do that? You might have won if you hadn't gone for that Action Card."
Adagio just shrugged, "just me being cocky I guess." The ground beneath her retracted, as she looked up at Sunset. "Just wait until the next round. I'll get payback." And with that, she was gone. Seconds later, the ground opened up and both Twilight and Fluttershy appeared out of it.
"Sunset!" Twilight waved at her, "you saved us."
"Thank you," Fluttershy bowed.
"No problem," Sunset replied before turning to Twilight and remembering the conversation she had with Tidal. "Are you alright?" She spotted a frown appear on Twilight's face, but it barely lasted a millisecond before being replaced by a smile.
"I'm fine," Twilight assured her before walking off. "Come on, we've got to make up the points we lost." That walk quickly turned into a sprint, with Fluttershy and Sunset following close behind. Twilight wasn't lying, she was actually feeling fine. Seeing Sunset and Fluttershy Duel so hard to save her, she realised she couldn't let her feeling keep her from doing everything she could to win. She owed it to her team, to win.
The second day of the Double X was coming to a close, with only ten minutes left on the clock.
All over the many Duel Fields, Duellists were working to earn as many points as they could in these last few minutes. In the Forest Field, Rainbow was facing off against a bulky teen named Teddy. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
Rainbow Battle Wing appeared on the field before cutting down the boy's monster. "I'm gonna get into the next round tomorrow!" Rainbow announced as one of her other monsters shot towards him and wiped out the last of Teddy's Life Points. "Oh yeah!" She cheered before looking around, only to spot Gilda leaning against a tree with her arms crossed. The girl did not look happy.
Over in the Meadow Field, Flash was Duelling against a girl named Coco. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
Flash Heart Dragon X appeared out of the field besides Shining Fang Magna Wolf, then used its ability to banish Coco's monster. "I will get into the next round!" He almost yelled as Magna Wolf rushed forwards and slashed Coco, sending her Life Points to zero.
Over in the Canyon Field, Twilight was facing off against a girl named Sweet Leaf and currently had Twilight Warlock on the field. "Sunset...Fluttershy...Tidal. Hope I didn't worry you guys to much." She couldn't embarrass herself by losing another Duel. "This one's for you Moondancer!" She activated Warlock's ability and drew her cards, selecting one before returning the rest and activating it. "I use the Spellbook of Power, to increase my Warlock's ATK power by one thousand!" (A3500/D2100/L7/P4) "ATTACK!"
What Twilight didn't know, was that Trixie was currently watching her Duel. The girl stared at her rival and frowned before turning to walk off.
Later.
Once the final Duels came to an end, the teams all headed out of the stadium.
Twilight had said goodbye to her team and was heading to where Spike's team was, texting her parents to tell them they'd be home soon, only to spot someone standing in front of her while leaning against a wall. "Trixie?"
The girl smiled at her. "Hey," she pushed off against the wall, "you're looking happy. Considering you've now lost on both days, I figured you'd be moping or something."
Twilight frowned, but quickly covered it up with a smile. "Moping's not gonna get me anywhere. So what if I lost? I'll just have to try harder tomorrow."
Trixie just smirked before walking off. "You'd better. I plan on coming after you tomorrow. Knocking you out of the tournament will be a great way to earn my place in round two." With that, she was off and left Twilight with an unsure expression on her face. She wasn't sure if she was annoyed or excited at the prospect of Duelling against Trixie again.
Meanwhile, Team Wonderbolts were driving back to Cloudsdale.
They were riding in one of the school's minibus's, which was much more empty since it was only them and the driver. "So," Rainbow turned to the others, "how'd it go today?"
"Pretty good," Soarin told her. "I got lucky and ended up facing off against five Duellists, so I managed to rack up a couple points." He turned to Gilda, "how about you?"
Gilda just turned to look out the window. "None of those Duellists were any match for me. I won without a sweat."
"Awesome," Rainbow said. "If we keep this up, we'll be in the next round by tomorrow."
"Yeah," Gilda said, "whatever." This made Rainbow raise an eyebrow.
"You okay?"
Gilda was quite for several moment, but eventually she slowly turned to glare at Rainbow. "Duel me!" This wasn't a request, it was a demand. Rainbow was shocked by this, while Soarin was completely horrified.
Meanwhile, Flash was on his way home.
He was walking down the street, simply minding his own business, when he suddenly heard the sound of crying. This made him stop and looked around, eventually turning a corner to see the cause of the crying. Marble Pie.
She was standing all alone, a look of fear and panic on her face as she looked around while her face was hidden behind her hair. "Hey," she screamed as she turned towards him. Flash was just as startled by her sudden outcry, holding up his hands defensively. "Wow. Relax. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm Flash, Pinkie's friend. Are you okay?"
Marble continued to cry. "I...I don't know."
"Well...where are your sisters."
"I don't know. We got separated and...and I don't know how to get home from here."
Flash raised an eyebrow at this. How did a girl his age, who had lived in this city all her life, not know how to navigate it? Flash quickly scanned his brain and came up with an idea, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his contacts until he found Pinkie's.
As soon as they arrived back at school, Gilda lead Rainbow and Soarin up onto the roof.
Once their, they two girls took out their Duel Disks and placed them on their arms. Meanwhile, Soarin was staring at them in worry. "Is this really a good idea? We're not suppose to be up here."
"Can it!" Gilda said before pointing at Rainbow, "you and I are gonna Duel."
"That's fine," Rainbow said. "I never turn down a challenge. But can I ask why you're suddenly itching to get beat by me?"
"Because you're the one that came up with this whole Double X idea, but so far you've been doing nothing but giving it the bare minimum."
"Hey," Soarin said, "that's not true. Rainbow's been giving it her all."
"Don't be an idiot!" Soarin jumped back at this. "First she loses to some nobody yesterday, then she doesn't even try and give it her all today." She pointed at Rainbow. "I kept an eye on your Duels and not once did you try to summon anything stronger then your Battle Wing Gold."
"So what?" Rainbow asked, "I still won didn't I?"
"But you would have won faster if you'd summoned Platinum or something else. Your Duels could have ended a lot quicker if you'd used it."
"Where's the fun in that?" Rainbow asked.
"Fun?" Gilda looked seriously pissed now, "we're suppose to be trying to win this tournament! It doesn't matter if you're having fun."
Rainbow just shrugged, "I'm all for winning. But what's the point in winning if you don't get to enjoy it?"
All this did was make Gilda growl before activating her Duel Disk. "Fine! I'll force you to give it everything you have."
Rainbow smirked and activated her Duel Disk. "Bring it on."
"DUEL!"
Gilda: 4000 Rainbow: 4000
"I'll take the first move!" Rainbow drew her card, "I summon Rainbow Wing Pegasus in ATK mode!" The rainbow haired winged horse appeared in front of her. (A1800/D1200/L4/P5) "I end my turn!"
"My draw!" Gilda did so before taking two cards and placing them on either sides of her Duel Disk, "it's Pendulum Time. I set the Pendulum Scale with Harpie Maiden and Harpie Lady Commander!" The pillars appeared before Gilda's two monsters flew up. One was a young blonde harpy with pink wings wearing a blue and black body suit, a number two appearing below it, while the others was Gilda's Commander Harpy. Once they were high up, the portal began to form between them. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, taking shape before fading to reveal Gilda's monsters.
"Harpie Lady Phoenix!" (A1300/D1400/L4)
The other was a blue haired harpy with black wings wearing blue and purple cloths. An orb was in her hand. "And Harpy Lady Oracle!" (A1300/D1400/L4)
From the side, Soarin watched the Duel intensely. "Since neither of those monsters are strong enough to take down Rainbow's Pegasus, she must be planning the Overlay them." And sure enough, the two Harpies glowed before shooting into the air.
"Now watch, as with these two monster I build the Overlay Network!" A black hole opened up, the lights shooting inside. "Mighty winds of battle, ever changing and ever unpredictable, blow onto this battle field!" The black hole exploded, "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Gilda's ace. "Harpie Lady Zephyr!" (A2100/D2300/R4/P3) "Zephyr, ATTACK!" The Harpy flew through the air before slashing its talons into Rainbow Wing Pegasus, destroying it and making Rainbow slide back.
Gilda: 4000 Rainbow: 3700
"You dare lose to some nobody!" Gilda yelled as Zephyr's ability activated, unleashing a blade of air that struck Rainbow in the stomach.
Gilda: 4000 Rainbow: 3000
"You're one of the best Duellists I know, but then you go a lose to some lamo who no one's ever heard about!"
Rainbow, who was still recovering from the attack, looked up at Gilda and smirked. "I'd like to see you do any better." This made Gilda frown before she ended her turn. "My go!" Rainbow drew he card, then copied Gilda and slapped two of them down onto the Duel Disk. "Now it's my Pendulum Time, go Rainbow Wing Knight Condor and Rainbow Wing Knight Osprey!" The pillars of light appeared before bird armoured warriors flew up into them, the portal forming between them as they did. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single lights shot out, hitting the ground and taking form before fading to reveal Rainbow's monster. "Rainbow Wing Pegasus!" (A1800/D1200/L4/P5) "And don't forget that since my Pegasus was special summoned, I get to add one level four or below Winged-Beast from my deck to my hand!" Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which Rainbow took and instantly summoned. "Come one out, Rainbow Wing Blue Falcon!" A tornado singled the arrival of the blue bird of prey, which flew down and landed besides Pegasus. (A1600/D1400/L4)
"Alright!" Soarin cheered, "now Rainbow has everything she needs to Xyz Summon!" No sooner had he said that, that Rainbow's monsters glowed before shot into the air while a black hole appeared at Rainbow's feet.
"Wings of freedom," Rainbow cried as the lights shot into the black hole. "Descend upon this land and unleash a hurricane of power!" The black hole exploded in a burst of light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Rainbow's ace. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold." (A2500/D1500/R4/P7) "Then I'll remove one Overlay Unit to look at the top five cards of my deck, then summon one Level four or below winged beast monster." Battle Wing crushed one of the lights, as Rainbow drew her cards. "I summon Shield Wing!" The large winged bird appeared next to Battle Wing, wrapping its wings around itself defensively. (A0/D900/L2)
Gilda smirked at the move, only to hear Rainbow speak up.
"Yeah, I lost to Tempest, but that's the whole reason I entered the Double X." She pointed at her Xyz Monster, "Battle Wing!" The armoured warrior leapt into the air before unsheathing its blade, "attack Zephyr!"
Gilda watched as Battle Wing flew towards her Harpie Lady, his ability increasing his ATK points for every other Winged-Beast on the field. (A2800/D1500/R4/P7) Zephyr flew into the air towards Battle Wing, the Xyz Monsters clashing as Rainbow's cut through hers.
Gilda: 3300 Rainbow: 3000
"I wanted to enter this tournament so I could Duel new opponents. So I could improve my skills as a Duellist. And also..." the images of her friends flashed in front of her face, "so I could Duel against some Duellists I want to have go full force against me." She looked over at Gilda, "why'd you decide to join the team? It can't just be because we asked you. You had to have had your own reason, so what is it?" She and Soarin both stared at Gilda, but the tough girl gave no answer. "Guess I'll have to Duel the answers out of you. I end my turn." Battle Wing's ATK power returned to normal. (A2500/D1500/R4/P7
As Gilda drew her card, she couldn't help but wonder what her reason for entering the Double X was. Was it just because she was bored and looking for something to kill time, or was it something more? "Whatever," the portal formed above her head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out, taking form and fading to reveal Gilda's monsters.
"Harpie Lady Zephyr!" (A2100/D2300/R4/P3)
"Harpie Lady Phoenix!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P4)
"And Cyber Harpie Lady!" (A1800/D1300/L4)
"And now Phoenix's ability activates!" Gilda announced as Phoenix's wings exploded, its flames flying over to Zephyr and spiralling around her. "With two other Harpie monsters on the field, Zephyr gets another six hundred points. (A2700/D2300/R4/P3) "Attack!" Zephyr flew through the air before slashing its talons into Battle Wing, who raised his sword in defence only for it to shatter upon impact and destroy him.
Gilda: 3300 Rainbow: 2800
Zephyr's ability then activated, dealing her even more damage.
Gilda: 3300 Rainbow: 1400
Soarin gulped. "Once Shield Wing's out of the way, Gilda's gonna attack Rainbow directly. Luckily, neither of her remaining monsters have enough ATK to take her out."
"Think again loser," Gilda told him before pointing at her Pendulum Monster. "When Commander's in the Pendulum Zone, his ability let's a Harpie Lady attack once for every other Harpie Lady on the field. Since I have two more, that's two more attacks he can perform."
Soarin's eyes went wide, "that's not good." He watched as Zephyr leapt into the air before flying at Shield Wing, slashing at it with her talons. But despite the attack working, Shield Wing remained where it was.
"What gives?" Gilda asked, only to then groan as she remembered.
"Oh yeah," Soarin said. "Shield Wing's ability lets it survive up to two attacks. Gilda's gonna need to attack it three times to destroy it, and that's one attack more then her Zephyr can do."
Rainbow smirked. "And I'm also guessing your Commander's ability doesn't let you attack with any other monsters."
Gilda frowned, "no he doesn't." She sighed before placing a card face down, "I end my turn." She couldn't believe she'd forgotten such an important detail about Rainbow's monster. The issue was probably to do with what Rainbow had told her before. "Gotta get my head in the game."
While this was happening, Flash and Marble were in the park.
After Flash had gotten in contact with Pinkie, they'd agreed on a spot to meet before he'd taken Marble there. Now they were waiting for Marble's sisters at the fountain, her sitting on it while Flash got her a drink from a nearby vending machine.
Drinks in hand, he walked over to her and held out the can.
Marble saw it coming into her vision and gasped in surprise, only to then realise what it was and took it. She quickly opened the can and drank it, trying to hide her face behind her hair. Flash just smirked, sitting down besides her. "You don't get out much, do you?"
Marble just looked down at he lap, slowly shaking her head. "No."
Flash had to wonder how such a timid girl could have the Duel skills needed to make both Maud and Pinkie see her as their superior, but then realised that if Maud's personality could shift in a Duel, then maybe hers could as well. "So how are things going in the tournament."
"It's going okay," Marble replied.
Flash sighed. Her shyness would put Fluttershy to shame. The next few minutes were gonna be kinda awkward if they had to just sit their in silence.
It was then he had an idea and reached into his jacket. Marble heard the commotion and looked over at him, only to see him pull out his Duel Disk. "Wanna Duel?"
Marble looked at him in surprise, but then both it and her shyness seemed to disappear and was replaced by a smile. "Okay." She pulled out her Duel Disk and attached it to her arm, the two walking far enough away before turning to one another and activating them.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Marble: 4000
"I'll take the first move!" Flash drew his card, "I summon Shining Fang Magna Wolf!" The hound appeared in front of him. (A1500/D1200/L4) "I place two cards face down and end my turn." He looked over at Marble, "go ahead. Show me what you've got."
"Alright," Marble said as she drew her card. "I play Graceful Charity. So now I draw three cards and then I have to discard two." She drew and discarded her card. "I can now summon a monster from my hand." A knight like monster whose armour was made out of some kind of gravelly rock, appeared in front of her before rocks appeared around it and began sealing the knight in a moon like construction. "By banishing Gaia-Knight Corundum and one Rock monster from my graveyard, I can summon Gaia-Knight Sapphire to my field.
The moon crumbled as a knight in sapphire armour appeared, carrying a lance made out of the same rock as its armour. (A3000/D2400/L8) "And since I have two Rock monsters removed from play, he gains two hundred ATK points." (A3200/D2400/L8) "I attack Magna Wolf!" The knight rushed forwards, ready to impale Flash's monster with its lance.
"I activate my Trap," Flash's card flipped up. "Dimensional Prison! Say goodbye to your Gaia-Knight, because he's got a one way ticket to the different dimension."
"I think not," Marble said. "Whenever you activate a Trap card, I can take a Rock monster that's been removed from play and place it on the bottom of my deck." She took out Corundum and placed in into the bottom of her deck, "this lets me negate the effect of your Trap and destroy it." Sapphire used its lance and pierced the Trap, destroying it before turning to Magna Wolf. With one less Rock monster removed from play, his ATK went down. (A3100/D2400/L8)
Flash groaned before activating his next card, "the I'll use my Lightspeed Spell Card! This boosts the power of a Light monster on my field by one thousand." Magna Wolf was covered in a shining veil. (A2500/D1200/L4) "And since you have a card removed from play, his ATK goes up by one hundred points. (A2600/D1200/L4)
Sapphire impaled the beast with its lance and destroyed it.
Flash: 3500 Marble: 4000
Flash groaned at the loss of his monster. He was starting to see why Pinkie and Maud spoke so highly of her. "This is gonna be fun," he smirked.
"It's my turn," Rainbow reached for her deck, "I draw!" The portal began to form above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, taking form before fading to reveal her monsters. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold!" (A2500/D1500/R4/P7)
"And Rainbow Wing Pegasus!" (A1800/D1200/L4/P5) "Then I'll equip Pegasus with my Turbine Wing!" Light flashed around Pegasus's chest, which formed a solid mass taking the form of green chest armour and large metal wings with turbines in each one. "This bad boy increases the ATK of a Wind Monster by one thousand (A2800/D1200/L4/P5) "Battle Wing, attack Cyber Harpie Lady!" The Xyz monster flew at Gilda's monster, drawing its sword and swinging it in her direction. With Pegasus and Shield Wing on the field, his power went up. (A3100/D1500/R4/P7)
"I activate my Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Winds of Change. This card lets me change the position of one Wind Monster on my field!" Cyber Harpie Lady crossed its arms defensively, as Battle Wing slashed at her and destroyed her.
"Fine, then I'll have Pegasus destroy Zephyr!" The turbines on Pegasus's robotic wings began to spin, unleashing a tornado which blew away Gilda's monster and destroyed it.
Gilda: 3200 Rainbow: 1400
The Tornado didn't stop there however, quickly moving towards Gilda as Rainbow explained. "And when a monster equipped with Turbine Wing destroys another monster, you take half that monsters ATK as damage!" The tornado struck Gilda and sending her flying backwards, landing close to the edge of the school.
Gilda: 1850 Rainbow: 1400
"Gilda!" Soarin yelled as he tried to run to her, only for Rainbow to hold up her arm and stop him. They watched as Gilda picked herself up, getting back up onto her legs while wobbling.
"That all you got Gilda?" Rainbow asked her. "You wanted to try and push me to my limit, but I'm not even breaking a sweat yet. You on the other hand-"
"Shut up!" Gilda almost yelled while wiping her brow, "I'll show you."
Rainbow just smirked, "then show me." She ended her turn.
Gilda let out a mighty roar as she drew her card, then smiled when she saw what card she'd gotten. The portal once again formed above her head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before unleashing a single light, which hit the ground and took shape before fading to reveal her monster. "Harpie Lady Zephyr!" (A2100/D2300/R4/P5)
Soarin wondered what was making Gilda smile. "Since Phoenix wasn't Pendulum Summoned, her ability doesn't increase Zephyr's power. What's she planning?" His answer came when Gilda activated a spell card.
"Go, Rank-Up-Magic Raging Storm!" Zephyr transformed into a stream of light, which flew up and into a black hole as it opened up above them in the sky. "With this I can now rebuild the Overlay Network," Gilda explained before beginning to chant. "Winds of fury, blast across the battle field and give life the mightiest of winged beasts!" A tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battle field. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado broke apart to reveal Gilda's new monster. It looked like Zephyr, but her armour was now entirely white with purple trim. Only her eyes, stomach and upper arms could be seen beneath it. Her mask was white, while her blue hair was hidden under a white helmet with a bird on top of it. Her brown wings were gone, now replaced with a pair of arms that had white gauntlets and gloves with purple trim. She was carrying a giant toy windmill, with white and blue blades. Finally, connect to her back, were a pair of white semicircle wings with jet engine like thrusters. "Harpie Lady Zephyr Blitz!" (A2800/D2400/R5/P4)
"Wow," Soarin said while Rainbow remained on guard.
"I activate Zephyr Blitz's ability!" It's Overlay Unit flew into the monster's fan, which started spinning and unleashed a powerful cyclone. "By removing an Overlay Unit, I can pick a monster on your field and then destroy any monster whose ATK is less then it's Original ATK. So I'm picking you Rainbow Battle Wing!"
Rainbow and Soarin both gasped, since both Shield Wing and Pegasus's Original ATK was less then Battle Wing's. They watched as the cyclone swept across the field and blew them into the air, destroying them. The windmill stopped spinning for a moment before starting up again, only in the opposite direction. Doing so created a sucking motion that pulled the remains of the destroyed monster into the staff a made the blades glow.
"Also, Zephyr Blitz has another ability that'll pump him up an extra seven hundred ATK points for every monster destroyed." (A4200/D2400/R5/P4) "ATTACK!" Zephyr Blitz's engines ignited and propelled her across the battle field, finally reaching Battle Wing and cutting him in half with her buzz-saw like windmill.
Gilda: 1850 Rainbow: 700
"And don't forget, my Harpie Lady Commander let's Zephyr Blitz attack again!" The Xyz monster flew forwards, ready to slash at Rainbow and end the Duel. "FINISH THIS!" But just before the attack landed, a familiar propeller wearing tortoise appeared in front of Rainbow and created a tornado that blocked the attack. "What?"
"Tornado Tortoise," Soarin realised before sighing in relief. "Close one."
Rainbow smirked at Gilda. "Alright, that move had me sweating. This new monster is tough."
Gilda smirked, "you haven't seen everything she can do yet." She looked down at her hand, then up at her Pendulum Zones. "I think I'll use the Pendulum Ability of my Harpie Maiden to tribute Harpie Lady Phoenix." Phoenix exploded, "now I can draw one card for every six hundred ATK points she had." She drew two cards before throwing one face down, "I end my turn." Zephyr Blitz's ATK power returned to normal. Gilda looked down at her face down, which was a Trap called Defence Wind. Any attack Rainbow fired at her would would be repelled and she'd take the damage. The perfect defence.
"It's my turn," Rainbow knew she needed something big if she wanted to win. Nothing in her hand could pull that off, so it was all up to this draw. "Here goes!" She drew her card and went wide eyed seeing what she'd gotten, then smiled as the portal formed above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before two lights shot out and struck the ground, fading to reveal Rainbow's revived monsters. "Rainbow Battle Wing!" (A2500/D1500/R4/P7) "And Rainbow Wing Pegasus!" (A1800/D1200/L4/P5)
"Those cards can't save you," Gilda told her.
"Maybe not," Rainbow activated the card she'd gotten. "But I'm betting this card will!" A rainbow coloured tornado exploded around Battle Wing, the light almost blinding Gilda and Soarin and forcing them to shield their eyes. "Go, Rank-Up-Magic...INFINITE SPECTRUM!" A black hole appeared above their heads, which the rainbow tornado flew up into. "With this card, I can Rank-up my Xyz monster into a Spectrum Battle Wing!" Rainbow coloured lightning began to spark out of the black hole, as Rainbow Dash began to chant. "Radiant colours of the universe, infuse your powers and give life to your new herald!" The rainbow tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battle field. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado exploded, unleashing a blinding light. Gilda and Soarin tried to look through it, but all they could see was the outline of Rainbow's new monster. The light finally faded, allowing them to see what it looked like. It looked like Rainbow Assault Wing Platinum, only its armour was now made of crystal and it didn't have the wings on its arms. Instead, it had a pair of metal wings on its back similar to Shining Flare Wingman's. Each wing had seven crystal blades, each one being a different colour of the rainbow. "Spectrum Battle Wing...PRISM BOLT!" (A3000/D2500/R5/P6)
Gilda and Soarin could only stare in awe at this new creature, as Rainbow continued her turn. "Since Prism Bolt was summoned due to the effect of Infinite Spectrum, his ability lets me destroy one card on your field for every Overlay Unit he has." Gilda's eyes went wide when she saw Prism Bolt raise its wings, as the light around it flew passed them. The crystal on its wings reflected the light from the Overlay Unit, creating a rainbow beam that flew down and struck her face down and destroyed it.
"No," she groaned, "my Defence Wind."
"Now for Prism Bolt's other ability," Rainbow announced as Prism Bolt crushed its Overlay Unit between its hands before Rainbow Wing Pegasus flew in front of it. "By removing an Overlay Unit, I can lower the ATK power of a monster on your field by the ATK of any Rainbow Wing, Rainbow Assault Wing or Rainbow Battle Wing on my side of the field until the end of the turn." Prism Bolt raised its wings before the crystals on them unleashed lightning that was the same colour as the crystals. The fourteen bolts of rainbow lightning wrapped around Pegasus before flying off it and hitting Zephyr Blitz, electrocuting it.
The evolved Xyz Monster fell to her knees, as her power was zapped away from her. (A1000/D2400/R5/P4).
"Let's end this," Rainbow cried as Prism Bolt took to the skies. Once high enough, it spread its wings and dive-bombed towards Zephyr Blitz. As it flew down, rainbow tail was left in its wake. Gilda saw this and was mesmerised.
She hadn't felt this feeling in a long time. Was...was this why she wanted to compete in the Double X, so she could see incredible monsters like this?
She was soon snapped out of her daydream, as Prism Bolt struck Zephyr Blitz and destroyed in while sending her flying. "WOOOOOW!"
Gilda: 0 Rainbow: 700 (Winner)
"Gilda!" Soarin rushed over to wear his teammate had fallen, holding out a hand to help her up. "You okay?"
Gilda moaned as she rolled around, then looked up to glare at Soarin before slapping his hand away and picking herself up. "I'm fine," she dusted herself off before turning to Rainbow.
"So," Rainbow told her, "still think I'm not giving it everything I've got?"
"No," Gilda said, "you were definitely giving it your all." She pointed at her, "but don't think that means you can slack off from now on. That Spectrum Battle Wing better show up tomorrow."
"He will," Rainbow said. "What about you? Figured out why you want to be in he Double X?"
Gilda sighed, replaying that last turn in her head. "Yeah, I think I have." She smirked, "that moment you summoned that monster, I got this weird feeling. Like my eyes were opened for the first time." She looked out into the night sky. "I think I get now, why you wanted to enter the Double X. So you could face off against monsters you've never seen before, right?"
Rainbow smiled and looked out at the horizon with her. "Yeah, you're right. I used to think I was the best Duellist in the world, but then I entered he Celestic Cup and I came up against Duellists with monsters mine didn't stand a chance against. Since then I've trained and improved my deck so they could handle those monsters, but I've still got a ways to go before I can call myself the best." The images of several people flashed in front of her mind, making her smirk. "Also, there are some Duellists I really wanna go up against. Ones I know are strong and will take everything I've got to beat."
Gilda and Soarin both nodded, knowing who she was talking about. Gilda then through back to yesterday. "Tempest Shadows. She's really that good?"
Rainbow sighed. "Better. I bet she wasn't even going all out against me."
Gilda turned to her, "then we'll need to get better. Better then anyone else in this tournament." She held out her fist, "and I'll stick with you to the end." Rainbow smiled and fist pumped he girl, the two holding this before turning to Soarin. "Come on loser." Soarin smirked before rushing up to them and joining his fist with there.
The three stayed like this for a while. At least until someone who had heard the noise of the Duel came up to investigate and gave them a stern lecture about messing around on the roof.
Back in the park, Flash continued to Duel against Marble. He currently had Flash Heart Dragon X and Magna Tiger, while Marble had both Gaia-Knight Sapphire along with Stone Statue of the Aztecs and a Gaia-Knight that looked like Corundum except its armour was made out of Coal.
Since Marble currently had five Rock monsters removed from play, Sapphire's ATK was five hundred points more. (A3500/D2400/L8)
"Alright!" Flash drew his card, "I summon Bright Bounce Magna Bunny!" The robotic rabbit appeared besides the dragon and tiger. (A1200/D600/L3/P2) "Then I'll use Reserve Polarity, to swap Magna Tiger, and Sapphire's ATK!" (A3500/D2100/L7) (A2400/D2400/L8) "Attack!" The armoured fighter rushed forwards and smashed Sapphire, destroying it.
Flash: 1200 Marble: 2100
"And when Magna Tiger destroys a monster on the field, his ability lets me destroy a monster with less ATK then that monster. So say goodbye to you Aztec Statue." Magna Tiger punched Marble's monster and destroyed it. "Now, Magna Bunny will attack Gaia-Knight Coal!" The robotic bunny rushed forwards before slamming its foot into its stomach and destroyed it.
Flash: 1200 Marble: 1700
"And now, my Flash Heart Dragon will finish this!" His ace flew forwards, ready to sucker punch Marble's monster. But before it could reach Marble, a knight in crystal armour carrying a crystal shield appeared and blocked the attack.
"Sorry," Marble said, "but by discarding my Gaia-Knight Crystal Guardian I can negate any direct attack."
Flash smirked, "I end my turn with a face down."
"My turn," Marble said. "I draw and now I'll banish Gaia-Knight Coal along with another Rock monster, in order to summon Gaia-Knight Diamond!" The monster Flash's Bunny destroyed reappeared before being surrounded by the small moon, which quickly broke apart to reveal a knight in diamond armour carrying a diamond war-hammer. (A2800/D2600/L8) "And with seven Rock monsters removed from play, his ATK power goes up. (A3500/D2600/L8) "And then I'll use his ability, to banish my Sapphire from the graveyard so Diamond will now gain his abilities." (A3600/D2600/L8)
Flash groaned as he looked down at his face down, Defence Draw. Now he couldn't protect himself.
"Gaia-Knight Diamond, attack Bright Bounce Magna Bunny!" The knight rushed forwards until it reached Flash's monster and raised its hammer, Flash smirking as he turned to Marble.
"Not bad," he said while his monster was destroyed.
Flash: 0 Marble: 1700 (Winner)
With the Duel over, Flash walked over to Marble and held out a hand. "You've got skills. I can see why Pinkie and Maud say you're the best in your family."
Marble smiled, once again hiding herself behind her hair, and shook Flash's hand.
"MARBLE!" The two turned to see Pinkie and Maud running towards them. As soon as she was in arms length, Pinkie grabbed Marble and pulled her into a hug. "OW!" She squeezed her tight, "don't ever scare us like that again!"
"I'm sorry," Marble said quietly.
"As long as you're alright," Maud said before turning to Flash. "Thank you for looking after our sister."
Flash smirked while scratching the back of his head, "don't sweat it. It was fun." He turned to Marble, "I hope we get to face off again in the tournament." Marble smiled and nodded back at him before the sisters headed off home, while Flash walked off in the opposite direction.
What none of them realised, was that they were being watched.
Standing atop a nearby lamppost, Tempest Shadows stared down at the group as they separated. Her vision followed the Pie sisters, focusing on one of them in particular. "Is she the one?"
The excitement builds as the Double X Tournament enters it's third day. As the Duellists filed out onto the field, Celestia and Luna stepped up onto the stage.
Celestia: Greeting Duel fans. I hope you're ready for another action packed day.
Luna: Nine spots now remain in the next round, and I'm sure we'll see most of them be earned today.
Down on the field, the Duellists were getting psyched up. "Okay guys!" Flash said. "Let's get out there and not lose a single match today."
"Yeah!" Spike agreed, "this is gonna be awesome."
"Don't get to overconfident," Sunburst told them. "A lot of these Duellists are just as good and just as determined as us. We'll need to be careful, especially with so many points now up for grabs." Flash and Spike gave him a look that screamed 'party pooper', but knew he was right.
"Alright," Twilight said to her team, "today I refuse to lose a match."
"That's the spirit," Sunset said.
"I'll try my best too," Fluttershy said. "We're only a few wins away from fifty points."
"Exactly," Twilight said. "If we're able to win two matches each, then that should give us enough points to get through." Sunset and Fluttershy both nodded, knowing this was their best chance to get to the next round. They couldn't let it slip through their fingers. Twilight meanwhile, glanced over to where Trixie and her team were standing. Remembering what the girl had told her yesterday, Twilight needed to be careful how she played if she ran into her.
"Awe yeah!" Rainbow said while punching her fist into her palm. "This is it. We're getting into the next round today. Nothing's gonna stop me from getting us there."
Soarin smiled at Rainbow's determination, while Gilda just smirked. "Yeah," she agreed, "this is gonna be good. Let's go after the Duellists that have the most points."
Soarin's smile increased. Something was different about Gilda today. She was more hyped then she had been in the last two days. Seems her Duel against Rainbow had really kicked her into high gear. He couldn't help but remember their Duel, and the way Rainbow had managed to win. But strangely, this made him frown.
Celestia: Alright everyone! It's time for the Double X's third day to begin!
Luna: Good luck and remember to give it your all!
With that, the ARC System activated and teleported everyone into the Duel Fields. Once their, the teams split up to find their opponents and it did not take long.
"DUEL!"
And so the matches began. In the Meadow Field, Sunburst was facing off against Shining Spoon and his Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon.
"I RITUAL SUMMON!" Sunburst cried as his monster was summoned. "Sunburst Ravager!" The fire demon appeared besides Blaze Wizard and Burn Blader. "I then equip Ravager with Blazing Aura, to increase his ATK by one thousand." The flaming veil appeared around him. (A3000/D1500/L6) "Attack!" Ravager leapt up into the air before slashing Dark Rebellion with its axe and destroying it.
Spoon: 2100 Sunburst: 2400
"Plus, Sunburst Ravager can attack once for every Fire monster on my field." His Ritual monster turned towards Shining Spoon and slashed him with his blazing claw.
Spoon: 0 Sunburst: 2400 (Winner)
Celestia: And Sunburst wins another match for his team.
Luna: Over in the Volcano Field, Gilda of team Wonderbolt is facing off against Rover of team Barking Bite.
On the field, Gilda currently had Zephyr Blitz, Harpie Dancer and a face down Defence Wind. She also had Harpie Crone and Harpie Child in her Pendulum Zone. Rover meanwhile, had Power Dog Husky and Power Dog Bulldog while having just summoned his Power Dog Cerberus.
"Rover's Power Dog Cerberus will now use his ability. Which destroys every monster on your field and deals you five hundred points for damage for each one." The elephant sized three headed dog unleashed a mighty howl that hit her monsters and destroyed them, while knocking Gilda back.
Gilda: 1200 Rover: 2400
"Rover ends his turn."
As Gilda picked herself up, she couldn't help but smile. "Oh yeah," she said while looking at the beast that had just destroyed her monster. "This is good."
"Bring it!" Rover said.
She drew her card and smiled as the portal opened up above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened before a pair of lights flew out and hit the ground, quickly fading to reveal her two monsters. "Cyber Harpie Lady and Harpie Lady Zephyr Blitz." (A1800/1300/L4) (A2800/D2400/R5/P4) "And since she was Pendulum Summoned, Zephyr Blitz's ability activates." She drew five cards, "now I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add any Level four or five Wind monsters to her as an Overlay Unit." She looked at the cards and took two of them out before placing them under her monster's card.
Rover looked up at Zephyr Blitz as a pair of lights appeared around her.
"Now I'll remove one of them, to use Zephyr Blitz's ability!" It's Overlay Unit flew into the monster's fan, which started spinning and unleashed a powerful cyclone that sucked Husky and Bulldog up. Once they were destroyed, Zephyr Blitz sucked their energy into her fans and powered up. (A4200/D2400/R5/P4) "Zephyr Blitz, teach that mutt to play dead!"
Zephyr Blitz flew forwards and cut Cerberus in half.
Gilda: 1200 Rover: 1400
"And whenever Zephyr Blitz destroys a monster, she deals five hundred points of damage to you for every Overlay Unit connected to her. The Xyz Monster's fan began to spin around before unleashing a tornado, that hit Rover and pushed him backwards.
Gilda: 1200 Rover: 900
"Cyber Harpie Lady!" Gilda's monster leapt into the air, "finish this!" The winged woman swung her whip and hit Rover in the chest.
Gilda: 1200 (Winner) Rover: 0
"OH YEAH!" Gilda cheered as her monsters disappeared.
Celestia: And Ms Gilda has earned another victory for Team Wonderbolts.
Luna: This, long with the victory from her teammate Rainbow, puts them at the top of the points board and close to entering the next round.
Over in the Forest Zone, Soarin heard this and looked down at the points they had accumulated.
One more big win should put them through, but could they pull it off. "I've gotta find an opponent," he said while looking around. As he did, he couldn't help but frown as the memories of last night came back to him. Gilda and Rainbow had fought so hard, both managing to push the other passed their limits to unleash a new power. But what about him?
If it had been him Duelling them at the time, would he have been able to make them use Zephyr Blitz and Prism Bolt? Then there was all the other Duellists Rainbow knew, some of which were high ranking competitors. Duellists Rainbow had entered so she could face off against them. Duellists that pushed her passed her limits.
Could Soarin be classed as one of those Duellists?
A beeping sound made him look down to see an alert of his next opponent. "Well howdy partner." He spun around to see Applejack walk out from behind a tree. "Looks like you and me are gonna throw down."
"Applejack," Soarin whispered. He knew a lot about this girl. She had gotten into the top four of the Celestic Cup and had been Rainbow's rival since they started Duelling. If anyone could be used to measure themselves against Rainbow, it was her. "If I can beat her, then maybe that means I can make Rainbow take me seriously."
"Wotcha say?" Applejack asked.
"Nothing," Soarin replied before activating his Duel Disk, "let's do this."
Applejack smiled and activated her Duel Disk, "you got it!"
"DUEL!"
Soarin: 4000 Applejack: 4000
Over in the Canyon Zone, Rainbow was looking for her next opponent when her Raduel beeped.
Looking down at the screen, it showed Soarin's Duel begin. "He's facing Applejack?" She asked in shock, then started running. "This I gotta see." As she ran, she heard Celestia and Luna speak up.
Celestia: This is it folks. If Soarin Skies is able to defeat Applejack, he'll have accumulated enough points for the Wonderbolts to head into the next stage.
Luna: But can he defeat such a strong opponent? Only time will tell.
Rainbow was split. She wanted her team to win, but she also didn't want her first and best rival to be beaten by anyone except her. It was out of her hands now.
"A'll take the first move!" Applejack drew her card. "A'll start by bringing out Red Apple Golem in Def mode!" A giant red apple appeared with eyes, a mouth, legs and arms. (A1300/D1500/L4) "And with its ability, a'h can add Green Apple Golem from ma'h deck to ma'h hand when it's summoned." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which she took. "A'll throw down two face downs and hand things over to you partner."
"Thanks!" Soarin drew his card, "and I'll start by playing Magical Mallet. Now I can send any cards in my hand that I don't want back to my deck, then shuffle and redraw the same number of cards." He placed four cards back into his deck before it shuffled, then drew four new cards. "Sweet," he said after seeing what he'd gotten, "say hello to Techno Force Rush Rotor!" The green helicopter appeared in front of him. (A1700/D1400/L4)
Applejack smiled. "Not bad. But it won't be much use after a'h use ma'h Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Lasso Tasso!" A rope shot out of the card and wrapped around Rush Rotor. "This bad boy'll lower ya'h monsters ATK by five hundred and stop it from attackin." (A1200/D1400/L4)
"Nice move," Soarin said before activating another card. "To bad I've got my Frontline Base!" Applejack's eyes went wide. "I assume you know what this means. Now I can summon a Union Monster to my field, Like Techno Force Tank Trasher!" The black tank appeared besides the tied up helicopter. (A1600/D1200/L4)
"Not good," Applejack said. "He's gonna Union Summon."
"Darn tootin!" Soarin said while imitating Applejack. "Gentlemen, start your engines!" The two machines shot into the air before beginning to transform, linking together into their more powerful robot form. "Mega Techno Force, Defence Convoy!" (A2100/D1800/L6)
Celestia: Looks like Soarin's going on the offensive.
Luna: Ironic, considering he's using a monster with Defence in its name.
"And now my monster will attack!" His monster extended the cannon on its back before aiming it at Applejack's monster. "Go, turn that thing into apple crumble!" It fired and destroyed Applejack's monster. "Oh, and since I have less cards in my hand then you, Defence Convoy deals you damage even if your monster's in DEF mode."
Soarin: 4000 Applejack: 3400
"Nice move," Applejack's face down flipped up. "But ya'h activated ma'h Trap. Compost Harvest! Since a Plant monster with fifteen hundred or less ATK was destroyed, a'h can draw one card for each Level it had." She drew four cards.
"I place one card face down and I end my turn."
"Ma'h draw!" Applejack drew her card and added it to her oversized hand before taking two more cards out of it, "and a'll use scale one Stag of Great Seedling and scale nine Grizzly Pear too set the Pendulum Scale!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of her, as two monsters flew up into them. One was a stag whose coat was a combo of green, orange, brown and yellow, along with antlers that had apples and different coloured leaves growing out of it. The other was a small pear in the shape of a bear. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of vic-tree!" The portal formed above Applejack's head, "A'H PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, taking shape before fading to reveal Applejack's monsters. The first was an orange pony with a blonde mane and tail, wearing a stetson similar to Applejack's with three apples on its flank. "Apple-Buck Pony!" (A1800/D1200/L4/P5) "And Green Apple Golem" (A1400/D600/L4)
"Wow," Soarin said.
Applejack smirked. "Since she was Special Summoned, Apple-Buck Pony's skill kicks in. And I mean kicks!" The pony rushed over to a nearby tree and slammed its back hooves into it. "Now a'h can look at the top five cards of ma'h deck and summon any Apple monsters a'h get." She drew her cards and smiled before taking out five of them. "Come on out, Apple Knight and Apple Fairy!"
From out of the tree fell the apple themed knight alongside a pixie in a red dress with an apple headed wand that was almost as big as her. (A300/D300/L3) (A900/D1100/L3/P7) "Then a'll use the skill of ma'h Apple Fairy!" Green Apple Golem transformed into a stream of light that flew back into Applejack's deck. "By sending him back to ma'h deck, a'h can summon an Apple monster from it. So say hello to Apple Kid!" The apple clothes wearing child appeared besides the rest of her monsters. (A200/D300/L2) "And since this little guy was Special Summoned, his Level goes up!" (A200/D300/L3)
"Three Level threes," Soarin knew what was coming.
"And now, with these three monsters a'h build the Overlay Network." The monsters shot into the air and then flew into the black hole as it appeared below her. "As the seasons bring fourth new growth, it can also bring fourth a new power!" The black hole exploded in a burst of light, "A'H XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded revealing AJ's Xyz monster. "Orchard Cowboy!" (A2100/D600/R3)
Celestia: There it is! Applejack's ace monster. With this, the tide of the Duel might just turn in her favour.
Luna: But let's not forget about Defence Convoy's ability. But will Soarin want to discard the few cards he has?
"I activate my Trap!" Soarin cried as his face down flipped up, "Power Draw! Since you summoned a monster with two thousand or more ATK points, I get to draw cards equal to its Level or Rank!" He drew three cards.
Celestia: Well that answers that question.
"A'm playing Gaia Energy!" Applejack said, making Soarin begin to sweat. "This card powers up ma'h Earth monsters ATK by five hundred points!" An orange aura appeared around Orchard Cowboy and Apple-Buck Pony. (A2600/D600/R3) (A2300/D1200/L4/P5) "Orchard Cowboy, attack!" The Xyz Monster leapt into the air before pointing its pistols at Defence Convoy.
Soarin quickly kicked into action, running through the forest as Orchard Cowboy prepared its shot. He spotted a nearby tree with a hole in the trunk and rushed over to it, throwing his hand inside and grabbing hold of a card. He pulled it out and saw what it was, "yes!" He spun around while activating the card, "I play Evasion! Now your attack won't work against Defence Convoy."
"Don't be so sure," Applejack said before one of Orchard Cowboy's Overlay Units flew into his gun. "A'm activating ma'h Cowboy's ability!" The Xyz monster fired at the Action Spell and destroyed it, then pointed its over pistol at Defence Convoy.
"Fine," Soarin said, "then I'll send a card to my graveyard and activate Defence Convoy's ability to negate your attack!" Defence Convoy held up the rotor on its arm before it started spinning, creating a wind shield that blocked Cowboy's bullet.
Applejack smirked. "Not bad. He knew ma'h monster's ability, so he used the Action Spell as a decoy to use his monster's effect. A'h can see why Rainbow wanted him on her team." She turned to her horse, "go get him partner!" Apple-Buck Pony galloped forwards before jumping at Defence Convoy, ready to destroy it.
Soarin looked down at his hand and frowned, then looked up at Applejack. "I won't use his ability." The pony smashed Soarin's monster to bits.
Soarin: 3800 Applejack: 3400
"A'm throwing down a face down and ending ma'h turn." Orchard Cowboy and Apple-Buck Pony's ATK points returned to normal. (A2100/D600/R3) (A1800/D1200/L4/P5)
"It's my turn," Soarin reached for his deck. "I draw." Seeing what he'd gotten, he nodded before getting to work "I summon Techno Force Sub Surfer, in ATK mode." The blue submarine appeared on Soarin's side of the field. (A1200/D1500/L4) "Then I'll use the effect of my Frontline Base, to Techno Force Armored Assault!" The yellow armed security vehicle appeared besides the sub. (A500/D2000/L4)
Applejack was on guard, having a feeling she knew what was coming next.
"I activate my Iron Call Spell card, which lets me summon a Level four or below machine monster from my graveyard."
"A'h don't think so," Applejack told him as one of Orchard Cowboy's Overlay Units flew into the gun. "A'm using my monster's effect to negate your card." Cowboy shot Soarin's card, destroying it.
The boy frowned, but then spotted an Action Card on the branch of a tree.
He quickly ran up it and leapt up, plucking the card before seeing what it was and smiling. "I activate the Action Spell Revitalisation. With it, I pay three hundred life points to add a Spell card back to my hand.
Soarin: 3500 Applejack: 3400
He retrieved his card and activated it, Applejack seeing it was Iron Call.
In a flash of light, Techno Force Jet Jammer appeared next to his other two monsters. "And now," the trio shot into the air. "I banish all three of my monsters, in order to Union Summon!" The three machines linked on top of each other before transforming into the humanoid robot, the machine ready for battle. "Mega Techno Force, Attack Convoy!" (A2800/D2600/L8)
"Hoowee!" Applejack said, "that's one heck of a monster."
"Thanks," Soarin said before jumping up and landing on the monster's shoulder. "Wait until you see what he can do!" He discarded a card as Attack Convoy pointed its gun hips at Orchard Cowboy.
Applejack was starting to regret using her monster's ability, as Attack Convoy fired and destroyed her monster. "Not bad partner."
"There's more," Soarin told her. "The card I discarded was Techno Support ATV, so I can now draw two new cards." He did so, "and I've still got my attack left!" Attack Convoy prepared to launch its missiles, only for Applejack to jump on her horse as they galloped through the forest. Attack Convoy followed, the dense trees making it difficult for the large robot to move while Apple-Buck was able to easily weave passed them.
Eventually, Applejack spotted an Action Card on a high branch. As her monster got close enough, she leapt off its back and grabbed a nearby vine. This allowed her to swing up and snatch the action card. "A'h got the Action Spell Unblooming. Now a'h pay five hundred life points to switch ma'h monster into DEF mode."
Soarin: 3500 Applejack: 2900
Apple-Buck took a defensive stance, seconds before Attack Convoy fired its missiles. Apple-Buck was destroyed. "And when Attack Convoy destroys a monster, you take damage equal to that monsters Rank or Level times three hundred." Attack Convoy aimed its hip guns at Applejack and fired, knocking her off the branch.
"WOOOOW! Applejack yelled as she hit the ground, her life points going down as well.
Soarin: 3500 Applejack: 1700
Celestia and Luna: OOH!
Celestia: That had to hurt.
Luna: Soarin's really not pulling any punches here. Is Applejack gonna be able to pull herself back?
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
Applejack moaned as she picked herself up, righting her hat before turning to Soarin. "Alright partner, ya'h got some serious skills."
"Thanks," Soarin smirked, "so do you."
Applejack placed a hand on her deck. "But a'm not letting ya'h take me down so easily. Here goes, A'H DRAW!" She looked at the card she'd gotten and smiled as the portal formed above her head. "A'H PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out and hit the ground, fading to reveal Applejack's monster. "Apple-Buck Pony!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P5) "And since she was special summoned, a'h can look at the top five cards of ma'h deck and special summon any Level four or below Apple monsters!" She drew her card and looked through them, only finding one card that fit the bill. "Yellow Apple Golem!" The monster appeared besides Apple-Buck. (A1200/D1200/L4)
"Those cards won't save you," Soarin said.
"But this will," Applejack replied as she activated the card she drawn. In that second, the ground opened up before Orchard Cowboy jumped out of it before vines shot out of the hole and wrapped around him like a cocoon. "Go, Rank-Up-Magic...ETERNAL GROWTH!" A black hole appeared above their heads, as the vines lifted the cocoon towards it. "With this card, a'h can rebuild the Overlay Network and Rank-Up ma'h Xyz Monster." The cocoon entered the black hole before it began to pulse, as Applejack chanted. "Warrior of justice and nature, unleash ya'h powers on this world and rid it of all that might hurt it!" The black hole exploded, unleashing Applejack's monster. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The light faded revealing Applejack's new monster. It looked like Orchard Cowboy, only his poncho was now a black coat. Pinned to it was a circular badge with an apple in the centre, with a white button up shirt was under it with a red bandanna tied around his neck. He wore a ten gallon hat on his head and carried a large black and silver shotgun. A single light flew around him. "Orchard Marshall!" (A3000/D1500/R4/P5)
"Wow," Soarin said as he watched Marshall land in front of Applejack.
Celestia: Talk about bringing out the big guns. Now I'm itching to see what this new monster can do.
"Since Orchard Marshall was summoned usin a Rank-Up-Magic card, his ability lets me add any Level four Plant monster onto him as an Overlay Unit." Yellow Apple Golem transformed into a light that began to float around the Xyz monster along with the other one. "Plus, Eternal Growth's effect boosts his power by five hundred for this turn. (A3500/D1500/R4/P5)
"Not good," Soarin realised.
"It'll get worse once a'h activate Marshall's ability!" One of the Xyz monster's Overlay Units flew into his shotgun before he pointed it at Attack Convoy. He then fired a beam that hit the robot and made it glow, then retracted back into the weapon while taking the glow with it. (A1400/D2600/L8)
"What the?" Soarin asked as Marshall pointed the weapon at Apple-Buck and fired the beam at it, making it glow the same light. (A3200/D1300/L4/P5)
Luna: Incredible. Applejack's monster cut Soarin's monster's ATK in half and gave it to Apple-Buck.
"It's his special ability," Applejack said. "Removing an Overlay Unit to steal away half ya'h ATK and give it to any other Earth monster on ma'h field." Soarin began to sweat at this. "Attack!" Orchard Marshall once again pointed the weapon at Attack Convoy, as Soarin jumped off its shoulder and landed on a tree branch.
He looked around for an Action Card, but couldn't find one. As such, he was forced to activate his face down. "Go Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" The assortment of metal appeared in front of Attack Convoy, seconds before Marshall fired his weapon.
The bullet bounced off the scarecrow, leaving Attack Convoy safe before flipping back down.
"That's fine," Applejack said. "I'll just have Apple-Buck Pony finish it off." Her monster galloped ahead, ready to take Soarin's monster down. Meanwhile, Soarin leapt from branch to branch until he finally spotted what he was looking for. An Action Card.
He grabbed the card and, seeing what it was, moaned but used it anyway. "Go, Synthesis!" Sunlight suddenly shot down through the trees and hit Attack Convoy, making it glow as it gained an extra five hundred points. (A1900/D2600/L8) Seconds later, Apple-Buck struck Attack Convoy and destroyed it.
Soarin: 2200 Applejack: 1700
"Not a bad move partner," Applejack said. "Though a'm bettin you were hoping for somethin that'd save ya'h monster?"
Soarin sighed as he jumped out of the three. "Yeah, I was. Still, saved myself a few points."
"Better put them to good use," Applejack said as she ended her turn. Marshall and Apple-Buck's ATK returned to normal. (A3000/D1500/R4/P5) (A1800/D1300/L4/P5)
Soarin looked down at his hand and saw he had nothing that could help him beat Applejack's monster. Plus, she still had that face down from a few turns ago. Even if he manged to summon something that could beat it, that card might take him down. His only hope was his next draw.
"Here goes," he reached for his deck. "I draw!" He looked at the card he'd gotten and went wide-eyed. With this, he could summon...it. But, was it worth the cost.
His mind suddenly flashed back to Rainbow and Gilda. The way those two Duelled in the moment, without worry about the consequences. If he wanted to Duel like them, he had to be willing to take the risk. "Here goes!" He yelled while activating the card, "Dimension Fusion!"
Applejack's eyes went wide. With that card.
Soarin: 200 Applejack: 1700
Celestia: He's given up almost all his Life Points.
Luna: But it might just be worth it. Look up.
A portal opened up above the forest, with all five of Soarin's Techno Force monsters flying out of it. Soon enough, Applejack was facing down an army of machinery. "But don't worry, they're not sticking around for long." The five shot into the air, "or maybe you should worry!" They split up before transforming and linking together, creating both Attack and Defence Convoy.
Celestia: What a medley of metal.
Applejack felt herself panic, but knew she had to stay calm. Plus, her Trap would protect her if they tried to attack.
"And now!" Soarin yelled as the two robots leapt into the air, "watch as I banish both Attack Convoy and Defence Convoy in order to Union Summon a whole new monster!" The robots split into their component parts before transforming in a whole new way.
Tank Trasher and Armoured Assault transformed the way they did before, with Tank Trasher's gun turret flying off, before linking together to form the main body. Jet Jammer linked onto the top of Tank Trasher before folding down, the human head popping out. Sub Surfer transformed like normal before the arms came off and linked onto the ends of the tank tread arms.
Rush Rotor's tail and rotors detached from the main body, the tail splitting in half before linking onto the ends of its shoulders. The rotors spun around until they came together, as a handle folded out the bottom and made it look like a sword that the machine caught in its right hand while the left caught the remains of Sub Surfer, which now resembled a double barrelled shot gun. Finally Rush Rotor's main body transformed into a helmet, which flew onto Jet Jammer's head.
The new machine swung its sword before firing its blaster, as Soarin announced its arrival to Applejack. "Behold, Ultra Techno Force...GRAND CONVOY!" (A3000/D2800/L8)
As the combo monster landed in front of her, Applejack gulped.
Luna: INCREDIBLE! Soarin's really pulling out all the stops here. But the question is, what is this monstrosity capable of.
Soarin smirked as he climbed up onto Grand Convoy's shoulder. "It's over. On the turn Grand Convoy is summoned, all card effects on your side of the field are negated." Grand Convoy pointed its left arm at her field, as a light shot out of Rush Rotor and hit the cards on her field. Applejack watched as blue sparks surged around her cards, realising that she couldn't use her face down. "Now attack Apple-Buck!"
Applejack sighed. No wonder Rainbow had let him onto her team. He was good.
"Guess this is it," she said.
"What, you giving up that easily?" Applejack looked up towards the voice, going wide-eyed when she saw who it was. Rainbow was standing on one of the branches of a tree, staring down at the two as they Duelled.
"Rainbow," Soarin said. How long had she been there?"
"Come on AJ," Rainbow said. "Can't let him beat you that easily. You'll make him get lazy if. And he'll start thinking he's on my level if he beats my main rival like this."
"Rival?" Applejack asked, only to realise what she meant. That's right, the two of them had trained like crazy against one another. There's no way Applejack would let Rainbow's teammate, someone who couldn't beat Rainbow, beat her. "No way!" With that, she and her monsters began to run as fast as they could in search of the one thing the could save them. An Action Card. "A'h ain't losin here."
"Gotta end this fast," Soarin said. "I'll show Rainbow. I am on her level. Grand Convoy!" His robot raised its sword as it chased after them, the jet engines on its back firing to propel it forwards through the trees.
Ignoring the sounds of destruction behind her, Applejack looked around and finally spotted a nearby tree with a hole in it. She knew it was a long shot, but she had to try.
"Here goes!" She leapt at the tree and reached into it, grasping a card a praying for an Spell. Pulling it out, she saw what it was and gasped. "Alright!" She spun around while activating the card. "Go, Uprooting!" Her face down and her Grizzly Pear glowed before transforming into a pair of lights, that flew into the girl's hand. "This Action Spell lets me return two Spell or Trap cards to ma'h hand."
"So what?" Soarin asked.
"So, ya'h monster's ability only negates the effects of cards on the field. So a'h can still use the effects of the cards in ma'h hand, like my Grizzly Pear's ability." She discarded said card. "By sendin him to the graveyard, a'h can activate the effects of Trap card in ma'h hand!"
Soarin's eyes went wide, "seriously!"
"Seriously!" Applejack replied before playing her card, "so a'm activatin ma'h Power Guard!" The Trap appeared on the field in, as Marshall leapt in front of Apple-Buck. "This card lets me change the target of ya'h attack, while upping his power." Marshall glowed as it power increased. (A3200/D1500/R4/P5) "Sorry Soarin, but a'h ain't goin down that easily."
"Maybe not," Soarin said. "But you're still going down. Grand Convoy has another ability. When he attacks a monster, that monster's ATK goes down by its Rank or Level times three hundred." The gun turret on its back folded out and pointed down at Marshall, firing a beam of light that struck the Xyz monster and made it shake in pain. (A2000/D1500/R4/P5)
Grand Convoy raised its sword and slashed down at Marshall, destroying it and sending Applejack back.
Soarin: 200 Applejack: 700
Celestia: An impressive move. Applejack managed to turn what was an assured victory into a narrow save.
Luna: She's earned herself one more turn. And with Soarin's Life Points so low, it might be all she needs.
Soarin didn't like this. That should have been his big victory, but now he was in a dangerous situation. "I...end my turn." He looked over at where Rainbow had been, but saw she was gone. "I'll show you. I can pull my weight on this team."
"It's ma'h turn," he turned back to Applejack as she drew her card. "And since a'h got a Pendulum Monster in ma'h grave, the Stag of Great Seedling lets me draw one card." She did so and summoned it, "let's go Iris Maiden!" The flower dress woman appeared. (A1600/D1300/L4/P5) Applejack then placed another card on her Duel Disk, "then a'll reset the Pendulum Scale with scale six Seedling Sprite!" The fairy appeared in the pillar, the portal beginning to form once she did. "A'H PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out, hitting the ground and taking shape before fading. "Orchard Marshall!" (A3000/D1500/R4/P5) "And since he was Pendulum Summoned, a'h can add any Level four Plant monster to him as an Overlay Unit." Iris Maiden transformed into a light a surrounded the Xyz monster, only to quickly fly into his shotgun as he pointed it at Grand Convoy.
Soarin watched as Marshall fired the beam at his robot, draining its power. (A1500/D2800/L8) Marshall then fired the gun at Apple-Buck, powering her up. (A3300/D1300/L4/P5)
"It's over," Applejack told him as Marshall aimed his gun at Grand Convoy.
Soarin leapt off his monster and landed on a branch, activating his face down. "Go, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" The metal construct appeared in front of the robot, as Marshall fired his gun and hit it.
"Apple-Buck!" Applejack cried as her monster galloped forwards, while Soarin spotted what he had been looking for.
As the pony leapt at Grand Convoy, Soarin leapt off the branch and reached for the Action Card. But right as he was about to grip it, Apple-Buck's attack struck. The pony hit the robot with such force, she flew right through it and made it explode.
"WOW!" Soarin yelled as he was sent flying by the explosion.
Soarin: 0 Applejack: 700 (Winner)
Celestia: And with that, Applejack claims victory over Soarin. It seems the Wonderbolts won't be heading to the next round quite yet.
Luna: Even so, both Duellists should be proud for giving the Duel everything they had. Bravo.
As the monsters vanished, Applejack rushed over to where Soarin had fallen and looked him over. "Ya'll right partner?"
Soarin moaned as he picked himself up and turned towards Applejack. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry." He sighed, "guess I'm not ready to give Rainbow a decent challenge."
"You kindin?" Applejack asked in almost shock. "Ya'h have any idea how close that match was. I a'h hadn't gotten that Action Card, a'd be in the Graveyard right now." She gave him a light punch to the shoulder, "ya'h got skills boy. Don't go puttin ya'h self down. Rainbow was right ta'h put ya'h on her team."
Soarin couldn't help but smile at this, as the ground beneath him lowered. "Thank you," he told her. "If we both make it to the next round, let's play again."
Applejack smiled and gave a thumbs up. "A'm up for that." That was the last words exchanged between them before Soarin disappeared.
As he travelled down the tunnel, he sighed. "Not yet, but soon. Soon I'll be able to give Rainbow the Duel she's been looking for." He had no doubt in his mind that he'd push Rainbow the next time they faced off, but for now he had to focus on getting out of the Graveyard and earning back the points he'd lost.
As the Double X's third day continues, we find the V-Fighters in the Extra Deck Cafe.
The three of them were taking a break while discussing the current situation. "Eight teams have made it through to the next round," Spike said while looking up at the TV. It had the names of the eight teams that had made it through, none of which being the ones their friends were in.
"Meaning half the spaces in the next round are filled," Flash finished.
Sunburst hummed in thought. "if we want to get through, we'll need to go after Duellists with a lot of points."
Flash and Spike both nodded. "Beating them will mean a big transfer of points," Flash said. "And that means teams can quickly jump ahead into the next round."
"So no hanging around," Spike said as he stood up.
"We shouldn't be hasty," Sunburst told him. "We need to take things one match at a time. Getting ahead of ourselves could lead to disaster."
"Right," Spike said. "Don't worry. Even if you guys lose, I'll be sure to come and rescue you."
Flash laughed, "gee. Thanks."
"Don't go getting cocky," Sunburst told him. "You may have beaten your sister, but that doesn't mean you're invincible."
"Come on," Flash said before an argument could break out. "Let's get out there and win."
"Right!" The two replied before the team headed out. Once back on the field, they all split up and headed off to find their next opponents.
Sunburst had just entered the Canyon Field when his Raduel went off. As he checked the device, he suddenly heard a feminine chuckle. "Over here darling," he spun around and found Rarity standing a ways off. "Looks like I'm your next opponent."
"I guess," Sunburst said before quickly thinking over what he knew of her. She used the Gem-Knight, that mainly focused on Fusion Summoning. If she managed to accumulate enough monsters to fuse, this would be difficult.
"Shall we get started?" Rarity asked while taking out her Duel Disk.
"Sure," Sunburst replied as he did the same. He had to end this quick before she had a chance to summon anything he couldn't take down.
"DUEL!"
Rarity: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
"I'll be taking the first move, if you wouldn't mind darling." Rarity drew her cards and nodded at what she'd gotten. "Excellent. I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Gem-Knight Opel and scale eight Gem-Cat." The portals of light appeared besides her as the two monster flew into it. Opel was joined by a white cat wearing a gem encrusted collar and bow. Once high enough, the portal began to form between the two of them. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out of it, hitting the ground and taking shape before fading to reveal Rarity's monsters.
"Gem-Knight Alexandrite!" (A1800/D1200/L4) "And Gem-Knight Jade!" (A1800/D1100/L4/P4) "Then I'll summon the Crystal Rose." A red rose made entirely of crystal appeared before her. (A500/D500/L2) "And this little beauties ability allows me to send one Gem-Knight from my deck to my graveyard, in order to change it's name to that card." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which she took before sending to the graveyard. "So I'm sending Gem-Knight Lapis to the graveyard."
Sunburst watched as Crystal Rose began to glow, the light taking the form of the card she'd just discarded. "Here it comes."
"And now!" Rarity called out as the gem in Opal's chest shot out a beam of light, which struck the area above Rarity's knight and creating a vortex. "I'm using Gem-Knight Opal's Pendulum Ability, which allows me to Fusion Summon a Gem-Knight monster!" Jade and the Crystal Rose were sucked into the vortex. "Two gems, sparkling together, illuminating a new stone!" The vortex exploded, "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light of the explosion faded, revealing Rarity's new monster as it twirled around like a ballerina. "Gem-Knight Lady, Lapis Lazuli!" (A2400/D1000/L5)
Celestia: "An impressive start. Miss Rarity is certainly holding nothing back.
"Next," Rarity took a card out of her Extra Deck. "By sending a Gem-Knight from my Extra Deck to the graveyard, I can deal you five hundred points of damage for ever Special Summoned monster on my field." Lapis Lazuli's chest gem glowed before firing a beam of light, which hit Sunburst and made him moan while staggering backwards.
Rarity: 4000 Sunburst: 3000
Luna: Incredible! Despite it being the first turn, Rarity has managed to deal a significant amount of damage to Sunburst's life points.
Rarity smiled. "I end my turn by placing on card face down before activating Alexandrite's ability!" The knight was surrounded by bright light. "By tributing him, I can summoned a Normal Gem-Knight from my Deck. And I chose Gem-Knight Crystal!" The light faded to show Rarity's monster. (A2450/D1950/L7)
Sunburst looked over the two Goliaths he was facing. His only hope for beating them was to Ritual Summon. He looked through his hand, neither a Ritual Spell or a card to help him get one. He had to hope he'd draw one on his turn.
Over in the Forest Field, Flash was staring at his Raduel.
"Sunburst," he said, "be careful. Rarity might act like a girly girl, but she's no push over." Before he could say anything else, the screen changed while the alarm beeped, signalling his next opponent. "Alright, where are they?"
A childish giggle caught his attention, making him look to see his opponent hanging from a branch with her legs. "Hey!" Sonata said before swinging down off the tree and landing like a gymnast. Once on her feet, he bubbly personality was replaced by a serious one. "Flash Sentry, I challenge you!"
Flash raised an eyebrow. "Not like you had a choice anyway,"
"Whatever," Sonata pulled out her Duel Disk and connected it to her arm. "I will beat you and free Adagio from the Graveyard."
Flash smirked as he pulled out his Duel Disk and placed in on his arm. "Yeah, good luck with that." They activated their Duel Disks and drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Sonata: 4000
Over in their private room, Team Dominator was doing...something.
"Alright," Starlight said as she types away at her computer, "I'm in."
"Good," Tempest said while staring out the window. "Once you've located her, set up a gate in that field. If she responds, we'll begin the next step."
Heath, who had just taken off his headphones, turned to her. "So what makes this girl so special anyway?"
Tempest sighed. "Her connection to her deck is much stronger then anyone else I've seen using that type." She reached into her jacket before pulling something out. "If she's able to connect with them, then it's possible she could be the one worthy of her. And if that's true, then we'll soon have another ally."
Heath just huffed and put his headphones back on, while Starlight continued typing. "Alright, I've got her location. There's a secluded spot not to far from where she is. It should only take a few minutes to set up a gate."
"Good," Tempest replied.
"It's my turn," Sunburst reached for his deck. "I draw!" He looked at the card he'd drawn and thanked whatever god truly existed. "I'll start by setting my Pendulum Scale, with scale two Red Sun Magician and scale eight Pink Sun Magician!" The portals appeared besides him before the wizards flew up into them. Once there, the portal began to form above his head. "Burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory!" The portal opened, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A pair of fireballs shot out the portal and hit the ground, exploding to reveal Sunburst's monsters. "Sunburst Apprentice!" (A1500/D1300/L4) "And Burn Blader!" (A1800/D100/L4) "Then I'll use Red Sun's Pendulum Ability, to increase Apprentice's level by three!" The Pendulum Monster waved his staff and unleashed a trio of fireballs, which struck the wizard. (A1500/D1300/L7)
"An impressive move," Rarity said. "But all for nort if you don't have a Ritual Card."
"Who says I don't," Sunburst said while Pink Sun Magician waved her wand. "Pink Sun allows me to send a Ritual Card from my deck to my grave, then activate that card's effect." He drew the card from his deck and discarded it, a magical door appeared behind him.
"Sunburst Gate," Rarity realised as Sunburst Apprentice exploded into seven fireballs.
"Now all I have to do is sacrifice any Fire monsters whose Levels equal seven or more." The fireballs entered the holes surrounding the door, whilst Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "Courageous flames, that burns like the sun, give life to the warrior whose fiery heart cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The door opened, the fire shooting up and took form before fading. "Sunburst Knight!" (A2600/D1900/L7) "Then I'll use Sunburst Apprentice's ability, to return him to the field. The flames around his knight shot off him and took the form of Sunburst Apprentice, the three monsters ready for battle. "I'll then use his ability to increase Burn Blader's ATK points by five hundred. (A2300/D100/L4) "Before equipping him with Blazing Aura!" Burn Blader's flames increased in intensity, powering it up even more. (A3300/D100/L4)
Rarity frowned before she and her monsters rushed off, needing to get an Action Card.
"Sunburst Knight, attack Lapis Lazuli!" The knight rushed forwards, raising his sword as his power increased.(A3600/D1900/L7)
Meanwhile, Rarity spotted an Action Card up on a rock tower, so had Crystal pick her up before jumping into the air. Once at the apex of his jump, Rarity leapt off him to clear the a last few inches and grab the card. But when she looked at it, she saw it was an Action Trap.
Celestia: Rock Slide. To bad!
Rarity looked up at tower she'd just gotten this off of and saw it began to crumble, managing to quickly jump away from it as a few smaller rocks hit her.
Rarity: 3500 Sunburst: 3000
Seconds later, Sunburst Knight reached her monster and slashed it with his sword.
Rarity: 2300 Sunburst: 3000
"I activate my Trap!" Rarity cried as her face down flipped up. "Shattered Gem!" This card can only be used when a Gem-Knight Fusion monster is destroyed by battle. Now I can banish it and revive from my graveyard, the monsters listed as its Fusion Material." In a Flash of light, Gem-Knights Lapis and Crystal Rose appeared before taking defensive positions. (A1200/D100/L3) (A500/D500/L2)
Sunburst frowned. "Burn Blader, attack Crystal!" The suit of armour charged forwards, as Rarity looked around and spotted an Action Card that had been unearthed when the tower fell. If that one was a Trap, this one had to be a Spell.
She leapt at the card and grabbed it, seeing it was indeed a Spell. "I activate the Action Spell Rock Solid Defence. A card that switches my monster from ATK mode to DEF mode." Crystal switched battle positions seconds before Burn Blade hit it, destroying it but leaving Rarity safe.
"That's fine, because Burn Blader's ability will still deal you damage!" The suit of armour swung its blade and hit Rarity with a flaming slash.
Rarity: 1900 Sunburst: 3000
"And finally, Sunburst Apprentice will destroy your Rose!" The wizard shot a fireball that hit Rarity's monster, exploding as it made contact and incinerated it. "And with that, I'll place one card face down end my turn." Sunburst Knight and Burn Blader's ATK went down. (A2600/D1900/L7) (A2800/D100/L4)
As Rarity straightened herself up, she looked over at Sunburst and noticed something. Not once in this whole Duel had he smiled. "Are you alright darling?"
Sunburst looked confused by this. "I'm fine," he told her. "It's your turn."
"Alright," Rarity reached for her deck. "I draw. And I play Gem Sale. Now I can banish a Gem-Knight from my grave and draw cards equal to its Level." She removed Crystal, allowing her to draw seven cards as the portal opened above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out, hitting the ground and fading to reveal Sunburst's monsters. "Gem-Knight Tourmaline!" (A1600/D1800/L4) "And Gem-Knight Jade!" (A1800/D1100/L4/P4)
"Maybe not alone," Rarity said before Opal fired a beam of light that hit the sky. "But once I fuse Tourmaline and Lapis together, that'll be a different story." A vortex appeared above her head, which her monsters leapt into. "Stone warriors in armour of lightning and earth, come together as one!" The portal exploded in light. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Rarity's monster. "Gem-Knight Topaz." (A1800/D1800/L6) "And before you say he's not strong enough to beat your monsters, I'm activating Gem-Cat's Pendulum Ability." The ghostly form of Tourmaline appeared in front of Topaz. "By banishing one of the monsters used in his Fusion, I can increase his ATK by that monster's Level times one hundred. The spirit entered Topaz, making it glow. (A2200/D1800/L6)
"That's still not enough."
"It will be," Rarity activated a card in her hand. "once I pay five hundred points to play Mistmane's Flower of Everlasting Beauty!"
Rarity: 1400 Sunburst: 3000
Sunburst watched as black flowerpot appeared, the flower inside glowing as a portal opened. "Now I can revive one monster from my graveyard, so I'll revive my Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond!" A monster Sunburst had never seen leapt out of the portal, grabbing the plant pot in its hand. (A3400/D2000/L10)
"What?" Sunburst asked, "how'd that card get in your graveyard. He then noticed it was actually a Fusion Monster, making him realise it must have been the card she used to activate Lapis Lazuli's ability. "Not good."
"Now my Brilliant Diamond will activate her ability!" The Gem-Knight chest gem glowed before creating a bunch of small crystal, which flew over to Jade and flew around it. "By tributing a Gem-Knight, I can summon a Gem-Knight Fusion Monster from my extra deck."
"SERIOUSLY!?" Sunburst asked in horror, as Jade was replaced by another Gem-Knight.
"Behold, Gem-Knight Zirconia!" (A2900/D2500/L8)
Celestia: Incredible! Rarity managed to summon three fusion monsters in one turn!
Luna: Can Sunburst stand up to this?
"I now equip Topaz with Gem-Knight Sword, to increase his ATK power!" A gem encrusted sword appeared in Topaz's hand, which it swung around as its power increased. (A3200/D1800/L6) "Now I'll have him attack Sunburst Knight!" He rushed forwards, Gem-Knight Sword primed.
"I activate my Trap!" Sunburst's face down flipped up, "Draining Shield!" Said shield appeared in the monster's hand. "Not only will this stop your attack, it'll also increase my life points by Topaz's ATK!" The sword struck the shield, which drained the monsters power and channelled it into Sunburst.
Rarity: 1400 Sunburst: 6200
"Impressive," Rarity told him. "But Gem-Knight Topaz can attack twice." Topaz leapt away from Knight before jumping forwards and swinging the sword, getting passed the shield and destroying him.
Rarity: 1400 Sunburst: 5600
With one less monster on the field, Burn Blader's ATK went down. (A2300/D100/L4) "Now, Zirconia, attack Sunburst Apprentice!" The Gem-Knight rushed forward, while Sunburst ran off in search off an Action Card. But there was nothing in sight, meaning Sunburst was unable to protect his monster from Zirconia's attack.
Rarity: 1400 Sunburst: 4200
With no other monsters on the field, Burn Blader had nothing powering him up. (A1800/D100/L4) "Brilliant Diamond!" The final Gem-Knight rushed forwards and impaled Burn Blader with its rapier, destroying it.
Rarity: 1400 Sunburst: 2600
"Finally," Rarity said, "I activate the Spell card Gem Refraction. Now, by returning any number of Gem card from my field to the hand, I can deal you damage equal to their Levels times one hundred." Zirconia and Topaz both transformed into their respective gems, which flew above Sunburst before the sunlight flew into them. Doing so turned the light into a pair of lasers, which shot down on the teen like rain.
"Yahhhhh!!!!" He cried as he was struck.
Rarity: 1400 Sunburst: 1200
Once the attack was complete, the gems transformed into lights that flew into Rarity's deck before she threw down two face downs. "I end my turn." Rarity stared down at a panting Sunburst, stepping closer to him. "Now then, you gonna be a little more talkative and tell me what's wrong?"
Sunburst looked up at her, a frown still on his face, as he tried to pick himself up. "I told you, there's nothing wrong."
Rarity raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "is that so. So why haven't you smiled once since this Duel began? It's almost like you're not enjoying the game, which I find a little insulting."
"I don't have time to have fun," Sunburst told her as he went to his deck. "I have to win, no matter what. I owe my teammates to much not to."
"Oh?" Rarity asked, "do tell."
Sunburst sighed, knowing she wasn't gonna shut up until he told her. "They're the ones who believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. And even when I let them down, they stayed by my side. I refuse to let them down again."
"I see," Rarity said. "So you want to win, no matter what?" Sunburst nodded. "And why does that mean you can't enjoy yourself while you do that?" Sunburst raised an eyebrow. "This is a game, and the point of games is to enjoy them. If you're not having fun, why bother at all. The whole reason Flash and Spike Duel is because they enjoy it. You really think they'd be this driven to do it if it wasn't because they love this game so much."
Sunburst said nothing, cursing this girl and her logic.
"You must have felt the same way once," Rarity told him. "If you didn't, you never would have gotten into Duelling. So what was it that made you love this game enough to keep playing?"
Sunburst let what she said ring through his head. What did make him want to start Duelling as a kid and keep playing, even now?"
"Duelling?" A younger Sunburst asked.
"Yeah," the younger Starlight replied while holding up a pair of decks, "let's learn to play. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to summon super cool monsters? Come on," she start bouncing on her feet. "Let's play, let's play, let's play, let's play!"
Sunburst smiled at his friends enthusiasm before taking the deck, "alright." The two sat down and, after Sunburst quickly read over to rule book, began to play.
Since they were starting out, their decks were very simple and easy to use. Their monsters were all normal and their Spells and Traps had only one easy to understand effect. For an experienced Duellist, this would have been a very boring match.
But to these young kids, it was the most fun they'd ever had.
"I win!" Starlight eventually cheered, as she took down the rest of Sunburst's life points.
Sunburst smiled, happy his friend was having so much fun. He looked down at his cards and had to admit, this game was fun. And if Starlight enjoyed it so much, he wasn't against playing it again. He looked up at Starlight, "wanna play again?"
Starlight smiled hearing this and nodded.
"A friend," Sunburst said. "A friend is what got me into Duelling. We used to play all the time and seeing her enjoy it, made me really happy."
Rarity smiled, "and I'm sure they were happy because you enjoyed it. Do you think they'd be happy if they knew you weren't enjoying the game now?"
Sunburst through for a moment. He wasn't sure how the Starlight on Team Dominator would feel, but he knew the young Starlight he'd learned this game with wouldn't want him to not be happy. "I guess not."
Rarity nodded. "It's alright if you want to win, but there's no point it that if it doesn't make you happy."
Sunburst couldn't help but see the logic in this. Why was he doing this if he wasn't enjoying it? In fact, he hadn't really taken the time to enjoy any of the Duels he'd played since meeting Flash. "What am I doing?"
"That's a good question," Rarity told him. "Now darling, what are you gonna do? Will you give up, or are you gonna Duel for real and actually crack a smile?"
Sunburst knew the answer. He had sworn to his team that he wouldn't give up, so that just left one option. "I'll Duel. I'll win, and..." he smirked, "I'll enjoy every moment of it."
Rarity smiled back, "that the spirit."
Back in the Forest Field, Flash and Sonata's Duel continued. Flash Magna Wolf on his field along with Magna Boar and Solaris in his Pendulum Zones, While Sonata had Allegra and Vespers in her Pendulum Zone while having Nera and Medley on her field with a face down.
"It's my turn," Flash reached for his deck. "I draw!" The portal formed above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
It opened and a single light shot out, hitting the ground and taking shape before fading to reveal Flash's monster. "Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "And since he was Special Summoned, Flash Heart's skill will banish Ocean's Idol Nera to another dimension."
A portal appeared behind Nera before unleashing a sucking motion that dragged the mermaid out of play. "Now Medley is all on her own and open to an attack!" Flash Heart's engines ignited and rocketed it across the field, allowing it sucker punch Sonata's mermaid into destruction.
Flash: 3100 Sonata: 2700
"And now Magna Wolf will attack you directly!" His monster ran towards her. "And with six cards removed from play, his attack goes up by six hundred points!" (A2100/D1200/L4)
"I play my face down," Sonata's card flipped up. "Idol's Comeback! By paying five hundred life points, I can summoned an Ocean's Idol from my Extra Deck."
Flash: 3100 Sonata: 2200
A portal opened up before Medley swam out of it, just in time to intercept Magna Wolf's attack. It bite down into her and destroyed her.
Flash: 3100 Sonata: 2100
Flash sighed before place a card face down, "I end my turn."
Sonata reached for her deck. "Don't worry Adagio. I'll get you out of the Graveyard. Nothing's gonna stop me." She drew her card. "After everything she went through to save us, it's only right I do everything to save her now."
"I...DRAW!" Sunburst looked at the card he'd gotten and smiled, which in turn made Rarity smile. "I play Eruption Reload. Now I can banish the Level four Burn Blader in my grave in order to draw four cards." He did so, looking at the cards he'd gotten and smiling as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out of it and hit the ground, exploding to reveal his monsters. "Sunburst Familiar!" (A1200/D1000/L3) "And Sunburst Guardian!" (A1400/D1800/L4).
"Impressive," Rarity told him, "but you activated my Trap!" Her card flipped over. "Gem Radiance. This card activates whenever you Special Summon. Now I can destroy one Spell or Trap on your field, for every monster you summoned." The Trap unleashed a pair of light spheres, each one hitting Sunburst's Pendulum Monsters and destroying them before flying back towards Rarity. "Plus, it gives my Life Points a five hundred point boost for each card destroyed." They flew around her, causing her to glow.
Rarity: 2400 Sunburst: 1200
"Now what darling?" She asked. "Without your Pendulum Monsters, you can't Ritual Summon."
Sunburst just smirked, "maybe not." He threw down another monster, "but I've still got this guy." And burst of fire revealed Sunburst's Blaze Wizard. (A1200/D1100/L3) "And since he was Normal Summoned, I can add a Ritual Card from my deck to my hand." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which he took and activated straight away. "Now I play, Sunburst Altar!" The table, candles and basin appeared on the field before him.
Rarity looked concerned by this. "What'll he summon?" What card could beat her monster?
"Now I sacrifice Blaze Wizard and Sunburst Familiar!" The two leapt above the table before exploding into six fireballs, which then lit the candles. "Honourable inferno, that burns like the sun, give life to the archer whose quick fire aim is always true!" The fire on the candles shot up before flying into the basin, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and took form before fading to reveal Sunburst's monster. It was similar to the other Sunburst monsters, only this one was wearing a red hooded cloak that hid his face. He seemed to be wearing light armour under the cloak, and was carrying a bow in its hand. [AN] "Sunburst Ranger!" (A2300/D1500/L6)
Celestia: Sunburst is putting everything on this monster. Will it be enough to take down Rarity's Gem-Knight Lady?
"I activate Ranger's special ability," Sunburst exclaimed as Sunburst Guardian burst into flames and flew into the monster's bow. "By tributing a Fire monster on my field, I can destroy one card on your side of the field."
Rarity smirked. "An excellent move, but one that's for nort I'm afraid. You see, since Brilliant Diamond is holding Mistmane's Flower, she's immune to all card effects." But her smirk disappeared when she noticed one appear on Sunburst's lips.
"True," he said before pointing at Rarity's field, "that's why I'm aiming for...that very flower." Rarity's eyes went wide hearing this. If the flower goes. Ranger pulled back on the bow while aiming at the flower before firing, an arrow made of pure fire shooting out of the bow and hitting the Equip Spell.
Rarity watched as her card went up in flames, turning to dust that fell to the floor. Seconds later, cracks began to appear on Brilliant Diamond before the Fusion Monster eventually shattered and left her field completely empty. "Oh no."
"There's more," Sunburst told her. "Whenever Ranger destroys a card in this manor, he gains an extra three hundred ATK points." Sunburst Ranger's body was surrounded by a fiery aura, as he aimed his weapon at her. (A2600/D1500/L6) "Let's finish this," Sunburst cried as Rarity started running off to find an Action Card. "Sunburst Ranger, ATTACK!"
The Ritual Monster launched another fire arrow at Rarity, who was still in search of an Action Card, quickly closing the gap between the two of them. Rarity, unable to find a card, stopped running and spun around with a smile on her face. "As many of my friends would say," she held her arms out. "Bring...it...ON!" The arrow struck at her feet and exploded, covering her in fire that made her yell out as her Life Points were burned away.
Rarity: 0 Sunburst: 1200 (Winner)
As the holograms faded, Sunburst walked over to Rarity. Despite having been burned alive, the girl seem quite chipper. "Thank you."
Rarity smiled, "think nothing of it deary. Just be glad it was me you were Duelling. If Pinkie came across you in this state, who knows what she'd do to cheer you up." Her face suddenly showed a look a remembrance. "In fact, something like this happened between Flash and her a long time ago. Back then, he didn't know how to enjoy a Duel either."
"Really?" Sunburst asked before Rarity sank into the ground.
"Good luck," she called out to him. "And remember, winning shouldn't mean you have to not enjoy it." With that, she was gone.
Sunburst sighed, a weight he didn't know he was carry seeming to lift off of him. Rarity was right, he didn't want to win if he couldn't enjoy himself while doing so. And Flash and Spike wouldn't want that either. His memory flashed back to a young Starlight. "If we face off against each other, I want us to enjoy that Duel as well."
Back with Flash and Sonata's Duel, it was currently his turn and he had Flash Heart Dragon X, Magna Wolf and Lightspeed Dragon on the field. Sonata's field was empty, though her Pendulum Cards remained the same.
"I place one card face down and end my turn," he announced. Alright, he now had his Defence Draw so even if she managed to get in a strong attack, he'd be able to negate it.
"It's my turn," Sonata reached for her deck. "I draw!" She looked at the card she'd drawn and smiled. "Now I'll cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal opened above her head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before five lights shot out, hitting the ground and taking shape before fading to reveal her monsters.
"Ocean's Idol Nera!" (A1400/D1300/L4/P8)
"Ocean's Idol Rhapsody!" (A2300/D1900/L6/P2)
"Ocean's Idol Medley!" (A2000/D2000/L5/P1)
"Ocean's Idol Cabaletta!" (A2000/D100/L4/P2)
The last monster was a blue tailed mermaid with hair that had two colours of blue in it. She was wearing a pink dress and had a blue microphone headset. "And Ocean's Idol Sonatina!" (A2400/D2100/L7) "Now I'm using Sonatina's ability!" All the mermaids except Sonatina transformed into lights before flying towards Sonata, the girl catching them as they returned to being cards. "Since I returned four cards to my hand, I can now return four cards on your field to your hand."
"Wait, WHAT!?" Flash asked before looking at his field, his monsters and his face down transformed into lights before flying into his hand. Now he was completely defenceless.
"Sonatina," Sonata announced, "attack!" The mermaid began to sing, creating soundwaves that flew across the field before hitting Flash.
"This can't be happening!" Flash yelled as he was sent flying backwards.
Flash: 0 Sonata: 700 (Winner)
"Yay!" Sonata cheered as she jumped up and down on the spot. Flash meanwhile, fell to his knees in total disbelief.
"I lost...to her?" He sighed while looking down, only to look back up once he heard what Sonata said next.
"Adagio! You're free. You can continue on with Mr Steel's mission!"
"What?" Flash asked as he picked himself up, "what are you talking about? What mission?"
Sonata suddenly froze, as if only this minute remembering Flash was there with her. She slowly spun around, laughing nervously as she did. "You...didn't hear anything," she waved her hands in front of Flash's face. The teen just crossed his arms while raising his eyebrow.
"Spill it." But before Sonata could crack, the ground beneath him retracted. "Wait!" It was too late. He was already gone, "what's going on?"
Down below in the Graveyard, Adagio was talking to someone. "Thank you," she told her. "That's very helpful." She stepped away from her and up to another she had been looking for. "Excuse me," the teen turned to her. "You're the one who Duelled against Tempest Shadow."
"Yeah," he replied, "that's me."
Adagio crossed her arms, "what can you tell me about her? Do you have any tips about her style of Duelling?" But before the teen could reply, another voice caught her attention.
"Adagio," she spun around to see Flash staring at her.
This made her smirk. "Well, well, well. The great and powerful Flash Sentry was defeated."
"You can congratulate you sister for getting the honour," Flash said with a frown.
"So Aria managed to beat you. Didn't think she had it in her."
"Actually," Flash scratched the back of his head, "it was Sonata."
This made Adagio laugh, "seriously? You lost to that airhead. Oh how the mighty have fallen."
Flash rolled his eyes, "listen. After the Duel, she said something about Cold Steel and a mission." A look of panic flashed across her eyes. "What's going on?"
"Mental note," Adagio said, "smack Sonata upside the head next time I see her."
"Tell me!" Flash almost yelled, Adagio looking even more worried.
"Adagio Dazzle, please return to the field!"
Flash looked back to Adagio. "Well this was fun," she said in a hurry while rushing off. "We should get together like this more often. I'll have my people call your people. Bye." With that, the zoomed off to the nearest exit and left a nearly speechless Flash standing there.
"Cold," he finally said, "what are you up to this time?"
Celestia: And another team goes through the next round. That leaves only seven slots left.
Luna: Which of the remaining teams will be able to overcome the staking odds and win their place?
Up in the VIP box, Cold Steel, Shining, Cadance, Flurry, Grand and the Crusaders continued to watch. "Oh man!" Scootaloo moaned, "what's going on? Why haven't any of our friend's teams gotten through?"
"Mostly bad luck," Cadance told her. "Whenever they get close to the next round, one of them comes up against a Duellist with a strategy that overcomes theirs."
Shining agreed. "Not to mention, many of them are well known Duellists. So their opponents have a basic idea of what to expect going up against them."
"I guess," Scootaloo said. "But still, you'd think that one of them would have gotten through by now."
"Don't worry Scoot," Applebloom told her. "They'll get through. Besides, it'd more entertaining for them to be one of the last to get through. That'd make them look like the underdogs, making it better when they win the whole thing."
"And we'll be cheering them one all the way," Sweetie agreed.
Scootaloo couldn't help but smile at this thought. "Yeah, you're right." She started punching her fists into the air, "come on guys!" The other two did the same, Flurry mimicking their movements while giggling.
Almost everyone laughed at the baby's actions, even Cold managing to crack a smile. That smile disappeared when he heard his phone go off, quickly getting it out and seeing who was calling. "Excuse me," he got up and headed outside.
Shining followed him with a raised eyebrow, Cadance noticing her husband's action. "Everything okay?"
"I'm...not sure," he replied. "Cold's been acting funny lately."
"Funny how?" Grand asked.
"Secret phone calls, going off to meetings that aren't on any schedule and I once caught the Dazzlings coming out of his office. At first I thought it was just stress from the Double X, but when I saw those girls I knew it was something more."
Grand hummed at this, turning to where Cold had left.
Out in the hallway, Cold answered his phone. "What's up."
"Trouble," Adagio's voice replied. "It's Sentry. He knows something's up."
Cold sighed. More then anyone, Flash couldn't know what was going on. "How?"
"I told you telling my sisters what we were doing was a mistake. You should have just let me handle it on my own."
"Don't rub it in," Cold said. "Alright, just try and keep your distance from him until I can figure out what to tell him."
"Got it. I'll-oh! Sorry, gotta run, My next opponent is here." With that, the call ended and Cold sighed once again.
"Sorry guys!" Flash bowed to Spike and Sunburst, the three of them being in the Meadow Field.
"It's fine," Sunburst told him. "Spike managed to win his Duel right away, so it's not like you were in there long."
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "even you have to lose every once in a while. Just try not to lose twice in a row."
"No problem," Flash said. "I'll make up for all the points I lost, with interest." They both nodded before hearing Celestia's voice ring out through the stadium.
Celestia: And with Big Mac's win, Team Applejewel is through to the second round.
The boys were amazed by this. So one of their friend's teams managed to make it through.
Luna: With that, only six spaces remain.
"No more hanging around," Spike said before rushing off. "Let's get out there."
"Right," Sunburst agreed before doing the same.
That left Flash on his own, as he looked down at his Raduel. Even if he wanted to focus on his next Duel, he couldn't stop thinking about what Sonata had said and his talk with Adagio. He had heard her ask about Tempest, but what did she and Cold want to know about her for?
Over in the Canyon Field, Marble Pie was currently Duelling against Fuschia Blush of Team Illusions. Fuschia's only monster was a woman themed after a Lion Tamer, with a purple and pink lion standing next to her. Marble's field was empty, all her monsters having been destroyed by Fuschia.
"I'll throw down a face down and end my turn," Fuschia told her.
"Then it's my turn," Marble drew her card. "I now banish Gaia-Knight Coal and Gaia-Knight Crystal Guardian!" Her knight appeared out of the ground before it was encased in rock, "in order to summon Gaia-Knight Diamond!" The moon shattered, revealing her monster. (A2800/D2600/L8) "I'll now banish Gaia-Knight Sapphire from the Graveyard, in order to give Diamond his ability."
Fuschia gasped. "That means my Trap is useless!"
"And with eight cards removed from play, my Gaia-Knight gains eight hundred ATK points." Diamond glowed as its power increased. (A3600/D2600/L8) "Now attack Fuschia Lion Tamer!" The knight rushed forwards and slashed through the lion and its tamer, destroying them both and wiping out Fuschia's Life Points.
Fuschia: 0 Marble: 2900 (Winner)
"No!" Fuschia yelled before she was pulled underground, "I'm sorry Trixie!" Once she was gone, Marble sighed in relief. Despite Duelling usually helping her keep her nerves, being around this many new people was proving strenuous.
Hopefully, their team would get through soon and she'd get a break from the tournament for some alone time.
In that moment, a gust of wind seemed to blow passed her. As it did, Marble couldn't help but hear something. A voice, being carried on the wind. "What?" She asked. Before she knew what she was doing, her body began to move on its own in the direction the wind was blowing from. She didn't know why, but she felt drawn to the voice. And as she got closer, the voice became less faint.
She eventually followed the voice to a giant rock that was as big as a building. The spot she had been lead to had a small cave, where the wind was flowing out of. The voice was clearer then ever and Marble was completely hypnotised by it, stepping into the dark cave without a second thought. She continued through it until, finally, she came to a dead end.
But this was no ordinary dead end. In front of the wall was a large red circle, glowing in the air with a surface that seemed to ripple like water.
"What is this?" She asked. The voice spoke again, telling her to touch it. She was hesitant at first, but the voice's insistence eventually peer pressured her into reach up and moving her hand toward it. And the moment a single finger touched it, the circle unleashed a brilliant burst of light that filled the entire cave. "AAAAAHHHHH!"
Tempest smiled as she sensed it, opening her eyes. "Finally," she turned back to Starlight. "Time for the next stage."
"Already on it," Starlight replied while typing away at her computer. "Once the program is launched, you'll have twenty minutes before the system reboots."
"More then enough time," Tempest walked towards the door.
"I don't care about whatever it is you have to do," Heath said while staring at the ceiling. "Just don't ruin the Double X entirely. I haven't had one moment of fun yet."
Tempest chuckled. "No problem." With that, she stepped outside while Starlight finished the program.
"Here goes," she said before hitting the enter key. Seconds later, the entire stadium blacked out while the cameras showing the Duels went offline.
Down on the field, everything came to a stand still as everything was enveloped by darkness. Seconds later, the lights came back on but were much dimmer then before.
"What the?" Rainbow asked as he tried to switch on her Raduel, but the holographic screen showed nothing but static.
Celestia: What's going on?
Luna: We appear to be having some technical difficulties. We apologies for the inconvenience and promise that our best workers are seeing to it right now.
"What's happening?" Cold asked after getting in touch with one of his maintenance staff."
"We're unsure sir. We think it's some kind of foreign program that found its way into our servers. The lights, cameras and Raduel system are completely offline. We're trying everything we can to get them back online, but it'll take time. Luckily, the emergency power kicked in so we're not in total darkness."
Cold sighed before hanging up, then turned to head out the door. Shining saw this and frowned, "where you going?"
"I'm gonna go oversee the repairs. The rest of you stay here and call me if anything happens." With that, he rushed out the door while leaving the others very confused and suspicious.
Outside, Cold rushed over to the nearest exit out onto the field. He couldn't be sure, but he was assuming that they were making their move. He had to find out for sure. If he remembered correctly, the field exit closest to Team Dominator's room lead out onto the Meadow Field.
Celestia: Due to the blackout, the organisers have decided to suspend the competition.
Luna: Until this problem is solved, all Duels are suspended and competitors are to remain where they are.
Flash sighed. So much for making up the lost points.
The sound of footsteps then caught his attention, making him turn in that direction. This would probably be the opponent he was facing once the lights came on. But Flash was in for quite a shock when he saw who it was that stepped over a nearby hill. "Tempest?"
Tempest Shadow froze when she saw him. "Oh, hello again."
"What are you doing out here? Didn't your team already make it to the next round."
"Yes," she replied nervously, "we did make it through to the next round. But," she looked around nervously, "this place has so many amazing features that I didn't get to enjoy before. I thought I might check it out while the lights were off."
"Right," Flash wasn't convinced.
"What about you?" Tempest asked, "enjoying yourself? And how's the first stage."
"Well," Flash then smiled, "it's going great. Even though we didn't manage to get through on the first day like you, we'll get there."
Tempest smiled and nodded, only to look down at her watch when Flash looked away. "Well," she said, "I'd better be off before someone catches me."
"Too late." The two spun around to see someone walking up to them, their face obscured by the light their phone was producing.
Flash looked surprised by this, while Tempest gave an almost angry look. Eventually, the figure got close enough that Flash was able to make out his face through the light. "Cold?"
"Flash?" Cold raised his eyebrow as he stepped forwards, then turned to Tempest. "What are you doing out here?"
Tempest quickly put on a smirking face, "I could ask the same about you."
"I'm surveying the area to try and determine the cause of this blackout," Cold replied.
"The head man himself getting involved," Tempest joked. "This must be serious."
Cold just frowned. "We've asked teams that have already made it through to the next stage not to enter the field."
"Sorry," Tempest said, "just curious about this place."
"Curiosity killed the cat," Cold told him. "If I wanted to, I could have your team be disqualified for breaking the rules." This caught Tempest's attention, making her frown. Flash meanwhile, jumped between them.
"Wait! If she's disqualified, I won't get to have a rematch with her."
Cold turned to him in surprise. "Rematch. What rematch. You two didn't Duel on the first day."
"No," Flash replied, "we Duelled before that. A little while before the Double X even started."
Cold took this in and turned to stare at Tempest judgingly. 'So, she's not just targeting the Double X. She specifically approached Flash.' "Well, I might be inclined to forget about this little incident." He then pulled out his Duel Disk, "with the right persuasion of course."
Tempest raised an eyebrow, "you want to Duel me?"
"Why not," Cold attached the device to his arm. "The ability you showed on the first day was impressive. I'd love to be able to see if for myself."
Tempest hummed for a moment before eventually nodding. "Alright," she pulled out her Duel Disk and put it on her arm, "you're on. I was just starting to get bored anyway."
Cold nodded. "With the lights off, an Action Duel will be dangerous. Let's stick to the standard format."
"Very well." They activated their Duel Disks and drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Cold: 4000 Tempest: 4000
Flash just stood there, having no idea what was happening. Why did Cold want to Duel Tempest so bad? Did it have something to do with what Adagio was looking into. What was going on?
"I'll take the first move," Cold drew his card. "I'll start by summoning Frozen Heart Lancer in ATK mode." The ice armoured knight appeared before him, swinging its lance around. (A1800/D1300/L4) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn," Tempest drew her card. "And I activate the Spell card Cost Down. Now, by ditching one card from my hand, the Levels of every monster in my hand is reduced by two." A pillar of light appeared besides her. "And since the card I ditched was Spine-Hog Dominator, his ability allows me to place him in any Pendulum Zone." The hedgehog creature appeared inside the pillar. "Now I summon Storm Guard Dominator War-Hammer!" A bolt of light flew down and struck the ground, causing a bright flash of light which forced Cold and Flash to look away. When the light faded, they looked back and saw the armoured ape monster carrying a large hammer. (A2000/D1800/L5)
"So this is Tempest Shadow's Dominator," Cold said.
"I'll then activate the Spell Card, Obsidian Orb!" Flash eyes went wide hearing this, looking up to see the black orb appear in her monster's hand before it tossed it at Cold's monster. It hit the ground below Lancer's feet and shattered, releasing a green mist that covered the ice knight. "Dominate!"
"Not good," Flash said as the mist faded to reveal Lancer had been transformed into a statue.
Cold frowned. "Dominate. Ruthless."
"Thank you," Tempest said. "Now your monster can't wage an attack, switch its battle positions, activate any effect or be tributed. Basically, it's just a glorified paperweight." She then smirked, "and it won't even be that for much longer. I activate War-Hammer's ability!" The ape leapt as the fossilised monster while raising its hammer above its head, then swung it down at Lancer and shattered it.
Cold groaned as small pieces of his monster flew at him. He raised his arms to protect himself, as the rocks struck him.
Cold: 3500 Tempest: 4000
"Like it?" Tempest asked. "In place of attacking this turn, War-Hammer's ability lets him destroy one Dominated monster on the field and deal you five hundred points of damage."
"Impressive," Cold replied. "You dealt me more damage then I would have taken if you attacked and bypassed my possible Trap. You've got some skills."
"High praise coming from you," Tempest placed one card face down. "I end my turn." As Cold reached for his deck, Tempest began speaking. "I must admit, I'm enjoying this little tournament of yours." This caught Flash and Cold's attention. "So many interesting opponents to face off against. I can't wait until the next round." She turned to Flash, "don't you agree Flash?"
"Err...yeah," Flash agreed, "I guess."
Cold frowned as he drew his card "Since you have a monster on your field and I don't, I can summon Frozen Heart Knight to my field." The sword wielding version of Lancer appeared. (A1700/D1500/L4) "I then summon Frozen Heart Gardna, in DEF mode!" Another ice knight, this one carrying a large shield, appeared on the field. "I'll now use these two monsters to build the Overlay Network!" Knight and Gardna shot into the air before a black hole appeared on the field, the two transforming into lights that flew into it. "Ice is an element that symbolises both strength and fragility. And when two pieces of ice meet. they freeze together to make and even stronger piece." The black hole exploded "I XYZ SUMMON."
The light faded, revealing Cold's monster. "Frozen Heart Lord of the Hook." (A2400/D1200/R4)
As the monster landed next to Cold, Flash turned to Tempest. "I feel the same." The two looked towards him. "There are so many opportunities here, and everyone Duels so passionately." He remembered all the Duels he'd had in the tournament. How each one was so different, but so much fun. "Duel Monsters really is an awesome game. And I wanna get better at it.
"That's exactly why we're here," Cold said. "Why we do it." He placed a card into his Duel Disk, "to help connect the world through Duelling! Go, Freeze Cannon!" Lord of the Hook's right arm was replaced by a robotic arm with a gun barrel on the end of it. "We want to support everyone's desire to become stronger, and create a world where people can enjoy Duelling. That is my, no...our mission."
"Cold," Flash couldn't help but smile.
The man smiled back before refocusing on the Duel. "Lord of the Hook now attacks War-Hammer!"
Tempest watched as the Xyz Monster aimed its weapon at hers and fired several snowballs, which hit War-Hammer and froze it on impact. (A1000/1800/L5) "What?"
"When a monster equipped with Freeze Cannon attacks, the monster its attacking loses two hundred ATK points for each Level star it has." Lord of the Hook began swinging its weapon around on its chain. "I will not tolerate anyone who gets in the way of fulfilling our mission." It then threw it at War-Hammer, impaling it before pulling it up into the air. "Whoever it might be!" Once high enough, the Lord pulled it down towards the ground and it exploded upon impact.
Cold: 3500 Tempest: 2600
"You activated my Trap!" Her card flipped up, "Dominator Spark." Since a monster on my field was destroyed, I can add a Dominator from my deck to my hand." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which she took and added to her hand.
"I end my turn."
As Tempest reached for her deck, she turned back to Flash. "I understand where you're coming from, since I'm also a challenger. Challenging this world of yours." The two weren't sure what she meant by that, but didn't have time to ask as Tempest drew her card. "I'm setting scale eight Tempest Unicorn Dominator, into the Pendulum Scale." The second pillar of light appeared besides her, as the horned horse flew up into it. "I want to grab hold of my own future, and grow from there." The portal began to form above her. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory." The portal opened above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A pair of lights shot out of the portal and struck the ground, taking shape before revealing her monsters.
"In order to do that, I'm always on the look out for friends who will stand besides me." Her ace reached into her cloak and pulled out an Obsidian Orb. "Scarvolt's skill. Dominate!" Scarvolt tossed it at Lord of the Hook, the gas exploding around it and turning the Xyz Monster to stone. "But to be honest with you, I'm not feeling to hopeful. The skill level at this tournament isn't as elite as I had hoped."
Cold frowned at this, feeling slightly insulted.
"It's proof that there aren't many Duellists here that we feel comfortable enough, to entrust our future to." Tempest's mind flashed back to all the Duellists stuck in the Graveyard, having lost their Duels so easily. "I was daydreaming when I thought this world would be filled with strong opponents to face. I want to face off against Duellists with enough power to force me into giving it my all, but so far I have found nothing!"
Cold tist at this, "sorry to disappoint you."
Tempest frowned before pointing at Cold's Xyz monster. "Scarvolt will now attack you Lord of the Hook." Her monster pulled out its broken sword and charged it with energy. "Tempest Unicorn's Pendulum Ability now increases every Dominator's ATK points by two hundred for every Dominated monster on the field, times two hundred." (A2700/D2000/L7/P4) (A2000/D800/L4) "And since she was special summoned, Scarvolt can attack once for every Dominated monster on the field. Though any monster she attacks isn't destroyed and you only take half the damage." Scarvolt held up her broken sword and used her lightning to extend it, then leapt at Lord of the Hook and slashed it.
Cold: 3350 Tempest: 2600
"There seem to be a few competitors who have made their way through the tournament...more by luck, then any great skill on their part."
"That's true," Flash agreed.
"Luck can only get you so far," Cold told them. "If you want to win, you need to prove your skills."
Tempest smiled. "I'm pleased to hear that." She pointed at him, "my Spear Dominator will now attack!" The ape leapt into the air. "And since the only monsters on your field are ones that have been Dominated, I can half his ATK and let him attack you directly." It's body surged with electricity. (A1000/D800/L4) That electrical power flowed into its spear, which it then tossed towards Cold. The spear landed in front of the man before discharging the lightning, zapping him.
Cold grunted in pain as he was electrocuted.
Cold: 2350 Tempest: 2600
Tempest smiled at this, "I place one card face down and end my turn." Scarvolt and Spear's ATK returned to normal. (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) (A1800/D800/L4)
Flash looked over the field. The Duel had been pretty close up to this point. But how would Cold handle the Dominate?
"It's my turn," Cold drew his card. "I activate the spell card Ice Sculpture Carving. This card lets me return one Frozen Heart monster from my field to the deck and draw cards equal to its Level or Rank." Lord of the Hook glowed before transforming into a light that flew back into Cold's deck.
Flash smirked as he watched Cold draw his cards. He got around the Dominate and drew more cards as a result.
"Now I'll set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Måne of the Frozen Moon and scale nine Frozen Heart Angel!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the monsters flew up into them, the portal forming between them as Cold called out. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and four lights shot out, hitting the ground. They took shape before fading to reveal Cold's monsters.
The first was a blue skinned woman with white hair, wearing a flowing white kimono. She as also floating, her kimono's length making it impossible to see her hands and feet. "Frozen Heart Yuki-Onna!" (A1800/D0/L4/P10
"Frozen Heart Statue Norr!" (A200/D200/L2)
"Frozen Heart Golem!" (A2800/D1800/L7)
"And Frozen Heart Dragon!" (A3000/D2500/L8/P5)
"Impressive," Tempest said while not even looking the least bit worried about facing off against the army of monsters.
"I sacrifice Yuki-Onna and Nor in order to activate Frozen Heart Dragon's effect!" The giant ice dragon reached down and grabbed hold of the two monsters, raising them up as they became covered in ice before crushing them into nothing. "Now my dragon's ATK points will double until the End Phase." (A6000/D2500/L8/P5) "Attack!" Frozen Heart Dragon brought its claws together, as mist formed between them, before thrusting them forwards and unleashing a burst of cold air across the field towards Scarvolt.
"I activate my Trap," Tempest cried as her card flipped up. "Defence Draw!" A bubble appeared around her as Scarvolt was covered it ice, which quickly shattered with the pieces bouncing off her shield. "Still," she turned to Flash, "it's not as if there aren't options that allow me to sense what's possible for the future."
Flash just stared at her, not sure what she meant by that.
"Now, Frozen Heart Golem!" Cold announced, "attack Storm Guard Dominator Spear!" The ice giant charged forwards, raising its fist in preparation of attack. Tempest did nothing, instead she kept staring at Flash.
"I've been watching you Duel," she smirked. "You've improved a lot since we faced off last."
"Oh," Flash replied, "thanks I guess."
Golem's attack landed, crushing Tempest's monster into the ground and destroying it.
Cold: 2350 Tempest: 1600
Despite the heavy loss, she smiled at Flash. "You've changed for the better."
Flash also stared at her. "You and me, we have a lot in common. There's a passion deep inside that brings me here. Every person here is pursuing their dream with everything they've got. So I can't afford to take it easy." He raised his hand and squeezed it into a fist. "I intend to grab hold of the future. Me and my friends together."
As he said this, Cold stared at him and saw the determination in his eyes. That look, was what made Cold believe he was right in his goal. And he wouldn't let anyone stand in the way of it. "I end my turn." Frozen Heart Dragon's ATK points returned to normal. (A3000/D2500/L8/P5)
Tempest drew her card, still looking at Flash. "I'm glad you're taking part in the Double X. We need more players like you. I encourage you to keep going along that path. Believe in yourself." Flash nodded, as the portal began to form above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out of it, hitting the ground and taking shape before fading to reveal her ace. "Tempest Rogue Dominator Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Once your skills have improved to a suitable level, we'll see how you fair in battle against us." Flash and Cold raised an eyebrow, wondering what she meant when she said us. Was she referring to her monsters?
"I'll catch up to your level," Flash told her. "Just you wait."
"Good," she turned back to Cold and held up the card she'd drawn. "Good. Then let me give you a glimpse of what you'll be up against when that time comes!" Before she could do anything, the lights suddenly switched back on.
Celestia: Finally. It seems the bothans finally managed to get the lights back on.
Luna: We apologies for this inconvenience and will make sure it doesn't happen again.
Tempest sighed, "it looks like we'll have to stop." She deactivated her Duel Disk, causing the holograms to disappear. "Too bad. I was just starting to have fun."
Cold just smirked. "Yeah. Well, we'd better be getting back."
Tempest nodded before turning to Flash, "I wish you luck in your future Duels. Hopefully, you can get through to the next round and we'll be able to face off against one another."
"Yeah," Flash agreed, "same here." With that, Tempest walked off. Once she was out of sight, Flash turned to Cold. "Alright, what's going on? Why are you so focused on Tempest?" Cold just hummed while looking away, "come on. Out with it. Is she the one Adagio and her sisters are investigating?"
Cold sighed before turning back to him. "Look, we don't have proof of anything...yet. It's still vague and we're not at the stage where I can discuss details."
"But you do suspect that something's up," Flash probed. "Why not tell me?"
"After everything you were put through before, I didn't feel it was right to burden you or your friends. You should be busy focusing your energy on the Double X. I didn't want to distract you from that, when we only have suspicions." He looked up into the sky. "We've finally gotten back to a place where Duelling is something we can enjoy. If anything were to happen..."
Flash looked away, "so you intend to handle the situation on your own?"
"I'm sorry," Cold replied.
Flash just sighed, "there's no point in apologising now." He turned back to him, "so?"
"I really can't go into it here," Cold explained. "Besides, I have a tournament to run." He smiled at the teen. "Once the first round is over, we'll find time to talk about it."
Flash gave him a suspicious look, but sighed and nodded. "Alright." He turned away, "I'd better hurry up and win some matches."
"There aren't that many slots left in the next round you know," Cold said as Flash walked off.
He looked over his shoulder and smiled at Cold, "I got it. Don't worry." With that, he rushed off to find his next opponent.
Back with Tempest, she finally reached the Canyon Field and spotted the spot she had to be in. "Alright," she said into her phone, "I'm there."
"I've got the camera's on a loop," Starlight said. "But it won't be long until they notice this. You've got ten minutes at best."
Tempest smiled, "that's plenty of time." She rushed into the cave, running down the tunnel before stopping in front of the red circle. She reached out her hand and touched it, causing the tunnel to be filled with light. Once the light receded, Tempest found she was now standing in a circular room made of white stone. And she was not alone.
She stepped further inside, catching the attention of her roommate.
Marble spun around with a cry, seeing she was no longer alone in the room. She hid her face behind her hair, as she sniffed. "Please, help me. I-I-I've been trapped in here." Tempest said nothing. "Please, what's going on? I-I heard a voice calling out to me, but all I found was this funny circle and...and now I'm in here. Please let me out."
Tempest continued to remain quiet, instead reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out four Duel Cards. She flipped through them before pulling one out and then tossing it to Marble, the girl crying out as she managed to catch it in her hand.
Marble looked down at the card and gasped seeing what it was. "But t-t-this is."
"Can you hear it?" Marble looked up at Tempest, seeing the teen woman pull off the glove on her right hand. In doing so, she reveal a glowing purple circle on the back of it, that had a series of white shapes that made a mark she recognised. The symbol for the Dark Attribute. "The voice of the one whose soul is bound to yours." Before Marble could ask what she was talking about, a blinding light filled the room.
Marble covered her eyes until the light faded, allowing her to open them and find she was now standing in space. "W-what's going on?" She looked around until she spotted Tempest, standing in front of a planet.
"Now come," she said. "One who is guided by our lord." She pointed at Marble, "accept this vessel and link thy souls!"
Marble was about to ask what she was talking about, only for a light to catch her attention. She looked down at the source, the card, as it flew out of her hand and floated in front of her before the light completely enveloped it. Before she could ask what was happening, Tempest called out a single word. "SOULINK!"
The light shot out and hit Marble.
She screamed as the sensation of being ripped in half flew through her body. She shut her eyes to try and block out the pain, which finally vanished after a few seconds. She opened her eyes, only to gasp as she saw what was going on. She was floating behind her body, now looking like a ghost that moving further and further away from it. The only thing connecting her to her body, was a single thin string like light.
"What's happening?" She asked before she felt herself float into something behind her, looking around to see it was a stone tablet with the design of a Duel Card etched into it. Before she could ask, golden chains flew out from behind it and wrapped around her body. Once everything but her head was tied to the tablet, she looked back to where her body was standing limply.
Seconds later, the card floated up besides her before a new light came out of it. This one was a brownish orange, which took the shape of a sphere before a single stream of light slithered out of it and touched the back of her body.
In another flash of light, the two were back in the circular room.
Marble fell onto her hands and knees, while Tempest put her glove back on. She looked down at the girl, waiting for a response. She looked down at Marble's right hand and noticed something slowly appearing on it. It was a circle and mark similar to hers, only the circle glowed orange and the white marks made a different shape. It was the symbol for the Earth Attribute. "Well? You in there?"
Seconds passed with no answer, until the silence was finally broken by a chuckle. "Yes," Marble said as she started to pick herself up. Once on her feet she looked up at Tempest while pushing her hair away from her face, a sinister smile now etched onto her face. "Now the fun can begin."
The Double X's third day was quickly drawing to a close. As more and more time ticked away, more and more teams manged to make it through to the next round.
Celestia: Team Muffins have just made it through to the second round. That means there are only three slots remaining.
Over in the Extra Deck, Pinkie and Maud were staring up at the screen as Celestia announced this. "Awe man," Pinkie said before quickly stuffing her face. "Why are we wasting time here, when we could be out Duelling?"
Maud simply finished off her own burger, only not as monstrously, before turning to Pinkie. "We need to eat. If we don't, we won't have the energy to Duel."
Pinkie sighed, "you're right." She then spotted her other sister walking into the cafe. "There you are. You were starting to get us worried. Did you get lost again?"
Marble tried to hide behind her hair, using her hand to move it in front of her while revealing a black finger-less glove. She then said softly, "no. I...I'm sorry."
"It's alright," Maud told her. "As long as you're here." She held out a burger, "here."
Marble took the sandwich and gave her sister her thanks, then began to eat the burger. As she did, she frowned into the sandwich. She couldn't believe she had to pretend to be this wimpy girl. The sooner the first round was over, the better.
Over in the Arctic Field, Twilight was rushing through the snow and ice. She, and many other Duellists, had been avoiding this field because the ice would make it hard to move and get Action Cards. But with the only Duellists in the field she had just left being ones she'd already faced, she didn't have much choice.
She looked down at her Raduel and saw there was only thirty minutes left. Enough time for one Duel. Now she just had to find an opponent.
But that search was put on hold when she stepped onto an icy patch, only for it to crack. "Oh no," she said before the ground shattered and she fell beneath it. She let out a scream as she fell into the darkness.
Over in the Meadow Field, Fluttershy was walking around until her Raduel went off.
Pulling her sleeve up, she saw it was an opponent alert. "Err," an annoyed voice said from behind her, "you're my opponent." She spun around and saw Aria Blaze walking down a hill towards her. "So lame."
Fluttershy began to panic. She didn't want to Duel an opponent like her. But she didn't have a choice. 'Up until now, it's always been me holding the team back.' A serious look appeared on her face as she activated her Duel Disk. "No, I won't lose. I'll...I'll win."
"Whatever," Aria said as she activated her Duel Disk.
"DUEL!"
A beeping sound brought Twilight out of her daze, as she picked herself up with a moan.
She looked around and saw she was in some kind of ice cave, filled with icicles and ice staircases. She then looked down at her Raduel and saw Fluttershy was Duelling Aria. "Good luck." In that moment, the Raduel beeped to single her next opponent.
Seconds later, a loud scream made her turn to a hole in the wall opposite her. Seconds later, someone slide out of it and hit the ground, moaning as they slide to a stop on the ice. "Owie," she let out while picking herself up and rubbing her but.
Twilight gasped when she saw who it was. "Trixie?"
The girl turned to the voice and, seeing Twilight, smiled. "Finally," she said, "Trixie has been looking for you." She activated her Duel Disk, "do you accept her challenge?"
Twilight smiled and activated her Duel Disk. "I would even if I didn't have to."
Luna: Twilight Sparkle verses Trixie Lulamoon. An interesting match to be sure. If Ms Lulamoon doesn't win this, her entire team will be disqualified."
"Wait," Twilight said, "your teammates are in the Graveyard." She saw a tick mark appear on Trixie's head.
"That doesn't matter right now," she replied as she drew her cards. "Prepare to be utterly trounced by the great and powerful...TRIXIE!"
"DUEL!"
Trixie: 4000 Twilight: 4000
In the stands, Tidal was watching both Fluttershy and Twilight's Duels. "You can do it girls!" He cheered them on. "Believe in the Tidal that believes in you. Win, win, win!"
"Trixie, shall take the first move!" The girl drew her card, "and she'll start by setting scale two Performage Water Dancer and scale seven Performage Lion Rider into the Pendulum Scale!" The pillars of light appeared besides her as her monsters flew up into them. The first was a masked clown, carrying a pair of batons, while the other was a lion tamer sitting on the back of a flame maned lion. "Slice through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal formed above her head. "The great and powerful Trixie...PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, taking shape and fading to reveal her monsters.
"Performage Tightrope Wheeler!" (A1800/D1300/L4)
The second was a flaming ice-cream cone. "And Performage Plushfire!" (A1000/D1000/L4/P5) "Trixie places two cards face down and ends her turn."
"Then I'll go!" Twilight drew her card. Seeing what she got, she nodded and began. "And now I'll set the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Pendulum Caster and scale eight Magi-Beast Dracoteen!" The pillars of light appeared besides her before her monsters flew up into them. Once there, the portal began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out, hitting the ground and exploding to reveal her monster. "Timebreaker Magician!" (A1400/D0/L3/P2) "And when Timebreaker is summoned on his own from the hand, his ATK points are doubled. (A2800/D0/L3/P2) "Now I summoned Flame Burst Magician!" A blast of fire revealed her monster. (A1300/D600/L3) "And when he's Normal Summed, he deals you eight hundred points of damage. The Magician pointed its staff at Trixie and fired a fireball, which struck her in the chest and made her slide back on the ice.
Trixie: 3200 Twilight: 4000
Trixie finally managed to stop, taking a few seconds to regain her balance. She then smirked as she righted herself, "as brutal as ever I see."
Twilight smiled back. "You haven't seen anything. My Timebreaker will now attack your Tightrope Wheeler!" The magician flew forwards, his clock hand sword ready.
"Trixie will play her Trap," Trixie announced as her face down flipped up. "Damage Trap. This card cuts the damage Trixie takes this turn if half, but will deal it to her one her next Standby Phase." Timebreaker slashed Tightrope Wheeler, Trixie's Trap capturing half the damage.
Trixie: 2700 Twilight: 4000
"Well I've still got Flame Burst Magician!" The wizard unleashed a fireball, which hit Plushfire and destroyed it.
Trixie: 2550 Twilight: 4000
"You activated Plushfire's effect," Trixie's deck shuffled before slotting out a card that she took. "Then Trixie will activate her Trap Converter!" Her other face down flipped up to reveal a Spell. "Now she can destroy one Trap on her field, then draw three cards." Her Damage Trap exploded as she drew her cards.
Twilight had to admit she was impressed. Trixie had saved herself some damage and got rid of the card before it could hurt her, even getting some extra cards out of it. "I end my turn."
Back in the meadow field, Fluttershy and Aria's Duel continued. Fluttershy currently had Grand Grizzly, Winged Kuriboh and a face down while Aria's field was empty except for the Nera and Vesper in her Pendulum Zones.
"It'a my turn," Aria drew her card as the portal formed above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
It opened before five lights shot out and hit the ground, taking form.
"Ocean's Idol Allegra!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P8)
"Ocean's Idol Rhapsody!" (A2300/D1900/L6/P2)
"Ocean's Idol Medley!" (A2000/D2000/L5/P1)
"Ocean's Idol Cabaletta!" (A2000/D100/L4/P2)
The last monster was a mermaid with a purple tail and dark purple hair with teal streaks, wearing a teal dress with a headset microphone. "And Ocean's Idol Arietta!" (A2400/D2100/L7) "Now I activate the effect of Arietta." All the mermaids except Arietta and Cabaletta transformed into lights before flying towards Aria, the girl catching them as they returned to being cards. "Since I returned three cards to my hand, I can now send three cards on your field to the bottom of your deck."
Fluttershy gasped as Arietta began to sing, the soundwaves hitting her cards and sending them flying before they transformed into lights that hit her Duel Disk. Grand Grizzly, Winged Kuriboh and Transcendent Wings were placed at the bottom of her deck, leaving her defenceless.
"Now Arietta will attack you directly!" The mermaid swam through the air towards Fluttershy, but the girl was prepared.
"I'll discard Kuriboh from my hand, in order to negate the damage from your attack." The fur-ball appeared between her and Arietta, the mermaid unleashing a sonic blast that Kuriboh blocked before exploding.
Aria frowned. "Fine, then I'll have Cabaletta attack you directly." The other mermaid did the same and unleashed a sonic blast, that hit Fluttershy and sent her flying backwards.
Aria: 3200 Fluttershy: 1700
"I end my turn with a face down." She looked over at the downed Fluttershy, "you giving up?"
As Fluttershy picked herself up, she panted while looking up at Aria. "No." She couldn't give up. She'd promised Twilight she'd help her win the Double X. "I won't let her down." She drew her card.
"Trixie draws!" She did so as the portal formed above her, "AND SHE PENDULUM SUMMONS!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out, revealing her monsters. "Performage Plushfire!" (A1000/D1000/L4/P5) The other was a knight, whose armour was painted like a clown, juggling four swords. "And Performage Juggler Knight!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P2)
Twilight didn't like this. If she knew Trixie, she knew what was coming next.
"And now," Trixie said as she activated her card. "The Great and Powerful Trixie will activate the Spell card, Ritual of the Grand Amulet." A weird looking necklace appeared on the field with a gem in its centre. Trixie's Performages went stiff, as they began to glow before their souls were pulled out of their bodies, and sucked into the gem. Seconds later the gem began to give off a strange mist, which slowly began to take shape. "Now watch, as Trixie's most powerful monster will now be unleashed." The mist finished taking form and began to fade, revealing Trixie's new monster. "The Great and Powerful Trixie RITUAL SUMMONS!"
The mist finally faded, reveal Trixie's monster. "Enchantress of the Grand Amulet." (A2900/D1000/L8) "And since I have a Spellcaster in the graveyard, her power goes up. (A3000/D1000/L8) "Trixie will then equip her with the Staff of Relentless Rage." A black staff appeared in her hand. "Now, attack!" The amulet glowed, as the witch placed her hands on it before pulling them away as they now glowed to.
Twilight looked around and spotted an Action card a ways off. She slide over at it and grabbed it, only to see it was a Trap.
Celestia: Ouch, Frostbite.
Luna: That card will force her to send the top card of her deck to the graveyard.
Twilight frowned as she did so, while Enchantress placed her hands together before firing a beam of energy at Flame Burst Magician. The blast struck, destroying Twilight's monster and pushing her back on the ice until she crashed into a wall.
Trixie: 2550 Twilight: 2300
"And since she destroyed a monster, the Staff of Relentless rage's effect activates and lets her destroy one monster one the field whose ATK is lower then hers, then deal its owner damage based on its Level times one hundred." She pointed the staff at Timebreaker and fired a black laser, destroying him and dealing Twilight damage.
Trixie: 2550 Twilight: 2000
"Plus, with another Spellcaster in the grave, Enchantress's ATK goes up." (A3100/D1000/L8) "Trixie will place one card face down and end her turn.
Celestia: Truly an impressive move. She completely wiped out Twilight's field and dealt her major damage.
Luna: Will Twilight be able to recover?
"You bet I will!" Twilight drew her card and instantly used it, "I play Magical Mallet. Now I can return the card in my hand to the deck, then shuffled and redraw!" She did so, as the portal formed above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of cards shot out and struck the ground, fading to reveal her monsters. "Timebreaker Magician!" (A1400/D0/L3/P2) "And Magician's Valkyria!" (A1600/D1800/L4) "Then I'll activate the Pendulum Ability of my Pendulum Caster." The Pendulum Monster pointed his staff at Timebreaker Magician, then fired a rainbow beam out and struck him. "This allows me to turn a Level three or below monster into a Tuner for this turn, which will now allow me to tune him with Magician's Valkyria!"
Trixie watched as Twilight's Tuner leapt into the air before transforming into three spheres of lights, which carved three circles that her other monster flew into. "Beings of mystical might, unite you power and let the magic shine for all eternity." In that moment, her monsters disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Twilight's ace. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4)
Trixie smiled. "Twilight Warlock. It's funny," she pointed at the Synchro Monster. "The only reason the two of us ever met, was because Trixie wanted to get her hand on that card."
Twilight smiled back, "you're right." Now that she thought of it, Trixie had been the first real challenge she had undertaken as a Duellist. "If I hadn't Duelled you that day, I might not have had the confidence in myself to try to enter the Celestic Cup. And if I hadn't entered that, I never would have faced the trails that made me who I am today. So thank you Trixie."
Trixie scoffed. "Thank me after you lose. And with another Spellcaster in the graveyard, Enchantress's power goes up even more." (A3200/D1000/L8)
"That's not gonna stop me," Twilight told her. "Because I'm activating my Warlock's ability!" She drew five cards, looked at them, then placed one in the hand before shuffling the rest back into her Deck. "Now I'll play the Spell card, Spellbook of Secrets! With this, I can add one Spellbook card from my deck to my hand." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which she took before activating. "Now I equip Warlock with the Magic Tome of Starswirl!" The book appeared in Twilight's monster's hand. "This tome grants him one hundred ATK points for every Spellbook in my graveyard." Twilight actually thanked that Action Trap, which had made her send a Spellbook to the graveyard. (A2700/D2100/L7/P4)
"That's not enough to destroy Trixie's monster."
"It will be after I send Spellbook of Power from my deck to the grave, which activate's its effect and powers him up even more. (A3800/D2100/L7/P4) "ATTACK!" The tome unleashed a glow, which spiralled around Warlock's staff before he pointed it at Enchantress of the Grand Amulet.
Trixie watched as a magical blast was shot out of the staff and struck her Ritual Monster.
Trixie: 1950 Twilight: 2000
Despite the lose of her monster, Trixie smiled. "You've activated Trixie's Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Ritual of Control! Since a Ritual Monster was destroyed by battle, Trixie can pay half her Life Points and seize control of the monster that destroyed it."
"What?" Twilight asked.
Trixie: 975 Twilight: 2000
Silver chains shot out of the Trap and wrapped around Warlock, slowly pulling him towards it until the Synchro Monster was on Trixie's side of the field.
Luna: My word! Ms Lulamoon has turned what looked like a bad situation into a favourable one. Now Ms Sparkle has nothing to protect herself with.
Celestia: It's not all bad sister. The monster under Trixie's control will be unable to attack. Besides, she's been in this situation before.
Celestia was right. Twilight just had to hold out long enough to destroy that Trap, which should give her her monster back. "Spellbook of Power's effect is still in effect, so I can now add one Spellbook from my deck to my hand." She did so, "I place two cards face down and end my turn." Twilight Warlock's power returned to normal. (A2800/D2100/L7/P4)
"It's Trixie's turn!" The girl drew her card and smiled as the portal formed above her head. "TRIXIE PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights flew out and hit the ground, taking form and fading to reveal her monsters. "Performage Plushfire!" (A1000/D1000/L4/P5)
Celestia: She has enough monster to wipe Twilight out.
Luna: This could be the end.
"Not yet it's not!" Twilight cried as she activated her face down, "Spellbook of Illusion! This card let's me summon four Spellbook Tokens to my field in DEF mode." A flash of light singled the arrival of the four books, that now shielded her from attack. (A0/D0/L1)X4
"That's fine," Trixie said. "Trixie wasn't going to attack you with them anyway." Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, only to gasp when Trixie placed another card into her Duel Disk. "You see, Trixie was fibbing when she said that her Enchantress was her most powerful card. But now, Trixie will summon her real power house. Behold, the Ritual of Lost Souls!"
Twilight gasped, "another Ritual Spell!" She watched, as a magic circle with runes and ten star within it appeared behind Trixie.
"This particular Ritual Spell, forces Trixie to banish the monsters she's sacrificing. So now I tribute Performage Plushfire, along with your Twilight Warlock!" Twilight's eyes went side as she watched the spirits of her monster and Trixie's be extracted from their bodies before being sucked into the circle, causing the ten star to glow silver. "And now, Trixie's most powerful monster is born!" The circle exploded, unleashing a burst of dark light to fill the cave. "I RITUAL SUMMON!
The light faded, revealing Trixie monster. I was a figure wearing grey clothes under a silver hooded coat under silver chest and thy armour. He was wearing a helmet with a silver visor, with the coat's hood up over it. He was carrying a silver metal staff, with a star on the head and a blade on the bottom "Lost Souls Magician!" (A?/D?/L10)
Twilight began to sweat, not wanting to know what kind of power that thing had.
"Lost Souls Magician's original ATK becomes the combined total of the monsters used to summon it." The spirits of Plushfire and Warlock appeared being being sucked into the Ritual Monster's armour, causing it to glow. (A3500/D3100/L10)
Up in her box, Starlight was watching the Duel in intrigue. Something about the girl Twilight was Duelling, made her feel something. Could it be that she was-
"You okay?" She turned to Heath. "You seem strangely focused on such an unimportant Duel."
"It's nothing," Starlight said while looking back at the Duel. Then, she turned away and began to make her way to the door. "I'm heading out. Need to do something." She left, leaving Heath confused.
Eventually, he shrugged before going back to his music.
"Now," Trixie discarded a card, "since Trixie ditched a Trap card to the grave, all Trap card effects are negated.
Twilight looked down at her face down, as Lost Souls raised its staff and unleashed a bright light that flew across the field. Her Spellbinding Circle was useless now.
"Lost Souls Magician, destroy those wastes of paper!" The Ritual Monster shoot forwards and used the blade of its staff to slice her monster in half. "Plus, when Lost Souls destroys a monster, he can lower his ATK points and attack another monster on your field." The magician glowed as its power went down. (A3000/D3100/L10)
Twilight went wide eyed before turning to rush around the cave, looking for an Action Card. As she did, Lost Souls destroyed another token before lowering its ATK again. (A2500/D3100/L10)
Twilight spotted a icicle with an Action Card on it, quickly skating towards it and jumping up while Lost Soul struck another token before lowering its ATK. (A2000/D3100/L10)
Twilight grabbed the card and pulled it free, landing on the ground and almost falling on her butt as Lost Souls cut her last monster in half. "Now you're wide open for an attack by Juggler Knight!" The knight stopped juggling his swords and tossed one at Twilight. "And when a Performage attacks an opponent directly, Lion Rider's ability increases its ATK points by five hundred. (A2000/D1200/L4/P2)
Celestia: If this attack hits, it's all over for Twilight.
But Twilight wasn't worried. "I activate the Action Spell, Ice Guard! Since you're attacking me directly, I can summon a monster that's the same Level as your Juggler Knight!" A large ice spike shot out of the ground before shattering to reveal Twilight Unicorn. (A1800/D1300/L4/P7) The sword struck the unicorn, destroying her.
Trixie: 975 Twilight: 1800
Trixie frowned. "That was suppose to be Trixie's big finish. Stupid Action Card."
Twilight smiled. "You gotta use whatever you can if you wanna win these types of Duels."
The girl huffed, "Trixie ends her turn by equipping Juggler Knight with the Magic Guardian Circle." A magic circle appeared on the monster's chest. "Since he's equipped with this card, you can't attack him while there's another monster on Trixie's field. Which means-"
"I have to attack Lost Souls Magician," Twilight realised.
"Exactly," Trixie replied while her turn ended. Lost Souls Magician and Juggler Knight's ATK points returned to normal. (A1500/D1200/L4/P2) (A3500/D3100/L10)
Twilight panted, that last move having taken a lot out of her. But if she hadn't pulled that Action Card, she would have lost. She sighed, hoping her teammates were having better luck.
"Blaze-Incarnate, ATTACK!" The armoured phoenix ignited its body before flying towards Sunset's opponent's monster, destroying it and wiping out the last of their Life Points.
"Awe man," the teen said. "You're just too strong for me."
Sunset sighed in relief before looking down at her Raduel. "Twilight and Fluttershy's Duels are still going on," she realised. "Come on girls, we're almost out of time."
In the Meadow Field, Fluttershy and Aria's Duel was coming to an end. Fluttershy's field was empty, though she had Silk Spider and Breezy Fairy in the Pendulum Zone, while Aria had Arietta and Vespers on her field along with the Trap Gravity Bind.
If Fluttershy couldn't defeat Aria this turn, she wouldn't be able to survive to her next one. "This is bad," she said. She had to win, for her friends. She remembered all the training matches she'd gone through with them. This was where it would all pay off. "Here goes," she drew her card and gasped when she saw what she'd gotten.
"Stop dawdling already," Aria told her. "Make your move!"
"Fine," Fluttershy said as the portal appeared above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" A light shot out and took the form of her ace. "Kindness Dragonoid!" (A2600/D1900/L7/P5) "Then I summon Synkuriboh!" A Kuriboh with silver fur appeared besides the dragon. (A300/D200/L1)
"A tuner monster!" Aria realised.
"And now!" Fluttershy cried as Synkuriboh transformed into a ball of light, which carved a ring of light. "I tune Level one Synkuriboh with Level Seven Kindness Dragonoid!" The dragon flew into the ring. "Through love and kindness, true strength is born to protect those precious to us!" The monsters were engulfed by the light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Fluttershy's new monster. It was a humanoid dragon with yellow scales covered in pink armour. It had pink spikes running down its back that had blue or green tips, while the tips of its wings and tail were pink with heart shapes on the wings. "Sacred Guardian Deity Kindness Dragonia!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Aria smiled as the dragon landed behind Fluttershy. "Nice monster, but it still can't attack. Not with my Gravity Bind in play."
"That's fine," Fluttershy said. "She's doesn't need to attack." Her monster spread her wings, "in fact, she's not gonna be sticking around!" The dragon leapt into the air. "By sacrificing herself, Dragonia lets me summon as many Level one monsters from my grave to the field as possible." Aria's eyes went wide, as she looked up to see Dragonia disappear in a burst of light.
From that light came five familiar monsters. Kuriboh, Winged Kuriboh, a pair of Kuribon and Synkuriboh. The five monsters appeared before her, ready to do battle. (A300/D200/L1)X5.
"So what?" Aria asked. "Those puffballs can't beat my monsters."
"I know that," Fluttershy said with slight worry. "But...they don't need to. The ATK of any monster summoned by Kindness Dragonia is doubled until the End Phase." (A600/D200/L1)X5. "And, these monsters can bypass your defence to attack you directly."
"What!?" Aria screamed as the fur-balls flew at her, flying passed her monsters before Kuriboh slashed her with its claws.
Aria: 1900 Fluttershy: 800
Winged Kuriboh then reached the girl and slapped her with her wing.
Aria: 1300 Fluttershy: 800
The two Kuribon twins were next, the first one hitting her with its tail.
Aria: 700 Fluttershy: 800
Followed by the second.
Aria: 100 Fluttershy: 800
Finally, Synkuriboh used its claws and slashed her.
Aria: 0 Fluttershy: 800 (Winner)
"I DID IT!" Fluttershy cheered, actually showing real excitement while jumping up and down. She'd done it. She'd gone up against a highly skilled Duellist and won.
Celestia: What a brilliant come back for Fluttershy. With that win, she earns a significant amount of points for her team.
Luna: Now, if Twilight Sparkle is able to win her match, her team will have enough points to move onto the next round. Because of this, coupled with Trixie's teammates being in the Graveyard, this Duel is now classified as a fateful match.
Twilight's Raduel went off. Looking down she saw the screen show that if she won, her team's point total would be fifty two.
"If I win, I go through to the second round." Her face became one of seriousness. "That's it, I'm not losing."
Trixie laughed, "what can you do?"
"Let's find out!" Twilight began to run as she drew her card. It was Spellbook of Disenchantment, not a card she could use. "Sunset and Fluttershy have put to much effort into this," she spotted another Action Card on an icicle. "I won't let them down!" With that, she leapt up and plucked the card off the icicle. Seeing it was a Spell card, and seeing its effect, she smiled before activating it. "Go, Frozen Voyage!"
"What's that do?" Trixie asked.
"What it does, is let me banish the Flame Burst Magician in my graveyard to summon two monsters with Levels equal to his." The monster reappeared on the field before being encased in ice, which then shattered as two new monsters appeared on the field. "I summon Spirits Chanter and Royal Charmer!" (A500/D300/L2) (A100/D100/L1)
Trixie didn't like where this was going. She liked it even less when the portal opened up above Twilight head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A pair of lights shot out, reveal Twilight Unicorn and Timebreaker Magician. "And now I'll use Pendulum Caster's ability, to make Timebreaker a Tuner monster." The magician did so, firing the rainbow of light at Timebreaker before he leapt into the air and transformed into the three lights. "Now I tune my level three Timebreaker Magician with my level four Twilight Unicorn!" The wizard once again transformed into three spheres of lights, which carved three circles that Twilight Unicorn leapt into. "It's time to embrace the power given by those we call friends and ascend to a higher plain of life." Instead of disappearing in a flash, the light infused into Twilight Unicorn as two new appendages appeared on its back. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded from the monsters body, revealing Twilight monster. "Twilight Alicorn!" (A2600/D1900/L7)
"That's still not enough to save you," Trixie told her. Even if she used Twilight Alicorn's ability, then attacked with her remaining monsters, Trixie would still have enough life points. It was only then she remembered, Royal Charmer was a Tuner monster.
"HERE WE GO!" Twilight yelled, "I tune Royal Charmer with Twilight Alicorn and Spirit Chanter!" Her Tuner's staff gave off a brilliant light which almost blinded Trixie. The light began to take shape, forming a twenty foot transparent version of Royal Charmer who held his hands together as Twilight Alicorn and Spirit Chanter jumped between them into a ball of light. "Knowledge, the greatest of all weapons, grant me the wisdom to lead us into a perfect future!" Twilight chanted as the two monsters became transparent before disappearing in an explosion of light that once again blinded everyone. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
From the light came a new monster. It looked like Twilight Alicorn only it was taller and wore a silver crown, necklace and hoof shoes. Its mane and tail were longer and were filled with stars and galaxy patterns, while its flank and the tips of its wings were dark blue. "Alicorn Princess...TWILIGHT ASCENSION!" (A3300/D3000/L10)
Trixie stared in awe at the monster, as it landed in front of Twilight. "This could be bad."
"Twilight's Ascension's summoning skill," Twilight drew five cards. "Look at the top five cards of the deck and send any Spellbooks to the graveyard." She discarded three cards. "Now I'll use her other ability, to select two Spellbooks my graveyard." Two of them slotted out of her Duel Disk, "add one to the hand and banish the other." She did so before activating the effect twice more, banishing two cards before placing the other two in her pocket.
Celestia: Excellent move. Now Twilight has regained the cards needed to turn this Duel around.
"I'll start by activating the Spellbook of Rebirth, to revive my Magician's Valkyria!" In a flash of light, her magician appeared besides Alicorn Princess. "Then I'll use Spellbook of Power, to increase her ATK by one thousand!" (A2600/D1800/L4) "Finally, I'll equip Alicorn with Starswirl's Magic Tome!" The book floated in front of the Synchro Monster. (A3700/D3000/L10
"Not good," Trixie said before rushing off to find an Action Card.
"Twilight Ascension, attack!" The Alicorn's horn glowed before firing a magic burst towards Lost Souls Magician.
Trixie spotted an Action Card on an icicle and tried to get it, only to slip on the ice. "Wow!" She cried as she fell on her butt and slide away from the icicle. This allowed Alicorn Princess's attack to hit her monster, destroying it.
Trixie: 775 Twilight: 1800
"Now, Magician's Valkyria, attack!" The female spellcaster flew forward, ready to use her staff to destroy Juggler Knight.
Trixie had managed to get back onto her feet and leapt up, managing to snag the Action Card off the icicle. "Yes. Trixie plays the Action Spell, Evasion!" Juggler Knight managed to dodge Valkyria's attack, saving it and Trixie from defeat. "Sorry, but it looks like you won't be winning yet." But in that moment, she spotted Twilight smiling.
"I had this Duel won the moment Alicorn Princess was summoned."
"How?"
"Because, during my end phase, I can destroy one monster on my opponent's field with ATK points equal to or lower then the number of banished Spellbooks times five hundred." Trixie gasped, doing the maths in her head. "I have three Spellbooks removed from play, so that's fifteen hundred points. The same number of points your Juggler Knight has." The Alicorn's horn sparked before unleashing a blast of light out at the Performage, destroying it before heading towards Trixie. "Also, you take damage equal to your monsters Level times three hundred.
"NOOOO!" Trixie screamed as the blast struck her, sending her flying backwards as her life points disappeared.
Trixie: 0 Twilight: 1800 (Winner)
Celestia: SHE DID IT! The winner of the match is Twilight Sparkle.
Luna: Team Tidal Maidens have made their way through to the second round.
"YAY!" Tidal cheered as he jumped up and down in the seats, "wait to go me amigo!" He started running down towards the field, climbing over people in his excitement.
Twilight panted as the holograms faded, then looked over at Trixie as she picked herself up.
"Hey," she said to the girls, "thanks for the great match."
Trixie just stared at her, obviously not happy about this outcome. Eventually, she sighed before pointing at Twilight. "You'd better win this whole thing, you hear me. The only Duellist allowed to knock Trixie out of the tournament is the eventual winner. So don't go wimping out on me."
Twilight smiled, "sure. I wasn't planning on losing anyway." Trixie just smiled at this before she was pulled into the graveyard. Once she was gone, she sighed in relief.
"Twilight!" The turned to see Tidal and her team rushing towards her. Before she could say anything, Fluttershy reached her and pulled her into a hug. "You did it."
"Yeah," Twilight replied, "so did you." She then turned to Sunset, "great work out there."
Sunset smiled. "Thanks. But we can't get complacent. This tournament's only gonna get harder." Tidal took this moment to grab her and pull her into a hug with the others girls.
"But you three can do it. I believe it you." The girls all smiled at this before heading over to the field exit.
Down below, Trixie and her teammates were also heading out the stadium. With all three of them being sent to graveyard, they were now disqualified.
"We're sorry Trixie," Lavender told her.
"We really let you down," Fuchsia agreed.
"It's fine girls," Trixie told them without looking back. "We may have lost this time, but Trixie and the Illusions don't give up that easily. We'll just train harder and then enter the tournament next year. There, we shall prove victorious and everyone will know why Trixie is known as the great and powerful!" The girls nodded in agreement, not going to let their leader be shamed like that again.
But as they reached the end of the hallway, they spotted someone leaning against the wall. That someone was Starlight, of Team Dominator.
"Can we help you?" Trixie asked.
The girl pushed off the wall and stepped over to her. "No, but I can help you. Trixie, I'd like to talk to you in private about a very special opportunity. One that could make your every wish and dream come true."
"Come on!" Sunburst yelled as he, Flash and Spike rushed towards the stadium. The lot of them had overslept and were now very late, as the fourth day of the first round was about to start.
"Arh!" Spike moaned, "being late for the tournament because we were up so late training for it. What a lame excuse!"
"Tell me about it," Flash said. "And that cop stopping us didn't help matters."
Sunburst chuckled. "That's mostly your fault. If you're gonna dress like a hoodlum and hang around well dressed guys, like me, and little kids then of course you're gonna look suspicious." Flash and Spike both frowned at being called a hoodlum and a little kid, but forgot about it as they finally arrived at the stadium.
"Alright," Flash panted as they stopped, "we're here."
"Just in time," Sunburst said.
Flash smirked, "look at it this way. At least we'll be warmed up for our Duels." Sunburst rolled his eyes, while Spike laughed.
"What are you laughing at?" Sunburst asked.
"Oh," Spike said, "nothing." Flash then rushed forwards.
"Race you inside."
"Hey," Sunburst ran after him, "no fair!"
"Wait for me," Spike cried while following after them.
Twenty minutes later.
Celestia: The Double X Tournament! We're entering day four of round one.
Luna: At the end of day three, Twilight Sparkle's victory secured a spot in the second round for team Tidal Maidens.
Celestia: The remaining teams have everything to fight for, as there is only two spots left. Ready or not, the first round will be coming to a close very soon.
Up in one of the VIP boxes, Cold and his group were now joined by team Applejewel and team Tidal Maidens. "Awe man," Scootaloo said. "Only two spots left and three teams with our friends in them. That means no matter what, one of them isn't getting through."
"That's just the way it goes," Grand told his granddaughter. "It'll all come down to who wants it more."
"And who knows," Cadance said. "The last two spots might not even go to them."
"Not that we don't want them to get through," Shining said. "But that's just a possibility we have to accept." Everyone sighed, knowing he was right, and returned to watching the matches as they go on.
In the Forest Field, Soarin was facing off against Cornicle. Soarin had Attack Convoy on the field, along with Techno Support MAZ-Six-Three-Seventeen and Techno Support WC-Five-Four. Meanwhile, Cornicle had Ultimate Insect Level Seven. With Ultimate Insect's ability, Attack Convoy's ATK was reduced. (A2100/D2600/L8)
"It's my turn," Soarin reached for his deck. "I draw!" He did so, as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out, hitting the ground and taking form.
"Techno Force Rush Rotor!" (A1700/D1400/L4)
"Techno Force Tank Trasher!" (A1600/D1200/L4)
"Techno Support AFV!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P1)
"Don't forget," Cornicle told him. "My monster's effect weakens your monster's ATK power. (A1000/D1400/L4) (A900/D1200/L4) (A1100/D1300/L4/P1)
"That's fine," Soarin replied. "Because I'm banishing Rush Rotor and Tank Trasher, in order to Union Summon Mega Techno Force Defence Convoy!" The two monsters flew into the air before transforming and linking together, becoming the humanoid robot. (A2100/D1800/L6) As soon as it appeared, Ultimate Insect's effect powered it down. (A1400/D1800/L6)
"That won't help you!"
"But what if I combined him with Attack Convoy?" Soarin asked as the two robots leapt into the air before disassembling and combining in a whole knew way, becoming to super powerful robot. "I UNION SUMMON! Ultra Techno Force, Grand Convoy!" (A3000/D2800/L8) Once again, the machine was weakened. (A2300/D2800/L8) "Attack!"
"But my monster's stronger?" Cornicle asked.
"Not once Grand Convoy's effect weakens your monster's ATK by its Level times three hundred." Cornicle's eyes went wide as he looked up to see the robot fire a blast from its gun turret, hitting his monster and weakening it. (A500/D1200/L7)
"NO!" He cried before Grand Convoy sliced the insect in half.
Soarin: 2200 Cornicle: 300
"And with it gone, AFV's power returns to normal." Cornicle turned to see the riderless quad-bike rushing towards him, its power returning to normal. (A1800/D1300/L4/P1) He cried as the machine ran into him, knocking him off his feet.
Soarin: 2200 (Winner) Cornicle: 0
Celestia: He did it. With that win, Soarin Skies has racked up a large amount of points for his team.
Luna: They're likely only one win away from getting through. But they can't relax yet.
"Awe man," Cornicle moaned. "I was so close to getting through." He was pulled underground, while Soarin sighed in relief.
"Hey, loser." He turned to see Gilda walking up to him. "Probably think you're hot stuff just because you won."
Soarin frowned. "Not now Gilda," this surprised the girl. "If you wanna talk, do it later." He turned and began to run off. "Right now, we can't waste any time on chat."
"Hey," Gilda cried as she ran after him, "when did you grow a backbone."
When he decided we was going to become a Duellists she and Rainbow could respect as an equal. And with their place in the next round only one Duel away, he couldn't afford to let his own insecurities get the better of him.
Over in the Volcano Field, Rainbow was running in search of her next opponent.
She looked down at her Raduel as the screen showed the scoreboard. Every five seconds, the names on the board shifted up and down the screen. "This is nuts," she said. With the way in which points were changing hands, things were getting really intense. "There's only two more spots left," she said to herself. "We can't come this far and not make it through."
Her Raduel then beeped to signal her next opponent, right as she made it to the top of a ridge. It was here, a river of lava flowing between them, that she spotted her next opponent.
"Rainbow?" Spike asked.
"Spike." Rainbow didn't get to say anything else, as their Raduels beeped again before two words appeared onscreen. 'Fateful match'.
Celestia: What a match we have here folks. From team Wonderbolt, it's Rainbow Dash.
Luna: And from team V-Fighters, it's Spike.
In their box, Spike and Rainbow's friends watched the screen in shock.
Celestia: With their opponent's current points, the winner of this match will go through to the next round.
Luna: That's not all. Since both players have a great number of points, whoever loses will also lose a great number of points. Their chances of making it through will be virtually nil.
Celestia: And that's why this match is a fateful match.
As their teammates heard this, the lot of them had made the same choice in not looking for another Duel. If they ended up losing, then it wouldn't matter if their teammate won or not. All they could do was watch and wait.
Spike and Rainbow both prepared their Duel Disks.
Rainbow smirked. "Wouldn't have figured you'd be my final opponent. Best of luck Spike."
Spike smiled back. "Your final? Hasn't it crossed your mind that I might actually beat you."
Rainbow's smirked became a focused frowned, "not happening." She and Spike both activated their Duel Disks, drawing their cards.
"DUEL!"
Spike: 4000 Rainbow: 4000
"It's my turn first," Spike drew his card. "And I'll start by summoning Lava Fang Dragon!" A ball of lava shot out of the river between them, then dripped away to reveal Spike's dragon. (A1400/D1300/L4) He smirked, "then I'll use the skill of the Scorcher Dragon in my hand!" A dark red dragon with yellow trim appeared on the field, before exploding into a single fireball. "His ability allows me to use this Tuner monster from my hand, but his Level is dropped to one." The fireball drew and flaming ring in the air, which Lava Fang flew into. "Burning spirit, erupt into a wildfire of power!" The ring exploded and created a blazing sphere. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames receded to reveal a red, black and cream coloured wyvern. It wing membrane was coloured in red, brown, orange and yellow stripes, and it had a made of flaming hair coming out the back of its head. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Spike is already starting off strong, managing to Synchro Summon a Pendulum Synchro monster.
Luna: How will Rainbow overcome this?
"I place one card face down and end my turn," Spike announced.
"Then it's my turn!" Rainbow drew her card, "and I summon Rainbow Wing Red Kestrel to the field in ATK mode!" A tornado exploded out of the ground, then faded to reveal the red bird of prey. (A1500/D1200/L4) "And since he was normal summoned, I can summon another Rainbow Wing to my field and increase its Level by one. So come on out, Purple Condor!" Another tornado singled the arrival of another brightly coloured attack bird. (A1800/D100/L4) "Then I'll use Condor's power to hit you with six hundred points of damage.
Spike watched as Condor flew over the lava pool and slashed him with its wing.
Spike: 3400 Rainbow: 4000
"Now," Rainbow said as the two birds transformed into lights, "I'll use these two monsters to build the Overlay Network!" They shot into the air as a black hole opened up, flying inside as Rainbow began to chant. "Wings of freedom, descend upon this land and unleash a hurricane of power." The black hole exploded in a burst of light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Rainbow's ace. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold." (A2500/D1500/R4/P7) "And by removing an Overlay Unit, I can look at th top five cards of my deck and summon one Level four or below Winged-Beast to the field." The Xyz Monster crushed its Overlay Unit, as Rainbow drew her cards before picking one. "Come on out, Rainbow Wing Knight Hawk!" A third tornado appeared before fading to reveal the bird armoured knight. (A1400/D800/L3/P6)
Celestia: Rainbow beginning to fight back.
Luna: Her flock is really starting to come together. And it's those tactics that she'll need to overcome Spike's monsters.
"Not good," Spike said before rushing off to find an Action Card.
Rainbow leapt over the lava stream, her monsters flying over with her, and gave chase. "Battle Wing, attack!" The bird man drew his sword and flew towards the dragon, it's ATK power increasing due to Wing Knight Hawk's presence. (A2800/D1500/R4/P7) as Spike spotted an Action card on a nearby boulder.
He grabbed the card and activated it. "Go, Flame Surge!" Flame Hunter was surrounded by a flaming veil, that raised its power (A2700/D1300/L5/P8) It breathed a stream of fire right at Battle Wing, but he managed to slash through it and stabbing the dragon and destroying it.
Spike: 3300 Rainbow: 4000
"Then I'll have Wing Knight Hawk attack you directly!" The bird knight flew forwards, as Spike activated his face down.
"I play the Spell card, Shrink! This card cuts your monsters ATK power in half!" Wing Knight began to grow smaller and smaller, until it was half its original size. (A700/D800/L3/P6) It reached Spike and slashed him, making him stagger backwards.
Spike: 2600 Rainbow: 4000
Rainbow raised an eyebrow at this. If he had that card, then why didn't he play it when she attacked Flame Hunter. "I place two cards face down and end my turn." Battle Wing and Wing Knight Hawk's ATK powers returned to normal. (A2500/D1500/R4/P8) (A1400/D800/L3/P6) Rainbow looked down at her face downs. She had a feeling she knew what was coming next, but now her Mirror Force and Overlay Guard would put a stop to Dragonic Blazemaster.
"It's my turn. I draw!" As Spike drew his card, he looked over at Rainbow. There was no doubt she was a powerful player. Whether you looked at skill or experience, either way Rainbow had a huge advantage over the teen. But even so, he had to keep pushing as hard as he could. That was the only way to win. "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Flame Breaker Dragon and scale seven Flame Banner Dracokid!" The pillars of light appeared besides him before the two dragons flew up into them. Once high enough, the portal began to form, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a pair fireballs shot out and hit the ground, exploding to reveal Spike's monsters.
The first was what looked like a baby version of Spike's Flame Hunter Dragon, flapping its wings wildly. "Flame Tracker Dragon!" (A1300/D300/L3) "And Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) As soon as it appeared, Flame Hunter opened its mouth and unleashed a burst of fire, that hit Rainbow's field and burnt her face downs to a crisp.
"What the?" Rainbow asked.
Spike smirked. "That's Flame Hunter Dragon's ability. Whenever he's Pendulum Summoned, he destroys every Spell and Trap on your field."
Rainbow smirked. So that's why he let his monster be destroyed. He was setting everything up for this. "Cleaver."
"Thanks," Spike replied as Flame Tracker exploded into a trio of fireballs. "Now watch, as I tune my Level three Flame Tracker Dragon with Level five Flame Hunter Dragon!" The fireballs carved three flaming rings, that the wyvern flew into "Cast your flames across this battle field, and burn everything that is weak to ashes" Spike chanted as his monsters were consumed by an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames erupted, as Spike's ace burst free and revealed itself. "Dragonic Blazemaster!" (A3000/D2000/L8) "And since Flame Tracker was used to Synchro Summon, I can add one Fire Monster from my deck to my hand." His deck shuffled out before he took the card. "And since I have Flame Banner Dracokid in my Pendulum Zone, all Fire Monsters gain five hundred ATK points!" (A3500/D2000/L8)
Celestia: Spike has his ace and is pumping up the power.
Luna: I hope Rainbow wasn't banking on those face downs.
Rainbow gulped before rushing off, trying to find her own Action Card while Spike leapt onto his dragon's shoulder. "Blazemaster, attack Rainbow Battle Wing!" The dragon took off after them raising its sword as it ignited.
Rainbow spotted an Action Card in the lava and reached down to grab it, only to see it was Burning Heat. "Ahh!" She cried as the pool exploded, singing away five hundred Life Points.
Spike: 2600 Rainbow: 3500
Before she could recover, Blazemaster finally reached Battle Wing and slashed her monster in half while dosing her in flames. "Gah!" She cried while falling back and rolling besides a stream of lava.
Spike: 2600 Rainbow: 2500
"Now," Spike continued, "Blazemaster's ability activates." The dragon rose its sword once again. "Eternal Flame!"
Rainbow picked herself up, just in time to see an Action Card floating down the river. And just as Blazemaster swung its sword in Wing Knight's direction, she reached out and grabbed it. "I play the Action Spell, Evasion!" Wing Knight flapped its wings and dodged the blade.
Spike frowned, but placed one card face down and ended his turn.
Celestia: Close one. Rainbow just managed to protect herself from a lot of damage.
Luna: But with her field so bare, she'll need something big to help pull herself back into this.
Rainbow looked down at her hand. She had Rainbow Wing Knight Osprey and Supporting Filly. Even if she used them to Pendulum Summon Battle Wing, it wouldn't be enough to take down Blazemaster. She had to hope she got something good with her next draw. "I draw!" She saw what she'd gotten and gasped, then smiled. "Now I'll set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Supporting Filly and scale seven Rainbow Wing Knight Osprey!" The pillars of light appeared besides her before the monsters flew up into them, the portal forming once they were high enough. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a single light shot out and hit the ground, taking the form of Rainbow's ace monster. "Rainbow Battle Wing, GOLD!" (A2500/D1500/R4/P5)
Celestia: Rainbow's managed to get her best card out onto the field, but what good will it do against a monster as strong as Dragonic Blazemaster?
Luna: Maybe Rainbow has a card that can help her.
"Yeah," Rainbow said as she played said card, "I do!" A rainbow coloured tornado exploded around Battle Wing, the light almost blinding everyone watching. "Go, Rank-Up-Magic Infinite Spectrum!" The black hole appeared above their heads, which the rainbow tornado flew up into. "With this card, I can Rank-up my Xyz monster into a Spectrum Battle Wing!"
"Spectrum Battle Wing?" Spike asked before looking up to see rainbow coloured lightning spark out of the black hole, as Rainbow Dash began to chant.
"Radiant colours of the universe, infuse your powers !" The rainbow tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battle field. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
Celestia. But does it have the power needed to defeat Blazemaster?
"WOW!" The Crusaders couldn't help but say as they stared at Rainbow's new monster.
"So pretty," Sweetie said with stars in her eyes.
"Quite a card," Rarity said. "But will it be enough to help her?"
"If a'h know Rainbow, then it should be just what she needs.
Twilight also had that thought, which meant her brother was in trouble. "Spike."
Shining turned to her, "don't worry sis. Spike's a tough kid. He beat you after all."
"That doesn't mean he can beat Rainbow," Twilight replied. "Who knows what this new monster of hers can do."
"We're about to find out," Sunset said as everyone turned back to the Duel.
"Since Prism Bolt was summoned using Infinite Spectrum, his ability let's me destroy one card on your field for every Overlay Unit attached to it. Prism Bolt raise its wings before the Overlay Unit flew passed them, creating a rainbow beam that flew down and struck Spike's face down to destroy it.
"Dang it," Spike cried.
"Now for Prism Bolt's other ability," Rainbow announced as Prism Bolt crushed its Overlay Unit between its hands before Wing Knight flew in front of it. "By removing an Overlay Unit, I can lower the ATK power of a monster on your field by the ATK of Wing Knight Hawk." Prism Bolt raised its wings before the crystals on them unleashed lightning that was the same colour as the crystals. The fourteen bolts of rainbow lightning wrapped around Wing Knight before flying off it and hitting Dragonic Blazemaster, electrocuting it.
The Synchro Monster fell to its knees, as its power was zapped away from it. (A2100/D2000/L8) Spike leapt off the dragon and landed on a nearby rock pile, trying to find an Action Card.
"Prism Wing, attack Blazemaster!" Prism Bolt took to the skies. Once high enough, it spread its wings and dive-bombed towards Blazemaster while the rainbow trail flew down after it.
Spike spotted an Action Card a ways off and leapt for it, grabbing it right as Prism Bolt's attack landed. "WOW!" He cried as he flew back, hitting the ground hard.
Spike: 1700 Rainbow: 2500
"Spike!" Twilight cried, while the rest of her team all looked worried. This did not look good.
Before Rainbow could act, the boy played his card. "I play the Action Card, Sacred Ash. This card lets a monster in my graveyard return to the field, though it's ATK and DEF is halves. A nearby lava pool exploded, Blazemaster flying out of it and landing behind Spike. (A1500/D1000/L8) Flame Banner's ability raised its ATK even more. (A2000/D1000/L8)
Rainbow sighed. "I switch Wing Knight Hawk to DEF mode and end my turn."
Celestia: Spike managed to save himself from a lot of damage there.
Luna: But against Prism Bolt, and with his monster weakened, Spike's gonna have a tough time getting a comeback now.
Spike panted as he picked himself up. "Only two spots remain," he said loud enough so only he could here. "If we can't make it through the first round, that's the end of the Double X for us." The images of his teammates flashed before his eyes. "No," he said while drawing his card, "not on my watch. I wanna keep fighting alongside Flash and Sunburst. I'm not ready to quit. I wanna do so much more!" The portal began to form above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single fireball shot out, hitting the ground and exploding to reveal his monster. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) "And with him on the field, say goodbye to all your Spell and Trap cards. And that includes your Pendulum Cards."
Rainbow smiled. "No need. I'm activating Supporting Filly's Pendulum Ability." The two monsters exploded. "By destroying her and Osprey, I can draw the same number of cards as Osprey's Level." She did so, drawing three cards.
"Fine!" Spike cried, "then I'll pay five hundred life points to activate Flame Breaker's Pendulum Ability."
Spike: 1200 Rainbow: 2500
"I can now banish Flame Sabre!" Said dragon appeared on the field, as Flame Breaker Dragon tossed its hammer into its back. As soon as it made contact, the dragon exploded and the flames split into four fireballs. "Now I can summon two monsters whose combined Levels equal his. So I summon Fireheart Dracokid and Magna Drago!" the fireballs paired off and combined, creating the two young dragons. (A1000/D800/L2) (A1400/D600/L2)
"Don't tell me," Rainbow raised.
Spike's two Tuner Monsters leapt into the air. "Now, Level Two Fireheart Dracokid and Level two Magna Drago will Double Tune Level eight Dragonic Blazemaster!" The Tuner's exploded into a quartet of fireballs, which quickly blazed four rings of fire. Those four rings lined up, as Blazemaster flew up into them. "Flames of Apocalypse, incinerate everything in this world!" The flaming rings exploded, wrapping Blazemaster into a ball of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flaming sun began to extinguish, reveal Spike's new monster. "Dragonic Blazemaster...INFERNO LEGEND!" (A3500/D3000/L12)
Twilight smiled, knowing how powerful that card was. Rainbow was gonna have a hard time beating that. "Way to go Spike."
Rainbow gulped as she looked up at that card. She'd heard what it could do and she knew she needed some way to beat it. She looked down at the cards she'd drawn before and none of them could help her. But it was then she remembered an Action Card she'd used in a previous Duel on her field. If she could find that.
Spike watched as Rainbow began to run off, as he leapt up onto Flame Hunter's back. "An Action Card won't save you, especially with Inferno Legend's ability." From out of the ground, spirits of Spike's destroyed monsters phased out before exploding into fire. That fire flew into Inferno Legend's mouth. As it swallowed, the beast roared as it suddenly began to grow until it was almost twice its original height. (A5000/D3000/L12) And don't forget about Flame Banner Dracokid's Pendulum Ability, which is still boosting my monster's power by another five hundred points. (A5500/D3000/L12) (A2800/D1300/L5/P8)
Celestia: What a power boost! If that monster lands its attack, Rainbow's Life Points will be wiped out.
As Spike watched Rainbow run, his mind flashed back to the shop tournament. During his match against Applebloom, he'd been way to cautious. As a result he'd lost to Applebloom, who was willing to risk everything against him. "Not this time!" He announced as his Synchro Pendulum took flight, "I'm gonna throw my caution to the wind. Flame Hunter Dragon, attack Rainbow Wing Knight Hawk." The dragon gave chase, then unleashed a flamethrower that melt the warrior.
As that happened, Rainbow spotted an Action Card and grabbed it. It was an Action Spell, but not the one she was looking for.
"Inferno Legend, attack!" The colossal dragon roared before drawing its sword, swinging it in the direction of Prism Bolt.
"I activate the Action Spell, Re-Spell! This bad boy lets me use the effect of any Spell card in my graveyard. So I'll be using Evasion's effect once more" Prism Bolt spread its wings and dodge the attack, while Rainbow rushed off in search of another Action Card.
"Fine," Spike said, "then I'll use Inferno Legend's ability." He removed Scorcher Dragon from the graveyard, decreasing Inferno Legend's ATK power. (A5200/D3000/L12) "Now he can attack once again!" The beast drew another sword before flying up towards Prism Bolt, as Spike yelled out. "I'm gonna win this. We're going to the second round!" The dragon reached Prism Bolt and slashed at it, cutting it in half and unleashing a wave of wind that blew across the field.
"WOW!" Rainbow cried while hitting the ground, rolling to a stop.
Spike: 1200 Rainbow: 300
As she recovered, she noticed something floating down towards her after being kicked into the air by the wind. Seeing what it was, she reached out to grasp it while Spike removed another Tuner from his graveyard. (A4900/D3000/L12) Inferno Legend drew its third sword and prepared to cut Rainbow down.
Celestia: Is this it? Will the V-Fighters be the ones to go through to the next round?
"Not if I can help it," Rainbow said as she played the card she got. As the sword drew near, a tornado appeared out of nowhere and blocked the weapon.
"What?" Spike asked, only to see the cause of the vortex. "Tornado Tortoise?"
"That's right," Rainbow said as she picked herself up. "Thanks to the Action Spell I got. Change the Torches. It lets me send one monster in my hand back to my deck, then add a monster that's the same Level to my hand. I swapped my Rainbow Wing Pegasus out for Tornado Tortoise, which I was able to discard to block your attack."
Spike smirked. "Lucky."
"Maybe," Rainbow said, "but I used that Action Spell in my last Duel. I just knew what to look out for."
"Alright," Spike said while removing another Tuner Monster. (A4600/D3000/L12) The dragon drew another sword and slashed at Rainbow, only for her to be shielded by another tornado.
Rainbow smirked. "By banishing Tornado Tortoise from my graveyard, I can end your battle phase."
Spike frowned. He'd known that was coming, but had to get it out of the way if he wanted to beat Rainbow next turn. "I end my turn."
Celestia: She survived the attack!
Luna: What a spectacular Duel! Things weren't looking good for Rainbow Dash, but she hung in there and managed to hold off the attack.
Celestia: She survived by the skin of her teeth.
Rainbow sighed in relief, looking down at her hand and seeing she could once again set the Pendulum Scale and summon Prism Bolt. But even if she did and attacked Flame Hunter, she wouldn't be able to beat Spike this turn. Once again, she'd need to hope she'd get a card that could turn this around.
"I gotta admit Spike, you got game." Rainbow drew her card and smiled when she saw what she got, "but I can't afford to lose either. My team's counting on me, AND I WON'T LET THEM DOWN!" Rainbow slapped down a pair of cards, "I reset the Pendulum Scale with scale two Rainbow Wing Knight Condor and scale eight Rainbow Wing Knight Owl!" The pillars of light reappeared on the field before the two Pendulum Monsters flew up into them, the portal forming once they were high enough. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before three lights shot out and hit the ground, taking shape and fading to reveal her monsters. "Spectrum Battle Wing, Prism Bolt!" (A3000/D2500/R5/P6)
Spike raised an eyebrow at this. None of those cards could help her.
"Then," Rainbow activated the card she'd drawn, "I play my Neo Armoured Xyz!" A portal opened up before Rainbow Battle Wing flew out, flying besides his evolved form. "Now I can equip Prism Bolt with an Xyz monster in my graveyard, to increase his power by two hundred for every Rank star it has!" Battle Wing transformed into a set of armour, which connected to Prism Bolt and raised its power. (A3800/D2500/R5/P6)
Spike frowned. "Okay, that might be tricky, but it still isn't enough to beat me." Even so, he should probably try and find an Action Card.
Rainbow watched as Spike and Flame Hunter flew off, giving chase as she did. "You're not getting away. Prism Bolt, attack!" Prism Bolt flew upwards. "And by the way, Neo Armoured Xyz has another effect. It gives Prism Bolt all the abilities of the monster he's equipped with."
Spike gasped. If Prism Bolt had Battle Wing's abilities. He looked to see Prism Bolt's ATK power increase, by three hundred for every Winged-Beast on Rainbow's field. (A4400/D2500/R5/P6) The shining bird man dive-bombed.
Now Spike really needed an Action Card, and he just so happened to find one in a pool of lava.
Flame Hunter Dragon flew down, allowing him to lean over and grab the card. But as he turned it around, he gasped seeing it was Burning Heat. The lava pool exploded, sending blobs of lava flying everywhere and hitting Flame Hunter. "Ahh!" Spike cried as he fell off the beast, hitting the ground as his life points went down.
Spike: 700 Rainbow: 300
As he picked himself up, he saw Prism Bolt flying towards Flame Hunter Dragon. "No," he said as the attack landed, "Flash...Sunburst...I'M SORRY!" An explosion filled the area and sent the boy flying back.
Spike: 0 Rainbow: 300 (Winner)
Celestia: She did it! Despite all the odds, Ms Rainbow Dash has claimed victory over Spike. Team Wonderbolts is going through to the second round!
"Alright Rainbow!" Soarin yelled, while Gilda just smirked.
"Not bad loser."
"Oh Spike," Twilight wished she was there to comfort her brother. He had done well, and had nothing to be ashamed of.
"The V-Fighters are gonna have a hard time making it through now," Sunset said.
"Oh," Fluttershy whined, "please let them or Pinkie's team get through."
As the holograms began to fade, Rainbow stepped over to where Spike had fallen.
He'd already picked himself up as she reached him, then turned towards her. "Hey," she held out a hand, "great Duel." Rainbow went to shake his hand, but stopped when she saw tears in the boy's eyes.
"I never...I mean, I never..." The tears broke out in full force, the teen quick pulling his hand back to wipe them away. "Sorry."
Rainbow smiled. "Spike, you're one tough customer." Hearing this made the tears return with double the strength, Spike breaking out in heavy sobs before he was pulled under ground.
"So that's it," he said. "I let them down. Flash...Sunburst."
"Spike," Flash whispered while staring at his Raduel's screen. He smiled, "you have nothing to be ashamed of." It was true, Spike hadn't lost a Duel since the start of the first round. It would be unfair to blame him for losing, especially since both he and Sunburst had lost themselves.
After Spike was taken to the Graveyard, Rainbow headed off the field.
Once in the hallway, she spotted Soarin and Gilda walking up to her. "Rainbow!" Soarin laughed before rushing towards her, "you did it?"
Gilda smirked as she joined them. "Seems you're not all talk after all." However, she saw Rainbow didn't look happy. "What's up?"
Rainbow sighed while thinking back on that Duel. Despite having won, it didn't feel right. She'd gotten lucky with that Action Card and the ones she'd drawn. If she'd gotten any other card, she would have been defeated. Her luck wouldn't last forever, so she had to improve her skills. If she didn't, there was no way she'd be able to make it all the way to the final round.
"Come on," she said before walking passed the two. "We need to get training. The easy parts over." Gilda and Soarin looked at her in confusion, sharing a glance at one another before following after their leader.
Celestia: Now there's only one slot remaining.
Luna: Which team will grab that last chance to make their way to the second round.
Over in the Canyon Field, Sunburst and his Magician were facing off against Bright Idea and his dragon. "If there's still one spot left, then there's still a chance!" He activated his Rebirth Ritual Spell card, "I'M NOT GIVING UP!" The pillar of fire engulfed magician before exploding, "RITUAL EVOLUTION!" Sunburst Archmage appeared before him. "ATTACK!"
Over in the Meadow Field, Flash was frantically searching for his next opponent. He couldn't let Spike's hard work go to waste.
The beeping of his Raduel caught his attention, making him look around. He eventually spotted his opponent, standing atop a large hill. The sun behind them made it difficult to see, but eventually they stepped closer and allowed him and make out who it was. And Flash was in for a surprise when he realised who it was. "Marble?"
The girl smiled a dark smile down at him, while pushing her hair back behind her ears. "Well well," she said with more confidence then Flash had ever heard her speak with. "So this is Flash Sentry."
The Double X's first round was nearing its conclusion. But who would end up taking the final spot in the next round. You'll just have to stay tuned to find out.
The first round of the Double X was drawing to a close.
In the Meadow Field, Flash was staring up his next opponent. Marble began to head down the hill, an unusual confidence appearing in her walk. As she got closer, Flash's Raduel beeped. He looked down at the screen as it showed an announcement.
That announcement was also being made by the Celestic Sisters.
Celestia: Amazing! Team Rock Party has entered the battle, one which will decide their fate. If Marble Pie is victorious against Flash Sentry, then her team will have enough points to go through to the next round."
Luna: Hold on sister. Not so fast.
The screen in the stadium all switched to show the Canyon Field, where Sunburst and Bright faced off.
"ATTACK!" Sunburst Archmage unleashed a burst of fire, that destroyed Bright Idea Dragon.
Bright: 0 Sunburst: 1800 (Winner)
Sunburst leapt into the air, "YES!"
New words flashed across Flash's Raduel. 'Fateful match.'
Celestia: Oh, looks like this is going to be a decisive battle for team V-Fighters too.
Luna: With the points Sunburst just obtained, his team is now within the required number to go through.
"Huh," Flash said as he lowered his Raduel and turned back to Marble. So he still had a chance to get to the next round, but even so it'd be difficult. His last Duel against Marble hadn't really gone his way.
Celestia: This is going to be a fateful match. One of these teams will find themselves in the second round. But the question is, which one. This match will decide who takes the final slot.
Up in the VIP box, team Wonderbolts had just arrived in time to hear the announcement.
"So it's either gonna be Pinkie and Flash's team going through," Rainbow said.
Twilight hummed at this. "Considering Spike's loss and the points that were taken from them, the fact this is now a fateful match suggests that Marble must have accumulated a significant number of points herself."
This statement put everyone one edge. Was she really that good?
"You'd better win this one bro," Scootaloo said while Tidal laughed.
"That's just like me amigo. Leaving it to the last moment."
Team Dazzlings was in the stands. Aria looking bored, Sonata looking excited and Adagio looking interested.
They simply stood and watched to see how the match would turn out.
In their own box, team Dominator watched the match intensely. Tempest especially was interested to see how it would turn out, as Luna continued their announcement.
Luna: Now, from this point forwards...no new Duels will be allowed to commence!
All over the field, everyone's Raduels switched off.
Luna: The Duel between Flash Sentry and Marble Pie will be...the climax, of the first round!
Celestia: All other Duellists please report off the field. Any Duellists in the Graveyard are now free to leave.
It took roughly five minutes, but eventually everyone except Flash and Marble were off the field and now in the stands. Sunburst had spotted Spike coming out of a hallway, rushing over to him. "Spike!" The teen turned to him.
"Sunburst," they met up. "Sorry about before."
"It's alright," Sunburst replied before they turned to the field. "Flash!"
"Don't let us down!"
On the other side of the stadium, Pinkie and Maud stared down at their little sister. "Marble!" Pinkie screamed, "you can do it!"
"We believe in you," Maud agreed. "All our dreams are in your hands, Marble."
Flash and Marble both heard their teammates, but gave very different responses.
Flash looked up at his team and smiled, giving a thumbs up. "Don't worry," he assured them. "I got this." But strangely enough, Marble didn't even respond to her sisters and instead simply switched on her Duel Disk. Flash turned back to her and did the same, "let's give everyone the match of our lives. I know how much you wanna win, for your sisters. But I'm not gonna go easy on you." But as he looked at her, he saw a strange coldness in her eyes. "Marble?"
Celestia: Double X Tournament.
Luna: First round.
Both: THE CLIMAX BATTLE!
The crowd roared with excitement, as the Duellists drew theirs cards and spoke the magic word.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Marble: 4000
Marble said nothing as she drew her first card, "I summon Gaia-Knight Beryllium." A knight in silvery-white armour appeared. (A1600/D1100/L4) "Place one card face down, then end my turn."
"My turn," Flash drew his card. "I summon Magna Defender Arma, in ATK mode!" The shield carrying woman appeared before him. 'Like it or not, this is the one. Our future will be decided here and now.' "Arma, attack Beryllium!" The steampunk rushed forwards, making Marble smile.
"You activated my Trap!" She cried as her card flipped face up, "Stone Blockade! This card creates a trio of Blockade Tokens on your field." The card unleashed a trio of lights which flew over and hit Flash's side of the field, then died down to reveal three stone knights carrying giant stone shields. (A0/D1500/L3)X3
"No way," Flash said as he looked them over. Marble smiled, despite Arma slamming Beryllium and destroying it.
Flash: 4000 Marble: 3800
"Here's the thing. Those Blockade Tokens can't be tributed, nor can they be used as material for Fusion, Ritual, Synchro or Xyz Summons."
"So they're basically here to take up space," Flash realised.
"Yes. But when they're destroyed, you'll take three hundred points of damage."
"Dang it," Flash growled. "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Marble's playing a very smart game. She must know of Flash's well known Pendulum swarm strategy, so is limiting the number of monsters Flash can summon.
Luna: I wonder how Flash will counter, with only two monster spots open for him.
Marble drew her card before activating another, "I play Foolish Burial. So now I'll send Stone Statue of the Aztecs to the graveyard," her deck slotted out a card for her to place in her grave. Flash and the many Duellists who knew Marble's play style all knew what this meant. "Now I'll banish Beryllium and my Stone Statue, in order to summon Gaia-Knight Emerald!"
Beryllium reappeared on the field before being trapped inside a miniature moon, which quickly broke apart to reveal a knight in green stone armour carrying a large shield. The knight then took a defensive stance hiding behind its shield. (A1600/D3600/L8) "And with two Rock type monsters removed from play, Emerald gains two hundred DEF points. (A1600/D3800/L8) "Now I'll activate the Continuous Spell card known as Rock Wrecker."
Flash watched as a strange looking cannon appeared on the field. "That can't be good."
"You're right," Marble said. "The Rock Wrecker lets me select a Rock monster on my field and lower its ATK by five hundred, then slam you with the same amount as damage." A piece of Emerald broke off before flying into the cannon. (A1100/D3800/L8) The cannon then fired the piece at Flash, hitting him in the stomach.
"Gah!" He cried while falling back.
Flash: 3500 Marble: 3800
"I end my turn."
As Flash picked himself up, he couldn't help but feel that something was off about Marble. "She didn't Duel like this last time," he said while drawing his card. "Something's...different about her."
Flash wasn't the only one who'd noticed the shift in Marble's personality.
"This Duel is the big climax," Twilight said. "But she doesn't seem to care about it at all. What's wrong?"
"I couldn't say for sure," Tidal replied. "Maybe she's just testing out Flash's play style."
"Come on Flash!" Spike cried. "Get the lead out!"
"You have to get rid of those monsters," Sunburst yelled. "Or else she'll just keep pounding you with that Rock Wrecker!"
Flash heard this and nodded. "Alright," he held out two cards, "I'll set the Pendulum Scale with scale two Bright Bounce Magna Bunny and scale eight Magna Caster Solaris!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him, as the two monsters flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a light shot out and hit the ground, taking shape before fading to reveal Flash's ace. "Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Flash Heart's skill," a portal opened up behind Emerald. "Banish Gaia-Knight Emerald!"
"I don't think so," Marble took a card from out of her pocket and placed it on the bottom of her deck. "By returning a banished rock monster to the bottom of my deck, Emerald's ability cancels out your monster's ability and destroys that monster. Emerald's DEF points went down, (A1600/D3700/L8) But doing so allowed it to slam its shield into the ground before firing a beam out of it. That beam hit Flash Heart and destroyed it.
"No!" Flash cried, but wouldn't let that stop him. "I tribute Arma in order to summon Charge Horn Magna Bull!" Arma disappeared in a flash of light, being replaced by the robotic man bull. (A2100/D2200/L6/P4) "Then I'll activate my Spell cards," his two face downs flipped up. "Lightspeed and Multiversal Spirit!" First, Lightspeed will increase the ATK of a Light monster on my field by one thousand. (A3100/D2200/L6/P4) "Then my Multiversal Spirit will let me send a monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard and increase Magna Bulls ATK by one hundred times its Level." He moved Flash Dragon Accel, the monster's spirit appearing in front of Manga Bull before transforming into light that surrounded the robot. (A3900/D2200/L6/P4)
Celestia: Impressive. Flash Sentry managed to increase his monster's power enough to destroy Emerald.
Marble smirked, then started running across the field. Flash followed behind her. "Magna Bull, attack!" The robot's pipes expelled the steam and sent it rocketing across the field after Marble and Emerald.
Marble spotted an Action Card in a nearby bush and grabbed it, only to flinch when something pricked her fingers. Doing so made her drop the card, which revealed an Action Trap called Every Rose has its Thorn.
Flash: 3500 Marble: 3300
Magna Bull then reached Emerald and smashed its fist into its shield, shattering it and destroying the monster.
Up in the stands, Pinkie and Maud watched as their sister Duelled. However, something didn't feel right.
Pinkie turned to Maud, "what's wrong with her. Marble's not acting like she usually acts when she Duels. It's like...there's no love between her and her cards, like there normally is."
Maud hummed. "She may be nervous. This match is very important, and she never was any good under pressure."
Pinkie nodded, thinking that must be it before turning to the field. "Stay cool Marble! Just Duel the way you normally do."
"I end my turn," Flash announced. Magna Bull's ATK returned to normal. (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
Marble drew her card and smiled when she saw what it was, then activated another card. "I play the Spell card Painful Choice." Five cards slotted out of her deck, which she took and placed on her Duel Disk. "Now take a look at these cards." Flash did so, seeing they were all monsters cards. "Now pick one and I'll add it to my hand, while the rest go to the graveyard."
So that was it. Flash took a closer look and saw that three of them were Pendulum Monsters, while another was Gaia-Knight Ruby and the last was Gaia-Knight Corundum. "No choice," he pointed at one of the cards. "Gaia-Knight Corundum, I'll let you keep that one."
Marble smiled, "good choice." She took that card and sent the rest to the graveyard. She then pulled out another card, "now. All the conditions have been met to play this card!" The ground beneath them began to shake before rocks broke off the ground and formed another moon. "Witness the birth of the earth's queen." Parts of the moon broke off it, creating an opening, that then transformed into a staircase like construct.
Flash looked up at the opening of the moon and saw something step out of it before stepping down the stairs. It was a woman who looked like Marble, only her hair was wrapped up into a pony tailed behind her head. She was also dressed in a regal looking dress that cut off just below the knees that had many jewels sown into it. Finally, she was carrying a staff made out of white marble. "Gaia-Maiden, Lady Marble!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Pinkie and Maud both stared at the new monster in confusion. Since when did their sister have that card in her deck?
Flash meanwhile, was looking at it in a different type of confusion. "How did you summon something that strong, without sacrificing anything?"
Marble smiled. "Lady Marble cannot be normal summoned or set, nor can she be special summoned except by her own ability."
"Which is?"
"She can be special summon, whilst I have three of more Earth monsters in my graveyard."
"So that's why you used Painful Choice."
"Exactly," she replied before placing Corundum on the field in DEF mode. (A1500/D1200/L4) "Now," she shot Flash a look, "I wanna see you overcome this with all your might." Something in the way she said that, sent a shiver down Flash's spine. "Activating the skill of Lady Marble," she pulled Gaia-Knight Ruby out of her graveyard. "By banishing an Earth monster from my graveyard, I can lower the ATK of a face-up monster on the field by one hundred times its Level."
Flash gasped as he turned to watch Ruby appear in front of Lady Marble before breaking into eight pieces, the woman using her staff to send those pieces flying at Magna Bull. And with each hit, his ATK points went down. (A1300/D2200/L6/P4)
Marble smiled. "I've been looking forward to having a match like this, for a long time."
"What?" Flash asked.
"Lady Marble, attack!" The monster tapped her staff onto the ground and caused a large chunk of earth to break off, then be sent flying towards Magna Bull.
Flash began to run off towards a nearby bush, where an Action Card was waiting. But as he turned it over, he saw it was the Trap Card Blast.
Celestia: Oh, too bad. Say goodbye to the top three cards of your deck Flash.
Flash groaned as he was forced to send his cards to the graveyard, while the block of earth struck Magna Bull and destroyed it. "Augh!"
Flash: 1800 Marble: 3300
"I'll then activate the effect of Rock Wrecker!" A piece of Corundum broke off before being loaded into the cannon. (A1000/D1200/L4) The cannon then fired, hitting Flash in the stomach and sending him flying back.
Flash: 1300 Marble: 3300
"I place one card face down end my turn!"
As Flash picked himself up, he stared at Marble. "What's going on?" He asked, "this feeling. It feels...familiar." It was then that he remembered, his Duel against Tempest. That was when he'd felt this before.
"Come now Flash," Marble said. "Show me why my friends have such an interest in you."
Flash frowned, but drew his card. "I activate the Spell card Starburst Reload. Now I'll banish the Star Fang Magna Tiger in my graveyard and draw seven new cards." He did so, as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out. hitting the ground and taking shake before fading.
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Flash Heart's skill is now activated!" A portal opened, which Corundum was sucked into. Flash smirked as he leapt onto Flash Heart's back. "Now I activate the Spell card, Reverse Polarity! With it, I'll swap Magna Bull and Lady Marble's ATK points." The two monsters glowed. (A3000/D2200/L6/P4) (A2100/D2500/L8) "Flash Heart, attack!" The dragon's boosters fired, propelling it forwards.
"I activate my Trap!" Marble cried, only for her Duel Disk to give a warning to say the action was prohibited. "What?"
"Sorry," Flash said, "but not happening. When a Pendulum Monster attacks, Solaris's Pendulum Ability prevents any Traps from being used." Marble growled at this, as Flash Heart punched her monster.
Flash: 1300 Marble: 2900
But strangely, Lady Marble remained where she was. "I activate Lady Marble's final ability. If she were to be destroyed, I can banish one Earth monster in my graveyard to prevent her destruction."
"Fine," Flash said, "then I'll have Magna Bull attack." The robot minotaur shot forwards, propelled by its steam shooting pipes, and slammed Lady Marble with its own fist.
Flash: 1300 Marble: 2000
"I place two cards face down and end my turn." Magna Bull and Lady Marble's ATK points returned to normal. (A2100/D2200/L6/P4) (A3000/D2500/L8)
"Awe man," Scootaloo moaned. "No fair. If those stupid tokens weren't blocking his field, he would have gotten to summon a whole bunch of monsters and steamroll her."
Twilight nodded. "She's blocking Flash's board to prevent him from making any big plays. Those two remaining monster zones give him options to Fusion, Synchro or Xyz summon, but those monsters on their own won't be enough to beat Marble."
"So he needs to get rid of those Blockade Tokens," Soarin realised.
"But how?" Sweetie asked.
"I'm not sure," Rarity told her sister. "He can't tribute them, nor can he use them as materials for any special summon. Since he probably doesn't have any cards that'll destroy monsters on his field, he's stuck waiting for Marble to destroy them for him."
"And a'h doubt she'll do that until Flash is low on life points," Applejack said. "Remember, she said them being destroyed will hit Flash with three hundred points of damage."
"Then all we can do is hope Flash can win with what he's got," Grand finished. He looked over at Cold and saw he was staring at Marble with intrigue. Did he know something they didn't?
Cold couldn't help but sense something about this girl. As if she was different from other Duellists. Where had he sensed this feeling before.
Pinkie and Maud continued to watch as their sister continued to act strange. "Something's...not right," Pinkie said.
"I know," Maud said while a look of concern broke through her usually stoic expression. "This is weird." The two looked over at Marble's new monster. Where had she gotten it and why was looking at it giving them this strange sensation of dread?
"It's my turn," Marble drew her card. "And I equip Lady Marble with the Rock Crusher!" Her monster's staff transformed into a large hammer. "You see, when a monster equipped with Rock Crusher destroys a monster, she can destroy every Rock Monster on your field."
Flash quickly caught onto what she was planning. If she attacked and destroyed one of his monsters, she'd destroy the three Blockade Tokens on his field and in doing so, would deal him a total of nine hundred points of damage."
"Then I'll use her ability, to banish Emerald from my graveyard." The monster appeared on the field before breaking into pieces, which were shot towards Magna Bull. With each piece that struck him, Magna Bull's power went down until it was much weaker.. (A1300/D2200/L6/P4) "This...ends....NOW!" Lady Marble charged forwards, ready to end this.
Celestia: Is this it?
Luna: Will team Rock Party be the ones to go through."
"FLASH!" Spike, Sunburst and everyone in the box yelled out as they watched Lady Marble reach Magna Bull.
"This ain't over yet," Flash told Marble before activating his face down. "Go, Defence Draw!" Lady Marble struck Magna Bull with her hammer and destroyed it, but a bubble appeared around Flash to block the attack. Flash then drew his card while Marble growled.
"Fine!" She almost screamed, "but the effects of Rock Crusher will still destroy your Blockade Tokens!" Then Gaia-Maiden used the hammer and shattered the stone monsters, the pieces of them flying at Flash and hitting him as he cried out and was knocked off Flash Heart.
Flash: 400 Marble: 2000
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Flash Sentry, holding on by the skin of his teeth.
Luna: And with the board now freed of those Blockade Tokens, how will he use his new advantage?
Anyone who was looking at Marble could tell she was angry. "Don't think you're anything special because you survived." Her eyes opened, a pulse of bad vibes shooting out of her and being felt throughout the entire field. "You're only delaying the inevitable!"
Flash flinched as that feeling washed over him, only to gasp when he saw something. A strange light, flowing off of her. That light seemed to take the shape of a woman, holding a staff. Flash's eyes flashed between the light and Marble's monster, realising they were exactly the same. "What are you?"
Meanwhile, the rest of the stadium was reeling from that negative vibe pulse.
The younger members of the audience felt goosebumps, Flurry even breaking out into tears, while the older ones felt this horrible sense of dread. "What was that?" Rainbow asked.
"Just for a second," Fluttershy continued. "I got a sense of something awful."
"I thought that was just me," Sunset said.
"That kid," Tidal stared down at Marble. "Who is she?"
Cold stood up, continuing to stare at Marble. "Cold?" He turned to see Shining looking up at him. "You okay?"
Cold just looked back at the field, "I'm fine." But no one was believing that. As he stared at Marble, he suddenly got a familiar sense. That girl, was very similar to Tempest Shadow.
He looked down into the crowd, spotting Adagio and her sister in the stands. The blond looked up at him and nodded, him nodding back. Seems they were on the same page.
Over with Spike and Sunburst, the younger of the two turned to his teammate. "I'm worried. Flash is looking rattled and that's not something that happens easily."
"He'll be fine," Sunburst replied. "He just needs to keep his head in the game."
Flash stared at Marble as he reached for his deck. There was no doubt now, this wasn't the same Marble he'd Duelled before. Something had happened to her. "I draw!"
"And I activate my face down," Marble's card flipped up. "Trap Mirror. Now I can banish Stone Blockade from my graveyard to activate its effect." Three lights shot out of the Trap and hit Flash's field, creating the three stone statues once again.
Celestia: Oh no, now Flash is stuck with only two monster zones.
Luna: And next turn, Ms Pie's Rock Crusher will destroy then and deal him enough damage to be defeated. It seems the fate of this Duel will be decided during this turn.
"Come on!" Marble cried, "give me everything you've got."
Flash growled, "oh I will!" Flash held up the card he'd just drawn and slapped it onto his Duel Disk. "Come on out, Vail Pixie X!" The little fairy appeared on his field, floating next to Flash Heart. (A100/D100/L1) "Then, I'll tribute her and Flash Heart, in order to awaken Flash Heart's ultimate power!" With that, Flash Heart and Vail Pixie glowed before they shot into the air, with Vail Pixie morphing into a cocoon of light that completely enveloped Flash Heart Dragon.
Flash held up the card he'd gotten from Defence Draw before slapping in onto his Duel Disk, "TRANSCEND!" The cocoon of light exploded off of his monster, revealing a hyper evolved Flash Heart. "Flash Dragon...MAGNA HARMONY!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
All over the stadium, everyone was watching in awe as the monster that saved the earth appeared before them. Marble just stared at it, "you don't scare me with that."
"We'll see about that!" Flash said as he removed two cards from his graveyard, "I banish Flash Dragon Accel and Space-Warp Dragon! Now Magna Harmony will gain their abilities." The spirits of the two banished monsters flashed in front of his dragon before flying inside of it. "ATTACK!"
"Why?" Marble asked, "our monster's ATK are the same. If they clash, they'll both be destroyed." She then smiled, "In fact, only yours will be destroyed. All I have to do is banish another monsters from my grave to protect her." But her confidence vanished whens he saw Flash smiling.
"Don't forget, Magna Harmony now has Space-Warp's abilities. And if Space-Warp attacks while you have more banished cards then me, his ATK is doubled."
"What?" Marble looked up at Magna Harmony and saw it begin to glow. (A6000/D2500/L8) "No!" She knew her only hope was an Action Card, so she and her monster began to run off while Flash leapt onto Manga Harmony's back before it flew after them.
Marble reached to top of a hill and spotted an Action Card at the bottom of it. If she could just reach it.
"Who or what are you!?" She looked back to see Flash and his monster following. "And what did you do to Marble!"
Marble didn't answer, instead jumping down the hill and sliding towards the Action Card. She grabbed it, seconds before Magna Harmony could reach her monster. "I play the Action Spell, Grass Guard!" A tornado of grass appeared around Lady Marble, as Magna Harmony tried to punch her. "This card will cut the damage I take in half, while banishing an Earth monster from my grave protects my monster!" The fist broke through the tornado, but Lady Marble blocked it with her staff.
Flash: 400 Marble: 500
Flash frowned, but then spotted an Action Card. He leapt off Magna Harmony, as the monster was consumed by light. "I activate the skill inherited from Flash Dragon Accel!" The light faded, revealing Flash Heart Dragon X. (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) Flash landed on the ground next to the Action Card and grabbed it, turning it around to see what he'd gotten. He then turned to Marble, "this is what we've all been aiming for. The images of Sunburst and Spike flashed in front of him. "Our goals. Our dreams. Coming together, at the Double X. Flash Heart Dragon X, ATTACK!"
"Why?" Marble asked, "it can't beat my Gaia-Maiden."
"We'll see about that!" Flash played the Action Spell he'd gotten. "Time to play Cloud Gazing. This Action Spell lets me take a Monster, Spell and Trap from my graveyard." He took said cards and held them up, "now pick one." Marble raised an eyebrow at this. "If you pick the monster, I'll get to summon it. If it's the Spell, I can play it. But if it's the Trap, I lose five hundred life points."
Marble quickly realised what he had planned. As long as she didn't pick the Spell, the match was hers.
Celestia: It all comes down to this.
Luna: One choice, may decide the fate of this match.
Flash glared at Marble. "I don't know what happened, but whoever made Marble into this...thing, will have to pay for what they did. For taking away her love of this game."
"The far right!" Marble chose, with Flash smiling.
"You picked my Spell Card," Marble's eyes went wide. "Lightspeed!" Flash Heart glowed as his power went up. (A3500/D2000/L7/P4) The dragon finally reached Lady Marble, pulling back a fist. "You leave our game alone, do you HEAR ME!" Flash Heart punched Lady Marble, shattering her staff and making her cry out.
Marble then smiled. "You are too cute, you know that."
"Huh?" Flash asked before her monster exploded.
Flash: 400 (Winner) Marble: 0
Marble suddenly hissed in pain, clutching the back of her right hand. Flash noticed this, but before he could ask what it was-
Celestia: There we have it! Flash Sentry has won. And with that victory, the ones going through to the second round is...TEAM V-FIGHTERS!
The crowd erupted into applause, as Duel Field disappeared with Flash and Marble standing on it.
Flash turned back to Marble, only to find her standing next to him with hand hand out. "Good game." Okay, Flash was completely lost but shook her hand anyway. Once she was done, she turned to walk away.
Flash was about to follow, only for footsteps to make him turn around and see Spike running towards him. "FLASH!" He cried as he threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly, "you did it!"
"Hey," Flash turned to see Sunburst walking up to him. He then broke out in a smile before rushing towards him, "we're through to the next stage!" He slapped Flash on the back, the boy crying out while Spike and Sunburst laughed.
"I can't believe they did it!" Scootaloo cheered while everyone in the box clapped.
"It's to bad that Pinkie's team could get through," Sweetie said before Rarity patted her on the shoulder.
"That's just the way thing play out. There's always next year."
"I guess you're right," Sweetie said.
As everyone continued to talk, Cold stepped back before slipping out of the room. Only one person noticed his exit, and Grand was starting to agree with Shining that something was up with him.
In their box, team Dominator were gone.
Luna: The Double X can now proceed onto the next round. Sixteen of our teams have made it through to compete here in round two. The excitement continues to build.
Outside, Marble had left the stadium and was walking off.
"Marble!" The girl stopped before turning to see Pinkie and Maud running up to her. "What's the deal, leaving like that. You don't wanna get lost again, do you?"
Marble said nothing.
"Marble," Maud stepped up, "what happened back there. That Duel...you weren't your usual self back there."
"Yeah," Pinkie agreed, "what's up with you?"
"Nothing," Marble replied before turning towards them. "Listen, I'm heading off."
This caught the girls by surprise. "Where are you going?" Maud asked.
"Maybe we can come with you," Pinkie suggested.
"No," Marble said, "where I'm going...is not a place for weaklings like the two of you." Pinkie and Maud both gasped hearing this, as Marble walked off with a smile on her face. They wanted to go after her, but for some reason they couldn't seem to move.
Up on the roof of the stadium, team Dominator watched the exchanged.
Starlight turned to Tempest. "You're just gonna...let her go?"
Tempest sighed. "When has she ever listened to what other people say. Besides, she has her own mission to attend to. Finding the vessels for our comrades and locating the six keys. We have our mission as well, to find the one worthy. Only then, will our lord be able to make the world the way it should be." Both Starlight and Heath nodded.
In the hallway, Cold and Adagio stood side bye side with Cold on the phone.
"And that's everything," he said into it. "I'm sorry about Flash, but there were situations beyond my control." He listened for several moment before nodding, "alright. I'll have him there tomorrow. Alright, see you then." He cut the call and turned to Adagio.
"Well?" She asked with crossed arms.
"She'll be here tomorrow."
"Who'll be here tomorrow?" The two turned to see Grand walking up to him, a suspicious look on his face. "Alright, what's going on?"
Cold sighed, "it's...hard to explain."
"Just tell me...is Flash in danger?" After what had happened last year, the fact that his grandson might once again be put in the middle of something big troubled him.
"I can't say for sure. It'll be easier to hear what's going on from my informant."
"And whose your informant?"
"Someone you know quite well. She'll be here tomorrow. Her flight from Egypt is just about to take off."
"Egypt?"
Cairo International Airport.
The terminal was busy, as many natives and tourists headed to or from their flights. Over at baggage drop, one woman put a mid-sized travel bag onto the conveyor belt. She then turned towards the board to see where her flight was.
She was a silver skinned woman with purple hair, wearing a pink blouse and blue skirt. She sighed as she headed towards her gate. "Just a little longer, and I'll be home. Wait for me kids."
The buzzing of his alarm was the first thing Flash noticed that morning, the teen quickly rolling around and switching it off before rolling back onto his back.
As he stared up at the ceiling, his mind flashed back to the previous day. After the first round concluded, Flash had gone off to find Cold and located him in one of the hallways. He had asked whether or not he knew anything about Marble's suddenly personality shift.
Yesterday
"What are you saying?" Flash asked him in an annoyed manor, "tell me the truth. Is this to do with Tempest Shadow? Is she the one your after?"
"Yes," Cold replied. "We're not one hundred percent sure yet. But if things are as you suspect, there's a strong chance Marble Pie is also involved." Flash let this sink in and sighed, not liking what Pinkie or Maud might say if they found out. "We're putting all our resources into an investigation. I was able to secure an appointment with someone. They can shed more light on this. They'll be arriving here tomorrow."
"I see," Flash said. "And you think this person will be able to tell us what's going on."
"Yes," Cold replied before turning to walk off. "If you really want to know more, meet us at the fountain in Canterlot Park at ten o'clock tomorrow."
Present
Flash finally got up and yawned. After the Double X's first round ended, Flash and his friends had all gone out for a celebration dinner. The only ones of their group that didn't show were Pinkie and Maud, saying they had some family stuff to deal with. The party had lead deep into the night, leading to Flash's late morning sleep.
He got out of bed, washed and dressed before heading out into the rest of the apartment. He checked in on Scoot and found she was still asleep, and probably would be for a few more hours, then headed into the living room. He spotted a note on the table and looked it over, finding it was from Grand.
It said he had to go out early, as an old friend was flying into town and he'd agreed to pick them up.
He made a quick breakfast and began to eat, only for his phone to go off as he did. He checked the ID and smiled seeing who it was, "hey you."
"Hey," Twilight replied, "glad to see someone's up. Spike's still out like a log."
"So's Scoot. She didn't even Duel yesterday." They laughed. "So what's up?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to know if you wanted to do something together later. We might be opponents in the Double X, but we're still boyfriend and girlfriend. We haven't had any alone time since I got back and I'm not doing anything today, so how about it?"
Flash smiled and was about to agree, only to bite his tongue as he remembered his meeting with Cold today. "Sorry Twi, but I've got something I need to do today. How about tomorrow?"
"Sure," Twilight replied, "but what are you doing today?"
There was a question Flash was hoping she wouldn't asked. "Nothing much. Just...a few errands. If I'm able to get them done quicker then I thought, I'll call and we can meet up after."
"Alright," Flash could tell she wasn't buying it, "I guess I'll see you later then." With that, the call was cut and Flash sighed. He was gonna need to do something big to make it up to her. "Sorry Twi." He finished his breakfast, cleaned and dried his plate before heading for the door.
Adding a quick note under Grand's and leaving it where Scootaloo could find it, he headed out. He considered taking his Duel Runner, but didn't want to leave it behind once he'd met up with Cold. Besides, the park wasn't that far and he had plenty of time to kill.
He finally got there at nine forty, plenty of time to spare, and sat down on the fountain.
And so he waited...and waited...and waited some more.
Ten minutes after arriving, the late night suddenly began to catch up to Flash and before he knew it, he was laying on the fountain snoozing away. A little while after he fell asleep, two figures stepped out into the fountain area and spotted the teen.
"Oh," the female of the duo said as they stepped up to him, "isn't that cute. Was this what he was like when he slept as a baby?"
"Pretty much, though he didn't drool as much back then. We should probably wake him up."
"Let me." The woman bent down and used her fingers to close his nose. After several seconds, Flash's brain realised the problem.
"YAH!" Flash sat up and started swinging his arms around, the two laughing at his reaction until they saw he was about to lose his balance and fall into the fountain. "Wow, wow, wow,WOW!"
He was about to tip over, only for something to grab his wrist and stop him. "Huh?" He looked over at what had grabbed him and saw it was another hand. He followed it up the arm, then to the shoulder before looking slightly around to see the owner. And when he did, his eyes went wide. "Mom?"
Misty Vail smiled down at her son as she pulled him up off the fountain. "Hello sweetheart."
Flash just continued to stare at her, completely frozen. His eyes flicked over at the other person and saw it was Grand. "How...how are you here?"
Misty giggled. "Vail Pixie opened a portal for me to come through. Though her aims a little off, since I ended up in Egypt. One long plane ride later and I'm here."
Flash turned to Grand, "you knew she was coming back?"
Grand sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "I just found out about it yesterday. Cold told me she was coming and I offered to pick her up." He turned to smile at his daughter, "it was nice to spend a few hours catching up before coming here."
Misty smiled back before turning to Flash and holding out her arms. "Well don't just stand there. Come give your mother a hug." Flash didn't waist a second and closed the distance, pulling his mother into the tightest embrace he could muster. "I've missed this."
Once the hug ended, the three sat down and talked. Apparently, Cold had sent a text to them say he'd be a few minutes late. "So," Flash asked as a certain subject popped into his head, "how's Sombra doing?"
Grand frowned hearing the name, while Misty smiled. "He's fine. His transformation into a Duel Spirit went off without a problem and he's settled into his new life quite well. Since everything's going okay in the Duel Monster Spirit World, I came back to be with my family."
"I can't wait to see Scoots expression when she sees you."
"Me too," Misty replied before looking up at the sky. "Honestly, I was scared you and Scootaloo would hate me and your dad for being gone so long. Even if it was for a good cause."
Flash rolled his eyes. "We already told you, we understand. Granted, if we'd been told all this before the whole adventure started, we'd probably never had believed you and would have been angry. But seeing what would have happened if you hadn't done what you did, we get it."
"Indeed," Grand agreed. "If you hadn't made the deck and Trail hadn't been closing the breeches, Sombra might have succeeded." He placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
Misty's frowned turned back to a smile, "thank you." She turned back to Flash. "But even though I don't regret staying away, I do regret missing so much of you and your sister's lives. Your first steps. Your first words. Your first Duels. I wish I could have been there to see them."
"So do we," Flash replied. "But that's just the way life works."
Misty nodded, only to get a look on her face that said she'd just remembered something. "Oh, that's right." she stood up and reached into her skirt pocket, pulling something out that she then handed over to Flash. "Here, a little present for you."
Flash looked at it and saw it was an envelop, which he took and opened up before pulling out a pair of cards. "What's this?" But as he turned the cards around, a suddenly flash of bright light almost blinded him. "Gah!" He blinked the light away the specks as the light died down, his vision clearing to allow him to look around and see he was back in the spirit world. "Long time no see." Just as he said that, he suddenly found himself floating towards the statue.
Said statue began to descend, with Flash following.
They descended lower and lower, past the chambers Destiny Bound and Chaos Command were in until the elevator stopped. The torches lit, illuminating the corridor that Flash flew down until he reached the door.
Said door opened before the room was filled with light, allowing Flash to fly inside. And as he did, his eyes were drawn towards the object in the centre of the room.
It was a statue of a giant humanoid dragon, that stood at around fifteen meters. Everything but its head, hands, stomach lower legs and feet were covered in gear themed armour. It was also wearing a helmet that had large horns coming out of it, while also having a pair of mechanical wings coming out of its back armour. Finally, it was holding a large single-edged sword with saw like teeth running down the blade and a gear on its crossguard.
"Is this," Flash floated up to the statue and reached out. And as soon as his hand touched the statue's chest, a crack appeared and quickly spread across it.
And before Flash could ask what was going on, the stone crumbled and unleashed a burst of radiant light. "WOW!" Flash was forced to close his eyes until he felt the light dying down, allowing him to open them up and see he was back in the park and was now staring at the cards in his hand.
One was a Spell card while the other was a Ritual monster, said monster being a flesh and blood version of the statue he'd seen. After a closer look, he realised the bottom half of the card was a different shade of blue then the top half. "A Ritual...Pendulum?" He looked at the other card and realised it was the Ritual Spell needed to summon this card.
Misty nodded. "After the battle last year, more chambers of the ruins were unlocked. In one of those chambers, I discovered this monster laying dormant. It's still asleep, but Sombra and I were able to learn everything we needed to know about it in order to create this card."
Grand looked over Flash's shoulder and saw it was a Level twelve monster. "This must be a pretty powerful card," he said.
"More then you know," Misty replied. "But that power has a very high cost, along with some very strange summoning conditions. See for yourself." Flash did so and read the Spell's effect, his eyes going wide once he did.
"What?" He asked in near shock, "I have to send banished monsters whose Level count are twice that of the summoned monster to the bottom of my deck.
"Seriously?" Grand took the card and read it, seeing he was right. "Twenty four levels worth of cards. And they have to have been removed from play."
"That's right," Misty said. "It'll be tricky, but I'm sure you can handle it. Once you've summoned it, it's powers will be yours to command."
Flash continued to stare at the card. Was he really ready for a card like this. "Mom...I'm not so sure I'm the right person to use this." But Misty stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Flash, I have no doubt in my mind that you will be able to use this card to its full potential. But you'll never be able to handle its power if you have doubts. You need to have confidence in yourself."
"She's right kid," Grand agreed. "You're the best man to have this card. Just believe in yourself. You are the Celestic Cup Champion after all."
Flash smiled at the praise before taking out his deck and placing the cards inside it.
Misty, seeing the deck she had created, got a sudden idea. "Hey," the two turned to her, "since it looks like Cold's gonna be a while." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver Duel Disk. "How about a Duel to pass the time. It'll be fun to Duel against the deck I created."
Flash and Grand glanced at one another. Grand then smiled. "It would be nice to watch my daughter Duel again after so long." This made Flash smile back before pulling out his own Duel Disk.
"Let's do this."
The three quickly moved over to where Flash had Duelled Tempest. "You ready for this son?"
Flash looked down at his Deck, remembering the Ritual cards he'd gotten. This was gonna be tough, but he had to give it his all. "I'm ready." The two activated their Duel Disk and drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Misty: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Misty drew her card. "And I summon Monster Egg." A brown egg appeared on the field before parts of it cracked and broke away, revealing a pair of eyes. (A600/D900/L3)
"Weird monster," Flash commented.
"Then I'll activate the Spell card, Nurturing Light!" A brilliant glow appeared to flow down from the heavens, hitting the egg. "With this card, I can have Monster Egg hatch and grow into Angelic Dragon!" The egg shattered before revealing a dragon with yellow and white fur, it's wings filled with golden feather. (A2400/D1400/L6) "I place one card face down and end my turn." Misty looked over at her son, "so what have you got sweetheart?"
Flash smirked as he drew his card, "let me show you! I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Magna Caster Lunara and scale eight Lustrous Feather Magna Leghorn!" The pillars of light appeared besides him before the two monsters flew up into them. "Now watch, as I cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal formed above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out, hitting the ground and taking shape before fading.
"Hop to it, Bright Bounce Magna Bunny!" (A1200/D600/L3/P2)
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Then I'll activate the Spell card Reverse Polarity, to swap your dragons ATK with my rabbits." The two monsters glowed as their ATK points changed. (A2400/D600/L3/P2) (A1200/D1400/L6) "Magna Chimp, attack!" The robotic monkey rushed forwards and slashed the dragon, destroying it.
Flash: 4000 Misty: 3400
"Now, Magna Bunny will attack you directly!" The robotic hare rushed forwards, jumping at Misty and pulling its foot back to kick her.
"I activate my Trap!" Misty's face down flipped up, "Defence Draw!" A force field appeared around her, which Magna Bunny struck, protecting her as she drew her card.
Flash hummed, "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Alright, my draw." Misty did so and nodded before removing two cards from her hand and placing them on the field. "Now I'll set my Pendulum Scale, with scale one Shimmering Tinkerbell and scale eight Glimmering Tinkerbell!" The pillars of light appeared on the field before a pair of near identical fairies, both having silver skin and purple hair but one wearing a red and yellow dress while the other wore a pink and purple dress, appeared and flew into them.
"Not good," Flash said.
Misty smiled. "Now watch, as I cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal formed above hear head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and three lights shot out, hit the ground and faded to reveal Misty's monsters.
"Gellenduo!" (A1700/D0/L4)
The second became a teenage girl with silver hair, wearing a white dress and light armor while carrying a sword and circular shield. "Shining Valkyrie Maiden!" (A1600/D1000/L4)
The last became a young girl with short blond hair, wearing a white dress and carrying a bow with arrows that had heart shaped heads. This monster took a defensive stance. "And Pure-Heart Cupid!" (A1200/D700/L3) "Then I'll use Cupid's ability!" The little angel drew its bow and aimed at Magna Chimp, firing the arrow.
Once it hit the robotic monkey, the arrow exploded as Chimp was surrounded by pink light. "What the?" Flash asked, only to see Magna Chimp's eyes be replaced by hearts as it stared at Cupid. (A1500/D600/L4/P9) "What did you do to my monster?"
"I put him under my love spell," Misty giggled. "And that love has made him vulnerable and open to attack!" As if on cue, Gellenduo flew forwards before the pair body slammed Magna Chimp and destroyed it.
Flash: 3800 Misty: 3400
"And since a Light Monster destroyed one of your monsters, Shimmering Tinkerbell's Pendulum Ability lets me draw one card." She did so before pointing at Magna Bunny, "Shining Valkyrie Maiden!" The girl rushed forwards and used her sword to cut Magna Bunny in half.
Flash: 3400 Misty: 3400
"You activated my Trap!" Flash announced as his face down flipped up. "Starburst Draw. Now I can draw cards equal to my Magna Bunny's Level," he drew three cards.
"Well since another Light monster destroy one of your monsters, I can now draw one card." Misty did so before placing one of the cards face down. "I end my turn." Her Valkyrie was suddenly consumed by a bright light.
"Now what?"
"Since Valkyrie Maiden destroyed a monster this turn, I can sacrifice her in order to summoned Shining Valkyrie Princess." The light faded to reveal an older version of her monster, her armor now thicker while her sword was bigger. Her shield was now a heater-shield with a bird emblem on it, and a pair of metal wings were attacked to the back of her chest armor. (A2300/D1000/L6) "And while Valkyrie Princess in one the field, the ATK of every other Light monster goes up. Gellenduo and Cupid glowered. (A2000/D0/L4) (A1500/D700/L3)
Grand smirked as he watched his daughter Duel for the first time in over twenty years. "She hasn't lost her touch," he then turned to Flash. "Now how are you gonna handle this?"
Flash drew his card, but before he could say anything Misty spoke up. "I activate my Trap, Spirit Barrier. Now I don't take any damage from battles involving my monsters."
Okay, this was gonna be tricky. That and Gellenduo's effect were gonna make this match almost impossible to win. But Flash wasn't out yet, as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out, struck the ground and took shape before fading to reveal Flash's monsters.
"Hop to it, Bright Bounce Magna Bunny!" (A1200/D600/L3/P2)
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Unleash your roar, Star Fang Magna Tiger!" (A2400/D2100/L7)
"Interesting," Misty said. "So what's he planning."
"Now my Level three Manga Bunny, will tune with my Level four Magna Chimp!" Magna Bunny transformed into three spheres of light, which all carved light circle that Magna Chimp leapt into. "Memories of strength long forgotten, return in an explosion of power!" The two monster disappeared in an burst of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Flash's monster. "Flashback Dragon!" (A2300/2200/L7)
Both Grand and Misty smiled as they watched the dragon float down besides Flash.
"Activating the skill of Flashback Dragon!" The serpent flew up and formed the circle, which Magna Tiger flew into. "By banishing Magna Tiger, I can summon two monsters from my deck whose Levels equal his." A pair of lights shot out the other side and exploded, revealing his monsters. "Say hello to Magna Fighter Gun Runner and Space-Warp Dragon!" " (A1600/D1400/L4) (A800/D1200/L3)
"Not bad," Misty said. "But none of your monsters can destroy my Valkyrie."
"Wait for it," Flash said as he drew two cards thanks to Space-Warp's ability. Seconds later, Leghorn spread its wings. The star on its stomach glowed before firing out a shooting star, which struck Valkyrie.
"What was that?" Misty asked, only to look down at her Duel Disk notice something. (A2300/D1000/L7) "Her Level went up?"
"Space-Warp Dragon, attack!" The robotic wyvern flew towards Cupid. The turbine in its chest spun, causing the beast to fly forwards and slash Cupid.
"Then I'll activate my Multiversal Spirit!" Flash announced as the spirit of Flash Dragon Accel appeared, before flying into Gun Runner. (A2400/D1400/L4)
"He's strong enough to destroy Valkyrie," Misty realised before Gun Runner aimed his weapon at her monster before firing. The blast struck Valkyrie Princess and destroyed her, Misty being spared from the damage thanks to her Spirit Barrier.
"Attack successful. Now activating the skill of Gun Runner!" Flash cried as his monster created a wormhole, which he then leapt into. "By banishing himself, I can now summon a monster whose Level is equal to the Level of the monster he destroyed."
"So that's why he Levelled Valkyrie up," she realised while looking over at the portal.
A light shot out and exploded, revealing a monster she knew all too well. "Shine your light of victory...FLASH HEART DRAGON X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
Misty smiled, "hello my old friend."
Flash and Grand smiled back at her, only for Flash to then get serious. "Flash Heart's skill!" A portal opened up behind Gellenduo, sucking it up and leaving Misty's field bare. "Now you're open to a direct attack. Flashback!" The serpentine dragon slithered through the air until it blocked out the sun, raising the other in its claws as they began to glow. It brought them together, causing a beam of light to fly out with Misty as its target.
Grand and Flash both turned to her, expecting to see her panicking, but were surprised to see her look calm while placing a card in her graveyard. Seconds later, a woman in viking armour holding a large shield appeared in front of her and blocked the attack. "Sorry honey, but by discarding my Mystic Shield-Maiden, I can cut the damage I take from your attack in half. Her monster was destroyed by the blast, which then struck Misty and knocked her off her feet.
Flash: 3400 Misty: 2250
Flash sighed, "I place one card face down end my turn."
"My turn," Misty drew her card. "And since it's now my Standby Phase, Glimmering Tinkerbell's Pendulum Ability activates." Flash looked up at the monster and saw the eight under it become a five. "By lowering its Pendulum Scale, I can add one Light monster from my deck to the hand." Her deck slotted out a card. "Then I'll activate the Spell Card, Starburst Reload!"
Flash's eyes went wide, as he watched his mother banish Angelic Dragon before drawing six new cards. "Oh boy." He looked up and saw the portal form above her head.
"I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a pair of lights shot out, hitting the ground and taking form before fading.
The first became a woman with golden hair, wearing a beautiful dress that flowed down to her ankles. "Lady of Radiant Shine!" (A800/D2000/L4)
But when Flash and Grand saw what the other card was, they both gasped. The monster was a humanoid man, wearing black armour over a dark blue body suit. A red cape flowed down from his shoulder armor and he was carrying a sword made of black metal. Despite the helmet he was wearing, the two had a clear image of his face. "Shadow Knight...SOMBRA!" (A1800/D500/L4/P4)
"No way," Flash said.
"What's he doing your in deck?" Grand asked with a literal growl in his voice.
Misty just smiled. "Well he did become a Duel Spirit. You really think I wouldn't make a card for him? Now, for his ability. Usually, he gains one hundred ATK points for every Light monster in my graveyard." The ghostly images of her fallen monsters appeared around him, then flew into Sombra's sword. (A2100/D500/L4/P4) "But since he was special summoned, he also gains a hundred points for every banished Light monster. (A2300/D500/L4/P4)
"Not good," Flash said.
Misty then took out another card from her hand and played it. "Now I'll sacrifice Lady of Radiant Shine!" The woman was enveloped by light. "Her ability allows her to act as two tributes when summoning a Light monster, meaning she's all I need in order to summon my Divine Sky Angel!" The light faded, revealing a woman in white robes that had three sets of angel wings and a pink bow in her hand. (A2300/D2600/L7)
Flash was in awe at the monster, "so this is mom's ace."
"Next, I'll activate the Limitless Heaven Field Spell!" In a flash of light, everyone found themselves standing atop large clouds that glowed a golden light. "On this field, all Fairy monsters gain three hundred ATK points when they destroy a monster." Divine Sky Angel drew her bow and aimed it at Space-Warp Dragon, an arrow of light appearing in said before firing it at the dragon and destroying it.
"I activate my face down," Flash card flipped up to reveal a Trap card. "Defence Draw!" A force field appeared around him and blocked the damage, as Flash drew his card.
"He saved himself some major damage," Grand said. "But Misty isn't done yet."
"Since she destroyed a monster," Misty announced. "Divine Sky now gains three hundred ATK points." Her monster glowed as he power increased. (A2600/D2600/L7) "Plus, whenever Divine Sky Angel destroys a monster, I can pay three hundred life points to have her attack another monster on your field."
Flash: 3400 Misty: 1950
Divine Sky Angel drew another light arrow and aimed it at Flashback, firing and impaled the dragon the dragon with it.
Flash: 3100 Misty: 1950
Once again, Divine Sky Angel's ATK power rose. (2900/D2600/L7) "And once again, I'll pay three hundred life points to have attack again!"
Flash: 3100 Misty: 1650
The angel fired one more light arrow, stabbing Flash Heart in the chest and destroying it. Flash flinched as his field was made bear.
Flash: 2800 Misty: 1650
He before he could recover, he felt a presence in front of him and looked up. Sombra was now standing in front of him, raising his sword. Flash swore a spotted a smirk on his face before he swung it down, slashing him across the chest. "GAH!"
Flash: 500 Misty: 1650
"I place two cards face down and end my turn." Divine Sky and Sombra's ATK points returned to normal. (2300/D2600/L7) (A1800/D500/L4/P4)
Flash panted, still reeling from Sombra's attack. "Mom's not messing around."
"Oh," Misty said, "are you only figuring that out now? Come on, show the skill that allowed you to save the world last year."
Flash smiled while looking down at the card he'd gotten from the Defence Draw. He might be able to do just that. "I draw," he saw what he'd gotten and smiled. "I'll start by activating the Spell card, Starburst Reload. Now I can banish Flashback Dragon in order to draw seven cards." He did so, now holding a very large hand, as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before four lights shot out, hitting the ground.
"Hop to it, Bright Bounce Magna Bunny!" (A1200/D600/L3/P2)
"Howl to the Moon, Shining Fang Magna Wolf!" (A1500/D1200/L4)
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"Quite the menagerie," Misty told him. "But what will you do with them."
Flash smirked. "Well first, I'll be using Flash Heart's skill to banish Sombra." A portal opened up behind Sombra and unleashed a sucking motion, but Misty simply smiled.
"I activate my face down," her card flipped up to reveal a Spell. "Heaven's Blessing. Since I have a Light monster on my field, I can make one monster on my field immune to monster effects." Divine Sky Angel flew over Sombra and unleash a radiant light, which formed a barrier around Sombra that protected him. "Flash, I've known Flash Heart a lot longer then you have. You really think I don't know how to negate his effects?"
Flash frowned. "Fine, then I'll summon Vail Pixie X to the field." In a flash of light, the little fairy appeared besides the rest of his monsters.
"Vail Pixie," Misty whispered. It was good to see her best friend again. And even better seeing her son using her. "Now then, how will you use her power?"
"I tribute Vail Pixie X and Flash Heart Dragon X, in order to awaken Flash Heart's ultimate power!" With that, Flash Heart and Vail Pixie glowed before they shot into the air, with Vail Pixie morphing into a cocoon of light that completely enveloped Flash Heart Dragon.
Flash held up the card he'd gotten from Defence Draw before slapping in onto his Duel Disk, "TRANSCEND!" The cocoon of light exploded off of his monster, revealing the hyper evolved Flash Heart Dragon. Said dragon flew down behind Flash. "Flash Dragon...MAGNA HARMONY!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Misty marvelled at the sight of the monster. "So, this is the future Flash is striving for."
"Activating the skill of Magna Harmony!" Flash removed Flash Dragon Accel and Space-Warp Dragon.
"This is the combo he used to beat Marble," Grand caught on."
"Not exactly gramps," Flash replied. "Since I have more cards removed from play then her, Magna Harmony can now attack mom...directly." Grand and Misty both went wide-eyed, as a portal opened up in front of Magna Harmony before it flew through it. Another portal opened up between Misty and her monsters, the dragon shooting out of it before preparing to attack her.
"Your attack won't work," Misty told him. "Are you forgetting about my Spirit Barrier."
"No," Flash replied before activating a card from his hand, "but my Mystical Space Typhoon will take care of it." A tornado exploded onto the field, sucking the Trap card up and destroying it.
"If this attack lands," Grand realised.
Flash smirked as he looked over at his mother, only to see a smile on her face. "Skill of Mystical Shield-Maiden!" Said monster reappeared between her and Magna Harmony. "Banish her from my graveyard and activate the effect of one Trap in my graveyard. As such, I'll activate Defence Draw!" Shield-Maiden pushed Magna Harmony back before disappearing, Misty drawing her card.
Flash growled, "skill inherited from Accel!" The dragon disappeared, being replaced by Flash Heart. "Attack!" The dragon's boosters rocketed forwards before it punched Divine Sky Angel, destroying her.
Flash: 500 Misty: 1450
"Now for Magna Wolf!" The sabre toothed wolf rushed forwards, aiming straight for Sombra. "With eight cards removed from play, he gains eight hundred ATK points!" (A2300/D1200/L4) The wolf bite through Sombra sword and slashed him to bits.
Flash: 500 Misty: 950
"Now, Magna Bunny!" The robot hare leapt forwards, ready to end this battle with a kick. However, Misty wasn't finished.
"Trap summon!" Her face down flipped up, right before a woman in beautiful robes appeared. "Tutelary Deity, Athena!" (A0/D2000/L4)
"A Trap Monster," Grand caught on.
"Activate skill! Plus five hundred DEF points for every Light monster in the graveyard!" (A0/D3000/L4) Magna Bunny stopped its attack and leapt back, Flash knowing he had nothing to get passed his mother's defences.
"I place three cards face down and end my turn!" Athena's DEF returned to normal. (A0/D2000/L4) Flash looked down at his face down, them being Lightspeed, Brittle Shield and Dimensional Prison. Hopefully, that would be enough to stop Misty's attack. He looked down at his hand, which had the Spell card his mother had given him. If only he'd been able to summon it.
"It's my turn," Misty drew her card and smiled. "I'll admit son, your skills are impressive. But you still have a long way to go."
"I know," Flash replied.
"You've only scratched the surface of what your deck is capable of." Misty held up her card, "but let's see if you can handle my best. I play the Spell card, Monster Reborn!" A portal appeared before Divine Sky Angel appeared out of it, as the Pendulum Portal opened above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a light shot out of it, revealing Sombra.
"Now," Misty raised her card, "I tribute Divine Sky Angel and one Dark monster from my field." Sombra transformed into a cloud of shadow, which began to spiral around the angel. "Now watch, as the forces of light and darkness merge to create a deity without equal." The shadows faded, revealing Misty's new monster. It was Divine Sky Angel, only now she was covered head to toe in black armour with gold trim. She had three sets of golden wings, two pairs on her back and one on her waist. Her bow was replaced by a black and gold staff. "Transcending Heaven Angel" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Flash and Grand were both amazed by this new monster.
"Skill of Transcending Heaven!"
Flash: 500 Misty: 475
"Pay half my life points and special summon any Light monster in my graveyard!" The angel waved her staff and created a portal besides her, which Shining Valkyrie Princess flew out of. (A2300/D1000/L6) "Finally, I activate the Spell card Valkyrie Coronation!" Valkyrie Princess was consumed by light. "By sacrificing Valkyrie Princess, I can give life to her final form. The light faded to reveal Valkyrie, only she was now older. Her dress was now a made of metal, while her sword, shield and wings were made of gold. A crown sat atop her head, "Shining Valkyrie Queen!" (A3000/D1000/L8)
Flash looked over the monsters. It wasn't a problem. His face downs would be enough to handle this.
"Skill of Valkyrie Queen!" The woman pointed her sword at Athene, the Trap Monster transforming into a stream of light that flew into the sword. Valkyrie then pointed the sword at Transcending Heaven Angel. "Tribute one Light monster and increase the ATK of another Light monster on my field by it's Level times one hundred (A3400/D2500/L8)
That was fine. Flash's face downs would still protect him.
"In addition, if the monster enhanced by this effect attacks, you can't activate any card effects."
"WHAT!?" Flash screamed as he watched Misty's angel fly up. Once high enough, the monster raised its staff and a sphere of light appeared on the tip.
"ATTACK!" Transcending Heaven Angel pointed the staff at Flash Heart, the sphere of light exploding into a laser that flew at Flash Heart.
Flash and Grand were completely blinded by the light, which struck Flash Heart and unleashed a wave of light that covered the battle field. "NOOOOOO!"
Flash: 0 Misty: 475 (Winner)
Ten minutes later.
With the Duel over, Flash and Misty now sat at the fountain. Grand walked up to them, holding cans of soda that he offered to the two of them. They took the drinks and gave their thanks, both sighing after the first sip.
Misty turned to her son. "I wasn't lying before. You and your deck and strong. But you've still got a long way to go before you can even think you've reached the peak of your power."
Flash smiled, "I know. I'm never gonna stop trying to get stronger. Until the day I die, I'll be training to improve my abilities."
Misty and Grand both smiled, loving the boy's determination. "The Pendulum Ritual card," Misty sipped on her drink. "I'm sure it'll become a strong ally for you."
Flash took out the cards and looked them over. She was right. With its power, this monster just might be able to take down anyone it faced. But with a monumental task of summoning it, he couldn't let it become his go to strategy.
His concentration was broken when broken when he heard Grand's voice. "Here they are." Flash looked up in time to see Cold and Adagio walking up to them.
Misty stood up. "So we finally meet in the flesh. It's good to see you Mr Steel," she bowed. "My husband has told me a lot about you. Thank you for helping my son."
Cold nodded. "It's a honour to meet you too. I hope when this is all over, you'll consider returning to your previous position at Freeze Industries."
"I'll think about it," Misty replied.
Flash quickly stood up. "Alright," he stepped over to the man, "so what's the deal? You gonna explain everything to me or what?"
Cold simply stared at him, "not yet." Flash raised an eyebrow at this. "I'm sorry Flash, but you can't just tag along."
"What do you mean by that?"
"What you could be exposed too ahead. I need to know if you're really ready the face it." He reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck, "prove yourself with a Duel."
Flash frowned. So that was it. If he wanted to get some answers, he'd need to defeat his mentor. This would be tricky, but not impossible. Flash had to know what was going on, so there was no doubt in his mind he'd win.
It would be an understatement to say that Flash Sentry and Cold Steel had a strange relationship.
The first time they'd met, Flash had no idea how important this man would become in his life. Cold saw him as nothing but a child with no idea how the world worked, while Flash saw him as a pompous old grump who took everything way to seriously. But now, he and Flash had come to see each other as equals.
Or at least, that's what Flash thought.
"What you could be exposed too ahead. I need to know if you're really ready the face it." He reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck, "prove yourself with a Duel." Flash frowned. So that was it. If he wanted to get some answers, he'd need to defeat his mentor. "The thing is, once you know what's at stake, it will change your approach to the Double X. I'm not convinced you have the strength and resolve required."
"What?" Flash asked.
"If you can't beat me, you should forget everything and leave now." This statement put everyone on edge. No doubt Flash wasn't going to take too kindly to something like that.
Said teen was looking down at the ground, shaking. "Fine," he balled his hands up into fists before looking up at Cold with fire in his eyes, "I'll prove it to you!" He pointed at Cold, "I can beat you!"
Cold remained stoic, simply turning away. "Then let's go." The four of them returned to where Flash had Duelled Misty, the two strapping on their Duel Disks as they prepared themselves.
"What's Cold doing?" Misty asked. "Is he really not gonna let Flash in on what's happening if he loses?"
"From what I see," Adagio explained. "Cold never does anything without a reason."
"We'll just have to hope Flash can pull this off," Grand explained.
As Flash drew his cards, he looked up to glare at Cold. Even after everything they'd been through, he was still him. He still didn't believe in him.
Cold went to his Duel Disk and clicked something, causing a robotic female voice to speak.
"CROSSOVER ACTIVATED!"
From the Duel Disk came a pulse which covered the whole area, before things started appearing in mid air. They were light green platform like structures that scattered around the area.
"So this is Crossover," Misty said.
Grand nodded, "he's not pulling any punches if he's making this an Action Duel."
"Let's see how well Flash does in this situation," Adagio agreed. "One thing's for sure, he can't hold back.
Oh, Flash had no intention of holding back. If Cold insisted on doubting him, then Flash had to show him how wrong he was.
He and Cold both drew their cards. As he did, Flash looked down at his deck and remembered the cards his mother had given him. In order to win, he'd use everything he had.
DUEL!"
"ACTION CARD DISPERSED!"
Cold: 4000 Flash: 4000
"I'll take the first move!" Cold drew his card, "and then I'll set the Pendulum Scale with scale two Frozen Heart Demon and scale ten Frozen Heart Yuki-Onna!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the two monsters flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory," Cold chanted as the portal formed above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of lights shot out and hit the ground, revealing Cold's monsters. "Frozen Heart Knight!" (A1700/D1500/L4)
"Frozen Heart Statue Söder!" (A900/D700/L3)
"And Frozen Heart Magician!" (A2000/D1000/L5/P3) "Then I'll tune Söder with my Knight!" The statue leapt up and transformed into a trio of lights, which carved the rings of light that the knight leapt into. "Ice is an element that symbolises both strength and fragility. And when two pieces of ice meet, they freeze together to make and even stronger piece." The monsters disappeared in a burst of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Cold's monster. "Frozen Heart Lord of the Javelin!" (A2500/D2200/L7) "I end my turn." He turned to Flash, "now show me why I should let you learn the truth."
Flash almost growled, "oh I'll show you alright!"
Over in Cloudsdale, team Wonderbolt had been called into Principle Spitfire's office.
"I've been going over your results for the first round," the woman said while holding some sheets of paper. "Despite leaving it to the last minute, you managed to get through to the next round."
"We're sorry for not getting through sooner ma'am," Soarin replied with a bow. "The fact was, luck played a major part in the first round's matches. Even though we won a lot of those Duels, the opponents didn't have many points."
"I wasn't reprimanding you," Spitfire explained. "You got through, that's all that matters. Most other people would say that if you're good you don't need luck, but it's something you always need to factor into anything in life."
The teens sighed in relief. "However," they once again went rigged, "please remember that you're carrying the name Wonderbolt with you in this tournament. You need to show everyone that no matter the sport, Wonderbolt Academy stands at its top. The board of directors wasn't happy about me allowing a team to be formed for competing in a card game, and your late entrance into the second round isn't convincing them otherwise." She turned to Rainbow. "This was your idea. Do you still think your team has what it takes to compete in the Double X."
All eyes were on Rainbow, but she didn't seem to even break a sweat. "Ma'am. Not only do I still think we have what it takes, but I actually believe it more now then when we formed this team. We'll make it to the end of the Double X and make this school proud, you can be sure of that."
Spitfire smirked, "I like that attitude. Very well, you three better start training. Dismissed."
"MA'AM!" The three cried before heading out. Once in the corridor, Soarin let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "That was nerve wracking."
Gilda turned to Rainbow. "You mean what you said back there? You really think we can win the whole thing, even if it means beating team Dominator."
Rainbow smirked. "Of course I do. We've got this."
"Even so," Soarin spoke up. "We're gonna need to do much better in the next round." He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Rainbow smiling at him.
"And we will. We have the best team in the whole tournament. If we stick together, we'll keeping moving forwards." He took a few steps down the corridor, "who cares if we only just made it through to the second round." She turned back to them, "we're still through. Even if each win is a close one, it's still a win. That's what's important." She held out a fist, "you guys with me?"
Gilda and Soarin both smiled before stepping up to her and fist bumping. Rainbow was right. As long as they stuck together and kept their cool, they'd eventually win the Double X.
But unknown to the two of them, Rainbow was actually panicking.
What Spitfire said in the office about the board had her worried. If the team didn't do better, Spitfire would be in serious trouble. She had stuck her neck out for the team and now she was paying for it. And it wasn't just Spitfire she would be letting down, but everyone else in the school. "We need a new plan."
"It's my turn!" Flash drew his card, "and I'll set the Pendulum Scale with scale one Magna Caster Ratio and scale nine Nightlight Magna Sheep!" The pillars of light appeared besides him, as the two monsters flew up into it. Along with the sheep, was a man in wizards clothing that had infinity symbols covering it. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal formed above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, taking shape before fading to reveal Flash's monsters.
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Illuminate this battle field, Crystal Tusk Magna Boar!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P2)
"I activate the Pendulum Ability of Magna Caster Ratio!" Flash drew three cards, then took one of them. "I look at the top three cards of my deck and banish one monster out of them," he shuffled the rest back into his deck whilst pocketing the third. As he did, the ghostly image of Lightspeed Dragon appeared above Magna Chimp. "Now I can increase the ATK power of a monster on my field by the Level of the banished monster times two hundred." The spirit exploded before flying into Magna Chimp, making it glow. (A2600/D600/L4/P9)
"Now he can destroy Cold's Synchro Monster," Misty caught on
"Now I'll use Magna Boar's ability," the big glowed and that light quickly flew to Magna Chimp. "Now Magna Chimp can attack every Special Summoned monster on the field."
"So Magna Chimp can attack all Cold's monsters," Adagio realised.
"ATTACK!" The monkey rushed forwards, aimed at Lord of the Javelin. "And when Magna Chimp attacks a monster, that monster loses a hundred points for every card removed from play!" The chimp's claws glowed, blinding Javelin. (A2400/D2200/L7)
Cold rushed towards one of the platforms, leaping onto it while the robot slashed his knight and destroying it.
Cold: 3800 Flash: 4000
"Then I'll have him attack Frozen Heart Magician!" The monkey turned to the wizard, who was blinded by the light. (A1900/D1000/L5/P3) It was then shredded by the robot.
Cold: 3100 Flash: 4000
Flash looked up at Cold, watching as he leapt from platform to platform. No matter what, he was gonna prove to him that he was worthy. "Just you watch! Since your field's empty, I'll have Magna Boar attack you directly!" The robot big-man rushed forwards, its tusks primed to attack the man. Cold meanwhile, landed on a platform next to a tree and plucked a card from it.
"I activate the Action Spell Battle Lock! Now your monsters can't declare an attack this turn." A bunch of chains ripped out of the ground and wrapped around Flash's monsters, locking them up and preventing them from attack.
Flash frowned, placing a card face down. "I end my turn." Magna Chimp's ATK points returned to normal.
Cold drew his card without a word, the portal forming above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a light shot out, reveal Cold's monster. "Frozen Heart Golem!" (A2800/D1800/L7) "Then I'll activate Blizzard Blast, to destroy your Magna Caster!"
Flash watched as a wave of freezing winds blew over the field, turning Ratio into an ice pop before it shattered. He then leapt up onto a platform, looking for an Action Card as he did.
"I activate Frozen Heart Magician's ability," Cold removed the card and sent it to his graveyard. "And now Golem will attack your Magna Chimp!" The ice giant stumbled forwards.
Flash spotted an Action Card in a tree and grabbed it, only to find it was the Action Trap Card Shock. "Ahh!" He hissed while dropping the card, his Duel Disk telling him to discard three cards from his deck. As he did so, Golem reached Magna Chimp and crushed it with its giant fist.
Cold: 3100 Flash: 3000
"And thanks to Magician's ability, Golem can attack twice this turn." The ice monster turned to Magna Boar and crushed it with its fist, only for Flash to activate his face down.
"Go, Defence Draw!" A force field appeared around Flash. "With this card, the damage I take is negated and I draw one card!" He did so, but looked up at Cold and saw him staring at him. That look in his eyes, the same one he had the first few times they'd Duelled. "Watch out," he said before pointing at Cold. "I'm gonna fight. I'm gonna fight harder then I even did in the past!"
Cold appeared unmoved by Flash's words. "I end my turn."
Flash growled, not liking him ignoring his statement. "I draw, and activate the Spell card Stardust Reload! Now I banish Flash Wing Pegasus, to draw four cards!" He did so, then slapped one of the cards on the field. "I'll reset the Pendulum Scale, with scale two Bright Bounce Magna Bunny!" The bunny flew up into the pillar, causing the portal to form above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shout out, revealing Flash's monsters.
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Illuminate this battle field, Crystal Tusk Magna Boar!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P2)
"Unleash your roar, Star Fang Magna Tiger!" (A2400/D2100/L7)
"Now for Magna Bunny's skill!" The rabbit brought its hands together and created a shining light between them, which it then threw at Magna Boar and caused it to glow. "Once a turn, he can turn any level three of below monster into a Tuner Monster." Magna Boar then glowed before jumping into the air. "Now I'll tune him with Level four Magna Chimp!" Manga Boar created a trio of lights, which carved three rings that Magna Chimp leapt into. "Memories of strength long forgotten, return in an explosion of power!" The two monster disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Flash's monster. "Flashback Dragon!" (A2300/2200/L7) "Then I'll use his ability, to banish Magna Tiger in order to summon to monsters from my deck whose Levels equal his!" Flashback formed the ring, which Magna Tiger leapt into before a pair of lights flew out of the other side. Those lights transformed into two monsters, which flew down besides Flash. "I summoned Charge Horn Magna Bull, and Aura Pulse Magna Rat!" (A2100/D2200/L6/P4) (A300/D200/L1)
"Those monsters won't help you," Cold told him.
"Just wait," Flash told him. "Activating the skill of Magna Rat!" A giant portal opened up above their heads, the clockwork rodent leaping up towards it. "By banishing himself, Magna Rat lets me summon any monster that's been removed from play to the field." Magna Rat flew into the portal, with Magna Tiger jumping out the other side. "Then I'll activate my Multiversal Spirit!" Flash announced as the spirit of Flash Dragon Accel appeared, before flying into Magna Bull. (A2900/D1400/L4)
"That's enough to destroy his golem," Adagio announced.
"Go Flash!" Misty cheered her son on.
"ATTACK!" Magna Bull flew towards Magna Golem, while Cold leapt over to another platform and grabbed an Action Card. "And since I have three cards removed from play, you can't activate any Spell or Trap cards until this battles over!" Cold stopped himself from playing the Action card, as the robotic bull smashed Cold's monster and destroyed it."
Cold: 3000 Flash: 3000
"Now you're open for a direct attack!" Magna Tiger and Flashback Dragon both prepared their attacks, but Cold remained calm.
"I activate the Action Spell, Battle Trap. This card lets me negate any attack that's declared on me this turn, but deals me four hundred points of damage during the End Phase for each attack stopped." A portal opened up and the attacks flew inside it, Cold remaining completely untouched.
Flash frowned, "I place two cards face down and end my turn." As he said that, the portal opened above Cold's head and unleashed a burst of lightning that struck him.
"Gah!" He cried as he was electrocuted.
Cold: 2200 Flash: 3000
"That had to hurt," Misty quipped.
"Maybe," Grand replied, "but it was nothing compared to the damage he would have taken if he hadn't played that Action Card."
"It's my turn," Cold drew his card and visibly smiled when he saw what he'd gotten.
"Oh crud," Flash whispered.
"Language!" Misty told him.
"Actually," Grand said, "he has a right to swear. Cold doesn't usually smile unless he's about to pull something big off."
"I activate the Spell card, Icicle Crash!" The Spell card appeared on the field before a burst of cold wind blew across the field, freezing everything around them and forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
"See," Grand said, "something big!"
When the wind died down, they opened their eyes and saw five large icicles coming out of the field with one Cold's Frozen Heart monsters in each on. "By banishing these cards, I can add one card from my deck to my hand for each one." The icicles exploded, with Cold's deck slotting out a five cards. As he did, the portal above his head began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of lights shot out, revealing Cold's monsters. "Frozen Heart Lancer!" (A1800/D1300/L4)
The second was a monster similar to Lancer, only this one was carrying a battle-axe made of ice. "Frozen Heart Axe-Wielder!" (A1600/D1400/L4/P3)
The last became one of the toughest monsters Flash knew, and a card he'd need to pull out all the stops to defeat. "And Frozen Heart...DRAGON!" (A3000/D2500/L8/P5)
"Oh boy," Grand said.
"Things just got tricky for your son," Adagio told Misty.
"He'll be fine," Misty replied.
"I tribute Frozen Heart Axe-Wielder to activate his skill," Cold announced as the new monster exploded before the pieces transformed into a giant battle-axe. "Now a monster on my field can attack every card on your field." Frozen Heart Dragon grabbed the axe, then flew towards Magna Bull. With a single slash, the monster was cut in half.
Cold: 2200 Flash: 2100
The dragon then turned to Flashback, but Flash was ready. "I activate my Trap!" Flash's face down flipped up, "Brittle Shield!" The dragon quickly changed to DEF mode before the ice dragon slashed it in half, then turned towards Magna Tiger.
Flash leapt up and grabbed an Action Card out of a tree. "I activate the Action Spell, Substitute. This card negates any damage I might take from your next attack." A copy of Flash appeared in front of him before Magna Tiger was cut down, the attack hitting the fake and making it fade.
"Then I'll attack you directly with Frozen Heart Lancer!" Cold announced before his knight charged towards Flash.
"And I'll activate my other face down," his card flipped up to reveal another Trap. "Beacon of Hope! Since you're attacking me directly, I can look at the top card of my deck and if it's a monster then I can summon it." He reached for his deck, hoping beyond hope it was a monster, and drew a card.
Seconds before Lancer could strike, a portal opened up and a familiar fairy flew out to block the attack.
"Vail Pixie!" Misty cried, seeing her friend be impale before exploding.
Flash grunt at this, but sighed. "Thanks bud."
"I place two cards face down and end my turn," Cold announced.
Over at the Sparkle household, Twilight was in the living room playing with her niece.
She was still a little disappointed about Flash not being able to spend time with her, but at least it left her free to look after Flurry. Cadance and Shining had popped by earlier, looking for a babysitter. With the second round coming soon and Cold having an important business meeting today, all the last minute work had been thrust upon them.
Luckily, Twilight had been willing to look after Flurry.
Currently, she was making one of Flurry's teddy bears dance while the baby tried to do the same with the one she'd gotten her. "Raw," she mimicked as she waved the bear in front of Flurry. The baby laughed, clapping her hands as she did, only to stop as a grumbling sound filled the air. This made Flurry grab her stomach and look sad. "Awe, are you hungry?" Twilight put the toys down and picked her up, "let's see if uncle Spike's got your lunch ready."
"Yeah," Spike said as he came into the room carrying a bowl of green stuff, "one bowl of mashed peas ready to deliver."
"Thanks Spike," Twilight told him as she put Flurry in a high chair and began to spoon feed the toddler.
"No prob," Spike said. "Any idea when Shining or Cadance is gonna be back? I wanted to try and get some more training in with the guys today."
"No idea," Twilight said while wiping Flurry's mouth. "Besides, Flash is busy today. And if he does get off early, he's already promised me some alone time." This made Spike stick his tongue out while pretending to be sick, making Flurry laugh. "Oh grow up. You've had him all to yourself since the Double X began. And you'll get him during the second round. Now, it's my time."
"Fair enough." Spike replied as she sat down next to Flurry's highchair. "Hey, sis. Why did you decide to enter the Double X anyway?" This made Twilight freeze, Flurry having to try and crane her neck to get the peas a few inches out of her reach. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want."
"It's alright," Twilight said. "At first, it was really just to honour a friend that didn't get the chance to." Flurry didn't seem to want this next spoonful, so Twilight had to do the aeroplane trick. "But now that I've competed. Now that I've seen so many Duellists with skills that surpass my own. I want to keep Duelling, so I can prove to myself I'm on their level." Spike nodded at this. "And also, because of my teammates. They dropped everything to join my team. It's only fair that I give it a hundred and ten percent, even though that's a mathematical impossibility."
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "I get that. I'm gonna give everything I've got, for Flash and Sunburst." The siblings smiled at one another, as Flurry finished off the last of the peas. "Hey, I know. Let's head to the Freeze Stadium. The public areas are still open. We can invite the others, do a little training and hang out. And Shining and Cadance won't have to come here to pick up Flurry."
Twilight smiled at the idea, liking it a lot. "Great plan. I'll get Flurry cleaned up, you get her bag ready. Remember, pack lots of diapers."
"You got it," Spike saluted before heading into the room they kept the baby stuff in.
"And don't forget her Whammy. We'll need it if she gets fussy." Twilight turned to smile at Flurry, "you ready to go watch some fun Duels? Who knows, maybe uncle Flash will show up." The baby laughed at this, clapping her hands happily. "I sure hope he does." Whatever Flash was doing right now, it'd better be important if it made him miss their date.
"It's my turn!" Flash drew his card. "And I activate the skill of Magna Caster Ratio!" He removed the monster from his Extra Deck. "By banishing him, I can draw another three cards." He did so, smiling as the portal opened. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of lights shot out, revealing Flash's monsters.
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull!" (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Flash Heart's skill!" A portal opened up behind Frozen Heart Lancer, sucking it in and leaving Frozen Heart Dragon all on its own.
"I activate my Trap!" Cold's face down flipped up, "Mega Chain!" Since a monster on my field was removed from play due to a card effect, I can to take control of the weakest monster on your field and put it in DEF mode." Black chains shot out the Trap and wrapped around Magna Chimp, pulling it over to Cold's side of the field and forcing it onto its kness.
Flash frowned. "Then I'll use Vail Pixie X's skill and bring her back from the graveyard!" A portal opened up before the little fairy flew out. (A100/D100/L1)
"Yes!" Misty cheered, "that's just what he need."
"If he's got that card," Grand agreed.
"I tribute Vail Pixie X and Flash Heart Dragon X, in order to awaken Flash Heart's ultimate power!" With that, Flash Heart and Vail Pixie glowed before they shot into the air, with Vail Pixie morphing into a cocoon of light that completely enveloped Flash Heart Dragon.
Flash held up his card before slapping in onto his Duel Disk, "TRANSCEND!" The cocoon of light exploded off of his monster, revealing a hyper evolved Flash Heart. "Flash Dragon...MAGNA HARMONY!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Cold looked up at the evolved Flash Heart Dragon. Flash would need to do better then that.
"Skill of Magna Harmony," Flash removed Accel and Flashback Dragon.
"Wait," Misty quickly ran through the cards Flash had banished, "he did it." Grand quickly caught on, but Adagio raised an eyebrow.
Flash held up his banished cards and counted their combined levels. Perfect. Now he just had to draw it. 'I'm gonna throw everything into taking him down. If I can't prove myself to him, I'll never know what's going on. Or why Marble ended up like that.' The images of all his friends flashed before his eyes. 'Everyone's entered the Double X for different reasons and with different goals. If there's anything out there attempting to crush that passion-' He shot Cold a dark look, as Magna Bull flew forwards. "I'M DETERMINED TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH!" Manga Bull destroyed Magna Chimp. "And to do that, the first thing I need to do is defeat you!" Magna Harmony flew forward, Frozen Heart Dragon as its target. "I activate my Lightspeed Spell card, to power up Magna Harmony by one thousand points!" (A4000/D2500/L8) Flash's dragon punched Cold's, shattering it.
Cold: 1200 Flash: 2100
"Trap activate!" Cold's face down flipped up, "Ice Shard Summon. Since a Frozen Heart monster was destroyed by battle, I can now summon a Level four or below Frozen Heart from my deck." The shards came together and formed a new monster, "Frozen Heart Enchantress!" (A800/D1600/L4) "And since she was special summon, I can add Frozen Heart Dragon from my Extra Deck to the hand." He turned to Flash, "is that seriously all you've got.
This got Flash's blood boiling. "Skill inherited from Accel!" Magna Harmony disappeared, being replaced by Flash Heart. "Attack!" The dragon flew forwards and destroyed the defence position monster, Cold's field now bare. "I end my turn."
Cold drew his card, as the portal formed. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and unleashed a pair of lights, which hit the ground and reveal Cold's monsters. "Frozen Heart Axe-Wielder!" (A1600/D1400/L4/P3) "And Frozen Heart Dragon!" (A3000/D2500/L8/P5)
Flash looked up at the monsters. At least he didn't have that cards needed to use his Dragon's effect. "How many times do I have to tell you?" He looked over at Cold. "A Duel reveals everything you need to know about a person." Flash frowned while Cold placed the card he'd just drawn into his Duel Disk, "I play Pot of Greed, to draw two new cards!" He did so, nodding once he saw what he'd got. "Then, I activate the Infinite Freeze Ritual Spell!" Hearing this put everyone on edge.
"This could be bad," Grand said.
"By tributing Frozen Heart Dragon and a level four or higher Frozen Heart monster, I can unleash my dragons ultimate form!" Axe-Wielder suddenly turned into snow, which spiralled around Frozen Heart Dragon and encasing him in an icy cocoon. "Now watch as the ultimate icy monster appears," Cold said as the cocoon shattered and released his monster. "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The new monster was a twenty meter long, serpentine dragon made entirely out of ice that was in segments. It's had wings and arms similar to Frozen Heart Dragon's, with smaller wings running down its body along with spikes. It's head was similar to Frozen Heart Dragon's, but it had a pair of pincers similar to an ants. "Infinite Freeze Dragon!" (A4000/D4000/L12)
Everyone stared up at the giant ice monster, with enough ATK points to almost wipe Flash out. And no doubt Cold wouldn't summon it unless he had a way to make sure it could do so.
Flash looked around and spotted an Action on a nearby branch.
Quickly leaping up to it, while Cold jumped onto his monster's head, he landed on the branch of the tree and scooped up the card. It was Evasion, perfect. He jumped out onto one of the platforms and smiled up at Cold. But the man just continued to stare at him with a stoic expression.
"I don't even know why I bothered to give you a chance. At the level your playing at, you'll never be able to surpass me." Flash gasped at this, but Cold continued before he could reply. "You take part in the Double X. You give the impression of being serious. But in the end your just a disappointment."
Upon hearing this, something inside Flash just clicked. "Wait, this Duel."
"Activating the skill of Infinite Freeze Dragon!" The serpentine beast opened its mouth, as a spiralling sphere of ice appeared within it. "I skip my battle phase and in doing so, every card on your field is destroyed!"
Everyone gasped hearing this. "But that means he can't use his Action Card," Misty realised.
"And I doubt that's its only effect," Grand said. They watched as the dragon's pincers crushed the snowball before it roared, unleashing a wave of icy wind across Flash's field. Flash watched as Flash Heart, Magna Bull and his Pendulum Monsters were all frozen before they shattered, the pieces flying towards him.
"Now, for every card destroyed, you take five hundred points of damage." Flash was just able to raise his arms and shield himself before the ice shards struck him, knocking him off the platform.
"Yahhh!" He cried before slamming into the ground.
Cold: 1200 Flash: 100
"Flash!" Misty cried.
"It's a good thing he didn't have another card on the field," Grand said.
"But with only a hundred life points, how's he gonna win this now?" Adagio asked.
"There is one way," Misty told them. "But can he draw the card needed."
From atop his monster's head, Cold watched as Flash began to pick himself up. "I end my turn with one face down."
Flash moaned while picking himself up. "I think...I get it now." Cold raised an eyebrow, as Flash looked up at him. "I think I understand...why you're doing this." This caught everyone's attention. "A Duel reveals a lot about a person. Well that works both ways." Flash reached for his deck, "you see me. But I also see you!"
Cold appeared shocked by this, but quickly shook it off and smiled. "Then show me." He pointed at Flash, "SHOW ME WHAT YOU SEE!"
Flash smiled back as he drew his card, "MY PLEASURE!" This was it, this whole Duel rest on the card he drew now. Looking down at it, he saw what he'd gotten and his smiled grew. "First, I'll reset the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Magna Caster Lunara and scale eight Magna Caster Solaris!" The pillars of light appeared besides him, as the two wizards flew up into them. Once there, the portal began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out, revealing Flash's ace. "Shine your light of victory one more time. Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"It's pointless to try and use Flash Heart's ability," Cold told him. "Infinite Freeze Dragon can't leave the field by card effect."
"Since when could he Ritual Summon?" Adagio asked.
Up in the sky, a giant magic circle appeared. Seconds later, Lightspeed Dragon, Magna Pegasus, Magna Rat, Ratio, Vail Pixie, Accel and Flashback Dragon appeared around the circle. One by one, they each morphed into a light that flew into the circle and made it glow and expand. "By sending banished monsters to the bottom of my deck, I can now warp space and time in order to give life to a whole new monster!" The circle reached its limit and began to firing bolts of blue lightning before completely exploding, the light becoming a single beam that struck the ground. "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
From within the light, a new monster appeared before the glow faded to allow it to be seen.
It was the dragon Flash had met before, only now it wasn't a statue. Its entire body was purple, whilst its armour, helmet and wings were gold. Finally, its sword blade was a light green colour while the rest of the weapon was gold. "QUANTUM NEXUS DRAGON!" (A4000/D4000/L12/P0)
Cold and the watchers all stared at the new monster in amazement. To think, they were present to see the summoning of the very first Pendulum Ritual monster. "Incredible," Misty said.
"It has enough power to destroy Infinite Freeze," Adagio realised.
"Then Flash Heart can go in for the kill," Grand said.
"That's what they think," Cold whispered so only he could hear before looking down at his face down. Said card was a Trap that would activate once a monster on his field is destroyed. Once activated, it'll deal Flash one hundred points of damage for every Level star his monster had. And with only one hundred life points left, Flash wouldn't survive.
Flash meanwhile, simply staring at Cold. "I get it," he said loud enough for only himself to hear. "It's not that you don't believe in me." He looked up at his monster. "Quantum Nexis Dragon, attack Infinite Freeze Dragon." The beast raised its sword and flew forwards, a green aura surrounding the blade of its weapon. "You do believe in me. That's why you're testing me." He smirked, unable to believe Cold was still trying to make him break his limits. "Thanks to Lunara and Solaris's Pendulum Abilities, your Spell and Trap effects are negated while my Pendulum Monster attacks."
"But not after," Cold said as he leapt off of his monster. Seconds later, the dragon's sword struck the monster. Cold waited for them both to be destroy, but was shocked to see they weren't. "What?"
"Surprised?" Flash asked as Quantum Nexus leapt away from Infinite Freeze and landed behind him. "Here's the deal. When Quantum Nexus Dragon attacks, neither it or the monster it attacks is destroyed. Instead, your monster now gains a Quantum Counter."
"Quantum Counter?" Cold looked up at his monster, seeing the green aura that had been on the blade was now spiralling into the spot the sword had struck and created the same magic circle the dragon had come out of. "What's that for?"
Flash smirked. "You'll see, once I end my turn. And in doing so, Quantum Nexus Dragon's effect kicks in." He reached for his deck and kept drawing cards. "First, I have to banish the top ten cards of my deck. Then, for every monster banished, one turn is skipped over and we go straight into the battle phase of the next one."
"Seriously?" Adagio asked. "That means Flash could get another turn."
"Only if he gets the right number of cards," Misty explained. "If not, he'll skip his own turn and give Cold another turn."
"Basically," Grand went on, "he needs to banish an odd number of monsters." He looked over at his grandson, "come on Flash."
As Flash finished drawing his cards, he looked back at Cold. "You wanna know how much I'm capable of. How much you can relay on my strength in battle. WELL I'LL SHOW YOU!" He turned them over and looked through them. They were, in order, Space-Warp Dragon, Reflection Guard, Rank-Up-Magic Pendulum Force, Reflector Scale Magna Snake, Stardust Draw, Shining Fang Magna Wolf, Magna Defender Arma, Spell Recovery, Dimensional Prison and finally...Lustrous Feather Magna Leghorn. "Yes!" He cheered before showing them to Cold, "five monsters. That means five turns are skipped over!"
Cold's eyes went wide before he looked down at his Duel Disk, seeing the screen flip through the multiple phases of his turn without him being able to do anything.
"And another thing," Flash said. "Look at your dragon." Cold did so, noticing something strange about the dragon. It looked...older, as if the ice it was made out of was rapidly ageing. "You like? Any monster equipped with a Quantum Counter will quickly age. Every turn will last a decade for it, and for each decade that passes it'll lose five hundred ATK points."
Cold finally realised where he was going with this. With each turn he was forced to skip, Infinite Freeze Dragon would grow weaker and weaker. Finally, as the fifth turn was skipped over, Cold's dragon's ATK points were dropped by over half. (A1500/D4000/L12)
"You'll see, what I'm made of!" Flash's monster leapt towards its opponent once again, raising its sword as the aura returned. "Quantum Nexus Dragon, ATTACK!" The Pendulum Ritual Monster struck Infinite Freeze Dragon with its sword, the green light surrounding the blade consuming the beast before flying towards Cold.
His monster might not be destroyed, but he would still take the damage.
Cold meanwhile, simply stared at Flash. "The possibilities that the future holds have accumulated beyond imagination! No matter what lies ahead of me, I will continue to bust forwards!" The light finally reached Cold. But despite this, he had a smile on his face.
"Not bad kid," was all he said before the light knocked him off his feet.
Cold: 0 Flash: 100 (Winner)
Silence filled the park, as the monsters and Action Field disappeared. Everyone was speechless, trying to comprehend what they'd just seen. Flash was simply stared at Cold, as the man picked himself up and turned towards him. It was then he saw a smirk on Cold's face, as he began to walk over to him.
"It seems you've finally graduated from being a little brat." Flash's shocked expression remained for a moment, then turned into a smile before morphing into a smirk. He chuckled will giving him a thumbs up. Cold's demeanour quickly changed back to a serious expression. "If you do proceed, you'll learn more about the threat that lurks within the Double X."
Flash showed Cold his own serious face, "Tempest Shadow."
Cold nodded. "All three members of Team Dominator, plus Marble Pie." Flash frowned, not sure if he really wanted to know what could change such a kind girl. But before he could say anything, he suddenly felt someone grab him and pull him into a hug.
"You did it!" Misty almost had tears in her eyes. "That was amazing sweetheart."
"Err...thanks."
"That Pendulum Ritual card," Grand said as he and Adagio stepped up to them. "What a monster."
"Wish I had something with that much kick," Adagio agreed.
Grand then turned to Cold. "He beat you, that means he's allowed to know right?" Cold nodded.
"Yes, but what we might learn today must remain a secret. There's no use causing panic if there's no need, understood?" Flash nodded back, "then let's get going." He turned and began to walk off, Flash and the others following until they reached a car. Grand and Cold got in the front while Flash, Misty and Adagio sat in that back.
Once buckled in, Cold drove off towards the answers they seek. Hopefully, everything Flash had gone through to get to this point would be worth it.
Floating in the vast emptiness of space, he could see nothing around him. "W...where am I?" He asked, only for a light to appear behind him. When he spun around, he saw the cause of the light was a planet he recognised as earth. What's going on?"
"Brother." Another light made him turn around yet again, where he saw another planet that looked similar to earth but was just different enough for him to tell. And there, standing in front of that planet, was a man he knew all too well.
"Sombra."
Sombra, now dressed in armour with a sword, stared at him. "Please, you must act." He pointed his sword towards the planet behind Cold, making him look around and see something. There, appearing above a section of America he knew as Canterlot, was a black dot that slowly began to grow larger.
"The Shadow Gate." Cold looked back around at Sombra, who stepped aside to allow Cold a better look at the planet behind him. Seconds later, hundreds if not thousands of bright lights shot off the planet and flew towards Earth while forming a bridge of light between them. "What's going on?"
"What you are seeing is the spirits of the Duel Monsters world. They are travelling to answer the calls of those they share an unbreakable bound with."
Cold realised what he was talking about. He'd barely been conscious at the time, but he'd read the reports. Duel Monsters, real ones, appearing in their world to help protect it. So this was what it looked like.
"However," Cold turned back to Sombra, "not all these spirits had good intentions." Cold turned back to the planets and saw several new lights fly off the Duel Monster's world towards earth. But unlike the other ones, these three lights were a dark black colour.
"What?"
"My brother," Sombra spoke up as the world around them began to fade. "Heed this warning. Find the evil that now walks among you. If not, then the peace you worked so hard to create will be lost." With that, Sombra and the planet behind began to float away whilst everything continued to fade.
"But how?" Cold asked.
"I can only give you one clue," Sombra's voice was beginning to grow quieter. "A name." Cold had to strain himself to hear the next two worlds Sombra spoke. Once that happened, Sombra and the planet vanished.
"Wait!" Cold tried to run after him, but couldn't catch up. "SOMBRA!" With that, the world went black.
Cold jolted upwards, looking around to find he was back in his office. "What?"
"You okay?" He looked up to see Shining standing next to him, a look of concern on his face. "You seemed to be having a bad dream."
Upon hearing that last word, Cold remembered said dream and what his brother had said. He sat back in his chair, "I'm okay."
Shining nodded. "I've set up a plan for the opening ceremony of the first round. And if you could just check through all the regulations, that'd be great."
Cold nodded, "of course. I'm a bit embarrassed you caught me having a nap. Apologies."
"Don't worry about it," Shining replied while handing him a bunch of papers that showed the teams that were competing in the Double X. "I don't mean to pry, but are you getting enough rest?" Cold didn't answer, instead he was staring at the photo on the first sheet. For some unknown reason, this girl seemed to stand out to him. As if there something about her, even in a picture, that gave him a bad vibe.
Looking at the top of the sheet, he saw her name written there. It was the same name he had heard his brother mention. Tempest Shadow.
Present.
"What? A dream?" Flash asked from his place in the back of the car, Misty and Adagio both laughing at his reaction. "Seriously? This threat to the Double X. It's all...based on a dream?" Cold said nothing as he drove, simply focusing on the road. "This is crazy," Flash looked around at the people in the car. "You got these guys involved, Mom, Gramps and the Dazzlings, just because of a stupid dream?"
Suddenly, the car came to a stop before Cold turned back to him. "You don't like it," he pointed to the door. "Then get out."
Flash suddenly got nervous, "I didn't mean it like that." He turned to Misty, "but still."
Misty smiled just as nervously as the car started back up. "Just because it's a dream, doesn't mean it can't be real. After all, haven't you had visions in the past that had you travel to the Duel Monsters Spirit World. How is that any different from what Cold's talking about."
Flash sighed, "guess you're right."
"And besides," Adagio spoke up. "You said yourself that you sensed something's not right. Like when you Duelled Marble." Flash sighed some more, not able to deny that.
"If it's just a dream, then fine." They turned back to Cold, "but what if it turns out to be more then a dream. We can't risk doing nothing."
"Alright," Flash said, "but how will we know for sure?"
"This is the whole reason your mother returned to our world," Cold explained. "She has the answers we seek."
Flash turned to Misty in shock, the woman laughing. "No, I don't really know anything. But I do know someone who does. That's who we're meeting." She looked out the window and nodded, "take a left here." Cold did so and the group soon drove into an old warehouse district.
After several minutes of driving through the maze of buildings, they stopped in front of one and all got out of the car. "What is this place?" Flash asked.
"This is where Sombra and his minions hid out after you guys stormed his first lab," Misty explained. She looked around and saw Adagio staring up at the building with unease, "you okay?"
"Yeah," the girl replied while crossing her arms defensively, "just not to happy with having to go somewhere I was kept prisoner."
"You don't have to do this," Cold told her.
"It's fine," she said firmly. "Let's just go in before I change my mind." They nodded and headed inside. At first, it seemed like an ordinary warehouse. But then they watched as Misty stepped over to the far wall.
"Okay," she said, "it should be right...here." She pushed a part of the wall back, causing it to open up and reveal a keypad. As the others stepped over to here, he dialled in some numbers. And when the final number was dialled, it happened.
The section of the floor beneath them began to drop, revealing it as an elevator.
It dropped them lower and lower for around thirty seconds, eventually stopping as they were dropped off in a long corridor. Misty stepped forwards and lead them along the corridor until they reached a door at the very end, which she opened to allow them entrance and found it was a setup similar to the one Flash and Cold had first met Sombra in the first hideout.
"What is this place?" Flash asked.
"The lab where Sombra created the last card in his deck," Misty stepped into the middle of the room. "Because of that, a scar in the fabric of space time exists here. And with the right stimuli, it can be reopened for a short time. Long enough for us to talk to who we need to talk too." She turned to her son and held out her hand, "I need Vail Pixie."
Flash raised an eyebrow at this, but took the card out anyway and handed it to her. Once she had it, Misty took out another card and held them both up. And before anyone could ask what was going on, the cards were suddenly covered in light that quickly exploded outwards.
Everyone was forced to shield their eyes, the light quickly dying down and allowing them to open their eyes and see where they were.
It was a place Flash knew all to well, the ruins he had visited many times and Duelled his father in. He looked down at his body and saw he was glowing, then looked around and saw everyone else doing the same. He turned to Misty, "what are we doing here?"
"You're here to talk to me."
Everyone spun around, just in time to see someone step out of the shadows. It was someone they all knew too well, for each of them were someone he'd caused tremendous turmoil for.
"Sombra," Flash whispered.
Sombra, dressed as he was when Misty had summoned his Duel card, walked up to them. "Hello again."
Flash, Grand and Adagio simply stared at him in shock, Adagio even taking a few shaky steps backwards in near fear. Seeing he wasn't going to get anything out of them, Sombra turned to Cold and Misty. "Alright, what have you found out?"
"Jurassic Raging Dragon, attack!" Scootaloo cried, as he Pendulum Xyz took flight and flew across the holo-table towards Sunburst's monster. "Then I'll activate his ability." As she removed two of its Overlay Units, the dinosaur bit down on the lights around it before unleashing a powerful breath attack that struck Sunburst Knight, weakening it enough for the beast to destroy it. "Ha!"
"Nice attack," Applebloom told her from the side. "Fierce."
"Thanks," she replied before turning back to Sunburst. "Training with us, means we're gonna train you good and train you hard."
Our heroes were currently in the Freeze Stadium, Twilight and Spike having asked them all there for some practise. Everyone except team Wonderbolt, Team Rock Party and Flash were there. Spike was Duelling against Sweetie Belle. Rarity was Duelling against Applebloom. Fluttershy was Duelling Big Mac, and Applejack was Duelling against Sunset.
Twilight was at the side, looking after Flurry and waiting for a Duel to end so she could have a match.
"Listen up!" Scootaloo said to Spike and Sunburst. "Even though you knocked us out of the Double X, you guys only just made it through to the next round by the skin of your teeth. We can't have you embarrassing us out there. Understand?"
Oh, those two understood. Spike looked down at his cards. He wanted to be able to support Flash. He wanted the three of them to work towards their future together. That had to be his focus. But there was more to it then that. Now that he'd actually participated in the Double X, he'd started to get a real taste for it. We was gonna test his skills, push himself and see how much stronger he could become.
"I SYNCHRO SUMMON!" His ace appeared on the field before flying towards Sweetie's monster. "I intend to surpass all expectations!"
"I draw!" Sunburst drew his card, seeing it was his Rebirth Ritual card. As he looked at the card, his memory flashed back to Starlight. He didn't get the chance to face her in the first round, but he was sure the opportunity will arise in the second. "I activate my Monster Reborn, and use it to revive Sunburst Magician." His spellcaster emerged from the graveyard. "Then I play Rebirth Ritual!" The pillar of flames surrounded Sunburst Magician, "RITUAL EVOLUTION!"
The pillar exploded, revealing his monster. "Sunburst Archmage!" One thing was for sure, Starling better not expect to see the same person he was when they were kids.
"Hey," everyone turned to Sweetie, "where's Flash anyway?"
"Heck if I know," Scootaloo replied. "He and gramps were gone when I got up this morning." She turned to Twilight, hoping for an answer.
"He said he had an errand to run," she said while rocking Flurry.
"Unacceptable!" Scootaloo cried, "he knows he's going into the second round and he'll need as much training as he can get to win it. He can't be wasting time on errands."
"Now now darling," Rarity told her. "I'm sure whatever he's dealing with is important."
"Must be," Spike said. "Considering he had to blow off a date with Twilight because of it." Twilight cursed under her breath as she watched them all turn to her.
"Is that true?" Applejack said.
"Yes," Twilight replied, "but it's no big deal. I know Flash wouldn't say no unless it was something really important."
"It better be important," Sunset said. "Since you two haven't got to spend any alone time together since you got back."
"it's fine," Twilight stressed. "We can hang out after he gets back from whatever it is he's doing."
"Well he'd better say what it is he's doing," Scootaloo said before turning back to her Duel.
Rarity nodded. "And if not, you can use it to guilt him into a big elaborate date in the future." This made everyone laugh before returning their focus to their Duels.
Sombra thought about the new information he'd been given, looking up thought the crack in the ground that the ruins sat in. "I see."
"Well," Flash finally spoke up, "what does this all mean?"
Sombra looked back down at them, then raised his sword and tapped it on the ground. Doing so unleashed a bright light and in the blink of an eye, the lot of them were standing in space with earth and the Duel Monster Spirit World floating behind Sombra. "I'm sure it doesn't need to be said, that our two worlds have always shared a connection. Since time began, the two dimensions have shared a link and it is truly only recently that that link has become known and used."
"What do you mean?"
"The first recorded case of summoning monsters from one world to ours was during the time of Atlantis. Then there was the time when the great Crimson Dragon and his servants did battle in south america against the many evils, while in Ancient Egypt a mighty pharaoh created seven mystical items that allowed him and his subjects to summon the monsters to them against an evil known as Zorc. It was in this period where the factors that lead up to our current situation began." This caught everyone's attention. "Tell me, do any of you know of the great pharaoh known as Atem?"
Misty spoke up. "He was the pharaoh that saved the world from Zorc, leading to him sealing away the magic that linked our two worlds with himself as the seal."
Sombra nodded. "And the seal remained, for five thousand years our two worlds remained separated. But then, the seal was broken when one boy managed to complete the Millennium Puzzle. Doing so reconnected our two worlds and freed the spirit of Atem, unknowingly causing the world's very first Soulink."
"Soulink?" everyone asked in confusion.
Sombra nodded. "Two minds, inhabiting one body. This event is known as a Soulink. For Atem and the boy, the Soulink allowed the two to swap who was in control of the body and to communicate with each other. With the Millennium Puzzle working as the conduit, they were able to share a body without issue. But, unknown to them, this wouldn't be the last time a Soulink occurred."
The four knew they were about to get the answers they were seeking.
"In the years following the first Soulink, monsters from this realm discovered ways of travelling into our world and entering the bodies of humans." Sombra saw they were all still paying attention, "and thus a Soulink is formed."
So that was it. The reason Marble was so different, was because she wasn't the one controlling her body when Flash Duelled her. But, how could something like this be possible? Magic items like the Millennium Puzzle didn't exist anymore.
Sombra, appearing to know what they were all thinking, continued explaining. "I'm sure you've all felt it, the strong bond you've all developed with one particular card. It is that bond that causes the dimensions to unfold, allowing the Duel Spirits to enter our world. If the bond is strong enough, the Duel Spirit will call out through the dimension to reach a Duellist. If the Duellist responds, a Soulink occurs. Then the two, become as one."
He pointed his sword at Flash, "for example. In your case, Flash Heart Dragon." He then pointed at Flash's mother, "or for you my dear it would be Divine Sky Angel. These cards are the ones you'd have the easiest time Soulinking with. These bonds can occur naturally, or form through constant use of that card."
"So what's their purpose in all of this?" Grand finally spoke up, getting Sombra's attention. "Why would a Duel Spirit want to go through all this hassle, just to enter our world?"
In response, Sombra simply shrugged. "Who knows." This was not the answer they'd been wanting to hear. "I have only learned of this phenomenon recently. I don't claim to be an expert." Everyone frowned, hoping to get more info then that. "But I have managed to track down several Duel Spirits that have Soulinked before, with many of them saying they simply wanted to learn more about our world. To settle a curiosity and better understand the world theirs is connected to."
"You make it sound like they're here on a sight seeing visit," Adagio said.
"If that's how you wanna see it," Sombra explained before turning serious. "However, the beings we're talking about are not the ones who came to this world in the way I explained."
"Tempest Shadow," Cold stated.
Sombra nodded. "As I said, a Soulink should only be possible when both parties agree to the merger. Should a Duel Spirit attempt to force one, it's likely the internal struggle for control would leave the body comatose. However, I believe I've figured out how they managed to make it possible." He turned to Flash, "would it be okay if I use you as an example?"
Flash wasn't so sure about this, but a glance towards Cold and Misty as they nodded swayed him. "Alright."
Sombra nodded again. "Alright, let's say you got your hand on my card and our compatibility was enough to a Soulink to occur. Instead of simply asking permission, I could force the link." In that moment, a light shot out of Sombra and hit Flash.
The teen cried out as, in the blink of an eye, he suddenly found himself floating in the air looking at himself. "What the?" He asked while looking around, seeing the other's eyes flicking between the two Flash. He then noticed a thin string like light connecting him to his clone.
"What you are seeing is a recreation of what would happen when a Soulink is forced," Sombra explained. "Flash's spirit has been forced out of the driving seat, leaving it in the comatose like state I mentioned earlier. However, the Duel Spirits I warned you about have discovered a way to gain some form of control over the body...by creating a third spirit to inhabit it."
"Third spirit?" Cold asked.
Sombra didn't reply, as a string of light suddenly flowed out of his body and connected to Flash's motionless body. "By linking to two spirits within the body, they can create a new spirit that is a perfect fusion of the first two. This new spirit would have the memories of both its parent spirits, but only have the personality of the Duel Spirit. This new spirit will have complete control over the body, and share the goals and beliefs of the Duel Spirit that created it." Flash's body opened its eyes, his facial expression now one similar to what Sombra had had a year ago.
Before anyone could worry about this, Flash suddenly found himself being pulled back into his body as the string connecting it to Sombra disappeared. "Wow," Flash patted himself down and make sure he was all there. "That was weird."
"What you went through was merely a watered down version of what happened to Tempest and the others. Had I attempted to truly force a Soulink, it would have been much more painful."
"Noted."
"So," Misty said, "you're saying Tempest Shadow and the rest of team Dominator are actually being controlled by a fusion of their spirit and a Duel Spirit."
"Exactly," Sombra said. "This forced Soulink, I believe a simpler term would be...a Dominate." Everyone hearing this suddenly felt a sickening sensation in their stomachs. For some reason, using that term felt so...violating. "These Dominators now walk amongst you. They could be anyone, anyone at all."
"When did this happen?" Grand asked. "When were Tempest and the others...dominated?"
In reply, Sombra stepped away and allowed them a better view of the two worlds. Before anyone could ask what was going on, they saw the lights flowing from one world to the other. "As I'm sure you're all aware, about a year ago a phenomenon occurred where the walls between our two worlds was ripped open."
"Yes," Flash said as they all pouted at him, "we remember."
Sombra rolled his eyes before turning back to the planets. "When you all called upon the spirits of your monsters for help, those monsters responded and were able to cross over to our world. However, this opening also allowed the Dominators to enter our world." Several black lights shot off the planet and flew towards earth. "In the short time the walls were broken down, these Spirits were able to locate compatible Duellists to Soulink with and forced one. Once the domination was complete, they were able to remain in our world without issue."
The vision disappeared, the lot of them now finding themselves back in the ruins. "So they've been in our world for over a year?" Flash asked, with Sombra nodding. "Why didn't you tell us about this sooner?"
"Because," Sombra replied, "like I said before, I have only become aware of this situation recently."
"How did you become aware of it?" Cold asked.
"I told him."
The group turned towards the source of the feminine voice, only to gasp once they saw who stepped out of the shadows. "Tempest Rogue Dominator Scarvolt," Flash whispered.
Scarvolt seemed to frown at this, but quickly changed her expression before getting down on her knees. "Please, save my partner." To say they were confused by this was an understatement.
"Come again?" Adagio asked before turning to Sombra. "Excuse me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say Tempest was being controlled by Scarvolt."
Sombra shook his head. "No, I said a Duel Spirit was controlling her. I never mentioned Scarvolt being the one who did."
"That's right," Scarvolt picked herself up. "I was the one who came to Sombra, hoping he could help me save Tempest from the beast that controls her."
"I'm lost," Flash said. "I thought you could only Soulink with a monster you're most compatible with?" He turned to Sombra, "isn't that what you said."
"I never said you couldn't Soulink with more then one monster," Sombra replied.
"Allow me to explain," Scarvolt said. "A year ago, I sensed the call of Tempest and chose to go to her. But during the journey to your world, something happened."
One year ago.
Scarvolt was travelling through a tunnel of light, heeding the call of her Duellist. But as she drew closer to the human world, she sensed a new presence.
Looking around, she spotted a light flying through the tunnel towards her. Before she could say or do anything, that light unleashed a bolt of lightning at her. She gasped before drawing her sword and using it to deflect the bolt. The light then shot towards her, seeming to want to body tackle her.
Scarvolt flew towards it, ready to slash at it with her sword. And as they made contact, the blade struck the light and they began to push at one another. But then a cracking sound touched Scarvolt's ears and made her look down, seeing the blade of her sword crack.
This crack spread across the blade before the top half of it shattered, allowing whatever was in the light to move forwards and strike her in the chest. She cried as she flew backwards before the light unleashed another bolt of lightning, which struck her. "GAAAH!" She screamed as she began to fall back down the tunnel, the light flying passed her towards the human world. "Fizzy," was all she could whisper before blacking out.
Present day.
"When I awoke, I was back in this world and my link to Tempest was gone." Scarvolt looked visibly hurt telling this story. "I tried for months to reconnect to her, but I can't. That's why I came to Sombra, who I thought might know what's going on."
"Which led to my study of the Soulink and discovery of the Dominators," Sombra finished. "Once I knew everything I could, I reached out to you in a hopes that you would respond. And it looks like I was right."
"So some other Duel Spirit is controlling Tempest," Cold stated.
Sombra nodded. "It's likely she had this spirit's card in her deck when the Shadow Gate opened, allowing the connection to be made. And their compatibility level was high enough to allow a Soulink, this allowing it to Dominate her."
"That's sick," Adagio said.
"Poor Tempest," Misty shook.
"And she's not the only one," Scarvolt explained. "I've been doing my own investigation and discovered several more Duel Spirits that have had the connection to their Duellists cut, all on the same day as when Tempest was lost to me. These Duel Spirits, they're planning something big."
"How can you tell?" Grand asked.
"Because just the other day, another Soulink took place." This was not what they wanted to hear.
"How do you know?" Flash asked.
"Vail Pixie," He replied. "She has been helping me in my investigation. Her dimensional warping abilities allow her to sense when the fabric of space time is warped, as it is during a Soulink. She sensed such a warp several days ago, which is when I'm guessing this Dominate took place."
"Marble Pie," Cold realised.
"Has now become a vessel for a Duel Spirit. Which Spirit, I can't tell for sure."
"Wait," Flash said, "during my Duel with her. I saw something, a shadow of some kind. It looked...just like the monster she was playing at the time. Gaia-Maiden Lady Marble."
"Interesting," Sombra said. "It seems your natural connection to both worlds has given you the ability to see the Duel Spirit controlling the one they Dominate, though likely only when they play themselves as a card. With more focus, you should be able to see more then a shadow next time."
"And learning which monsters are controlling them will help us free them," Cold said.
"How do we do that?" Adagio asked. "How are we suppose to free them from being controlled by some evil Spirit. I doubt an exorcism is gonna work."
"Actually," Sombra said, "saving them is quite a simple matter."
"Really?" Flash asked, not expecting that.
"Yes. The way to save them, is to defeat them in a Duel. With each loss, the connection between the Duellist and the spirit grows weaker. If they lose enough times, especially after summoning the monster controlling them, the connection will eventually break and the Spirit will be forced out of the body back into this world."
So that was it. They just had to beat them in a Duel. "How many times?" Cold asked.
"It depends on their compatibility level," Sombra replied. "If the level is strong, then they could lose multiple Duels without with connection breaking. But if the level is low, like barely exists at all, then losing a single Duel could free them from the spirit that dominates them. In the end, it all depends on the one you wish to free."
Well, at least that was something to go on.
"These Dominators," Cold said. "Any idea what they came to earth for?"
"Yeah," Adagio agreed, "I doubt they came here on a sight seeing tour."
"I don't know. However, I do know one thing. According to Vail Pixie, the warp that allowed Lady Marble's Domination has closed. Because of this, I think it's safe to say that cases like Marble Pie's will not be occurring again in the Double X."
Cold breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
"However, I doubt they are done messing with it. If they didn't need the tournament for whatever they were planning, they likely would have pulled out right away." The others nodded, agreeing with that statement. In that moment, the world around them began to fade. "It seems our time is coming to a close. The tear is beginning to repair itself."
"Wait," Flash said, "that's it?"
"I have told you everything I know. The rest is up to you. I will try and learn as much as I can and find a way to relay the info to you, but this may be all I can do to help. All I can tell you now is to be careful. There may be forces at work here beyond our comprehension."
They all nodded before Cold turned to Scarvolt. "Don't worry. We'll find a way to free Tempest and reconnect you two. No matter what it takes."
"Thank you," Scarvolt nodded before turning to Flash. "And for the record, Dominator isn't part of my name. It's Tempest Rogue Scarvolt. I don't know what that monster did to my card."
"Sorry," Flash replied, "and I make the same promise to you as Cold did. We'll save your partner. We'll save all the Dominated Duellists."
"Thank you," was all Scarvolt said before the world around them went blank.
Later.
Once they were back in their world, the five had left the lab and were now driving towards Freeze Stadium. Flash had finally noticed the texts telling him they were there and Misty had demanded Cold take them so she could see Scootaloo and finally meeting her son's girlfriend.
"So what now?" Flash asked. "how are we gonna deal with the Dominators?"
Cold sighed. "As much as I want to say we should just beat them and break the link, it's probably a smart move to try and find out what they came here for."
"And if they plan on bringing any more of their friends here," Grand said.
Adagio groaned. "I'm starting to think maybe my team should have gone to the second round as well."
Cold looked back at her. "You're the one who said you didn't want to take up space for a team who actually wanted to be in the next round."
"Yeah," she replied, "but still."
"Don't worry," Misty told her before smiling at her son. "Flash's team will be more then enough. Instead, let's see what we can do from outside the tournament." They all nodded as Cold pulled up to the stadium. As soon as he was parked, Misty almost jumped out of the car with the rest of them following. "Come on!" She practically ran towards the building.
Adagio laughed before turning to walk away. "Sorry, not big on family reunions."
"That's not what I heard," Cold said.
This made Adagio go red before she began to walk off. "Just call me when you actually need me and my sisters." With that, she was gone.
Flash and Cold began to head towards the stadium, but stopped when they saw Grand wasn't following. "Gramps, you coming?"
Grand remained stoic in his expression. He then turned to his grandson, "sorry kid. But I think I'm gonna head out and see what I can learn about the Dominators." This caused both Flash and Cold to go wide-eyed.
"What," Flash rushed over to him, "why?"
"I have a lot of contacts around the world. They'll help me in my investigation. If I can find out what they're planning, we'll have more ammo to use against them."
"I see," Flash slumped. "We just got mom back, but know we're losing you."
Grand smiled while patted him on the shoulder. "You're not losing me, but this is important and I'm the best man for the job. And with your mom back, I can go without worrying about you burning down the house." Flash rolled his eyes, but gave his grandfather a hug.
"See you gramps."
"See you son. Hug your sister goodbye for me."
"I will." With that, Grand pulled away and began to walk off. Flash watched him go, disappearing from sight before turning to Cold. As stepped up to and passed him, stopping two of three feet behind him. "Now I understand why you didn't want to say anything about Tempest in front of us."
Cold nodded. "The rules for the second round will remain the same. We can't go back on decisions that have already been made. That would look suspicious."
"So you want me to try and figure out what Tempest is planning to do, right?"
"No." This made Flash turn back to him in surprise, "don't worry. I'll be sure to use you when the moment comes. Until then, continue Duelling like you always would." Flash hummed, unsure if he'd be able to do that with all this new information given to him. "We need you to stay in the competition." Cold then smirked, "the second round won't be easy."
Cold and Flash stared at one another for several long moments, until Flash finally nodded before heading into the stadium.
Once inside, he spotted a large crowd and moved towards it when he realised it was his friends. They were all standing around his mother and sister, the two girls hugging with tears in their eyes. Scootaloo then spotted Flash and pulled away from Misty, running up towards him. "Flash!" She reached him and threw a fist into his gut, making him cry out with a loud wheeze. "What the heck you jerk! Why didn't you tell me mom was coming home!?"
Flash, still winded, looked up at her. "We...wanted it to be a surprise. Early birthday present."
"My birthday's was two months ago."
"Really early birthday present."
Misty quickly moved over to the two and got between them. "Alright you two, that's enough. Let's not spoil the moment." Her children smiled at this.
"Okay," Scootaloo replied, "I'm sorry." She grabbed Misty's hand, "come on. I wanna introduce you to my friends. Then, can we Duel." Misty laughed and agreed, returning to the group and letting Flash stand back to get his breath back.
As he watched Scootaloo give the intros, Twilight stepped up to him. "So," she said, "this is the errand you were talking about."
Errand? Flash quickly connected the dots and remembered their earlier conversation, "yes. Yes, this is the errand. Sorry I didn't tell you. I wanted it to be a surprise for Scootaloo and I didn't want you Twilighting about meeting my mom and her not liking you."
Twilight smiled as she stood next to him, Flash putting an arm around her waist. "It's alright, I get it. You wanted to spend a day with your mom. You don't need to make excuses." Flash smiled at this and kissed her on the forehead, while watching Scootaloo and Misty move over to a holo-table.
"DUEL!"
"Hey," Flash said, "you still up for going out later."
Twilight looked up at him, "don't you wanna spend time with your mom?"
"I had all day with her. Only right Scootaloo get the same chance." Twilight smiled at this and agreed, the two turning to watch the mother daughter Duel.
Meanwhile, in another section of Canterlot, Pinkie and Maud sitting outside their house. The two were still reeling from what had happened with Marble, especially with what she'd said.
"I...I don't get it," Pinkie said while her hair went flat. "Why doesn't Marble want to be with us? And...where did she go?"
"I don't know," Maud replied. Despite her usual stoic nature, she too was filled with sadness, worry and confusion.
Pinkie began to vibrate, until she jumped into the air and seemed to float their for several seconds while yelling out. "That's it!" She almost yelled while landing back on the ground with her hair returning to being fluffy. "We have to find her!" She turned to Maud, "It doesn't matter if she doesn't want to be around us anymore. She's our sister and we have to find out what happened to here."
Maud remained quiet for a moment, not even blinking, but then stood up. "I'm with you. Let's go find her."
"YAY!" Pinkie screamed before rushing into the house and coming back out a second later, now with a large travel bag on her back while carrying another in her arms. "What are we waiting for?" She put the bag on Maud, "let's get going." But before the two could take a single step, they stopped when they saw someone standing on the end of their driveway. "Grand?"
Flash's grandfather stared at the two for a second, then stepped up to them. "I need your help to find Marble."
Pinkie and Maud both shared a confused look, wondering where this was going.
Celestia: Welcome to the second round of the Double X Tournament.
Luna: Sixteen teams have made it here, but only four can go through to the final round. Who those teams will be, only time will tell.
The crowd in the Freeze Stadium exploded with applause. Up in the VIP box, Misty was sitting besides Scootaloo and the rest of her new friends as they waited to hear how this round was gonna play out. The answer came when Cold and Shining appeared on the megascreen.
"Let's begin the Double X Tournament's second round," Cold announced before the screen changed to show the words he was about to say. "Duelling Royale." The screen then changed again, this time showing a bunch of round platforms stacked one atop the other. It had five layers. The bottom layer had six platform, the second had five, the third had four, the forth had three and the very final level had only one platform. Each level was connected to a lower one by white horizontal pipes, which they guessed were hollow and worked as stairways up to the next level. And with each level, the size of the platform grew smaller
Each platform had a different environment within them. Some were gardens, while others were sandy beaches. Some looked likes cities while others were large stone mazes. The very top level was just a flat surface.
"This is where our competitors will be Duelling," Shining explained. "Every competitor will start on one of the bottom platforms and try to make their way up to the top floor. Along the way, they'll Duel to earn points that they'll need to make it through."
Cold continued, as the screen changed to show a familiar watch. "The Raduels will now allow the wearer to locate any and all Duellists throughout the stadium." It changed again, this time showing the teams from top to bottom in the order they made it through. Besides the team names were numbers, with team Dominator having the number forty eight besides theirs with team V-Fighters had the number three. "Each team will be given points depending on where they placed in the first round, evenly divided between each member.
The screen now changed to show chibi versions of Cold and Shining, as Shining talked. "When Duellists come across one another, they have the choice of either challenging the opponent or running away. If one Duellists challenges, the other must Duel them."
The chibi Cold suddenly fell down while chibi Shining looked proud. "The winner will earn all of his opponent's points, while the loser must drop out of the competition. If all three team members lose a match, their team will be eliminated." This caused murmurs to spread throughout the crowd. So unlike the last round, this one was do or die. You lose, you're out. "For every team member that makes it to the top, that team will gain the points those Duellists earned. At the end of it, the four teams with the highest points will go through to the finals."
The screen changed back to show Celestia and Luna.
Celestia: And there you have it. The second round will begin in thirty minutes.
Luna: The Duellists may enter into any of level one's stadiums to begin their journey.
Both: We wish you all the best of luck.
Over in the Extra Deck, the teams were now discussing their plans now that they knew what was coming.
"This is gonna be tricky," Flash said.
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "no doubt the higher ranking teams will just try and get to the top as fast as they can."
Sunburst nodded. "With so many points, that makes them a big target."
"Guys," they turned to see teams Applejewel and Tidal Maidens step up to them.
"Hey guys," Flash waved. "Looks like we're in for a tough time, huh."
"Yes," Twilight agreed. "This is do or die. No room for error."
"Oh," Fluttershy shook, "I'm not sure I'm ready for this."
Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder, "you'll be fine. Just remember to stay calm and trust your deck."
Rarity spoke up. "If we want to win, then we can't show any mercy."
Applejack nodded, "don't expect me ta go easy on ya'h. The second a'h see one of ya'll, it's Duel time."
"No problem," Flash assured her before he spotted team Wonderbolts heading towards them. "Hey," he held out a hand to Rainbow, "here's to a good match."
Rainbow frowned, but shook his hand anyway. "Listen, guys. I've made a decision. Team Wonderbolts isn't gonna go up against team Dominator, or any of you guys." This made them all gasp. Rainbow Dash was going to turn down a challenge.
"Why?" Fluttershy asked.
"Our team only has six points," Rainbow explained. "That's two points each. If we wanna get through, he can't go up against Duellists we'll have a hard time facing off against."
"So ya'h backin out cause ya'h scared?" Applejack frowned, not liking this attitude from her rival.
"I don't like it either," Rainbow told them. "But it's what's gotta happen for the good of the team. Our entire schools backing us, so being knocked out here can't happen." She turned to walk off, "sorry guys." As they headed off, Soarin turned to Rainbow.
"You really sure you wanna do this?" Soarin asked, "you said how much you were looking forward to going up against them."
Rainbow nodded. "I know, but this is for the best. Principal Spitfire is facing heavy heat because of us, so it's better to make sure we don't give those making things hard for her more ammo."
"I guess that makes sense," Gilda said. "But even so, I don't like this wimpy strategy."
"It might seem wimpy," Soarin said. "But these kinds of strategies are well known in most military circles."
Rainbow nodded. "Besides, if they really wanna face me then I'll need to get to the next round. That's where I wanna Duel them." Soarin and Gilda nodded before they headed towards the gate.
Finally, the thirty minute mark passed and all the Duellists stepped out into the Action Field.
Celestia: Alright! Double X, round two, is now underway!
The megascreen showed several Duels were already taking place, while also showing Duellists running around looking for either an opponent or a path leading up to the second level.
Luna: On screen you can see the locations of all the Duellists. This information is also available to them thanks to their Raduels.
Celestia: How will they choose to play? Risk everything to gain points or get to the top as soon as they can?
Luna: It's going to be exciting either way.
In one of the beach locations, Rainbow pointed her Raduel at an opponent. This caused both Raduels to beep, signalling that their Duel was on.
Meanwhile, in a city field, Twilight's Twilight Warlock destroyed Pip's Dread Pirate Nightmare and wiped out the last of his points. "Yes!" She cheered as the Duel monsters faded. "That's one win for us."
Celestia: Twilight Sparkle has already won her first match.
"Oh man," Pip moaned. "I can't believe I've been knocked out already."
Luna: Young Pip had twelve points, so they now belong to Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight smiled before looking down at her Raduel. The three next to her picture increased to fifteen, making her team's total score twenty one. The screen then beeped, showing an incoming call.
She answered and saw Fluttershy one screen. "Hey Twilight. Great work."
"Thanks," Twilight smiled, "I love how we can talk with these. We can plan strategies."
"Yeah," Fluttershy agreed, "it's gonna be a great help."
Twilight nodded, "let's get out there and earn a bunch of points."
Fluttershy nodded. "By the way, have you seen Sunset?"
Over in the garden field, Sunset had just run into another Duellist.
He smiled as he stared her down. "If I beat you, all those points you have will become mine."
Sunset smirked, "those points aren't mine to give. They belong to the team. I'm sorry, but I can't let you have them." She pointed her Raduel at him, "let's Duel!"
In the maze field, a Duellist whose team had gotten through early was sneaking around.
"Idiots," he chuckled, "why Duel when the points I have should pretty much guarantee me a spot. All I've gotta do is make it to the top without being spotted." But as he turned a corner, he came to a stop when he saw another Duellist standing there. "Tempest Shadow."
The girl turned towards him, a smile on her face. "I have sixteen points. If you win, then you get them all."
"Sixteen?" The teen whispered. The logical side of his brain was telling him to run, but the greedy part of it was telling him to fight. In the end, greed won out over logic and the teen challenged Tempest. "Those points are mine!"
Tempest just smirked, "we'll see."
Within the garden field, Heath Burns was Duelling against Shining Spoon.
His Duel Disk was red with a yellow blade. On his field was Flame Ruler, along with a face down. Meanwhile, Spoon had his Rebellion Dragon out and had just used its ability to increase its ATK points.
"Rebellion Dragon, attack!" The beast flew towards Flame Ruler, as its mandibles sparked. "Lightning Disobey!"
Heath however, did not look impressed. "What a bore," his face down flipped up to reveal a Trap. "Magical Cylinders!"
"Oh no!" Spoon cried as his attack was absorbed before being redirected towards him. With a single shot, all his life points were wiped out.
Over in the VIP box, Misty was watching the Duel between Tempest and her opponent. "So that's her," she said as she watched the girl defeat her opponent. "Tempest."
"She's really strong," Scootaloo said.
"I hope none of our friends run into her," Sweetie agreed.
"As scary as it sounds," they all turned to see Cold and Shining enter the room. "It's likely that if any of your friends want to win, they'll need to defeat team Dominator at some points." Everyone frowned, not liking the sound of that at all.
"So weak," Tempest snide towards her fallen opponent. "That's all your capable of?" She stepped away, a frown on her face. "To think, these are the beings who have saved their world from darkness so many times. How weak were these evils, that they'd fall to such pitiful beings." Suddenly, the image of a certain girl flashed before her eyes and made her stop. "Moondancer." She shook her head and continued to walk away.
Over in the garden field, we find Starlight walking through the flowers.
She hadn't Duelled anyone yet, mainly because she hadn't found anyone of interest. But as she turned around a hedge, she suddenly found herself standing on a battle field.
"I set the Pendulum Scale!" Spike cried, "with scale three Flame Spear Dragon and scale seven Flame Banner Dracokid!" The portals of light appeared besides him before the monsters flew up into them. Once their, the portal formed. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and two fireballs flew out, exploding to reveal his monsters. "Flame Sabre Dragon and Iron Tail Dragon!" The two dragons roared.
"Those won't beat my Ancient Gear Golem," his opponent told him.
"Well what if I sacrifice them?" The two monsters disappeared, and was replaced by a giant metal vault. "Break free from your iron prison. Gandora-X, the Dragon of Demolition!" The vault's locks undid before the whole thing shattered, unleashing a wave of fire that quickly faded to reveal his monster. The beast roared as the light around its body glowed red "Now for Gandora-X's skill. He can destroy any monster on the field that I choose, and then hit you with damage equal to the destroyed monster's ATK points."
The teen's eyes went wide as he watched Gandora-X unleashed a barrage of lasers from the lights on its body, destroying Gear Golem and wiping out his life points.
Celestia: He's done it. Team V-Fighter's Spike has won an impressive victory.
Spike sighed as the monsters vanished. No matter what, he had to win and get his team to the final stage. He didn't care how strong his opponents were, he'd win.
He turned to walk off, only to come face to face with Starlight. "Huh, you're from team Dominator."
"That's right," Starlight said. "I was just watching your Duel. An excellent comeback."
"Err...thanks."
Starlight hummed, as if considering something, then smiled before pointing her Raduel at him. Spike gasped, not having expected to face a member of this team so soon. "What's the matter?" She asked before pulling out a pink Duel Disk, "scared?"
Spike frowned, "I'm not scared."
"Then prove it," she placed the disk on her arm before a purple blade appeared.
"I will," Spike reactivated his Duel Disk. No matter what, he was gonna win. Beating her would earn him a significant amount of points.
"Show me what you've got," Starlight said while drawing her cards.
"No problem," Spike did the same.
"DUEL!"
Spike: 4000 Starlight: 4000
In the city field, Flash was in the middle of his own Duel when his Raduel beeped.
Activating the screen, he saw Spike and his opponent. "What?" Spike was going up against one of team Dominator. A sense of dread filled him. What if they tried to do to Spike what they did to Marble? Sombra had said their shouldn't be any more Dominates happening, but then why were these three still competing?
Flash sighed before looking up at the sky, "you go for it bud."
In the beach field, Sunburst saw this and grew just as worried. Though not for the same reasons as Flash.
"Starlight," he whispered. How he wished her could be there, to see just how much his old friend had grown as a Duellist. But by the time he got to the garden field, the match would likely be over. He'd just have to hope to meet her later.
"I'll take the first move," Starlight drew her card. "And with it, I'll summon Celestial Spirit Cancer in DEF mode!" Suddenly, a star constellation appeared in front of them that matched the Cancer star sign. Seconds later, they exploded in a burst of light that quickly faded to reveal her monster.
Said monster was what appeared to be a young boy in a red suit of crab themed armour. He had pincers instead of hands and six crab leg like appendages coming out of the side of his helmet. (A600/D1600/L4) "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
"It's my turn!" Spike drew his card. "And I summon Assault Wyvern, in ATK mode!" The blue and silver dragon appeared before him. (A1800/D1000/L4) "Attack!" It then soared forwards and cut the crab knight to pieces.
"You activated my Trap!" Starlight announced as her face down flipped up. "Stardust Draw. Now I can draw cards equal to my monster's level." She drew three cards.
"Well when Assault Wyvern destroys a monster in battle, his ability lets me replace him with a dragon from my hand!" The dragon vanished in a burst of light, being replaced by a red and blue dragon. "Say hello, to Des Volstgalph!" (A2200/D1700/L6)
"And say hello to my other face down!" Starlight flipped her card up, revealing a Spell card. "Celestial Ursa Minor! This card let's me summon four Ursa Minor Tokens in DEF mode." Four blue energy bears with stars on their foreheads appeared. (A0/D0/L1)X4.
"Well since you activated a Spell card, Des Volstgalph gets an extra two hundred ATK points!" (A2400/D1700/L6) "Now attack!" The dragon unleashed a breath attack that destroyed one of the bears. "And when he destroys a monster, he deals you five hundred points of damage!" The dragon fired another blast of flames, which struck Starlight and made her stagger backwards.
Spike: 4000 Starlight: 3500
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Des Volstgalph's ATK returned to normal. (A2200/D1700/L6)
Celestia: Spike of team V-Fighters takes an early lead.
Luna: This is looking good for him, as his team finished in the previous round in last place and could use those sixteen points
"It's my turn," Starlight drew her card. "And I'll start by playing the spell card Celestial Ursa Major!" The three small bears exploded into cosmic energy, which began to swirl into a vortex of light. "By tributing my Ursa Minor Tokens, I can summon an Ursa Major Token!" The light formed a large purple energy bear, with sabre-tooth fangs and a star on its head. (A?/D?/L7)
"Well since you played another Spell card, my dragon gets a power up!" (A2400/D1700/L6)
Starlight smirked, "well my Major's ATK and DEF power becomes the number of Minors I tributed times eight hundred. (A2400/D2400/L7) "Next, I summon Celestial Spirit Libra!" Another constellation revealed a female knight in bronze armour, carrying a pair it twin swords. Sticking out of her helmet were a pair of scales. (A900/D900/L4) "And since she's in ATK mode, her DEF points drop to zero but her ATK points increase by the DEF points lost. (A1800/D0/L4)
Spike watched as Starlight began to race through the garden, jumping up as she reached a tree and grabbing an Action Card. "I play the Action Spell Skill Share." Spike's dragon once again powered up. (A2600/D1700/L6) "Now I can transfer Libra's ability to Ursa Major!" Libra glowed, the light flying over to the bear as her ATK and DEF returned to normal. (A900/D900/L4) Meanwhile, Ursa Major glowed. (A4800/D0/L7)
"Oh boy," Spike said.
"Attack!" The star on the bear's head glowed, ready to unleashed a blast of cosmic energy.
But before it could, "I activate my Trap!" His face down flipped up, "Stepping Down for the Future Generations!" His dragon glowed, "now I can sacrifice Des Volstgalph to summon two Dragon monsters whose Levels equal his!" The light enveloped the dragon before splitting apart to take form and fade. "So now I summon Ember Dragon and Flame Banner Dracokid!" (A1200/D1100/L3) (A1100/D1100/L3/P7) The two young dragons took a defensive stance.
"Alright," Starlight said, "then I'll attack Ember Dragon!" Ursa Major fired its blast and struck the dragon, destroying it before the embers created two small fireballs with eyes. (A0/0/L1)X2
"Sorry, but when Ember Dragon's destroyed, I can summon two Ember Tokens in DEF mode."
"Well they'll soon only be one. Libra, attack!" The female knight rushed forwards and slashed the fireball, destroying it. "I place two cards face down and end my turn." Skill Share's ability faded, returning the monsters to normal. (A2400/D2400/L7) (A1800/D0/L4)
"It's my turn!" Spike drew his card, "and I summon Heat Wing Dragon to the field." A small red dragon appeared on the field, it's wings radiating waves of heat. (A300/D200/L1) "Now watch," the little dragon transformed into a fireball that carved a blazing ring. "As I tune Heat Wing Dragon with Flame Banner Dracokid and my Ember Token." The two monsters flew into the fire ring. "Burning spirit, erupt into a wildfire of power!" The ring exploded and created a blazing sphere. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames receded, revealing his monster "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) "And when Heat Wing Dragon is used to Synchro Summon a Fire monster, that monster gains five hundred ATK points for his turn." The ghostly image of Heat Wing appeared above Flame Hunter and exploded into a veil of fire that surrounded the dragon, as Spike leapt up onto its back. (A2800/D1300/L5/P8) "Now attack Celestial Spirit Libra!" The dragon unleashed a burst of fire, that headed straight for Starlight's monster.
"I don't think so!" Starlight said as Ursa Major leapt in front of Libra and took the hit, exploding.
Spike: 4000 Starlight: 3100
"What happened?"
"My Interception Trap Card," She explained. "It lets a monster take the hit for one that's weaker then it, so Ursa Major protected Libra. And with his destruction, I can activate this card!" Her other face down flipped up to reveal a Trap. "Starlight Ride! Since a Light monster was destroyed by battle, I can summon two or more new Light monsters with Levels equal to it."
"No way!" Spike cried, as he watched the pieces of her destroyed monster come together into a pair of constellations.
Those constellations exploded, revealing her monsters. The first was a man wearing brown scorpion armour around his head, chest, waist and legs. He had a pair of robotic claws where his hands should be and a long robotic tail coming out of the back of his waist armour. The other was a young woman with white armour that had wool trim, with a white helmet on her head that had ram horns on it. "Say hello to Celestial Spirit Scorpio and Aries." (A1800/D600/L4) (A1400/D900/L3)
Celestia: Incredible. Starlight was able to turn a bad situation into a positive.
Luna: I wonder what these new monsters can do?
"I place one card face down and end my turn," Spike stated as Flame Hunter's ATK returned to their normal total. (A2300/D1300/L5/P8)
Starlight smiled as she drew her card. "I activate Aries's ability" She drew three cards, "I look at the top three cards of my deck and send any Celestial Spirit to the graveyard." She took two of them and placed them in the graveyard, "now I can summon the same number of Wool Tokens to the field." Aries pulled two wool-balls off her armour and tossed it onto the ground, with those wool-balls suddenly gaining eyes. (A300/D300/L1)X2. "Now I activate Scorpio's ability!" Scorpio raised its tail and fired a strange purple liquid out of the end.
Spike saw the liquid flying towards him and Flame Hunter. "WOW!" He leapt off the dragon, just as the liquid hit it and began to steam. When Spike landed, he looked up at his monster saw its ATK points were beginning to drop. (A1700/D1300/L5/P8) "What happened?"
Starlight smiled. "Once per turn, Scorpio can lower to ATK of a monster on your field by two hundred for every Celestial Spirit in the graveyard."
"Sneaky." Spike then spotted an Action Card in a bird bath, which he rushed to grab as Starlight continued.
"Scorpio, attack Flame Hunter!" The armoured man rushed forwards before using his claws to stab the dragon, destroying it.
Spike: 3900 Starlight: 3100
"I activate the Action Spell Reflective Guardian! Since a monster was just destroyed, I can summon two Reflection Tokens with ATK and DEF equal to my monsters level times two hundred." A pair of pale looking Flame Hunter Dragons appeared on his field. (A1000/D1000/L5)X2
Starlight smiled. "Libra!" The woman rushed forwards and slashed one of the dragons with her swords.
Spike: 3100 Starlight: 3100
"Aries!" The younger woman dashed towards Spike's dragon and headbutted it, destroying it and leaving Spike's field empty.
Spike: 2900 Starlight: 3100
"Now, my Wool Tokens!" The cloud-like monster flew forwards and both tackled Spike in the stomach, knocking him down.
Spike: 2400 Starlight: 3100
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
Luna: How's Spike gonna come back with Starlight's field so full of monsters?
Spike knew how. "I draw and activate the effect of Flame Banner Dracokid." He pulled the card from his Extra Deck and sent it to the graveyard, "now I can add two Dragon-Type Pendulum Monsters from my deck to my hand." His deck slotted out two cards, which he took and placed on the Duel Disk. The pillars of light appeared besides him, as Flame Core and Flame Breaker Dragon flew up into them.
"Here it comes," Starlight smirked at this.
"Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a pair fireballs shot out and hit the ground, exploding to reveal Spike's monsters. "Scorcher Dragon!" (A1200/D700/L3) "And Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) "Now for Flame Hunter's ability!" The dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a burst of fire, which struck Starlight's field and burnt her face down to a crisp. "How's that?"
"Predictable," Starlight replied in an almost bored tone.
"What?" Spike asked, before both his dragons sudden crashed into the floor. It was as if something was pulling them downwards, forcing them into DEF mode.
They weren't the only ones effected, as all of Starlight's monsters were forced into DEF mode as well. "You like it. It's my Gravity Well Trap. It activated the moment you destroyed it and forced all our monsters into DEF position. What's more, when Libra is in DEF mode her ATK drops to zero and her DEF goes up by the same amount." (A0/D1800/L4) Starlight saw Spike wasn't happy about this. "I spent most of the first round watching every single match the rest of you played. I've seen every move you have, so there's nothing you can do to surprise me."
Spike frowned, "fine. Then do you know what's gonna happen next?"
"You're gonna use your monsters to Synchro Summon Dragonic Blazemaster," she replied.
"That was a rhetorical question!" He cried as the two cards leapt into the air before Scorcher Dragon burst into a trio of fireballs, that carved the fire rings around his Synchro Pendulum. "Cast your flames across this battle field, and burn everything that is weak to ashes!" Spike chanted as his monsters were consumed by an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames erupted, as Spike's ace burst free and revealed itself. "Dragonic Blazemaster!" (A3000/D2000/L8) "ATTACK!" The dragon rushed towards Scorpio, as Starlight rushed towards a nearby Action Card.
Scooping it out of a pond, she turned it around and found it was an Action Trap.
Celestia: Oh! That's gonna cost her. That Action Trap will deal her two hundred points of damage every time one of her monsters is destroyed.
Luna: She probably should have just let them be destroyed. Oh well.
Blazemaster cut Scorpio in half, dealing Starlight damage.
Spike: 2400 Starlight: 2900
Spike smirked. "And since Blazemaster destroyed a card on your field, he can attack another monster you have." The dragon turned to Aries as its sword reignited, "ETERNAL FLAME!" The ram woman was destroyed, Starlight once again being damaged by the Action Trap
Spike: 2400 Starlight: 2700
Soon enough, Libra and the Wool Tokens were taken out too. And for each one, Starlight lost two hundred life points.
Spike: 2400 Starlight: 2100
Celestia: Incredible! Spike has turned to table around in this Duel. How will Starlight deal with this?
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn!" Starlight drew her card and instantly activated it, "I play Magical Mallet. Now I can return any cards in my hand back to my deck, then shuffle and redraw." She placed all her cards back into the deck, which shuffled before she drew three new cards. "Then I play the Spell card, Celestial Device Sextans. With this card, I can revive one Celestial Spirit in my graveyard. And I choose Celestial Spirit Pisces!" Another constellation appeared in front of her before exploding, the light fading to reveal a pair of barracudas, one black and one white, swimming around each other. (A2000/D500/L4)
"Those two won't beat my dragon," Spike told her.
"Patience," Starlight replied. "First, I activate Pisces's ability." (A1000/D500/L4) "By halving their ATK points, they can attack you twice."
"So what?"
"So," Starlight activated another card, "now I activate the Spell Card Reverse Polarity!" Spike's eyes went wide before he looked up at his monster and saw it's power begin to drop, while Pisces's rose. (A3000/D500/L4) (A1000/D2000/L8)
"Oh boy." Spike began to run off in search of an Action Card, while Starlight jumped onto the back of her monster.
"Pisces, attack!" The black barracuda swam towards Blazemaster, as it and Spike rounded a hedge and spotted an Action Card.
He rushed over to it and grabbed the card, activating is seconds before the attack landed. "Go, Evasion!" Blazemaster managed to dodge the fish, only for the white one to fly at it.
"Don't forget, I've still got another attack!"
"Well I activate my face down!" Spike's card flipped up to reveal a Spell card, "Shrink!" The white barracuda suddenly became halve the size. (A1500/D500/L4) It struck Blazemaster and destroyed it, knocking Spike down.
Spike: 1900 Starlight: 2100
Starlight smiled as she spotted an Action Card in a nearby tree, the black Pisces grabbing it in its teeth before swimming down to give it to her. She looked at the card and smiled. This might come in handy if Spike did what she figured he'd do. "I end my turn."
"My draw," Spike saw what he'd gotten and smiled as the portal formed above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a fireball shot out and hit the ground, exploding to reveal his monster. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) "Then I play the Spell Monster Reborn, to revive Dragonic Blazemaster!" A portal opened before his ace flew out, standing besides Flame Hunter.
Starlight smirked before activating her Action Spell, "Draw Score!" Now I can look at the top five cards of my deck and place any Spell or Trap card face down, this the rest are sent to the graveyard. What's more, I can activate any Trap or Quick-Play Spell this turn." She drew five cards, smiling as she placed four of the cards face down while sending the last to the graveyard.
Spike frowned. Even though he'd summoned Flame Hunter, she was able to get a bunch of face down out onto the field. He'd have to be careful. "I activate the Pendulum Ability of Flame Breaker Dragon."
Spike: 1500 Starlight: 2100
"I banish Armoured Wyvern, two summon to Dragon monsters whose Levels equal his!" The dragon appeared before Flame Breaker tossed its hammer into its back. As soon as it made contact, the dragon exploded and the flames split into four fireballs. "I summon Peewee Dragon and Magna Drago!" The fireballs exploded to reveal the dragons. (A300/D100/L2) (A1400/D600/L2)
Starlight frowned, knowing what was coming.
"Now," the three dragons leapt into the air, "Level Two Peewee Dragon and Level two Magna Drago will Double Tune Level eight Dragonic Blazemaster!" The Tuner's exploded into a quartet of fireballs, which quickly blazed four rings of fire. Those four rings lined up, as Blazemaster flew up into them. "Flames of Apocalypse, incinerate everything in this world!" The flaming rings exploded, wrapping Blazemaster into a ball of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flaming sun began to extinguish, reveal Spike's new monster. "Dragonic Blazemaster...INFERNO LEGEND!" (A3500/D3000/L12) "And with nine dragons in the graveyard, Inferno Legend gains and extra twenty seven hundred ATK points." The ghosts of Spike's destroyed monster appeared around the dragon, then exploded into flames that flew into Inferno Legend. (A6200/D3000/L12)
Luna: That's the best card in his deck. Starlight's gonna have trouble beating it.
Spike pointed at Starlight. "I'll start with an attack by Flame Hunter Dragon!" The dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a burst of fire, but before it could land a pink energy wave wrapped around Pisces and blocked it. "What the?"
"My Starlight Veil!" Starlight explained as he face down flipped up to reveal a Trap, "this card lets me block up to three attacks."
Spike growled. "Fine, then I'll have Inferno Legend attack!" The giant dragon drew its sword, igniting it before flying forwards and slashing at the veil. "And by banishing a Tuner from my graveyard, I can have him attack again." (A5900/D3000/L12) Inferno Legend drew another flaming sword and once again attacked the veil, this time causing it to shatter and leave Pisces defenceless. "And once again, I'll banish a Tuner monster and have him attack again." (A5600/D3000/L12) Inferno Legend drew another sword.
"I activate my Trap!" Starlight's other face down flipped up, "Celestial Weapon Scutum!" A large shield appeared in front of Pisces and blocked the sword. "This card allows me to stop one attack, as well as switch my monster to DEF mode and raise its DEF points by five hundred." (A2000/D1000/L4)
Spike frowned. "I banish another Tuner monster, which let's my dragon attack again!" (A5300/D3000/L12) Inferno Legend drew another sword and slashed at Pisces, finally destroying it and leaving Starlight's field empty. "Now I'll banish my last Tuner monster in order for him to attack you directly!" (A5000/D3000/L12) Inferno Legend drew its last sword, which it raised up high.
Celestia: Is this is? Will team Dominator, the first team to get through to this round, lose a member to the team that was the last to get through.
Luna: It sure looks like it. But then again, a Duel isn't over until the last card is played.
Inferno Legend swung the blade downwards toward's Starlight's head. But before it could make contact with her, a new constellation appeared between them. This one quickly exploded, revealing a woman in a snake charmer outfit carrying a flute with a large serpent slithering around her. (A1700/D1000/L4)
"What the?" Spike asked as Inferno Legend's blade struck the woman.
"Meet Celestial Spirit Ophiuchus, a Trap Monster."
Celestia: INCREDIBLE! She survived. By summoning that card in DEF mode, she's protected herself from Spike's onslaught of attacks.
Luna: Who would have thought it. And something tells me that card has more power then she's letting on.
The sword sliced through Ophiuchus, destroying the woman but the snake remained. "And when Ophiuchus is destroyed, her ability activates." The snake slithered up the sword and wrapped itself around the dragon's wrist, biting into it an making it roar in pain. "Now, during every single one of my Standby Phases, your monsters ATK points will decrease by one hundred points for every Celestial Spirit in my graveyard." Spike frowned, "There's more. Since you destroyed a Celestial Spirit, I can activate my Starlight Beacon Trap card." A magic circle with a star in it appeared.
"Now what?" Spike asked.
"This card allows me to now summon a Celestial Spirit with less ATK then the one you just destroyed. So I summon Celestial Spirit Gemini!" A new constellation appeared above the magic circle, then exploded. When the light faded, a pair of kids, a boy and a girl, with blue hair wearing black cloaks appeared. (A1000/D1000/L3)
Spike sighed, "I end my turn."
Starlight smiled, "it's my turn. And now that it's my Standby Phase, your dragon's ATK points weaken." Spike watched as Inferno Legend began to sway, succumbing to the poison being injected into it. (A4300/D3000/L12) "Now I'll play Celestial Device Circunis! This card allows me to add one Celestial Spirit from my deck to my hand." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which she took. "By the way, did you know Gemini counts as two sacrifices when being used to tribute summon a Celestial Spirit?"
Spike frowned, "this won't be good."
"No? Well I tribute them in order to summon Celestial Spirit Leo!" The twins were consumed by a bright light, which took the form of a new constellation that quickly exploded.
Spike watched as a new monster stepped out of the light. It was a man with a mane of thick red hair, wearing black and gold armour. The armour around his shoulders was shaped like lion heads, while three long claws extended out of his wrist armour. (A2500/D2000/L7)
"Then I'll equip him with the Celestial Weapon, Orion's Sword!" A long-sword with a star shaped crossguard appeared in the mans hand. "With this, his ATK power increases by one thousand!" (A3500/D2000/L7) "Then I'll activate his ability, which lets me looks at the top five cards of my deck and discard any Celestial Spirits to the graveyard!" She drew five cards, but only sent one to the graveyard. Once that happened, she turned to Spike. "Can you see it?"
Spike raised an eyebrow at this, only for a sudden light to come out of nowhere and blind him. "Wow!" He blinked as the light quickly faded, getting the spots out of his eyes and looking around. When he did, he found that he an his monsters were in a completely different place.
They were now on some kind of battle field, with the corpses of Duel Monsters littering the field. "What is this? The future?"
"No," he turned to see Starlight and Leo walking towards her, "the past. A past of pain and suffering, in this world of hatred and anger."
"What?" Spike asked.
"I feared that this is all my life would be. But then, I found my escape." She pointed upwards, and Spike followed her finger. As he did, he spotted something in the sky that he recognised.
"Is that...the Shadow Gate?
"But my freedom from this hell hangs by a weak thread," She said. "I must find a way to make the pain end...permanently." She pointed at Spike's dragon. "Leo, attack Inferno Legend!"
"But my monster's stronger?" Spike asked, "why?"
Starlight just smiled, "because whenever Leo attacks, he gains two hundred ATK points for every Celestial Spirit in my graveyard. And currently, I have nine." Spikes eyes went wide before he looked up and saw nine different constellations appear around the man before they exploded, then light flying into him and boosting his power. (A5300/D2000/L7) "ATTACK!" He flew forwards, using Orion's Sword to stab into the beast and make it roar in pain before exploding.
Spike: 500 Starlight: 2100
"Big mistake," Spike told her. "If you'd attacked Flame Hunter, you would have won."
"And where's the fun in taking down the weaker monster?" Starlight asked, "besides, I'm still gonna win?" Spike raised an eyebrow at this. "Whenever a monster wielding Orion's Sword destroys a monster, you take one hundred points of damage for ever Celestial Spirit in my graveyard.
Spike gasped as Leo landed in front of him, pointing the now glowing crossguard of his sword at the teen. The glow intensified and unleashed a powerful burst of light, which made Spike cry out. "AAAAAHHHHHH!"
Spike: 0 Starlight: 2100 (Winner)
As Flash raced through the City Field, his Raduel beeped.
Looking down at it, he saw Spike's image with the word 'loser' above it. This made him gasp as the screen suddenly changed to show Spike's image, "I'm sorry Flash. I lost my match."
"Spike," Flash said in fear, "are you alright?" The screen then split as Sunburst appeared besides Spike.
"Your opponent, how strong was she?"
"Really strong," Spike replied. "I don't think a single thing I did surprised her at all. It was almost scary how well she knew my strategy. But...also..."
"What?" Flash asked. "What happened?"
"I don't know. It's like...I was suddenly transported to another world. I was surrounded by Duel Monsters."
"What?" Flash asked in shock.
"You sure it wasn't just another Duel near you?" Sunburst asked.
"I don't know," Spike said. "It was probably noth-"
"Are you sure you're okay?" Flash asked hastily, "no strange side effects?"
Spike looked at him in confusion, "no. I'm fine. I'm just sorry I have to drop out of the tournament so soon."
"There's nothing we can do about that now," Sunburst told him. "You just try and take it easy, okay? We'll take it from here."
"Sorry guys," Spike said one last time.
Flash sighed, "it's cool. You did great. Leave the rest to us, okay?"
"Sure," Spike replied before cutting the call. As he did, he couldn't help but let a few tears leak out.
Starlight was still watching him, standing on a bridge overlooking their battle field. As she did, she frowned. "If pain is all that can exist in this universe," the girl said. "Then it's better for everything to simply end." With that, she walked off.
The first day of the Double X's second round had begun. By its end, only four teams would remain. But who would those teams be and who will they have to beat to get to the finals? Only time would tell.
Celestia: The Double X Tournament! Now that we've entered the second round, things are really starting to heat up. Welcome to Duelling Royale.
Everyone in the stadium watched with baited breath as the Duellists continued to work their way through the five levels of the Duel field. One the megascreen, they saw several Duellists facing off against one another while others were trying to avoid battle as best they could.
Luna: The rules are harsh. A single defeat results in immediate elimination, and all the losers points will transfer to the winner. It is quite literally a race to survive.
Over in a swampy area, Flash was facing off against his opponent.
Said opponent had two Giant Soldiers of Stone, while Flash had Magna Wolf and Magna Pegasus. His opponent also had Destiny Board out and was one letter away from victory. Flash needed to win this turn.
"I draw!" Flash drew his card and smiled seeing what he'd gotten. "I tribute Flash Wing in order to summon Spino-Gear, Magna-Saur!" The pegasus was consumed by a great flash of light, which quickly vanished to reveal a giant robotic Spinosaurus. It was gun metal grey with a long drill like tail and a massive gear sticking out of its back. (A2100/D1500/L5) "Attack!"
His opponent watched as the robot dino charged forwards, spinning around as its tail began to spin and drilled into his Stone Soldier. As the monster crumbed, he smirked. He still had another monster on the field and Magna Wolf's ability would only increase it's ATK points to nineteen hundred. He was safe.
"Activating Spino-Gear's skill!" Flash drew two cards from his deck, as the gear on his monster's back began spinning. "By banishing these cards, my Magna-Saur can attack again!"
"What?" His opponent asked as Spino-Gear rushed forwards and drilled through his last monster, leaving him defenceless.
"And with two more cards removed from play, Magna Wolf's ATK goes up two twenty-one hundred!" The wolf glowed as it rushed forwards, slashing at the teen and wiping out the last of his life points.
Celestia: At this point in the tournament, the members of team Dominator are continuing to make good progress.
The megascreen changed to show Tempest taking down yet another Duellist, her fourth so far that day.
Luna: Demonstrating her incredible skills, we have Tempest Shadow.
Celestia: We also have Starlight Glimmer, whose Duelling abilities shine like the stars that fill her deck. And, recently joining the team, we have Heath Burns. Keep an eye on the way he Duels, it's very cool."
Luna: I think you mean hot, dear sister. Given the cards in his deck.
"Dang it!" Heath's opponent cried as his life points were wiped out, "you're too strong."
Heath sighed. "Well," he said, "that wasn't too bad." He walked off, heading towards something he spotted during the Duel. It was one of the metal pipes he'd seen before, and just like everyone expected it was hollow with stairs on the inside.
Celestia: Look at that. Several Duellists are beginning to make their way up to Level Two.
Luna: At this point, eighteen contestants have been eliminated. That means there are thirty Duellists remaining, representing fifteen teams.
Celestia: With each level they ascend, the size and number of playing fields becomes smaller. This increases the likelihood of the Duellists encountering each other.
Luna: We're sure to have some intense battles ahead of us. Which of our teams will manage to make it through?
As Heath arrived at the top of the stairs, he found he was now in a scene from Honey I Shrunk the Kids.
All around him, giant plants and blades of grass surrounded him. This didn't really excite him, as he walked through the undergrowth. "I thought the Duellists would be better then this," he moaned while looking down at his gloved hand. "These humans are overrated. No fun at all." As he continued to stare at the glove, his mind flashed back to when he had agreed to enter this tournament.
Several weeks ago.
It had just gone midnight and Heath was walking out of a concert hall, having just been at a concert of a band he liked. As he and the rest of the audience headed out, he suddenly stopped when he felt a presence he hadn't felt in a while. Slowly turning over to where he felt it coming from, his eyes landed on a purple skinned woman with pink hair and a scar.
The two stared at one another for several seconds before Tempest smiled and raised her gloved hand. Doing so allowed him to see an image printed on the back of it, one he knew all too well.
She put her glove back down before anyone else noticed and stepped over to him. "Hello there," she said as she reached him. "I'd like to talk to you about an important matter."
Heath raised an eye at this.
Tempest took him to a nearby restaurant, where they sat and enjoyed a drink. "I have to say," Heath said as he took a sip of his drink. "I wasn't expecting to see another Soulinked Duellist whilst I was here." He shot her a suspicious look, "what do you want?"
Tempest sighed as she sat back. "Did you know one of the Duel Spirits here on earth has lost her life?"
This caught Heath's attention. "Which one."
"Her name was Saltalunam, who held the title of Moondancing Scholar. Like us, she was living as a human who called herself Moondancer. But she was in a car crash and she died."
"A car crash?" Heath asked.
Tempest nodded. "These humans appear to be unbelievably fragile creatures. You need to be careful. You don't want to lose your life here on earth, since there's no telling what'll happen to you in our world."
Heath hummed for a moment, then sighed as he sat back. "Fine, I'll be careful." He watched as Tempest took a sip of her own drink. "So, who am I talking to right now?" Tempest didn't reply, instead reaching into her jacket and pulling out a card at she showed to him. He gasped, "you?" She nodded as she put her card back into her jacket. "Didn't think I'd be seeing one of you guys here. Still trying to find a way to revive your mighty god?"
"Yes," Tempest replied, "and we have a way to do it." This caught Heath's attention, "which is why I've come to you."
"Pass," Heath replied, "I'm not into that whole Zenith Cult thing."
"You don't have to be. Listen, there's a big championship coming up called the Double X. Moondancer was suppose to be on my team."
Heath smirked. "So that's why you decided to pay me a visit."
"Yes, I could do with your help."
Heath hummed while putting his hands behind his head. "Why should I. I came here to get away from battle. Why would I want to enter something that could send me back there."
Tempest chuckled. "The once great Flame Emperor, now too scared to even Duel once." This made Heath frown.
"Whatever," Heath looked away. "Well, I was starting to get bored." He looked out the window of the restaurant, "I've been keeping an eye out for anything interesting, but I haven't found anything quite yet. At least...nothing much that's been worth mentioning."
"Yes," Tempest agreed, "humans are pretty dull creatures."
"Well," Heath reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of headphones, "I guess their music isn't too bad. Not quite at the level my musicians played for me before, but still pretty good."
Present.
Heath sighed as he pulled off his headphones, "this is no fun. Let's finish up and go home."
However, Heath wasn't the only one travelling through this overgrown garden.
Twilight had made it into this Duel Field and was looking around, but stopped when her Raduel beeped. Activating the screen, it showed one of her teammates picture...with the word 'loser' printed beneath it. She gasped, then saw who it was she'd lost to. "Fluttershy lost to Tempest?"
Before she could say anything else, the screen changed to show an incoming call from said teammate. Accepting the call, Fluttershy's sad face appeared on screen. "I'm so sorry Twilight," she told her. "I lost my match against Tempest. Then Sunset came along and...and..."
"And what?" Twilight asked, only for the screen to change and show Sunset and Tempest's faces on it with a large 'VS' between them.
"Tempest said something to me and Sunset got mad," Fluttershy explained as she looked over at the two. The three of them were standing in a desert/oasis like Duel Field, filled with palm-trees, pools of water and large sand dunes.
Sunset and Tempest were setting up their Duel Disks, Sunset's face filled with anger while Tempest's was extremely calm.
"Duel!"
"Sunset," Twilight began to worry at this. She remembered her own Duel against Tempest. She shook her head, "it'll be fine. Trust me." She smiled at Fluttershy, "Sunset's gonna win this. And so am I."
"Alright. I...I'm really sorry Twilight."
"It's okay," she assured her. "Just cheer Sunset on for me alright."
"Alright," Fluttershy cut the call and Twilight continued to walk through the large blades of grass. But as she did, she suddenly heard footsteps and turned towards them.
"What's this?" She heard as someone stepped out of a grass patch, "not again." It was Heath, who was shaking a pair of headphones.
Twilight just stared in shock, 'it's him.' Her mind flashed back to when she had been studying up on Tempest and discovered that Moondancer was actually meant to be one her team. 'He's the one who joined team Dominator in Moondancer's place.' It was in this moment that Heath finally realised he wasn't alone, turning towards her with a raised eyebrow. Suddenly, Twilight pointed her Raduel at him. "I challenge you, Heath Burns of team Dominator!"
Heath looked her up and down, as if studying her, then smirked before shrugging. "I guess so."
Celestia: What a coincidence. Just as a Duel between Sunset Shimmer and Tempest Shadows is getting started, their teammates are also facing off.
Luna: Twilight Sparkle of team Tidal Maidens, against Heath Burns of team Dominator.
In the stands, Tidal was staring up at the megascreen as it split to show the two Duels about to begin. He frowned seeing this. "Twilight...Sunset."
"DUEL!"
Heath: 4000 Twilight: 4000
Twilight stared down her opponent. "I intend on getting my revenge on Tempest for beating me last time," she told him. "This'll be the perfect warm up." She pointed at him, "I'm gonna beat you."
Heath frowned, "whatever." He drew his card, "I summon Solar Flare Dragon to the field in ATK mode." A burst of fire appeared before him, taking the shape of the flaming serpent with horns. (A1500/D1000/L4) "I place four cards face down and end my turn, doing so activating Solar Flare's ability!" The snake spat a fireball at Twilight, who just managed to raise her Duel Disk in defence before it exploded off of her.
"Ahh!" She cried as she staggered backwards.
Heath: 4000 Twilight: 3500
Celestia: Despite taking the first turn, Heath Burns manages to deal damage to Twilight.
Luna: Impressive, but I doubt Twilight will let that go unpunished.
"Come on Twilight!" Spike cried from the VIP box. After being knocked out, he'd come straight here to watch the Duels with his friends. Team Crusaders were also cheering for Twilight and Sunset.
Over in the corner, Misty and Cold were sitting next to each other. "Heath Burns," Cold said so only she could here. "I haven't been able to figure out for the life of me why he's gotten involved with Tempest Shadow."
"That could be worrying," Misty said.
"Let's watch how he Duels," Cold replied. "See if he gives us any clues to what he's up to."
"What are the chances all three of them would be Duelling against team Dominator?" Tidal asked himself as he watched the Duels. He continued to stare at Heath. "He's the one who joined the team in place of Moondancer. In a way, it's as if Moondancer was the one who brought these two together."
Twilight sighed as she lowered her Duel Disk, then reached for it. "It's my turn," she drew her card. "And I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale eight Harmonizing Magician and scale two Magi-Beast Midnight Owl!" The pillars of light appeared besides her before the two monsters flew up into them, the portal begin to form above Twilight's head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out and hit the ground, then faded to reveal a middle aged woman in red witches clothing that was carrying a broomstick with a crystal orb on the end. "Mythical Enchantress" (A2300/D1300/L5/P2) "Attack Solar Flare Dragon!" The witch pointed the crystal end of her broom at the serpent and fired a blast of magic, only for a wall of light to suddenly appear and block it.
"Sorry," Heath told her, "but you activated my Trap card. Mirror Force!"
Twilight's eyes went wide as she watched her monsters attack be reflected with twice the power, raining down on her field and destroying Mythical Enchantress. "Well when Mythical Enchantress is destroyed by a card effect, I can look at the top three cards of my deck and summon one Level four or below Spellcaster from among them." She did so, smiling as she got just the card. "Aqua Charmer, rise!" The water wizard appeared before her, taking a defensive position. (A500/D800/L2) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"It's my turn," Heath drew his card. "And I'll tribute Solar Flare Dragon in order to summon Armoured Inferno!" The snake exploded before the flames took a new shape and receded enough to reveal a monster made entirely out of fire, with armour around its chest, arms, legs and head. (A2300/D1600/L6) "Then I'll play Monster Reborn, to revive my Solar Flare Dragon!" The fire serpent reappeared on the field.
Luna: Impressive. He's got himself a strong monster with practically no tribute. And with Solar Flare Dragon's ability, Twilight won't be able to attack it while another Pyro monster in on the field.
"Attack!" The armour wearing fire monster charged towards Aqua Charmer. "By the way, Armoured Inferno can inflict Piercing Damage."
Twilight smiled, "I activate my Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Negate Attack!" A force field appeared in front of her monster, protecting it from Heath's monster.
Heath almost growled, "I end my turn." As he did, Solar Flare Dragon shot another fireball at Twilight and knocked her back once again.
Heath: 4000 Twilight: 3000
Celestia: Despite not being able to land a hit, Heath still manages to deal her damage. Twilight will need to think of something if she wants to beat him.
"It's my turn," Twilight drew her card as the portal formed above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal formed before a single light shot out, revealing Twilight's monsters. "Mythical Enchantress!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P2) "And Timebreaker Magician!" (A1400/D0/L3/P2) "Now watch," Aqua Charmer leapt into the air with Mythical Enchantress following. "As I tune Level two Aqua Charmer with Level five Mythical Enchantress!" Aqua Charmer created a pair of lights that carved two rings, which Mythical Enchantress flew into. "Beings of mystical might, unite you power and let the magic shine for all eternity." In that moment, her monsters disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Twilight's ace. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "Warlock's skill!" Twilight drew five cards and looked them over, taking one and adding it to her hand before shuffling the rest into her deck. "Now I activate the card I just got, Spellbook of Power!" Timebreaker Magician glowed as his power increased. (A2400/D0/L3/P2) "Now attack Armoured Inferno!" Warlock fired a magic blast towards Heath's monster, destroying it.
Heath: 3800 Twilight: 3000
"And since a monster that was Synchro Summoned using Aqua Charmer destroyed a monsters, I can drew two cards." She did so, as Timebreaker Magician charged towards Solar Flare Dragon.
Hearth looked around and spotted an Action Card on a nearby lily-pad. He quickly rushed over to it and grabbed the card, only to turn it over and see it was a Trap.
Luna: Huh, lucky break.
Celestia: Lucky?
Luna: That Action Trap would deal him damage equal to the number of cards in his hand, but his hand is empty.
Celestia: Ah. Yes, very lucky.
Timebreaker Magician cut Solar Flare Dragon in half, showing its time really was up.
Heath: 2900 Twilight: 3000
Heath smirked, "your Duelling's just as dull as the rest of the losers in this tournament."
Twilight chuckled, "how about you stop talking and start fighting."
Heath frowned, "you activated my Trap!" his face down flipped up, "Eruption Draw!" He drew four cards.
Twilight hummed at this. "Well since Timebreaker was empowered by Spellbook of Power, I get to add a Spellbook to my hand." She did so, her deck shuffling as she did. She looked down at her card, the one Moondancer had given her, and sighed. "I place one card face down and end my turn." Timebreaker Magician's ATK power returned to normal. (A1400/D0/L3/P2)
Heath drew his card, smiling once he saw what he'd gotten. "I activate my two face downs," they flipped up to reveal a pair of Traps that then unleashed a burst of fire. "Flaming Soldier of Hellfire! Now I can summon these cards as monsters on my field." The two fireballs took shape before fading to reveal a pair of robotic monsters. Their top halves looked like an armoured demon, with horns coming out the sides of their head and a ponytail of fire flowing out the back. The bottom half was a orb like base with four mechanical spider legs. They were carrying a red sword and shield. (A1600/D1100/L4)X2
Twilight frowned. He'd gotten two monsters and didn't summon anything. She had a feeling she knew why those two were summoned.
"Then I'll sacrifice these two, in order to summon Flaming Emperor Hellfire!" The two monsters burst into flames, which spiralled into a blazing tornado. Seconds later, the tornado exploded to reveal a humanoid demon. His skin was black and covered in scars, with spiked crimson armour on his body, arms and legs. He had five sharp claws, a long tail with a spike-ball on the end of it and a pair of red bat wings coming out of his back. He had three large horns on his head, one on each of his temples and one on his forehead, with smaller horns between them that gave it a crown like image. (A2600/D2200/L7)
As Twilight stared at the monster, an uneasy sensation rolled over her and sent shivers down her spine. "What was that.
"Hellfire's skill!" Heath announced as his monsters claws ignited before sending a wave of fire towards Timebreaker, "your monster will now lose one hundred ATK points for every Trap in my graveyard." The fire hit the young wizard and burnt him, causing him to flinch. (A1000/D0/L3/P2) "Attack!" The demon flew down towards Timebreaker, while Twilight rushed towards an Action Card she saw on a nearby flower.
She grabbed it and smiled when she saw it was a Spell. "I activate the Action Spell, Tag-In." Twilight Warlock knocked Timebreaker away, taking the hit and being destroyed by the flames.
Heath: 2900 Twilight: 2900
"And with his destruction," Twilight's face down flipped up. "I can Activate my Magician's Wisdom Trap card. Since a Spellcaster was destroyed whilst I have another Spellcaster on the field, I can take a Spellcaster in my deck with a Level that's equal to or less then Timebreaker's and add it to my hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took.
Heath almost growled, not liking his damage dealing attack did nothing. "Don't think you can relax, just because you got a lucky Action Card. You're nothing, like the rest of these humans." Twilight frowned. What did he mean by that? "I place three cards face down and end my turn." Timebreaker's ATK points returned to normal. (A1400/D0/L3/P2)
"It's my turn," Twilight drew her card." She looked over her cards, then over at Heath. "I don't know what your problem is with me, but I don't care." Heath looked shocked by this, as the portal formed above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, exploding to reveal her monsters. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "And Mythical Enchantress!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P2) "Then I summon Star Charmer to the field," the young star robed wizard appeared besides the other three. "And with his skill, Timebreaker's Level is reduced by one." (A1400/D0/L2/P2) Twilight meanwhile, kept her gaze on Heath. "I will prove that I am just as strong as you." She closed her eyes, "the main reason I'm standing here is to honour Moondancer's memory."
"Moondancer?" Heath asked, only to suddenly remember. "Oh, the one who died." This caught Twilight by surprise.
"You know her?"
"Not really," Heath replied. "I've heard of her, but I haven't got a clue what she was like or what happened between you." He looked up at his monster, "but once you're dead...you're dead. And that's that." As he continued to stare at his monster, memories flashed in front of his eyes. Memories of mighty explosions, terrible battles and the pain. Oh...so much pain. "If you don't have the skills to protect yourself, then of course you'll end up dying." He turned to her, "agree?"
Twilight shot a glare at him, "no." A hand was placed over her heart. "People have hope, which never dies. And I will prove that to you now."
Heath frowned, "whatever."
"Warlock's skill!" Twilight drew five cards, taking one and adding it to her hand. "Now," she cried, "Level one Star Charmer tunes Level two Timebreaker Magician." Star Charmer waved his wand and transformed into a ball of light, which carved a ring that Timebreaker flew into. "Now watch, as both power and magic surge towards each other and collide to create pure might." The two disappeared in a burst of radiant light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Twilight's strongest Tuner monster. "Celestial Charmer!" (A1200/D600/L3) "And since Celestial Charmer was Synchro Summoned, I can draw one card."
Heath stared at Celestial Charmer, "a Synchro Tuner."
"And now," Twilight said closed her eyes. "I tune Level three Synchro Tuner Celestial Charmer with Level seven Twilight Warlock!" Celestial Charmer waved its staff before transforming into three rings of light, which flew up into the sky. Once there, Twilight Warlock flew up towards them. "Ancient power of the heavens, let your might flow through me, so I may carry out your work." As Twilight Warlock flew through the rings, they exploded into light which covered the Spellcaster before the light formed a cocoon around him. Her eyes shot open, "GO ACCEL SYNCHRO!"
The light cocoon disappeared from around Twilight's monster, revealing her hyper evolved Synchro Monster. "Celestial Body Magician!" (A3500/D3000/L10)
Heath looked her monster over. This would be tricky, but not impossible to survive.
"I activate Spellbook Star Hall, then play Spellbook of Secrets. This adds another Spellbook of Power to my hand and lets me place a Spell Counter onto my Star Hall, which increases the ATK of my monsters by one hundred points." (A3600/D3000/L10) (A2400/D1300/L5/P2) "Then I equip Enchantress with the Magic Tome of Starswirl, which increases her ATK points by one hundred for every Spellbook in my graveyard and adds another Spell Counter to my Star Hall." (A3700/D3000/L10) (A2700/D1300/L5/P2) "Then, I play Spellbook of Power and increase Enchantress's ATK power even more. Plus, another Spell Counter of Star Hall." (A3800/D3000/L10) (A3900/D1300/L5/P2) "Finally, Harmonizing Magician's Pendulum Ability lets me increase the ATK of all Spellcaster on my field by one hundred for every Magician monster that's face up in my Extra Deck. (A3900/D3000/L10) (A4000/D1300/L5/P2)
Celestia: And there it is, Twilight's special combo of Synchro and Pendulum Summon coupled with the increase given through the use of her Spellbooks.
Luna: Now Heath is facing off against monster with a total ATK power of almost eight thousand.
Twilight turned back to Heath. "I've Duelled against many opponents, both strong and week. No matter the opponent, no matter their strength, I will keep fighting. The harder it is to overcome the difficulties in life," she pointed at her opponent. "The harder I will FIGHT!"
Heath suddenly felt a wave of intimidation wash over him, making him stagger back ever so slightly. He then looked over at Twilight and saw her staring at him with fire in her eyes. 'Who is this girl?' He mentally asked himself, only to shake his head. 'Just remember, she's only a human.'
"Here goes," Twilight said as she reached for her deck, "Celestial Body Magician's skill." She drew five cards, then turned them over. "I got two Spellbooks, that means Celestial Body Magician can attack twice this turn."
"What?" Heath asked.
"Celestial Body Magician, attack Hellfire!" A pair of spellbooks appeared in front of her monster, which it then launched towards the demon.
"No!" Heath cried, "activate Trap!" His face down flipped up to reveal Dimensional Prison, which began to unleash a sucking motion that pulled in not only the spellbook, but Celestial Body Magician as well. "Say goodbye to your monster, because he's got an all all expenses paid trip to another dimension."
Twilight sighed, "not happening. I banish Celestial Body Magician to negate your Trap," her magician sudden disappeared in a flash of light. "But don't worry, he'll be back by the end of my turn."
Heath groaned. 'I've never felt anything like this in any of my other Duels.' He looked over at Twilight, 'is this the true strength of a human being?' He shook his head, 'no! It can't be! It's not possible.'
"Mythical Enchantress!" The witch pointed her staff at Heath, he was running through the grass in search of an Action Card. Twilight rushed after him, "Moondancer is alive!" She called out as her and her monster drew closer, "here in my heart and the hearts of all those she touched."
"Shut up!" Heath cried while spotting an Action Card on an nearby blade of grass. He reached said blade and managed to run up it, snagging the card before jumping back down. "Can't you see what a fool you are. What a weak and helpless creature."
Twilight shook her head. "Moondancer, and so many other people in my life, have shown me just how strong I am. I believe in the people who believe in me. And as long as I live up to the words of belief they all have in me, Moondancer and everyone else will never truly die." She pointed at her heart, "Moondancer's spirit lives on inside me!"
"Shut up!" Heath almost screamed.
"I'll show you," Twilight said, "what happens when someone has faith in you." She pointed at Hellfire, "ATTACK!" Enchantress unleashed a magical blast, which struck Hellfire and destroyed it.
Heath: 1500 Twilight: 2900
"I activate the Action Spell, Turn About! This Action Spell deals you damage equal to half the damage I just took." A laser flew out of his Duel Disk and hit Twilight in the chest, making her stagger backwards.
Heath: 1500 Twilight: 2200
"Well since Enchantress was empowered by Spellbook of Power, I get to add a Spellbook to my hand." Her Duel Disk slotted out a card, "I place two cards face down and end my turn. So now, Celestial Body Magician returns to the field." Her hyper evolved Synchro monster reappeared, while Enchantress's power boost wore off. (A3900/D3000/L10) (A3000/D1300/L5/P2)
Celestia: Amazing. Heath manages to survive the onslaught.
Luna: Despite his Trap not working like he had hoped, it allowed him to get rid of Celestial Body Magician and protect himself. He earned himself another turn, but how will he use it with two powerful monsters standing against him.
"I draw!" Heath cried as he drew his card, 'it's just as Tempest said.' He discarded a card, causing a fire to explode in front of him. 'these creatures know nothing of true battle. How dare they use our power like it's theirs own.'
"What's going on?" Twilight asked as the fires receded to show Flaming Emperor Hellfire.
"Survival of the fittest," Heath cried. "Hellfire's skill. During the Standby Phase, discard one Trap card to revive him from the graveyard." This made Twilight begin to worry, wondering what he was gonna do next. "I play the Spell card, Eruption Reload. Now I banish Solar Flare in order to draw four cards. He did so, his eyes going wide when he saw what he'd gotten. A smile then appeared on his face. "I activate my Traps, Flaming Solider of Hellfire and Call of the Haunted!" In twin bursts of flames, Armoured Inferno and the Trap Monster returned to the field to stand besides Hellfire. (A1600/D1100/L4) (A2300/D1600/L6) "Then I'll use Hellfire's other ability!" The demon shot a stream of fire at Enchantress, powering her down. (A2600/D1300/L5/P2)
"That won't be enough to beat me," Twilight told him.
However, Heath just smiled as he held up the card he drew before. "Well with this, it will be. Tell me, have you ever heard of the three Sacred Beast cards?" This question drew Twilight for a loop. "No, well one of those monsters could create flames so powerful that they instantly turned anything they touched into ash." He raised his card, "and this monster was born from that ash and hold a fraction of the Sacred Beast's power." The three monsters on his field burst into flames, which were sucked inside the card. "Now, by sacrificing three monsters, I can unleash him in all his glory!" He slapped the card on the Duel Disk, as a pillar of fire exploded behind him.
Twilight gasped as she was forced to step back, the heat coming off the pillar so intense it was making the flowers around it wilt. The flames finally began to fade, revealing Heath's monster. It was a red serpentine wyvern that was about fifteen meters long. Its had a black line running from under its chin, down the front of its body to its tail. Red spikes ran down its back and tail, some of which having holes in he tips that fire was seeping out of. Finally, it had two sets of teeth, an inner pair with an outer pair just above them. "Searing Flame Dragon, Afterburner!" (A?/D?/L9)
Twilight could only stare at the monster in amazement.
Heath smiled as his opponent's shock. "Afterburner's ATK and DEF become the sum total of Traps in my graveyard, times eight hundred." He raised his Duel Disk, "and last I checked...I had eight in my graveyard." Twilight gasped as she looked up at his monster, the beast roaring as its power increased. (A6400/D6400/L4)
"No way!" She gasped.
Celestia: Incredible. What an amazing monster. Just what he needed to turn this around.
Luna: Twilight's gonna have a hard time stopping this.
"Afterburner's skill!" Heath drew five cards, then took out two and sent them to the graveyard. "I can send any Trap drawn to my graveyard," he shuffled the rest back into his deck. "This gives my dragon a boost." (A8000/D8000/L9) "Now," he pointed at Enchantress, "turn that witch to slag!"
Twilight watched as her the beast opened its mouth, preparing to unleash a burst of fire. "I activate my Trap," her face down flipped up. "Spellbinding Circle!" The magic circle appeared around the dragon, but before it could capture it a jet of fire shot out the holes in its spikes and burnt it to a crisp. "What?"
"Sorry," Heath smirked, "but since I used three monsters to summon Afterburner, he's completely immune to all Trap effect." Twilight gasped again, making Heath laugh. "Look at you. You're so weak. A pathetically weak creature."
Twilight help a wave of fear begin to overtake her, but she refused to give up. She looked around and spotted not one, but two Action Cards that were on the tips of two of the few remaining grass blades. She quickly began to run towards them, while Heath did the same.
They both reached the blades and ran up one of them, the two snagging the actions cards as they did. "I got another Tag-In!" Twilight cried as Celestial Body Magician pushed Mythical Enchantress away, as Afterburner unleashed a stream of fire towards him. "Now I can activate his ability, to banish him and negate your attack." The Synchro Monster began to glow, ready to disappear, but Heath just smiled as he activated his own Action Spell.
"Too bad you didn't pick this card. It might have helped you more then that Tag-In." Twilight didn't like where this was going. "The Action Spell I got was Skill Split. It lets me split my life points in half, then I can select a monster in my deck and give Afterburner it's ability."
Heath: 750 Twilight: 2200
"And the monster whose ability I'm giving him is Fire Gunner." The ghostly image of a man with a red suit, gas mask and flamethrower appeared before flying into Afterburner. "And that ability lets me pay five hundred life points to banish a Trap in my graveyard and activate it's effect."
Heath: 250 Twilight: 2200
"And the Trap I'm activating is Divine Wrath!" Twilight's eyes went wide as she watched him discard a card before a lightning bolt flew down from the skies and struck Celestial Body Magician, destroying him.
"NO!" Twilight screamed.
"I'm not gonna lose," Heath told her. "Not to you!"
As Twilight stared at him, she couldn't help but notice a strange aura wrapped around Heath. That aura seemed to take the shape of a winged humanoid, one she felt she'd seen before.
Seconds later, the aura exploded and flew towards her. She cried out as everything around her went black, the girl closing her eyes for a second. But when she opened them again, she found she was somewhere else.
She looked around and found she was in some kind of canyon area, standing in front of a red castle with a moat of lava. Scattered around her were many monsters, all laying on the ground as still as stone. "Hey," she rushed over to one and tried to get its attention. But as she reached out to touch it, she noticed two things.
One, the body was cold and didn't respond. And two, she was dressed like Twilight Warlock. "What?" She asked as she looked herself over. "This is...just like before?" Her memory flashed back to when she Duelled Moondancer, and the vision she saw then.
Footsteps caught her attention and made her look around, spotting Flaming Emperor Hellfire step towards her. She glared at the girl, then looked out at the field. "This is our battle field. It's nothing like the games you play. Lose in this one, and life's over." Before Twilight could say anything more, the world went black for a quickest of seconds before brightening back up.
Doing so found Twilight was back in the Duel Field, shaken by what she'd seen. "Who...are you."
Heath said nothing, as his dragon once again opened its mouth and unleashed a wave of fire that struck Enchantress. The flames consumed her before flying towards Twilight, the girl screaming out as she was struck by the fire. "AAAAAHHHHH!"
Heath: 250 (Winner) Twilight: 0
"Mi amigo," Tidal sighed as he watched Twilight laying on the floor.
Up in the box, Shining, Cadance and Spike stared in horror at their sister. They were suddenly transported back to a year ago, when Twilight had lost to Shadow. Luckily, this Duel didn't seem to have the same physical repercussions.
As the Duel monsters faded, Heath didn't even give his opponent a second look as he turned to leave. "Humans really are useless after all."
Twilight moaned as she picked herself up, watching as Heath walked off. "I wasn't good enough," she bowed her head as memories of what had happens flowed through her mind. "That place." It had felt so real. More then an Action Field, it was like she was really standing there. Just like before, during her Duel with Moondancer. "What do this mean?" She asked, while picking herself up.
All she knew for sure was that she was now out of the Double X's second round. All hope on her team going through rested with Sunset. But against Tempest Shadow, could she pull it off?
We currently find ourselves in a Duel Field that looked like a giant orchard.
How fitting that it's here we find Applejack as she Duelled against her opponent. Who's the opponent you ask, why Tempest Shadow of course.
But despite having the home field advantage, the farm girl wasn't doing to well.
Tempest: 2000 Applejack: 1100
She had both her Orchard Cowboy and Defender out, but neither of them had any Overlay Units left. Now it was Tempest's turn. "My draw," she did so as the portal opened above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a light shot out and hit the ground, transforming into her monster. "Tempest Rogue Dominator, Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Skill activate!" The Dominator tossed an Obsidian Orb at Applejack's monsters, turning them both to stone. "Then I activate the Spell card Dominator Lightning, to increase Scarvolt's ATK power. (A3500/D2000/L7/P4)
"No," Applejack looked around but couldn't see an Action Card anywhere, "this can't be happening?"
"Scarvolt, attack Orchard Cowboy!" The Dominator rushed forwards, using its broken sword to slash at Applejack's monster. The lightning from the attack flew off the statue and hit Applejack.
"GAH!"
Tempest: 2000 Applejack: 400
The monster wasn't destroyed, but Applejack wished it was. "One more time!" Scarvolt disappeared before reappearing behind the statue and stabbing it with a blade of lightning.
And once again, Applejack was shocked by the attack. "AAAAAHHHHH!"
Tempest: 2000 (Winner) Applejack: 0
Celestia: We have our first victory at the second level.
Luna: Tempest Shadow continues to show why her team is at the top of the leader board.
It wasn't long after Applejack's defeat that Tempest ran into one of her teammates. "I challenge you!" She cried as she pointed her Duel Disk at Rarity.
The fashionista had been hoping to avoid this opponent, but it seemed she no long had any choice.
"Go Rarity!" Sweetie cheered from the VIP box.
"Ger revenge for ma'h sister!" Applebloom cried out.
A little later, Rarity and Tempest's Duel was drawing to a close.
Rarity had managed to get Gem-Knight Lady, Brilliant Diamond out onto the field. And with it's ATK well above Tempest's monsters, it couldn't be Dominated. "Attack!" The knight rushed forwards, preparing to destroy Tempest's Sword Dominator and wipe out her life points.
"I activate my Trap!" Tempest's face down flipped up, "Negate Attack!" A force field appeared around her monster and protected it from harm.
Rarity frowned, "I end my turn."
Tempest drew her card and nodded. "I activate the Spell card Riryoku!" Rarity's eyes went wide. "With this, I can cut your monster's ATK in halve and give those points to a monster on my field." Gem-Knight Lady glowed before that light flew off her and into Sword Dominator. (A1700/D2000/L10) (A3200/D1200/L4)
"Oh no," Rarity gasped as she saw the portal form.
It then opened up before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, transforming into Tempest's monsters that stood besides Sword Dominator. "Tempest Rogue Dominator, Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "And Spine-Hog Dominator!" (A1200/D600/L3) "Skill activate!" The Dominator tossed an Obsidian Orb at Rarity's monster, turning it to stone. "Sword Dominator, attack!" The armoured ape rushed over and shattered Gem-Knight Lady. "Now, Spine Hog!" The hedgehog monster curled itself up and rushed towards Rarity, tackling the girl and making her stagger backwards.
Rarity: 750 Tempest: 1800
"So strong," Rarity moaned as she clutched her stomach.
"Now, Scarvolt!" The Tempest Rogue leapt at Rarity and slashed at her, electrifying her.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
Rarity: 0 Tempest: 1800 (Winner)
Celestia: Having already accumulated a large number of points so far, Tempest Shadow defeats yet another opponent.
Luna: Is there anyone who can defeat her, or has the Double X Champion already been decided?
After her victory over Rarity, Tempest found herself crossing over to an oasis field.
As she walked through the sand, a frown was present on her face. "They're so weak," she said to herself. "How can weaklings like these possibly be the ones we're looking for?" In that moment, her Raduel beeped. An opponent was near.
That opponent revealed themselves as they stepped over a sand dun, allowing Tempest to look up and see that it was Fluttershy. She looked nervous as she spotted Tempest, who simply smirked. "Tempest...Shadow."
"Hey," Tempest raised her arm and pointed her Raduel at her, "let's Duel."
When both Twilight and Sunset's Raduels told them of the Duel, they both grew worried.
"Oh no," Sunset said. She too was in the Oasis Field, but the map showed she was a ways off. "I have to help her." If Tempest got into Fluttershy's head, she could cause her to panic and start making mistakes. Sunset had to be there to help her.
But as Sunset made her way over to them, Tempest was already putting the pressure on Fluttershy.
Currently, Fluttershy had Kindness Dragonoid and a pair of Winged-Kuribohs on her field. "I'll do my best," she said as she ended her turn. "And I'm going to enjoy every second."
This seemed to rub Tempest the wrong way, as she drew her card while the portal opened. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, transforming into Tempest's monster. "Tempest Rogue Dominator, Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"And Storm Guard Dominator Spear!" (A1800/D800/L4) "Skill activate!" The Dominator tossed a pair of Obsidian Orbs at Fluttershy's Kuribohs, turning them to stone.
Fluttershy gasped as the petrified fur-balls fell onto the sand.
"I activate the Spell card Dominator Lightning!" Electrical energy shot out of the Kuriboh statues and flew at Tempest's monster, charging its sword as it pulsed with energy. (A3500/D200/L7/P4) "Attack!" The Dominator rushed towards Kindness Dragonoid, but Fluttershy was ready.
"I discard Kuriboh from my hand in order to use his skill to negate the battle damage!" The standard fur-ball monster appeared infront of Kindness Dragonoid and stopped the attack, being electrocuted into destruction.
Tempest growled. "Well I've still got another attack!" Scarvolt pointed its sword at the dragon and fired a bolt of lightning, which struck the the gentle giant before bouncing off and hitting Fluttershy.
"AUGH!"
Tempest: 2800 Fluttershy: 850
"Now," Tempest continued, "I'll attack your Winged-Kuriboh with Dominator Spear!" The ape charged forwards, "and since he's attacking a monster that's been Dominated, I can half his ATK points to change the attack to a direct one."
Fluttershy gasped, as the giant ape's body surged with electricity. (A900/D800/L4) That electrical power flowed into its spear, which it then tossed towards Fluttershy. The spear landed in the sand infront of her before discharging the lightning, zapping her. "AAAAAHHHHH!" Fluttershy screamed as the power shot through her.
Tempest: 2800 (Winner) Fluttershy: 0
As Fluttershy staggered backwards, Tempest just stared at her. "You are kidding me, right?" She looked up, only to flinch when her gaze caught the cold angry orbs of Tempest's eyes. "You're gonna enjoy every second? Those words mean nothing." Fluttershy felt herself begin to tear up, not liking the tone Tempest was using. "Useless!" Her face changed to an almost angry expression, "that was maybe the worst Duel I've ever had." The tears were really sprouting forth now, "you guys are pathetic!"
"That's enough," the two turned to see Sunset walking towards them.
"Sunset," Fluttershy mumbled through her tears.
Sunset simply glared at Tempest. "You need to stop. You shouldn't insult her battle technique."
Tempest glared back at Sunset, but her face quickly changed to a smirk. "I wasn't insulting her. Not at all. I was just stating the facts." This made Sunset's glare harden as she strode towards her, then thrust her Raduel in Tempest's direction.
"Let's Duel!
Tempest smiled, then reactivated her Duel Disk while Sunset took out hers.
As they did this, Fluttershy used her Raduel to call Twilight. "I'm so sorry Twilight," she told her. "I lost my match against Tempest. Then Sunset came along and...and..."
"DUEL!"
Sunset: 4000 Tempest: 4000
"I'll take the first move!" Sunset drew her card. "And I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale 2 Rocket Smasher and scale eight Corona Beast Sun-Heart Lion Cub!" The pillars of light appeared besides her before the two monsters flew up into them. "Burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above her, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a pair of fireballs shot out and struck the ground, exploding to reveal her monsters.
The first was a knight in golden armour with a round shield and blazing sword. "Prepare for battle, Corona Paladin Stirder!" (A1700/D1400/L4/P6)
"Spread your wings and soar, Blaze Wing Firebird!" (A1400/D800/L4) The bird soared around the knight. "And when Blaze Wing is special summoned, I get two hundred life points for every card in my hand." The bird flapped its wings, sending healing flames into Sunset.
Sunset: 4400 Tempest: 4000
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then I'll draw!" Tempest did so, "and I too will set the Pendulum Scale. Scale one Spine-Hog Dominator and scale eight Tempest Unicorn Dominator rise!" The pillars of light appeared besides her as the monsters flew into them, the portal forming above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out of it, hitting the ground and fading to reveal her monsters. "Spine-Hog Dominator!" (A1200/D600/L3/P1) "Storm Guard Dominator Sword!" (A1500/D1200/L4) "And Spear!" (A1800/D800/L4) "And since three Dominator monsters were just summoned, Spine-Hog's ability let's me draw one card for each of them!" She drew three cards.
Over in the stands, Applejack and Rarity had just met up after their defeat.
They were heading up to the box where their friends were, but as they did they stopped to watch the Duel between Sunset and Tempest. "Tempest Shadow," Applejack spoke up. "She's not ya'h regular Duellist." Her memory flashed back to when she Duelled her, remember a moment near the end where she suddenly found herself standing on a strange battle ground.
Rarity hummed. "When I Duelled her, it was a feeling like no other Duel. It was like..." She wasn't sure how to end that sentence, having no clue how to explain what had happened.
Like Applejack, Rarity had been transported to another world and found herself on a battle field.
But she didn't need to finish her sentence, as Applejack knew what she was talking about. "There's more to her then being a skilled opponent." She turned back to the megascreen, "be careful."
"Sunset," Rarity said in worry.
"Now I'll play Obsidian Orb!"
Sunset watched as the black orb appeared in Spear's hand, which it tossed at Stirder. The orb bounced off him and shattered, releasing the strange green mist that covered his entire body. When it faded, her card was revealed to have been turned to stone. "So this is Tempest's Dominate." Twilight had told her about this, but seeing it in person was truly horrifying.
Fluttershy whimpered, remembering the same thing happening to her monsters.
"Then I activate the skill of Sword Dominator!" The ape turned to Spine-Hog and cut it in half, then turned to the statue and did the same to it.
"Stirder!" Sunset cried.
"By sacrificing a monster on my field, Sword Dominator can destroy one Dominated monster on your field." She pointed at Sunset's Firebird, "now it's time to clip that turkey's wings!" Spear Dominator rushed forwards, ready to stab Sunset's monster. "And when a Dominator monster attack, Tempest Unicorn's Pendulum Ability gives my monster two hundred extra ATK points for every Dominated monster on the field. (A2000/D800/L4)
Sunset: 3400 Tempest: 4000
"And don't forget, Sword Dominator hasn't actually attacked you yet." The ape rushed forwards, ready to slice at Sunset.
"I activate my Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Beacon of Hope! Since you're attacking me directly, I can draw a card." She reached for her deck. "If that card is a monster, I get to summon it." She drew her card before placing it on the field, "Corona Mage Marlena!" A teenage female magician in fire themed clothes appeared before her. (A800/D1500/L4/P8) Sword Dominator slashed the mage, destroying her.
Sunset: 2700 Tempest: 4000
"And whenever Marlena's destroyed, I can draw one card for every five hundred points of damage I take." Sunset drew one card.
Celestia: Sunset Shimmer, managing to half her damage while gaining a new card. How will it help her?
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
"My draw!" Sunset drew her card, "I activate the Spell card Eruption Reload. Now I banish Firebird and draw four cards." She did so, then turned to glare at her opponent.
"Tempest Shadow." She remembered seeing that name before. Tempest had been the top runner up in the Celestic Cup's first round. When Flash beat Cold and got his points back, he'd knock her out of the second round. Now she's managed to beat Twilight, Rainbow, Flash, Applejack and Rarity. If her team was to succeed, she was going to have to defeat her at some points. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal above her head opened up before a trio of fireballs shot out, exploding as they hit the ground.
"Prepare for battle, Corona Paladin, Stirder!" (A1700/D1400/L4/P6)
"Unsheathe your claws, Blaze Fang Sun Tiger." (A1200/D1100/L3)
The third became a golden unicorn with red and yellow hair, Sunset's emblem on its flank. "Let your magic shine, Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7) "And since she was Special Summon, Unicorn's ability lets me lower a monster on my field's Level by one and make it a Tuner monster." The unicorn turned to Stirder and fired a spell from her horn, causing the knight to glow. (A1700/D1400/L3/P6)
"So you plan on Synchro Summoning," Tempest realised.
"That's right!" Sunset cried as her monsters leapt into the air, Stirder transforming into three fireballs that carved a trio of blazing rings. Sunset Unicorn then leapt up into them. "Ignite the inner flames of harmony, and let them shine for all eternity!" Her monsters were engulfed by an explosion of light, "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Sunset's Synchro monster as it took to the air above her. "Shimmering Phoenix Princess, Daydream!" (A2300/D2200/L7) "Activating Daydream's skill! I move Marlena from the Extra Deck to the graveyard, then I can lower the ATK of every monster on the field by her Pendulum Scale times one hundred. The ghostly image of Marlena appeared in front of Sunset's Synchro monster before morphing into a fireball that she held in her hands.
Tempest watched as Daydream launched the fireball, which morphed into a flaming wave that struck her monsters. (A700/D1200/L4) (A1000/D800/L4)
"Attack!" Daydream's hands ignited, as Tempest and her monsters rushed through the sandy area in search of an Action Card. And she found one, on the leaf of a nearby palm tree.
As Daydream got closer, Tempest reached up and grabbed the card. "I activate the Action Spell, Evasion!"
"By paying three hundred life points, I can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap and destroy it!" Daydream tossed a fireball at Tempest's Action Card, incinerating it. "And since my life points changed due to an effect, Sun Tiger gains the same points!" (A1500/D1100/L3) "Daydream!" Her angel's hands reignited. "Plus, whenever a Fire monster declares an attack, Lion-Cubs Pendulum Ability gives a hundred extra points for each of its target's Level points. (A2700/D2200/L7) Daydream tossed the fireball at Spear and destroyed it.
Sunset: 2400 Tempest: 2300
"It's payback time for that insult against Fluttershy!" She almost yelled as Sun Tiger rushed forwards. "She understands the true nature of Duelling. She puts it into practise. What would you know about that?" The beast pounced on Sword and mauling it into destruction, "I won't stand by and let you get away with it!"
Sunset: 2400 Tempest: 1500
"I activate my Trap!" Tempest's face down flipped up, "Dominator Spark!"
"Not happening!" Sunset cried, as Daydream fired another fireball and destroyed the card.
Sunset: 2100 Tempest: 1500
Luna: An excellent comeback from Sunset. Now whenever Tempest activates a Spell or Trap, all she needs to do is give up a few life points to stop it.
Celestia: But those few life points build up. If she uses that ability too much, she'll end up losing.
"I place two cards face down and end my turn." Sun Tiger's ATK returned to normal. (A1200/D1100/L3)
Tempest, who had been knocked off balance by Sunset's attack, quickly regained her composure and turned to her. "All that passion and that's the best you've got?" Sunset frowned as Tempest drew her card, the portal forming above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
A pair of lights shot out of the portal and struck the ground, taking shape before revealing her monsters.
"Spine-Hog Dominator!" (A1200/D600/L3/P1)
"And Tempest Rogue Dominator, Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "And with Spine-Hog's Pendulum Ability, I now draw two cards." She did so, "Scarvolt's skill!" Her ace reached into her cloak and pulled out a pair of Obsidian Orbs. "Dominate!" Scarvolt tossed them at Daydream and Sun Tiger, the gas exploding around them and turning the two to stone. "Then I play the Continuous Spell card, Dominator Recharge."
Sunset rose an eyebrow, getting the feeling she would not like what that card did.
"Next, I tribute Spine-Hog in order to summon Storm Guard Dominator Flail!" The hedgehog disappeared and was replaced by a Storm Guard carrying a flail!" (A2100/D1700/L6) "Scarvolt will now attack your Phoenix Princess!" The rogue pulled out its sword and raced towards the fossilised statue. "Since she was special summoned, she can attack once for every Dominated monster on the field. Of course this means you'll only take halve the damage and your monsters won't be destroyed! Also, don't forget about Tempest Unicorn's skill." Scarvolt and Flail sparked with lightning. (A2900/D2000/L7/P4) (A2500/1700/L4)
Scarvolt slashed at Daydream with her sword, the lightning flying off the statue and hitting Sunset. "Ahhh!" She cried.
Sunset: 1800 Tempest: 1500
Scarvolt then turned Sun Tiger and slashed at it, once again zapping its owner. "Sunset!" Fluttershy cried as she watched her teammate fall onto one knee
Sunset: 950 Tempest: 1500
Tempest frowned as she watched Sunset struggle. 'These humans, they're so weak.' Her memory flashed back to her previous opponents, as not one of them held any trouble for her. She then remembered her lost teammate, making her anger increase. 'More then just weak. They're fragile.' Her fist clenched. 'Because of that.'
Several weeks ago.
Tempest was standing by the fountain in champ de mars.
She wasn't waiting long before she heard a voice calling out for her. "Hey," she turned towards the voice and saw a girl running towards her wearing a think black hoodie and thick glasses. "I'm sorry I'm late," she cried as she reached her. "My host overslept and kept tripping up on the way here."
"I see," Tempest replied. "You are."
"Call me Moondancer," the girl replied. "It's not a good idea to say our actual names in this world."
"Very well," Tempest said before the two began walking off.
"I have to admit," Moondancer said. "I was a little surprised when you contacted me. I can't believe you were able to locate me. Do I need to be concerned about being carted off by the government?"
"Of course not," Tempest said. "It wasn't easy to track you down, but I need a Soulinked Duellist for my team."
Moondancer turned to her, "can I ask why?"
"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss."
"Oh, very well."
"So," Tempest went on, "will you join me?"
Moondancer nodded. "yes. My host and I already planned on competing, so this just makes things easier for me."
"If it's alright," Tempest said. "I'd like you to Duel solo during the competition." This caught Moondancer by surprise. "I know most Soulinked Duellists have a tendency to swap whose in control and share strategies during Duels, but I would like your host to not have any input on the Duels in the tournament."
This made Moondancer frown, "I'm guessing you're not at liberty to tell me why." Tempest nodded as several kids playing soccer, or football as they say in France, accidently kicked their ball over to them. "You don't like humans much," Moondancer bent down and picked up the ball. "Do you?"
"No," Tempest replied as Moondancer threw the ball back, "I don't." She looked down at her body, "they're such weak creatures. The fact they've managed to survive this long, without the magical abilities the humans in our world possess, is astounding."
"They might not have amazing abilities like us," Moondancer replied. "But humans do have a power."
"And what would that be?"
Moondancer turned to smile at her, "the power of limitless potential and them to drive the reach that potential." Tempest raised an eyebrow at this. "Just you wait. I'm sure that during the Double X, you'll see just how amazing humans can be." She looked up at the sky. "You've heard the stories haven't you. Of many great evils coming from our world to this place, hoping to destroy or conquer it. But every time, those evils were stopped by humans and their unstoppable power to overcome all odds." She smiled, "it's that power that drew me to this world. I want to see it with my own eyes." She turned back to Tempest, "and I'm sure you'll see it too."
Tempest just shrugged, "I guess anything's possible." She reached out a gloved hand, which Moondancer took in her own gloved one and shook.
"I look forward to the day where we can Duel side by side," Moondancer announced.
"So am I," Tempest agreed.
Present.
'Unfortunately, that day never came.' A look of despair passed over Tempest, 'because Moondancer passed away.' She didn't know if Moondancer's Duel Spirit returned to their world, or was taken to the other side along with her host. 'If she had been in her true form, something like a car crash would have been nothing to her. But because she was human, she was weak and had no way to protect herself.'
"Storm Guard Dominator Flail, attack Sun Tiger!" The ape rushed forwards.
Fluttershy gasped. "If this attack lands, Sunset will lose."
But Sunset wasn't going down so easily. "Trap Summon!" Her face down flipped up before a burst of fire shot out, then took shape before fading to reveal a massive lion with blue, red and grey fur. Its mane was made out of golden metal with red streaks and had a pair of gold triangles connected to the sides. "Corona Beast, Shield-Mane Lion!" (A0/03000/L6) "Lion's skill!" The triangles folded out as the red streaks glowed, while Flail struck Sun Tiger and destroyed it. "Since my life points are less then a thousand, any battle damage I take is turned to zero."
Celestia: Incredible. Sunset was able to protect herself with a Trap Monster. And as long as its out and she has under a thousand ATK points, she's safe.
Luna: Tempest needs to either destroy Shield-Mane Lion, and with three thousand DEF points that'll be a tall order, or deal some effect damage to her.
"I also play my other Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Eruption Draw!" She drew three new cards.
Tempest frowned. "You may have saved yourself from some damage, but my Dominator Recharge's effects now kick in. When a Dominated monster is destroyed, I gain life points equal to their Level."
Sunset: 950 Tempest: 1800
And Flail has his own ability. When he destroys a monster, he's able to destroy any Dominated monster on your field." The ape turned towards Daydream and swung its weapon towards her, stating the statue and activating Dominator Recharge's effect.
Sunset: 950 Tempest: 2500
'Pathetic humans. Mindlessly flailing around in an attempt to survive. Clinging onto idiotic ideals like friendship and teamwork in order to get through life, because they don't have the strength to do it on their own.' "You pathetic weaklings make me sick!"
Fluttershy flinched hearing this, while Sunset just frowned at her opponent. She watched as Tempest placed two cards face down, then ended her turn. Scarvolt and Flail's ATK points returned to their normal points value. (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) (A2100/D1700/L4)
"My draw!" Sunset did so as the portal formed above her head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of fireballs flew out and hit the ground, exploding to reveal her monsters.
"Prepare for battle, Corona Paladin, Stirder!" (A1700/D1400/L4/P6)
"Let your magic shine, Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7)
""Ignite your flames of victory once more, Solar Flare Phoenix." (A2500/D2100/L7) Sunset's ace too to the skies. "And since Solar Flare Phoenix was Special Summoned, her effect now activates." Sunset's monster flapped its wings and spread fire around her. "Since my life points are below two thousand her ability will cause them to double."
Sunset: 1900 Tempest: 2500
"Then I'll summon my Sun-Ray Salamander!" The tiny fire lizard appeared besides her other monsters.
"You think those weak monsters will be able to save you from losing?" Tempest asked her.
"Just watch!" Sunset exclaimed as Solar Flare and Sun-Ray leapt into the air. "I now sacrifice Solar Flare and one Level one Fire monster, in order to awaken my Phoenix's ultimate power!" With that, Sun-Ray exploded into a massive burst of fire that wrapped around the bird to become a flaming cocoon.
Tempest sighed. Once again, she was clasping at straws.
"TRANSCEND!" The flaming sun faded to reveal Sunset's ultimate monster, which flew down and landed behind her. "Solar Phoenix, BLAZE-INCARNATE!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Celestia: There we have it. Sunset's best card.
Luna: Will it give her the edge she needs to defeat Tempest Shadow and knock team Dominator off the top spot?
"For Fluttershy, who enjoys Duelling with all her heart. For Twilight, who Duels in memory of the one she lost. And for everyone else whose beliefs you're persecuting." She pointed at Tempest, "I won't forgive you. I will fight to protect those with beliefs they cherish!"
Tempest frowned at this. "Pointless."
"Blaze-Incarnate's skill," Sunset reached for her graveyard and pulled out Blaze Tiger and Princess Daydream. "Blaze-Incarnate gains these monster's abilities." The girls all looked up to see the banished monster's spirits appear infront of Blaze-Incarnate. "Inheriting the inextinguishable souls of our fallen comrades, to help blaze a new future. Go, Will of Fire!" They burst into flames, which wrapped around Blaze-Incarnate as it let out a mighty cry.
"Go Sunset!" Fluttershy cheered. "Show her who she's messing with!"
"Now, I play the Spell card Blazing Heart of Fire!" All her monsters except for Blaze-Incarnate burst into flames, which began to spiral around her phoenix. "By tribute every monster except for Blaze-Incarnate, his power increases by one hundred for each of their levels." (A4400/D2500/L8)
Luna: Smart move.
Celestia: By sacrificing her weaker monsters, she's increased her monster's ATK power while protecting them from being Dominated next turn.
"Now I activate the effect inherited from Shimmering Phoenix Princess Daydream!" She removed Stirder from her Extra Deck and sent it to the graveyard, as his spirit appeared in front of Blaze-Incarnate before exploding into a wave of fire that hit Scarvolt and Flail. (A1900/D2000/L7/P4) (A1500/D1700/L4) "Now attack, Tempest Rogue Dominator!"
Blaze-Incarnate took to the skies as its entire body exploded into flames, then rocketed towards Scarvolt. As it did, Lion-Cub's Pendulum Ability increased its attack by another seven hundred points. (A5100/D2500/L8)
Fluttershy gasped. "If this attack lands, Sunset wins." She turned to Tempest, expecting her to go for an Action Card, but saw she was standing perfectly still.
A simple grin appeared on her face. "You won't forgive me?" She laughed, "you can do nothing to me." Her face down flipped up to reveal a Trap, "Paralysing Spark! This card requires me to sacrifice a Storm Guard monster to activate it," Flail Dominator morphed into a bunch of sparks, that flew into the card. "Now I can equip this card to your monster and stop it from attacking, while also lowering its ATK power."
"Not happening!" Sunset cried. "I activate the other ability of Daydream!"
Sunset: 1600 Tempest: 2500
Blaze-Incarnate shot a fireball at the Trap, destroying it. "And with the effect of Sun Tiger, three hundred ATK points are added to Blaze-Incarnate!" (A5400/D2500/L8) "I told you!" She almost screamed, "that I'd make you pay!"
"I won't give you a dim," Tempest said. "Activating the effect of Paralysing Spark in the graveyard." She removed two cards from her graveyard. "I banish it and a Storm Guard monster in my graveyard, then I can negate the abilities of a monster on your field and lower it's ATK power by the Storm Guard's Level until your next turn."
Sunset frowned. Daydream's effect only works on cards on the field. She looked up at Blaze-Incarnate, as sparks surged around its body and made it flinch. (A4800/D2500/L8) "She still has enough power to wipe out your Life Points!" The phoenix continued to fly forwards.
"Mere humans," Tempest sighed. "Are they good for anything?" She looked up, as the flaming bird slammed into Scarvolt and destroyed her. "I activate my Trap, Defence Draw!" Tempest drew a card, as he life points remained unchanged.
Luna: Tempest manages to protect herself from Sunset's onslaught. Not only that, but Blaze-Incarnate's ATK power will now be low enough for Scarvolt to dominate it next turn.
Sunset frowned at this, placing one card face down as she ended her turn. Blaze-Incarnate's ATK dropped, Paralysing Spark making it even weaker then normal. (A2400/D2500/L8)
"You humans," Tempest drew her card. "I admit you can be amusing, but in the end it's all pointless." She looked up at Sunset, he eyes glowing. "Let me show you!" In that moment, a strange aura appeared around Tempest before slowly taking the shape of a tall bulky figure.
Seconds later, the aura exploded and flew towards her. She cried out as everything around her went black, the girl closing her eyes for a second. But when she opened them again, she found she was somewhere else.
She looked around and saw she was in some kind of ruins, the walls covered in many strange marking she couldn't read. There were only three symbols she recognised, one being an omega symbol surrounded by six zenith symbols while the other was the alpha symbol. "What is all this?" Sunset asked.
"The only recording of a war that took place before everything else." She turned to see Tempest standing on a fallen column, staring at the wall. "A battle that lead to the formation of this chaotic world, where nothing but pain and heartache exist." She turned towards Sunset. "In order to right the wrong that was made that day, everything must be reset."
Before Sunset could ask what she meant by that, another bright light forced her to closer her eyes.
"I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
Sunset opened her eyes and found she was back in the desert. She looked up, just in time to see the portal open before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground.
Spine-Hog Dominator!" (A1200/D600/L3/P1)
"And Tempest Rogue Dominator, Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) Tempest drew two cards, as her ace pulled out the Obsidian Orb. "Skill activate!" Scarvolt tossed the orb at Blaze-Incarnate, "DOMINATE!"
Sunset and Fluttershy gasped as they watched her best card be turned to stone. "No!" They cried as the bird fell out of the sky and landed in the sand, sending a wave of it off in multiple directions.
"Next," they turned back to Tempest, "I summon another Storm Guard Dominator Spear!" The armoured ape appeared next to the other two monsters. (A1800/D800/L4) Tempest then turned to look at the card she'd drawn thanks to Defence Draw. A card that all but guaranteed her victory. "Now, I equip Scarvolt with the Staff of Sacanas!" Scarvolt raised her hand, a bolt of purple lightning flew down from the sky and struck it.
The lightning then took shape and faded to reveal a staff made of purple stone with a light blue crystal on the end of it. Scarvolt swung the staff around, as lightning surged around her.
"A monster equipped with this staff gains an extra five hundred ATK points, but it's special abilities are negated. (A3000/D2000/L7/P4) "What's more, it has another effect." Scarvolt pointed the staff at Spear Dominator before a beam of light shot out and hit the monster, causing it to fall to its knees as it looked physically weakened. (A0/D800/L4) "You see, by sending a monster's ATK to zero, the staff can steal their special abilities and give them to the monster equipped with it."
"So now Scarvolt has Spear's ability?" Tempest asked.
"Oh no," Fluttershy suddenly remember how her Duel ended. "Sunset!"
"Scarvolt," she pointed at Sunset, "attack!" The Tempest Rogue charged forwards, Tempest Unicorn's effect powering it up. (A3200/D2000/L7/P4)
Sunset looked over her options. Her face down, Brittle Shield, wouldn't work because Blaze-Incarnate's ATK was lower then its DEF. Her only hope was an Action Card. And luckily, she spotted one sticking out of the sand dune a ways off. "It's my only hope." She rushed forwards, pumping her legs as quickly as she could. With her monster turned to stone, it couldn't evade the attack long enough for her to get it.
Tempest saw this and simply smiled, "still clinging."
Sunset grabbed the card and saw it was and smiled. "I activate the Action Spell, Sand Guard." A tornado of sand whipped up and swirled around Blaze-Incarnate. "This card might not save my monster, but it'll cut the damage I take in half!" She looked over at Tempest, but saw she was simply smiling. "What's she so happy about?"
"Sunset!" She turned to her teammate. "Spear Dominator's effect lets it half its ATK points when attacking a Dominated monster."
"What?" Sunset asked, "why?"
"Because," Sunset turned back to Tempest, "doing so allows it to attack you directly." Sunset's eyes went wide as she looked up at Scarvolt. Just before the Dominator was about to hit Blaze-Incarnate, she disappeared.
Seconds later, she reappeared right infront of Sunset.
The girl's eyes went as she watched Scarvolt raise the obsidian staff, lightning beginning to spark from its crystal tip. (A1600/D2000/L7/P4) She then heard Tempest cry out, "END THIS!" She pointed the staff at Sunset and fired a blast of lightning, which struck the girl point blank.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
Sunset: 0 Tempest: 2500 (Winner)
"Sunset!" Fluttershy rushed forwards and was able to catch the girl before she could collapse, the Duel having taken much out of her. "Are you okay?"
Sunset groaned, "I'm fine." They turned to Tempest, who simply walked away without a word. "Tempest Shadow. Just who are you?"
Tempest continued to frown as she walked away. "Human potential. What a foolish notion. No, there is only one thing that can overcome great evils. And that, is an even greater evil."
Sunset sighed at her failure, only to then feel and hand on her shoulder. She looked around and saw Fluttershy smiling down at her. "I want to thank you Sunset." This confused Sunset. "You fought for us, and our beliefs. Thank you."
This made Sunset smiled, "Fluttershy." What she was about to say was interrupted when her Raduel beeped. She activated the screen and saw what it said.
Fluttershy also saw it, causing her to frown. "Is that...Twilight."
Celestia: First Sunset Shimmer. And now Twilight Sparkle has also been defeated.
Luna: With that, team Tidal Maidens has been eliminated.
All over the stadium, those who were friends with team Tidal Maidens all frowned. "Twilight," Flash sighed at his girlfriend's loss.
"No way," Rainbow couldn't believe it.
Their friends in the VIP box were also down-hearted, Flurry even beginning to cry as if knowing her aunt had been eliminated.
A little while later, Tidal and the team met outside the stadium.
"Well," Fluttershy said, "that's it. The Double X is over for us."
Tidal smiled at the girls. "That was some great Duelling out there. You should all be proud."
"Tempest Shadow," Sunset spoke up. "There's something...weird about her."
Twilight nodded. "I noticed it too, but it wasn't just her. It was the same against Heath."
"All of team Dominator," Sunset theorised. "Something's going on here."
Twilight nodded, remembering that a certain someone was going to be on that team. "I'm...thinking of going back to Paris." This made the others all turned to her in surprise, "to check into Moondancer's background."
Tidal looked to Twilight in concern. "Is it bothering you?" Twilight just nodded, as Tidal suddenly smiled. "How about this amigo. Let me go to Paris instead. That way, you can stay and watch to the end of the tournament."
"Tidal," Twilight began.
"Leave it to me," the Mexican said with gusto. "I'll do a full investigation."
Twilight was going to argue, but realised she wasn't going to be talking Tidal out of this and smiled. "Thank you."
"Moondancer," Sunset spoke up. "She was going to be Tempest's teammate, right?"
"Yes," Twilight nodded, "but there's more to it then that. She was..." Twilight sighed, "she's the reason I quit my studies overseas and came back to compete in the Double X." The others nodded, pretty much already knowing that. "But there's more. When we first met...when we first Duelled, something happened."
The three were all ears, wanting to know as much as they could about someone connected to that strange team.
Celestia: You're joining us as we've reached the end of day one of the tournament, and things are heating up.
Luna: Each member of Tidal Maidens has been defeated by a member of team Dominator, which means team Tidal Maidens has been eliminated.
Celestia: However, remember team Wonderbolts? They cleared the first stage in fifteenth place, but now they're steadily earning more and more points.
Still on the second level, Soarin stepped out into a field that was filled with the bones of multiple Duel Monsters.
He sighed, not sure if he agreed with Rainbow's strategy to face opponents they couldn't easily beat. 'Getting through so late in the game seriously rattled her. And with the school's reputation on the line, she must be scared of letting them down.' In that moment, his Raduel beeped and when he switched it on he saw there was someone else in the boneyard. "Team Dominator," he gasped seeing Heath Burn's face on it.
Apart of him wanted to go face the teen, but he didn't want to go against Rainbow's orders.
"Dang it," he moaned. "What do I do?"
Meanwhile, in a corridor between fields, Flash was walking through it after winning his last match in the Orchard Field. "Hey," he looked up to see Sunburst heading towards him, "over here." He finally reached him, "day one's gonna be ending soon."
"Yeah," Flash agreed. "Knowing we came out of round one in last place, we have to be aggressive." He punched his hand into his palm, "targeting players who have a large number of points."
Sunburst nodded, "if we wanna stay in the tournament. That's exactly what we've got to do."
Flash smirked, "did you see Spike. He really came through for us in the first round."
"Yeah," Sunburst agreed, "but I'm a bit worried. He was saying some weird things, like actually being on another world." But as he said that, he noticed Flash seemed a little uneasy. "What is it? Does that actually make sense to you?"
Flash frowned, remembering back to what Sombra had said to him. 'Would it make a difference if I told Sunburst and Spike about team Dominator? Probably not but-.' He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't notice Sunburst getting behind him and pushing him forwards. "Wow!" He cried as he worked to regain his balance, then turned towards Sunburst. "Hey!"
Sunburst just smirked. "We don't have time to worry about this kind of stuff. We need to focus, okay?"
"Huh?" Flash replied before shaking his head. "Yeah, you're right." He sighed, "absolutely right."
Sunburst nodded before turning, "well we'd better get going." With that, he began to run down the corridor towards the next battle field.
Flash watched him run off, smirking at his drive. "I can't let him and Spike down." He began to rush into the next Duel Field, ready to face the first opponent he came across.
Back in the boneyard, Heath continued to make his way through the piles of deceased monsters.
'These humans are such a waste of time,' he moaned. 'I don't know why we have to Duel them.' His memory suddenly flashed back to his Duel with Twilight, making him frown as he remembered how close it was. 'Stupid humans!' He tried to turn the volume up on his headphones, only for them to make a static noise before completely dying. "Not again!" He moaned as he took them off.
"I challenge you!" A voice cried out from behind him, "team Dominator!"
Heath's Raduel beeped, showing the Duel had begun. "Once challenged, the competitors have to Duel." He sighed, "stupid rule." He threw his headphones away before spinning around and seeing who it was, going wide-eyed at the sight. "Flash Sentry."
Flash was staring at his opponent, a serious look on his face. "It's payback time for Twilight."
"Twilight?" Heath asked, only to realise what he was getting at. "Oh, that's right. She's your girlfriend." Flash frowned at this, "whatever. Deciding to Duel me just for revenge, you'll find out that was a pretty big mistake." He took out his Duel Disk and placed it on his arm, Flash doing the same.
As they prepared to face off, Heath remembered back a conversation with Tempest.
Several weeks ago.
"So this guys the Pendulum Singularity," Heath asked while sitting outside with Tempest. A picture of all the participants in the Double X lay on the table between them. "He doesn't look like much."
Tempest picked up the picture of Flash. "This boy is a human who was born in our world. Because of that, he has abilities that transcend the barrier between them."
"He's the one that made it possible to come over here," Heath said.
"He was the conduit, yes."
"So...you want me to check out how good he is if I come across him?" Tempest nodded. "Fine, whatever you want as long as the pay's good." He pulled out his deck, smirking. "What do you hope to find out by playing silly games like this?"
"Potential."
Heath turned to Tempest in confusion. "Come again?"
"It was something Moondancer mentioned. That human beings have extreme potential to do extraordinary things. I was curious what she meant, so I hope to find out for myself." However, all this did was make Heath laugh.
After a few seconds, he stopped laughing and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Humour me here. Assuming this extreme potential exists-"
Present.
"Then I'll burn it to a crisp," he said as his and Flash's Duel Disks activated
"DUEL!"
Flash 4000 Heath: 4000
As Sunburst was making his way through the Orchard Field, his Raduel beeped.
Looking down, he saw who Flash was Duelling against and frowned. "So he's facing her teammate." He stared at Flash's face, "you can do this."
Up in the VIP box, Twilight frowned seeing her boyfriend was going up against the Duellist that eliminated her. "Flash's next opponent. Heath Burns." Her memory flashed back to when she Duelled him and the vision she saw back then. The same thing that had happened when she Duelled against Tempest. "There's something strange about team Dominator." And Moondancer, but she wasn't gonna say that out loud.
"I'm worried," Scootaloo said, only to feel a hand on her shoulder.
She turned to see Misty smiling at her. "Don't worry. Your brother's not going down so easily." This made Scootaloo smile before turning back to the field, beginning to cheer her brother on.
"I'm up first!" Heath drew his card, "and I summon Flame Ruler in DEF mode!" A burst of fire revealed the fire controlling man. (A1500/D1600/L4) "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
"My turn!" Flash drew his card. "And I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Magna Caster Lunara and scale eight Magna Caster Solaris!" The portals of light appeared on either side of him, as the two magicians flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out, hitting the ground and taking shape.
"Target sighted, Magna Fighter Gun Runner!" (A1600/D1400/L4)
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"I activate my Trap!" Heath announced as his face down flipped up, "Flaming Soldier of Hellfire!" A fireball shot out of the card and took the form of the robotic monster, which took a defensive stance alongside Flame Ruler. (A1600/D1100/L4)
Celestia: Heath Burns, whose strategy is highly reliant on Trap, verses Flash Sentry the Pendulum Duellist. Whose's strategy will win out in the end?
"Magna Chimp!" Flash pointed at Flame Ruler, "attack!" The robotic monkey rushed forward.
"I activate my Trap!" Heath cried, only for his Duel Disk to tell him he couldn't. "What?"
"Sorry," Flash told him, "but with Solaris on the field you can't activate any Traps during the turn a Pendulum Monster attacks." This made Heath growl before he began running through the boneyard.
He spotted an Action Card in the eye hole of a Mammoth Graveyard, which he quickly reached inside to grab. But when he pulled back, he saw that the card he'd gotten was a Trap.
Luna: Oh, Buried Alive. That card forces him to discard the top card of his deck until he discards a monster.
Heath frowned but did so, needing to discard one Spell and Trap before he got a monster. Meanwhile, Magna Chimp slashed at Flame Ruler and destroyed it.
"Now Gun Runner!" The Magna Fighter pointed his blaster at Hellfire Soldier and fired, vaporising it. "And since he destroyed a monster, I can banish Gun Runner to summon a monster that's the same level." Gun Runner fired again, creating a portal that he leapt into with Magna Wolf jumping out the other side. (A1500/D1200/L4) "Attack!" The wolf charged forwards, it's ATK points raising. (A1600/D1200/L4)
It slashed at Heath, making him stagger backwards. "Augh!"
Flash 4000 Heath: 2400
Flash sighed. Now wasn't the time to worry about what team Dominator was up to. Spike and Sunburst were both battling their way through the Double X the best they can, just like him. "I place one card face down and end my turn." Magna Wolf's ATK returned to normal. There were still Duellists he wanted to go up against here. "I'm going to the final round," he told Heath. "And not just me, but Spike and Sunburst too. We're getting there and we're gonna win this whole championship!"
This statement caused Heath to raise an eyebrow. "You think you can win? That's a very ambitious goal. Is it really that important to you?"
"Yes it's important," Flash replied. "It's the most important thing right now."
Celestia: Flash Sentry takes an early lead. Will he be able to keep that lead against Heath, or will we see a come back from the young hothead.
"Darn it!" Sunburst's opponent cried as his life points were wiped out. "I can't believe I lost."
Sunset didn't stick around long enough to chat, instead rushing through the field as he spotted a stairway leading upwards. "If I hurry, I might be able to get one Duel in before the end of the day." But as he looked at his Raduel, he saw who was actually on the field the stairway lead to and it made him stop. "Starlight." The image of his childhood friend made him begin to panic.
He stared at the entrance to the stairway, as he felt his heartbeat increase rapidly.
Eventually, he shock his head and pushed his glasses up his face. "You can do it. No more running." He braced himself, "here we go." He let out a might cry and he rushed towards the stairway, towards his friend.
"My draw!" Heath did so, staring at Flash while doing so. 'Really, I'm suppose to be worried about this guy? I was thinking this guy was gonna be special, given all the attention she's been giving him. But now-' "Give me a break," he said. "Why was I so concerned." He looked at the card he'd drawn and smiled. "First I play Eruption Reload, to banish Solar Flare Dragon from my graveyard and draw four cards. He did so, liking what he'd got. "I then place two cards face down before activating the magic of, Heavy Storm!" A massive gust of wind blew throughout the field.
Luna: Grab your rain coat and goloshes, it looks like a storms blowing in.
Flash watched as Solaris, Lunara and his face down were sucked up, along with Heath's own face downs. "Why would he place those cards face down before playing that?" He asked, only to quickly realise that, "you wanted them destroyed."
"That's right," Heath replied before a dark haze began to fill the boneyard. Seconds later, a pair of golden slugs appeared on field. "Meet my terrifying Wicked Tokens, which appear whenever Statue of the Wicked is destroyed. Now," the two monsters burst into flames, "I sacrifice my Wicked Tokens in order to summon Flaming Emperor, Hellfire!" The flames spiralled around each other before exploding to reveal the armoured demon. (A2600/D2200/L7)
Flash looked up at that monster, then down at Heath. As he did, he noticed a strange flaming aura wrap around Heath. That aura then slowly took the form of tall winged human.
Flash felt he knew what it was and, remembering what Sombra had told him, focused on the figure. Doing so allowed him to see passed the flames and see the creature they hid, Hellfire. "So, this is your true form."
"Next I banish one Trap in my graveyard to Special Summon Meteor Humanoid!" In an explosion of flames, a humanoid monster made out of red molten rock appeared. His body had several cracks which revealed a lava like substance beneath the rock, which flames erupted from its neck and covered most of its head. (A1600/D1300/L4)
"Then I activate Hellfire's ability!" His monsters claws ignited before sending a wave of fire towards Magna Chimp, "your monster will now lose one hundred ATK points for every Trap in my graveyard." The fire hit the robot and burnt it, causing Magna Chimp to flinch. (A1500/D600/L4/P9) "What a silly creature," he told him before pointing at Magna Chimp. "Attack!"
Flash watched Hellfire fly towards Magna Chimp, as he and his monsters rushed forwards to try and find an Action Card. However, no card came within sight before the demon's blazing claws struck the robot and destroyed it.
Flash 2900 Heath: 2400
"Now, Meteor Humanoid will attack Magna Wolf." The walking lava pool brought it hands together and created a blazing rock, which struck Magna Wolf and destroyed it.
Flash 2800 Heath: 2400
Celestia: Heath Burns manages to close the gap between him and his opponent.
Luna: Will Flash Sentry be able to keep his lead over him?
"I'll end my turn by throwing down a face down," Heath announced before his Raduel beeped. Looking over the screen, he smiled. "Well well. It looks like your teammate is about to go up against mine."
"Huh?" Flash looked down at his Raduel and saw he was right. "Starlight Glimmer."
"My condolences," Heath said. "It seems your team's out of the tournament, since you won't be able to beat us." As soon as he said that, the Raduel beeped again to show that there was only thirty minutes left of the day. "Good for you. Now you won't have to waste your time tomorrow."
This made Flash growl as he drew his card, "it's not over yet. Not by a long shot. The Double X can still be ours!"
"Sunburst," Spike began to feel nervous as he remembered his Duel with Starlight.
"It was bad enough when our team had to go up against team Dominator," Fluttershy frowned.
"And ours," Applejack agreed.
"Maybe Flash and Sunburst can pull it off?" Sweetie said.
"Maybe," Rarity told her sister. "But against the power those three posses, it won't be easy."
"Flash," Twilight whispered in worry. "Be careful."
"I play Stardust Reload, to banish Magna Wolf and draw four cards. I then set scale two Magna Boar and scale nine Magna Sheep into the Pendulum Zones!" The pillars of light appeared besides him, as the monsters flew up into them.
Heath smiled at this, turning to Flash. "That girlfriend of yours," he mentioned. "She said something odd during my Duel with her earlier. She said some other girl was helping her to give her strength. Well it still didn't make any difference. I still beat her." He sighed. "What's with you people? You're so serious. It's not like your life depends on it." He let out a laugh, "that's just stupid if you ask me."
This made Flash frown, "you don't know what you're talking about."
"Actually, I do. It's ridicules. What I don't understand, is why you waste your time and energy on such a silly childish game."
"It is not a silly game!" Flash almost yelled. He remembered back to how excited Spike was when he asked him to be on his team, and how determined Sunburst had become. All of his friends and their reasons for entering. "Spike and Sunburst. Twilight, Rainbow and everyone else. They're all...they've all got so much at stake, taking part in the Double X."
"How sweet," Heath told him before sneering. "But you think I care. That's one of the reasons I find it so silly." He shook his head. "Honestly, you humans really are such dull creatures."
"Better then being some body snatcher," Flash glared back. "Why don't you and your team do everyone a favour and let your hosts go. Just go back to your own world, Hellfire Emperor." This caught Heath's attention, making him frown.
"So, you know about me huh? Guess you're one of those annoying little pests who've been spying on us." He smirked, "you're such idiots. Thinking you can compete against us. Not a chance."
"It doesn't matter," Flash told him. "I don't care whether you're Soulinked or not, I'm gonna win." The portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out and hit the ground, revealing Flash's monsters.
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Invoke your moonlight magic, Magna Caster Lunara." (A2400/D1200/L6/P1)
"Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Flash Heart's skill!" A portal opened up behind Meteor Humanoid, "be banished to the depths of space time!" The portal sucked the beast in, leaving Hellfire out on its own. "Now Flash Heart, attack Hellfire!" The dragon's jets exploded, propelling it across the field. "Magna Boar's Pendulum Ability now increases the ATK of all Pendulum monster on the field. (A3000/D2000/L7/P1) (A2900/D1200/L6/P1) (A2300/D600/L4/P9)
Celestia: Flash is utilising the power of his Pendulum Deck excellently. If this works, victory will be his.
But as Flash Heart got closer to Hellfire, Heath just smirked. "Activate Trap!" His face down flipped up, "Dimensional Prison!" A portal opened up infront of Hellfire and unleashing a powerful sucking force, which caught Flash Heart and began to pull it in.
"No!" Flash cried as his best card was banished.
Luna: Incredible. Flash Sentry's ace monster is gone. How will this effect the rest of the Duel?
Heath let out a laugh, "now what'll you do. Without your best card, what hope do you have."
Flash growled. "There's more to my deck then Flash Heart. Lunara!" The moon magician pointed her staff at Hellfire, while Heath leapt over to the skeleton of a Red-Eyes.
There, in its claws, was an Action Card. He grabbed it, "I play Evasion!" As Lunara fired a blast of ice at Hellfire, the demon leapt out of the way.
Flash sighed, "I place two cards face down and end my turn." Lunara and Magna Chimp's ATK points returned to normal.
"My draw!" Heath did so, smiling when he saw what he'd gotten. "With this, my victory is assured!" His face down flipped up, "I activate the Trap card Call of the Haunted, to revive Flame Ruler!" The flaming spellcaster appeared besides Hellfire. "And here's the thing, Flame Ruler can count as two tributes when summoning a Fire monster. He raised his card into the air, "so now I sacrifice both him and Hellfire in order to summon my most powerful beast!" He slapped the card on the Duel Disk, as a pillar of fire exploded behind him.
Flash flinched as he was forced to step back, the heat coming off the pillar so intense it was making the bones around them melt. The flames finally began to fade, revealing the monster that beat Twilight. "Searing Flame Dragon, Afterburner!" (A?/D?/L9)
Twilight gasped. "That's the card that beat me." The rest of the box began to worry hearing this.
"Be careful Flash," Misty warned her son.
Heath held up his Duel Disk. "Here's the thing. Afterburner's original ATK becomes the total number of Traps in my graveyard times eight hundred. And right now, I have five." Afterburner roared as It's ATK power rose (A4000/D4000/L9)
Celestia: Heath brings out his best card and has set the stage to make it a powerful beast.
Luna: And with Afterburner's ability to send Traps to the graveyard, it's only gonna get more powerful.
"Afterburner's skill," He drew five cards before taking out two and placing them in the graveyard. With two more Traps in the grave, Afterburner's power increased. (A5600/D5600/L9) Heath then pointed at Magna Chimp, "melt that piece of junk and end this Duel!" The dragon opened its mouth and prepared to unleash the flames.
"I activate my Trap!" Flash announced as his card flipped up.
"Traps won't work on my monster," Heath told him.
"But they will work on mine," Flash announced as he began to run. "The card I played was Interception, which lets Lunara take the hit for Magna Chimp." But hopefully, he could find an Action Card that could save him.
As Afterburner unleashed a blast of fire, Flash spotted an Action Card inside a Dark Tyrano skeleton's mouth. He reached and grabbed it, finding it was an Action Spell but not one he could use. "Dang," he spun around, "I activate my other Trap." His face down flipped up, "Brittle Shield!" Lunara quickly shifted into a DEF position, just as the flames hit her.
Heath smirked, "you're only delaying the inevitable. I place one card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Incredible. Flash managed to survive against such a powerful monster.
Luna: Now he has a chance to take it down. But with it's ATK points set at fifty six hundred, does he have a card in his deck that can do it.
"Let's find out!" Flash drew his card, only to see it was a Trap. But with Afterburner's ability, it was useless. He only had one hope, and that was the Action card he drew before. "I activate the Action Spell Dark Burial. I ditch one card, then draw one card for every two cards of the same card type as the one I discard in your graveyard. Since I ditched a Trap, and you have seven Traps in your grave, I draw three cards." He did so, nodding when he saw what he'd gotten. "I summon Space-Warp Dragon!" The mechanical wyvern appeared on his field. "Then I activate the Spell card Reverse Polarity."
Heath looked up and saw his monster suddenly power down, as it's power swapped with Space-Warp Dragon's. (A800/D5600/L9) (A5600/D1200/L3)
Celestia: Unbelievable! Flash has managed to use Heath's overwhelming power against him.
Luna: And with Space-Warp's ability, it can attack Heath directly and wipe out his life points.
"Attack!" A portal opened up infront of his dragon, with another one appearing infront of Heath, that Space-Warp flew into. It then flew out the other one, ready to end this Duel.
"I don't think so," Heath told him. "Activate Trap!" His face down flipped up, "Mirror Force!" Flash's eyes went wide seeing this, with Space-Warp hitting an invisible barrier that caused it to explode. A light then flew off the barrier and hit Magna Chimp, destroying it as well.
"No," Flash moaned. "Fine," the portal opened up above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The lights flew out of the portal and hit the ground, Lunara and Magna Chimp appearing out of them in DEF mode. "I place one card face down and end my turn. Afterburner's ATK returned to normal. And with another Trap in the graveyard, they were even higher then before. (A6400/D6400/L9)
"It's my turn," Heath didn't draw a card. "Afterburner's ability. Instead of drawing, I can take a Trap in my grave and add it to my hand." He did so, then discarded another card. "Now I'm using Hellfire's ability to bring him back to the field." A burst of fire signalled the demon's arrival. (A2600/D2200/L7) "Then I'll use Afterburner's other ability." He drew five cards and discarded three, increasing the dragon's power. "Attack!" But Hellfire and Afterburner attacked, destroying Flash's monsters. (A8800/D8800/L9) "I place one card face down end my turn."
'This is bad,' Flash realised. 'That things getting stronger and stronger with each turn and I might not have a way to stop it.' He drew his card, but it wouldn't allow him to beat Afterburner. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and Lunara and Magna Chimp appeared in defence mode again. "I end my turn." Flash began running, hoping to find an Action that could save him.
"I draw!" Heath did so, smiling at what he got. "I play Pot of Greed, to draw two new cards." He did so, "then I play the Spell card Stop Defence!" Flash's eyes went wide hearing this, as he turned to see Magna Chimp stand up. In that moment, he spotted an Action Card in the hand of a Summon Skull.
He leapt over to it and grabbed the card, only to see it was a Trap.
Luna: Bone Shower. That Action Trap destroys one random monster on Flash's field and deals him three hundred points of damage for every level point it has.
Flash turned back to his monsters, as a barrage of bones flew towards him. Unfortunately, Lunara was the one destroyed as the bones then flew at him. "GAH" He cried as they slammed into him.
Flash 1000 Heath: 2400
"Afterburner!" Heath cried, "end this!" The dragon opened its mouth and shot out a burst for fire, straight at Magna Chimp. "It's...over!" As soon as he said this, his and Flash's eyes met. When that happened, the aura around his body exploded and flew towards him.
Flash cried out as everything around him went black, causing him to close his eyes for a second. But when he opened them again, he found he was somewhere else. He was in the same canyon field Twilight had been in, surrounded by the bodies of fallen monsters. "What is this?" This wasn't like with Tempest. Was this what Spike had been talking about?
"This is what a real battlefield looks like," Flash turned to see Hellfire walking towards him. "Live or die, that's all that matter's here. Unlike the worthless, child's play that you lot like to amuse yourself with."
"Shut up!" Flash cried, "you don't know anything about our Duels." He placed a hand over his heart, "my life only truly began when I started playing. It's brought me friends, family and so much more." He pointed at Hellfire, "and not just in my world!" In that moment, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the night's sky.
"What?" Hellfire asked as the light died down, revealing all of Flash's monsters. They all gathered around him, supportive and ready to face whatever obstacles Flash needed their help with. "What's all this?"
Flash smirked. "The bond that unites us, even across dimensions." In that moment, a new light caught Hellfire's eyes and made him turn to see the sun begin to rise. "Even the bonds that exist after life ends."
Hellfire shook, as memories of the bodies that surrounded them falling flew through his mind. "No," he growled, "you lie! Death is the end, and soon death will overtake you. So shut up and Die already!"
"No thanks," Flash told him. "I don't intend to die any time soon."
"And what's gonna stop that from happening?" Hellfire asked.
This made Flash smirk before his face when serious. "TRAP SUMMON!" A burst of light blinded Heath, causing him the shield his eyes. When the light finally faded, he found he was back in the boneyard. He then saw the cause of that light, which was a familiar young woman in steampunk attire carrying a large golden shield with a crystal in the centre. "Magna Guardian, Arma Excess!" (A100/D2000/L4)
"A Trap Monster!" Heath frowned.
"Excess's skill," Flash explained. "As long as she's on the field, she's the only card you can attack." Arma raised her shield, as the crystal unleashed a bright light that formed a barrier around her and Magna Chimp that blocked the flames. "She also has another ability. When she's attacked, every card except her and the one that's attacking is banished from the field and the attacking monster loses five hundred ATK points for each other."
Heath frowned, "I don't think so." He discarded one card, "I activate Ambush Blazer's ability. By discarding him, I can activate the effect of a Trap in my graveyard. So now I activate Interdimensional Matter Transporter!" Hellfire disappeared, "he might be gone but he'll be back next turn and your monster's effect won't have the same strength."
Magna Chimp disappeared through a power as well, causing Afterburner's ATK to drop. (A8300/D8800/L9) It might not have been much in the grand scheme of things, but with Arma in DEF mode Flash was still safe as she was destroyed.
Celestia: He survived the attack!
Luna: Flash Sentry, despite the odds, has survived to another turn.
"DARN IT!" Heath cried as he was forced to end his turn. 'Hold on, what am I worried about?' He looked down at his field, Afterburner's ATK returning to normal, as Hellfire returned to him. He then saw his face down, 'I still have my Mirror Force. Even if he pulls some crazy power up, it'll do him no good.' He smirked, 'this Duel is mine.'
Flash saw that smirk and knew Heath believed he was invincible right now. 'I'm gonna need something big to win this.' He reached for his deck and drew his card, gasping when he saw what he'd got. With this...maybe.
He turned to Heath, who had jumped up onto the skull of a Blue-Eyes. "You called Duelling a silly game. A waste of time. Childish!" Heath raised an eyebrow at this. "But you can't deny that the feelings it produces are real!" The portal began to form above his head. "The greater the opponent, the stronger the desire to fight, as a team. Making use of my skills, silly or not!" Heath just rolled his eyes at this. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up and a single light shot out of it and hit the ground, transforming into Flash's monster. "Invoke your moonlight magic, Magna Caster Lunara." (A2400/D1200/L6/P1)
"That card can't save you!"
"Well what if I play this!" He slapped a card on the field, as a small clockwork rat appeared besides Lunara. "Aura Pulse, Magna Rat!" (A300/D200/L1)
Heath burst out laughing. "Seriously, that little pipsqueak is gonna save you."
"He will," Flash replied. "Because now I can banish him and summon one monster that's been removed from play!" This made Heath stop laughing, as a giant portal opened up above their heads. Magna Rat leapt up into it, as a familiar robotic dragon flew out the other side. "Shine your light of victory one last time, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Skill activated!" A portal opened up and sucked Hellfire inside.
Heath growled, "that won't be enough to save you."
"We'll see," Flash said. "Cause I'm activating the Pendulum Ability of my Nightlight Magna Sheep!" The light-bulbs on Magna Sheep's armour glowed before unleash a blast of light, which struck the sky above them and created a vortex. Seconds later, Flash Heart and Lunara were sucked inside. "Now watch as I fuse the unequalled might of a dragon, with the mystic proprieties of a Spellcaster!" The vortex exploded and released a burst of bright light. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Flash's new Fusion Monster for the whole world to see. It was Spectral Nova Dragon, only now it was wearing a new suit of armour. Only its head and tail were now visible, while the rest was sealed within robotic armour that was either bronze, black or green. The armour was covered in vents and on the end of its arms were a pair of cannon like weapons that were modelled after jet engines. On its back were a pair of mechanical wings designed similar to Flash Heart's, but were more rounded and appeared to be staked on atop the other. "SPECTRAL FREEZER DRAGON!" (A3000/D2000/L8)
As the giant dragon towered over him, Heath couldn't help but stagger back a bit.
"Spectral Freeze's skill! Since the Spellcaster used to summon him was Level six, he gains six hundred ATK points for this turn." (A3600/D2000/L8) Flash reached for his deck, "now for his other skill. Banish the top three cards of the deck. For the rest of the turn, the effects of all my opponent's cards that are the same as the banished cards are negated."
"What?" Heath asked in shock.
"Wait," Scootaloo said, "so if Flash gets a Trap card."
"Then all of Heath's Traps will be made useless," Twilight finished for her. "And if he gets a monster card, then Afterburner's effects will be negated."
"If that happens," Fluttershy realised.
"Then Flash'll win," Shining said. Everyone smiled hearing this, seeing the light at the end of a very dim tunnel.
"GO FLASH!" Spike yelled.
"Okay," Flash said, "here goes." He drew his first card and revealed it. "A Spell card." Now Heath couldn't use Action Spells. "Second check," he drew another card and smiled before showing Heath Vail Pixie. "It's a monster card."
Heath gasped before looking up at Afterburner. Spectral Freezer's vents opened up before unleashing a burst of cold air that hit the dragon, freezing it in place. "But without its abilities." (A0/D0/L9) "No," he looked back at Flash. 'It's okay. I still have my Trap card. As long as he doesn't draw that card, this Duel is mine.'
'Come on,' Flash thought to himself. 'Draw it...draw it.' "Here goes, final check!" He drew his card and held it up high, allowing the camera to see it.
Celestia: It's a Trap!
Heath's eyes went wide in horror, as Spectral Freeze unleashed another burst of cold air that froze his face down.
Luna: Incredible. Now Heath Burns can't activate any Spells, Traps or Monster effect. He can't do anything.
Celestia: What an amazing skill.
The crowd were all cheering loudly, the VIP boxes windows almost shattering from the Crusader's squeals.
Heath, however, did not like how things were going and was completely frozen. 'I...I'm shivering. What's happening to me?'
"Spectral Freezer Dragon, attack Searing Flame Dragon Afterburner!" The dragon raised its jet engine cannons and aimed them at its frozen opponent, the fans inside beginning to spin.
'I'm stronger then he is. So why...how?'
"DEEP-FREEZE DESTROYER!" He looked up and saw a pair of tornadoes shoot out of the dragons cannons, heading straight for Afterburner.
'How...can I be losing?' He staggered backwards, as the attack got closer and closer. "I don't want this." Memories flashed infront of his eyes. Memories of pain and death and being so, so tired. "I...I don't want this." The tornadoes struck Afterburner, causing it to smash into a million pieces.
Those pieces all flew towards Heath, who was still frozen in place. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!" They made contact, knocking him off his the dragon skull and sending him flying.
Flash: 1000 (Winner) Heath: 0
Celestia: HE DID IT!
Luna: Team Dominator, who had incredibly remained undefeated throughout this entire tournament, have finally seen their winning streak come to an end.
"HE DID IT!" Spike yelled in joy, while the rest of the VIP box cheered for him.
The Crusaders were squealing in joy while Twilight and Misty were both in tears. Cold simply smirked, happy to see that a Soulinked Duellist wasn't invincible.
Celestia: Flash Sentry, from team V-Fighters, has defeated team Dominator's Heath Burns. And he's earned a huge number of points, sending his team way ahead.
Flash rushed around the dragon skull and saw Heath picking himself up.
Once he was on his feet, the teen suddenly flinched as he held his gloved hand. "Gah!" He cried, looking down at his hand. He quickly removed his glove, revealing the fire emblem on the back of his hand. Said emblem was smoking, as it began to grow fainter.
As this happen, Heath remembered what Twilight had said during their Duel, and then what Flash had said. 'But...it's just a game for you. It's not a matter of life and death.' He fell to his knees, as Flash stepped over to him. 'Why am I so afraid?'
Flash frowned as he looked down at him. "I know you're not in the Double X just to Duel. But I need to know, what was your objective in doing all of this?"
Heath looked up at him, a glare burning in his eyes. "I don't know," he growled. "Tempest and Starlight just told me to Duel as many people as I could, that's all. They wouldn't tell me anything else." He began to pick himself up. "You wanna know what's going on, THEN ASK TEMPEST!"
Flash just stared at him, eventually deciding he was telling the truth. "I'll do that, thank you." He walked passed Heath and began running through the boneyard, activating his Raduel and typing in her name. Seconds later, it showed she was on level three, along with two other Duellists. "Sunburst?" He saw his teammate there. So Tempest was watching her teammate Duel. "I'm coming," he rushed towards a nearby stairway. Just hold on.
Team Dominator had finally lost a member, but that wasn't what was important. Now Flash had to find out what they were planning, and there was only one way to do it.
A younger Sunburst and Starlight were sitting on a back porch, watching as Sunburst's parents packed his things into the car. Sunburst was leaving today, heading to another city where he'd be staying with relatives and going to a Duel prep-school in preparation of entering Duel Academy.
To say both of them were upset about him leaving was an understatement. Starlight had tried to apply for the same prep-school but hadn't been able to get a good enough score.
"You know," Sunburst said. "I don't...have to go."
Starlight shook her head. "No way. I don't want you to give up just because I won't be there." She turned to him, "don't forget about our promise. We're gonna meet again, on the Pro-Duel Circuit."
Sunburst smiled at this and quickly pulled her into a hug, she doing the same until his mother told him they had to head out.
They pulled apart and got up, Sunburst reaching into his pockets and fishing something out. "Here," he handed it to Starlight, "I hope this helps you get there."
Starlight took the card and saw what it was. "Celestial...Spirit...Leo."
Sunburst blushed. "I found it in a booster pack and it reminded me of you." He scratched the back of his head and smiled. "I know it's probably not gonna be of any use to you, since it's effect requires you having other Celestial Spirit monsters in your deck, but I thought you might like it."
Starlight continued to stare at the card, then smiled before holding it close to her heart. "Thank you. I promise, I'll always have it in my deck. I'll even get the rest of those Celestial Spirits so he can become my ace." Sunburst smiled and hugged her again, until his mother rushed over and grabbed his arm before pulling him away from Starlight towards the car.
Sunburst looked back at Starlight as he was pulled into the car, the two frowning before the car drove away and they finally lost sight of one another. At the exact same time, they both swore that one day they'd meet on the Pro-Duel stage.
Present day
And that day had finally come, as Sunburst arrived on the Duel Field Starlight was in.
He looked around and, for a second, wondered if it was suddenly night as the sky was filled with stars. And stars appeared to be the main theme of this field, as everywhere he looked there were stars. The leaves on the trees, tables scattered around the place and even some balloons. They were all shaped like stars.
Sunburst didn't have time to admire the scene for long, as in that moment his Raduel beeped to show his opponent's location. And so he rushed through the field, following the map that showed their markers getting closer.
And then, finally, Sunburst turned a corner and saw her. "Starlight!"
Starlight Glimmer stopped before turning towards the voice, looking surprised as she saw him head towards her. "Sunburst." She didn't have time to say anything else, as he closed the distance between them and thrust his arm in her direction. The found of their Raduels beeping singled the challenge.
"Let's Duel!" He said with great determination, causing Starlight to smile.
Celestia: You join us as the Double X Tournament's second round draws close to the end of day one.
Luna: For any Duellists that are currently playing, this will be their last match of the day.
Celestia: One Duel has gotten underway, just in time. Starlight Glimmer of team Dominator verses Sunburst of team V-Fighters.
Luna: It's been a good day for Starlight. She's collected a huge number of points. But if she's defeated, team V-Fighters will gain those points and storm into the lead.
Over in the VIP box, Spike's gaze shifted between two screens. One showing Flash's Duel against Heath, and the other showing Sunburst's Duel. This was gonna be a tough one, he knew from experience, but hopefully those two could pull it off. "Come on guys.
Back on the Star Field, Starlight and Sunburst activated their Duel Disks.
Starlight turned to Sunburst and gave him a curious look. "I must admit, I was surprised when I learned of your entrance into the tournament. After what happened with Duel Academy, everyone back home figured you'd give up the game."
"I did," Sunburst replied. "But I couldn't stay away and my friends helped me regain the confidence I'd lost." He frowned at that memory, of how weak he'd been. But now...now was different. "Let's do this!"
Starlight nodded and the two drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Starlight: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
"I'll take the first move!" Sunburst drew his card, "I summon Blaze Wizard in ATK mode!" The fire magician appeared in a burst of fire. "And when he's summoned, I can add one Ritual Spell from my deck to my hand." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which he took before he placed three cards face down. "I end my turn."
Celestia: Sunburst, starting off strong.
Luna: How will Ms Glimmer counter?
Starlight smirked before she reached for her deck, "I draw. And I summon Celestial Spirit Aquarius, in ATK mode." A constellation appeared before her before exploding, the light fading to reveal a mermaid with a blue tail and hair that was carrying an urn and had armour around her chest. (A1500/D1200/L4)
Sunburst couldn't help but smile. "Looks like she actually did it."
"Aquarius's skill," Starlight placed a card in her graveyard before the mermaid swung her urn around. Doing so caused a torrent of water to fly out and head straight for Sunburst's field.
"What the?" He asked as the water shot passed his feet, washing two of his face downs along with it.
"Aquarius can destroy up to two cards in your Spell, Trap, or Pendulum Zones, and all it cost me was a card from my hand. Next, I play Celestial Device Sextans! With this, I can revive one Celestial Spirit monster in my graveyard. So say hello to Celestial Spirit Sagittarius!" Another constellation appeared before it exploded. This time, the light faded to reveal a centaur wearing green armour and carrying a bow and arrow. Its helmet was modelled after a horse. (A1700/D700/L4)
"Two monsters," Sunburst quickly rushed off in search of an Action Card.
Celestia: An impressive move by Starlight. Using Aquarius to reduce the risk of Sunburst's Trap card and using it to set herself up for summoning a second monster.
Luna: A great strategy to employ when using cards that require discarding cards.
"Sagittarius, attack Blaze Wizard!" The centaur drew its bow and aimed it at the magician, Sunburst spotting a card on the star-shaped leaf of one of the trees.
He reached out to grab the card and saw it was an Action Trap, one which forced him to give up the top three cards of his deck. And as he did so, Sagittarius's arrow struck Blaze Wizard and destroyed him.
Starlight: 4000 Sunburst: 3500
"You activated my Trap!" Sunburst announced before his face down flipped up. "Light the Beacons!" A bonfire suddenly appeared before him. "Since a Fire monster was destroyed, I can now summon one Level four or below Fire monster from my hand or deck." The bonfire exploded before Sunburst Familiar appeared in DEF mode. (A1200/D1000/L4)
Starlight smirked. "Well since Sagittarius destroyed a monster, his ability deals you four hundred points of damage." The centaur drew another arrow and fired it at Sunburst, striking him in the chest and making him cry out as she staggered back against the tree.
Starlight: 4000 Sunburst: 3100
The mermaid swung its urn around once again, unleashing another tidal-wave in Sunburst's direction. It then struck Sunburst's monster and washed it away, leaving him defenceless.
Sunburst groaned as he picked himself up. "When Familiar is destroyed, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add any two Level four of below Fire monsters to my hand." He drew the cards and quickly took out two, the rest being returned to the Deck.
Starlight smiled before placing a card face down. "I end my turn."
Sunburst, still panting from the arrow to the chest, stood himself up. 'This is it,' he drew his card. 'The moment has finally arrived.' "I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Yellow Sun Magician and scale eight Pink Sun Magician!" The pillars of light flew up before the two magicians appeared within them. "Now watch, as I burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory!" The portal formed above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single fireball flew out and hit the ground, exploding to reveal his monster. "Sunburst Guardian!" (A1400/D1800/L4) The knight took a defensive position, as Sunburst activated his next card. "Then, I'll activate the Sunburst Gate." The gateway appeared behind him. "And with Yellow Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability, I can banish Blaze Wizard and Sunburst Familiar to use them as the cost." The ghostly spirits of the two monsters appeared infront of the gate before exploding into six fireball, which flew into half the indents.
Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "furious hellfire, that burns like the sun, give life to the demon whose fury cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The flames faded to reveal Sunburst's monster. "Sunburst Ravager!" (A2000/D1800/L6) 'I was so disgusted with myself.' "Ravager, attack Aquarius!" The demon charged forwards, its axe ready to slice the mermaid in half. 'Disappointed that I allowed myself to stay down and not get back up.'
As the demon headed towards her monster, Starlight leapt onto Sagittarius's back before it galloped through the field. Soon, she spotted a star shaped table set-up for tea with an Action Card in one of the cups.
Sagittarius ran passed the table as Starlight grabbed the card, only for Ravager to reach Aquarius and slash it with its axe.
Starlight: 3500 Sunburst: 3100
"You activated my Trap," Starlight announced as her face down flipped up. "Stardust Draw. Now, I get four new cards." She drew them, as Ravager turned to the centaur.
"Ravager can attack once for every Fire monster on the field." The demon raised its monster hand as it set ablaze, the fiend leaping forwards to claw at the centaur.
"Go, Evasion!" The horse-man leapt up onto its back legs before kicking its front legs rapidly at Ravager, forcing it to stop and jump back to a safe distance.
Celestia: A lucky Action Card for Starlight. Now she doesn't have to go into the next round completely defenceless.
Sunburst frowned. "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"My turn," Starlight drew her card. "First, I'll play Celestial Device Telescopium. This card lets me take a look at a face down on your field." A telescope appeared in her hand and she used it to look at Sunburst's face down, the card flipping up to reveal a Trap. "Spirit Barrier," the telescope vanished. "A tricky card. But useless against this." She played another card, "Celestial Weapon Sagitta. I can only use this card when Sagittarius in on the field. It lets me hit you with a thousand points of damage." A golden arrow appeared in the centaurs hand before it drew its bow and fired, the arrow hitting Sunburst in the chest.
"Gah!" He clutched his chest again,
Starlight: 3500 Sunburst: 2100
"Next," Starlight jumped off her monster, "I sacrifice Sagittarius in order to summon Celestial Spirit Taurus!" The centaur disappeared and was replaced by a constellation, which exploded before the light faded to reveal a ten foot tall man in black bull themed armour carrying a massive battle axe. (A2300/D1800/L6)
Sunburst frowned at the monster, as memories flowed through his head. 'I never tried anything new after that, figuring I wouldn't be any good at it. I let my failures get the better of me and was overcome by fear.'
"Attack!" The bull-man rushed forwards and slashed at Guardian with its axe, cutting through the shield and destroying the knight. "And if Taurus destroys a monster whilst you have another one on your field, I can discard one Celestial Spirit from my hand an he can attack again!" She did so and Taurus turned to Ravager.
"I activate my Trap!" His face down flipped up. "Spirit Barrier!" Starlight's monster tore through his but he was safe.
Starlight stared at the boy and smiled, "I end my turn."
Sunburst drew his card but had nothing in his hand. If this had been a few weeks ago, he'd be to scared to move. 'However.' "I'm not the same," he announced. "I have changed!"
"Oh really," Starlight said. "Then show me."
Sunburst intended to do just that. "I activate Pink Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability!" His deck slotted out a card that he took. "By sending a Ritual Spell from my deck to my grave, I can activate its effect. Then I use Yellow Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability, to banish Sunburst Ravager and Guardian to fill in for the cost of the Ritual!"
Starlight watched as Sunburst Altar appeared between them, the ghostly images of Sunburst's monster appearing before exploding into fireballs that lit the candles. "Mystical fire, that burns like the sun, give life to the wizard whose intellect cannot be extinguished!" The fire on the candles shot up before flying into the basin, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and took form before fading. "Sunburst Magician!" (A2300/D2200/L7)
In a dark area, Starlight stood staring at a TV screen like opening that showed what the body was seeing. Coming out of Starlight's back were a pair of string like lights, both flowing towards the two other occupants of the space.
One was another Starlight, who was unconscious and chained to a giant stone slab. The other was a sphere of yellow light, which was staring at the screen. "Sunburst," it spoke in a female voice. Accessing the memories of her host, it saw many precious ones that included him. "He's a childhood friend of Starlight's. They haven't seen each other in years, but he's the reason behind Starlight's use of the Celestial Spirits. He's the reason she has such a strong bond with them, so the avatar won't get rid of them and use my card."
The light hummed, finding a sorrowful memory where Starlight watched Sunburst be pulled away by his mother. "I wonder what would happen if the avatar beats him."
As this was happening, the tied up Starlight's eyes began to crack open. "Sun...burst."
"Sunburst Magician's skill!" Sunburst announced before drawing five cards.
Starlight: 3500 Sunburst: 1800
Sunburst took out two of the cards before returning to others to the deck, then placed those cards on his Duel Disk. "I summon Sunburst Apprentice and Red Sun Magician!" A pair of fireballs appeared besides the magician before exploding to reveal the two monsters. (A1500/D1300/L4) (A1600/D1300/L4/P2) "Then I'll play the Spell card Blazing Aura and equip it to Sunburst Magician!" The veil of fire wrapped around his Ritual Monster. (A3300/D2200/L7) "Plus, Apprentice's ability increases the ATK of a fire monster on my field." The young magician pointed its staff at Red Sun Magician and unleashed a fireball that powered him up even more. (A2100/D1300/L4/P2) "Attack!"
Starlight watched as the magician pointed its staff at Taurus and unleashed a fireball, which struck the bull-man and destroyed it.
Starlight: 2500 Sunburst: 1800
"You activated my Trap!" Starlight's face down flipped up, "Starlight Path! Now, since you destroyed a Celestial Spirit, I can summon a weaker one from my hand or deck." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took before slapping on the Duel Disk. "I summon Celestial Spirit Virgo!" A constellation appeared before exploding, the light fading to reveal a pink haired woman in a dress appearing before her with chains wrapped around her body. (A2000/D1500/L5)
"Well she won't last long against Red Sun Magician!" The Pendulum Spellcaster pointed it staff at her, but Starlight had already run over to a tree and plucked an Action Card off its leaves.
"I play Wish Upon a Star. Now I can activate the effect of any Spell card in my graveyard. So I'll once again activate the effect of Evasion!" Virgo leapt out of the way of the fireball, completely unharmed.
Luna: Another lucky Action Card for Starlight.
Sunburst frowned. "Fine, then I'll play the Spell card Sunburst Barrage. Since Sunburst Apprentice hasn't attacked yet, I can now hit you with a hundred points of damage for every level star it has." The card appeared behind the young magician and fired a fireball into his back, said fireball flying through his body and multiplying by four before shooting out his stomach.
The fireballs flew towards Starlight and struck her, making her stagger backwards.
Starlight: 2100 Sunburst: 1800
"I end my turn," Sunburst announced. Red Sun Magician's ATK returned to normal. (A1600/D1300/L4/P2)
As the two of them continued to Duel, neither of them noticed Tempest Shadow arrive on the scene. After winning her last Duel, she saw her teammate was close and had decided to watch her crush this opponent. She watched Starlight reach for her deck, wondering how she would play this out.
'Interesting,' Starlight drew her card before turning back to her opponent. 'In the past, Sunburst barely won any of his matches. The fact he's made it this far, suggests there's something to his game after all.' "I activate the Spell card Painful Choice." Five cards slotted out of her deck, which she took and placed on her Duel Disk.
Sunburst looked up and saw the five cards materialise before him. Gemini, Libra, Pisces, Aries and another monster card together. "Now, pick a card and I'll add it to my hand whilst the rest go to the graveyard."
Sunburst frowned, but made his choice. "That one," he pointed at the far right card.
"Very well," Starlight took the card and sent the rest to her graveyard.
Celestia: A risky move. Will it pay off for Starlight?
"Now, I'll summon the card you chose. Celestial Spirit Capricorn!" A constellation appeared before her and exploded, the light fading to reveal a lanky man in goat theme armour. (A1600/D1400/L4) "Next, I activate Magical Mallet to return my hand to the deck and redraw." She did so, "Capricorn will now attack Sunburst Apprentice!" The Celestial Spirit rushed forwards. "Capricorn's skill. Discard a Celestial Spirit from the hand and increase his ATK power by the Level of the monster he's attacking times two hundred!" (A2400/D1400/L4)
The man reached Sunburst Apprentice and slammed his foot into his stomach, destroying it. Thanks to Spirit Barrier, Sunburst took no damage. But with one less monster on the field, Sunburst Magician's ATK power went down. (A2800/D2200/L7) Meanwhile, Capricorn's ATK returned to normal.
"Now, Virgo will attack Red Sun Magician!" The maiden rushed forwards. "Virgo's skill. Tribute a Celestial Spirit from my side of the field and increase her ATK power by its Level." She swung her chain around Capricorn and pulled, destroying him as the chain glowed. (A2400/D1500/L5) She then turned to the Pendulum magician before swinging her chain at it, destroying it and forcing Sunburst Magician back down to its base power. (A2300/D2200/L7)
"I place two cards face down and end my turn." Starlight turned towards Sunburst. "I admit you've got skill, but not enough. You should just go home, before you embarrass yourself...or your family."
Sunburst's eyes went wide at this, then frowned as he reached for his deck. "I won't!" He drew his card, as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened before a fireball shot out, exploding to reveal his monster. "Red Sun Magician!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P2) "Sunburst Magician's skill!" He drew five cards.
Starlight: 2100 Sunburst: 1500
Unfortunately, none of the cards could help him right now. "I activate Sunburst Apprentice's ability, to revive him back to the field." The young magician appeared besides the other two, increasing Sunburst Magician's power. (A3300/D2200/L7) (A1500/D1300/L4) "Now for his other skill, adding five hundred ATK points to Red Sun!" (A2100/D1300/L4/P2)
He looked up at his monster, then towards Starlight. 'That's right.' His memory flashed back to first meeting Flash and Spike. 'Because of my friends, I've changed. I used to give up so easily, but they persisted with me. "Sunburst Magician, attack Virgo!" The Ritual monster pointed its staff at the Celestial Spirit.
"I activate my face down," Starlight's card flipped up to reveal a Trap. "Brittle Shield. With this, Virgo is now switched to DEF mode." The maiden knelt down, as Starlight began to run off, before Sunburst Magician launched a fireball that incinerated her.
As that happened, Starlight spotted an Action card inside a star shaped balloon that was floating by. "Sunburst Apprentice, attack!" The magician pointed it staff at her. "I'll defeat you and put my past behind me!"
Starlight grabbed the balloon and popped it in her hands, grabbing the Action card and smiling when she saw what it was. "Trap Summon!" Her face down flipped up before a constellation flew out of it, exploding to reveal the snake charmer and her serpent. "Celestial Spirit Ophiuchus!" (A1700/D1000/L4)
Sunburst Apprentice stopped its attack before it could destroy itself, as Red Sun pointed its staff at the beast and launched a fireball at it. Ophiuchus was destroyed, but her snake survived and slithered towards the Pendulum monster.
Starlight: 1700 Sunburst: 1500
Once there, it wrapped itself around Red Sun before biting into his shoulder. Starlight smiled at this. "Since you destroyed Ophiuchus, your monster will now by poisoned and lose one hundred life points for every Celestial Spirit in the graveyard."
Sunburst frowned, then placed a card face down and ended his turn. Red Sun Magician's ATK power returned to normal. (A1600/D1300/L4/P2)
Luna: Despite Sunburst's best efforts, Starlight remains one step ahead of him. This isn't looking good.
Sunburst panted, that last turn having taken a lot out of him. "Is that the best you've got?" He looked up at Starlight, who smiled as she drew her card. As she did, Red Sun's ATK power went down. (A500/D1300/L4/P2) "It's just as I thought. You're a disgrace as a Duellist and everyone knows it." Sunburst's eyes went wide at this. "Why else did your parent need to move away after you flunked out of Duel Academy. It's because they were to ashamed to show their faces after you did."
"That's...not true." Why was Starlight saying these hurtful worlds?
"Unlike you, I've actually been living up to our promise." She placed her card into her Duel Disk, "let me show you how. I activate the Celestial Device Circunis! And with it, I can add a Celestial Spirit from my deck to my hand." A card slotted out for her to take. "Next, I'll use the Action Spell I got last turn. Wish Upon a Star."
"Again?" Sunburst asked.
"Now I can use this to activate the effect of any Spell in my graveyard. So I'll activate the effect of Celestial Device Sextans, to revive Celestial Spirit Gemini to the field." The twin monsters appeared before her.
"Not good," Sunburst knew what was coming next.
"You started Duelling again. And you even made it this far into the Double X." She shot him a glare, "I was excited to see how much you'd improved. However," she smirked, "it seems you're as weak as you ever were." Sunburst frowned, as Gemini was engulfed in a bright light that became a familiar constellation. "I sacrifice Gemini in order to summon Celestial Spirit, LEO!" The constellation exploded and the lion themed knight jumped out and landed infront of her. (A2500/D2200/L7)
"There it is," the card that had linked them for so long.
"And by banishing Circunis from my graveyard, I can add Celestial Device Pyxis from my deck to my hand." A card shuffled out of her deck, which she instantly activated. "Now I activate Pyxis!" Leo glowed. "With this card, a Celestial Spirit monster on my field can attack one extra time for every three Celestial Spirits in the graveyard.
Sunburst's eyes went wide. How many Celestial Spirit were in the graveyard right now? He quickly counted eleven, so Leo gained three more times which meant he could attack four times.
Celestia: With only three cards on his field, Sunburst will lose if he's unable to stop this attack.
"GO!" The lion knight rushed forwards as his hands ignited, the flames taking the shape of lions. "And whenever Leo attacks, he gains two hundred ATK points for every Celestial Spirit in my graveyard. Twelve different constellations appear around the man before they exploded, the light flying into him and boosting his power (A4700/D2200/L7)
Sunburst rushed through the field in search of an Action Card, as the beast man reached Red Sun Magician and thrust his blazing fist into him. When the Pendulum Monster was destroyed, it turned towards Sunburst Apprentice and did the same.
Sunburst frowned as he removed the wizard from play. "You really are a disappointment," Starlight told him. "It's a shame too. Everyone had such high expectations for you." She remembered when Sunburst had been except into Duel Academy, how his family had thrown a massive party which ended with him being lifted into the air by the crowd.
Sunburst finally spotted a balloon and grabbed it, popping it to grab the card and finding it was a Trap. "Gah," he cried as it unleashed a powerful light, which blasted away five hundred life points.
Starlight: 1700 Sunburst: 1000
"So weak," Leo socked Sunburst Magician in the stomach and destroyed him. Now Sunburst's field was empty and Leo had one attack remaining. "FINISH THIS!" The lion knight rushed forwards, but Sunburst wasn't giving up.
"Trap summon!" His face down flipped up before a large red bulky wyvern appeared. On the end of its tail was a large round shield like pummel. "Sunburst Dragonoid!" (A500/D2000/L4) The dragon raised its tail to block the fist, but wasn't able to hold itself together and was destroyed.
Luna: Talk about a lucky. Sunburst was able to save himself from the attack, though he was unable to save his monsters.
"Dragonoid's skill. When he's destroyed, look at the top three cards of the deck and select one Spell or Trap to place face down on the field." He did so, selecting a card to place face down before putting the rest into his deck.
Starlight seemed surprise by this, but smiled all the same. "Lucky break. I end my turn." Sunburst looked up at Leo, expecting its power to go down but saw it remained at forty seven hundred.
"Not good," he said. "I'm gonna need something big to pull this Duel around." He felt himself panic, but shook his head. 'No, relax. You can do this. Remember what Flash taught you.' He had to believe in his deck and it'll come through for him.
Up in the VIP box, Spike watched the Duel unfold before turning to the screen showing Flash's match. Both were facing members of team Dominator, who had managed to knock out several of their friends. If they weren't careful, they'd be added to that list.
And seconds later, that match ended in his teammate's victory. "HE DID IT!" Spike yelled in joy, while the rest of the VIP box cheered for him.
With his victory over Heath, Flash was now rushing towards the field holding Sunburst has he saw both Starlight and Tempest were there.
He had a lot of questions for Tempest and helping cheer Sunburst on was a plus. But he had to hurry if he wanted to get there before the Duel ended. "Hang on Sunburst."
Sunburst looked down at his deck, knowing he only had one chance to pull off a turn around. It all came down to one card.
"Why bother," he turned to look at Starlight. "You know that no matter what you draw, you won't be able to beat me. Just like when we were kids." Sunburst frowned at this. "I was always the better Duellist, but you were always in the limelight because you knew about more cards then me. But everyone eventually realised their mistake. You were made into our homes golden boy and you eventually let them all down. But I wasn't given a single word of encouragement and look at me, I'm on the strongest team in this whole tournament and am set to win this whole thing. So why bother." She pointed at his Duel Disk. "Surrender."
Sunburst closed his eyes as he let her world sink in and he raised his hand above his deck, looking like he was about to do what she suggested. But before he touched the deck, his hand shifted so only two fingers touched it. "No," he opened his eyes and Starlight saw a fire of determination blazing within them. "I won't let it end like that." The images of his teammates flashed before his eyes. Everything they'd been through. Everything they'd worked so hard to accomplish. He couldn't let all that go to waste. "I told you," he drew his card. "I've changed since I was a kid!"
Starlight sighed with a roll of her eyes.
Sunburst looked at the card he'd drawn and smiled, as the portal opened above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened and a single fireball flew out, hitting the ground and exploding to reveal his monster. "Red Sun Magician!" (A1600/D1400/L4/P2) "Then, I activate my face down!" His card flipped up to reveal a Trap, "Ritual Spirit! Now I can revive a Ritual Monster in my graveyard, but it's ATK and DEF fall to zero and its Level becomes one."
Starlight frowned at his struggle, "that won't save you."
However, Sunburst just smiled. "Say that after you see this card. Rebirth Ritual!" A pillar of fire erupted out of the ground and engulfed Sunburst Magician, hiding him from view as the transformation began. "With this, Sunburst Magician can evolve to the next stage of his existence!" The pillar grew in size, until it eventually exploded and unleashed a powerful light. "RITUAL EVOLUTION!"
The light began to fade, reveal Sunburst's monster. "Sunburst...ARCHMAGE!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Celestia: An excellent comeback. Will this allow him to finally take the lead in this Duel.
'The truth is, I'm not the same man I used to be. Because now-' the image of his teammates flashed before his eyes. "I'm part of a team with my friends." Starlight looked surprised by this. "With Rebirth Ritual's effect, Archmage gains one thousand ATK points." (A4000/D2500/L8) "Then I'll activate the skill of Archmage!" The evolved Ritual monster pointed his staff at Red Sun before the wizard exploded into fire, which wrapped around the head of the staff. "By tributing a Fire monster, I can burn away your monsters ATK and DEF points."
Starlight's eyes went wide at this. She watched as Archmage tossed the fire at her monster, who quickly found himself trapped in a cage of flames. Leo flinched at the intense heat of the flames, his ATK and DEF lowering by Red Sun Magician's. (A3100/D2200/L7)
"What's more, whenever a Fire monster is sent from the field to the graveyard, Archmage gains half its ATK points!"(A4800/D2500/L8) Sunburst turned to look at his monster and smile. Seconds later, the ghostly images of his monsters appeared around him. 'Look at you all. You've been waiting so patiently for me, all this time.' The images faded and both Sunburst and Archmage turned to Starlight. "I will not let you down." He pointed at Leo, "I am going to win and grasp my future! Sunburst Archmage, ATTACK!" The wizard raised its staff and began to build up power, which it was planning to fire at Leo.
Luna: If this attack lands, Sunburst wins
Starlight frowned at this, as if he would beat her, and began to run off with Leo in search of an action card. Sunburst and Archmage ran after her, ready to put an end to this.
Starlight and her monster ran around a corner and spotted a chinese gate with a star on it. And in that star was an Action Card
A moment later, Archmage launch a stream of fire towards Leo.
As it drew closer, Starlight reached the gate as Leo cupped his hands together. She jumped into his hands before he thrust them upwards, propelling her towards the card.
Time seemed to slow down as Starlight and the fire blast drew closer to their targets. As they got within inches of each other, time sped back up.
KABOOM!
The fire struck Leo and knocked Starlight back, causing her to hit the ground before she was covered by the smoke.
Everyone was on the edge of their seat as they waited to see whether or not Sunburst had beaten Starlight. And so, as the smoke cleared, their eyes were glued to the screen. And finally, the smoke vanished and revealed Starlight...standing limply with a smile on her face.
Starlight: 850 Sunburst: 1000
"What?" Sunburst asked, "how?"
"I got the Action Spell Star Guard. It might not have saved my monster, but it cut the damage I took in half." Sunburst frowned at this.
Celestia: A lucky Action Card saves Starlight.
Luna: But with that attack, Sunburst finally takes the lead. And with Starlight's best monster in the graveyard, will she be able to pull off a comeback.
"I end my turn," Sunburst smiled as Archmage's ATK returned to normal. (A3000/D2500/L8). He might not have been able to beat her, but all her monsters were now in the graveyard. And it was unlikely she'd get another Sextans or Wish Upon a Star card. He just had to make it passed this turn and he'd win.
He watched as Starlight picked herself up, getting shakily to her feet before looking up at him. "How pathetic." Sunburst's eyes went wide hearing this, as she reached for her deck. "Friends...future." She drew her card and smiled, "you're fooling yourself. You have no power of your own. NONE!"
Sunburst frowned. "Don't try and sound tough. All your best monsters are in the graveyard and you can't bring them back." But as he said that, he noticed Starlight smiling she held up the card she'd drawn.
"And did you ever think that maybe there was a reason I sent so many of them to the graveyard. True, it helped Leo power up but there's another reason."
"What reason?" Sunburst asked. But in that moment, several bright lights caught his attention and made him look up to see the twelve constellations floating above them. "What the?"
Starlight raised her card high, as the constellations exploded before the light flew into the card. "By banishing twelve different Celestial Spirit monsters from my graveyard, I can summon the ultimate Celestial Spirit!" The card fired a single beam of light into the sky, the light splitting into nine sphere before flying into formation and creating a new constellation. "Beast of the cosmos, with fury greater then a supernova, descend from the heavens and bath this world in your mighty light!"
Sunburst watched as each of the stars exploded, unleashing a light that flowed into one entity. Then when the light faded, Sunburst got a look at the new monster as it slithered downwards towards him. It was a Chinese dragon that was roughly eighteen meters in length. Its body was light blue and all along it were the twelve constellations of Starlight's other monsters. Its had a pair of long sharp horns coming out the back of its head, with a long mane of hair flowing between them. Finally, it was carrying a large blue orb in its hands that was almost as big as it was. "Behold, the ultimate Celestial Spirit. Draco...STARLIGHT!" (A4000/D4000/L12)
Sunburst looked up at the beast as it let out a mighty roar, which sent a blast of powerful air that almost knocked Sunburst off his feet. He managed to stay upright and began running away from them, needing to find an Action Spell that could stop his monster from being destroyed.
Starlight meanwhile, had leapt onto her dragon's head as it flew up into the air and watched the two try to escape. "Don't bother, you have no chance. You're a weak, incompetent being. Just like the rest of your lousy species." Sunburst heard this and wondered what she was talking about, but he had bigger issues right now. "Draco Starlight, attack Sunburst Archmage!" The dragon opened its mouth as a bright light began to glow and increase in intensity.
It was in that moment that Sunburst saw an Action Card in a tree and rushed towards it, leaping up and grabbing it just in time. "I activate the Action Spell Starlight To Bright! This card lets me halve the ATK points of one monster on the field." He pointed at the dragon, "and I choose your Draco Starlight."
A bright flash filled the field, blinding both Sunburst, Starlight and their monsters. 'This is it. With its ATK points halved, that dragon will destroy itself and the damage Starlight takes will mean I win.' But as the light faded and Sunburst could look up, his eyes went wide when he saw the monster looked completely fine. He then looked down at his Duel Disk's screen and saw her monster's point readout. (A4000/D4000/L12) "What...why?"
"Oh," he looked up at Starlight, "to bad. You didn't know about Draco Starlight's ability. During my turn, it's immune to all my opponent's Monster, Spell and Trap effects. That includes Action Cards."
Sunburst began to shake, unable to believe her monster could so easy protect itself from his card. As he could now do was watched as the beast took a deep breath before letting out another mighty roar, which launched the light out like a laser. The light hit the ground, ripping through the dirt, before it directed the blast in Archmage's direction
"Gah!" Sunburst cried as his monster was hit by the light, almost being blinded in the process, and was vaporised into space dust. Luckily, Sunburst still had Spirit Barrier so he was fine.
"It's over," he heard Starlight tell him. "When Draco Starlight destroys a monster, he deals you one hundred points of damage for every Celestial Spirit in my graveyard." Sunburst's eyes went wide hearing this, as the dragon pointed the orb it carried towards him. The sphere began to glow. "I never want to see you before me again." The orb fired a bright light that flew towards Sunburst, the teen gasping as the illumination consumed him.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Starlight: 850 (Winner) Sunburst: 0
Flash was running through the Star Field, just as a bright light illuminated the area and forced him to stop and shield his eyes. "What the?" A beeping noise made him look down and activate his Raduel screen. There he saw the outcome of his teammate's Duel and frowned when he saw the word loser under Sunburst's picture. "No." He started running again.
When he finally arrived at the spot, he gasped when he saw Sunburst laying on the ground with smoke coming off him. "Sunburst!" He rushed over to him and knelt besides him, seeing he was a little banged up but otherwise completely fine. "You okay?"
Sunburst moaned as he tried to sit up, Flash helping him do so. "I...I think so."
Before they could say anything else, they both heard footsteps and looked up to see Starlight stepping up to them. "How disappointing," she said. "I was expecting you to put up more of a fight. To think Starlight had such a weak friend."
"Friend?" Flash asked before watching as Starlight turned to walk away.
"I don't know why you started Duelling again. From the looks of things, you haven't gotten any better." Flash frowned at this, especially after looking down and seeing Sunburst begin to cry. He looked back at Starlight and saw her heading off, quickly getting up and running after her.
"HEY!" Starlight stopped and turned towards him, but before he could reach her someone else stepped out of hiding and got between them. Flash had to stop as he who was standing infront of him, "Tempest?"
Starlight raised an eyebrow at her leader's appearance, her confusion increasing as she saw the girl raise her Raduel arm and point it at Flash. She'd just challenged him to a Duel.
The remaining member of team V-Fighter went wide-eyed, unable to believe what had just happened.
Flash thought back to their last Duel and how utterly defeated he'd been. Did he dare try to face her now? But then again, this was what Flash had entered the Double X for in the first place. To Duel Tempest Shadow. "Let's do this."
The Double X second round was close to the end of its first day.
In the Star Field, team Dominator's Tempest and Starlight were there with the V-Fighter's Flash and Sunburst. The leader of team Dominator had just given a challenge to the V-Fighter's leader, but before it could be officialized a loud bell sound rang through the entire stadium.
Celestia: That bell means time's up.
Luna: We've now reached the end of day one of the Double X Tournament's second round.
All over the field, the many Duellists Raduel were deactivating for the day. They wouldn't be back online until tomorrow, when the Double X resumed.
Celestia: Currently in the top spot, we have team Dominator.
Luna: Can any of the other teams rise up to challenge their commanding lead?
Celestia: Come back tomorrow to see how the excitement plays out.
Tempest sighed as she lowered her arm. "It appears that's it for today. Oh well," she and Starlight turned away from Flash and Sunburst and prepared to walk off.
"Wait!" They stopped and turned back to Flash. "What did you mean before? About you and Sunburst being friends?" Seems his question was directed at Starlight.
The girl smiled as she looked over at her fallen opponent. "There's not much to say. We used to live next door to one another and were friends. But then he left for Duel Academy, which he flunked out of." She chuckled. "You should have seen how ashamed his parents were. They had to move away before word got back to the neighbourhood."
Flash frowned at this, glancing back and seeing Sunburst continue to hold back tears.
"Not surprising," he turned to Tempest. "I was watching the whole thing and honestly, I didn't see anything that made me think he's anything special." Flash's fists were clutched tightly as he heard this. "It was painful to watch. Starlight had control of the entire match. I doubt there was a single move your friend made that she didn't predict." She looked over at Sunburst, "so sad. How amazingly pathetic he is."
"That's enough!" Every eye on the field turned towards Flash, whose entire body was shaking as he glared at Tempest. "You don't get to talk about him like that. Sunburst is a great Duellists, no matter what you say." He pointed at them, "just because he lost today doesn't mean he's weak."
"Stop it Flash," he looked back and saw Sunburst begin to pick himself up. "That's enough. Let's just...let's just forget it." He turned and began to walk away.
"Sunburst!" He did and glanced back for a moment. "Please wait a moment." Flash then turned back to Tempest, pulling out his deck and pointing it at her. "Tempest Shadow, I challenge you." This made the others all raise an eyebrow, wondering why he'd challenge her when the day's Duel's were over. "Come on, let's settle this!"
Starlight turned to Tempest, wondering how she was gonna reply to this. And too her surprise, the woman smiled before pulling out her Duel Disk. "Very well," she attached it to her arm. "Let's see just how much better you've gotten since our last face off."
"Oh you'll see alright," Flash placed his own Duel Disk on and slotted his deck into it. "This time, I'm not losing to you."
"We'll see." The two activated their Duel Disks and drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Tempest: 4000
Outside the stadium, Spike was waiting for his teammates to come out.
Everyone else who had been in the Action Field had gotten out, so what was taking them so long. Everyone else had headed home, wanting to get some rest for the next day, so now he was standing there all alone. "Come on guys, where are you?" He finally had enough of waiting and rushed inside, wanting to know what was going.
Back inside the stadium, Cold and Misty were staring at his Duel Disk.
She'd sent Scootaloo home with her friends, as she and Cold wanted to keep an eye on the situation they'd seen taking place. Now they watched as Flash and Tempest began their Duel. "I'm worried," she told him. "Is Flash facing off against her really such a good idea."
Cold frowned. "I'm worried as well, but if anything this Duel might help reveal some new information of Tempest's goals. It might also help Flash understand her strategy better, which will be helpful should they face off in the actual tournament." Suddenly, a knock on the door made him look back to see one of the tournament workers step inside.
"Excuse me, Mr Steel. We've got a couple of players from team Dominator and team V-Fighters who have started a Duel."
"It's okay," Cold told him. "I'll handle it." The worker nodded before leaving, Cold and Misty turning back to the Duel Disk and continued watching the Duel take place.
"Flash," Misty whispered, "be careful."
Spike was making his way through the many Duel Fields in search of his team.
He finally reached the stairway leading up to the Star Field and ran up it, finally arriving on the field and began searching for them. Several minutes of searching later, he turned a corner and went wide-eyed seeing what he saw.
The Duel between Flash and Tempest was well underway.
Tempest currently had Storm Guard Dominator Spear, War-Hammer and Chain Claw on the field. Chain Claw was in DEF mode and the rest were in ATK mode. She also had her unicorn and Spine-Hog in the Pendulum Zones along with a face down. Meanwhile, Flash had Flash Wing Pegasus on the field along with Magna Chimp and Magna Boar.
"It's my turn!" Flash drew his card, as Spike rushed up to Sunburst.
"Sunburst, what's going on? Why is Flash Duelling Tempest now?" Sunburst didn't answer, simply keeping his head down. With his teammate unresponsive, Spike looked back at Flash as the portal formed above his head.
"I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened up before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, revealing Flash's monsters.
The first was a woman in yellow wizards themed clothing with a staff with what looked like a DNA helix on the head. "Warp space, Magna Caster Stamine!" (A1800/D1000/L4)
"Spin your gears, Spino-Gear Magna-Saur!" (A2100/D1500/L5) "Spino-Gear, attack!" The mechanised robot rushed forward, its tail drill spinning, before spinning around and impaling Spear Dominator!"
Flash: 3100 Tempest: 3500
"And after Spino-Gear attacks, I can banish the top two card of my deck to allow him to attack again." He removed the two cards, as the gear on the robot's back began to spin and it charged forward yet again. This time it crushed War-Hammer underfoot.
Flash: 3100 Tempest: 3200
"Now Stamine, take out Chain Claw!" The Magna Caster pointed her staff at the Storm Guard and fired a blast of light that struck the Storm Guard, destroying it. "And when Stamine destroys a monster, I can add one banished Spell Card to my hand." He took one of the cards he'd banished with Spino-Gear, as his pegasus flew towards Tempest. "Flash Wing, attack!" Lightning surged around the horses armour before it flapped its wings and shot a bolt towards Tempest.
"I activate my Trap!" Tempest's face down flipped up, "Defence Draw!" A force-field appeared around her and blocked the lightning, as she drew her card.
Flash frowned but placed two cards face down, "I end my turn."
As Tempest went for her deck, Starlight continued to watch and was confused. 'Tournament rules mean this Duel will have no impact on our standings in the competition. So why bother Duelling him?'
As Tempest looked through her cards, he looked over at Flash. 'I'm curious to see how well you've improved Flash Sentry. How far you've managed to come in such a short time. If I'm impressed by what I see, you may just end up being the one we're looking for. Maybe.' "I play Storm Guard Reloading, to banish Spear Dominator from my graveyard and draw four cards." She did so, as the portal formed above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out and struck the ground, revealing her monsters. The first two were a pair of Storm Guards, these ones carrying a staff with a bladed end and a curved sword. "Storm Guard Dominator Glaive!" (A1900/D1200/L4/P3)
"And Tempest Rogue Dominator Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) Tempest drew three cards thanks to Spine-Hog's ability. "Scarvolt's skill!" She pulled out a pair of Obsidian Orbs and tossed them at Spino-Gear and Stamine, transforming them both to stone."
"No," Flash grimaced.
"Then I'll summon Storm Guard Dominator Shield!" The shield carrying ape appeared in a blast of lightning. (A1000/D2000/L4) "I activate the Spell, Obsidian Orb!" Another orb appeared in Scarvolt's hands before she tossed it at Flash Wing and Dominated him too. As this happened, Tempest smiled at Flash. "So tell me, why did you decide to Duel me now of all times? Is it simply because I called your teammate weak? All I was doing was telling him the truth. And the fact he needs you to defend him only proves my point"
Sunburst continued to clutch his body, wanting to hide himself away from the world. "You're wrong!" Sunburst turned ever so slightly to his teammate. "I should have said something to him...to everyone. But I didn't want them to get involved." His vision split between Tempest and Starlight. "But they have to know the truth. The truth behind who you two really are!" Spike and Sunburst both looked at Flash in confusion, wondering what the heck he was talking about.
"Flash?"
"You might look like Tempest and Starlight, but you're not really them." He pointed at the two, "you are...Duel Spirits that are influencing them!" Starlight looked genuinely shocked at this while Tempest only seemed intrigued.
"I see," Tempest said. "So you've learned the truth."
"Yeah," Flash replied, "I did. I might not know which Duel Spirit you are...but I'll find out."
"What is he talking about?" Sunburst asked, turning to Spike and seeing he seemed to actually be believing him.
"They're...Duel Spirits."
"Scarvolt," Tempest said, "attack Flash Wing Magna Pegasus!" The Tempest Rogue rushed forwards, her power surging as her broken sword extended with lightning. "With Unicorn Dominator's ability, she gains six hundred ATK points!" (A3100/D1200/L4/P3)
"I activate my face down!" Flash's card flipped up, "Lightspeed!" Flash Wing's stoned body glowed before its ATK increased. (A2400/800/L4) Scarvolt struck the pegasus statue, not destroying it and the damage only halved.
Flash: 2750 Tempest: 3400
"I knew...this whole time," Flash continued to say.
"Don't forget, Scarvolt can attack once for every Dominated monster on the field." Scarvolt turned to Stamine and slashed slashed her once-
Flash: 2100 Tempest: 3400
Then again.
Flash: 1450 Tempest: 3400
"All this talk about Soulink and body Domination. I didn't want them to get distracted from the Double X."
"Now, Glaive will attack Spino-Gear." (A2500/D1200/L4/P3) The ape rushed forward as its weapon's blade surged with lightning, slicing at the fossilised dinobot and destroying it.
Flash: 1050 Tempest: 3400
"Scimitar!" The other ape's sword sparked as it rushed towards Stamine, its ATK points increasing as well. (A2200/D1500/L4/P4) And like before, it shattered the statue of the Magna Caster.
Flash: 650 Tempest: 3400
"So why did you come here?" Flash asked him. "Why are you competing in the Double X." Tempest said nothing, "WHAT DO YOU WANT!"
Tempest smirked, an almost sinister smirk. "I wanna win, and with Shield Dominator that's exactly what I'm gonna do!" The ape rushed forwards, it's ATK power increasing. (A1600/D2000/L4) But this time, Flash was ready.
"I play my Trap," his card flipped up. "Defence Draw. You're not the only one with this card." A force field appeared around him and blocked the ape's attack, as he drew his card. "Stealing Duellist's bodies. Wearing them like a suit and making them hurt others. I won't forgive you for this."
Tempest smiled at this as she placed two cards face down. "I end my turn." Her monster's ATK points returned to normal. (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) (A1900/D1200/L4/P3) (A1600/D1500/L4/P4)
Before Flash could start his turn, Sunburst cried out. "What are you talking about?" He turned towards his now standing teammate. "What's this nonsense about Duel Spirits and stealing bodies. You're talking like that stuff's all real."
Flash sighed. "It is real." Sunburst looked surprised by this. Was he for real? "I know this might all sound strange, but I'm telling the truth." He turned back to Tempest and Starlight. "They're not who they say they are. That's not your childhood friend. It may be her body, but it isn't her spirit. The one controlling her is a fusion of both her spirit and the Duel Spirit that's inhabiting her, creating a version of her that's completely under the Duel Spirit's sway." He shot them a serious look, "and I'm gonna save them."
Tempest seemed intrigued by this., "just try it." 'Now Flash Sentry, let's see just how much stronger you've gotten."
"I draw and play Stardust Reload!" He removed Spino-Gear and drew five cards. "Then I'll play the Spell card, Soul Release! With this, I can banish five cards from either of our graveyards." He removed Stamine and Lightspeed, then pointed at Tempest. "Spear, Chain Claw and Obsidian Orb." Tempest frowned but removed said cards, as the portal opened up above Flash. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and four lights shot out, hitting the ground and taking form.
"Hop to it, Bright Bounce Magna Bunny!" (A1200/D600/L3/P2)
"Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Flash Heart's skill!" A portal opened up below Shield Dominator, which it fell into and was banished. "Then, I'll tune Magna Bunny with Lightspeed Dragon!" The robotic rabit transformed into a trio of light rings, which the mini Flash Heart leapt into. "Memories of strength long forgotten, return in an explosion of power!" The two monster disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal his monster. "Flashback Dragon!" (A2300/2200/L7)
Spike smiled. "Flash is getting as many high level monsters onto the field as he can. That way, they won't be Dominated later."
"I summon Vail Pixie X!" A flash of light signalled the little fairy's arrival on the field. (A100/D100/L1) "Now watch, as I tune my Level one Vail Pixie with Level seven Flash Heart Dragon X!" Vail Pixie glowed before transforming into a ball of light, which flew high up into the sky before carving a single ring that Flash Heart flew into. "Awaken the power sleeping within us all and allow your light to shine brighter then ever." Flash Heart was consumed by an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing the evolved version of Flash's ace. "Flash Dragon Accel!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
As this was happening, Spike turned to Sunburst. "Listen to me," the teens locked eyes. "You have to listen to him. I have no idea what's going on, but...Flash's deadly serious about this. So we need to trust him right now." Sunburst didn't look convinced, making Spike frown. "Please...are you with us?"
Sunburst remained still, but eventually moved to look back at the Duel Field. Spike did the same, memories of his Duel against Starlight flowing back to him. That image he'd seen, he hadn't been able to explain it at the time. But if Starlight really was a Duel Spirit in human form, then it made so much sense now. 'Team Dominator. They're all Duel Spirits.
"Activating Flashback Dragon's ability!" The serpentine beast bit its own tail to create a circle, which was filled with light that Flash Heart grabbed Magna Pegasus and tossed it into. When the statue flew into it, a pair of lights flew out and hit the field besides the Extra Deck monsters. They then exploded, reveal a Space-Warp Dragon and Magna Rat. (A800/D1200/L3) (A300/D200/L1) "Now I activate Magna Rat's ability!" This made Tempest stop laughing, as a giant portal opened up above their heads. Magna Rat leapt up into it, as a familiar robotic dinosaur flew out the other side. (A2100/D1500/L5)
Tempest smiled, actually a little impressed by this.
Flash meanwhile, simply glared at him. "If your plan was to use the Double X to achieve you goal, then the Double X...is what I'll use to defeat you!" Accel's shoulder and hip compartment opened up and released their cannons, which began to charge up. "And if that's all it takes to stop you...I intend to do so, here and now!" The evolved Flash Heart fired its cannons, hitting Scarvolt and destroying her and creating a massive explosion that consumed Tempest.
Flash: 650 Tempest: 2900
"What are you guys up to? Why did you come to the Double X?" He watched as the cloud faded, revealing a slightly ruffled Tempest.
"It's quite simply," she told him. "We want to put an end to this world of pain and suffering?" The V-Fighters all looked at her in confusion. "For thousands of years, our worlds have been connected and through that connection, only bad things have occurred." In that moment, a shadowy aura appeared around her.
The three teens stepped back in surprise at this, only for the aura to explode off of her and surround them. The three cried out as everything around them went black, forcing them to close their eyes for a second. And when they opened them again, the three found they were somewhere else.
Like Sunset before them, they were standing in a ruin with many markings on the wall.
"What is this?" Sunburst asked as he looked around in shock. Flash and Spike, however, had a feeling they knew where they were. But before they could say anything, the sounds of metal on metal along with loud outcries made them turn towards a hole in the wall of the ruins.
They rushed over to it and looked out, seeing where they were was atop a large hill. And at the bottom of the hill, was a war-zone. Multiple Duel Monsters were doing battle against others, the three teens recognising some of them as Storm Guards.
"What is this?" Spike asked.
Flash then noticed another monster he recognised, fighting against the Storm Guards. "Scarvolt."
Tempest Rogue Scarvolt rushed through the army, cutting them down with her still whole sword until she reached one opponent. Said monster was a white satyr-like creature, standing at around twelve foot tall and wearing black armour along with four horns coming out of its head.
The beast was throwing its fist in multiple directions, pummelling Duel Spirits and macking them fall back. It then reached under its armour and pulled out a bunch of obsidian orbs, which it tossed at its fallen opponents. The green mist consumed them and turned to lot of them to stone, as the satyr turned to see Scarvolt staring at him.
The satyr glared down at Scarvolt before throwing another punch in her direction, but she quickly jumped back to dodge the attack before using her sword to slash at it. The satyr managed to side-step the sword, then slashed at the woman and caught her face.
She cried out as she fell back, dropping her sword in doing so. The satyr smiled at this. He watched as she looked back at him, revealing a large bloody cut that ran down from her forehead and over her right eye. He then reached out to grab Scarvolt around the neck, the Tempest Rogue gasped out as the beast picked her up.
The satyr smiled at her apparent defeat, squeezing her neck even harder. But before he could finish the job, a flash of lightning made it turn to see a pink unicorn galloping towards it with lightning surging out of her horn.
It looked like it was attempting to impale the satyr with its horn, but the beast was prepared and spun around to kick it in the head. Scarvolt gasped as she watched the unicorn fall back, the horn on its head breaking as it did, only to hear someone call out her name.
She looked around and saw one of the other Duel Spirits had grabbed her sword and tossed it to her, the woman reaching out and grabbing the handle as the satyr was distracted. But when it looked back at her, he saw her raise the sword and slash at its side.
The satyr cried out as it dropped Scarvolt and staggered back, clutching its side and panting before turning to glare at its opponent. Scarvolt had picked herself up and raised her sword, as the beast let out a roar before pulling out an obsidian orb and tossing it towards her.
The Tempest Rogue's eyes went wide before she raised her sword, the orb hitting the weapon and bouncing off of it without breaking. And as it fell to the floor, she let out a mighty cry before charging forwards as her sword sparked with lightning.
The satyr also rushed forwards, its claws primed to slash at the woman. They finally reached each other and began to clash, Scarvolt's sword bouncing off his armour as she evaded the beast's claws.
Eventually, the satyr tried to slash at her downwards with both claws. But Scarvolt managed to raise her weapon in defence and block the attack before pushing back and knocking the beast off balance, giving her the opening she needed to supercharge her weapon.
And with one might cry, she slashed at the satyr. The lightning blade hitting with enough force to send the off-balance satyr falling backwards, right on top of the unbroken Obsidian Orb. But the impact of the large body atop it made the orb shatter, releasing the green mist that began to surround its body. This lead to its body slowly being turned to stone.
All the monster could do was give Scarvolt one final death glare before his was fully transformed, as the rest of the monsters stopped fighting and turned to stare at the statue. Though they didn't have long to look, as in that moment Scarvolt stabbed her sword into it and caused the whole thing to shatter.
"What...just happened?" Flash asked.
"What happened was my defeat?" The three turned to see Tempest standing before the mural. "The loss of my army and the supposed loss of my life."
"What's she talking about?" Spike asked.
"I truly believed that was my end, until I was saved by those who showed me the light. That in this world, peace is an impossibility. That is the reality of all life. There is war and only some get to live through it. After that, they believe the peace they fought for will last forever. But eventually, another war begins and they will be forced to fight again. Only this time, they might not live through it."
The V-Fighters let these words sink in. Was what she was saying really true?
"This is the reality of our world. Fear creates anger and anger creates hatred and eventually, enough hatred exists that the ones who hate each other fight. No matter who you are or what you've done, that fighting will eventually overcome you." She pointed at the three, "your world is no different. Millions of years of evolution and you still continued to fight against one another, for no reason. Only now, you've brought us into your conflict. Attempting to use us as weapons, but almost destroying yourself in the process. Zorc, Nightshroud, Yliaster, Don Thousand and the Doom-Vaders. Again and again you bring about your own end but somehow you manage to survive."
"So what?" Flash asked
"So, it's only a matter of time before you humans eventually bring about your undeniable end and take our realm with it. And in doing so, you will cause great pain and suffering. That is why, we must act before then." A light made the three look up and see part of the mural begin to glow.
They looked up and saw the omega and zenith symbols be surrounded by light, which then shot off into the air. And in a quick flash, the lights became seven different coloured orbs. One central orb that was coloured black, surrounded by six orbs that were coloured either red, blue, green, orange, yellow and purple.
Within those orbs were what they could only assume were Duel Spirits, each one looking very different but all appearing to be dragonic in nature.
As they stared at this, two new images appeared. A pair of planets, looking almost exactly the same but appearing just different enough to notice. It was earth and what they could only assume was the Duel Monster Spirit World. "Operation Omega Zenith!"
In that moment, the six surrounding orbs transformed back into light before flying into the central orb and making it glow. As it did, the two planets drew closer and closer together until they finally connected and in doing so unleashed a powerful burst of light.
When the light faded, everyone saw they were back in the Star Field. "So that the pain and suffering that has plagued this world can end, it...must end?" Spike and Sunburst's eyes went wide, while Flash glared at Tempest.
"If that's the case...I definitely can't lose to you!" Chaos Command raised its staff and unleashed a bolt of lightning onto the field, hitting Glaive Dominator and destroying it.
Flash: 650 Tempest: 1800
"I'm putting an end to this...HERE AND NOW!" Flashback Dragon flew into the air before firing its laser attack down towards Scimitar, destroying it.
Flash: 650 Tempest: 1100
"Now Spino-Gear, finish her off!" The dinobot charged forwards, ready to stomp Tempest into defeat. But she wasn't going down so easily.
"Trap summon!" Her face down flipped up before a giant ape carrying a pair of shields appeared. "Storm Guard Dominator, Lightning Sentinel!" (A1100/D2300/L6) "Skill activated!" The two shields opened up and unleashed a familiar green mist, which covered Flash's entire field. "Dominate all monsters on the field with ATK less then its DEF."
Flash watched as the mist cleared and saw that both Spino-Gear and Space-Warp had been turned to stone. "No."
"You think you can stop us?" Tempest asked him. "What gives you that right? If you had experienced the same pain and suffering we had to endure, you'd understand why we want this all to end."
Flash growled. "Well what gives you the right to decide if this world should end!" Accel was consumed by light, which quickly faded to show Flash's ace. "So what if life is tough. That doesn't mean you should just give up on it!" Flash Heart X's boosters ignited and sent it flying across the field. "I know our worlds being connected has caused issues in the past, but it's also caused so many great things. It's helped me connect to so many different beings, in both worlds. It's help he become the person I am today."
He suddenly found himself remembering his life before Cold left him his deck. The lonely emptiness that was his existence. The hollowness of his very soul. "For the longest time, I had nothing. My life felt empty and alone. There didn't seem to be any point in living." Sunburst heard this and looked towards him. Was that true? "But then I discovered Duelling, and it turned my life around. It gave me a reason to live. I won't let you destroy it." Flash Heart finally reached Lightning Sentinel, smashing its fist into the shield carrying ape and destroying it. "Through Duelling I gained friends...a future...EVERYTHING!" He threw two cards face down, "I end my turn."
Tempest just stared at Flash, the smile completely vanishing from her face. "Flash Sentry, the Pendulum Singularity!" She shot her opponent a glare, "IS THAT REALLY ALL YOU'VE GOT!" Flash and his team all flinched at this outcry, Starlight stepping back as she had a feeling she knew what was coming. The portal formed above the girl's head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and three lights shot out, revealing Scarvolt along with Glaive and Scimitar Dominator. With Spine-Hog's effect, she drew three cards and as she did, Flash saw a strange aura surround her. "I now equip Scarvolt with the Staff of Sacanas!" Scarvolt raised her hand, a bolt of purple lightning flew down from the sky and struck it.
Team V-Fighters all shielded their eyes, unable to see the lightning take shape until the flash faded and they opened their eyes. Now they saw Scarvolt holding the staff, her power increasing as she held it up high above her head. (A3000/D2000/L7/P4)
'Don't panic,' Flash told himself. "You've got Reverse Polarity and Dimensional Prison. Those should keep you safe.'
"Still think you can win?" Flash turned to Tempest, seeing we raise another card into the air. "Let me show you why you're dead wrong." Scarvolt lifted the staff into the air, causing it to unleash twin bolts of lightning that hit the two Dominators besides her. They both silently screamed in pain as they were destroyed, their essences being sucked into the staff. Seconds later, the staff flew out of her hands and suddenly unleashed a power spiralling gust of electrified wind that surrounded Scarvolt
"What's happening!?" Spike cried over the wind.
Flash's eyes focused on Scarvolt, seeing her flinching in pain before crying out and exploding. He then turned to Tempest and saw her smiling. "By sacrificing Scarvolt whilst she's equipped with the Staff of Sacanas, along with two Dominator monsters, I can give life to the ultimate Dominator!" They watched as the lightning in the tornado shoot into the eye below the staff, beginning to take humanoid form.
The staff then began to descend, as the figure raised one of its arms and grasped the relic. As soon as it did, the lightning was sucked into the staff and revealed the new monster's form. Said monster was the same one they'd seen before.
"Behold...the ultimate Dominator monster. STORM KING DOMINATOR!" (A4000/D4000/L12)
Spike and Sunburst both stared up and the monster, while Flash was focused on the shadow around Tempest.
Finally, he was able to see passed the veil and get an eyeful of its true form. And just as he expected, the monster was Storm King Dominator. "So, this who you really are." Both Tempest and Storm King smiled at him.
"I summon Storm Guard Dominator Puppeteer!" A bolt of lightning flew down and struck the ground, revealing a giant ape carrying the wooden Xs you'd see puppeteers use. (A1000/D1000/L4) "Now I activate Storm King's ability!" The Dominator raised the Staff of Sacanas before slamming it into the ground, unleashing several bolts of lightning that flew across the field and struck Flash Heart, Chaos Command and Flashback Dragon.
"NO!" Flash cried as he realised what was happening. All he could do was watch as his monsters turned to stone, Flash Heart looking over its shoulder at his partner. The two locked eyes before he too was fossilised.
Flash was horrified at this image, then turned to Tempest and glared at her. "Now that I understand your Duelling...I have no further use for you." Flash reached for his Duel Disk, ready to activate his face downs. But then. "I now activate Storm King Dominator's other ability." The satyr pointed the Staff of Sacanas at Puppeteer Dominator before a beam of light shot out and hit the monster, causing it to fall to its knees as it looked physically weakened. (A0/D1000/L4) "You see, by sending a monster's ATK to zero, the staff can steal their special abilities and give them to Storm King."
Starlight chuckled as she turned to him. "Its ability is to change any Dominated monsters back to normal."
"WHAT!?" They all asked as Storm King pointed its staff at all of Flash's monsters before firing a blast of light that swept over them, causing the stone casing to dissolve.
"Guys?" Flash stepped towards his monsters, only to stop when they all turned towards him and he saw their eyes were all red. "Guys?"
"Flash," he looked back at Spike, "look behind them." He did so, spotting a bunch of wires coming off of them and leading back...to Storm King.
"What's going on?" He turned to shoot Tempest a glare.
The young woman smiled at him. "Whenever Puppeteer changes a Dominated monster back to normal, it gains control over them and forces them to deal you two hundred points of damage."
Flash's eyes went wide before he turned back to his monsters, just as Spino-Gear spun around and slammed him with its tail. "GAH!" He cried as he was knocked off his feet, hitting the ground.
Flash: 450 Tempest: 1100
Flash tried to pick himself up, only to suddenly find himself in a shadow. He looked up and saw Flashback holding its orbs together, unleashing a bright light that rained down on him. "YAH!"
Flash: 250 Tempest: 1100
Chaos Command was next, raising its staff and unleashing a bolt of lightning that struck Flash and made him cry out. "AHH!"
Flash: 50 Tempest: 1100
"FLASH!" Spike cried as he and Sunburst watched their leader stand shakily.
Flash looked up at his monsters, seeing Flash Heart step infront of him. The robotic dragon slowly raised its fist, Flash noting its movements were much more shakier then usual. It was then he realised Flash Heart was trying to fight against its control, making him look up into his face and see tears leaking out of its red eyes.
Eventually, the glow intensified and its movements weren't as held back. Time slowed down as Flash Heart threw a punch towards its partner, the Duellist closing his eyes and bracing himself as the fist made contact with him. "AAARRRHHH!"
Flash: 0 Tempest: 1100 (Winner)
"FLASH!" Spike rushed over to where Flash had fallen and knelt down besides him, helping him sit up and he flinched in pain. "You alright?"
Flash didn't reply, instead cracking his eyes open and watching as both Tempest and Starlight began to walk away. "Just you wait," he told them. "UNTIL THE FINAL ROUND!"
The two said nothing, thought Starlight did look back at Sunburst for a moment. And as the two locked eyes, something was sparked between them until Starlight continued to follow her leader. "Starlight," Sunburst whispered.
As Tempest and Starlight made their way out of the Action Field, they were both thinking over the Duel.
"If we're not able to use Flash," Tempest said. "We'll just have to select someone else."
"But who?" Starlight asked. "So far, he's the only one whose been able to win against us."
"There are still several Duellists we haven't faced off against. We'll have to focus our efforts on them. Then, we can finally liberate ourselves from this cursed existence." Starlight nodded in agreement.
Later, team V-Fighters were sitting outside the stadium.
Flash, still reeling from the Duel, was staring down at the ground. "I feel bad. I didn't want to get you involved. But you got caught up in it anyway." His face scrunched up, "that wasn't my intention. I'm sorry." Spike and Sunburst remained quite, unsure about what to think of do. They then noticed Flash stand up and look at the two of them. "Spike, Sunburst. After all this, you have every reason to tell me to go to hell. But still, I'd like...to stay as a team. To see the Double X right through to the end."
He turned to Spike, seeing a smile on the teen's face. "You bet," he assured him. This made Flash smile before turning to Sunburst, who still remained quiet.
"I know we can get through to the final round. And win the championship. I'm not giving up and-" Flash stopped when he saw Sunburst stand up and begin to walk away. "Sunburst," he called out to him. "Please stay and watch tomorrow!" Sunburst stopped for a moment, then kept on walking. "Stay and watch me Duel."
Sunburst didn't reply, instead disappearing into the darkness of the night. He and Spike now knew the truth of team Dominator, but how will this effect their team and their hopes for winning the Double X.
Currently, team Wonderbolts were in one of the many waiting rooms getting prepped. Looking over their standings with their Raduels, they were in second place pointwise. So far, the only team ahead of them was Team Dominator. Even with Flash's defeat of Heath, Tempest and Starlight had more points than the three of them.
"Things seem to be going well," Rainbow told the other two. "There's only a few teams left in the competition, so we're pretty much a shoe in to win as long as we keep following the plan."
"Maybe," Soarin said, "but still." He turned to Rainbow, "don't you wanna go up against Flash or some of the other Duellists you're friends with? I mean, isn't that the whole reason you entered this tournament?"
Rainbow frowned. The truth was, she wanted more than anything to go up against them. She's already lost her chance to face off against Twilight's team and both Flash and Applejack's team were hanging by a thread. And that was why they had to play it safe.
"Team Dominator," Rainbow whispered. "They're too strong." She turned to him, "the Tidal Maidens have been eliminated. And team Applejewel and the V-Fighters are down to one member, because the others lost to team Dominator. Our school's counting on us to win, and Principal Spitfire's under a lot of heat because of us. We can't let them down."
"But are you sure you're okay with compromising the way you Duel for that?" Soarin asked.
Rainbow nodded, "it's for the sake of the team."
"But Rainbow-"
DUELLING ROYALE WILL COMMENCE IN FIVE MINUTES. ALL DUELISTS PLEASE HEAD OUT TO YOUR ASSIGNED FLOORS!
"Time to go," Rainbow told them before heading off. "Let's make sure we stay focused."
Soarin frowned as he watched her head out, Gilda following behind. "Rainbow." She wasn't acting like herself, all because she was worried about letting everyone down. If only there was a way to help her see she didn't have to shoulder all the responsibility. But how?
Celestial: Are you ready? The Double X's second round is drawing closer and closer to its conclusion.
Luna: Several Duellists have now entered the third floor and a few have even made it to the fourth. One of these Duellists is Tempest Shadows, whose point total even exceeds that of several teams put together.
Celestia: And it looks like another Duellist is about to enter the fourth floor. Flash Sentry!
Flash ran up the stairs leading to the next level. "Can't lose this one," he told himself as his mind flashed back to the previous night. "I hope you see this Spike...Sunburst." He finally reached the top of the staircase and ran into the Duel Field, which was a familiar sight indeed.
The field he was standing in was a city made entirely out of clouds, just like the one Rainbow had Duelled in a year ago.
Not sticking around long to take in the sights, he began to make his way through it.
Down in the stadium's entryway, Spike was coming in.
And as he did, he spotted his teammate standing further in. He was looking at a big screen, which showed Flash heading through the cloud city. "Sunburst," he ran up to him as the bespectacled teen turned to him, "I'm so glad. It's good to see that you're here."
Sunburst didn't say anything, instead heading into the stadium while Spike remained where he was. Seems he was still down about last night. But hopefully, seeing Flash Duel would help him.
Celestia: We've got some seriously intense Duels being fought out there today, but one, in particular, is attracting attention.
Luna: Its team Applejewel's Big Mac against team Dominator's Starlight Glimmer.
"Come on Big Mac!" Applejack cheered her brother on.
"Don't let her beat you!" Rarity agreed. "If you do, we're out of the competition." The rest of the VIP box cheered him on, all wanting to see another member of team Dominator be knocked out.
The two Duellists were currently in a Junkyard Duel Field, Starlight having Aquarius in DEF mode while Mac had Cyber Handyman along with Advanced Mecha Tool Drill-Saw an Nail-Hammer.
Celestia: For Mac, this Duel is going to be crucial. As the survival of his team is at stake.
Luna: Luckily, his field is looking promising.
"I place twos cards face down and end my turn," Starlight announced.
"It's my turn!" Mac reached for his deck, "I DRAW!" He saw what he'd gotten and smiled. "I play the spell card Polymerisation!" A portal vortex up that above his monsters, which sucked the three up into it. "Now watch, as the greatest Mecha Worker is born!" The vortex exploded, "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Big Mac's greatest monster. Its right arm had a hammer for a hand and its left arm had a chisel, while its back had Drill-Saw and Nail-Hammer on it. "Advanced Mecha Worker, Multi-Tool Giant!" (A2500/D3000/L10) "And since I used two Advanced Mecha Tools in its Fusion, he gains five hundred ATK points for each one." (A3500/D3000/L10) "Not only that, but he also gets to attack once for every Advanced Mecha Tool." He pointed at Aquarius, "Attack!"
Starlight watched as the robot charged forwards before slamming into her mermaid with its hammer fist and destroying it.
"Then I'll use his next attack to hit you directly!" The robot pulled its arm back, ready to slam the hammer down on her.
"Trap Summon!" Starlight announced as her face down flipped up before Ophiuchus appeared and intercepted the attack, the woman being destroyed while the snake slithered around the machine's wrist. "And since you destroyed a Celestial Spirit, my Starlight Beacon Trap activates and allows me to summon Gemini to the field. The twin children appeared before her.
Mac frowned, "I end my turn."
"Then I'll go," Starlight drew her card while the snake bit into Multi-Tool Giant's wrist and lowered its ATK points. (A2700/D3000/L10) "Now I sacrifice Gemini to summon Celestial Spirit Leo!" The twins disappeared and were replaced by a constellation, which exploded to reveal the lion armoured man. (A2500/D2200/L7) "And with him on the field, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and send any Celestial Spirit to the graveyard." She did so, sending two of the cards to the graveyard. "Now I'll attack!" Leo rushed forwards, as the eleven constellations appeared around him before flying into his armour. (A4700/D2200/L7)
Leo slammed his blazing fist into the robot and destroyed it, making Mac go flying until he slammed into the side of an old tractor.
Mac: 0 Starlight: 1400 (Winner)
Celestia: And that's it. Team Applejewel's final member has been eliminated and they are out of the competition.
Starlight smirked as she saw Mac try to pick himself up, but was unable to. "Silly humans." She walked off, "when will they learn."
Over in the Star Field, Rainbow was facing off against a Duellist and his Machina Fortress.
"Ahhh!" He cried out as Prism Bolt destroyed Fortress, falling to his knees. He then looked over at Rainbow, "who are you? What are you?"
Rainbow didn't answer him, "I can't lose. There's too much at stake." Rainbow Wing Pegasus flew forwards, "attack!"
Back in the Junkyard, Soarin watched Rainbow's match on his Raduel.
This guy was no match for her, but that meant she wasn't getting to have any fun challenging someone. "Rainbow," he whispered. Why wasn't she listening to him? Actually, that was obvious. Because the only people whose opinion she cared about were those on her level, and he wasn't one of them.
He sighed, thinking over all the big Duels he'd had. He'd lost against Shining, Gilda and Applejack, Duellists that Rainbow respected greatly. He hadn't shown Rainbow any reason to consider him as a Duellist she'd respect, and likely never would since he wasn't allowed to Duel against Duellists that beating would earn her respect.
In that moment, his Raduel beeped and he looked down to see who was near. And to his shock, he saw that it was Starlight. "Team Dominator." He looked around a pile of broken cars and saw her walking by. "I can't fight her," he began to step back. "I'm not in the same league." But even so...what if he did beat her? What if he beat a member of the team that knocked out Duellists Rainbow respected greatly.
Before he knew what he was doing, he leapt out from behind the cars and thrust his Raduel in her direction. "Team Dominator!" Starlight stopped and turned towards him, raising an eyebrow.
"And you are?"
"I'm Soarin Skies, member of team Wonderbolts." He suddenly began to shake as he realised what he'd just done. "And I..." He took a deep breath before building up as much confidence as possible, "I CHALLENGE YOU!"
"Attack!" Prism Bolt slammed into her opponent, wiping out the last of his Life Points.
Celestia: And she's done it. Rainbow Dash has earned another victory for team Wonderbolts.
Rainbow sighed in relief before turning to leave, planning to make her way to the fourth floor. But as she did, her Raduel beeped. She turned it on and saw who was Duelling, "What?" She switched off her Raduel and rushed off, heading in the direction of the Junkyard field.
Luna: What's this? Up until now team Wonderbolts has managed to stay undefeated, but now they're taking a big risk.
In another field, Gilda stared at her Raduel. "What are you up to loser?"
Starlight and Soarin both pulled out their Duel Disks and attached them to their arms.
Celestia: Making the challenge is Soarin Skies. He's up against a Duellists who hasn't lost a match in this tournament, Starlight Glimmer.
The two activated their Duel Disks and drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Soarin: 4000 Starlight: 4000
In a Duel Field on the fourth floor, Tempest Shadows was making her way through it.
It wouldn't be long before she found the stairway and made it to the top. "From this point on, it doesn't matter who I come up against. In order for our ultimate plan to succeed, I'll need to dominate this tournament. It's as simple as that."
"I'll take the first move," Soarin drew his card. "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale three Techno Support OTR-Twenty Three and scale six Techno Support WC-Fifty Four." The pillars of light appeared beside him as a military rocket launcher and ambulance flew up into them. Once there, the portal began to form, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out, fitting the ground and revealing Soarin's monsters. "Techno Force Jet Jammer!" (A1800/D1000/L4) The second became a green multi-shot rocket launcher, "and Techno Support TOS-One (A2200/D1100/L5/P5) "Then I summon Techno Support M-Six!" A small grey army jeep with top-mounted machine gun appeared beside his monsters. (A500/D500/L2/P9) "Then I'll activate M-Six's ability, which lets me power-link him to any Techno Force or Support monster and increase its power." The jeep seemed to jump into the air, landing TOS-One's rocket bey before apparently linking to it. The two machines revved their engines, getting in sync as their powers combined. (A2500/D1100/L5/P5) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
In that moment, TOS-One fired five rockets, which each flew at Starlight.
She gasped at this, but was unable to jump out of the way in time as the missiles exploded at her feet and sent her flying into a nearby car door.
Soarin: 4000 Starlight: 3000
"What was that?" Starlight asked as she picked herself up.
"TOS-One's ability," Soarin replied. "During my end phase, he deals you two hundred points for damage for every card in your hand."
Celestia: So as long as Soarin has that card out, Starlight will be losing life points unless she keeps her hand empty.
Luna: And with it being a Pendulum Monster, not even destroying it will make it go away. Soarin really isn't holding anything back. He's pulling out all the stops.
Starlight growled at this, only to notice an Action Card had fallen lose when she hit the car. She picked it up and saw what it was, then added it to her hand before she drew her next card. "I summon Celestial Spirit Capricorn!" The constellation appeared before exploding to reveal the goat armoured man. (A1600/D1400/L4) "And now I attack your TOS-One!" The lanky man ran forwards, "and with his ability, all I have to do is discard a Celestial Spirit from my hand and his ATK points go up by two hundred for every level star your monster has (A2600/D1400/L4) Capricorn reached TOS-One and slammed its foot into it, destroying it.
Soarin: 3900 Starlight: 3000
"Then I'll activate the Celestial Device Sextans, to revive the monster I discarded." A constellation appeared before exploding to reveal Aquarius. (A1500/D1200/L4)
"You activated my Trap!" Soarin announced as his face down flipped up. "Power Draw. Since you just special summoned a monster, I can draw cards equal to its Level." He did so.
"Well by discarding a card, Aquarius can destroy up to two of your Spell or Traps." She did so, as the mermaid swung her urn around and unleashed a tidal wave of water across the field.
Soarin watched as the water hit the cards in his Pendulum Zone, washing them away and destroying them.
"I place two cards face down and end my turn."
Soarin reached for his deck, "it's my turn. I draw," he looked over his card and nodded. "I activate the Spell card Frontline Base, which lets me summon Sub Surfer to the field!" The blue submarine appeared besides Jet Jammer. (A1200/D1500/L4) "And then I summon Armoured Assault," the yellow security vehicle appeared beside the other two. (A500/D2000/L4)
As he did this, his mind flashed back to Rainbow and Gilda. 'I know the girls might be angry at me later, but I can deal with that. I just want Rainbow to Duel the way she enjoys playing it, without having to compromise. So we can guide the Wonderbolts to victory.' "He looked over at Starlight, his focus laser-like. "I'm giving it everything I've got!"
Starlight raised an eyebrow at this, "oh really?"
"Really! Now watch as I banish all three of my monsters, in order to Union Summon!" The three machines linked on top of each other before transforming into the humanoid robot. "Mega Techno Force, Attack Convoy!" (A2800/D2600/L8) "Then I activate Attack Convoy's skill!" He discarded a card, as his monster aimed its blasters at Capricorn.
Starlight frowned, knowing what was coming next. "I activate the Action Spell, Demolition Delay. This card protects my monsters from being destroyed by card effects this turn." Starlight smiled, happy she'd found this card earlier.
Soarin frowned, but didn't let that slow him down. "Well since the card I discarded was Techno Support AFV, it's ability lets me draw two cards!" He did so before pointing at Starlight's monster, "now I attack Capricorn!" The robot launched the missiles into the air before they flew back down towards Starlight's monster, the girl rushing off to try and find an Action Card.
She spotted one pocking out of the hood of a nearby car and leapt at it, grabbing it right before the missiles struck. But to her dismay, it was a Trap card. One which forced her to send the top three cards of her deck to her graveyard. She did so, two of the cards being Gemini and Libra. Seconds later, the missiles struck and destroyed Capricorn. "I activate my face downs!" The two cards flipped up to reveal Traps, "Defence Draw and Starlight Beacon! With them, I'm protected from damage and can draw one card while also being able to summon a Celestial Spirit with less ATK than the one you just destroyed." She drew her card as a constellation appeared before exploding to reveal Aries. (A1400/D900/L3)
Soarin smirked. "You might have protected yourself from battle damage, but Attack Convoy's ability will still hit your with effect damage." The robot grabbed its hip-mounted blasters and began firing at Starlight, blasting away twelve hundred life points.
Soarin: 3900 Starlight: 1800
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: That was some impressive playing. Despite losing his Pendulum, Soarin managed to summon the cards needed to get Attack Convoy out.
Luna: How will Starlight handle this challenge?"
Starlight just glared at the boy. "How can you take a silly little card game so seriously?"
Soarin raised an eyebrow at this. "Why wouldn't I? I love this game and no matter what, I'm going to do everything in my power to keep winning until me and my team stand at the very top."
"Is that so," Starlight drew her card. "You'll have to do a lot more then this if you wanna win. I play Painful Choice." Five cards slotted out of her deck, which she took and placed on her Duel Disk.
Soarin looked up and saw the five cards materialise before him. They were Pisces, Taurus, Virgo, Scorpius and Leo. "Now, pick a card and I'll add it to my hand whilst the rest go to the graveyard."
Soarin had to be careful. If he picked the wrong monster, she'd use it in conjuncture with the cards in her graveyard to do some serious damage to him. Eventually, he selected the monster. "Pisces!"
Starlight smiled, "good choice." She added the card to her hand before sending the rest to the graveyard, "for me." Soarin didn't like the sound of that. Did he pick the wrong card?" I activate the Spell card Monster Reincarnation!" Soarin's eyes went wide. So it didn't matter which monster he'd picked. "I discard Pisces in order to add Celestial Spirit Leo to the hand," she did so before Aries and Aquarius were consumed by light. "Now I tribute these two monsters in order to summon him to the field!" The light transformed into the lion constellation, which then exploded to reveal Celestial Spirit Leo." (A2500/D2200/L7)
Celestia: There it is. Starlight has summoned her go-to monster.
Luna: With this, her victory is practically written in the stars.
Soarin began to shake, but then shook his head. 'Relax. You can't let her beat you. For Rainbow and Gilda, you have to keep pushing forward.'
"And now," Starlight drew five cards. "Leo's skill." She looked at the cards and took out one, placing it int he graveyard while sending the rest to the bottom of the deck. "Now Leo will attack your Convoy!" Leo rushed forwards, his hands igniting with lion-shaped fire. "And when Leo attacks, he gains two hundred ATK points for every Celestial Spirit in the graveyard." Ten constellations appeared around him before flying into his armour, making it glow. (A4500/D2200/L7)
"I activate my Trap!" Soarin's face down flipped up, "Scrap Guard! Now I send the top three cards of my deck to the graveyard and for every monster sent there, Attack Convoy can survive one attack." He drew three cards and saw two of them were monsters, perfect.
Leo slammed its fist towards Attack Convoy, only for a piece of scrap metal to appear between them and block the attack. "You might have saved your monster, but you're still taking the damage."
Soarin: 2200 Starlight: 1800
"I end my turn."
"It's my turn," Soarin reached for his deck and drew his card. But nothing he had in his hand currently could help him take down Starlight's monster. "She's so strong." 'Maybe I should have listened to Rainbow strategy after all, instead of thinking I could take on a member of team Dominator.' "What was I thinking?"
"Yes," he looked up at Starlight, "what were you thinking? You knew you couldn't beat me, but you challenged me anyway. What, did you think if you believe in yourself enough you might pull off a miracle." She shot a glare at him, "wake up and look around. Miracles don't exist. The weak will always fall to the strong."
Soarin began to shake, closing his eyes while wondering if she had a point. 'Maybe miracles don't exist. Maybe...maybe...' "No," Starlight raised an eyebrow, "that's not true. I might be weaker than you, but I refuse to let that defeat me." He smiled at a memory that entered his head. "A year ago, someone very important to me was able to overcome a stronger opponent and in doing so helped save the world." He opened his eyes, showing Starlight the fire that burned within them. "She pulled off a miracle and so can I!" With that, he started rushing through the field in search of the one thing that could save him.
Starlight followed after him, as he searched for an Action Card.
'Rainbow believed in me. Trusted in my abilities enough to ask me to join her team.' He spotted an Action Card in atop a stacked up pile of cars and also saw Starlight had begun climbing up to try and get it. 'That's why-' He spotted a nearby crane hook and got and idea, 'I can't let her down again!'
As Starlight jumped up onto the bottom of the pile, she heard a noise and looked around. There she saw Soarin had grabbed the crane hook and was now standing in Attack Convoy's hand, the robot getting ready to throw him.
This made her redouble her efforts to climb to the top, right as Attack Convoy tossed Soarin. The boy held on tightly to the chain, his foot in the hook, as he swung closer to the Action Card.
Time seemed to slow down as they both came within arms reach of the card, both reaching out to grab hold of it.
Celestia: Who will get that card first.
Luna: One thing's for sure, this might just shape how the Duel turns out.
The two came within inches of the card, both their fingers beginning to grip it, until time finally sped up. As it did, Soarin swung passed the pile and jumped off the hook.
And as he landed, both teens looked down at their hands to see who had gotten the card. The one who did smiling. "Miracle," Soarin said before activating the Action Card. "Go, Reforging!"
Celestia: Amazing. That's just the card Soarin needs.
Luna: With it, both players return their hands to their decks before drawing five cards. No doubt Starlight would have waited until next turn to us it if she had gotten it.
Soarin and Starlight returned their hands to their decks, shuffled and drew five cards. Soarin smiled at his new cards, getting just what he needed. "I Activate the effect of Frontline Base, to summon Techno Force Tank Trasher." The large tank appeared before him. (A1600/D1200/L4) "then I'll summon Rush Rotor!" The helicopter appeared besides Tank Trasher. (A1700/D1400/L4) "Then," the two machines shot into the air before beginning to transform, "I banish them both in order to Union Summon!" Rush Rotor and Tank Trasher began to transform, linking together into their more powerful robot form. "Mega Techno Force, Defence Convoy!" (A2100/D1800/L6)
"That won't save you!" Starlight told him, only for her eyes to go wide as she remembered what those two monsters could become. "Oh no."
"I now banish Attack and Defence Convoy!" Soarin announced as the two monsters flew into the air, "In order to Union Summon something even greater!" They split into the individual components before they began to transform and link together, become Soarin's best card. "Behold, Ultra Techno Force...GRAND CONVOY!" (A3000/D2800/L8)
Celestia: Incredible. Thanks to that Action Card, Soarin has summoned a monster that can defeat Starlight's monster.
Luna: And even if Starlight had any face downs, she wouldn't be able to activate them.
Starlight growled before she began to run as fast as she could in search of an Action Card, while Soarin leapt up onto Grand Convoy's shoulder. "Attack!" The giant robot raised its sword, "and don't forget about his other ability!" The gun turret on its back folded out and pointed at Leo, firing a beam that made the Celestia Spirit shake in pain. (A2400/D2200/L7)
Meanwhile, Starlight found an Action card on a nearby scrap pile and grabbed it. But while it was a Spell card, it wasn't one she could use to save her monster. However, "I activate the Action Spell Junk Dump. Now I can discard any number of cards from my hand and gain one hundred life points for each other." She sent one card to the graveyard, which happened to be her Celestial Spirit Cancer.
Soarin: 2200 Starlight: 1900
Seconds later, Grand Convoy swung its sword and cut Leo in half.
Soarin: 2200 Starlight: 1300
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: With Grand Convoy on the field, Starlight's gonna have trouble turning this Duel around.
Luna: And with almost all her monsters in the graveyard, it'll be twice as hard.
Starlight panted heavily as she looked up at Soarin and almost growled. "Pathetic human." She reached for her deck, "you think you can defeat me so easily. Well, forget it!" Soarin actually felt a little intimidated by that statement. "I won't lose, not to someone weak like you. I activate Celestial Device Circunis!" Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which she took. "Now, by banishing twelve different Celestial Spirit monsters from my graveyard, I can summon the ultimate Celestial Spirit!" The card fired a single beam of light into the sky, the light splitting into nine spheres before flying into formation and creating a new constellation. "Beast of the cosmos, with fury greater than a supernova, descend from the heavens and bath this world in your mighty light!"
Soarin watched as each of the stars exploded, unleashing a brilliant light that flowed into one oversized entity. Then when the light faded, Soarin saw the orb carrying dragon slither downwards towards him. Celestial Spirit. Draco...STARLIGHT!" (A4000/D4000/L12) The beast roared in Soarin and his monster's face, pushing them both backwards.
Celestia: That's troubling. Soarin looked to have this Duel in the bag, but now Starlight's pulled her ace out against him."
Starlight smiled as she leapt onto her monster's head, "this ends now." The dragon opened its mouth as a bright light began to glow and increase in intensity.
"Soarin!" Both Duellists turned to see Rainbow rushing towards them.
"Rainbow?" Her teammate asked, "what are you doing here?" He turned back to his opponent, "get out of here. I can handle this."
Rainbow frowned. "Why did you challenge her. You know going up against her is too much of a risk."
"Maybe," Soarin told her, "but we can't just avoid team Dominator. That's not the Wonderbolt way!" This statement made Rainbow look surprised. "Wonderbolts don't run away from an obstacle, we face it head-on no matter what the risk." He looked back at Rainbow, "I know you wanna do the school proud by getting to the finals. But you can't let that restrict you from Duelling the way you want to."
Rainbow just stared up at her teammate, "Soarin..."
Soarin smiled, "there are Duellists you want to face off against. Aren't there?" Rainbow just nodded, "so what's stopping you?" He turned back to his opponent, as the dragon finished building up power.
"Enough of the friendly heart to heart!" Starlight cried, "this Duel is ending right now. Draco Starlight, END THIS!" The dragon unleashed the light, firing it out like a laser towards Soarin and Grand Convoy.
Luna: If this attack hits, it's all over for Soarin!
"SOARIN!" Rainbow screamed, only to see him leap off the robot.
"I activate my Trap!" His card flipped up as Grand Convoy was struck by the laser, "Defence Draw!" A bubble appeared around as he landed, his monster's parts bouncing off of it and keeping him safe from the damage as he drew his card.
Starlight glared at Soarin, "lucky. But since my monster destroyed yours, it can now deal you one hundred points of damage for every banished Celestial Spirit I have." The dragon pointed the orb at Soarin as it began to glow, unleashing a powerful light out towards him.
The teen was forced to shut his eyes and raise his Duel Disk in defence as the light struck him and sent him flying back until he crashed into the side of a truck. "AUGH!"
Soarin: 1000 Starlight: 1300
"Soarin!" Rainbow rushed over and knelt down beside him, as he pulled himself up. "Just stop," she looked up at Draco. "There's no way you can win now. Not with Grand Convoy gone."
Starlight smiled. "That's right, listen to your captain."
Soarin groaned as he was finally back on his feet. "I can't give up," he looked up, showing the fire in his eyes once again. "Because if I lose Rainbow won't get the Duel she wants."
"Soarin?" Rainbow asked.
Soarin sighed, scraping his hands through the dirt as he made a pair of fists. "I know you don't think I'm as good as you, but I don't care. Even if I have to beat every single Duellist in this tournament, I'm gonna keep the team going so you can enjoy your Duel." He looked back at Rainbow, "only one of us has to make it to the top. Leave that job to me and go Duel the way you wanna Duel." He looked back, "you've supported and encouraged me every step of the way. Now It's my turn to do that for you. So get out of here and find the Duellist you wanna Duel. Even if you lose, I'll make sure the Wonderbolts make it through to the finals."
Rainbow felt her heart quibble at Soarin's words. Something inside her, a weight seemed to be lifted off of it. "Are you sure?"
Soarin nodded with a smile on his face, "go for it!"
Rainbow stepped back a few steps, then smiled and began running off. "Thanks, man." She ran until she was out of sight, Soarin turning back towards Starlight.
The girl crossed her arms. "Very honourable, taking the weight for the team. But with your field empty and your best cards banished or in the graveyard, how do you expect to actually win?"
That was a good point. Soarin looked down and saw that all he had was Techno Support B-Two, AFV and Iron Call. Even if he Pendulum Summoned his Pendulum Monsters, none of them could take down that dragon. And even TOS-One's ability, Starlight didn't have enough cards in her hand to win. His only hope was to draw a game-changer.
"I've gotta do it," he reached for his deck. "For my friends."
"Friends?" Starlight asked in confusion.
Soarin nodded. "Duelling connects people. A friendship like none other!" He drew his card, "let me show you! I set the Pendulum Scale with scale eight Techno Support B-Two and scale one Techno Support AFV!" The pillars of light appeared beside him as the two machines flew up into them, the portal beginning to form above his head. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" He chanted as the portal finished forming, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before four lights shot out, exploding to reveal his monsters. "Techno Support OTR-Twenty-Three!" (A2600/D1500/L7/P3) "WC-Fifty-Four!" (A1600/D1400/L4/P6) "TOS-One!" (A2200/D1100/L5/P5) "M-Six!" (A500/D500/L2/P9) Another light shot out the portal, disappearing to reveal a black and while space shuttle. "And Techno Force Shuttle Striker!" (A2400/D2000/L7)
Starlight laughed as the five machines flew down. "Unless those five monsters let you pull off an Exodia, they can't help you."
But Soarin was completely calm. "You're right, they can't help me. But the monster they can create just might."
"What?" Starlight asked, only to gasp as she realised what he was getting at. "Don't tell me-"
"By banishing Shuttle Striker and four Techno Support monsters, I can create an even more powerful machine." Shuttle Striker and the four Pendulum Monster flew into the air and got information. "UNION SUMMON!"
With that, Shuttle Striker began to transform. First, the back part with the rockets disconnected while the wings slid upwards. From out of the back, a pair of metal rods folded out that were connected to square bottoms by a knee like hinge. The middle section then split in half and folded outwards to become a pair of arms while the nose cone spun around before folding forwards into the now empty space. Doing so revealed a red robot head with a yellow mouth-guard. TOS-One and OTR-Twenty-Three connected to the square bottoms, bcoming a pair of legs while WC-Fifty-Four and M-Six connected to the middle sections to work like arms. And finally, the rocket section linked onto its back. "Behold, Ultra Techno Force...GALAXY CONVOY!" (A3500/D3000/L10)
"Is that it?" Starlight asked. "After all that, I was expecting something a little...more."
Soarin smirked. "Don't underestimate me, cause Galaxy Convoy has an ability that'll cut your dragon's power down to size." The robot glowed as a beam of light shot out of its eyes, hitting the ground and causing a portal to open up before a rusted Grand Convoy floated out. "By banishing a Machine-Type from my graveyard, his power increases by its Level times one hundred."
"What?" Starlight asked as Grand Convoy exploded before the light flew into Galaxy Convoy, making it glow brighter. (A4300/D3000/L10)
Celestia: That's enough ATK points to take out her dragon.
"ATTACK!" The robot flew up into the air before spinning around and rocketing towards Draco, the light fully enveloping it as it became like a meteor.
Starlight looked around for an Action Card, but couldn't find one and was forced to leap off her monster. Meanwhile, Draco fired its own laser attack, but the meteor simply cut through it before flying into its mouth. Seconds later, the dragon exploded with a burst of powerful light.
Starlight meanwhile, slammed into the ground rolling.
Soarin: 1000 Starlight: 1000
She moaned as she picked herself, growling. "You think you're cleaver. Just wait until my turn. Your butt is mine."
However, Soarin smiled. "Sorry, you're not getting another turn. Because whenever Galaxy Convoy destroys a monster, it deals one hundred points of damage for every banished Machine-Type."
Starlight's eyes went wide as she watched the robot float down infront of her before unleashing a bright light. "AAARRRHHH!"
Soarin: 1000 (Winner) Starlight: 0
Celestia: HE'S DONE IT! This is a major upset.
Luna: Soarin Skies from team Wonderbolt, has shown what he's capable of and earned his team a huge victory.
All throughout the stadium, cheers filled the stands at the amazing turn around win. None of them had been expecting Soarin to win, but they weren't gonna deny he did.
And as the holograms faded in the Junkyard, Soarin panted as the fact of what he'd just done set in. "I...I did it?" His questioning look turned to one of great joy, "I DID IT!"
"Augh!" The teen turned towards his beaten opponent, seeing she was clutching her gloved hand in pain.
"Are you alright?" He asked as he moved over to offer a hand, but Starlight simply smacked it away.
"Stay away from me!" She almost screamed before picking herself up. "Don't think this is the end of things. I'll get you back for this." With that, she walked off while leaving Soarin perplexed.
'I can't believe I beat her,' he thought to himself before his smile returned. 'Now, what will Rainbow do?'
"That wasn't too bad."
"Huh?" Soarin turned towards the voice as saw Gilda walking up to him.
"Even for a wimp like you."
"Gilda," Soarin wasn't sure what to say at first. But eventually, he got his words together and smiled. "Did you see that? I did it! I beat a member of team Dominator!"
"Big deal," Gilda said while looking like she didn't care. "And even if you hadn't beaten her, then I would have done it."
Soarin smirked at this, knowing she was impressed and just didn't want to say it. "Well, we'd better be making our way up to the fourth floor."
"Yeah," Gilda pushed passed him and began making her way upwards, "guess you're right." But then she stopped said her next statement without looking at him. "By the way, Rainbow never saw your skill level as beneath hers."
"What?" Soarin asked.
"If she did, she never would have asked you to join this team. Even if she didn't have any other options, she wouldn't have picked you if she didn't see you as someone who can keep up with her. Just remember that."
"Gilda..."
"Let's go already!" Gilda began to run off, Soarin quickly following after her.
Inside one of the stadium corridors, Starlight was slowly walking through it while thinking back on the Duel.
"Damn it," she growled before pulling out her deck. "If I wasn't being forced to use this deck, I'd have beaten that wimp easily." She raised the cards up, intending to throw them to the floor. But in that moment, her entire body frozen up and her hand only tightened its grip on the cards.
After about a minute of trying to fight against it, Starlight let out a frustrated cry as she fell to her knees and punched the floor. "Even after beating that weakling Sunburst, she still holds to much care for these stupid cards." She panted heavily before removing her glove, allowing her to look down at the glowing yellow circle with the light symbol etched into it.
It was glowing as brightly as before, the image having faded slightly. All it would take was two or three more losses and she'd lose her control over this body. "Relax. It doesn't matter. Just make it to the finals, then you can fix this little issue once and for all." With that, she picked herself up and continued to head down the corridor.
Meanwhile, Rainbow ran up the staircase leading to the fourth level.
As she came out of the corridor, she looked around to see the field she was in. And in doing so she suddenly had a flashback to one year ago. The cloud-like city she was in was just like the one she'd face Shadow in the Celestic Cup.
Quickly shaking her head, she began to run through the cloud street as she followed her Raduel to find the one she was looking for. And as she did, her brain started playing memories of the person she was challenging.
She remembered being there at the first Duel he'd ever played with his deck. Seeing him use a Pendulum Summon for the first time. Seeing him Duel so many strong opponents and managing to overcome them. Only being able to watch as he defeated the Duellist that knocked her out of the Celestic Cup. And only being able to watch as he defeated Sombra and helped save the world.
He'd come so far, managing to become one of the best Duellists in the world despite only having only been Duelling for a few months at that point. And as he came into view, she remembered how she'd always wondered how she'd stack against him if they ever Duelled in a serious manner. Well today, she was gonna find out.
"FLASH!" The teen stopped and turned to see her coming at him.
"Rainbow?" Flash asked in confusion, as she finally reached him.
She panted for a good few seconds until she finally managed to get her breath back, then smiled up at him. "Found you." She then raised her Raduel and pointed it at Flash, surprising him in doing so. "Now Flash, I wanna challenge you!"
The second day of the Double X's second round had just reached its halfway point.
Up on a Duel Field on the fourth level, Flash and Rainbow were standing in a cloud-like city. Flash was wondering why Rainbow had been looking for him but got his answer when she raised her Raduel and pointed it at him. "Now Flash, I wanna challenge you!" And with that, the challenge had been made, though Flash was still confused.
"Is that a wise idea?" He remembered back to what Rainbow had told them yesterday.
"Team Wonderbolts isn't gonna go up against team Dominator, or any of you guys."
"If we wanna get through, we can't go up against Duellists we'll have a hard time facing off against."
"I thought that you-"
Rainbow smiled, "my teammate decided he didn't like that idea. He went through a lot to make sure I had a chance to face off against someone I really wanna Duel against." She pointed at him, "so are you gonna Duel me or not?"
Flash continued to stare at her in confusion, then smiled as he pulled out his Duel Disk. "You betcha I will!"
Celestic Sisters: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
Celestia: One Duellist is about to arrive at the top level of the Duel Fields.
Luna: Both of her teammates have been defeated. The rules of the tournament dictate that once you climb to the top, there's no return.
Celestia: And more importantly, this contestant has accumulated so many points that she's likely to finish the round ahead of everybody else.
The Duellist was calmly walking up the stairs connecting level four from the rest of the Duel Fields, eventually arriving at a doorway that opened as she approached. She stepped out into the open space, now standing at the highest point in the entire area.
Luna: From team Dominator, Tempest Shadow
Celestia: After an impressive first round, she managed to overwhelm her opponents in the second round as well. Her position appears to be...unassailable!
Tempest looked down at her Raduel as it showed her at the top spot in the final four, something she didn't expect to change once the last three teams arrive. 'No matter who ends up chasing me here, I don't anticipate any problems.' She deactivated her Raduel and looked up at the sky. "So far only two Duellists have proven themselves as possible candidates. Now we will see if any more are able to prove themselves in the final round. And once that is done, Project Omega Zenith can finally get underway."
Back on the Cloud City Duel Field, Flash and Rainbow attached their Duel Disks to their arms before activating them.
"Don't expect an easy match Rainbow," Flash told her. "There's no way I'm gonna let you beat me. My teammates are counting on me too much to lose."
Rainbow smiled back at him. "Well after everything my team's gone through for me, I can't afford to let them down either."
"Then let's give this Duel everything we've got and have no hard feels if we lose."
"Sure thing." The two drew their cards.
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Rainbow: 4000
Celestia: Oh wow! Looks like the captains for team V-Fighters and team Wonderbolts are about to clash.
Luna: Both Duellists of incredible skill, but the heat is on for Flash Sentry. If he loses this Duel, his team will be eliminated.
"Come on Flash," Spike said from were he and Sunburst were watching the Duel. He'd told Sunburst they could go up to the VIP box, but Sunburst had declined. So instead, he'd stayed behind with his teammate.
Up in the VIP box, Flash and Rainbow's friends watched with bated breath.
"I thought Rainbow said she wasn't gonna do this?" Twilight asked.
"Looks like she finally remembered where she put her backbone," Applejack said. She smiled, happy that her rival was finally Duelling with everything she had instead of playing it safe. "Go get-um Dash."
"Oh," Scootaloo said, "this is so hard." Misty turned to her daughter.
"What's up, sweetheart?"
Scootaloo turned back to her. "Who am I supposed to root for? Flash is my brother, but Rainbow's the one who taught me how to Duel." She let out a loud outcry and tussled up her hair. "Which one am I suppose to cheer for!"
Her reaction made everyone around her laugh. "Scootaloo," Twilight said, "I know how you feel. I felt the same way when Flash and Spike Duelled in the Shooting-Star. There's nothing wrong with cheering for both of them."
"Yeah," Applebloom said. "Come on Scoot, let's cheer as loud as we can so they can here us."
Scootaloo smiled, feeling a weight life off her chest. "Alright," she stood up and took a deep breath in. "FLASH! RAINBOW! DO YOUR BEST!" Everyone smiled at this and turned back to the Duel, as Flash took the first move.
"Here I go!" Flash drew his card, "and I summon Flash Wing Magna Pegasus!" A flash of light and the armoured pegasus appeared infront of him. (A1400/D800/L4) "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
"My draw!" Rainbow drew her card and smiled at what she'd gotten. "And I summon Rainbow Wing Red Kestrel!" A tornado exploded infront of her before the red bird of prey flew out of it and floated down beside her. (A1500/D1200/L4) "And when it's summoned, I can summon a level four or below Winged-Beast monster from my hand." She took a card and placed it on the Duel Disk, "descend, Rainbow Wing Blue Falcon!" Another tornado appeared, and out of it appeared a blue giant bird. (A1600/D1400/L4)
Flash frowned, knowing what was coming next.
"Now," Rainbow said as the two birds transformed into lights, "I'll use these two monsters to build the Overlay Network!" They shot into the air as a black hole opened up, flying inside as Rainbow began to chant. "Wings of freedom, descend upon this land and unleash a hurricane of power." The black hole exploded in a burst of light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Rainbow's ace. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold." (A2500/D1500/R4/P7) "And by removing an Overlay Unit, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and summon one Level four or below Winged-Beast to the field." The Xyz Monster crushed its Overlay Unit, as Rainbow drew her cards before picking one. "Come on out, Rainbow Wing Pegasus!" A third tornado appeared before fading to reveal the pony version of Rainbow. (A1800/D1200/L4/P5)
"Bring it on!" Flash taunted, making Rainbow smile.
"You asked for it! Rainbow Wing, show him what a real Pegasus can do!" Her pony spread its wings and flew upwards before shooting downwards, creating a rainbow coloured Sonicboom as it struck Flash Wing.
"Gah!" Flash cried as his monster was destroyed.
Flash: 3600 Rainbow: 4000
"You activated my Trap!" His face down flipped up, "Stardust Draw! Since you destroyed a Light monster with less than fifteen hundred points, I can draw cards equal to its level." He drew four cards.
"Alright," Rainbow told him, "then I'll have Battle Wing attack your directly!" The bird man drew his sword and flew towards the teen, his ATK power increasing due to her pegasus's presence. (A2800/D1500/R4/P7)
"I activate my other Trap!" His card flipped up, "Defence Draw!" A bubble appeared around him, blocking the attack as Flash drew his card.
Rainbow smiled, "I'll my turn by throwing down a pair of face downs and end my turn." Battle Wing's ATK points returned to normal. (A2500/D1500/R4/P7)
Celestia: Flash and Rainbow, both starting off strong.
Luna: Will this high powered Duel continue, or will they run out of tricks before it's over?
"It's my turn!" Flash drew his card. 'For the sake of the team. For Spike and Sunburst, I have to win this.' "I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Magna Caster Ratio and scale nine Nightlight Magna Sheep!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the two monsters flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out and hit the ground, exploding to revel Flash's monsters.
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Activating Ratio's Pendulum Ability!" Flash drew three cards, took one out and shuffled the rest back into the deck before showing Rainbow it was Lightspeed Dragon. "By banishing this card, Magna Bull gains two hundred ATK points for each of its Level stars." Ratio pointed it staff at Magna Bull and fired a blast that hit it, making the robot's power increase. (A2900/D2200/L6/P4) "ATTACK!"
As the bull flew forwards, Rainbow jumped onto her pegasus and took to the skies in search of an Action card. And she soon spotted one on a nearby cloud made lamppost, leaning down to grab it before Magna Bull could strike. But unfortunately, it wasn't that would save her monster. Oh well.
"I activate the Action Spell Air Cushion. I can activate this card whenever one of your monsters attack. It lets me draw one card for every thousand ATK points your monster has." She drew two cards, as Magna Bull punched it Battle Wing in the chest and destroyed it
Flash: 3600 Rainbow: 3600
"Alright," Flash said, "now I'll activate Magna Snake's ability!" The satellite dish around the serpent's neck glowed before firing a ring of light. "Since a Pendulum Monster just destroyed one of your monsters, Magna Snake grants that monster an extra two hundred ATK points and lets it attack again!" Magna Bull leapt through the light right, increasing its ATK power. (A3100/D2200/L6/P4) Then shot towards Rainbow's pegasus.
But while this was happening, Rainbow had spotted a nearby Action Card pocking out of a column of a nearby build. They flew over to it and Rainbow saw it was just what she needed. "Go, Evasion!" Rainbow Wing Pegasus flapped its wings and dodged the fist, as Magna Chimp began to charge forwards.
"Then I'll attack with Magna Chimp! And with his ability, your monster loses one hundred attack and defence points for every card removed from play!" The robot monkey raised its claws before they unleashed a bright light, which blinded Rainbow's pegasus. (A1700/D1100/L4/P5) "And then I'll play the Spell card Lightspeed, to increase Magna Chimp's ATK by one thousand. (A2800/D600/L4/P9)
Rainbow was forced to leap off her monster as Magna Chimp slashed at it, destroying the winged horse.
Flash: 3600 Rainbow: 2500
"Since Magna Snake used its ability, it can't attack. So I'll place one card face down and end my turn." Magna Chimp and Magna Bull's ATK power returned to normal. (A1800/D600/L4/P9) (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
As Rainbow picked herself up, she looked over at Flash and smiled. "What's the matter, buddy? You're looking a little tense."
Flash showed her a serious frown. "This is big for our team. If I lose, that's it for us. Plus, with you as my opponent, I can't let up for a second"
Rainbow just smirked, "well that's your problem. I was in the same boat before, but I'm not giving you any room to breathe." She drew her card. "I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Supporting Filly and scale eight Rainbow Wing Knight Owl!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of her before the two monsters flew up into them, the portal beginning to form above Rainbow's head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out, hitting the ground and revealing her monsters. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold!" (A2500/D1500/R4/P7)
"Rainbow Wing Pegasus!" (A1800/D1200/L4/P5)
"And Shield Wing!" (A0/D900/L2) As these monster took their positions, Rainbow turned to Flash with an almost sad look on her face. "I guess I owe you an apology."
"Huh?" Flash asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I said I wasn't gonna Duel you. But honestly, there wasn't anyone else I wanted to Duel more."
Flash smiled. "It's okay. I know your school is counting on you."
"Yeah," Rainbow nodded, "and I guess I let the pressure get to me. Our school has a reputation to be the best like no one ever was. And when we almost didn't make it into the second round, our principal was being given flack about letting us form a team." She sighed. "Since forming this team was my idea, I felt I was the one responsible for making sure we made it through. That's why I decided to not let my own feeling effect our strategy." She then smiled, "but now..."
In one of the other forth level areas, Soarin had just come across an opponent and challenged them.
The same thing was happening in the third and last area with Gilda, who was already in the middle of a Duel and having little trouble against them.
"Thanks to my teammates, I can Duel however I want." She remembered what Soarin had told her about how a true Wonderbolt doesn't hide from a challenge but does everything in their power to overcome it. He was willing to do the grunt work, so she got to Duel the way she enjoyed.
"Even if I have to beat every single Duellist in this tournament, I'm gonna keep the team going so you can enjoy your Duel."
"I owe it to them to give this Duel everything I have!" She discarded a card, "I activate my Rainbow Wing Knight Owl's Pendulum Ability! With it, can ditch a card from my hand to add a Rank-Up-Magic card to it from my deck." Her deck shuffled before it slotted out a card, which she took before a rainbow coloured tornado exploded around Battle Wing. "GO, Rank-Up-Magic Infinite Spectrum!" The black hole appeared above their heads, which the rainbow tornado flew up into. "With this card, I can Rank-up my Xyz monster into a Spectrum Battle Wing!"
"Oh man!" Flash looked up to see rainbow coloured lightning spark out of the black hole, as Rainbow Dash began to chant.
"Radiant colours of the universe, infuse your powers and give life to your new herald!" The rainbow tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battle field. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado exploded, revealing Rainbow's hyper-evolved Xyz monster. "Spectrum Battle Wing...PRISM BOLT!" (A3000/D2500/R5/P6) "And since Prism Bolt was summoned using Infinite Spectrum, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on your field for every Overlay Unit on him." Prism Bolt raised its wings before the Overlay Unit flew passed them, creating a rainbow beam that flew down and struck Ratio and destroying it.
Celestia: There goes Flash's Pendulum Scale.
Luna: And I get the feeling Rainbow's not done yet.
"Now for Prism Bolt's other ability," Rainbow announced as Prism Bolt crushed its Overlay Unit between its hands before Rainbow Wing Pegasus flew in front of it. "By removing an Overlay Unit, I can lower the ATK power of a monster on your field by the ATK of my Pegasus." Prism Bolt raised its wings before the crystals on them unleashed lightning that was the same colour as the crystals. The fourteen bolts of rainbow lightning wrapped around Pegasus before flying off it and hitting Magna Chimp, electrocuting it.
The robot monkey fell to its knees, as its power was zapped away from it. (A0/D600/L4/P9)
"Now, Prism Bolt, attack Magna Bull!" Prism Bolt took to the skies, while Flash and his monsters rushed off in search of an Action card. Once high enough, it spread its wings and dive-bombed towards Magna Bull while the rainbow trail flew down after it.
Flash looked around, but couldn't find anything that could help him. And a moment later, Rainbow's monster reached his and struck it while causing a bright explosion of light. "WOW!" He cried as he fell backwards, landing in a bush made of clouds.
Flash: 2700 Rainbow: 2500
Rainbow smiled as she leapt up onto her pegasus's back, the winged horse beginning to fly upwards. "Now my Pegasus will attack Magna Chimp!" The pegasus spun around and dive-bombing towards the monkey, a massive smile appearing on Rainbow's face as she flew down with it. "YEEHAW!" This was what she Duelled for. Pure excitement.
Celestia: If this attack lands, Flash will be taking some serious damage.
But before it could land, Flash dragged himself out of the bush. "Sorry, not happening. I activate my Trap, Interception!" The face down flipped up before Magna Snack jumped infront of Magna Chimp, taking the attack head-on and being destroyed.
Flash: 2500 Rainbow: 2500
Luna: Quick thinking. Now, what will Flash do to counter?
Rainbow smiled as she and her Pegasus continued to soar through the air with Prism Bolt and Shield Wing. "Not bad Flash. I end my turn." Magna Chimp's ATK points returned to normal. (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
Flash looked up and watched as Rainbow flew above him, the smile on her face actually putting a smile on his. "Good one. You're going for it." He then pointed up at Rainbow. "You know what. I've always wanted to Duel you like this!" Rainbow smiled back at him, "this is why I love the Double X." But as he said that, he suddenly realised something.
What Cold had told him before.
"I'll be sure to use you when the moment comes. Until then, continue Duelling like you always would."
And what Heath had told him when they Duelled
"Guess you're one of those annoying little pests who've been spying on us." He smirked, "you're such idiots. Thinking you can compete against us. Not a chance."
'Ever since I found out about the Dominators and what Tempest Shadow and the others are up to, I think I allowed that to limit how I played. But here and now, I'm fighting for my teammates...and that's a different story.'
He looked back up at Rainbow. "No more holding back," he drew his card. "Time to go all out, and I'll start with Starburst Reload!" He banished Flash Wing before drawing two cards. "Then I'll set Bright Bounce Magna Bunny into the Pendulum Zone," the pillar of light reappeared before the robot rabbit flew up into it. Seconds later, the portal before to form above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Show us your Reason, Magna Caster Ratio!" (A2000/D1000/L6/P1)
"Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Skill activated!" A portal appeared below Shield Wing and sucked it inside, as Flash leapt up onto Flash Heart's back. "Then I'll activate my Reverse Polarity Spell card, to swap Prism Bolt and Magna Snake's ATK points!" The two monsters glowed as they swapped points. (A1600/D2500/R5/P6) (A3000/D1300/L4/P7) "Attack!" The snake's satellite dish glowed before firing a beam of light towards Prism Bolt.
"That's more like it," Rainbow told him. "I activate my face down, Vortex Guard!" A tornado appeared infront of Prism Bolt and blocked the attack, then moved over to Flash's side of the field and sucked Magna Snake inside.
"What the?" Flash asked as he watched Magna Snake fly out the top of the tornado before transforming back into a card, which flew into his hand. He then watched as the tornado moved back to Prism Bolt and wrapped itself around it. (A2100/D2500/R5/P6) "I get it." He looked down at his ace, "let's go, partner!"
Flash Heart nodded and ignited its engines, blasting the two into the air.
Celestia: Flash's monster army is about to do some serious damage.
Luna: And I don't see any Action Cards in sight. Rainbow might be in trouble here.
Flash Heart reached Prism Bolt and punched at it, breaking through the tornado before hitting it in the stomach. The force of the impact was so strong, it knocked Rainbow's Pegasus off balance and sent the two tumbling to the ground as her monster was destroyed. "Wow!" She cried as she hit the cloud ground.
Flash: 2500 Rainbow: 2100
She then smiled before looking up at Flash, then raised her legs before jumping back up onto her feet. As she brushed off the bits of cloud littering her clothes, she looked up at Flash. "You got me."
Celestia: Wow. This is certainly an intense battle.
Luna: A clash between ace Duellists and great rivals. But there's something else about this Duel.
Celestia: That's right sister. What we're seeing in this Duel is two players are having a blast!
"Glow Claw, attack her Pegasus!" The monkey ran forwards, ready to lower the horses ATK. But before it could reach them, a tornado appeared infront of them and the wind pushed it back.
"Huh?" Flash asked, only to see the cause of the tornado was a familiar tortoise. "Of course. Can't believe I fell for the same trick twice."
Rainbow laughed as she removed the card from her graveyard, giving it her thanks, then leapt onto her pegasus and flew up until she was level with Flash. "Hey, you know the whole fool me saying. This one's on you pal." The two laughed at this.
"Yeah, yeah." He then turned to her, "so I'm guessing you had a reason to not use that effect when I was attacking Prism Bolt. You wanted him destroyed for some reason, didn't you?" But all he got from her was a sly expression.
"Maybe." The two laughed again, the enjoyment clear on their faces
In the stands, Sunburst and Spike were watching.
"He's...laughing?" Sunburst asked.
"Of course," he turned to Spike. "Even if we're competing, this is supposed to be a game. Even if you end up winning the whole thing, what's the point if you're not having fun while doing it."
"Fun?" Sunburst looked down, then pulled out his deck. That's right, the whole reason he'd started Duelling at first was because Starlight enjoyed it. That happiness made him happy, which made him love to Duel. When had he forgotten that?
Oh, that's right. When he'd entered Duel Academy. Everyone there was so focused on becoming the best, that they didn't want to have fun. Over time, due to the pressure to do well, Sunburst's enjoyment of the game had diminished when he started losing.
Spike turned to him and saw he was staring at his cards, having a feeling her knew what he was thinking about.
"I place two cards face down and end my turn."
"It's my turn," but instead of reaching for her deck Rainbow when to her graveyard. "I activate the effect of Infinite Spectrum from my graveyard. Now, instead of drawing this turn, I can add it back to my hand." Flash's eyes went wide hearing this, as the portal began to form above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out, hitting the ground and revealing her monster. "Spectrum Battle Wing, Prism Bolt!" (A2500/D1500/R5/P6) "And since an Xyz monster was summoned other than through an Xyz Summon, I can activate my Overly Charger Trap card!" Her face down flipped up before transforming into a light that began to circle around Prism Bolt. "Now this card can become an Overlay Unit for him."
"So that's why she wanted him destroyed last turn," Flash realised as Prism Bolt was engulfed by a rainbow coloured tornado.
"Now I'll activate my Rank-Up-Magic Infinite Spectrum!" The black hole appeared above their heads, which the rainbow tornado flew up into. "Now I can once again evolve my monster and summon a Spectrum Battle Wing that's one Rank higher!"
Celestia: Incredible! Rainbow's Ranking-Up her monster yet again.
Luna: What kind of mighty beast will she summon?
"Now watch, as the multicoloured forces of the universe clash to give life to this mighty being!" The rainbow tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battle field. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado exploded, unleashing a blinding light. Flash and the crowd tried to look through it, but all they could see was the outline of Rainbow's new monster. The light finally faded, allowing them to see what it looked like. It looked like Prism Bolt, only its armour was much edgier and its wings were a pair of metal bird wings with a giant spinning fan in the centre of each one. It had a large crystal spike pocking out of its chest armour and around its arms were a pair of crystal gauntlets, with three long and sharp crystal claws coming out of them. "Spectrum Battle Wing...BRAVE REFRACTOR!" (A1000/D3000/R6/P5)
Everyone stared in awe at the new monster.
Celestia: Beautiful.
Luna: But it only has a thousand ATK points. It must have some crazy ability to justify that.
Rainbow smirked hearing this. "Since Brave Refractor was summoned using Infinite Spectrum and has two Overlay Units, you have to now shuffle the two weakest monsters on your field back into your deck." Flash frown before removing Ratio and Magna Chimp off of his Duel Disk and placing them back into his deck.
Celestia: Flash's field is suddenly looking a lot less filled.
Luna: But I have a feeling Brave Refractor isn't done yet.
"Attack Magna Bull!" The bird-man spread his metallic wings and shot towards the metal minotaur, confusion Flash until her heard what Rainbow was about to say next. "Then I'll remove one Overlay Unit to activate his ability!" One of the lights flew into the spike on Brave Refractor's chest, causing it to glow red as it raised its gauntlets. "Since he's about to do battle, his ATK points increase by the ATK of the monster he's battling!" Each of its claws began to glow one of the six remaining colours of the rainbow, the light flowing out and extending them until they were twice as long. (A3100/D3000/R6/P5)
Flash's eyes went wide at this and looked around for an Action Card, spotting one on the roof of a nearby building and flew over to grab it. "Go, Fresh Air. This Action Spell gives me an extra three hundred Life Points for every monster on my field." A gentle breeze blew passed his monster and hit him, increasing his Life Points
Flash: 3100 Rainbow: 2100
Seconds later, Brave Refractor slashed Magna Bull with its light claws and destroyed it.
Flash: 2100 Rainbow: 2100
Rainbow smiled, "I end my turn." Brave Refractor's attack returned to normal. (A1000/D3000/R6/P5)
Celestia: Quite an incredible monster.
Luna: Indeed. As long as its got an Overlay Unit, it can become a thousand points stronger then anything it's up against. Flash is gonna need something big to beat it.
"It's my turn!" Flash reached for his deck, "I draw!" The portal began to form above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before two lights shot out and hit the ground, revealing his monsters.
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
Rainbow smiled, having a feeling she knew what Flash was gonna try next. "Flash Heart, attack her pegasus." Okay, that wasn't what she figured was gonna happen.
"You realised Brave Refractor could use its ability when you attack?"
Flash smirked, "you said whenever he battles. Don't think I didn't catch that."
Rainbow smirked back at him before having her horse fly off, as Flash and his monsters followed after her. She eventually reached a large colosseum made of cloud, spotting an Action Card sticking out of one of the pillars. And as Flash got closer, she nabbed the card and activated it. "I play Card Factory. This Action Spell let me use the effect of any card in your graveyard, as long as all its activation requirements are filled. And I think I'll use...your Interception Trap!"
Flash's eyes went wide as he saw Brave Refractor fly infront of her. "Not good."
"Then I'll use his ability!" The last Overlay Unit flew into the chest spike before the rainbow light reappeared, increasing its ATK power. (A3500/D3000/R6/P5) Brave Refractor used his claws to slash at Flash Heart, destroying it and making Flash fall to the ground.
"Yah!"
Flash: 1100 Rainbow: 2100
As he picked himself up, Flash saw the Xyz Monster's ATK power returned to normal. (A1000/D3000/R6/P5) "Alright," he pointed at it, "Magna Bull!" The robot bull-man rocket forwards, Brave Refractor unable to power up again with no Overlay Units, and smashed the Xyz monster into destruction.
"Gah!" Rainbow cried, the force of the impact making her and pegasus crash into the colosseum.
Flash: 1100 Rainbow: 1000
"And since A Pendulum Monster destroyed one of yours monsters, Magna Snake's ability powers him up and lets him attack again!" The serpent fired the light right and Magna Bull rocketed towards it, jumping through as Rainbow tried to search for an Action Card that could save her. (A2300/D2200/L6/P4)
And as she did, she spotted one that must have been in the colosseum and knocked loose as it floated down towards the ground. She and Flash both saw it before shooting each other a glance, then rushed forwards to try and get to it. But despite Rainbow's greater speed, Flash had been closer and managed to reach it first.
"GOT IT!" Flash yelled as he grabbed the card, only to turn it around and see it was a Trap.
Celestia: Oh, Broken Wings! That Action Trap destroys one random monster on Flash's field.
Flash turned to see Magna Bull explode, leaving him with only Magna Snake. "Not good."
Luna: Talk about an unlucky draw. Rainbow must be sighing in relief that she didn't get that card.
Rainbow was, watching as Flash looked through his options. "I place one card face down and end my turn." He did so and took a deep sigh. "I'm okay. Even if she summons Brave Refractor, without any Overlay Units it'll be no match against Magna Snake." He turned to Rainbow, "you're not taking me down so easily.
But Rainbow just smiled as she drew her card, then looked down at her Duel Disk before opening the tab showing the monsters in her graveyard. When she saw Battle Wing, her smile increased. "You've always been there for me, even when I was doubting myself. You helped me find strength when I wasn't sure I had any. Now," the portal began to open, "help me unleash that strength one more time! I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot, exploding to reveal her monster. "Spectrum Battle Wing...BRAVE REFRACTOR!" (A1000/D3000/R6/P5) "And since Refractor was Pendulum Summoned, his ability lets me equip any Wind Attributed Xyz Monster to him as an Overlay Unit."
"What?" Flash asked in shock, as he watched the spirits of Battle Wing and Prism Bolt appear around Brave Refractor before transforming into lights that began to float around it.
Celestia: Incredible! Rainbow managed to summon Brave Refractor back to the field and give it the Overlay Units it needed.
Luna: This might just be the end for Flash.
"Here's to the bonds that last forever!" Rainbow cried out, as she leapt on Pegasus before both monsters flew up into the air.
Flash stared up at Rainbow, 'I can feel it. The strength of Rainbow's bond with her monsters.' That was a strength that not many Duellists had with their cards. It just showed how much loyalty Rainbow could command from the cards, through her strong will and selfless heart. 'This is what the Double X is all about.' "They won't get in the way. They won't destroy it. Not Tempest, none of them. No one!"
Rainbow wasn't sure what he was talking about, but just shrugged it off. "Brave Refractor, attack!" The Xyz monster charged forwards, activating his ability as it did. The chest crystal and its claws glowed, increasing its power by that of Magna Snakes. (A2600/D3000/R6/P5)
Flash looked around, but couldn't spot and Action Card anywhere. So all he could do was watch as Brave Refractor slashed at Magna Snake and destroyed it. "YAH!" He cried as he staggered backwards, his field now empty.
Flash: 100 Rainbow: 1000
"It's been fun Flash," Rainbow cried as her Pegasus shot towards him. "But this ends...NOW!"
"NOT IF I CAN HELP IT!" Flash cried as his face down flipped up, "Beacon of Hope!" He reached for his deck. If he could draw a monster, he'd be safe. If not, he was out. "Here goes!" He drew his card and smiled when he saw what he'd gotten. "Solaris!" The Magna Caster appeared on Flash's field in DEF mode, just before Rainbow's Pegasus struck it.
The Magna Caster was destroyed, but Flash was face as Rainbow and her monsters flew around.
Celestia: He survived it!
Luna: Man, this is what I love about Duelling. Just when you think you know what's gonna happen, something completely out of the blue happens.
Celestia: To true. But with Flash's field empty, how will he fight back.
As Flash looked up at Rainbow, he couldn't help but crack another smile. "This is why I Duel. For awesome matches like this." And he wasn't the only one feeling this great feeling.
In an airport, Tidal was watching the match on TV and smiling as he saw it. "This warms...my...HEART!"
Up in the VIP box, everyone smiled as they watched the Duel.
"Rainbow and Flash are amazing," Fluttershy said. "You can just see they're having the time of their lives out there."
Sunset nodded. "This passion. Truly, it's what Duelling is all about."
Scootaloo began to shake, "man do I really wanna Duel right now."
"Me too," Applebloom agreed.
"And me," Sweetie said. Everyone else in the room began to express their desire to Duel, as they continued watching Flash and Rainbow face off.
Rainbow smirked as she and her monsters flew through the air "Not bad Flash," she placed a card face down. "I end my turn. It's too bad I couldn't finish you off."
"Luck of the draw I guess," Flash drew his card. "Okay, my turn next." The portal began to form above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and two beams of light shot out, striking the ground before taking shape and fading to reveal his monsters.
"Cast your solar spell, Magna Caster Solaris!" (A1200/D600/L3/P8)
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Shine your light of victory one last time, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Flash Heart's skill!" A portal opened up behind Rainbow and unleashed a sucking motion, forcing to girl to jump off her Pegasus as it was banished. Brave Refractor managed to catch her and drop her off on the ground, Rainbow turning to see what Flash would do next.
"I activate Nightlight Magna Sheep's Pendulum Ability!" The light-bulbs on Magna Sheep's armour glowed before unleashing a blast of light, which struck the sky above them and created a vortex. Seconds later, Flash Heart and Solaris were sucked inside. "Now watch as I fuse the unequalled might of a dragon, with the mystic proprieties of a Spellcaster!" The vortex exploded and released a burst of bright light. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
Rainbow stared up at the giant dragon, the smile on her face not even faltering. "Here it comes," she said. "Flash's trump card."
"That might be just what Flash needs," Twilight said. "With Spectral Freezer's ability, he may be able to stop Rainbow from activating any card effects."
"But only if he draws the cards he needs," Shining reminded her.
"Come on honey," Misty preyed for her son.
Flash leapt up onto his dragon's back, as he turned to Rainbow. "Since the Spellcaster used in his summoning was Level three, Spectral Freezer gains three hundred ATK points this turn. (A3300/D2000/L8) "Then I'll activate his ability," Flash reached for his deck.
Rainbow began to get tense, looking down at the face down she'd placed. It was her Mirror Force, which would destroy his monster. But if Flash got a Trap card, it would be made useless. And if he drew a monster, Brave Refractor would be made useless.
Knowing it was unlikely for him to draw three Spell cards, she went off in search of an Action Card.
Flash saw her got and flew after her. "Here's the first card." He drew it and saw it was in Reflection Guard card, "it's a Trap!" Rainbow frowned at this, knowing it was now more important than ever to get and Action Card. "The second card," he drew it and frowned at what he saw.
Celestia: Another Trap.
Luna: To bad. Now he only has one more chance to get the card he needs.
Flash slowly reached for his deck, taking a deep breath before finally drawing his card. Time seemed to slow down as he brought it up to his face to look at it before opening his eyes, smiling as he saw what it was and showed it to the world.
"Shining Fang Magna Wolf!" Sunburst cheered as he saw the card, "that means she can't use her monsters ability." He watched as the dragon's vents opened up and unleashing a freezing cold mist that struck Rainbow's cards and turned them all to icicles. As that happened, he suddenly noticed his outburst and turned to see Spike smiling at him. This made him blush and look away.
Spike smirked as he looked back at the screen. "You know, there was a time I didn't think I was any good as a Duellist either." Sunburst turned to him, wondering why he'd think that when he was such a good Duellist. "But then I met Flash and was inspired by his drive to never give up."
"Err," Sunburst wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"Duelling had the power to respond to the soul," Spike explained. "It can give you courage." He turned to him, a fire blazing in his eyes. "That's what I believe."
Something in Spike's eyes made Sunburst feel something within him, making him turn back to the screen.
Everyone watched as the dragon raised its jet engine cannons and aimed them at its frozen opponent, the fans inside beginning to spin. "GO, DEEP-FREEZE DESTROYER!"
Rainbow had finally found and Acton Card, right as the tornadoes shoot out of the dragons cannons and headed for Brave Refractor. She leapt at the card, managing to grab it and roll onto her knees. She then looked at the card, everyone holding their breath to see what she had gotten.
Finally, she smiled before turning the card around. "You win this time," she said as the card was shown to be a Trap. Seconds later, the tornadoes struck her monster and shattered it before the pieces began to rain down on Rainbow.
Flash: 100 (Winner) Rainbow: 0
Celestia: The winner...FLASH SENTRY!
The crowd exploded as they cheered for the Duellists, who were now shaking hands. There was no doubt in any of their minds that that was one of the best Duels in the tournament.
"Nice work Flash," Rainbow told her.
"You too Dashie," Flash replied. The two let go of each other's hand before fist-bumping.
Rainbow wasn't even sad that she'd lost. She'd given the Duel her all and had no regrets. Actually, she was a little glad since this meant Flash's team wasn't being knocked out and she had the chance to face off against him again. "Soarin, Gilda, I'm leaving the rest to you."
The Double X Tournament's Second round was soon coming to an end. With so few Duellists remaining, it wouldn't be long before those teams made it all the way to the top. But who would those teams be and who would have the points needed to get through to the final round?
The Double X's second round had finally come to an end, though there was a slight complication. Only three teams had made it through, with all the other teams being eliminated.
Celestia: Incredible. The second round has come to an end and only three teams have made it through.
Luna: And those teams are-
The megascreen changed to show the top floor, where four people were standing. They were Tempest, Soarin, Gilda and Flash, three out of four of them looking confused about what would happen now that they were missing a team.
Luna: Team Dominator!
Celestia: Team Wonderbolts!
Both: And team V-Fighters!
Celestia: These three teams may now head to the final round.
The crowd cheered loudly as they applauded the three teams, many of them finding one of them as the team they wanted to get through. However, the megascreen suddenly switched off and a spotlight appeared. It illuminated the stage where Cold was currently standing
"However," he spoke up, "the final of the Double X was...designed to take place with four teams." This caused the crowd to all murmur, wondering how they were gonna fill that last spot since all the other teams had been eliminated. "Therefor, by tournament rules, we must pick a fourth from one of the eliminated teams."
To say this announcement shocked the stadium would be an understatement. Many of the teams that had been eliminated turned to one another, wondering if they just might be able to earn that last spot.
Cold turned to the Celestic Sister, "ladies." They nodded before stepping up to the stage.
Celestia: Yes, it has been decided that two teams will be chosen to take place in a playoff match to determine who will fill that last spot.
Luna: And how do we pick these two teams you ask? Simple, the two teams with the highest point total at the time of their elimination will be the ones to compete.
Celestia: And those teams are...
The megascreen switched back on and showed the image of the first team competing, as they had the higher of the two scores. Applejack, Rarity and Big Mac appeared onscreen.
Celestia: Team Applejewel!
"YEEHAW!" Applejack screamed as she jumped up.
"Oh," Rarity clapped, "this is just wonderful."
"Eeyup!" Mac agreed before they all turned back to the screen, as the second team was shown.
Luna: And their opponents...
The screen changed to show a team that didn't expect to see themselves since they had been eliminated quite early in the round. Twilight, Sunset and Fluttershy.
Luna: Team Tidal Maidens!
"I don't believe it," Fluttershy gasped before smiling.
"Well believe it," Sunset told her. "Looks like the other teams that were eliminated after us didn't get enough points before then." She turned to Twilight, "isn't this great Twilight?"
The glasses-wearing teen turned to her teammate before smiling. "It sure is." She turned looked over at her team's opponents, the three shooting them a bunch of smirks. "You guys better watch out, cause we're giving this playoff everything we've got."
"Same ear," Applejack replied. "Ya'll better bring ya'h A game, cause we ain't goin down easy." The others nodded in agreement before they turned back to the field.
Celestia: With that, the second round is over. The playoff match will take place several days before the finals begin. Until then, we hope to see you again.
Two days later.
If you asked Flash where he expected to spend the few days between the second round and playoff, a luxury beach resort would be at the very bottom of that list. But here he was with his team, alongside team Wonderbolts, Tidal Maidens, Applejewel, Crusaders, Misty, Cold, Shining, Cadance, Flurry and Tidal.
The crescent moon shaped beach was on private land, surrounded by thick woodland and mountainside. It was the perfect place to go where no one would both you."
"Hermosa!" Tidal cheered as he spun around on the sand, dressed in nothing but light green swimming trunks. "This beach is fantástica. The perfect place to rest and recharge after a hard round of Duelling." He looked over at the large beach front mansion, which was where the lot of them were staying and saw everybody else step out onto the deck in their swimwear.
"It sure is impressive," Spike said as he and Sunburst stepped onto the beach. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm feeling like celebrating."
"But why are we here anyway?" Flash asked before turning to Applejack's and his girlfriend's teams, "you guys have that playoff match to focus on. You really think now is a good time to be slacking off?"
Cold stepped up to him. "This is a special treat for the finalists. A way to make sure you're all well rested for the finals. Team Dominator declined the invitation, so we offered it to the two playoff teams. Plus we had some extra space, so I offered to bring the finalists family."
"Oh," Flash said as Twilight stepped up next to him.
"Honestly, I could use a bit of a break. If anything, it'll mean we're well-rested and not so uptight when the finals come."
Flash nodded, but suddenly felt and arm wrap around his neck. "Besides," he turned to see Tidal was the one holding him, "this is the perfect place to have a little chat with you about something important."
"What?" Flash asked in confusion, only for Tidal to let him go and jump infront of him.
He pointed a finger right in Flash's face. "You're going to tell us what you know about the Dominators!" Flash's eyes went wide, along side Misty's while Cold frowned.
"Dominators?" Rainbow asked in confusion, "what about them?" The rest of the group all looked confused as well, all eyes suddenly landing on Flash.
The teen looked around and saw he was being stared at, feeling like a specimen under a microscope. He then turned to Cold and his mother, mentally asking what they should do. But before Cold could answer, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Shining looking at him.
"Same with you," he told him.
Cadance nodded as she and Flurry stepped up to him, "we know you've been busy taking action behind the scenes. Especially when Misty suddenly reappeared while Grand disappeared."
"What are you hiding?" Shining asked.
Cold and he locked eyes for several seconds before eventually sighing, "alright. We'll tell you everything."
"Hey," Soarin spoke up, "what's all this about?" Tidal then turned to him.
"It's something very few would believe. But I get the feeling you're one of those few." He turned towards a nearby peer and motioned everybody over, "come on." They headed onto that peer, where a bunch of comfy sofas laid and sat down. Once they were settled, Flash, Cold and Misty told them everything.
"And that's about it," Flash finished his story. He looked around and saw looks of shock, amazement, anger and several others on everyone's faces.
"More like the fusions of human and Duel Spirits," Misty explained. "The two spirits combined their energies, creating a new spirit that has both of their memories but only has the Duel Monster's beliefs."
Twilight turned to Flash, "so Heath is actually-"
"Flaming Emperor Hellfire," Flash finished. "And the Duel Spirit controlling Tempest is Storm King Dominator."
"What about Starlight?" Sunburst asked. He could hardly believe what Flash was saying, but given his friend's sudden personality shift and the images Tempest showed him, he had to accept it was the truth.
Flash frowned, "I don't know. I'm only able to really see what the Duel Spirit is when they play the card. I haven't actually been there during any of Starlight's Duels, so I haven't been able to tell if any of her cards are the ones controlling her. However, Sombra did say that many Duel Spirits have felt the connection to their Duellists be cut. He may have been talking about her Celestial Spirit monsters."
"I see," Sunburst hoped the Celestial Spirits weren't the ones controlling her. He had given her Leo, which lead to her gathering the other cards, so if it was one of them then it was his fault she ended up like this. "Starlight."
Everyone else who had Duelled Tempest or her teammates all thought back to when they were shown those images, the pieces now fitting into place. Flash then turned to Tidal, "so what did you find out."
"Not much," the water Duellist replied. "I started looking into Moondancer's background and learned she only started coming out of her shell about a year ago, just after the time of the Shadow Gate incident."
"When the rest of the Dominators came here," Cold caught on.
"Yes," Tidal nodded, "I didn't know exactly what happened to her then but I knew it had to be something to do with Duel Monsters. But to think that she was a...Soulinked Duellist-" Flash nodded, saying he got it right. "This whole time, it's not what I was expecting." The others all nodded, now knowing the truth.
"So what exactly is Tempest's goal?" Sunset asked.
"We're not sure about the specifics," Cold replied. "But from what Flash told us about what his team saw, it seems that she wants to destroy our world before we do it ourselves and destroy their world in the process. A plan they're calling Operation Omega Zenith." Everyone shivered at the sound of that.
"Hang on," they all turned to Twilight as she stood up. "Listen, before we get carried away, not all the Soulinked Duellists are apart of this."
"She's right," Flash agreed. "Heath doesn't have a clue what they're up to."
Twilight nodded, "and he was the one who replaced Moondancer."
"And she absolutely loved Duelling," Tidal finished. "I have no doubt that if she had discovered Tempest's plans, she would have refused to be apart of it. Moondancer...and Saltalunam were wonderful Duellists. And more than that, they were our amigos." Everyone nodded in agreement, as Cold stood up.
"If the final round, we need to try and discover what Operation Omega Zenith entails." His gaze then turned hard, "but let me reassure you, that no matter what they're trying to pull off...THEY WILL NOT DESTROY THE DOUBLE X! WE WILL NOT ALLOW IT!"
Shining nodded as he too stood up, "you should all continue in the tournament as if nothing is wrong. Stay focused on achieving the goals you've set for yourselves."
Cold nodded, "the Double X will be safe."
"Under our protection," Shining finished. The many teams all stood up and nodded, knowing they were right. They weren't gonna let these Dominators ruin the game they loved. They all planned on winning it, Duel Spirits be darned.
"And I'm gonna beat Tempest Shadow!" Flash announced to the whole group. "She's already managed to beat me twice. Well, not this time! This time she's gonna pay for it." Everyone nodded, getting a feeling that Flash might end up being the one to ultimately beat Tempest. But even after saying that, Twilight sauntered over to him with a curious look on her face.
"By the way," she asked in a tone that suddenly put her boyfriend on edge. "Can I check something with you?" She suddenly shot her face towards his until they were but inches apart, the scowl on her face showing him he was in trouble. "How long have you known about all this Dominator stuff and kept it from us!?"
"Err," Flash's whole body shock in fear as he thought back. "Well...I guess it's been since the end of the first round." Twilight's scowl intensified before she reached up and grabbed his ear, making him cry out in pain as she started pulling him towards the end of the peer. "Hey, ow ow ow ow ow!"
Everyone else watched as they reached the very end, the saw Twilight use an insane level of strength to toss him into the water. He cried out and he hit it with a loud splash. "Ah," Cadance sighed, "young love."
Flash's head broke out of the surface, the teen spluttering out water before he turned to Twilight. "Am I forgiven?" He asked her, watching her scowl remain on her face for several seconds. It then morphed into a smile before she leapt into the water, right on top of him and pushing him back under for a second.
A good portion of the teens rushed to the end of the peer and started leaping off of it, Rarity, Gilda and Mac being the only ones staying on dry land, then began splashing around in the water or whatever else they found fun. Cadance and Shining were trying to show Flurry the basics of swimming, though the infant refused to let go of her inflatable duck ring.
Rarity, Gilda and Misty sat on deckchairs, Rarity and Misty appearing to be sunbathing while Gilda was relaxing with an umbrella protecting her from the sun. Mac and Cold were sitting at a table, drinking ice drinks.
After about an hour of fun, the teens headed back ashore and found Tidal coming out of the mansion. "Hey, Tidal." Spike rushed over to him. "You know if there's any watermelon in the fridge. We wanna spit the pips." But the look on the man's face made them begin to worry.
"Sorry amigos, but there's been a hitch."
"What kind of a hitch?" Twilight asked. Five seconds later, every tree in the forest shook at the vibrations coming off the teens saying the exact same thing. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NO FOOD!"
Soon enough, everyone was surrounding Tidal as he frowned. "I just got off the phone with the people that own this beach. They were gonna send supplies here by boat, but it broke down so they can't get here for the delivery or to even pick us up."
"Can't they use another boat?" Gilda asked, to which Tidal shook his head.
"So you're saying we're stuck on this beach with nothing to eat and barely anything to drink?" Flash asked, Tidal's nodding making everyone grow worried.
"But don't worry," Tidal assured them. "It seems the people that own the place left some stuff just in case this happened." He rushed inside, everyone expecting him to bring out some kind of emergency rations, only for him to return holding several wicker baskets, a pair of large water jugs and fishing rods. "Here," he placed them down, "with these we can gather our own food."
"Seriously?" Everyone asked in shock, as Tidal pulled out a hat with several pieces of paper inside.
"Alright," he shuffled the papers around, "we'll draw to see who does what. We have fishing, hunting, collecting fruits and vegetables or...whatever. Everyone come on up and grab your assignment." They all sighed but did as they were told, one by one taking out a piece of paper and seeing what job they'd gotten. Once they saw what they had, they headed out.
In the woods, Twilight was looking at a map showing the quickest and safest route towards a waterfall where they would be able to fill the jugs. "It looks like we're going the right way."
"Great," her partner replied, "because I'm not sure how much longer I can carry these things." She rolled her eyes and looked back to see Flash with the water jugs strapped to his back.
"Don't go complaining yet," she told him. "You still have to carry them all the way back once they're full." She heard him moan, which made her smile.
"Is this punishment for not telling you."
"A little. Also because this might help you build that six-pack I've been hoping you'd get."
"Seriously?" Flash asked, "what makes you think I'll get a six-pack by carrying water jugs. Why'd you even want me to have one?"
"Cadance is always going on about how she has the hunkiest other half. I'd love to rub my own in her face."
Flash sighed, "Girls." With that, he continued to follow her into the woods. As he did, he wondered how the others were doing."
In another part of the forest, Sunburst, Spike and Fluttershy were out gathering fruits and vegetables. Each of them was carrying a wicker basket on their backs.
"Remember to watch where you're stepping," Sunburst told his team. But seconds later, he felt himself step on something. He looked down as saw he's stepped on some kind or red hose, then followed it into a bush before noticing a pair of bright yellow eyes.
He and Spike froze in fear at the sight of a giant snake coiling out of the bushes, while Fluttershy smile at it. "Oh, hello little guy." But before she could step towards it, the boys grabbed her by the arm and rushed off screaming. The snake tilted its head in confusion, wondering where its new friends were going.
Back on the beach, Rainbow, Soarin, Applejack, Gilda and Mac had moved over to the edge were a rock-pool could be found.
There, they planned on finding some crabs and shrimp. Rainbow and Applejack were carrying buckets while Soarin and Mac had nets and plastic shoves. Gilda meanwhile, was still on the beach looking bored. "This is so lame," she said.
"It'd be a lot less lame if ya'h came help ya'h know," Applejack told her.
Gilda frowned, "you can't tell me what to do."
"Come on Gilda," Rainbow told her as Soarin scooped up another crab. "What, you scared?"
"OF COURSE NOT!" Gilda grabbed a bucket she'd been given and stepped onto the rocks, but slipped a few feet in and fell into the water. "YAH!" She cried as she started splashing in panic, surprising the others as they rushed over to her.
They then stopped when they realised something, "Gilda!" The girl didn't seem to notice her, still panicking. Rainbow then jumped in and landed next to her, Gilda finally noticing her and also noticing he water didn't even go up to her knees.
"Oh," Gilda suddenly went red-faced.
Applejack jumped in next to her, "ya'h can't swim...can ya'h?"
Gilda's face went even redder, "would you believe me if I said I was just messing with you guys?"
"Nope," Mac replied. This made Gilda sigh as she dropped her head, knowing her secret was out.
Back at the mansion, Rarity, Misty, Tidal, Cadance and the Crusaders were busy preparing everything for when the others returned.
"Alright," Rarity said once the BBQ was lit, "that should do it."
"This is gonna be a breeze," Sweetie said as she and Applebloom brought some plates and glasses out.
"We definitely lucked out," the youngest Apple agreed.
Further down the beach, Cadance, Tidal, Mac and Scootaloo were listening to Misty as she explained the best way to build a bonfire. "Are you sure this is gonna work?" Cadance asked as she and Tidal placed the log the way Misty suggested.
"Of course," the older woman replied. "You don't spend two decades in the Duel Monster Spirit without picking up a few survival trips."
"Cool," Scootaloo placed the log down before turning to her mother, "what else did you learn?" This made Misty smile as she patted her daughter's head.
"Quite a bit, but let's focus on the bonfire for now." Scootaloo nodded and got back to work, while Misty turned to the forest. "I just hope the others find us something to eat."
Over on another peer, Shining, Cold and Sunset were fishing.
As the three sat down and waited for a bit, Cold turned to Shining. "Why are we doing this? We could have just used the emergency rations."
Shining laughed, "I guess we're not really in a state of emergency."
"Speak for yourself," Sunset said as she looked down to see if any fish were swimming nearby. "I thought I'd escaped the seafood life."
Cold sighed, "we're letting Tidal take this too far."
"Where's the harm," Shining then shot him a grin. "But for now, let's see who can catch the biggest fish. I bet it's me."
Cold met his grin with his own, "don't be so sure." Lightning sparked between the two, "the challenge is on."
Sunset sighed, "boys."
"We found it," Twilight smiled as she and Flash arrived at the waterfall. It was feeding a large pool, the edge of which Flash dunked the jugs before collapsing onto his knees.
"At last!" He literally dunked his head into the water and started drinking it. This made Twilight roll her eyes and she picked up the jugs and started filling it. Once it was full, she turned towards Flash but saw he was gone from where he'd been before.
"Flash?" She looked around, but couldn't see him anywhere. But before she could get worried, she heard his voice echo through the trees.
"YAHOOOOO!" She turned to see Flash swinging through the air on a vine, eventually let go as he was above the water and splashed into it. Twilight hadn't been expecting this, so hadn't been expecting a massive blast of water fly out the pool and land on top of her.
"FLASH!" She cried as she began to shiver, turning back towards the pool just in time to see Flash's head break the surface before he swam over to the edge.
"Come on in," he told her. "The water's great."
"No chance," she told him. "Besides, we're supposed to get the water back to the others."
"It'll be okay if we spend a little while here," he pulled himself out of the water and stepped over to her. "Besides, if they ask what took us so long we'll say we got lost."
"And make them think I can't read a map? No way." But then she saw him give her a smirk.
"I'm not giving you a choice." And before she could ask what he was talking about, he suddenly picked her up bridal style and ran over to the edge.
"NO!" But it was too late, Flash jumped into the water with her in his arms. They remained under for about five seconds before Twilight wiggled out of his arms and swam up to the surface. She took a massive gasp of air once she was freed and swam towards the edge, pulling herself up as she heard Flash laughing.
She looked around, now sitting on the edge with her legs still in the water, as Flash pulled himself up by his arms right infront of her. "You're a jerk," she told him. Flash smiled back before pushing his head forwards, the two locking lips and beginning to make out for several long seconds.
They eventually had to pull apart, damn need of oxygen, and smiled at one another before Twilight reached up and poked her finger into his forehead. With a little shove, she pushed him back so he lost grip of the edge and fell back into the water. Twilight laughed before dipping back into it, the two beginning to swim around one another.
They eventually swam close together, Flash placing his hands on her hips and pulling her into another kissing session whilst they floated under the waterfall. They didn't seem to notice the water splashing onto them, too focused on one another as they made up for lost time spent on the Double X.
Eventually, they pulled apart and looked into one another's eyes. "I am sorry about not telling you about all this. It's just...with everything that's happened to you, I didn't want you to have to deal with something like this."
Twilight frowned for a second, "I understand. But we're a team, always have been. If something becomes a problem for you, it's a problem for me. Besides, you should have known I'd want to know about who Moondancer really was. It wouldn't have changed how I saw her, or my decision to compete in the Double X. So from now on, promise me you'll tell me about this stuff."
Flash nodded, "I promise." They shared one more quick kiss, "so...am I forgiven."
Twilight smiled back at him, "I guess. As long as you don't do it again."
After finally getting away from the snake, though Fluttershy told them it wasn't chasing them, she, Sunburst and Spike found themselves outside a cave that looked like it went underground beneath one of the mountains.
"Look at this place," Spike gawked at it. "It's huge," he then smiled. "I bet we'd find some really great food in there."
"Like what?" Sunburst asked, "you telling me you usually eat rocks and gems?"
"Don't be silly," Spike said as he began to step inside. "But I bet this place is hiding something amazing."
"I don't know Spike," Fluttershy told him. "What if we get lost?"
"We'll just go in as far as we can see the exit, then if we don't find anything we'll come back out." He continued inwards, Sunburst sighing as he followed with a quivering Fluttershy doing the same. They carefully made their way down the slope until they reached the bottom and headed inwards, only to stop when they suddenly caught sight of hundred of red lights. "W-what's that?" Spike asked as Fluttershy tried to hide behind Sunburst.
The bespectacled teen pulled out a flashlight Tidal had given them and switched it on, pointing it up at the ceiling and showing that the lights were actually eyes. The owns, a heck tone of black bats. "AAAAAHHHHH!" Spike and Sunburst cried before they ran out the cave, Fluttershy staying behind and smiling up at them. "Hello there. Sorry for intruding." The bats let out a calm squeak, showing they weren't going to attack.
Sunburst and Spike both panted as they finally came to a stop, the two holding their sides due to split pains. "Serious, why do we keep running into killer animals?" Sunburst asked.
"Just bad luck I guess," Spike replied.
"Maybe," Sunburst finally stood up straight, "guess it's better to use up all our bad luck now before the finals."
Spike nodded as he turned to him, "are you okay with all this? I know finding out your friend is possessed can be a lot to take in, I know from experience."
Sunburst frowned, images of Starlight flashing before his eyes. "I admit finding that out was a shock, but I'm glad I know." He looked up to the skies, "I was amazed when I learned she was in the Double X. I always knew she'd make it big in the Duelling world, so I was looking forward to facing off against he like I promised. But when I saw how different she was, I was hurt. When she said I wasn't anything special, it crushed me. She'd always been my main inspiration, so hearing her say that made me lose all my drive." He turned back to Spike, "but now that I know the truth I know that wasn't really Starlight. Now that I know that, I won't let her words get to me. I'll keep fighting until I beat her and knock whatever spirit's controlling out of her body."
Spike smiled, nodding at him. "And I'll help you in any way I can."
"Thanks," Sunburst smiled, "she may have beaten me before. But next time...I'm gonna crush her."
Back at the rock pool, the others were back on the hunt while Gilda remained on the beach.
Since she couldn't swim, they'd elected that Gilda keep an eye on the creatures they'd caught to make sure they didn't go bad in the sun or get sand on them.
"Got it," Soarin pulled another crab out of the water before dunking it in Applejack's bucket.
"Nice one partner," Applejack moved over to the edge of the rocks and gave the bucket to Gilda.
As Soarin put his net back in the water, he thought back to what he'd learned earlier. "I still can't believe it. All those Duel Monsters, Dominating people."
"Yeah," Rainbow agreed, "it is kinda weird."
"A'h know a'd hate to have ma'h body stolen," Applejack said. "That's why we gotta do what we can to free those being controlled."
"Eeyup."
"But...can we?" Soarin asked.
Rainbow nodded. "Cold said they just had to be beaten a few times. We can do that. Heck, you managed to beat Starlight."
Soarin smiled, "yeah you're right."
"Who cares if they're from another world," Gilda said from the shore. "We'll take them down and win this competition."
"Not if we beat them first," Applejack told them.
"Eeyup!" Mac agreed while lifting out another crab.
"I think that's enough," Rainbow told them. "Let's get back." The others nodded and began to make their way back to the mansion.
Back on the peer, the fishers had managed to catch only a few small fish.
As they did this, Sunset turned to look at Cold. The man glanced over at her, making her look away. "What is it?" He asked her. "You wanna say something, so what is it?"
Sunset sighed, "why didn't you tell me about all this? If I had known-"
"You wouldn't have been able to enjoy the Double X," Cold finished for her. "After everything I put you and the others through, I was hoping I wouldn't need to bother you with it. I was quite surprised to find you entering on your own."
"You can thank Twilight for that." Sunset looked up at the sun, "but I still wish you'd have told me. You know I'll always be there to help you when you need it."
"The same goes for me," Shining said. "I don't know what the Dominators have planned, but I know it's gonna cause problems for Duellists. I won't let that happen. I'll make sure to keep this game alive, for the future generations to come." He smiled as he remembered an image of Flurry playing with Duel cards, no doubt one day going to become just as great a Duellists as the rest of her family. "I won't let my daughter live in a world without this amazing game."
Cold and Sunset both smiled, Sunset then turning to the men. "Hey guys, I know things have gotten quite complicated, but the Double X is still a gateway to becoming a professional isn't it?"
"It sure is," Shining assured her. "There's a lot of scouts coming to watch the finals."
"Good," Sunset told them. "Because I'm gonna become a pro, and help spread the joys of Duelling across the world." Cold and Shining both smiled at his, only for Sunset to suddenly feel a pull on her line. "WOW!" She pulled back on it, "I think I've got something." She tried to pull back, but whatever it was was strong.
Shining rushed over to help her while turning to Cold. "Quick, get the net's ready. The nets!"
"Huh?" Cold looked around, "what nets?" Sunset and Shining felt a tug that almost pulled them into the water, but Cold managed to grab them and pull them back. After a few more seconds, whatever had the line finally jumped out of the water and revealed itself to be a fish that was almost as big as them.
Back in the woods, Fluttershy, Spike and Sunburst had all found an area with a bunch of fruit growing off the trees.
"These look delicious," Fluttershy said as she picked on and placed it into the basket. "We should pick a whole bunch of them."
Spike and Sunburst meanwhile, had spotted a caterpillar on one of the trees and was staring at it. "You know," Spike said. "I heard worms were a great source of protein."
"Yes," Sunburst replied, "and?"
Spike smirked at him, "go ahead and try one." This made Sunburst frown at him.
"You eat it first." Spike laughed before they heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes, the three of them turning to see a bunch of little brown piglets rushing out of them.
"Wow," Spike awed, "baby boars."
Fluttershy's eyes began to sparkle, "aren't they the cutest thing?" She knelt down as they came up to her, beginning to pet them whilst Spike and Sunburst got an idea.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sunburst asked, turning to Spike and seeing him smile.
"Boar hotpot?" This statement made Fluttershy freeze up before turning to them, a look of terror in her eyes.
"We can't!" But the sinister smiles on the boy's faces showed they wouldn't be stopped. But before they could act on their plan, the bushes rustled once again.
They turned around, only to see a fully grown boar step out. Its eyes showed great fury as it snorted while scraping its hoof along the ground. "Uh oh!" Spike cried, "that the momma!"
"She ain't happy!" Sunburst cried. The beast let out a roar before charging, the two boys turning on their heel to leg it away as fast as they could.
All Fluttershy could do was watch as they ran, baby boar still in her arms, and smile at the just desserts.
Back at the waterfall, Flash and Twilight had decided to head back with completely filled water jugs in hand.
Twilight had decided to actually carry one of them, as they made their way through the woods. And as they did, Flash smiled. "It's funny, isn't it."
"What is?" Twilight asked.
"Just how much things can change in such a short time." He looked up at the skies. "When you went to France and Rainbow went to Cloudsdale, I was starting to lose all my enthusiasm. I felt like all the friends I'd made were starting to drift away." Twilight frowned hearing this. "But when I learned about the Double X, not only did my bonds seem to return but they also strengthened. And I got to forge new bonds with people I'd never have got the chance to meet."
Twilight's frown was replaced with a smile. "Duelling really is an amazing thing. It's what connects so many people around the world."
Flash nodded, "and not just our world. It's what connects us to the Duel Monsters we use." He frowned and looked up at the sky, "Tempest only sees the game as us abusing their power. But she doesn't understand the bonds we share with our cards. We're not just using them as weapons. We're fighting side by side, as partners."
"As friends," Twilight finished. The two turned to one another and smiled before Flash looked serious.
"I don't know what Tempest has planned, but I won't let her destroy the game I love. Duelling's brought so many great things into my life and I won't let it disappear. I don't care how strong they are, I won't allow the Dominators to destroy it."
Twilight nodded. "And I'll be there, helping you. Even if we end up going against one another in the finals, let's give it our all so no matter who the winner is, they'll be ready to take the Dominators down."
Flash nodded back, taking her hand in his as they continued walking. But in that moment, a loud scream made them turn to see Spike and Sunburst leap out the bushes infront of them before running passed. Seconds later, a giant boar could be seen giving chase. To say the two were confused would be an understatement.
Later.
Once everyone was back at the mansion, they got to work preparing the food.
Soon enough, everything was ready and the army of mouths began to dig in. "Hmm," Cadance moaned before turning to her husband. "Great work honey. This fish is delicious."
"Thanks," Shining replied from the grill. "But Sunset was the one who caught it."
"It was nothing," Sunset replied. Despite the effort she'd used to catch it, she had yet to try the fish. She'd had enough of that type of food to last a lifetime.
"This fruit is so good," Tidal cried as he took another bite of the fruit Fluttershy had brought back on her own. The girl smiled as she ate her own piece of fruit, whilst Rainbow, Applejack, Soarin, Mac and Gilda enjoyed some freshly caught crab.
As Spike finished his shrimp, he turned to Flash. "So what's the plan for after we've finished?"
Flash smirked, "you have to ask?" He quickly gobbled down the stuff on his plate before putting it down and pulling out his Duel Disk. Everyone smiled before doing the same, ready to have some real fun.
"DUEL!"
All over the beach, multiple monsters began to appear. "Guess whose gonna win the final stage?" Sunburst asked as his magician charged towards Spike's monster, "ME!"
"I FUSION SUMMON!" Soarin cried as Grand Convoy appeared, then charged towards Gilda and Zephyr Blitz.
"Watch out Dominators!" Rainbow cried as Battle Wing Gold appeared before her, then charged at Orchard Cowboy. "Cause I'm taking you all down!"
"GO!" Fluttershy cried as her dragon charged towards Bountiful Maiden of Grand Bloom.
"ATTACK!" Sunset yelled as her phoenix attacked Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir.
"I won't stop," Twilight announced as her Warlock appeared. "Not until I've reached the very top!" The wizard fired a blast at Soveruin, Tidal smiling as it did.
"That struck my...HEART!"
"I PENDULUM SUMMON!" Flash cried as his ace appeared on the field. "HERE I COME!" He announced as Flash Heart attacked Wild Rush Raptor, Gem-Knight Lady and Cyber Handyman, "THE FINAL ROUND!"
That night.
As the sun began to set, the adults got to work lighting the bonfire. Once it was ablaze, everyone enjoyed staring at the flames as they flickered and danced in the air.
As the watched, they couldn't help but look back on the day they'd had and the decision they'd all made to finally stop the Dominators. No matter what, these Duel Spirits would not be allowed to go unchecked. They would defeat them and save those whose bodies had been stolen. Because whether they believed it or not, Duelling was not a weapon. It was what connected everyone to each other, no matter the dimension.
And no matter what, they would not allow it to be destroyed.
The crowd was roaring as they found their seats in the Freeze Stadium, everyone staring down at the field as the Celestic Sisters came onstage.
Both: HELLO CANTERLOT!
Celestia: The time has finally come for the Double X's playoff match.
Luna: Which team will earn the final spot in the final round. Let's meet our young hopefuls. First, team Applejewel!
Applejack, Rarity and Mac stepped out onto the Duel Field, the three ready to do whatever it took to win this match.
Celestia: And their opponents, Team Tidal Maidens!
Twilight, Fluttershy and Sunset stepped out from the opposite side. Up in the VIP box, Tidal was holding a large banner up for them. "GO GO AMIGOS!"
The two teams met in the centre of the field. "Good luck today Twilight," Applejack told her.
Twilight smiled, "you too. But don't expect to be heading to the finals. We're not letting this chance pass us by."
"Don't count us out yet darling," Rarity replied. "We don't have any intention of losing either."
"Nope."
Sunset smirked. "Guess that's enough trash talk."
"So it's time for action," Fluttershy said with amazing confidence. The six all shook hands before stepping backwards, as the Celestic Sisters continued.
Celestia: With that, it's time to get this Duel started.
Luna: Time to explain the rules of this playoff. This is a team Duel, where each team will share a single Duel Field. They will also take it in turns to Duel.
Celestia: One Duellist shall Duel until the end of their opponent's next turn, then their teammate will go next. Any card that is left by the previous Duellist may be used by their teammates during their turn. However, there can be no sharing of strategies.
Luna: Any Action Card found can only be wielded by the Duellist currently Duelling. In addition, the teams will share a total of eight thousand Life Points. They'll also share Graveyards and Extra Decks.
"Meaning the teams have access to any card their teammates used as if it's theirs," Cadance realised.
Soarin began to catch on. "And they can Pendulum Summon Pendulum Monsters that were destroyed."
"This match is really gonna test their skills," Flash said. "It'll also test their teamwork."
Misty nodded. "And whoever has the best teamwork, will likely be the ones going through."
"Come on Twilight!" Spike cheered.
"Go get'um Applejack," Applebloom cheered. "You too Mac!"
"You can do it Rarity!" Sweetie almost squeaked.
Celestia: Now it's time to see where this playoff will be taking place.
Luna: We've prepared a special Action Field for this match.
She held up a remote and pressed the button.
Suddenly the floor beneath their feet began to shine as it projected the Duel Field, as a robotic female voice said. "AUGMENTED REALITY COMBAT SYSTEM ENERGISED."
In the blink of an eye, the two teams suddenly found themselves in a desert. They looked around and saw a bunch of different famous monuments, most of which her half-buried under the sand.
Celestia: Monument Desert. How will our competitors navigate this sandy field?
Luna: Only one way to find out. Our both teams ready?
The Applejewels and Tidal Maidens nodded before they took out their Duel Disks, strapped them to their arms and activated them.
Celestia: Then in three!
Luna: Two!
All: ONE!
"DUEL!"
Applejewel: 8000 Tidal Maidens: 8000
"ACTION CARDS DISPERSED!"
"Ah'll take the first move," Applejack drew her card. "And ah'll start by settin the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Stag of Great Seedling and scale seven Apple Fairy!" The columns of light appeared beside her team before the two monsters flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of vic-tree!" The portal began to form above her, "A'H PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, revealing her monsters. "Vine Maiden!" (A1000/D1000/L3) "And Apple-Buck Pony!" (A1800/D1200/L4/P5) "And since Apple-Buck Pony was special summon, she lets me look at the top five cards of ma'h deck and summon any Apple monsters." She drew her cards and smiled before taking one out. "A'h summon Red Apple Golem!" The red apple with arms and legs appeared beside her other monsters. (A1300/D1500/L4) "And when Red Apple Golem is summoned, a'h can add Green Apple Golem to ma'h hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took before summoning to the field. (A1400/D600/L4)
Celestia: Applejack appears to be setting up the field with an army of monsters.
Luna: Just where will she go from here?
"Now a'm using Apple Fairy's Pendulum Ability!" The fairy waved her wand, causing Vine Maiden to glow. "With this, a'h pick a monster and make every other monster's Level the same as it." The light flew off the maiden and onto the other, changing their Levels. (A1800/D1200/L3/P5) (A1300/D1500/L3) (A1400/D600/L3)
"They're all Level three," Twilight realised.
"That ain't good," Sunset agreed.
"Now," Applejack announced as her monsters glowed, "with these three monsters a'h build the Overlay Network." The monsters shot into the air and then flew into the black hole as it appeared below her. "As the seasons bring forth new growth, it can also bring forth a new power!" The black hole exploded in a burst of light, "A'H XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded revealing AJ's Xyz monster. "Orchard Cowboy!" (A2100/D600/R3) "A'h place one card face down and end ma'h turn."
Celestia: What a move!
Luna: The Tidal Maidens will need something big the pull that off.
Twilight stepped up, reaching for her deck. "It's my turn!" She drew her card.
"A'h activate ma'h Trap!" Applejack cried as her face down flipped up, "Thorn Spear! This Trap'll be stickin around and during ya'h Standby Phase, will deal three hundred points of damage for every card in ya'h hand."
Twilight frowned. That was a good card for this kind of Duel, considering they'll be starting they'll have six cards during their next two standby Phases. "Alright, I'm gonna set my own Pendulum Scale. So say hello to scale two Pendulum Caster and scale eight Harmonizing Magician!" The pillars of light appeared beside her team before the two monsters flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal formed above their heads, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a light shot out and struck the ground, revealing her monster. "Timebreaker Magician!" (A1400/D0/L3/P2) "And since he was Pendulum Summon on his own from the hand, his ATK points double!" (A2800/D0/L3/P2) "Then I'll summon Magi-Beast, Twilight Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7) "And activate the Spellbook of Power!"
"Sorry Twi," Applejack told her. "But that ain't hap-nin. Cause a'm gonna use an Overlay Unit to negate your card's effect and destroy it!" The cowboy aimed its gun at the Spellbook that had just appeared, as one of the lights flew into it before it fired at the book and destroyed it.
Twilight frowned, "alright then. "Timebreaker, attack Orchard Cowboy!" The clock themed wizard rushed forwards, sword in hand. Meanwhile, team Applejewel began rushing through the desert in search of an Action Card with the Tidal Maidens following after her.
"There!" Rarity cried as she spotted an Action Card on the torch of a slanted half-buried Statue of Liberty.
"A'h got it!" Mac leapt onto the began to rush up it until he reached the card, grabbing it. But as he turned it over, he saw it was an Action Trap.
Celestia: Ow, so much for that.
Luna: That Trap will take away three hundred life points.
Mac cried as he was shocked, their life points being diminished as he was
Applejewel: 7700 Tidal Maidens: 8000
Meanwhile, Fluttershy had run near a pyramid and as she did she spotted an Action Card on the top. However, she also saw Applejack had seen it and was rushing to grab it. "For the team!" She began to climb the stair-like structure and was about a third of the way up when Applejack started.
With her stronger legs and more athletic build, Applejack quickly began to close the distance as they neared the card. Eventually, they both reached the top and thrust their arms out to grab the card, but one of them got it first. "YES!" Fluttershy cried, surprising everyone with how loud she was, as she clutched the Action Card.
Seconds later, Timebreaker reached Orchard Cowboy and slashed him in the stomach.
Applejewel: 7000 Tidal Maidens: 8000
"Twilight!" Fluttershy cried before tossing the Action Card towards her friend.
Twilight caught the card and smiled when she saw what it was, "thanks Fluttershy!" She activated the card, "I play Super Sight Seeing! This Action Spell increases the attack of my Twilight Unicorn by five hundred points!" (A2300/1300/L4/P7) "Attack!" The unicorn fired a magical blast at the Apple-Buck Pony, destroying it.
Applejewel: 6500 Tidal Maidens: 8000
Celestia: Team Tidal Maidens is soaring ahead.
Luna: How will they end their turn?
"I activate Pendulum Caster's ability, to make Timebreaker Magician a Tuner monster." The magician did so, firing the rainbow of light at Timebreaker before he leapt into the air and transformed into the three lights. "Now I tune my level three Timebreaker Magician with my level four Twilight Unicorn!" the lights began to carve three light rings, which Twilight Unicorn leapt into. "It's time to embrace the power given by those we call friends and ascend to a higher plain of life." Instead of disappearing in a flash, the light-infused into Twilight Unicorn as two new appendages appeared on its back. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded from the monsters body, revealing Twilight monster. "Twilight Alicorn!" (A2600/D1900/L7) "I place one card and end my turn."
As that happened, Mac jumped up and reached for his deck. "Ma'h turn," he drew his card as the portal opened up above him. "A'H PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out, revealing their monsters.
"Apple-Buck Pony!" (A1800/D1200/L4/P5)
"Mecha Worker Max Axe!" (A1600/D1400/L4) "Then A'll use Max Axe's ability to cut your monster's ATK points in half." The robot swung its axe hand through the air, launching a blade of energy that flew towards Twilight Alicorn and hit it dead on. (A1300/D1900/L7)
"Not good," Twilight said while Sunset and Fluttershy began to search for Action Cards.
"Now a'll activate ma'h Polymerisation, to fuse Max Axe together with the Mecha Worker Saw Cutter in ma'h hand!" The second robot appeared beside his first before a vortex opened up above their heads. "Now ma'h two Mecha Workers will combine to create an even greater machine," his monster were sucker into the vortex. "A'H FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded revealing a familiar monster, this time with the head of an axe and saw for hands. "Advanced Mecha Worker, Cyber Handyman!" (A2600/D2100/L8) ) "Then a'h can use his skill, to add a Spell Card from ma'h deck to ma'h hand." His deck shuffled before slotting out a card, which he took and then placed in his Duel Disk. "Go, Polymerisation!"
"Again?" Sunset asked, while Twilight frowned and Fluttershy began to panic.
"Now a'h fuse Mecha Tools Power Drill and Lightning Buzzsaw!" Said monsters appeared on the field before being sucked into a vortex that appeared above them. "A'H FUSION SUMMON!"
The vortex exploded, revealing the combined monster as it flew down besides Mecha Handyman. "Advanced Mecha Tool Drill-Saw!" (A1000/D1000/L4) "And now a'll equip Drill Saw to my Handyman!" The Advanced Mecha Tool transformed into a new arm, with the two tools on the end. Handyman's left shoulder opened up, folding out a plug like instrument that Drill Saw attached to. "With this upgrade, my Handyman is now one thousand points stronger. (A3600/D2100/L8)
Celestia: What a machine.
Luna: Team Applejewel's certainly not holding anything back.
"ATTACK!" Mac cried as the giant robot charged towards Twilight Alicorn
"I activate my face down!" Twilight's card flipped up to reveal a Trap, "Spellbinding Circle!"
You'd think Mac would look annoyed by this, but he just smiled. "Nice try, but that ain't gonna work." Mac pointed at her Trap, "but since Handyman's equipped with Drill-Saw he can negate one Spell or Trap's activation!" Twilight's eyes went wide as she watched the Advanced Mecha Tool reach out and strike the circle, the drill and saw cutting through it while Cyber Handyman continued towards Twilight Alicorn.
Sunset meanwhile, had reached an Easter Island head and saw it had its mouth open. She guessed this must have meant it had an Action Card inside, grabbing the card before pulling it out. Once she saw what it was, she turned towards Twilight. "Here," she tossed it at the girl, "catch!"
Twilight saw it coming and managed to grab the card before her monster was attacked. "I activate the Action Spell, Monumental Protection Act. This card protects my monster from being destroyed and cuts any damage I take in half." A force field appeared around her monster, Handyman's attack bouncing off of it while the force knocked Twilight back.
Applejewel: 6500 Tidal Maidens: 6850
Mac frowned, but pointed at her winged unicorn as his sister's galloped forwards. "Well, now a'h attack with Apple-Buck!" The earth pony leapt at the alicorn and thrust its front hooves into her, destroying it.
Applejewel: 6500 Tidal Maidens: 6350
Celestia: Team Applejewel is certainly not holding anything back.
Luna: It's clear to see why they're here in the playoff.
"A'h place one card face down and end ma'h turn." Mac then turned towards the next Duellist, Fluttershy.
The girl, still panting from her mad rush to find an Action Card, turned towards him before reaching for her Deck. "It'll...my turn. I draw!" As she did so, the Trap Applejack activated glowed before six long thorny vines shot out and struck Fluttershy in the chest. "YAH!"
"FLUTTERSHY!" Twilight and Sunset cried out before looking down at their Life Points.
Applejewel: 6500 Tidal Maidens: 4550
As the vines retracted, Fluttershy moaned while swaying side to side. But she quickly managed to regain her composure when she saw one of her teammates. 'Twilight, you believed in me enough to ask me to be on your team. And even though we've gotten this far, I'm the one who's done the least.' "Well not anymore," the portal began to form above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
"And Sacred Guardian Beast, Kindness Pegasus!" (A1000/18000/L4/P5) "And when my Pegasus is Special Summoned, I can add Kindness Dragonoid from my deck to my hand." Her deck shuffled before slotting out a card. "Then, I play the Wings of Kindness Spell card. Since I have my Pegasus on my field and Dragonoid in my hand, I can summon Kindness Dragonoid to the field!" In a great flash of light, the pink and yellow dragon appeared behind her. (A2600/1900/L7/P5)
Up in the VIP box, everyone was cheering.
"Go Fluttershy!" Rainbow cried.
Flash nodded. "Show them why they shouldn't mess with you!"
While this was going on, Twilight had reached a half-buried Eiffel Tower.
Looking up at it, she smiled as she remembered going there with Moondancer before beginning to climb up its railings. Eventually, she reached what she had been climbing for. An Action Card.
She got the card and smiled when she saw what it was, turning back towards her teammate. "Fluttershy!" She waved the card in the air, catching Fluttershy's attention.
The girl nodded before jumping onto her Pegasus's back and flying towards the tower. "I activate Kindness Dragonoid's ability. By lowering her ATK points by two hundred, she can give them to any Level four or below monster on my field. So I'll be giving two hundred ATK points to Twilight Unicorn!" Kindness Dragonoid turned to the unicorn and began breathing a pink mist onto it, increasing its power while lowering the dragons. (A2400/1900/L7/P5), (A2000/D1300/L4/P7) As this happened, Fluttershy and her pegasus reached the tower and Twilight jumped off and onto her winged horse's back.
"Here," she gave the card to her.
"Thank you," they flew low and Twilight leapt off. "Now I'll use the same effect on Timebreaker Magician, only this time I'll be giving all of my dragon's ATK to him!" Dragonoid constantly breathed the pink mist onto Timebreaker, increasing his ATK power again and again until it could go no higher. (A0/1900/L7/P5) (A3800/D0/L3/P2)
Celestia: Incredible. She's managed to increase the power of her monsters so that they can go toe to toe with Mac's.
Luna: An incredible feat considering Wings of Kindness actually prevents Dragonoid from attacking on the turn it's summoned, meaning all the points it had would have gone to waste.
"ATTACK!" The wizard charged towards the robot, Mac not looking at all worried.
"A'h activate ma'h Trap!" His face down flipped up, "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" But as he did this, he saw Fluttershy smiling.
"Thanks to Twilight, that Trap's useless." She played the card Twilight gave her, "Rust-Up! This Action Spell prevents the activation of a card on your field and destroys it." Mac's eyes went wide as he saw his Scrap-Iron Scarecrow be covered in rust before falling to bits. Seconds later, Timebreaker pieced the robotic beast with his sword. "Now, Unicorn!" Twilight's monster aimed its horn at the earth pony.
While this had been happening, Rarity had reached the half-buried London Eye and had been searching it for an Action Card. At this point she'd finally found one inside one of the pods, grabbing it. "Here, darling!" She tossed it at Mac and he caught it just as Twilight Unicorn fired a magic blast.
Mac saw what it was and nodded before activating the card. "A'h play the Action Spell, Wisdom of the Ancients. This card lets me save ma'h monster from destruction." The blast struck Apple-Buck pony, but the horse remained standing.
Applejewel: 6300 Tidal Maidens: 4550
Once the attack ended, Apple-Buck glowed. "Now for the downside. My monster's ATK points are cut in half." (A900/D1200/L4/P5)
Fluttershy frowned before jumping off her monster as it flew towards Apple-Buck, the two slamming into one another and Apple-Buck being destroyed.
Applejewel: 6200 Tidal Maidens: 4550
As Fluttershy's monster returned to her, she took out the three cards in her hand and placed two of them into her Duel Disk face down before activating the third. "I play the Continuous Spell Card Eternal Mimic. This card can only be used whilst you have a Continuous Spell or Trap on the field. Now this card will gain your card's effect."
Celestia: Brilliant! Fluttershy has copied the effect of Thorn Spear.
Luna: Now team Applejewel will be taking damage during their Standby Phases.
"Way to go Fluttershy!" Sunset cheered.
"That was a great turn!" Twilight complimented.
Fluttershy blushed at the praise before turning towards the next Duellist. Her turn ending meant her monsters all returned to normal ATK points. (A2600/1900/L7/P5) (A1800/D1300/L4/P7) (A1400/D0/L3/P2)
"Yes," Rarity told her, "it certainly was some excellent Duelling." She reached for her deck, "I draw!" As she did this, the Spell Fluttershy played activated and shot out six points vines that struck Rarity in the chest. "GAH!"
Applejewel: 4400 Tidal Maidens: 4550
Rarity quickly recovered before smiling at Fluttershy, "here I come, darling." The portal began to form above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground before exploding. "Apple-Buck Pony!" (A1800/D1200/L4/P5)
The second became a white unicorn with a purple mane and tail and Rarity's emblem on its flank, "And Gem-Unicorn!" (A1600/D1400/L4/P5) "And since Gem-Unicorn was Special Summoned, I can now look at the top five cards of my deck and summon any Level four or below Gem-Knights from among them." She drew her cards and smiled when she saw what she'd gotten, placing three of them onto her Duel Disk. "I summon Gem-Knight Alexandrite, Amber and Emerald!" (A1800/D1200/L4) (A1600/D1400/L4) (A1800/D800/L4)
"That's a lot of monsters," Spike mentioned.
Sunburst nodded, "but I get the feeling those Gem-Knights won't be around for long."
"Go Rarity!" Sweetie cheered her sister on.
"Now," Rarity placed a card into her Duel Disk, "I activate Gem-Knight Fusion!" A portal opened up above her monsters, sucking the three inside. "I now fuse my three Gem-Knights together, in order to create a jewel that shines like none other!" The vortex exploded, "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Rarity's monster. "Gem-Knight Lady, Brilliant Diamond!" (A3400/D2000/L10) "Then I'll use Brilliant Diamond's ability." She discarded a card from her hand before her Extra Deck opened, with her taking a card and placing it on the field. "Now I can summon Gem-Knight Lady, Lapis Lazuli without needing to Fusion Summon her." In a brilliant glow, the gem themed woman appeared beside her other monsters looking elegant as ever. (A2400/D1000/L5) "Then with her effect, I can send a Gem-Knight Fusion monster from my Extra Deck to the graveyard and deal you five hundred points of damage for every Special Summoned monster on my field." The jewel in the knight's chest glowed before firing a blast of light, which struck Fluttershy and made her stagger backwards.
Applejewel: 4400 Tidal Maidens: 2550
"I activate my face down," her card flipped up to reveal a Spell. "Flute of Summoning Kuriboh." With this, I can now summon Winged Kuriboh from my deck." In a flash of light, the winged puffball appeared next to the rest of her monsters.
Rarity smiled. "I activate the Spell card Gaia Energy, which will increase the ATK of every Earth Monster on the field by five hundred points. (A3900/D2000/L10) (A2900/D1000/L5) (A2300/D1200/L4/P5) (A2100/D1400/L4/P5)
"Not a bad card to have for their team," Shining noted.
Cadance nodded. "With all of their monsters being earth types, it a pretty useful card."
"This could be bad for Twilight," Spike mentioned. "If they attack with those monsters, the girl's Life Point's be wiped out."
"Don't worry," Tidal told him. "They won't go down that easy." He turned back to the Duel field, "show him, girls!"
"Brilliant Diamond, attack Kindness Dragonoid!" The Gem-Knight charged forwards, her rapier at the ready to pierce the dragon's heart.
However, Fluttershy just smiled. "I activate my Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Switch!" This card lets me switch which monster you're attack, so I'll switch my Dragonoid with Winged Kuriboh!" Then a flash, the two monsters traded places before Brilliant Diamond impaled it. Kuriboh was destroyed, but since it was in DEF mode the Tidal Maidens didn't take any damage. "There's more. Since Winged Kuriboh was destroyed, we're now safe from any Battle Damage for the rest of the turn."
Celestia: Smart move by Fluttershy.
Luna: She's really pulling her weight out there. How will the Applejewels respond?
Rarity frowned. Since she couldn't cause any more damage, it would be pointless the destroy the rest of their monsters since they'd just summon them back next turn. "I place three cards face down and end my turn." With her turn over, her monster's ATK points returned to normal. (A3400/D2000/L10) (A2400/D1000/L5) (A1800/D1200/L4/P5) (A1600/D1400/L4/P5)
She turned to Sunset, the redhead having arrived at a half-buried Big Ben. She was running up the ramp like structure until she reached the face, where an Action Card was stuck to one of the hands.
She picked it up and, seeing what it was, frowned before turning to play her turn. "Here goes," she drew her card before Thorn Spear's effect activated. The piercing vines shot out and struck the girl, making her cry out. "YARRR!"
Applejewel: 4400 Tidal Maidens: 750
She panted but managed to stay upright, turning to Twilight as the girl looked over at her in worry. 'Twilight, you overcame the loss of someone close to you in order to get here.' She turned back to Rarity, "I won't let all your efforts be in vain. I'll Duel until the bitter end and get us to the finals! Then...I'm gonna become a pro! I activate the Action Spell, The Hands of Time." A large coin appeared in her hand, one side having Exodia's head while the other side had a small Blue-Eyes tail and a long tail. "Now I flip a coin and call it. I call it right, you lose half your Life Points. I call it wrong, we lose half our Life Points."
Celestia: A risky move, especially with their life points already being so low.
Luna: But it might be just what they need to even things up.
Twilight and Fluttershy both nodded, trusting Sunset as she jumped down off the clock. The girl nodded back before pulling her arm back, "here goes!" She tossed it into the air, "HEADS!" The coin continued to flip through the air until gravity took its hold, pulling it back down.
It eventually hit the ground and bounced off the sand several times, until he finally came to a stop on its side while rocking back and forth. Eventually, one side fell face up and everyone looked down to see the Exodia side pointing upwards.
Celestia: Its heads. Now time will speed up until it's at a point where team Applejewels only hand half the points they had before.
Applejewel: 2200 Tidal Maidens: 750
Sunset smiled as the portal began to form, knowing she wasn't done yet. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single fireball shot out and struck the ground, exploding as Sunset's monster appeared. "Ignite your flames of victory, Solar Flare Phoenix!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "And since she was special summoned, Phoenix's ability doubles our Life Points." The bird flapped its wings and unleashed a wave of fire, which flew around the three and increased their Life Points.
Applejewel: 2200 Tidal Maidens: 1500
"Then I activate the Continuous Spell card, DNA Procedure. Now I can select one monster on my field and every other monster becomes the same type and attribute as it until the End Phase. I'm picking my Solar Flare Phoenix, which means every other card becomes a Fire attributed Winged-Beast monster!" A flaming aura appeared around the rest of the monsters, alongside them gaining some bird-like qualities.
"What's she up too?" Applejack asked as she and Mac continued to search for Action Cards.
"Next I play the Spell card, Meteor Burst!" Now for every Fire monster on my field, I can destroy one face Spell or Trap on your field!" Phoenix, Dragonoid and Twilight Unicorn all shoot a fireball, which destroyed Applejack's Pendulum Monsters and her Thorn Spear. With it gone, their Eternal Mimic Spell was also destroyed. "Then, I activate the spell card Solar Flare. This will increase the attack of one of my Fire attributed monsters by one thousand." Solar Flare's flaming aura increased. (A3500/D2000/L7/P4)
"That's enough to destroy her Brilliant Diamond," Scootaloo realised.
"More than that," Flash told her. "If she's doing what I think she's doing."
"I activate the effect of Dragonoid, to increase the ATK of my Unicorn by four hundred and my other two monsters by two hundred." Dragonoid turned to the three low-level Pendulum Monsters and breathed a burst of pink mist onto them, weakening herself while increase their ATK. (A1800/1900/L7/P5) (A2200/D1300/L4/P7) (A1600/D0/L3/P2) (A1200/18000/L4/P5) "Now, Solar Flare, attack Gem-Unicorn!" The Phoenix burst into flames before charging towards the unicorn.
Celestia: If this attack hits, team Applejewel will only have four hundred Life Points left.
Luna: And with the power-up Twilight Unicorn got, attacking Apple-Buck Pony will wipe them out."
"Not happening," Rarity said as her face down flipped up. "I activate, Trap Refractor! All I have to do is give up three hundred life points, then I can activate the effect of any Trap card in your graveyard."
Applejewel: 1900 Tidal Maidens: 1500
As Solar Flare got closer to Rarity's unicorn, a flash of light caused it to be swapped with Brilliant Diamond. "She used my Shift Trap," Fluttershy realised before Phoenix crashed into the Fusion monster and destroyed it.
Applejewel: 1800 Tidal Maidens: 1500
"Then I activate my other Trap. Tactical Defence. This card activates whenever a monster on my field is destroyed. It then switches any monster with less ATK then it to DEF mode." The rest of her monsters changed modes, protecting the Applejewels from damage.
Sunset frowned, but she wasn't beaten yet. "Kindness Pegasus, destroy Lapis Lazuli!" The pegasus slammed into the Gem-Knight Lady, destroying her. "Timebreaker, destroy her Unicorn!" The wizard rushed forwards and slashed the horned horse, destroying it. "Twilight Unicorn, attack Apple-Buck!" The unicorn fired a magical blast that destroyed the earth pony, leaving their field completely empty. "Now, Kindness Dragonoid, wipe out the last of their Life Points!"
"Afraid not!" Rarity cried as her last face down flipped up, "I play Call of the Haunted!" In a flash of light, Orchard Cowboy appeared infront of her. With the dragon's ATK so low, it couldn't destroy the Xyz Monster.
Sunset frowned, "I place two cards face down and end my turn." Her monster's ATK points all returned to normal.
Celestia: Excellent move. She protected her team from the attack and set the stage for her teammate's next turn.
Luna: How will Applejack use this?
"Ma'h draw!" The farm girl drew her card, smiling when she saw them she'd gotten. "And a'h use Monster Reborn, to bring back Rarity's Brilliant Diamond!" A portal opened up before the Gem-Knight floated out of it, causing the Tidal Maidens to grow scared. "Then a'll activate the Spell card, Rank-Up-Magic...ETERNAL GROWTH!" The ground broke opened before vines shot out of it, wrapping around her Xyz monster as a black hole appeared above their heads. The vines then lifted the cocoon towards it. "With this card, a'h can rebuild the Overlay Network and Rank-Up ma'h Xyz Monster." The cocoon entered the black hole before it began to pulse, as Applejack chanted. "Warrior of justice and nature, unleash ya'h powers on this world and rid it of all that might hurt it!" The black hole exploded, unleashing Applejack's monster. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The light faded revealing Applejack's monster. "Orchard Marshall!" (A3000/D1500/R4/P5) "It's lucky for you a'h don't have any plant monsters on the field. But don't think that means ya'h safe, cause a'm using an Overlay Unit to activate his ability!" The Xyz monster's Overlay Unit flew into his shotgun before he pointed it at Kindness Dragonoid, then fired a beam that hit the beast and made it glow. It was then retracted back into the weapon, taking the glow with it.
Celestia: With that, Kindness Dragonoid's ATK is cut in half.
Luna: And those points will now be shared with another Earth monster on the field.
Kindness Dragon fell to its hands and knees, its power lowering. (A1300/D1900/L7/P5) Orchard Marshall that pointed his rifle at Brilliant Diamond and fired, the light hitting the Gem-Knight and powering it up. (A4700/D2000/L10) "ATTACK!" Brilliant Diamond rushed at Kindness Dragonoid, ready to end this Duel.
"I activate my Trap!" Sunset cried as her face down flipped up, "Defence Draw!" As Kindness Dragonoid was destroyed, a force field appeared around Sunset to block the force of the attack as she drew her card. "Nice try."
"Ma'h turn's not done yet," Applejack told her. "Orchard Marshall, end this!" The Xyz monster pointed its rifle at Kindness Pegasus.
Celestia: If this attack hits, the Tidal Maidens are out.
Luna: Will that face down she has save them, or is this really the end?
As Twilight was running through the desert, she looked back at Sunset and saw she wasn't preparing to activate her Trap. That meant this attack wouldn't be stopped by it. Their only hope now was an Action Card.
And as she spotted a waist-high Christ the Redeemer, she spotted it had a card in both hands.
But before she could decide which one to go for, she heard footsteps and saw Rarity was already running towards it. This left her no choice but to run to the closest hand, the two running as fast as they could. And as they got close, they both leapt up to reach their chosen card.
Everyone focused on them, as they both grabbed the card before landing back on the ground.
They both flipped their cards over, both going wide-eyed when they saw what they'd gotten. "Ahhhh!" Rarity cried as she was zapped, losing Life Points.
Applejewel: 1500 Tidal Maidens: 1500
Twilight meanwhile, turned to Sunset. "HERE!" She tossed the card at her teammate, just as Marshall fired his gun.
Sunset caught the card just in time, "I activate Emergency Trap!"
Applejewel: 1500 Tidal Maidens: 750
"With this card, I can now activate the Defence Draw in my graveyard!" Yet another force field appeared around her as Kindness Pegasus was destroyed, protecting her from damage.
Celestia: INCREDIBLE! The Tidal Maidens have stopped the attack and now have a chance to turn this Duel around.
Luna: But will they. It all depends on what Twilight is able to do.
"A'h end ma'h turn." Applejack announced, her monster's ATK points returning to normal. (A3400/D2000/L10)
Twilight sighed as she looked around and saw her teammates watching her. 'Girls. You've put yourselves through so much to help me get here. Even when I doubted myself, you kept pushing on for me. I can't let everything you've done for me go to waste.' She reached for her deck, "I WILL NOT BE STOPPED!" She drew her card and gasped when she saw what it was, then smiled as the portal began to form above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a light shot out, becoming Kindness Dragonoid. "Then I activate Pendulum Caster's ability, to change Timebreaker into a Tuner monster." The spellcaster fired a blast transforming the Pendulum monster. "And now I tune my Level three Timebreaker Magician with my Level four Twilight Unicorn!" Timebreaker exploded into a trio of lights, which quickly carved three rings that Unicorn leapt into. "Beings of mystical might, unite your power and let the magic shine for all eternity." In that moment her monsters disappeared in an explosion of light, "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Twilight's ace. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "Then I use his ability!" She drew five cards, smiling before taking one out. "Next, I'll use DNA Procedures ability to turn everyone into a Dark Attributed Spellcaster." The monsters all glowed purple.
"Twilight," Sunset called out, "use my face down."
"Alright," the card flipped up, "It's Phoenix Rising! Since Solar Flare Phoenix is on my field, this Trap lets me revive one monster. So come on out, Twilight Alicorn!" Phoenix's beat its wings, the fire hitting the ground and exploding into a pillar. And from out of that pillar flew Twilight Alicorn, its ATK and DEF cut in half due to the Trap. (A1300/D950/L7)
"Those won't be enough," Applejack told her. But then she saw Twilight smile before holding up her one card.
"Now," she said calmly, "I tribute Twilight Alicorn and Twilight Warlock!" Her two monsters shot into the air, Twilight Warlock then transforming into a stream of light which spread around Alicorn and encased it in a cocoon-like form. "By tributing her and a Synchro Spellcaster Monster, Twilight Alicorn's true power is revealed!"
The cocoon broke open, revealing the monster that had helped Twilight claim victory during the Crystal Tower incident a year ago. "Arise, Perfect Harmony Alicorn!" (A3500/D3000/L10)
Everyone awed at the monster, as it, Solar Flare and Dragonoid stared down Brilliant Diamond and Orchard Marshall. "Perfect Harmony's ATK points now increase by half that of Twilight Warlock's. (A4750/D3000/L10) "Now, I attack your Orchard Marshall. And when Perfect Harmony attacks, she gains one thousand ATK points for every Spellcaster on the field. And thanks to DNA Procedure, guess what Solar Flare and Dragonoid are." The two monsters began to glow, the light flying up into Perfect Harmony Alicorn and bathing her in its power (A6750/D3000/L10)
Applejack, Rarity and Mac looked around, but couldn't spot any Action Cards on the monuments around them. So, as the alicorn began to charge up the attack, the three came together. They knew this was it and they would take this next attack head onto, together.
Perfect Harmony Alicorn unleashed its attack, firing a rainbow coloured blast which struck Orchard Marshall vaporised him before flying towards the three. "Not bad sugarcube."
"Good luck in the final darlings. You'll need it."
"Eeyup." With that, the attack struck and blasted the three of their feet as they cried out.
Applejewel: 0 Tidal Maidens: 750 (Winners)
Celestia: THEY'VE DONE IT! The Tidal Maidens have claimed victory and the final spot in the final round.
Luna: They'll be joining team Dominators, Wonderbolts and V-Fighters for the chance to earn the title of champions.
The crowd exploded with applause. Up in the VIP box, the Tidal Maidens fans were cheering while the Applejewel's fans clapped. Applebloom and Sweetie frowned at their sibling's defeats but knew they gave the Duel their all and had nothing to be ashamed of.
"Amigos!" Tidal was balling his eyes out, "you've made me so proud. It was tough, but you made it." The others all smiled at him as they continued to applaud.
As the Duel Field disappeared, Twilight's team rushed over to where the Applejewel's had fallen.
"Are you okay?" Twilight asked as she helped Applejack up.
"We're fine," she replied.
"Indeed," Rarity agreed as Sunset helped her up. She then brushed off her skirt, "a little frazzled but we'll clean up easily."
"You sure?" Fluttershy asked.
"Eeyup," Mac replied.
Sunset smiled at them, "you guys did a great. You sure made us work for that win."
Applejack nodded, "we gave it our all and that's what counts. Now we can sit back and watch you trounce the rest of the competition." She held out a hand and Twilight took it, Sunset and Rarity doing the same while Fluttershy and Mac completed the trio. They shook hands as the crowd began to cheer.
Up in another VIP box, team Dominator had been watching the Duel and all were frowning.
Tempest hummed, "maybe we'll get to see if one of them is the one we've been searching for.
Heath laughed, "don't be ridiculous. We already beat those losers once."
"But maybe that loss inspired them to grow stronger," Starlight countered.
Tempest nodded. "We'll just have to wait and see. We might not even face off against them in the finals."
Later.
With the playoff match over, the four finalist teams soon found themselves on the main stage.
There, Celestia and Luna stepped up to them holding a white box with a hole. "Alright," Celestia told them, "time to decide whose facing who."
The team captains stepped up as Luna held out the box, "please select one of the four slips of paper inside." They did so, reaching in and all grasping a piece before pulling it out. One by one, they saw the numbers on them.
Flash had drawn the number four, Rainbow the number two. Twilight the number three and Tempest number one. Celestia nodded before turning to the crowd.
Celestia: And so, our final matchups have been chosen.
Luna: The first match shall be between team Dominator and Team Wonderbolts.
The two teams turned to look at one another, knowing they'd be giving these matches their all. Rainbow frowned at Tempest, remembering their last Duel. No matter what, she was gonna make sure she was the one facing off against her so she could settle the score.
Celestia: And the second match shall be between team V-Fighters and team Tidal Maidens.
The two teams looked at one another, smiling as they knew their next Duels would be ones they could enjoy. Flash and Twilight both locked eyes. It was very likely they'd end up facing off, and both were looking forward to it.
The final match of the Double X was drawing closer, but which two teams would be the ones to face off in it. Only time would be able to tell.
Fireworks filled the air above the Freeze Stadium.
Inside, the place was packed with more spectators than ever. They were all here to watch as the Double X's final round finally began. Out of the hundreds of teams that had entered, only four remained. And by the end of the day, that number would be dwindled to two.
Onstage, a burst of steam signalled the arrival of the commentators. The Celestic Sisters stepped out to greet them all.
Both: HELLO CANTERLOT!
Celestia: The big day has finally arrived!
Luna: The Double X tournament's Final Round.
Celestia: And I must say, it's so great to see so many of you here today. I don't think the stadium's been this packed since the Celestic Cup.
Luna: A big welcome to those who are visiting from out of town, such as the pro-Duelling scouts and the students of the Wonderbolts Academy.
Said students all cheered, having come to cheer their team onto victory. Up in one of the VIP boxes, Spitfire was there alongside many on the school's board of directors. With the team now in the finals, they had finally gotten off Spitfire's case about them. But even so, they would no doubt reprimand her if something embarrassing should happen.
Celestia: The Final Round will consist of two lots of three round Duels. The teams that win two out of three matches will move on to the grand final, where they will face off for the title of Double X champions.
Luna: Let's meet our first two teams that will be competing for the chance at the title.
The megascreen switched on and showed the first team.
Celestia: First off, we have team Dominator!
Luna: So far in this tournament, team Dominator has held a solid lead. Will today finally be the day somebody topples them?
The megascreen then changed to show the next team.
Celestia: And their opponents, all the way from Cloudsdale City, it's team Wonderbolts.
Luna: This team barely made it through round one, coming in second to last. But they quickly managed to pull things together and made it through round two with the most Duellists. Will they be the ones to break through the wall that is Team Dominator?
Celestia: We've just received word on the Team's chosen Duel Order. So without further ado, the Duellists competing against one another are.
The screen changed to show the faces of the Duellists and the order they'd be in.
Luna: Starlight verses Gilda.
Celestia: Heath versus Soarin.
Both: And Tempest versus Rainbow!
In one of the competitor's waiting rooms, the Wonderbolts were staring at the screen and seeing who they were facing.
Gilda smirked, "so I'm up against that Starlight girl. Well, this won't be so hard," she turned to Soarin. "You beat her, so I shouldn't have any trouble."
Soarin rolled her eyes, "just be careful. Remember, just because you've destroyed her monsters doesn't mean they won't be any trouble."
"Yeah sure, whatever." With that, she headed out while Rainbow and Soarin sat down to watch.
Celestia: It's time for the final round's first match.
Luna: Let's welcomes our brave competitors to the stage.
From two opposite sides of the stadium, two openings opened up and released a flurry of smoke. From the smoke, two figures stepped out and onto the battlefield.
Celestia: First up, from team Dominator, STARLIGHT GLIMMER!
Very few members of the crowd cheered, since her team's conduct in the previous round hadn't earned them many friends.
Luna: And her opponent, from team Wonderbolts, GILDA!
in contrast to Starlight's welcome, Gilda was met with a great amount of cheer. The section filled with her schoolmates was almost deafening to sit near, "GILDA! GILDA! GILDA! GILDA
Gilda smirked as she and Starlight met in the centre of the field, where a referee was waiting. "Heads or tails?" He asked them as he held up a coin.
"Heads," Starlight spoke up with Gilda just nodding. The ref nodded and flipped the coin before looking down at it. "Tail, Gilda will take the first move."
The two nodded before moving back to a safe distance.
Celestia: Now that that's out of the way, let's see where they'll be Duelling it out.
She held up a remote and pressed the button.
Suddenly the floor beneath their feet began to shine as it projected the Duel Field, as a robotic female voice said. "AUGMENTED REALITY COMBAT SYSTEM ENERGISED."
In the blink of an eye, the two suddenly found themselves on a rocky area surrounded by a bunch of dying trees with large dilapidated birdhouses in them. Large storm clouds could be seen above them and the broken remains of several houses covered the floor.
Luna: It's the Ruins of Griffonstone. A land that was once prosperous, now lays in ruin after its citizens were corrupted by greed and selfishness. How will our young Duellists fair in this field.
Gilda and Starlight turned to one another, both smiling. "You know, I was hoping to get a chance to pay your teammate back for beating me before."
Gilda smirked back, "sorry to disappoint you. But at least you get the chance to lose to me."
"Oh, I'm afraid I'll have to decline that chance." She pulled out her Duel Disk and attached it to her arm, Gilda doing the same.
Celestia: It looks like our competitors are ready to get things started.
Luna: So now it's time to get this Duel underway.
Celestia: Are both Duellists ready?
They nodded, activating their Duel Disks.
Celestia: Then in THREE!
Luna: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Gilda: 4000 Starlight: 4000
"ACTION CARDS DISPERSED!"
"I draw!" Gilda drew her card, "and I summon Birdface in DEF mode!" A tornado exploded infront of her and faded to reveal the bird-headed man, which took a defensive position. (A1600/D1600/L4) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Gilda's starting off strong.
Luna: How will Starlight respond?
"My draw!" She did so, "I summon Celestial Spirit Libra in ATK mode!" The constellation appeared before exploding to reveal the woman. (A900/D900/L4) "And since she's in ATK mode, all of her DEF points are added to her ATK points." (A1800/D0/L4) "Attack!" The female knight rushed forwards, twin blades at the ready, and slashed Gilda's monster.
"Thanks," Gilda told her, "destroying Birdface activated his ability." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took.
Starlight smirked, "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"My turn," Gilda drew her card and smirked. "Thanks again for destroying Birdface, cause now I can set the Pendulum Scale with scale two Harpie Maiden and scale Harpie Lady Commander!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of her, the two monsters flying up into them and beginning to form the portal. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and three lights shot out, revealing Gilda's monsters.
"Cyber Harpie Lady!" (A1800/D1300/L4)
"Harpie Lady Channeler!" (A1400/D1300/L4)
"And Harpie Lady Phoenix!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P4)
"Alright!" Rainbow cheered from the team's room.
"That's the way, Gilda!" Soarin announced. "Show her that being a Dominator doesn't mean anything against you."
"And win our team a spot in the finals!"
Gilda smirked, as if hearing her teammates. "Alright, I Overlay Cyber Harpie Lady and Harpie Lady Channeler!" The two monsters turned into lights that shot into the air, as a black hole opened up before they flew into it. "Mighty winds of battle, ever-changing and ever unpredictable, blow onto this battlefield!" The black hole exploded, "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Gilda's ace. "Harpie Lady Zephyr!" (A2100/D2300/R4/P3) "Zephyr's skill!" She removed a card from her grave before her monster crushed one of its Overlay Units in its talons. "By removing an Overlay Unit, she can revive a Wind monster in my graveyard and summon it to the field in DEF mode." Zephyr flapped its wings and created a tornado, Birdface appearing out of it. (A1600/D1600/L4) "And it doesn't stop there. Zephyr's ATK points also increase by half the ATK of the monster she summons." (A2900/D2300/R4/P3) "Then I'll use the Pendulum Ability of my Harpie Lady Commander, to select Zephyr and grant her one attack for every Harpie Lady on the field."
Celestia: Brilliant! With Phoenix on the field, that means she can attack twice.
Luna: Though it will mean Phoenix can't attack, but with her higher ATK points and special ability it's a good trade-off.
"ATTACK!" Zephyr flew through the air, talons poised to slash at Libra.
Meanwhile, Starlight started rushing through the field in search of an Action Card. She eventually spotted one on the door of a birdhouse, which jumping up the tree before grasping the card.
When she landed on the ground, she saw what the Action card was. It wouldn't save her monster, but it would protect her from what would happen afterwards. "I activate the Action Card Defender Current!" A strong gust of wind blew between the ruins and began to wrap around her, forming a tornado as Zephyr slashed at Libra and destroyed her
Gilda: 4000 Starlight: 2900
Gilda raised an eyebrow. That card didn't save her monster or reduce the damage. What gives?
"Defender Current is an Action Card that protects me from any effect damage I would usually take this turn." Gilda's eyes went wide. So that was it. She was protected from Zephyr's ability.
"Whatever," Gilda told her. "doesn't matter since Zephyr has another attack and enough ATK points to take you out!" The Harpie Lady flew forwards once again, ready to slice away the last of Starlight's Life Points.
Celestia: Is this it. Are we about to see the first Final Round victory after only three turns?
"Sorry," Starlight said, "not happening!" Her face down flipped up before four blue energy bears appeared before her. (A0/D0/L1)X4.
Luna: She used her Celestial Ursa Minor, which allowed her to summon four Ursa Minor Tokens. Now Zephyr will have to attack them instead of Starlight.
Gilda growled at this setback, as her monster destroyed one of the tokens. If it hadn't been for that Action Card, she would have still won. "I'll end my turn by activating Harpie Maiden's ability and sacrifice Phoenix." The Harpie Lady exploded. "I can now draw one card for every six hundred ATK points she had." She drew two cards. "I end my turn." Zephyr's ATK power returned to normal. (A2100/D2300/R4/P3)
Starlight smiled as she drew her card. "I'll start by playing the Spell card, Painful Choice."
"Not good," Sunburst said. "She's trying to get as many Celestial Spirits into the graveyard as possible."
Spike nodded. "Her best cards require large numbers of them there. Especially is she wants to summon that dragon card."
"I hope Gilda knows what she's doing," Twilight agreed.
Gilda looked up and saw the five cards as they appeared above Starlight. They were all Celestial Spirits, Leo, Virgo, Taurus, Pisces and Cancer. No matter what she picked, she'd be sending four of them to the graveyard. Might as well be the one she'd have the easiest time destroying. "I pick Cancer."
Starlight smiled as she took the card and placed the rest in the graveyard. "Alright, now I play the Spell card Celestial Ursa Major." The three small bears exploded into cosmic energy, which began to swirl into a vortex of light. "By tributing my Ursa Minor Tokens, I can summon an Ursa Major Token!" The light formed the purple sabre-tooth energy bear. (A?/D?/L7) "And since I tributed three Ursa Minors, his ATK and DEF points become twenty-four hundred. (A2400/D2400/L7)
Gilda began to grow worried at this.
"Next, I'll summon Cancer to the field!" The constellation appeared before exploding to reveal the crab armoured teen. (A600/D1600/L3) "Then I'll play my Reverse Polarity Spell card, too swap Cancer's ATK points with your Xyz monster's," Gilda growled as she watched the two monsters trade points. (A600/D2300/R4/P3) (A2100/D1600/L3)
Celestia: Starlight's not holding anything back.
Luna: Can Gilda find a way to counter this?
Gilda began to run off in search of an Action Card, as Starlight leapt up onto Ursa Major's head. "Ursa Major, attack Harpie Lady Zephyr!" The star on the bear's head glowed, ready to unleash a blast of cosmic energy.
As it did, Gilda spotted an Action Card on the branch of a tree and leapt up to retrieve it.
She managed to catch it, just as Ursa Major fired its blast. "I activate the Action Spell Magic Storm. Now, for every hundred life points I'm willing to pay, I can look at one card from my deck. Then I can select any Spell card from among them and if the activation conditions can be met, I can use it."
Starlight raised an eyebrow, "so how many life points are you gonna give up.
"Three hundred, which means I can look at three cards.
Gilda: 3700 Starlight: 2900
She drew her cards and looked through them, spotting only one card that could help her. "Go, Blustering Winds!" A powerful gust of wind suddenly whipped up around Gilds's Xyz Monster, increasing Zephyr's power by a thousand. (A1600/D2300/R4/P3) Seconds later, Ursa Major fired its cosmic blast and struck Zephyr. Gilda cried out as her monster was vaporised, knocking her back against one of the trees.
Gilda: 2900 Starlight: 2900
"Now Cancer will destroy Birdface." The crab kid rushed forwards and slashed at the DEF position monster and destroyed it.
"Don't forget, destroying Birdface lets me add a Harpie Lady to my hand." Her deck slotted out a card that she added to her hand.
"I place two cards face down and end my turn," Starlight announced as Cancer's ATK points returned to normal. (A600/D1600/L4)
"My draw," Gilda smiled when she saw what she'd gotten. "Let's do this," the portal began to form above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and three lights shot out of it.
"Cyber Harpie Lady!" (A1800/D1300/L4)
"Harpie Lady Phoenix!" (A1500/D1200/L4)
"Harpie Lady Zephyr!" (A2100/D2300/R4/P3)
"And Harpie's Pet Dragon!" (A2000/D2500/L7) The giant chained up dragon let out a roar that made the whole field shake.
In their room, Rainbow and Soarin smirked. "Gilda ain't messing around."
"Heck yeah she ain't," Rainbow agreed before getting serious. "But I doubt Starlight's gonna make it easy." As she said that, she saw Starlight begin to run through the field. "She knows that with Zephyr's ability she'll wipe out her life points, so she's gonna try and stop it from attacking."
"Then Gilda needs to finish this before she can do it."
In their room, team Dominator was sitting and watching.
"Starlight seems to be in trouble," Heath told Tempest. "She wouldn't have this problem if she could just use herself."
Tempest frowned. "Well, unfortunately, she can't. Her hosts connection to the Celestial Spirits is too strong, even while Dominated she can't Duel with any other card. Honestly, it was pure luck she even had her card in her deck when she was taken over."
"So she's stuck using those cards," Heath caught on. "Which means she can't Duel at full strength."
Tempest sighed, "unfortunately. But she just needs to keep her control until the end of the Double X." She watched the screen as Starlight made her way through the field, "come on."
"Since Phoenix was summoned from the Extra Deck, her ability lets me increase the attack of one Harpie Lady monster by three hundred points for every other Harpie Lady on the field." Phoenix's wings exploded, its flames flying over to Zephyr a spiralling around it. (A2700/2300/R4/P4) "And since I have three Harpie Ladies on the field, Pet Dragon's ATK points go up by nine hundred." (A2900/D2500/L7) "Alright Zephyr, take out Cancer!" The Xyz Harpy flew forwards with talons at the ready.
As that was happening, Starlight spotted a destroyed birdhouse and got and idea. Running up to it, she started digging through the wreckage until she unearth what she expected. And Action Card...s. Her eyes shifted from one card to the other, knowing one of them was gonna be a Trap.
The squawk of Gilda's monster caught her attention and she randomly grabbed one, turning it over to see it was a Spell. "Alright," she spun back around and placed the card, "Evasion!" Cancer quickly leapt out of the way, Zephyr's talons missing him completely.
"Damn it!" Gilda cried, "fine then Cyber Harpie Lady will take him out!" The armoured harpy leapt into the air before swinging its wipe at the Celestial Spirit, destroying it.
Gilda: 2900 Starlight: 2300
Starlight smiled, "Cancer's ability cuts any damage I take from a battle involving him in half. Plus," her face down flipped up, "I activate Starburst Draw!" She drew three cards."
"Now, Harpie's Pet Dragon, attack Ursa Major!" The dragon opened its mouth and breath in, "Fiercesum Fire Blast!" It then unleashed a large fireball that shot towards the bear, Starlight leaping off it's head seconds before it struck and destroyed it.
Gilda: 2900 Starlight: 1800
"I activate my Trap!" Her last face down flipped up, "Starlight Beacon!" Now I can summon one monster from my deck with less ATK then my Ursa Major!" A new constellation appeared before exploding, revealing Scorpio. (A1800/D600/L4)
Luna: But with all those monsters on the field, Starlight will have a hard time coming back from it.
Starlight drew her card, "I activate Magical Mallet." She placed her cards into her deck before it shuffled, then drew two new cards. A she saw what it was, she smiled before turning to Gilda. "Well, this was fun, but it's time this Duel came to an end."
"What?" Gilda asked before watching Starlight activate the card she'd drawn.
"Feel the might power, of the Dark Hole!" A large black hole appeared above the field, creating a powerful suction. Everyone in the stadium watched as all the monsters began to be pulled into it, leaving the entire field empty.
Celestia: What an unusual move.
Luna: Unless she has a monster in her hand, she'll be knocked out and next turn.
Starlight smiled as she activated her last card, "I play Celestial Device Sextans!" Gilda's eyes went wide as a portal opened up before Celestial Spirit Leo flew out of it. (A2500/D2200/L7) "Then I'll use his ability," she drew five cards and smiled before discarding all five of them.
"They were all Celestial Spirits?" Spike asked in shock.
Sunburst nodded. "That means that if Gilda destroys Leo, she'll have everything she needs to summon her dragon."
"But with Gilda's field empty, is she really gonna need to?" Flash asked.
"Celestial Spirit Leo, ATTACK!" The knight's fist exploded into fire before he rushed towards Gilda, his ability activating and pumping up his ATK points. (A4700/D2200/L7)
But Gilda didn't seem worried, in fact smiling as she discarded a card. "Sorry, but I'm ditching a card to activate my Hysteric Party Trap card!" Two Cyber Harpie Ladies and Harpie Lady Channeler appeared on the field before taking up a defensive position. (A1800/D1300/L4)X2 (A1400/D1300/L4) Seconds later, Leo's attack struck one of the Cybers and destroyed it.
Starlight frowned at this. "You got lucky."
"No," Gilda said, "I'm just not gonna let you beat me. I ain't letting the team's run end here. Not after everything we've been through to get here."
"Think so?" Starlight asked as she shut her eyes, "Then let me show you what I've been through to get here." With that, she opened her eyes, as a sudden light to come out of nowhere and blinded Gilda.
"Wow!" She cried blinked as the light quickly faded, getting the spots out of her eyes and looking around. When she did, she found that she and her monsters were in a completely different place. It was the same thing Spike had seen. Multiple corpses littering the field, making the place look like a horror movie. "Is this...the Duel Monster Spirit World?"
"Yes," Gilda turned to see Starlight standing atop a large rock, "this is the hell I've lived through."
Gilda looked around, "not a pretty sight."
"It wasn't a pretty experience either. It's something I refuse to live through again."
Gilda almost growled, "Is that why you took over that Starlight girl?"
"Oh," she raised an eyebrow, "you know about that?"
"Yeah, my team were told about it. So why don't you tell me what you and your boss are up to so I can kick your butt?"
"Sorry, that's a surprise." With that, another blinding light appeared and blinded Gilda once again. When it finally faded, she looked around and saw Starlight had jumped up to one of the birdhouses and plucked an Action Card out from between the window slits of it. "I activate the Action Spell Griffon's Greed. Since you have two monsters on the field, I can now draw two cards." She did so and smiled when she saw what she'd gotten, "I now play the Spell card the Dark Door. Now you can only attack with one monster." Gilda growled at this, "I place once card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Starlight's gone from barely standing against Gilda, to being the one now appearing to be unstoppable.
Luna: I'm not sure how Gilda can overcome this?
"My draw," Gilda saw what she'd gotten and smiled as the portal began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out, revealing her monsters.
"Harpie Lady Zephyr!" (A2100/D2300/R4/P3)
"And Harpie Lady Phoenix!" (A1500/D1200/L4) "And don't forget about her ability!" Her wings ignited and with a good flap, sent the flames wrapping around Zephyr and increasing her ATK points. (A3000/D2300/R4/P3)
"That won't be enough to stop Leo," Starlight told her before looking at the card she'd drawn. "But just encase." Her face down flipped up, "I activate the Trap Spell Converter." A machine some mistook for A Compulsory Evacuation Device appeared before her and opened its door, unleashing a sucking force that pulled the cards in Gilda's Pendulum Zones inside. Seconds later, two cards her shot out of the top and flew into Gilda's deck. "That Trap shuffles any Face-Up Spell on your field back into your deck, then I get to draw the same number of cards." She did so. "Now you can't use Commander's ability to bypass the Dark Door."
"Cleaver," Gilda said before activating her card, "but not clever enough!" Zephyr transformed into a stream of light, which flew up and into a black hole as it opened in the sky. "Go, Rank-Up-Magic Furious Storm!"
"A Rank-Up card?" Starlight asked in shock.
"That's right," Gilda smiled. "With this, I can now rebuild the Overlay Network! Winds of fury, blast across the battlefield and give life the mightiest of winged beasts!" A tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battlefield. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado broke apart to reveal Gilda's monster. "Harpie Lady, Zephyr Blitz!" (A2800/D2400/R5/P4)
Starlight raised an eyebrow at this. "That's your card. It's weaker than the one you used to summon it?"
"Maybe," Gilda smirked, "but it managed to get Furious Storm into the graveyard."
"What?" Starlight watched as a tornado exploded around Zephyr Blitz.
"By banishing it, I can lower the ATK of a monster on your field by my Xyz monster's Rank times five hundred!" Zephyr Blitz swung her staff around and sent the tornado flying towards Leo, surrounding the Celestial Spirit and lowering its ATK points. (A2200/D2200/L7)
"Gah!" Starlight growled before she watched Zephyr Blitz take flight and charge towards Leo. She looked around for an Action card and spotted one on the branch of a nearby tree.
"Attack!" She heard Gilda cry out. As she did this, Starlight leapt over to that tree and grabbed the card. But when she landed on the ground and turned it over, she saw it was a Trap.
Celestia: Oh, that's gonna hurt.
Luna: Actually, her getting hurt is what's gonna hurt. For the rest of the turn, Gilda can now draw a card every time Starlight takes four hundred points of damage.
In that second, Zephyr Blitz reached Leo and swung her weapon at him, cutting the Celestial Spirit to pieces.
Gilda: 2900 Starlight: 1200
Gilda smirked as she drew her card. "And whenever Zephyr Blitz destroys a monster, you take five hundred points of damage for every Overlay Unit she has." The Xyz Monster's fan began to spin around before unleashing a tornado, that hit Starlight and pushed her backwards.
Gilda: 2900 Starlight: 700
"Gah!" Starlight growled as she picked herself up, then look up to see Gilda drawing another card before ending her turn. "Don't think you've won this yet," she told her. "This is only the beginning." She drew her card and smiled when she saw what she'd gotten. "I activate the Spell card Monster Reincarnation!" This made Gilda raise an eyebrow. "Now I just need to discard Aries and I can return one monster to my hand." She did so, pulling a card out of her graveyard and holding it up before began to glow.
"So Leo sent it to her graveyard?" Sunburst asked.
"Looks like it," Flash said. "This could be bad.
"Come on Gilda!" Fluttershy cried out in support, knowing the girl would need as much of it as she could now.
Gilda watched as the card's light grew brighter, frowning at the smug smile on Starlight's face
"By banishing twelve different Celestial Spirit monsters from my graveyard, I can summon the ultimate Celestial Spirit!" The card fired a single beam of light into the sky, the light splitting into nine spheres before flying into formation and creating a new constellation. "Beast of the cosmos, with fury greater than a supernova, descend from the heavens and bath this world in your mighty light!"
Gilda watched as each of the stars exploded, unleashing a light that flowed into one entity. Then when the light faded, she saw the orb carrying dragon slither downwards towards the field until it landed behind Starlight. "Celestial Spirit. Draco...STARLIGHT!" (A4000/D4000/L12) The beast roared in Gilda and her monster's face, pushing them all backwards.
Celestia: And there it is, Starlight's ultimate monster.
Luna: How will Gilda handle this.
Despite the beast staring down at her, Gilda smiled. "My loser teammate was able to beat this thing, so so can I."
"We'll see about that," Starlight leapt up onto the beast's head. "Draco Starlight, attack!" The beast opened its mouth and began to gather energy, as Gilda rushed off.
She began to search for an Action Card, but couldn't seem to find one. Eventually, Draco finished charging and unleashed a powerful blast of light that struck Zephyr Blitz and destroyed it while sending Gilda flying. "WOW!" She cried before landing atop one of the damaged birdhouses.
Gilda: 1700 Starlight: 700
Starlight smiled down at her downed opponent. "And since Draco Starlight destroyed a monster, you take one hundred points of damage for every banished Celestial Spirit I have." The dragon raised its orb before unleashing a powerful burst of light, which rained down upon Gilda.
"YAAAR!"
Gilda: 500 Starlight: 700
"GILDA!" Rainbow and Soarin cried from their room, as Gilda was covered in a cloud of smoke.
"This is bad," Soarin said before seeing Rainbow stand up.
"Come on!" She yelled before rushing out the room, Soarin following after her.
Everyone watched as the smoke cleared to reveal a very beat-up looking Gilda. No doubt that attack had hurt, which made Starlight smiled. "I end my turn."
As Gilda picked herself up, she looked down at her cards and saw that all she had was Harpie Lady Child and Ultimate Offering. Neither of them could help her right now. What could she do?
"Come on Gilda!" She suddenly looked up to see her teammates were in the stands. "You're not seriously gonna let her take you down so easily, are you?"
"Soarin nodded, "that doesn't sound like the Gilda we know. Do it for the Wonderbolts."
"GILDA! GILDA! GILDA! GILDA!" She turned to where her school was sitting, now standing, as they chanted her name.
Celestia: Looks like the Cloudsdale Academy doesn't want this Duel to end yet.
Luna: Can you blame them.
Starlight rolled her eyes at this, "how pointless."
"It may seem pointless to you," she turned to Gilda. "But that's because you don't understand how powerful having the support of others can make you." She reached for her deck, "let me show you. I...DRAW!" She looked at what she'd gotten and went wide-eyed, then smirked. "I reset the Pendulum Scale, with scale seven Harpie Child and scale three Harpie Griffon!" The pillars of light appeared above her before the two monster flew up into it. Alongside Harpie Child came a brown and white griffon with purple streaks in her head feathers. Everyone watched as the portal began to form above Gilda's head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out, revealing her monster. "Harpie Lady, Zephyr Blitz!" (A2800/D2400/R5/P4) "And since she was Pendulum Summon, her skill lets me look at the top five cards of my deck and add any Level four or five Wind monster to her as an Overlay Unit." She looked but none of the cards where what she needed.
"What's the point in all of this?" Starlight asked. "You're monster's way weaker than mine and you don't have your Furious Storm card to weaken it."
"Maybe not," Gilda said. "But I've still got cards to play. Like my Harpie Griffon's Pendulum Ability!" Harpie Child suddenly exploded, the energy beginning to swirl between Harpie Griffon's claws. "If I have another Harpie monster in my Pendulum Zone, I can destroy it to Rank-Up a Wind Xyz monster."
"What?" Starlight went wide-eyed as she watched the griffon toss the sphere of light into the air, which then exploded to create a black hole.
Gilda smirked as Zephyr Blitz flew into the blade hole. "I rebuild the Overlay Network to power up my monster. Ancient winds, blow onto this battlefield and give life to the ultimate harpy!" A tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado exploded, revealing Gilda's new monster. It was a woman in a white bodysuit with green trim, though it had openings to show off her stomach, thighs and the top of her best. She wore a purple face mask along with a helmet that had a golden bird on top that showed her rainbow coloured hair. She carried a long white rapier and her shoulders had large green metal wing-like constructs, with a pair of golden bird wings on each one. "Harpie Lady, Zephyr...MAJESTY!" (A3300/D3000/R6/P5)
The crowd were in awe at this new monster, as she swung her blade through the air.
The only one not amazed was Starlight. "This is your big turn everything around monster? It's strong, sure, but note strong enough to beat Draco Starlight."
"Hold your horses," Gilda said. "Just wait until her ability activates." The monster slashed her Overlay Unit with her rapier, then spread the wings on her shoulders before they unleashed a blast of powerful air. "Now for every Overlay Unit I remove from her, I can flip one card on your field face down." Starlight went wide-eyed when she saw her Dark Door card flip down.
"That's it?"
"No," Gilda went on, "it isn't. She has another ability. Whenever an Overlay Unit is removed from her, she gains seven hundred ATK points." Now Starlight grew worried, as she looked up and saw Zephyr Majesty begin to glow a rainbow of colours. (A4000/D3000/R6/P5)
"That's enough to tie her dragon," Soarin realised.
Rainbow nodded. "And without her Dark Door, the rest of Gilda's monster can attack her at will."
To prove it, Gilda's Cyber Harpie Lady and Harpie Lady Channeler stood up. Meanwhile, Starlight began searching for an Action Card. "Zephyr Majesty, ATTACK!" The Harpy shot forwards, sword at the ready.
Meanwhile, Starlight spotted a fallen birdhouse and began leapt of it. She lands next to it and began searching through the wreckage, once again finding a pair of Action Cards. With Zephyr Majesty getting closer, she quickly grabbed one of the cards and turned it over...to find it was a Spell. "Perfect! I play, Griffon's Gamble!"
"What's that?" Gilda asked, watching as a card slotted out of Starlight's deck.
"Simple. I select a Spell or Trap in my deck and you have to guess if it's a Spell or Trap. You guess right, the card goes to my graveyard. But if you guess wrong, I get to play it."
Gilda frowned as she looked at the card, her brain trying to pick between Spell or Trap. After several seconds, she finally picked on. "Spell." Everyone turned to Starlight, waiting to see if Gilda had picked right.
And as she spun the card around, she frowned to show it was the Spell Lightspeed. "Lucky," she discarded the card as Gilda's monster reached Draco Starlight.
The dragon unleashed a burst of light from its mouth, while Zephyr Majesty tossed her sword into it. The weapon flew through the light and struck the dragon in the chest, while the light hit the Harpie Lady. And in a large explosion, they were both destroyed.
Celestia: Incredible, both of their strongest beasts have been destroyed.
Luna: But Gilda still has monsters on her field.
"Alright!" Gilda cried as she pointed at Starlight, "take that loser down." Cyber Harpie Lady leapt into the air and pulled back her whip, while Starlight grabbed the other Action Card. But when she turned it around, she saw it was another Evasion card. And without a monster, she couldn't use it.
"No," she said before turning back to see Cyber Harpie Lady swing her whip towards her. With a deafening crack, it struck her in the best. "AAAHHH!"
Gilda: 500 (Winner) Starlight: 0
Celestia: SHE'S DONE IT! Gilda of team Wonderbolts has defeated Starlight of team Dominator.
The crowd cheered at this, as they watched the Duel Field begin to dissolve. The students of the Wonderbolts Academy screamed the loudest, while Rainbow and Soarin were jumping up and down in excitement.
Luna: It was a difficult Duel, but in the end, the Wonderbolts pulled off a come from behind victory. Now, will the next manege allow them to clinch victory.
In their room, Tempest hummed as the camera showed an image of Gilda.
"That makes three," she said. "Nice to see we're finally getting the results we're looking for." No doubt they were watching and had added her to the list. "We only have five more Duels left. And if the V-Fighters get to the finals, that'll mean they'll only be five candidates."
"Candidates for what," she turned to Heath. "What exactly are you looking for?"
"It's none of your business," Tempest replied. "Just make sure you don't lose. You're opponent's already been chosen, so he no longer has to be tested. Beat him and get us to the next round."
"Fine," Heath picked himself up and headed for the door. Once he was gone, Tempest stared back up at the screen.
"We're running out of time. We need to find the one most suitable for our lord."
As the field finished dissolving, Gilda turned to where Starlight was sitting. She also spotted she was grasping her gloved hand in pain, making her raise an eyebrow.
Starlight then turned to glare at Gilda, giving her a lock that would make milk curdle. "I'll get you back for this," she picked herself up and began to stagger towards her team's entryway. Meanwhile, Gilda continued to bathe in the cheers being given to her.
Spitfire turned to the directors. "So, what do we think?"
The directors all hummed before one spoke up. "She did leave it to the last minute."
"We'll see how well the rest of the team do before passing judgement on whether this was a good idea or not." The others all gave their own agreements, making Spitfire roll her eyes.
She knew this was the best she was gonna get right now. "Alright," she turned back to the field, "you can do it, team."
As Starlight staggered through the corridor, she suddenly lost her balance and had to grab the wall for support.
She quickly pulled her glove off her hand and saw that the image on it was growing dimmer and dimmer. "Have to keep it together," she told herself.
"Or...why don't...you just give...up." Starlight's face suddenly went blank at that voice, as in a flash of light she was suddenly inside the recesses of her host's mind.
The main body went completely rigged as the two spirits controlling it opened their eyes.
Starlight Glimmer, the real one, opened her eyes and weakly lifted her head to look towards the yellow light floating next to her. "Please," she said, "just let me go. You know your control over me is getting weaker."
"Maybe," the light replied, "but as long I have control over this body...I will use it however I see fit. And you...will not annoy me." In that moment, the chains began to tighten around Starlight and made her cry out in pain. This gave the sphere the chance to reassert her control over the Soulinked body.
In a flash of light, she was back in the corridor.
She slowly picked herself up and began to make her way back down the corridor. "Just a little bit longer."
Celestia: Welcome back to the Double X tournament's Final Round. I'm sure we're all still pumped up after the excitement of that last Duel.
Luna: Hope you didn't strain your voices too much, because we'll be having another high action match in just a few minutes.
Up in the VIP box, Flash and the others were all talking about that last match. "Can you believe that?" Spike asked, "Gilda totally wiped the floor with Starlight."
Sunburst nodded, a smile dawning on his face. "And that means she's one lose closer to being freed from whatever spirit is controlling her."
"And the Wonderbolts are one win away from knocking the Dominators out of the Double X," Sunset agreed. She was really hoping to face off against the Wonderbolts when her team beat the V-Fighters. Yes, she believed they were gonna win.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves yet," Cold told them all. "The next Duel might not be as easy as you all think." He turned to Flash and Twilight, "you two know just how powerful his Dominator is." The two nodded, knowing he was right. Soarin might have beaten Starlight, but Heath could be another story.
Down in the corridor leading out to the field, Rainbow and Soarin were rushing down it until they spotted their teammate.
"Gilda!" The girl looked up and smirked when she saw them.
"What's up losers?" The two finally reached her.
"That Duel was awesome!" Soarin cried, stars appearing in his eyes. "You had me worried there for a moment, but then you summoned that amazing Xyz monster."
"Yeah," Rainbow agreed, "that was awesome. I didn't even know you had it in your deck."
Gilda just shrugged her shoulders, "never needed to summon it before now." She then turned to Soarin, "be careful out there. Unlike Starlight, this guy can actually use the cards he wants."
Soarin nodded, "I won't let you down." He stepped up to and passed Gilda, "we've come too far to lose now. After everything we've been through, I won't let you down." He turned back to smile at the two, "you won't regret letting me onto your team." With that, he ran towards the exit while Rainbow and Gilda both smiled at his back.
"He's come a long way," Rainbow said. She remembered how much doubt he'd had when they'd formed the team. But now, he was way more confident. "You've got this Soar." With that, the pair headed out to watch from the stands.
In the opposite corridor, Heath was walking down it while listening to his headphones.
He and Starlight had passed earlier, but had said nothing to one another. He couldn't believe she'd lost again and to such a weak creature. Now, as he neared the exit, his headphones began to make a static noise before completely dying. "Gah!" He pulled them off his head and tossed them to the floor, shattering as they hit the ground before he began to stomp them to pieces. "Nothing good in this world! Not the music. Not the people. And not this stupid game!"
He continued to make his way through the corridor, "I'll finish this stupid job and then I'm getting the heck out of here."
Up in their own box, Spitfire watched as the board of directors discussed other matters.
No doubt they weren't talking about the matches. But if their team won this next match, they'd be much more interested. All she could do was wait and see how thing played out, turning back to the field and giving her team a silent prayer of good luck.
Celestia: Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the second match between team Dominator and team Wonderbolts.
They all turned back to the field, as they saw the two competitors step out onto it.
Luna: The second semi-final match sees Heath Burns, with only one loss to his name, against Soarin Skies, who's shown great improvement over this tournament.
Soarin and Heath met in the centre of the field, the two stare each other down as if judging one another. 'So he's a Dominator, like Starlight.' The two locked eyes and Soarin saw something...sinister within them. It caused his entire body to shiver, which Heath obviously noticed. "You scared?"
Soarin shook his head to try and get these feelings out of his head, "no I'm not." Who cares if this guy was from another world. He beat Starlight and now he'd beat this guy and earn their team a place in the finals.
The ref stepped up to them, a coin in his hand. "Heads or tails?"
"Heads," Heath spoke out while Soarin nodded. The ref flipped the coin and after checking what it was, turned to Heath. "It's heads, so Heath Burns will be taking the first match." The two nodded and began to step back to a reasonable distance.
Celestia: Alright, let's see which field our competitors will be facing off in.
She held up a remote and pressed the button.
Suddenly the floor beneath their feet began to shine as it projected the Duel Field, as a robotic female voice said. "AUGMENTED REALITY COMBAT SYSTEM ENERGISED."
In the blink of an eye, the two suddenly found themselves inside a giant Chinese city. It had many building you'd see in a samurai movie and was surrounded by tall walls, while in the centre of it was a large Chinese palace.
Luna: It's the Forbidden City. This is an exact replica of the Chinese city, complete with the palace in the very centre of it. How will our competitors fair in this field.
Soarin pulled out his Duel Disk and attached it to his arm, 'I'll continue Gilda's winning streak. One more win and we'll be in the final.' But as he turned back to Heath, he saw that sinister look in his eyes had now evolved into a nearly crazy looking one. And the rest of his face now matched them.
"No mercy from me," he attached the Duel Disk to his arm. "I'm in it to win it."
Celestia: Seems our contestants don't want to waste any more time.
Luna: Then let's get this match started without any further delay.
Celestia: In THREE!
Luna: TWO!
All: ONE!
"DUEL!"
Heath: 4000 Soarin: 4000
"ACTION CARDS DISPERSED!"
"Here goes!" Heath drew his card, "and I summon Solar Flare Dragon!" The fire serpent appeared infront of him. (A1500/D1000/L4) "Then I'll place two cards face down and end my turn, which will activate Solar Flare's ability." The snake spat a fireball at Soarin, hitting the teen in the chest.
"Augh!" He cried as he staggered backwards, clutching his gut.
Heath: 4000 Soarin: 3500
Celestia: It's Heath's first turn and already he's managed to get ahead.
Luna: But let's not count Soarin out just yet.
Soarin took a deep breath as he stood himself up, hearing the sound of his schoolmates calling out to him. "My turn," he reached for his deck. "I draw and summon Techno Force Jet Jammer to the field in ATK mode!" The red jet appeared and began to fly through the air. (A1800/D1000/L4) "Then I activate the Spell card Frontline Base, and use its ability to summon my Heavy Mech Support Cannon!" In a flash of light, a futuristic cannon with four robotic spider legs appeared. (A500/D500/L3) "And I'll equip it onto my Jet Jammer to up his firepower." The cannon leapt into the air before its legs folded up, then linked onto the back of Jet Jammer.
"So what?" Heath asked, "it doesn't look like your monster got any stronger."
"You'll see," Soarin told him. "When my monster attacks!" The Eurofighter Typhoon flew up high before launching a rocket towards Solar Flare.
"I activate my Trap!" Heath's face down flipped up, "Dimensional Prison!"
But then Soarin smiled. "Sorry, not happening!" The Heavy Mech Support Cannon suddenly fired a laser, which struck the card and destroyed it. "When a monster equipped with my cannon attacks, I can negate the activation of one Trap card and destroy it," Heath growled hearing this, as Jet Jammer's missile hit Solar Flare Dragon and destroyed it.
Heath: 3700 Soarin: 3500
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Soarin smiled as he heard the crowd continue to cheer for him, giving them a wave as he did.
Up in the stands, Rainbow and Gilda stared down at him. "Soarin's doing good, but he can't let the setting go to his head."
Gilda nodded, "he probably thinks because he beat Starlight he's invincible now."
Rainbow frowned, "just be careful Soarin."
"My draw!" Heath drew his card, "and now I Trap Summon!" His two face downs flipped up, "Flaming Soldier of Hellfire!" A fireball shot out of each card and took the form of the robotic monster, ready to do battle. (A1600/D1100/L4)X2 "Then I activate the Spell card, Infernal Blaze!" A flaming aura suddenly began to wrap itself around the two monsters. "This card will destroy my Soldiers during my End Phase, but in return, their ATK points double!" (A3200/D1100/L4)X2 "Attack!"
Soarin watched as one of the Trap monsters rushed forwards with a sword at the ready. "I activate my Trap!" His card flipped up, "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" The hunk of metal appeared infront of Jet Jammer and blocked the sword, "this card negates your attack before flipping itself face down." As he said this, he began running through the city in search of an Action Card.
Heath frowned at this. "Well, you can only use that card once a turn, so my next attack won't be stopped!" The second Trap monster ran forwards, just as Soarin spotted an Action Card in the shutters of a high up window.
Jet Jammer flew down and he grabbed onto its bottom as it flew up, allowing him to grab the Action Card. He then let go and landed on the roof of the house, "I activate the Emperor's Tax Action Card. This bad boy forces your monsters to pay two hundred ATK points for every Level Star they have." Everyone watched as the two Trap monsters glowed, their power waning. (A2400/D1100/L4)X2
Seconds later, the attacking Hellfire Soldier leapt up and slashed at Jet Jammer. But before it struck, the machine spun around so that the sword struck the Heavy Mech Support Cannon. Said cannon exploded, but left the jet in piece.
Heath: 3700 Soarin: 2900
Soarin smirked. "Sorry, but since Jet Jammer was equipped with Support Cannon, it takes the hit instead of Jet Jammer."
Heath almost growled at this, "fine." In that moment, his two monsters burst into flames. "I sacrifice my Hellfire Soldier to summon Flaming Emperor, Hellfire!" The flames spiralled around each other before exploding to reveal the armoured demon. (A2600/D2200/L7)
Up in the VIP box, everyone grew concerned. "So that's it?" Cold asked, "the monster that's possessing Heath's body."
Flash nodded, "yeah. It's just like how Sombra said. When he summoned it, it's like I was able to see the spirit standing beside him."
"Can you see it now?" Misty asked her son. Everyone watched as Flash stood up and got right up to the window, focusing as he watched Heath grab onto Hellfire's leg as it flew up. "I think so," he could see some kind of aura wrapped around him. "It's hard to tell at this distance, but I definitely saw it before."
"I saw something similar," Twilight said. "But all I saw was the aura. Not the monster itself."
Misty and Scootaloo also stared down at Heath as he jumped onto the building. The two of them did sense something, but it was hard to tell from this distance. They'd likely see more as the Duel went on.
"I end my turn," Heath announced. "Now bring it on you loser. "Show me what you've got."
"With pleasure," Soarin drew his card. "I summon Techno Force Sub Surfer!" The blue submarine appeared besides Jet Jammer. (A1200/D1500/L4) "And with Frontline Base's ability, I can now Summon Techno Force Armoured Assault to the field." The yellow tank also showed up, the tree machines standing side by side. (A500/D2000/L4)
Heath rolled his eyes, "how predictable. Let me guess, you're gonna link them all together to summon your little robot?"
Soarin frowned, "yeah I am." With that, the trio shot into the air. "I banish all three of my monsters, to Union Summon!" The three machines linked on top of each other before transforming into the humanoid robot. "Mega Techno Force, Attack Convoy!" (A2800/D2600/L8)
As this was happening, Heath spotted an Action Card on a nearby roof and leapt over to it. He grabbed the card and saw it was a Spell. "I play Forced Equality. Since you have more cards in your hand than me, I can draw until we have the same number." He drew two cards.
"Well I activate Attack Convoy's ability," he discarded a card as his monster pointed its hip guns at Hellfire before firing. The attack struck the demon and destroyed it, leaving Heath's field completely bare. "And since the card I ditched was Techno Support AFV, I can now draw two cards." She did so before pointing at Heath, "now I'll attack you directly!" Attack Convoy fired a missile up before it arched down and began to target Heath.
The possessed teen smiled, however, "I'm discarding Pyro Caller to activate his skill." A fireball with a face appeared infront of him, then began to take shape. "Now I can summon one Pyro Type monster from my graveyard." The flames took the form of Solar Flare Dragon in DEF mode, the rockets exploding as it struck it.
Soarin frowned. "Well since my monster destroyed yours, you now take three hundred points of damage for every Level star it had." Attack Convoy pointed its blasters at Heath and fired on him.
"YAAARRR!"
Heath: 2500 Soarin: 2900
"I end my turn."
Celestia: Soarin Skies, managing to pull a great turn around. Now it's Heath who's in trouble.
Luna: But we shouldn't count him out just yet. His deck has many powerful cards within it that could help turn the tide. But the question is, can he pull it off?
As Heath steadied himself, he looked up at Soarin and gave him a death glare. "Pathetic human," he drew his card before discarding one. "You think you're strong!" A pillar of fire appeared before exploding to reveal Hellfire. "I'll show you how much of a weak and fragile creature you truly are. I activate the Spell card Eruption Reload, to banish Solar Flare from my graveyard and draw cards equal to his Level." He pulled the card out and placed it in his pocket, then drew four new cards. "I summon Flame Ruler!" The flaming Spellcaster appeared infront of him. (A1500/D1600/L4) "Then I'll play the Spell Double Summon, which lets me Normal Summon again this turn."
Celestia: You were right sister. Heath isn't letting up the heat.
"Now," Heath held up his card, "I sacrifice Hellfire and Flame Ruler!" The two monsters exploded into a pillar of fire, that caused the houses around it to begin melting. "When summoning a Fire monster, Flame Ruler counts as two cards. So now, witness the birth of the beast whose rage burns hotter than the sun. The pillar exploded, revealing Heath's monster. "Searing Flame Dragon, Afterburner!" (A?/D?/L9)
Soarin flinched at the heat that was coming off the beast, "I...can take it."
Heath growled. "Since I have four Traps in my graveyard, Afterburner's original ATK and DEF becomes that number times eight hundred." (A3200/D3200/L9) Heath then leapt up onto his monster's head, "we are in a battle. And in a battle, only the strong survive." He pointed at Attack Convoy, "ATTACK!" The dragon opened its mouth and began to increase it's flames, "now activating Afterburner's skill." Heath drew a card before taking one out and placing it into his graveyard. As he did, Afterburner's power rose. (A4000/D4000/L9) It then unleashed a stream of fire at Attack Convoy.
"Did you forget about my face down!" Soarin asked as his Scrap-Iron Scarecrow flipped up, only to be melted by the fire as in continued to make its way towards his robot. "What?"
Heath smirked. "I would have thought your friends would have told you. Since I used three monsters in his summoning, Afterburner's immune to Traps." In that second, the fire struck Attack Convoy and destroyed it.
"AAAHHH!" Soarin cried as the explosion knocked him off the roof, making him slam into the ground below.
Heath: 2500 Soarin: 1700
Heath laughed at this, "I end my turn."
Soarin moaned as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, then looked up at Heath. As he did, he couldn't help but notice a strange intensity. It was so strong that it gave him goosebumps. 'He's strong. Starlight was strong too, but he's way more intense.' The two locked eyes as a sense of dread filled Soarin, making him begin to shake. But at that moment he shook his head to clear it. 'He may be a Dominator, but that doesn't mean he has to win.' He reached for his deck, "I draw!"
"Come on Soarin!" He heard Rainbow yell.
"Don't make us look bad!" Gilda cried.
"SOARIN! SOARIN! SOARIN! SOARIN!"
The sound of the crowd cheering for him, spurred him on. "I activate the Spell card Magical Mallet! Now I'll return cards to my deck and draw new ones." He replaced two and smiled when he saw what he'd gotten. "I summon Techno Force, Rush Rotor!" The apache monster flew into view, Soarin grabbing onto it as it flew him up into the air. (A1700/D1400/L4) "Then I'll use Frontline Base's ability, to summon Techno Force Tank Trasher!" His final Techno Force monster appeared before him. (A1600/D1200/L4)
"Those cards won't save you," Heath told him. "Even if you bring them together."
"We'll see about that," Soarin replied as the two monsters flew into the air. "Techno Force Rush Rotor and Techno force Tank Trasher, come together and Union Summon!" The two machines finished combining into the combo monster, "Mega Techno Force Defence Convoy!" (A2100/D1800/L6)
"Like I said, completely useless against my monster."
"Maybe on its own," Soarin said as he activated a card. "But if I bring him together with this card!" Said card appeared on the field, everyone seeing it was a Monster Reborn, and from it came a light that took shape before fading to reveal Attack Convoy.
"That's the way Soar!" He heard Rainbow yell out. This made him smile, as his two monsters leapt up into the air.
"I know banish Attack and Defence Convoy, to union summon an even stronger Techno Force monster!" The machines split into the individual components before they began to transform and link together, become one of Soarin's best cards. "Behold, Ultra Techno Force...GRAND CONVOY!" (A3000/D2800/L8)
Celestia: Incredible! Soarin looked to be down and out but some quick thinking as helped him bring out a heavy hitter monster.
Luna: But Heath's is still much stronger. How will he handle this?
Soarin leapt up onto his monster's shoulder. "Grand Convoy, attack Searing Flame Dragon!" The robot raised its sword, ready to slice the monster's head off. "And when Grand Convoy attacks, the monster he's attacking loses ATK equal to its Level times three hundred!" The gun turret on its back folded out and pointed at Afterburner, firing a beam that made the dragon shake in pain. (A1300/D1300/L9)
Heath looked around and spotted an Action Card on the roof of a nearby building and leapt off his dragon. He landed on the roof and grabbed the card, only to turn it around and see it was a Trap.
Celestia: Oh, that's the Unjust Tax. It forces him to give up the top three cards of his deck.
Heath growled but did as he was told, one of the cards being a Trap. This caused Afterburner's ATK to increase by another eight hundred. (A2100/D1300/L9) Seconds later, Grand Convoy reached the dragon and slashed at it with its sword. Doing so caused a shockwave that almost pushed Heath off the roof, the teen barely managing to stay on as he reached the edge of the roof.
Heath: 1600 Soarin: 1700
Luna: HE DID IT! He destroyed Heath's most powerful monster!
Heath panted as he looked up to glared at Soarin. "Is that all...human?" Soarin said nothing, signalling that his turn was over. "Gah," Heath clutched his head as he looked at the ground. "On the battlefield, naturally it's the weak who perish." Memories of his time in his world flashed before his eyes, the images of the horrors he'd seen making his head sting. This made him growl as he looked up at Soarin, "NOW THAT'S YOU!" He pointed to himself, "this is my battlefield!" He reached for his deck. "And on my battlefield, you'll experience hell!" This statement made Soarin feel uncomfortable, as Heath drew his card before discarding on.
Everyone watched as a pillar of flames exploded on the roof infront of Heath, with Flaming Emperor Hellfire exploding out of it. (A2600/D2200/L7) "I place one card face down, then activate the Spell card Heavy Storm!" A powerful gust of wind blew through the Forbidden City, sucking up every single Spell and Trap Card on the field and destroying them.
Soarin was forced to shield his eyes from the wind, "why would he destroy his own card?" The answer came when the wind died down, only to be replaced by a dark fog. "What's going on?" He then looked over at Heath's side of the field and saw a giant golden worm appear out of the fog. "A Wicked Token."
"That's right," Heath said. "And now I'll trade in my Wicked Token to summon Armoured Inferno!" The slug burst into flames, which took humanoid shape as armoured appeared around its head, chest, arms and legs. (A2300/D1600/L6) "Hellfire's skill. Grand Convoy loses one hundred ATK points for every Trap in my graveyard." A fireball appeared in the demons hands before it tossed it at Soarin and his monster.
Soarin leapt off the machine before the fireball struck, exploding off its chest and wrapping it in a tornado of fire that burnt away its power. (A2200/D2800/L8) "No," he whispered before turning back to Heath and seeing him smirking.
"The flames that torches the land and scorches heaven. Welcome to hell." Soarin once again felt goosebumps, that Heath felt and smiled as he did. "How's that? Are you scared? Let me hear your cries of anguish." Hellfire shot forwards, "SCREAM!" With blazing claws, Hellfire destroyed Grand Convoy and sent Soarin flying backwards. "AAAHHH!"
Heath: 1600 Soarin: 1300
"SOARIN!" His friends all cried out.
Heath laughed. "Now do you see it? The worthlessness of your existence. The pathetic limit of your weak human body." He stared down at Soarin, only to watch the teen pick himself up and stare up at him.
"I'm not out yet," he said with a burning conviction. As their eyes locked, Heath suddenly gasped as he saw it.
"Those eyes," he flashed back to his Duels against Twilight and Flash. They had the same fire in them as he did now. He quickly shook his head, "stay focused." He glared back down at Soarin, "ATTACK!" Armoured Inferno shot forwards, while Soarin leapt across to a nearby building close to the central palace. There he spotted an Action Card and reached for it, grabbing it as Armoured Inferno reached him. "Prepare to be terrified," Heath told him. "DIE!"
Soarin shot his own glare back at Heath, "I don't...FEAR YOU!" He slotted the Action Card into his Duel Disk, "I activate the Action Spell, Royal Council's Interruption!" He reached for his deck, "now I draw a card and if it's a monster I can summon it." He drew his card and saw it was a monster. "Yes!" He slapped in on the field, "go Techno Force Shuttle Striker!" The Space Shuttle appeared between him and Armoured Inferno, taking the hit. "The Action Spell also prevents him from being destroyed this turn, but in exchange, he loses one hundred ATK points for each of his Level stars. (A1700/D2000/L7)
"What the!?" Heath asked as his monster attacked, but was unable to destroy Shuttle Striker. However, it did do some damage to Soarin's Life Points.
Heath: 1600 Soarin: 600
As Armoured Inferno leapt back over to Heath's side of the field, Soarin stood tall alongside Shuttle Striker. 'I will not falter or run away. I have the strength I gained from Rainbow and Gilda.' He flashed back to all the things he'd learnt since forming the team. All the challenges he'd faced. The times he'd overcome those challenges, and the times he'd fallen short. But every moment he'd spent training and competing, he'd been growing stronger and stronger.
You gotta keep upping your game, or you'll never move forwards
Gilda just smirked, "you're not completely hopeless."
"Listen, guys," they turned to her. "Thanks, for agreeing to join me in this."
"Who cares if they're from another world," Gilda said from the shore. "We'll take them down and win this competition."
'I have the strength to face any obstacles to come my way," Soarin reached for his deck. 'My friends helped give me that strength.' "Alright...I DRAW!" He saw what he'd gotten and smiled, "I pay half my life points to activate the Spell card Scrap Recycling!"
Heath: 1600 Soarin: 300
"Now, for every Machine monster I currently have removed from play, I can add a card from my deck to my hand."
"Wait," Heath spoke up, "how many Machines has be banished?" He watched as seven cards slotted out of Soarin's deck, "no way." He suddenly remembered how he'd beaten Starlight.
Soarin took out two of the cards and slapped by on his Duel Disk. "Now, I set the Pendulum Scale with scale nine Techno Support M-Six and scale one Techno Support AFV!" The pillars of light appeared beside him as the two machines flew up into them, the portal beginning to form above his head. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" He chanted as the portal finished forming, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before four lights shot out and hit the ground around Shuttle Striker. "Techno Support OTR-Twenty-Three!" (A2600/D1500/L7/P3) "WC-Fifty-Four!" (A1600/D1400/L4/P6) "TOS-One!" (A2200/D1100/L5/P5) "and B-Two!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P8)
Heath shock as he stared at these monsters, then looked down and saw Soarin staring at him. "My skills may not be great, and I might not have the strength that Rainbow and Gilda have." He closed his eyes and took a deep sigh, "but I have...passion." His eyes opened to show his flaming determination, "THAT'S WHY I'LL GIVE THIS DUEL EVERYTHING I HAVE!" Shuttle Striker and the four Pendulum Monster flew into the air and got information, "UNION SUMMON!"
Shuttle Strike transformed as the Techno Support monsters linked to its body. WC-Fifty-Four and B-Two became its arms, while TOS-One and OTR-Twenty-Three became its legs. The transformation was soon complete, Soarin's monster now flying do to the ground and ready to battle. "Behold, Ultra Techno Force...GALAXY CONVOY!" (A3500/D3000/L10)
The crowd all cheered at the sigh of Soarin's best monster, knowing that Heath didn't stand a chance against it. Heath, however, didn't like the way the crowd was spurring him on. "What are you cheering for?" He asked while looking around, "this is my battlefield, not his!" But nobody was listening, being too pumped up by Soarin's move.
"Activating Galaxy Convoy's skill!" Heath turned back to Soarin. He then saw the robot glow as a beam of light shot out of its eyes, hitting the ground and causing a portal to open up before a rusted Grand Convoy floated out. "By banishing a Machine-Type from my graveyard, his power increases by its Level."
"NO!" Hearth cried as Grand Convoy exploded before the light flew into Galaxy Convoy, making it glow brighter. (A4300/D3000/L10) "This can't be happening!"
"Oh," Soarin smirked, "it is. And when Galaxy Convoy destroys a monster, it deals you one hundred points of damage for every banished Machine monster I have." Heath growled at this before running off, leaping from building to building in search of an Action Card. Meanwhile, Soarin pointed at Hellfire. "ATTACK!" The robot flew up into the air before spinning around and rocketing towards Heath's monsters, the light fully enveloping it as it became like a meteor.
Heath meanwhile, spotted an Action Card on the top of the palace roof. He turned to his monster form and pointed at the roof, Hellfire nodding before grabbing Heath by the back of the neck before tossing him towards it.
Time seemed to slow down, as Galaxy Convoy got closer to Hellfire while Heath drew closer to the card.
Eventually, the two forces met and Galaxy Convoy's attack caused an explosion that covered the entire palace. This made time speed up as everyone waited to see whether or not Soarin had actually won. And if he had, that meant that team Wonderbolts had knocked team Dominator out of the Double X.
Galaxy Convoy flew out of the cloud, flying over to Soarin as it slowly began to fade. But as it did, it showed Heath standing atop the palace with his monsters.
Heath: 800 Soarin: 300
"What?" Soarin asked, "how?"
Heath smirked, "I got the Action Spell Emergency Trap. It let me activate the Negate Attack in my graveyard" This made Soarin frown, knowing his best chance for beating him had slipped through his fingers.
Celestia: Despite his full-on attacks, Soarin Skies as been stopped in his tracks.
Luna: Talk about a lucky break. If he hadn't gotten that Action Card, team Dominator would be on their way home right now.
"Nice play," Soarin told Heath. "But we're still not gonna lose. I place one card face down and end my turn." Galaxy Convoy's ATK returned to normal. (A3500/D3000/L10) He then looked down at his face down, Defence Draw, which hopefully would get him through to his next turn. Hopefully.
"It's cute that you think that," Heath told him. "But this game is far from over."
Celestia: No doubt about it, this second Duel is really rocking the stadium.
"Come on Soarin," Rainbow preyed as she watched Heath draw his card. He just had to survive this turn and his Duel was his.
"Heath only has eight Traps in his graveyard," Gilda pointed out. "Hellfire's ability won't take away enough of Galaxy Convoy's attack for his monster to beat it."
Luna: What move will Heath use next, to get out of the situation he's in.
Heath smirked as he looked at the card he'd drawn, then turned to Soarin. "Playtime...IS OVER!" He held up his card before slapping it onto the Duel Disk, as a giant pillar of fire appeared on the field behind him. "Dragon of flames, augmented by the power of technology, now let your fire burn across this battlefield!" The pillar exploded, revealing Heath's monster. It was a twelve meter tall red humanoid dragon, wearing robotic chest armour with two pairs of mechanical wings coming out the back. On the back of its shoulders were a pair of metal boxes, while its head had a large horn on its snout and a pair of horns coming out the back of its head. "Blazing Arms Dragon...INFERNITY!" (A3000/D3000/L8)
The whole stadium froze at the sight of this beast, while Soarin's eyes went wide. "How...how can you summon a monster that strong without tributing anything?"
"Simple," Heath replied as the dragon knelt down so he could climb onto its hand. "Since I have at least eight Traps in my graveyard, I can special summon him." He jumped onto the beast's shoulder before turning to Soarin, hatred burning in his eyes as he reached for his Duel Disk. "Infernity's skill!" He pulled out three cards from his graveyard, "banish three Traps in my graveyard and destroy one card on the field." The metal boxes suddenly folded upwards until they were on top of the dragon's shoulder, the fronts opening up before a laser barrel came out. 'You're weak.' The laser fired, hitting Soarin's face down and destroying it.
"No," Soarin cried. He then rushed off in search of an Action Card, knowing he'd likely need it if what he thought was gonna happen happened.
'And this is only a game to you.' "I banish another three Traps to activate his skill once more!" The lasers once again folded up and targeted Soarin's monster, firing a blast that struck Galaxy Convoy and destroyed it.
Celestia: This is not looking good for Soarin. His field's completely empty.
Luna: Now he has to face off against three monsters with nothing to defend him.
Everyone grew tense at this, while Heath just glared at Soarin. "I would never allow myself to be beaten by such a weak...powerless creature like you." Infernity's entire body was covered in a blazing aura as it brought its hands together, the aura flying off its body and spiralling into a large sphere between them. "Puny little human...BEGONE!" The dragon tossed the ball in Soarin's direction.
In that moment, Soarin spotted an Action Card on a roof across from the one he was on.
He pushed his legs as fast as they could go, picking up as much speed as he could before jumping off across the gap. And as the fire drew closer, he hit the roof rolling and grabbed the card right before it struck.
Heath smiled, but that gasped when he saw the fire fade to show Soarin standing tall. Standing infront of him was a monster, Heavy Mech Support Cannon, which suddenly exploded. "What?"
"The Action Card I got was the Emperor's Reinforcements. Now, for the rest of the turn, whenever you declare a direct attack I can look at the top card of my deck and if it's a monster, I can summon it."
Celestia: HE SURVIVED IT!
Luna: INCREDIBLE! But with two monsters still on Heath's field, will his luck hold out?
Heath's frustrations were reaching their peak right now. "You have no choice but to be overwhelmed by my power." Armoured Inferno suddenly exploded into flames, which spiralled between Infernity's hands. "Blazing Arms Dragon's skill. Since he just attacked, I can sacrifice a Fire monster on my field and let him attack again."
The dragon tossed its fireball towards Soarin, as he reached for his deck. "I won't let you succeed!" He cried.
"SHUT UP!" Heath yelled.
Celestia: This is it. If Soarin doesn't get a monster, he's out.
Luna: And even if he survives, he still has another attack to block. Can he do it?
Everyone watched as Soarin drew his card, Heath panting in anger. "I'll kill you...count on it. I'll kill you!"
"No you won't," Soarin drew his card. But when he turned it over, his eyes went wide as he saw it was a Trap. "No." Heath smiled at this, while the rest of stadium gasped. All they could do now was watch as the fireball reached Soarin and collided with the building he was on. "AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" He screamed as the house was destroyed and he was sent flying, his life points being incinerated as he was.
Heath: 800 (Winner) Soarin: 0
Celestia: The winner, from team Dominator, Heath Burns!
Unlike with the last Duel, the crowd weren't cheering. They were clapping, sure, but not too enthusiastically. And as the Duel Field faded, Soarin groaned as he lay on the floor.
"SOARIN!" He slowly turned to see Rainbow and Gilda staring down at him from the stands, "you okay?"
Soarin picked himself up and nodded at them. His body was fine, but his pride would take a while to recover. He then turned to see Heath heading back into his team's corridor.
He then sighed as he looked up at the crowd, seeing the lot of them frowning. He'd let them down.
Spitfire sighed. This was not the result she'd been hoping for.
She turned to the board and saw multiple frowns on their faces. 'Don't go counting us out just yet. This isn't the first time the Wonderbolts have been down, doesn't mean we're out.' She turned back to the Duel Field, "it's all on you Rainbow."
Back in the Dominator's room, Tempest was making sure her deck was in order before going out.
As she did, a ringing caught her attention and made her put her cards down before reaching into her jacket. She then pulled out a phone and answered the call, "hello?" She suddenly appeared shocked as she heard the voice on the other side, "what's up." Her eyes went wide, "are you sure. He's made it obvious he's not interested in joining us...I understand. I'll make the offer to him, but don't be surprised if he tells us to shove it." With that, she hung up before turning back to the TV as it started replaying the Duel. "Flaming Emperor Hellfire, you might just be moving up in the world."
Celestia: Welcome back to the Double X tournament's Final Round.
Luna: We've reached the final round of the first semi-final match. Both team Dominator and team Wonderbolt have one win each. This will decide it.
Celestia: And that match will be between the team captains, Rainbow and Tempest.
As she said that, the Wonderbolt Academy crowd began to chant loudly. "RAH! RAH! RAINBOW!"
In the VIP box, the younger audience members were going along with it. "Rah! Rah! Rainbow!" Scootaloo, Applebloom, Sweetie and Spike cried out, pumping their arms in the air in a motion Flurry began to mimic. Everyone else laughed while looking down at the Duel Field.
Inside the corridor, Rainbow and Gilda were running down it until they spotted their beaten teammate treading towards them looking down.
"Soarin!" He looked up at the two, showing them a look of shame.
"I'm sorry guys," he told them. "I couldn't...he was just...I..."
Rainbow smiled as she stepped up to him and place a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. You did great and have nothing to be ashamed of. You made our school proud."
Soarin smiled back at her, nodding. "It's up to you now."
Rainbow nodded back. "Don't worry," she stepped passed him. "I've got this." With that, she headed off to the field while Soarin and Gilda headed up to the stands.
In the other corridor, Tempest stepped down the hallway.
She then spotted Heath, who stopped and glared at her before continuing. "I did my job," he stated as he passed her
"And I'm grateful," she replied. "Be ready for the finals. No matter who we're up against, I want to push them to the limit."
"That depends on if you can actually get us to the finals." Heath continued to march off, leaving a frowning Tempest.
"Oh, I'll get us there." She spotted the exit and started walking towards it, "Operation Omega Zenith depends on it." She smiled. "And the liberation from this accursed world draws near."
Celestia: It's finally time for the final match. The winner of this Duel will earn their team a spot in the final.
Luna: let's introduce our competitors. First, from team Dominator, a Duellist who's gotten to this point without losing a single match. Tempest Shadow!
The girl stepped out onto the field, nobody really wanting to cheer for such a Duellist.
Celestia: And her opponent, from team Wonderbolts, a Duellist whose truly flying high. Rainbow Dash!
In response, Rainbow's response was met with a mighty uproar. "RAH! RAH! RAINBOW!"
The two met in the centre, where the ref was waiting. "It's been a while since the first round," Tempest noted. "I'm intrigued to see how much better you've gotten. But I doubt you have."
"That so?" Rainbow asked before smirking. "I can say the same to you," Tempest smirked back, as they pulled out their Duel Disks.
Luna: Now that's out of the way. Let's see which field they'll be facing off on.
She held up a remote and pressed the button.
Suddenly the floor beneath their feet began to shine as it projected the Duel Field, as a robotic female voice said. "AUGMENTED REALITY COMBAT SYSTEM ENERGISED."
In the blink of an eye, the two suddenly found themselves on the top level of a multi-level rocky green area filled with rivers, lakes and waterfalls that appeared to be rainbows.
Celestia: Rainbow Falls! What a beautiful scenery to do battle on. How will this affect the outcome of the game?
Luna: Only one way to find out. In THREE!
Luna: TWO!
All: ONE!
"DUEL!"
Rainbow: 4000 Tempest: 4000
"ACTION CARDS DISPERSED!"
"Here goes!" Rainbow drew her card, "I summon Rainbow Wing Purple Condor!" A tornado appeared infront of her before exploding to reveal Rainbow's bird of prey. (A1800/D100/L3) "Then I'll use his ability to slash away six hundred of your life points." The large bird extended its large wings before letting out a mighty screech, which struck Tempest and pushed her back a few feet
Rainbow: 4000 Tempest: 3400
Celestia: Despite it being the first turn, Rainbow draws first blood.
Rainbow smirked, "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
Tempest, after regaining her balance, turned to Rainbow and gave her a quizzical look before reaching for her deck. "It's my turn. I draw!" She saw what she'd gotten and nodded before taking out two cards. "I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Spinehog Dominator and scale eight Tempest Unicorn Dominator!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of her before the two monsters flew up into them, the portal of light forming as they did. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, revealing her monsters. "Storm Guard Dominator Spear!" (A1800/D800/L4" And Storm Guard Dominator Glaive!" (A1900/D1200/L4/P3) "And whenever a Dominator Monster is Special Summoned, Spinehog's Pendulum Ability lets me draw two cards." She did so and instantly activated one of them, "Obsidian Orb!" Rainbow's eyes went wide as she watched the orb appear in Glaive's hand before it was tossed at Condor, surrounding the bird in the mist before it faded to reveal the statue.
Luna: Tempest isn't wasting any time Dominating Rainbow's monsters.
"Now I attack with Glaive Dominator!" The giant ape's weapon charged with electricity before it charged forwards, ready to slice the bird statue in half.
"I activate my Trap!" Rainbow announced as her face down flipped up, "Tornado Guard!" A tornado exploded around the statue before Glaive's attack struck, bouncing off of it. "This card protects my Wind monster from being destroyed this turn and then cuts the damage I take in half.
Rainbow: 3950 Tempest: 3400
Tempest smirked. "Very well, then I'll attack with Spear Dominator!" The second giant ape's body surged with electricity. (A900/D800/L4) That electrical power flowed into its spear, which it then tossed towards Rainbow. The spear landed infront of the teen before discharging the lightning, zapping her.
"Aaahhh!" She cried as the power shot through her.
Rainbow: 3050 Tempest: 3400
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Rainbow managed to protect herself from some serious damage there. But with her only monster Dominated, how will she fight back against Tempest?
"It's my turn," Rainbow reached for her deck. "I draw, then summon Rainbow Wing Red Kestrel!" Another tornado shot up next to her before exploding to reveal her monster. (A1500/D1200/L4) "And since he was special summoned, I can summon one Level four of below Winged-Beast monster from my hand to the field. So now I summon Rainbow Wing, Orange Osprey!" Another tornado signalled the arrival of Rainbow's third Rainbow Wing. (A1200/D1000/L3) "And since he was summoned using Kestrel's ability, his level goes up by one. (A1200/D1000/L4)
"Alright!" Soarin cried, "two Level fours."
"That's just what she needs," Gilda agreed. "Go get'em Dash!"
"You got it!" Rainbow cried back before the two monsters glowed and shot into the air, as a black hole appeared on the ground and they flew inside. "Wings of freedom, descend upon this land and unleash a hurricane of power." The black hole exploded in a burst of light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Rainbow's ace. The birdman flew through the air and gave several sword slashes before landing. "Rainbow Battle Wing Gold." (A2500/D1500/R4/P7) "And since Osprey became an Overlay Unit, his ability grants my monster an extra three hundred ATK points." (A2800/D1500/R4/P7)
Luna: What a come back for Rainbow. How will she continue this streak.
"Now, by removing an Overlay Unit, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and summon one Level four or below Winged-Beast to the field." The Xyz Monster crushed its Overlay Unit, as Rainbow drew her cards before picking one. "Come on out, Rainbow Wing Pegasus!" A third tornado appeared before exploding to reveal the pony version of Rainbow, which she wasted no time jumping onto. (A1800/D1200/L4/P5) "And when Pegasus is Special Summon, her ability lets me add a Level four or below Winged-Beast from my deck to my hand." Her deck shuffled out before slotting out a card, which she took.
Tempest smirked. "Not a bad move I must admit, but it won't be enough to save you."
"We'll see about that!" Rainbow cried before pointing at Tempest's monster, "Battle Wing attack Spear Dominator!" The Xyz monster flew forwards, drawing its katana. "And with two Winged-Beasts on the field, he gets three hundred ATK points for each one. (A3400/D1500/R4/P7)
Meanwhile, Tempest rushed over to a nearby rainbow river as she had spotted an Action Card floating down it. She caught the card and activated it. "I play the Action Card, Evasion!" Spear Dominator leapt back, just managing to evade the blade of Battle Wing's sword.
This made Rainbow frown, only for her to spot an Action Card falling down a rainbow waterfall. She quickly flew towards it and grabbed it as it fell, smiling when she saw what it was. "I activate the Action Spell Shine Like Rainbows!" This card pumps my monster up by its Level times one hundred." A rainbow aura wrapped around Pegasus, pumping up its power. (A2200/D1200/L4/P5) Rainbow then leapt off her monster, as it flew up high. "ATTACK!"
Tempest watched as Pegasus arced around before shooting towards Spear, the girl unable to spot any Action Cards that could help her. As such, all she could do was watch as the pegasus sudden created a rainbow/sonic-boom combo as it dive-bombed Spear Dominator and destroyed it. The force was so great it sent Tempest flying off her feet, rolling along the ground until came to a stop right next to a rainbow lake.
Rainbow: 3050 Tempest: 3000
Rainbow smirked as her Pegasus flew by, quickly jumping up onto it. "I end my turn." Battle Wing Gold's ATK points returned to normal. (A2800/D1500/R4/P7) Also, cracks began to appear around the Condor Statue before the rock shattered off the bird.
Celestia: There's only fifty points between them. This Duel's looking to be a close one.
Luna: Neither Duellist has pulled out any of their big moves. But I get the feeling that'll change soon.
Once Tempest had picked herself up, she turned to glare at Rainbow. "You think you're hot stuff? Well, so far I haven't seen anything that tells me you've changed from the first round." She drew her card as the portal opened up above her head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a light shot out and hit the ground besides Glaive Dominator, exploding with sparks of electricity. "Tempest Rogue Dominator Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) Tempest smiled as she drew her card, "there's no way you'll survive this. With this Duel, your fate is in my hands. Skill activated!" Scarvolt reached into her cloak before pulling out a pair of Obsidian Orbs, which she tossed at Pegasus and Condor.
Rainbow's eyes went wide before leaping off Pegasus, right as the orbs struck it and Condor. All she could do was watch as her monsters were turned to stone. "No way."
"Then I activate the Spell card Dominator Lightning, which will allow me to grant a Dominator on my field five hundred extra ATK points for each Dominated monster on the field." Electrical Energy shot out of the statues and flew up to Scarvolt, surging around her body and increasing her power. (A3500/D2000/L7/P4)
"This is bad," Rainbow realised.
"Now you see the fragility of the bonds you call friendship," she turned towards Tempest. "You may think it's unbreakable, but see how easy it is to separate you." Scarvolt rushed forwards, "attack!" Tempest Unicorn's Pendulum Ability activated, powering her up. (A3900/D2000/L7/P4)
"I activate my Trap!" Rainbow's face down flipped up. "Xyz Guardian! This Continuous Trap makes it so that you can only attack my Battle Wing, as long as this Trap remains on the field." Rainbow knew about Scarvolt's ability, so hopefully, this would limit the damage done.
Seconds later, Scarvolt reached Battle Wing and drew her broken sword before charging it with electricity. She then slashed the Xyz monster with the sword, unleashing a wave of lightning that flew through Battle Wing's body. It then leapt off him and struck Rainbow, making her cry out and she felt the energy scorch her. "GAHHH!"
Rainbow: 2500 Tempest: 3000
Scarvolt then disappeared before reappearing behind Battle Wing and stabbing him in the back. And once again the lightning flew through the Xyz monster before hitting Rainbow, "AAARRRHHH!"
Rainbow: 1950 Tempest: 3000
Celestia: Rainbow managed to protect herself from some serious damage, but with most of her monsters Dominated she'll have a hard time pulling herself back from defeat.
Tempest smiled as she saw Rainbow swaying from side the side, "I switch Glaive Dominator to DEF mode and end my turn." She stared down at the girl, "you said before that your friends are what give you power. But look how easily I was able to cut you off from them. Power is all that matters. Power that you grasp alone."
As she panted, Rainbow finally managed to stop swaying and stand upright. She then looked up at Tempest, grunting from the pain of the electricity. "You're wrong. Power alone is nothing compared to the power you can wield with your friends beside you." She reached for her deck, "let me show you. I draw!" She smiled when she saw what she'd gotten. "I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Supporting Filly and scale eight Rainbow Wing Knight Owl!" The pillars of light appeared before the two monsters flew up into them, but the portal didn't form.
"What's the point of that?" Tempest asked her.
Rainbow smiled as she discarded a card, "the point is Owl's Pendulum Ability. By discarding a card, I can add a Rank-Up-Magic card from my deck to my hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took before Battle Wing crushed its last Overlay Unit. "Now I'll use Battle Wing's ability!" She drew five cards before grabbing one, "come on out Wing Knight Falcon!" Another tornado appeared before exploding to reveal the blue bird armoured warrior. (A1600/D1400/L4/P4)
Luna: Rainbow's really pulling out all the stops. And I think I know what's coming next.
Rainbow smirked as the rainbow coloured tornado exploded around Battle Wing. "GO, Rank-Up-Magic Infinite Spectrum!" The black hole appeared above their heads, which the rainbow tornado flew up into. "With this card, I can Rank-up my Xyz monster into a Spectrum Battle Wing!"
"Finally deciding to get serious, are we?" Tempest asked as the rainbow coloured lightning sparked out of the black hole, as Rainbow Dash began to chant.
"Radiant colours of the universe, infuse your powers and give life to your new herald!" The rainbow tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battlefield. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado exploded, revealing Rainbow's hyper-evolved Xyz monster as he flew through the field. "Spectrum Battle Wing...PRISM BOLT!" (A3000/D2500/R5/P6)
The crowd all cheered at this, those in the VIP box crying out seeing her evolved monster. "Come on Rainbow!" Flash cheered her own.
"You got this!" Spike agreed.
Rainbow smirked before continuing. "Since Prism Bolt was summoned using Infinite Spectrum, his ability lets me destroy one card on your field for every Overlay Unit attached to him." Prism Bolt raised his wings before the Overlay Unit flew passed them, creating a rainbow beam that flew up at Tempest's Pendulum Zone and struck her unicorn.
Tempest frowned as she watched her monster be destroyed. Looks like Rainbow was trying to weaken her offensive power.
"Now I'll use Prism Bolt's skill, to remove an Overlay Unit to power down your Tempest Rogue by Wing Knight Falcon's ATK power." Prism Bolt raised its wings before the crystals on them unleashed lightning that was the same colour as the crystals. The fourteen bolts of rainbow lightning wrapped around Wing Knight before flying off it and hitting Scarvolt, electrocuting her. (A900/D2000/L7/P4)
Celestia: Incredible. Rainbow's monster has powered down Tempest's. With this, she may end up winning this whole Duel.
Rainbow and Tempest stared each other down, Rainbow glaring at her opponent. "Friends will always be there for you, no matter what obstacles you're facing." Rainbow pointed at Scarvolt. "Prism Bolt, attack now!" Prism Bolt took to the skies, while Tempest and her monsters rushed off in search of an Action Card.
She finally spotted one on a rock by a rainbow pool one level down, jumping over the edge and landing besides to it before grabbing the card. "I activate the Action Spell Baton Pass. This card lets me swap your attack target to any other card on my field." Scarvolt and Glaive Dominator flickered out of existence before reappearing in each other's spot, right before Prism Bolt struck the ape and destroyed it.
Luna: Wow. What a lucky card. Since Glaive was in DEF mode, Tempest was protected from taking major damage."
Rainbow frowned at this, "don't think you can escape that easily." Wing Knight Falcon rushed forwards, sword at the ready. "Attack!" It and Scarvolt clashed swords before the Wing Knight pushed through and cut her down the chest, destroying her.
Rainbow: 1950 Tempest: 2300
"I end my turn by equipping Prism Bolt with The Courageous Shield of Netitus." The golden shield appeared in the Xyz monster's hand, increasing his DEF power. (A3000/D2800/R5/P6) "Now Prism Bolt can't be destroyed by battle."
Celestia: What a brilliant strategy. That card, coupled with the Xyz Guardian card she still has out, means her weaker monsters are safe from attack."
In that moment, Pegasus and Condor both cracked up before the rock around them shattered. Tempest frowned as she reached for her deck, "it's my turn. I draw. And I activate Storm Guard Reload. So by banishing my Spear Dominator, I can now draw four new cards." She did so and smiled when she saw what she'd gotten. "I'll start by placing scale nine Storm Guard Dominator Ryyk, into the Pendulum Scale." The second pillar of light appeared before the ape flew up into it, the portal forming between the two. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three lights shot out of it, hitting the ground and revealing Tempest's monster. "Tempest Rogue Dominator Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
Rainbow began to grow worried. She wouldn't have summoned those cards if she didn't have a plan. But what was it? "Wait?" She suddenly remembered back at the beach, and the monster Flash said was possessing Tempest. "Don't tell me."
"Now, I equip Scarvolt with the Staff of Sacanas!" Said sat appeared in Scarvolt's hand, the Tempest Rogue spinning it around as her power increased. (A3000/D2000/L7/P4)
Luna: A good card, but with that Shield in hand she won't be able to take down Prism Bolt.
Celestia: What's she planning?
Tempest smiled as she held up another card, just as Scarvolt lifted the staff into the air. It then unleashed twin bolts of lightning, that hit the two Dominators besides her. They both silently screamed in pain as they were destroyed, their essences being sucked into the staff. Seconds later, the staff flew out of her hands and suddenly unleashed a power spiralling gust of electrified wind that surrounded Scarvolt.
"This is it," Flash said. "Rainbow, you've gotta be careful with what's coming."
Rainbow could barely keep herself from shielding her eyes from the wind, as she heard Tempest laugh. "By sacrificing Scarvolt whilst she's equipped with the Staff of Sacanas, along with two Dominator monsters, I can give life to the ultimate Dominator!" Everyone in the stadium watched as the lightning in the tornado shot into the eye below the staff, beginning to take humanoid form.
The staff then began to descend, as the figure raised one of its arms and grasped the relic. As soon as it did, the lightning was sucked into the staff and revealed the monster's form. "Behold...the ultimate Dominator monster. STORM KING DOMINATOR!" (A4000/D4000/L12)
Everyone in the stadium went completely silent, the mere presence of this beast giving the lot of them chills. "So that's it," Twilight asked.
"Yeah," Flash replied, "Storm King Dominator. The monster controlling Tempest."
"Well hopefully Rainbow can beat it and free her," Scootaloo said.
"Don't be so sure," Spike told her. "With that thing's ability, it'll be next to impossible."
"Come on Rainbow!" Soarin cried out from the stands, "don't let that thing intimidate you!"
Gilda nodded, "show that oversized orangutan why you don't mess with team Wonderbolt."
Rainbow nodded, not taking her eyes off Storm King. "This could be bad." As she said this, Storm King raised the Staff of Sacanas.
"I activate Storm King's ability!" The Dominator slammed the staff into the ground, unleashing several bolts of lightning that flew across the field and struck Prism Bolt, Pegasus, Condor and Wing Knight, transforming the lot of them into statues.
Celestia: Unbelievable! Storm King has Dominated Rainbow's entire field.
Luna: Things aren't looking good for her.
Rainbow began to run off in search of an Action Card, spotting floating down one of the rainbow rivers. As she rushed after it, Tempest pointed at her Prism Bolt. "Storm King, attack!" The Dominator raised his staff, as lightning sparked out the end of it. It then pointed the staff at the Prism Bolt statue, which was still holding the shield, and fired a blast of lightning that flew towards the Xyz monster.
Meanwhile, Rainbow had finally caught up to the card and as the lightning drew near, she reached out. "Got it!" She gasped as her hands grabbed the card, pulling it to her and seeing what it was. "This is..." Before she could finish, the lightning bolt struck Prism Bolt. It bounced off the shield before flying down and hitting Rainbow. "AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!"
Rainbow: 950 Tempest: 2300
"RAINBOW!" Everyone yelled in horror, as they watched Rainbow fall to the ground.
Tempest smiled as she looked down at Rainbow, seeing smoke coming off the girl's limp body. "This pain you feel...is nothing. Not compared to the pain I've suffered through. The pain of war, of death. The overwhelming sense of hopelessness that overcomes you as the end nears." Rainbow then started to move, rolling over before slowly picking herself up. "The pain me and my kind has suffered through and will continue to suffer through, because of you humans."
"How is any of this our fault?" Rainbow asked once she was back on her feet. She then took out the Action Card she'd gotten. "I play...End of the Rainbow. This Action Card lets me destroy any monster on my field and for each one, I can draw one card." Tempest's eyes went wide as she watched all four of Rainbow's monsters shatter, while she drew four cards.
Celestia: Brilliant. Not only has she drawn more cards, but she's also freed her monster from the Dominate.
Luna: And since she'll be able to Pendulum Summon most of them back next turn, she'll have practically used zero cost for that card.
Tempest frowned before taking out two cards and placing them face down, "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
"This is bad," Twilight said. "Against a monster that powerful, it'll be almost impossible to take it down."
"So Rainbow's gonna lose?" Scootaloo asked, horrified by the thought of her idol being beaten.
"Relax sis," everyone turned to Flash and saw he had a large smile on his lips. "Rainbow's not done yet. There's still one monster that can help her. The one that almost beat me."
Everyone thought about this for a moment, then realised what he was talking about.
"It's my turn." Instead of drawing, Rainbow reached for her graveyard as a card slotted out. She took the card and smiled at it, then turned to Tempest. "You know, you're right. I don't know what you've been through. I don't know what horrors you've seen and fears you've faced." Her eyes then got serious, "but what right does that give you to come here and try and mess with the game we love?" The portal of light began to form above her, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before five lights shot out, revealing Prism Bolt, Pegasus and Wing Knight Falcon all ready for battle. The last two lights then became Rainbow Wing Yellow Eagle and Green Hawk. (A1700/D1300/L4) (A1400/D800/L4)
Tempest frowned at the giant flock that was staring down at her. "This game has done nothing but turn my people into weapons and toys for your amusement. Wouldn't you try and do the same, if some lesser beings were trying to control you?" In that moment Prism Bolt was engulfed by a rainbow coloured tornado.
"Dude, you really don't understand this game at all!" Rainbow slotted the card she'd just gotten back. "I activate my Rank-Up-Magic Infinite Spectrum!" The black hole appeared above their heads, which the rainbow tornado flew up into. "Now I can once again evolve my monster and summon and Spectrum Battle Wing that's one Rank higher!"
Tempest growled as she looked up and saw the rainbow lightning spark out of it, while Rainbow began to chant.
"Now watch, as the multicoloured forces of the universe clash to give life to this mighty being!" The rainbow tornado shot out of the black hole and hit the field, sending a mighty gust of wind across the battlefield. "RANK-UP XYZ EVOLUTION!"
The tornado exploded, unleashing a blinding light that quickly faded to reveal Rainbow's monster. "Spectrum Battle Wing...BRAVE REFRACTOR!" (A1000/D3000/R6/P5)
Celestia: YES: Rainbow Dash brings out her speciality trump card.
The crowd cheered at this, Rainbow's friends and classmates chanting. "RAH, RAH...RAINBOW!"
Rainbow smiled at the cheer, then turned back to Tempest. "Since Brave Refractor was summoned using Infinite Spectrum, I can send one monster on your field back to your deck for every Overlay Unit he has."
"I don't think so," Tempest told her. "You see, Storm King has an effect that he can't be removed from the field by your card effects." The crowd all gasped at this, while Rainbow frowned.
Luna: That means the only way to get rid of Storm King is to destroy it in battle. And with four thousand ATK points, that'll be no easy feat."
Rainbow continued to frown, but wouldn't allow that to stop her. "I've decided to take on this mission, and I won't stop until I've seen it through!" As she said that, Brave Refractor flew forwards. "Brave Refractor's skill!" Brave Refractor's Overlay Unit flew into his chest spike, causing it to glow red as it raised its gauntlets. "His ATK now goes up by the ATK of the monster he's attacking!" Each of its claws began to glow one of the six remaining colours of the rainbow, the light flowing out and extending them until they were twice as long. "And you know what else? I'm proud to fight for it!"
Tempest rushed off in search of an Action Card, spotting one floating down the rainbow river.
As Brave Refractor got closer to Storm King, she reached out and grabbed the card. But as she did, she turned it over and saw it was a Trap that dealt her five hundred points of damage. The card exploded, unleashing a rainbow of light that made her cry out. "Augh!"
Rainbow: 950 Tempest: 1800
Seconds later, Brave Refractor reached Storm King and used its glowing claws to Slash at the beast. The giant satyr roared as it was destroyed, pushing Tempest back.
Rainbow: 950 Tempest: 800
Before anyone could cheer at the monster's destruction, Tempest's face down flipped up. "I activate my Trap, Storm Fragment. Since my monster was just destroyed, I can pay half my life points to revive him during the End Phase.
Rainbow: 950 Tempest: 400
"There ain't gonna be an End Phase!" Rainbow told her as Pegasus flew upwards. "I won't let whatever plans you have come to pass. Not if they involve destroying the game I love." Once it was high enough, Pegasus spun around towards Tempest. "Cause I'm not just fighting for myself. I'm fighting for our future. A future we can all share in together!"
"RAR, RAR...RAINBOW!
Tempest frowned at Rainbow, hating how she was pushing her. 'She's nothing like she was last time."
"Rainbow Wing Pegasus, ATTACK!" The winged horse shot down towards Tempest, building speed as she drew closer to both her and the sound barrier's limit.
Celestia: This is it. If Rainbow's attack succeeds, team Dominator will be out of the competition!
Tempest shook as this thought washed over her. A human, beating her. "No," she turned to Rainbow and froze as she saw the determination in her eyes.
"You don't understand this game, because you're not a true Duellist. You've taken over Tempest Shadow's body, so you can't understand the bond Duellists share with their monsters. The cards you're using aren't your friends or partners, but your slaves. So no matter how strong you think you are, you're way of Duelling is fake." She smirked, as her monster created its sonic rainboom. "that's why...you're gonna lose."
Tempest continued to shake, as she stared at the girl before her. As she did, memories of long ago came to her. Memories of how her journey started.
Long ago.
Night had fallen on the battlefield, the fight having ended many hours ago.
The only proof of said fight was the stone chunks that had once been the mighty satyr. But now they lay across the ground in a hundred pieces, likely never to be whole again.
Or so you'd think.
Suddenly, the rocks began to shake and rattle before they started to roll along the floor towards a single direction. This lead to them slowly coming together, the stone slotting into place before the cracks welded together, forming the image of the satyr. Once this happened, the rock once again cracked before completely shattering and revealing the now flash and blood satyr.
Freed from its confinement, the beast fell to its knees and panted. And once it got its breath back, it looked itself over. "How?"
"You can thank me for that," he looked up and saw a figure floating above his head. He couldn't see who it was in the darkness, but saw his body was snake-like while its arms and legs were different shapes.
"Who...who are you."
The figure laughed, "I am a zealot. I have been sent by my lord to show you the path." He pointed at the satyr, "why do you fight?"
"Why?" The beast stood back up, "because it was the only way to become stronger. And only by being strong can you survive in this world. I've spent my entire life fighting, gaining the strength needed to wipe out all who oppose me." He then clutched his fist, "but that wasn't enough" The memories of his fight with Scarvolt flashed infront of his eyes, "she was able to beat me."
"She beat you because of her partner."
"Partner?" The satyr looked up at it in confusion, seeing it nod.
"The human world, where those beings play a game that lets them use our power. They have the power to affect how the battles in this world play out. Not only that, but they also use our power for their own selfish goals." He held out his hand, "join us and you will be given the power to fight against these humans."
"How?" He asked.
"Operation Omega Zenith!"
"Omega...Zenith."
"In time, all will become clear." The figure snapped his fingers before something appeared before him, then started floating down to the satyr. The beast saw it was a staff with a crystal on it, which he took in his hand. "The Staff of Sacanas. With this, you will do our lords bidding."
The satyr stared down at the staff, then up at the figure. "Don't worry..."
Present.
"I won't fail my mission," Tempest's eyes shot open. "TRAP SUMMON!" A burst of lightning exploded between Tempest as Pegasus, as a giant ape carrying a pair of shields appeared. "Storm Guard Dominator, Lightning Sentinel!" (A1100/D2300/L6) The ape used its shields to block Pegasus's attack, pushing it backwards and leaving Tempest unharmed. "Skill activated!" The two shields then opened up and unleashed a familiar green mist, which covered Rainbow's entire field. "Dominate all monsters on the field with ATK less than its DEF."
Rainbow gasped as all but Brave Refractor was turned to stone, leaving her field filled with statues.
Luna: She survived! That Trap monster has saved Tempest from defeat. Now Rainbow only has one choice.
"I place one card face down and end my turn." As Rainbow said that, Brave Refractor's ATK points returned to normal. (A1000/D3000/R6/P5) Also, the rocks around her monsters shattered off of them. Meanwhile, a burst of lightning appeared next to Tempest as Storm King reappeared. Rainbow frowned at her missed opportunity but wasn't scared. She'd prepared for this and had the perfect face down from when Storm King attacked. Magic Cylinder. "This Duel is mine."
Tempest, however, was just as determined to win. "I won't let a human defeat me." She drew her card, "I will destroy you and everything connected to this accursed game! I summon Storm Guard Dominator, Puppeteer!" A burst of lightning revealed the arrival of the Dominator, who stood besides Storm King and Lightning Sentinel. (A1000/D1000/L4)
Up in the VIP box, the V-Fighter's all stood up and stared at the monster with eyes of horror.
"Not that card!" Spike cried.
"Ahh!" Sunburst cried while ruffling his hair, "this is really bad."
"What's so bad about that monster?" Scootaloo asked, "it's not that strong."
"Maybe not on its own," Flash told her. "But with Storm King, it's a problem."
"Why?" Twilight asked in worry, but Flash didn't reply as Tempest made her move.
"Storm King's skill!" The Dominator raised the Staff of Sacanas before slamming it into the ground, unleashing several bolts of lightning that flew across the field and struck all five or Rainbow's monsters.
"NO!" Rainbow cried as she watched her friends be turned to stone.
Tempest smiled. "You talk about these monsters as if they're you're friends. But let me show you just how easily your friendship can be broken!" He pointed at Puppeteer, "Storm King Dominator's second ability now activates." The satyr pointed the Staff of Sacanas at Puppeteer Dominator before a beam of light shot out and hit the monster, causing it to fall to its knees as it looked physically weakened. (A0/D1000/L4) "By reducing a monster's ATK to zero, the staff can steal their special abilities and give them to Storm King."
"But what's Puppeteer's ability?" Rainbow asked. She got her answer when Storm King pointed its staff at all of her monsters before firing a blast of light that swept over them, causing the stone casing to dissolve. "What?"
Celestia: What's happening?
Luna: It appears they've been...freed from the Dominate. But why?
Tempest smirked as she explained. "Puppeteer has to power to free monsters from being Dominated, but for each one you lose two hundred Life Points."
Rainbow's eyes went wide hearing this before turning to her monsters, seeing what looked like puppet strings attached to them. Seconds later, Wing Knight Falcon rushed forwards before slashing at her with its sword. "AAAHHH!"
Rainbow: 750 Tempest: 400
As she staggered backwards, Eagle and Hawk both took to the air before dive-bombing her. "YAAARRR!" She cried as Eagle's talons slashed at her.
Rainbow: 550 Tempest: 400
Hawk quickly followed up and did the same. "GAAAHHH!"
Rainbow: 350 Tempest: 400
Rainbow clutched her chest from the pain, only to look up and see Pegasus trotting towards her. She saw the winged horse's eyes were filled with tears, as its body was forced to rush forwards and slam its head into Rainbow's stomach.
Rainbow: 150 Tempest: 400
Rainbow gasped as the wind was knocked out of her, while her Pegasus collapsed. She knelt down beside it and stroked her mane, "it's okay. It's not your fault." She looked up and saw a struggling Brave Refractor walking towards her, raising his claws. "Don't worry," she stood up and faced her monster with arms wide open. "It's okay."
With that, Brave Refractor swung its claws down and slashed Rainbow down her front. "AAARRRHHH!"
Rainbow: 0 Tempest: 400 (Winner)
Celestia: And the winner is Tempest Shadow!
Luna: After an intense battle, the winner of the first semi-final match is team Dominator!
Everyone frowned at this, as they watched the Action Field dissolve. They looked down and saw Rainbow on her hands and knees, obviously ashamed at her loss. But then they heard something.
"WONDERBOLTS! WONDERBOLTS! WONDERBOLTS!" The crowd, not just their schoolmates, were chanting their name with great excitement and vigour. Rainbow looked up at her crowd, confused by this, with Soarin and Gilda being equally puzzled.
Celestia: This is unheard of. The crowd is chanting the name of the losing team. Team Wonderbolts.
Luna: Amazing! They may have lost the match, but this team has certainly won the hearts of the spectators in the stadium.
In their VIP box, Spitfire smiled at the cheering before turning to the board of directors. "Well, I think our team has proven themselves. Even though they didn't win, they showed everyone what Wonderbolt Academy can do."
The directors said nothing, obviously agreeing with her but being too proud to say anything.
Instead, they stood up and headed out the room while Spitfire simply smiled before looking down at the field as the teams met up. "Great work kids. You've done this school proud." Hopefully next year, she can get another team of Duellists to compete in this tournament.
Team Dominator and team Wonderbolts met in the centre of the field.
Tempest smirked at her opponent. "To think, you honestly thought you could defeat me." She bent down to get eye-level with her, "wake up and realise that this is the real world."
Rainbow frowned. "Yeah, I lost. But don't think you've won the whole thing." She looked up at a certain VIP box, Tempest doing the same and spotting team V-Fighters and team Tidal Maidens.
She realised that she was right. One of those teams would face off against hers. But no matter which one turned out to be their opponents, they wouldn't be defeated so easily.
Tempest just huffed before turning to walk away, Heath and Starlight following.
Once they were gone, Rainbow turned to Soarin and Gilda. "Sorry guys. I let you down."
"You kidding?" Soarin asked, "you did great. Besides, if I didn't let you down after my Duel then there's no way you could let me down."
"Yeah," Gilda nodded, "you did pretty good." They all looked up at the still cheering crowd. "This has been one heck of an adventure."
Soarin nodded, "and I'm glad I was along for the ride."
Rainbow smiled at her teammates, happy she decided to enter this tournament with them. They may not have one, but competing had been an experience none of them would ever forget.
Now, all they could do was sit and watch as the tournament played out. But the question now was, which team would be the one to face off against team Dominator. Only time would tell.
An hour had passed since the match between team Dominator and team Wonderbolts.
In that time, the audience and others had gotten something to eat while the next two teams prepared for their matches. It was the V-Fighters verses the Tidal Maidens.
Celestia: Welcome back to the Double X's final round.
Luna: Sparks sure were flying during the matches between our last two teams. And the heat is still on as we head into our second set of semi-final matches.
Celestia: Let's meet the teams hoping to face off against team Dominator in the finals.
The megascreen switched on and showed the first team.
Luna: First off, the fighters of victory. Team V-Fighters!
Celestia: These boys truly have improved since the first round, where they barely managed to make it through in last place. But now they've found their way here and are hoping to complete their underdog story.
The megascreen then changed to show the next team.
Luna: And their opponents, the fair maidens of tidal. Team Tidal Maidens
Celestia: These girls have an underdog story of their own, having been knocked out of the competition in round two but managing to earn the fourth spot here in the finals. Will they be able to use that to take home the title?
Luna: We've just received word on the Team's chosen Duel Order. So without further ado, the Duellists competing against one another are.
The screen changed to show the faces of the Duellists and the order they'd be in.
Celestia: Spike versus Fluttershy.
Luna: Sunburst verses Sunset.
Both: And Flash versus Twilight!
Up in the VIP room, Shining frowned seeing the order. "Twilight's going up against Flash."
"Talk about star-crossed lovers," Cadance said.
Rainbow, her team having come up during the break, raised an eyebrow. "I hope them dating doesn't make them hold back."
"Or makes the loser mad at the winner," Sweetie worried.
"Don't worry," Cadance assured them. "Flash and Twilight won't hold back. They respect each other too much to give the other anything less than their all. And win or lose, they won't hold it against each other. This is the only way to decide which of them is more ready to take on the Dominators."
"She's right," Cold nodded. "Despite how much I don't want it to, there's more to these matches than just the victory podium."
"Tempest's plans involve being in the finals," Misty explained. "She wouldn't have fought Rainbow so hard if it didn't. Whether actually winning this tournament is important, I don't know. But we can't take that risk." She looked down at the field. "Those six need to be at their top form. It's the only way." Everyone else nodded in agreement, knowing the outcome of this whole tournament might just be decided in this next match.
Down in their team room, two of the Tidal Maidens were helping their third prepare.
"Everything looks in order," Sunset said as she finished looking through Fluttershy's deck. "But are you sure about having that Trap? It seems a little too...aggressive for your play style."
"Yes," Fluttershy replied, "I'm sure." She smiled at the two. "I promise, I won't let you down. I'm gonna give this Duel everything I have and hopefully win this match."
"That's good," Twilight smiled as she patted Fluttershy on the shoulder. "I know going out there alone might be a little...unnerving for you. But just remember, we're cheering you on. If at any moment you feel overwhelmed-"
"Know you have our complete support," Sunset finished for her.
Fluttershy smiled at the two of them, then nodded. "I will, thank you." With that, she pulled the two into a hug that they happily reciprocated. Once that was done, Fluttershy headed out the door.
But as she shut the door, her smile quickly faded. Despite her teammates' words of encouragement, she was still feeling like she was about to have a panic attack. There was so much pressure and she wasn't sure whether she could handle it.
"No," she said while forcing her breathing under control, "I won't let them down." She remembered back to the second round when she'd faced off against Tempest. 'If I hadn't lost so badly, Sunset wouldn't have challenged Tempest. Then we wouldn't have been knocked out of the tournament.' Sure, the playoff had gotten them back in the tournament, but that was really luck that had saved them then. "I have to win this match, to make up for all the trouble I caused."
With that, she strode down the hallway with as much confidence as she could muster.
"You guys ready for this?" Flash asked Spike and Sunburst.
"You know it," Spike punched his fist into his palm. "Just two wins and we're into the final."
Sunburst turned to the two, "don't think it'll be that easy. Twilight's team managed to get here for a reason. These Duels might just be the toughest ones of the tournament."
Flash and Spike sighed, knowing he was right. Flash knew his opponent was one of the strongest Duellists in the tournament and Spike's was no pushover. Meanwhile, Sunburst was thinking back to the last time he'd faced off against Sunset. He had improved a lot since then, but Sunset hadn't been stagnating either. So the winner of that match wasn't set in stone.
Spike stood up, ready to head outside. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm giving this match everything I've got. I know Fluttershy's good, but I won't let that stop me." He turned to them, "you guys just focus on your own matches. Leave this to me. I'll start us off with a win for sure."
Flash and Sunburst both nodded, "good look Spike."
"Thanks." With that, Spike headed out the door and made his way down the corridor. Despite how confident he looked, he was actually really nervous. He had to win this, to make up for being knocked out so early in the second round. "I can't let them down."
Back outside, the crowd roared as the time had finally come.
Celestia: The first Duel of the second semi-final match has arrived.
Luna: Let's welcome our brave competitors out onto the stage.
From two opposite sides of the stadium, two openings opened up and released a flurry of smoke. From the smoke, two figures stepped out and onto the battlefield.
Celestia: From team V-Fighters, SPIKE!
Luna: And from team Tidal Maidens, FLUTTERSHY!
The crowd's cheering increased as the two young Duellists walked towards one another, with one member of the crowd cheering louder than anyone. "Go, go, go Fluttershy!" Tidal cried as he waved around a flag that had all three Tidal Maidens on it. "You got this girl! I believe in you."
In their room, Starlight and Tempest were watching as the Duel began to get underway.
Starlight let out a chuckled as she sat back, "it'll be interesting to see who our opponent will be." Tempest didn't reply, instead just continuing to stare down at the field. Starlight could tell what she was thinking, that it didn't matter who their opponent would be. It wouldn't change how their mission played out.
Spike and Fluttershy met in the centre of the field, where the ref was waiting.
As they did, Spike noticed Fluttershy was shaking in her boots. Obviously the large crowd staring down at her wasn't helping her shyness. If this kept up, she wouldn't be able to Duel effectively and Spike wouldn't get to show off his skills.
"Hey, Shy." She turned to him and saw a smile on his face, as he gave her a thumbs up. "Let's give this Duel our all and have a blast."
Fluttershy took a deep breath and forced down her nerves, giving Spike her own smile and thumbs up. "Okay."
The ref finally spoke up as he held up a coin. "Heads, or tails?"
"Tails," Spike replied before the ref flipped the coin and saw what it was.
"Heads, so Fluttershy will go first." The two nodded and pulled out their Duel Disk, attaching them to their arms.
Celestia: Now that's settled, let's see which Duel Disk our competitors will be facing each other on.
She held up a remote and pressed the button.
Suddenly the floor beneath their feet began to shine as it projected the Duel Field, as a robotic female voice said. "AUGMENTED REALITY COMBAT SYSTEM ENERGISED."
In the blink of an eye, the two suddenly found themselves on a battlefield etched onto a ten-foot-high mountain with a flat top. Around it was a large forest complete with a waterfall and lakes.
Luna: It's the Brilliant Forest. Quite a beautiful spot for a picnic or to camp. And an even better area to Duel on.
Fluttershy looked out at the forest, knowing her monsters would feel right at home there. Maybe this Duel wouldn't be so bad.
Celestia: Are both Duellists ready?
They nodded, activating their Duel Disks.
Celestia: Then in THREE!
Luna: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Spike: 4000 Fluttershy: 4000
"ACTION CARDS DISPERSED!"
"I'm up first!" Fluttershy reached for her deck and drew her card...only to lose her grip of the card and accidentally toss it in the air. "Oh no!" She cried as she flurried to catch it, making Spike and the audience sweatdrop.
"Hoe boy," Applejack moaned.
"She's more nervous then we thought," Rarity realised.
"Ah!" Gilda face-palmed.
"Come on Fluttershy," Rainbow cried out. "Just stay calm."
Fluttershy finally managed to catch her card and sighed, then turned back to Spike. "I summon Sacred Guardian Beast Rush Rabbit!" In a flash of light, a white humanoid rabbit appeared standing at five foot and wearing brown gloves and boots. (A1800/D1300/L4) "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then I'll go!" Spike drew his card, smiling when he saw what he'd gotten. "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Flame Viper Dragon and scale eight Flame Core Dragon!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him, as the two dragons flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above Spike's head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single fireball shot out and struck the ground, exploding as Spike's monster flew out of the flames. "Flame Spear Dragon!" (A1900/D900/L4/P3)
"You've activated my Trap!" Fluttershy announced as her face down flipped up, "Super Crush Virus!" Now, during each of our End Phases, we have to send a Level one monster from our hands or decks to the graveyard or lose five hundred Life Points.
Spike froze hearing this, looking down at the cards in his hand. He only had one Level one monster and his strategy needed it. "Oh well," he said. "No pain, no gain. I summon Heat Wing Dragon to the field!" Another fireball appeared before exploding to reveal the Tuner monster. (300/D200/L1)
Celestia: Spike's playing risky using a card he needs to protect himself from Fluttershy's Virus.
Luna: But I bet I can guess what's coming next.
"Now," Spike's monsters leapt into the air, "I tune Heat Wing Dragon with Flame Sabre Dragon!" The little dragon transformed into a fireball that carved a blazing ring. Spike's monster then leapt inside of it. "Burning spirit, erupt into a wildfire of power!" The ring exploded and created a blazing sphere. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames receded, revealing his monster "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) "And when Heat Wing Dragon is used to Synchro Summon a Fire monster, that monster gains five hundred ATK points for his turn." The ghostly image of Heat Wing appeared above Flame Hunter and exploded into a veil of fire that surrounded the dragon, as Spike leapt up onto its back. (A2800/D1300/L5/P8) "Now attack!" The dragon shot a stream of fire out towards Rush Rabbit, but Fluttershy smiled.
"I activate Rush Rabbit's ability!" Her deck slotted out a card, which she took before slotting into her graveyard. "By sending a Level one monster from my deck to my hand, I can negate any attack launched." Sphere Kuriboh appeared infront of Rush Rabbit before the critter kicked it like a soccer ball, right into the flames.
Celestia: Impressive strategy. As long as she has Level one monsters, Fluttershy can't be hurt.
Luna: Spike's gonna be in trouble if he can't destroy Rush Rabbit. And don't forget about her virus card.
"I end my turn!" As soon as Spike said that, Fluttershy's Super Crush Virus activated before firing a blast of purple wind towards Spike. "Gaaahhh!" He cried as the virus bit into him.
Spike: 3500 Fluttershy: 4000
Meanwhile, Flame Hunter's ATK returned to normal. (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) Spike then rushed over to the end of the field before leaping off of it, Flame Hunter flying under him as he did. He landed on its back and flew into the forest.
Fluttershy moved over to the edge and looked down, seeing she wasn't getting off this rock without something to ride on. "Twilight, Sunset. I won't let you down." She reached for her deck, "it's my turn. I draw!" She saw what she'd gotten and smiled. "I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Sacred Guardian Beast Silk Spider and scale night Sacred Guardian Beast Unity Flock!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of her before the Pendulum Monsters flew up into them. Joining Silk Spider was a flock a five small birds, each a different colour. The portal began to form, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out, revealing her monster. "Sacred Guardian Beast, Kindness Pegasus!" (A1000/D1800/L4/P5) Fluttershy and her rabbit leapt off the rock, landing on the pegasus before flying into the forest after Spike "And when she's Special Summoned, Kindness Pegasus lets me add a Sacred Guardian Beast from my deck to my hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took before jumping off her Pegasus and landed on the branch of a tree. "Now I tribute Rush Rabbit and Kindness Pegasus to summon this monster!" The two disappeared in a flash of light, which faded to reveal her new monster that she leapt up onto the back of. "Sacred Guardian Beast, Kindness Dragonoid!" (A2600/D1900/L7/P5)
Celestia: Looks like Fluttershy's stopped playing defence and is going on the offence. Will this prove to be a smart move or a bigger risk then she realised.
Spike, flying through the forest, looked back and saw Fluttershy catching up to him. "This is bad." He quickly looked around before spotting an Action Card on the leaf of a nearby tree.
"Kindness Dragonoid, attack Flame Hunter Dragon!" As she said this, Spike grabbed the card. But when he flipped it around, he saw it was a Trap.
Luna: Ouch, Blazing Ivy. That card forces Spike to send the top two cards of his deck to his graveyard.
Spike frowned but did so, sending a Trap alongside Burning Salamander. As he did this, Fluttershy's dragon was finished preparing its attack. "Silent Roar!" The beast let out of powerful blast of wind, which struck his Dragon and destroyed it.
"WOW!" Spike cried as he flew off his dragon and hit the ground, moaning as his Life Points decreased.
Spike: 3200 Fluttershy: 4000
"I end my turn," Fluttershy announced before her Virus card activated. "I send Winged Kuriboh to my graveyard to negate the effects of my Trap."
"This is bad," Sunburst noted from their box.
Flash nodded. "Spike's gonna lose more and more points with each turn. I knew Fluttershy was good, but she's really not holding anything back in this Duel."
"But Spike hasn't pulled out his best moves yet. Let's just hope he can before it's too late.
Spike moaned as he picked himself up, standing shakily before getting his balance.
He then looked up at Fluttershy and frowned before reaching for his deck, "it's my turn. I draw!" He did so and smiled when he saw what he'd gotten, "time to destroy that virus." The portal formed above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of fireballs shot out and hit the ground, exploding to reveal Spike's monster. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) "Flame Spear Dragon!" (A1900/D900/L4/P3) "And Flame Tracker Dragon!" (A1300/D300/L3) "And since he was Pendulum Summoned, Flame Hunter's effect lets me destroy every card in your Spell, Trap and Pendulum Zones." The dragon let out a mighty burst of fire, ready to incinerate all of Fluttershy's cards.
But Fluttershy didn't appear to be concerned, in fact smiling as the flames drew near. "I activate Unity Flock's Pendulum Ability!" The bird all began to sing in harmony, unleashing sound-waves that flew out and formed a shield around Fluttershy's field. "Once per turn, I can negate an effect that would destroy any card on my field. So your dragon's ability won't be destroying anything today."
Spike growled at this. "Fine!" Flame Hunter and Flame Tracker leapt into the air, "then I'll tune my monsters together to form an even mightier beast!" Flame Tracker burst into a trio of fireballs, that carved the fire rings around his Synchro Pendulum. "Cast your flames across this battlefield, and burn everything that is weak to ashes!" Spike chanted as his monsters were consumed by an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames erupted, as Spike's ace burst free and revealed itself. "Dragonic Blazemaster!" (A3000/D2000/L8) "And since Flame Tracker was used to Synchro Summon, I can now add a Fire Attribute monster from my deck to my hand." His deck slotted out a card, which he placed in his hand.
As this was happening, Fluttershy and her dragon began to fly off in search of an Action Card.
Spike leapt up onto Blazemaster as they and Flame Spear gave chase. And as they came out next to one of the lakes, Spike gave his command. "Blazemaster, attack Kindness Dragonoid!" The sword-wielding dragon rushed forwards as its sword ignited, getting closer and closer to Fluttershy and her monster.
The girl noticed an Action Card on a rock in the middle of the lake, which she flew down to before grabbing the card. Upon looking down at the card, she frowned before leaping off her dragon and landing on the lakeshore.
Seconds later, Blazemaster slashed at Dragonoid with its sword and destroyed her.
Spike: 3200 Fluttershy: 3600
"Then I'll have Flame Spear Dragon attack you directly!" The humanoid dragon twirled its spear around before tossing it towards Fluttershy, who then slotted the Action Card she got into her Duel Disk.
"I activate the Action Spell, Spring Time Revival. Since you're attacking me directly, this card lets me summon a monster from my graveyard that's the same Level as the one attacking." In a flash of light, Rush Rabbit appeared between Fluttershy and the spear before being impaled and destroyed.
Spike: 3200 Fluttershy: 3500
"And since Flame Spear destroyed a monster, his ability deals you two hundred points of damage for every Level it has. The dragon grabbed its spear as it reignited, then used it to slash at Fluttershy.
Spike: 3200 Fluttershy: 2700
"I end my turn," Spike announced. As soon as he did, Fluttershy's Super Crush Virus activated and launched the purple gust at Spike. "Gaaahhh!"
Spike: 2700 Fluttershy: 2700
Celestia: Despite Spike summoning such a powerful monster, Fluttershy's managed to keep their scores even.
Luna: But how will she overcome Spike's Blazemaster?
"Here goes," Fluttershy reached for her deck and drew her card. She then smiled, as the portal formed above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out, revealing her monsters. "Sacred Guardian Beasts, Kindness Dragonoid!" (A2600/D1900/L7/P5) "And Kindness Pegasus!" (A1000/D1800/L4/P5) "And since she was Special Summoned, Kindness Pegasus lets me add a Sacred Guardian Beast to my hand." Her deck slotted out another card.
Spike knew that card was likely one that would cause him issue, but he had bigger problems rough now."
"Then I activate Kindness Dragonoid's skill, to transfer all of her ATK points to my Kindness Pegasus!" The dragon turned to the pegasus and breathed its pink breath onto her, her ATK points dropping all the way down to nothing as hers went up. (A0/D1900/L7/P5) (A3600/D1800/L4/P5) Fluttershy leapt onto her pegasus's back, "now I summon Synkuriboh!" The silver furball appeared beside the rest of her monsters. (A300/D200/L1)
"Don't tell me," Spike realised as it and Dragonoid leapt into the air.
"I tune Level one Synkuriboh with Level seven Kindness Dragonoid!" Synkuriboh transformed into a single light, that then carved a ring that Kindness Dragonoid flew into. "Through love and kindness, true strength is born to protect those precious to us!" The monsters were engulfed by the light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Fluttershy's most powerful monster. "Sacred Guardian Deity, Kindness DRAGONIA!" (A3000/D2500/L8) "Now for her ability!" The large dragon spread its wings, then leapt into the air before exploding in a burst of light. "By sacrificing herself, Dragonia lets me summon as many Level one monster from my grave to the field."
Spike watched as three monsters flew out of the light. Sphere Kuriboh, Winged Kuriboh and Synkuriboh floated down next to Fluttershy as she and Pegasus flew towards them. (A300/D200/L1)X3. "What's more, Dragonia's ability doubles their ATK points until the End Phase. (A600/D200/L1)X3. "Now, Kindness Pegasus will attack Blazemaster." The pegasus flew after the dragon, as it and Spike looked around but couldn't find an Action Card anywhere.
This allowed them to catch up before Pegasus used her tail to slap Blazemaster, destroying it and making Spike fall until he crashed into the trees. After smashing through several branches, he finally crashed into the ground.
Spike: 2100 Fluttershy: 2700
"Then I'll have Winged Kuriboh attack!" The winged furball flew forwards, as Spike began to pick himself up. "And since they were summoned using Dragonia's skill, my Kuriboh's can attack you directly." Winged Kuriboh flew past Flame Spear Dragon and struck Spike in the chest.
"Augh!" He cried as he fell back, slamming into a tree that made it rattle.
Spike: 1500 Fluttershy: 2700
"Sphere Kuriboh and Synkuriboh, you're up next." The two monsters flew forwards, ready to knock away twelve hundred of Spike's life points.
Celestia: If these attacks hit, then come next end of turn Spike will have lost.
Luna: I can't watch.
Luna would kick herself for that in a moment, as when Spike crashed into the tree it knocked an Action Card loose. Spike saw this and managed to grab the card before the monsters struck. "I activate the Action Spell, Peaceful Forest. This card makes all but one of your monsters go into DEF mode." Fluttershy's monsters stopped their advance before they and Winged Kuriboh took a defensive position, leaving Spike safe.
Fluttershy frowned at this, having been hoping that move would seize her the win. "Oh well, I end my turn." As she said that, her monster's ATK points returned to normal. (A1000/D1800/L4/P5) (A300/D200/L1)X3. Meanwhile, her Virus Card once again activated and she removed a Level one monster from her deck to protect herself.
In their room, Twilight and Sunset watched.
Sunset turned to Twilight, "Fluttershy's doing great."
"Yeah," Twilight agreed. She then frowned as the camera turned to Spike. As much as she wanted her team to win, she didn't enjoy seeing her brother losing so badly. "Come on Spike. Don't go down without a fight."
Spike moaned as picked himself up. He looked up at Fluttershy and frowned, knowing he'd be in serious trouble if he couldn't pull out a game changer this turn.
'Flash,' he thought, 'Sunburst.' "I won't let you down." He couldn't afford to. Not after being knocked out so early on in the last round. He refused to allow himself to be beaten this easily. "Here goes!" He reached for his deck, "I...DRAW!" He did so and went wide-eyed seeing what he'd gotten, smiling as he did so. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a single fireball shot out and exploded, revealing Spike's monster. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) He didn't bother using Flame Hunter's ability, due to Unity Flock's Pendulum Ability. "Then I'll use the Pendulum Ability of Flame Viper Dragon!" Said dragon transformed into a card alongside Flame Spear, The two cards flying into Spike's hand. "By sending him to the bottom of my deck and returning a monster on my field to my hand, I can now summon a Dragon-Type Monster from my graveyard." A fireball appeared before exploding to reveal Flame Tracker Dragon. "Although the downside is it's ATK points are set to zero." (A0/D300/L3)
Celestia: Excellent move, but unless Spike has another copy of Blazemaster it won't be much use.
Luna: Unless he has that.
That, was a Spell card Spike activated. "Go, Spirit Tuning!" Flame Tracker and Flame Hunter leapt into the air. "Spirit Tuning lets me Synchro Summon a monster in my graveyard." Everyone watched as the two monster transformed into a giant sun, which quickly faded to reveal Dragonic Blazemaster.
Celestia: An impressive move. But with Fluttershy's other monsters in DEF mode, he won't be able to beat her if he attacks.
Luna: And with Winged Kuriboh on the field, even if he summons Flame Spear, he won't be able to stop her.
Spike smirked, as he slapped a card down onto his Duel Disk. "I set scale one Flame Breaker Dragon into the Pendulum Scale!" The pillar of light appeared before the hammer-wielding dragon flew up into it. "And with him, I can now pay four hundred life points to Flame Spear Dragon and summon two monsters whose levels equal his.
Spike: 1100 Fluttershy: 2700
Flame Spear appeared before Flame Breaker tossed its hammer into its back, causing it to explode into four fireballs. Said fireballs paired off before merging into one, the flames quickly disappearing to reveal Spike's chosen monsters. "I summon Magna Drago and Fireheart Dracokid!" (A1400/D600/L2) (A1000/D800/L2)
Fluttershy's eyes went wide, knowing what card was coming next.
"Now," the three dragons leapt into the air, "Level two Magna Drago and Level two Fireheart Dracokid will Double Tune Level eight Dragonic Blazemaster!" The Tuner's exploded into a quartet of fireballs, which quickly blazed four rings of fire. Those four rings lined up, as Blazemaster flew up into them. "Flames of Apocalypse, incinerate everything in this world!" The flaming rings exploded, wrapping Blazemaster into a ball of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flaming sun began to extinguish, reveal Spike's new monster. "Dragonic Blazemaster...INFERNO LEGEND!" (A3500/D3000/L12) "And with seven Dragons in my graveyard, Inferno Legend's ATK goes up by twenty-one hundred!" From out of the ground, spirits of Spike's destroyed monsters phased out before exploding into fire. That fire flew into Inferno Legend's mouth. As it swallowed, the beast roared as it suddenly began to grow until it was almost twice its original height. (A5600/D3000/L12)
Fluttershy began to quiver as she stared up and the giant dragon, which in turn was staring down at her with menace in its eyes.
Spike meanwhile, was smirking as he pointed at his opponent. "It's been fun Fluttershy, but this Duel's over. Inferno Legend...ATTACK!" The giant dragon pulled out its sword before it burst into flames, then raised it above its head.
Fluttershy meanwhile, flew away from Spike and his monster as fast as they could. They shot back into the forest, knowing an Action Card was the only thing that could save them now.
"You're not getting away!" Spike cried as his dragon began to cut through the trees.
While this was happening, Fluttershy and her monsters reached a waterfall. And it was there that she spotted an Action Card floating in the water, leaping off her monster and running over to it.
She grabbed the card and turned it over. "This is it," she said as Spike's monster finally caught them. "I activate the Action Spell, Trap Forage! With this, I can look at the top three cards of my deck. And if any of them are a Trap card, I can pay half my Life Points to play it." Everyone was on the edge of their seats, as they watched Fluttershy reach for her deck.
Celestia: The outcome of this match may rest of what cards Fluttershy draws.
Luna: I'm so tense.
Fluttershy felt her nerves begin to get the better of her, knowing everything was riding on these cards. What if she didn't get a Trap. Or what if she did and the Trap she got couldn't help her. What if- "No!" She told herself, "no more doubting myself. I will not lose, for my team. I draw!" She drew her first card and saw it wasn't a Trap. She then drew her next card, which was Kuriboh. "Last card." She began to sweat as she drew it, then turned it over as her eyes were shut. She dared not look, but instead she heard Celestia say.
Celestia: She got one!
Fluttershy's eyes shot open as she saw it was a Trap, and gasping at which one it was. "This is..." She smiled before activating the Trap. "Go, Shift!"
Spike: 1100 Fluttershy: 1350
As Inferno Legend swung its sword at Kindness Pegasus, the winged horse suddenly flickered in and out of focus alongside Winged Kuriboh. The two then reappeared, having swapped places so that Winged Kuriboh was the one struck by Inferno Legend's blade. "NO!" Spike cried.
The winged furball was destroyed, but being in DEF mode meant Fluttershy was safe. The girl in question smiled. "Your Inferno Legend's ability only negates the effects of monsters on my field, which means Winged Kuriboh's effect isn't negated since he's now in the graveyard."
Spike growled, "which means even if I attack you again you won't take any damage." Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
Celestia: SHE SURVIVED!
Luna: Despite an overwhelming opponent, Fluttershy manages to protect herself from Spike's incredible assault.
"YES!" Twilight and Sunset cried while jumping up and down.
"Go Fluttershy!" Sunset screamed.
Twilight sighed happily. Spike was really showing off what he could do. No doubt the crowd amazed by his skill. Now she didn't have to worry about him losing.
In the stands, Tidal smiled seeing Fluttershy turn the Duel around.
"Atta girl. Always remember, you're stronger then you let yourself let you think you are. As long as you believe in yourself, your deck will always pull through. That's something every Duellist must learn." His smile increased as he started waving his flag around, "GO FLUTTERSHY! NOW WIN THIS!"
Spike sighed, knowing he only had one move he could do. "I end my turn." As he said this, Fluttershy's Virus card once again activated before unleashing the purple gust that struck him. "Yaaarrrhhh!"
Spike: 600 Fluttershy: 1350
Celestia: Fluttershy might have saved herself this turn. But against a monster as powerful as Inferno Legend, she'll need something big to keep herself in the game.
Luna: As far as I can tell, he only hopes to win would be to re-summon Dragonia. But does she have a way to do that?
No, Fluttershy didn't. Dragonia was not one of her options right now. Her only hope was to summon a monster strong enough to take Inferno Legend down. It all rests on this one card. "Here goes," she placed her hand on her deck before taking a deep breath. "I...DRAW!" She did saw and upon seeing what she'd gotten, gasped. "This is..." She smiled as the portal formed above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out and struck the ground. "Sacred Guardian Beast, Kindness Dragonoid!" (A2600/D1900/L7/P5) "The I tribute Synkuriboh in order to summon my Sacred Guardian Beast, Grand Grizzly!" The silver Kuriboh disappeared and was replaced by a giant brown four-armed bear. (A2300/D1800/L6)
"What's the point of that?" Spike asked. "None of your monsters can stand up to my dragon."
"Don't be so sure," Fluttershy told him. "My deck's true power doesn't come from a single card, but from multiple cards working together. And that's how I'll win this Duel," she activated the card she'd drawn. "Starting with this card, the Ritual of the Sacred Guardians!" In a flash of light, a stone tablet with multiple animals appeared infront of her. On either side of it were a pair of stone animal statues.
"This can't be good," Spike realised.
Fluttershy nodded. "With this, I can summon a Ritual Monster with Sacred Guardian in its card name." Kindness Dragonoid and Sphere Kuriboh glowed, "all I have to do is give up monsters with enough Level stars!" With that, the two monsters transformed into a pair of lights that then flew into the mouths of the animal statues. The statues then spun around until they were facing each other before the lights shot out and met infront of the tablet. "The power of nature flows through us all, and only by understanding it can our greatest strength awaken." The tablet absorbed the light into itself before shooting a beam into the sky. "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The beam of light hit the skies, as clouds began to form around it. Then when it faded, the clouds floated down before disappearing to reveal Fluttershy's new monster. It looked almost identical to Dragonia. Only this monster didn't have any legs, while its tail was even thicker. On the back of its wrists were a pair of large pink shields, whilst the end of its tail was sporting a large shield as well. This new monster flew down and landed behind Fluttershy, curling its tail under it. "Sacred Guardian Deity, Kindness...DRAGONERA!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
The crowd awed at the sight of the monster, amazed by its beauty and grace.
The only one not amazed by this beast was Spike, who was beginning to worry that this new monster would do. And soon enough, he discovered he was right. "Skill activate!" Fluttershy reached for her graveyard, as a card slotted out. "By moving a Level one monster from my grave to the bottom of my deck, I can double the ATK of a Level four or below Sacred Guardian Beast." Spike's eyes went wide as he watched Dragonera hold up its claws, as Winged Kuriboh appeared before transforming into a sphere of light. "Kindness Pegasus!"
Spike watched as the pegasus flew up into the sphere, the light being absorbed into her. (A2000/D1800/L4/P5) "That's it?"
"Not yet," Fluttershy explained as she removed another card and did the same as before. Only this time, it was Sphere Kuriboh that appeared in between the dragon's hands before transforming into the sphere of light. And once again, Kindness Pegasus flew into the orb and absorbed the light. (A4000/D1800/L4/P5)
Celestia: So Dragonera's power is one that can be used multiple times.
Luna: And I'm guessing I know what's going to happen next.
"I activate Dragonera's skill one more time!" The dragon raised its hands as Synkuriboh appeared, then morphed into yet another sphere that Kindness Pegasus flew into. (A8000/D1800/L4/P5)
Spike shook in near horror, as he tried to look around for an Action Card. Right now, that was all he had in hopes of survival. And it just so happens, he spotted one in a nearby tree. "Blazemaster!" Inferno Legend used its sword to hit the tree, knocking the card loose in his hand. And as he caught it, he smiled. "I play Trap Forage. I'm sure you remember how this card works." He quickly drew three cards and smiled, "I got Roar of the Mighty Dragon!"
Spike: 300 Fluttershy: 1350
Fluttershy frowned, knowing her next attack might not hit its mark. But still, she had to try. "Kindness Pegasus, ATTACK!" The pegasus flew towards Inferno Legend, activating Spike's Trap and allowing his dragon to unleash a mighty roar that stopped the pegasus in its tracks.
"Here goes," Spike said as they both reached for their decks.
"DRAW!" They both drew their cards and held them up. Spike's monster was Underling Dragon, which might just save him if she drew a Kuriboh. But as he turned to Fluttershy, he saw the card she'd gotten was...Rush Rabbit. "Oh no." With that, Kindness Pegasus broke through the roar before tackling Inferno Legend with enough force that it caused the beast to explode.
KABOOM!
"AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" Spike yelled as the force knocked him off his feet and sent him flying.
Spike: 0 Fluttershy: 1350 (Winner)
Celestia: SHE DID IT! What an amazing Duel, Fluttershy has earned a win for team Tidal Maidens.
Luna: Talk about being the little Duellist who could. No doubt that's impressed the talent scouts. We might just have a future champion standing before us.
As the monsters and Duel Field faded, Fluttershy went over what had just happened and couldn't believe it. "Did I just...win?" Despite how hard it was to believe, it was true. She had beaten Spike. "I won." As she said this, her ears caught a certain sound.
"FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY!"
Celestia: Hear the crowd roar. They really love that girl.
Luna: Can you blame her. But let's not forget about her opponent. He didn't make it easy for her.
Fluttershy turned to where Spike had landed and was currently picking himself up, rushing off to see if he was alright. "Spike!" She looked him over, "are you okay?"
She saw a look of disappointment on his face, but that quickly vanished as he turned to her. "I'm fine." He held out his hands, "congrats Fluttershy. You really earned this."
Fluttershy frowned but took the hand anyway. "You did great too. You shouldn't feel bad."
"Thanks," Spike replied before turning to head off into his team's bunker. As he did, tears began to stream down his eyes. "Sorry guys."
The first Duel of the second semi-final match has gone to the Tidal Maidens. Can the V-Fighters make up the score, or has their time in the Double X come to an end?
Celestia: Welcome back to the Double X tournament's second Semi-Final match.
Luna: In our last Duel, Fluttershy defeated Spike and earned her team the first point. Now it's up to the V-Fighter's next Duellist to keep them in this game.
In the corridor leading to their room, Fluttershy was walking down it with a smile on her face.
"FLUTTERSHY!" She looked ahead and saw her teammates rushing up to her, Twilight throwing her arms around her. "You were amazing!"
"Yeah," Sunset agreed as Twilight let her go, "you did incredibly out there. You sure you don't wanna try and go pro?" Fluttershy blushed hearing this, making Sunset laugh. "I'm just kidding," she patted her on the shoulder, "but seriously. You were incredible out there."
"Thanks," Fluttershy said. "I'm just glad I didn't end up being a burden to you."
"Fluttershy," Twilight sighed, "you were never a burden. And even if you were, which you weren't, you more the made up for it out there."
"Thanks," Fluttershy said before turning to Sunset, "now it's all you. Go out there and get us our second win."
"No problem," Sunset said as she started making her way out to the stadium. She glanced back at her teammates, "sorry Twi. Looks like you won't be getting to go up against your boyfriend. Because the Tidal Maidens are winning here and now."
Twilight smiled at her, "just be careful out there."
Sunset smiled. "No problem." She turned back towards the exit, "this is my chance to become a pro. I won't let it slip past me." With that, she headed off.
In the other corridor, Flash and Sunburst ran down the corridor and stopped when they saw Spike walking towards them solemnly. "Spike."
The teen looked up, showing he was crying. He sniffed while rubbing his eyes with his sleeve, "I'm sorry guys." They both smiled before moving over to comfort him.
Flash placed a hand on his head, "it's alright."
"You did great out there," Sunburst assured him. "That Duel could have gone either way."
"Maybe, but now we're one loss away from being disqualified."
Sunburst smirked, "then I'd better not lose then." With that, he stepped passed him and headed down the corridor.
"Sunburst," he stopped and glanced back, "be careful. You know how tricky Sunset can be." Sunburst nodded and continued down the corridor, while Flash and Spike headed back into their room.
Celestia: It time for the second Duel of the second semi-final match.
Luna: Let's welcome our competitors to the stage. First, from team V-Fighters, Sunburst!
The crowd cheered as the teens stepped out onto the field. But up in team Dominator's box, Starlight frowned. Her heart was beating, showing just how much of a connection her host still had with this human. "Grrr!" She clutched her chest, "stop it!" Tempest turned to her in confusion, but said nothing. Hopefully, seeing him lose would finally free her from that pointless bond.
Celestia: And his opponent, from team Tidal Maidens, Sunset!
The crowd continued to cheer, no one louder than a certain Mexican. "ALRIGHT SUNSET!" Tidal waved his flag around so fast it gave the spectators around him a nice breeze, "you go girl!"
Sunset and Sunburst both met in the centre of the field, where the ref was waiting.
"Long time no Duel," Sunset told him. "I'm looking forward to seeing how much better you've gotten."
Sunburst smirked back. "Well, you'll be surprised to see how much stronger I am." He pulled out his Duel Disk, "I'm not letting you beat me this time."
"We'll see," Sunset pulled out her Duel Disk and did the same.
The ref held up the coin, "heads or tail?"
"Tails," Sunset announced before the ref flipped it.
He looked down to see what it had landed on and nodded, "tails. Sunset takes the first move." They nodded as the ref headed off-field, activating their Duel Disks.
Luna: Time to see which field our players will be facing off on.
She held up a remote and pressed the button.
Suddenly the floor beneath their feet began to shine as it projected the Duel Field, as a robotic female voice said. "AUGMENTED REALITY COMBAT SYSTEM ENERGISED."
In the blink of an eye, the two suddenly found themselves on a rocky terrain filled with pools of water. Steam was coming off each of those pools, indicated just how hot they were.
Celestia: Hot-Spring Paradise! Usually a place of relaxation, but not for these two.
Luna: Are both Duellists ready?
Sunset and Sunburst nodded.
Celestia: Then in THREE!
Luna: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Sunset: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
"ACTION CARDS DISPERSED!"
"Here goes!" Sunset reached for her deck, "I draw!" She smiled when she saw what she'd gotten, "and I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale with scale two Corona Paladin Incenderrum and scale eight Corona Mage Marlena!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of her before two monsters flew up into them, one being Marlena and the other being a young knight with a naginata that had a sun on its crossguard. As they flew up, Sunset began to chant. "Burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory!" The portal formed above her, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a fireball shot out and exploded, revealing Sunset's monster. "Sky-high, Blaze Wing Firebird!" (A1400/D800/L4) "And since he was special summoned, I get an extra two hundred life points for each card in my hand."
Sunset: 4600 Sunburst: 4000
"Then I activate the Continuous Spell card Mind Scan, which'll let me see every card you draw." Sunburst frowned at this, remembering that card from their last Duel. "I place one card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Sunset's not wasting any time.
Luna: I get the feeling this Duel's about to heat up.
"It's my turn," Sunburst reached for his deck. "I draw!" He drew his card and held it up for all to see, revealing Red Sun Magician. "Since you know it's here, I might as well use it. I set Red Sun Magician into the Pendulum Scale alongside Pink Sun Magician!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the two magician flew up into them, the portal forming above Sunburst's head. "Now it's my turn to burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory." The portal finished forming, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out and struck the ground, exploding to reveal his monsters. "Sunburst Familiar!" (A1200/D1000/L3) "And Ashes Magician!" (A1400/D1400/L4) "Now, with the Pendulum Ability of Red Sun Magician, I can increase my Familiar's Level by three." The magician waved its staff before firing a trio of fireballs, which hit the kitsune and powered it up. (A1200/D1000/L6) "Then, with Pink Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability, I can send a Ritual Spell from my deck to my grave and activate it."
Sunset watched as the female magician waved her staff, right as a familiar-looking altar and candles appeared. "This is bad."
Sunburst Familiar burst into six fireballs, which flew over and light six of the twelve candles as Sunburst chanted. "Honourable inferno, that burns like the sun, give life to the archer whose quickfire aim is always true!" The fire on the candles shot up before flying into the basin, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and taking form before fading to reveal Sunburst's monster. "Sunburst Ranger!" (A2300/D1500/L6)
Celestia: You were right about this Duel starting to heat up.
Luna: Told you. Now how will Sunset respond to this development.
Sunset responded by jumping up and grabbing Firebird's feet, the winged beast flying her into the air as they searched for an Action Card. Sunburst and his monsters soon began to follow, Sunburst pointing at the. "Sunburst Ranger, fry that turkey!" The archer pulled its bow back before firing a flaming arrow.
While this was happening, Sunset spotted an Action Card in one of the pools. But before she could try and get it, the arrow impaled her monster and it let out a mighty squawk as it was destroyed. "WOW!" She cried as she fell to the ground next to the pool, moaning as she pressed something on her Duel Disk.
Sunset: 3700 Sunburst: 4000
"You activated my Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Eruption Draw. Now I can draw the same number of cards as my monsters Level." She did so.
"Well, Ashes Magician will now attack you directly!" The dark grey cloaked wizard pointed its staff at Sunset and unleashed a cloud of soot.
But before it hit, Sunset reached over and pulled the card out of the pool. "Go, Steam Shield!" The pool's steam increased and wrapped around Sunset, "this card cuts any Battle Damage I take this turn in half." The soot flew through the steam and was diminished, lessening the pain Sunset felt as it struck her. "Gaaahhh!"
Sunset: 3000 Sunburst: 4000
Sunburst frowned at this, "I activate Sunburst Ranger's ability!" Ashes Magician burst into flames and flew into the Ritual Monster's weapon. "By tributing a Fire monster on my field, I can destroy one card on your side of the field." Sunburst pointed at the card he was destroying, "and he's aiming for your Mind Scan card!" Ranger pulled back on the bow while aiming at the Spell before firing, an arrow made of pure fire shooting out of the bow and hitting Sunset's card and incinerating it. "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn," Sunset reached for her deck. "I draw." She looked through her cards and nodded as a plan came together. "Alright, time to show those scouts something to be impressed by." The portal formed above her, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single fireball flew out, hitting the ground and revealing her monster. "Knight of New Dawn, Novaculo!" (A1300/D500/L3/P4) "Novaculo's skill! I discard one card and add a fire monster to my hand." She did so, smiling when she saw what she'd gotten. "Then I play Monster Reborn, to revive the monster I just discarded." Said monster was a large black wasp with a red stinger and flame-coloured wings. "Corona Beast, Shimmer Swarm." (A100/D100/L1) "And thanks to Marlena's Pendulum Ability, since Shimmer Swarm is Level four or below, I can summon as many copies of it from my deck as I want." Two more fireballs appeared before exploding to reveal two new black wasps. "The downside is their ATK and DEF is zeroed out and they're destroyed during the End Phase." (A0/D0/L1)X2
"So then what's the point of summoning them?" Sunburst asked.
Sunset smiled. "The point is that Incenderrum's Pendulum Ability burns away three hundred ATK points from a monster on your field for every Fire monster on my field." The young knight swung his flaming weapon through the air and laughed four blades of fire, each hitting Sunburst Ranger and lowering its ATK power. (A1100/D1500/L6)
"Uh oh," Sunburst realised.
"There's more," Sunset explained. "Shimmer Swarm gains a Level for every other copy of itself on the field. And with two more copies..."
"They're gaining two more Levels," Sunburst realised.
"Correctamundo!" (A100/D100/L3) (A0/D0/L3)X2 "Which means I can now Overlay these three monsters!" The three bugs transformed into lights that shot into the air, as a black hole appeared at Sunset's feet. "Flames of life, burn brighter than ever before and ignite the spirit of this new beast!" The black hole exploded, unleashing a burst of light. "I XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Sunset's new monster, which appeared to be a darker version of Solar Flare Phoenix. The normally red feathers with now black and the flames on its tail and wingtips were now dark blue. "Corona Beast, Revival Phoenix!" (A2400/D2000/R3)
Celestia: Impressive move. She used the weaker monsters to power down Sunburst's monster, then used them to summon an even stronger one.
"Revival Phoenix, attack Sunburst Ranger!" The black firebird took to the skies and flew towards Sunburst, who had begun running off in search of an Action Card and spotted one on a rock next to a pool.
He grabbed it and frowned, but activated it anyway. "I play Super Draw. This card lets me draw one card for every monster on your field." He drew two cards as Revival Phoenix reached them. "Then I activate my Trap," her face down flipped up. "Spirit Barrier!"
The phoenix's wings ignited before it flapped them, unleashing a burst of fire that struck Ranger and destroyed it before heading for Sunburst. But before it got to him, a bubble appeared around Sunburst and protected him from the flames.
Sunset then smiled. "I remove one Overlay Unit to activate Revival Phoenix's ability, which lets me revive the monster I just destroyed onto my side of the field in defence mode."
"What?" Sunburst asked before watching the flames on the Phoenix fly off it, taking shape before fading to reveal a kneeling Sunburst Ranger. "That's not good."
"It'll be even worst when Novaculo attacks you directly." The knight rushed forwards before slashing Sunburst with his sword, making him grunt out in pain.
Sunset: 3000 Sunburst: 2700
"Then I'll use the ability of your Sunburst Ranger!" Novaculo burst into flames, which flew into the archer's bow as he pulled it back before firing a flaming arrow at Sunburst's Spirit Barrier. Sunburst frowned as she watched his Trap be destroyed. "I place one card face down and end my turn."
Luna: Sunset's really managed to pull herself back from the brink. What will Sunburst do to try and pull things back.
"It's my turn. I draw!" The portal formed above Sunburst's head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out and struck the ground, exploding to reveal his monsters. "Burn Blader!" (A1800/D100/L4) "And Blue Sun Magician!" (A2600/D1300/L6/P7) "Then I'll have Red Sun use his Pendulum Ability, to increase Blue Sun's Level." Once again, the magician unleashed a trio of fireballs that struck the Pendulum Monster in the back. (A2600/D1300/L9/P7)
"He must be planning on Ritual Summoning again," Sunset realised.
"I am!" Sunburst replied as his deck slotted out a card. "Using Pink Sun Magician's ability, I activate the effect of Sunburst Gate!" The magical door appeared behind him as Blue Sun exploded into nine fireballs. Seven of them flew into the holes surrounding the door, whilst Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "Courageous flames, that burns like the sun, give life to the warrior whose fiery heart cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The flames faded, revealing his monster. "Sunburst Knight!" (A2600/D1900/L7) "Now attack!" The knight rushed forward, but not before absorbing the power of the multiple Fire monsters on the field and increasing its ATK power. (A4100/D1900/L7)
Sunset looked around for an Action Card and spotted one stuck to a deer scarer, which she ran over to and grabbed. But as she turned it over, she saw it was a Trap.
Celestia: Steam Scorcher. That Trap forces her to discard any Traps in her hand.
Luckily, Sunset didn't have any Traps in her hand. But unfortunately, Sunburst Knight had reached Revival Phoenix and cut it in half. The flames flew through her monster and struck Sunset, "AUGH!" She screamed while flying backwards and landing in one of the hot-spring, yelling out again due to the heat.
Sunset: 1300 Sunburst: 2700
"And then I'll have Burn Blader take out my Sunburst Ranger!" The blazing suit of armour rushed forwards before slashing at the stolen Ritual Monster, destroying it. "And when Burn Blader destroys a monster, he deals you four hundred points of damage." The armour pointed its sword at Sunset and unleashed a burst of fire, which struck her in the chest.
Sunset: 900 Sunburst: 2700
"I place one card face down and end my turn there." Sunburst Knight's ATK power returned to their normal total. (A2600/D1900/L7) As he was doing that, he spotted an Action Card nearby and grabbed it, seeing it was a Spell. Quickly reading its effect, he smiled before adding it to his hand. This would come in handy later.
Up in the box, Cold watched as his former ward struggled to pull herself out of the pool.
"Don't give up yet Sunset," he told her. "Remember, this is your chance to make it to the pros." He knew her winning was gonna take every single move he'd taught her, but he wasn't worried. He had faith in her."
Luna: You can tell this Duel's been heating up.
Celestia: How come?
Luna: Because I'm starting to sweat.
Celestia: You're not the only one. Sunset's life points have dropped to under a thousand. Can she pull things back?
"My turn," Sunset reached for her deck. "I draw." Sunset looked through her cards and hummed at what she could do, only to look around and spot an Action Card on a nearby tree. She ran over and plucked it off the branch, smiling when she saw what it was. "I activate the Action Spell Steam Healing, which lets me summon a monster from my graveyard that has less than a thousand ATK points." A nearby unleashed a burst of steam, which then faded to show Shimmer Swarm. As that happened, the portal formed above them. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three fireballs flew out, exploding as they hit the ground and revealed Sunset's monsters.
"Your warrior's spirit is blazing, Knight of New Dawn Novaculo!" (A1300/D500/L3/P4)
"Let your magic shine, Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7)
"Ignite your flame of victory, Solar Flare Phoenix!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "And with each of their summons, I can activate their skills! My Phoenix doubles my Life Points."
Sunset: 1800 Sunburst: 2700
Sunburst smiled, "I knew you'd do that." He grabbed the Action Card he'd gotten before, "that's why I'm glad I found this. Even Remedy. I can use this card whenever you regain Life Points, giving me the same boost!"
Sunset: 1800 Sunburst: 3600
"Novaculo's lets me ditch a card to add a Fire monster to my hand," she did so. "And Unicorn's lets me decrease the Level of a monster on my field and make it into a Tuner." The unicorn turned to Stirder and fired a spell from her horn, causing the knight to glow. (A1300/D500/L2/P4) "And with four Fire Monsters on the field, Incenderrum's Pendulum Ability will cut away twelve hundred points from your monster!" The Pendulum Monster swung his naginata and launched four fire blades, which struck Sunburst Knight and powered it down. (A1400/D1900/L7)
Sunburst gulped. "Not good."
It got even worse when he saw Novaculo, Unicorn and Shimmer Swarm leap into the air.
"Now, I tune these three monsters together!" Novaculo exploded into three fireballs that carved a trio of blazing rings the other two. "Ignite the inner flames of harmony, and let them shine for all eternity!" Her monsters were engulfed by an explosion of light, "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Sunset's Synchro Monster as it flew down next to her. "Shimmering Phoenix, Princess Daydream!" (A2300/D2200/L7) "Daydream's skill!" The ghostly image of Novaculo appeared in front of Sunset's Synchro monster before morphing into a fireball that she held in her hands. "By sending a Pendulum Monster from my Extra Deck to the graveyard, I can weaken every monster on your field by its Pendulum Scale!" Daydream tossed the fireball at Sunburst Knight and Burn Blader, weakening them both. (A1000/D1900/L7) (A1400/D100/L4) "ATTACK!" Solar Flare Phoenix's body ignited before flying towards Sunburst Knight.
"I activate my Trap!" His face down flipped up, "Draining Shield!"
"Not happening," Sunset replied. "Because Daydream can use her special ability to negate your card's effect. And all I have to do is give up three hundred Life Points!"
Sunset: 1500 Sunburst: 3600
Daydream created another fireball, which she tossed at Sunburst's Trap and destroyed it. Seconds later, Phoenix's blazing body slammed into Sunburst Knight and destroyed it. "AUGH!" Sunburst cried, feeling singed from the heat.
Sunset: 1500 Sunburst: 2100
"Now, Shimmering Princess will destroy Burn Blader!" The Synchro Monster created one final fireball and tossed it towards the suit of armour, melting in upon contact.
"Yaahhh!" Sunburst cried as the embers of the attack rained down upon him.
Sunset: 1500 Sunburst: 1200
"And with that, I end my turn."
Celestia: Seems Sunset really was able to turn things around. This Duel is a literal tug of war, with one side barely being able to pull ahead before the other side does the same.
Luna: Now it's Sunburst's time to tug.
"My draw!" Sunburst drew his cards and nodded, knowing what his best move was. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out and struck the ground, exploding to reveal his monsters. "Blue Sun Magician!" (A2600/D1300/L6/P7) "And Sunburst Guardian!" (A1400/D1800/L4) "Now I'll use Red Sun's Pendulum Ability to increase Guardian's Level. (A1400/D1800/L7) "Before using Pink Sun's to send another Sunburst Alter to the graveyard and activate it!"
Sunset frowned. Daydream's ability only stopped him from activating cards, not their effects. That meant she couldn't stop his Pendulum Abilities.
Everyone watched as the table and bronze basin appeared infront of Sunburst, along with the twelve candle stands. "Now, I sacrifice Sunburst Guardian." Said monster exploded into seven fireballs, which flew over to the candles and lit them as Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "Mystical fire, that burns like the sun, give life to the wizard whose intellect cannot be extinguished!" The wooden doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The fireball exploded to reveal Sunburst's ace. "Sunburst Magician!" (2300/D2200/L7) "Next, I'll activate his ability."
Sunset: 1500 Sunburst: 900
He drew three cards and before taking out two. "I summon UFO Turtle and Sunburst Apprentice!" The two monsters appeared in an explosion of fire, "then I'll use Apprentice's skill to power up my Magician!" The young wizard pointed its staff at the Ritual Monster before unleashing a burst of fire, increasing his power. (A2800/D2200/L7) "Now, Blue Sun Magician, take out Daydream!" The Pendulum Monster pointed its staff at The Synchro Monster and unleashed a burst of blue fire, which struck and destroyed her.
"Ahh!" Sunset cried at the flames.
Sunset: 1200 Sunburst: 900
"Now, Sunburst Magician, attack Solar Flare Phoenix!" The Ritual Magician mimicked the Pendulum one and fired a blast of fire out of his staff, destroying it and burning Sunset once again.
Sunset: 900 Sunburst: 900
"Now, Sunburst Apprentice, take her down!" The younger wizard pointed its staff directly at Sunset, unleashing a single fireball that would wipe out her life points.
Celestia: This could be it.
Luna: The scores are about to be tied up.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Sunset told them. "TRAP SUMMON!" Her face down flipped up before a burst of fire shot out, then took shape before fading to reveal a Trap Monster. "Corona Beast, Shield-Mane Lion!" (A0/03000/L6) The giant lion unfolded its shield to prepare for the attack that was coming its way, for it struck Sunburst would lose.
"STOP!" Sunburst cried out to his monster, who used his magic to nullify the flames before they hit the lion.
Celestia: She stopped it! Sunset's Trap monster protects her from being knocked out of the match. But, does Sunburst have something that can help him still claim victory?
Sunburst sighed. "I end my turn."
Luna: Sunset's got herself another turn. Now, how will she use it? Is there a way for her to win against Sunburst?
Sunset smiled as she looked down at her hand. She'd gotten the card that could win her the match last turn, but she needed a certain card to summon it. Her victory all fell on the card she was about to draw. "I can do this." She thought back to how Twilight had first asked her to join her team. How reluctant she had been back then. She then remembered everything her and her team had been through getting to this point, and all the Duellists she'd had to face up til now. Adagio, Tempest, team Applejewels and so many others.
Throughout the entire tournament, she'd grown as both a Duellist and a person. She helped her teammates as they struggled and they'd helped her in return. Now, everything they'd done up until now lead to this moment. Her chance to become pro were riding on these Duels, not to mention whatever the Dominators were up to. She wasn't gonna let anyone else face off against something like that. "I won't lose. There's too much riding on it. I DRAW!" She did so and when she saw what she'd gotten, a smile appeared on her face as her plan formed. "I summon Corona Beast, Sun-Heart Lion Cub!" The sword-wielding lion appeared beside her bigger one. (A800/D800/L2/P8) "Now, I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, revealing her monsters. "Let your magic shine, Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7)
"Ignite your flame of victory, Solar Flare Phoenix!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Now their abilities activate!"
Sunset: 1800 Sunburst: 900
"With Sunset Unicorn's skill, Sun-Heart's Level goes down by one." The unicorn blasted the lion cub with her magic. (A800/D800/L1/P8) "That means I can now sacrifice it and Solar Flare, in order to awaken my Phoenix's ultimate power!" With that, Sun-Heart exploded into a massive burst of fire that wrapped around the bird to become a flaming cocoon.
Sunburst eyes went wide as he realised what card she was summoning, knowing it would not be one he could stand up against. And so he started running, as Sunset let out a mighty cry. "TRANSCEND!" The flaming sun-faded to reveal Sunset's ultimate monster, which flew down as she jumped up and landed on it back before they took to the air. "Solar Phoenix, BLAZE-INCARNATE!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Celestia: There it is! Sunset's go-to monster.
Luna: I wouldn't wanna be Sunburst right now.
"Is this bad?" Spike asked.
"It could be worse," Flash said. "That thing's basically Magna Harmony and I've lost using that card before. It all depends on what Sunburst does against it."
"I don't know," she replied. "I hope so, but Sunburst is smart. I'm sure he has a way to counter Sunset's monster, so it's all a matter of finding it."
"Blaze-Incarnate's skill," Sunset reached for her graveyard and pulled out Revival Phoenix and Princess Daydream. "Blaze-Incarnate gains these monster's abilities." Everyone watched as the spirits of said monsters appeared infront of Blaze-Incarnate. "Inheriting the inextinguishable souls of our fallen comrades, to help blaze a new future. Go, Will of Fire!" They burst into flames, which wrapped around Blaze-Incarnate as it let out a mighty cry.
Sunburst meanwhile, had spotted an Action Card in one of the pools and grabbed it. But when he turned it around, he saw a Trap called Steam Burn. Suddenly, steam practically exploded off the pool and singed him. "Ahh!"
Sunset: 1800 Sunburst: 600
Sunset smiled at this. "I'm activating the skill inherited from Princess Daydream." She removed Sun-Heart from her Extra Deck and sent it to the graveyard, as his spirit appeared in front of Blaze-Incarnate before exploding into a wave of fire that hit all of Sunburst's Monsters. (A1500/D2200/L7) (A1800/D1300/L6/P7) (A700/D1300/L4) (A600/D1200/L4)
Celestia: Sunburst's entire field as been completely de-powered.
Luna: An attack on any of those monsters will mean defeat.
Sunset smiled, "it's been fun Sun. But now it's time for my team to head to the finals. ATTACK!" Blaze-Incarnate took to the skies as its entire body exploded into flames, Sunset standing atop them feeling nothing but a pleasant sensation.
Sunburst meanwhile, continued to run. He still had hope he could find an Action Card before she struck. "Come on," he looked around. "Come on," Sunset was getting closer. "THERE!" He spotted one on a rock next to a pool and leapt for it, "my only hope!"
Time seemed to slow down as the two drew closer to their target. Blaze-Incarnate inching towards Blue Sun, while Sunburst's hand got closer and closer to the card.
Time finally sped back up as Blaze-Incarnate struck Blue Sun, causing a massive explosion that filled the area.
"SUNBURST!" His teammates cried out from their room.
Everyone watched as Blaze-Incarnate flew out of the cloud, Sunset still on its back trying to see if she'd gotten him. But the smoke was too thick to see.
Celestia: Is it over?
Luna: I can't tell.
Finally, the smoke began to fade and reveal Sunburst. He was laying on his back, moaning, but began to pick himself up. Sunset looked down at her Duel Disk, seeing his Life Points.
Sunset: 1800 Sunburst: 300
"How?" She looked back down and saw that all of his monsters were no in DEF mode, which made her gasp in realisation. "The Action Card."
Sunburst nodded, "Hot-Spring Relaxation."
Celestia: Brilliant. That Action Card allows him to give up half his life points and switch all of his monsters to DEF mode.
Luna: Since they're in DEF mode, Sunset can't damage Sunburst.
Sunburst frowned, but then spotted a nearby Action Card that her attack and knocked out of hiding. She flew down and snatched the card, smiling when she saw what it was. "I activate the Action Spell Hot-Springs Energy! By destroying all but one of my monsters, that one monster can attack until you have zero monsters on your field." Sunset Unicorn and Shield-Mane Lion burst into steam, which wrapped around Blaze-Incarnate before the beast charged forwards. "Attack UFO Turtle!" And it did so, flapping its wings and sending a fireball that struck the monster and destroyed it.
Sunburst frowned, knowing using that monster's ability would be pointless.
"Now attack Sunburst Apprentice!" Another flap of its wings sent a fireball out that struck the young wizard, destroying it. "Finally, take out his Ritual Monster!" The beast's entire body ignited before it flew down and struck Sunburst Magician, destroying it and sending Sunburst flying back. "And now I'll use the skill inherited from Revival Phoenix, banishing one Level one monster from my grave in place of an Overlay Unit!" The flames flew off the phoenix and took the shape of Sunburst's Magician, who took a defensive position. "I end my turn."
Celestia: Sunburst may have survived the attack, but Sunset's left him with barely anything to work with.
Luna: This turn is very likely his last one. Will it end with him victorious, or wallowing in defeat?
Sunburst panted as he picked himself up, then looked up at Sunset as she floated above him. "Man, you don't mess around."
Sunset nodded, "I've been through too much to mess around. Me and my team are going to the top. After everything we've done to get here, it's finals or bust."
Sunburst smiled. "I can respect that. But you know, you're not the only team whose been through a lot to get here." He remembered back to everything his team had been through to get here. All the challenges they'd faced, especially with him. "My friends have stood by me since the beginning. I won't let them down. More so," he looked over at one of the VIP boxes. "There's someone I have to face off against. Someone...who I can't lose too." He turned back to Sunset, "and right now you're standing in my way." He reached for his deck, "so I have to knock you...DOWN!" he drew his card and, upon seeing what it was, smiled as he came up with a plan. "This Duel is mine. I activate the effect of Sunburst Gate!"
"What?" Sunset asked.
By moving it from my grave to my deck, I can add a Ritual Monster back to my hand." He did so, as the portal formed above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out, revealing Blue Sun Magician. "Now, I activate both Red Sun and Pink Sun Magician's Pendulum Abilities!" Red Sun waved his wand and increased Blue Sun's Level, while Pink Sun caused a card to slot out of Sunburst's hand. "Now I can activate the effect of the Sunburst Gate I returned earlier." Said gate appeared back on the field before Blue Sun exploded into seven fireballs. Each one filled one of the wholes in the gate, as Sunburst began to chant. "Courageous flames, that burns like the sun, give life to the warrior whose fiery heart cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and took form before fading. "Sunburst Knight!" (A2600/D1900/L7)
The return of this monster made her worry. Even with its ability, Sunburst couldn't take out enough of her life points to win. But even so... "There," she spotted an Action Card and jumped down off her monster, landing beside the card and grabbing it. "Evasion." She smiled. With this, she was safe.
"Don't think That Action Card will save you!" Sunburst announced as he activated the card he'd drawn, "GO! Rebirth Ritual!" A pillar of fire erupted out of the ground and engulfed Sunburst Knight. "With this, Sunburst Knight can evolve to the next stage of his existence!" The pillar grew in size until it eventually exploded and unleashed a powerful light. "RITUAL EVOLUTION!"
The light began to fade, reveal Sunburst's monster. "Sunburst...PALADIN!" (A3200/D2300/L8)
"But that's..." Sunset knew what that card could do. That meant her Action Spell was useless.
"Rebirth Ritual's added effect now activates, increasing Paladin's ATK points by one thousand for the remainder of the turn!" (A4200/D2300/L8) "There's more. Sunburst Paladin gains three hundred ATK points for every other Fire monster on our fields and in our graveyards."
Luna: Wait, how many Fire monsters is that?
Celestia: Nineteen. And times three hundred is...
BOTH: FIFTY-SEVEN-HUNDRED!
Sunburst Paladin raised its staff, as the ghostly images of all their fallen monsters appeared around him before bursting into flames. They surrounded the blade of the staff, while the monsters on Sunset's field gave off a flaming aura that did the same and raised the Paladin's power even more. Finally, the final total came out at (A9900/D2300/L8)
Celestia: That might be the biggest point total I've ever seen.
Luna: And Sunset's powerless to stop it. With Paladin's other ability, Sunburst just has to discard a card to negate whatever Spell or Trap she tried to use.
"No way," Sunset whispered. She then turned to Sunburst, seeing a big smile on his face. And in doing so, she couldn't help but smile back. "You really have grown stronger." She gave him a thumbs up.
Sunburst's smile increased. "It's been fun...Sun." He pointed at Blaze-Incarnate, "ATTACK!" The evolved Ritual monster rushed across the field and raised its blazing weapon, then swung it around and cut Sunset's monster in half while shooting flames at her.
"AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" She screamed as the holographic flames engulfed her, but all the while a smile remained on her face.
Sunset: 0 Sunburst: 300 (Winner)
Celestia: The winner, Sunburst of team V-Fighters!
Luna: It was a nail-biting Duel that could have gone either way, but in the end, Sunburst managed to pull off a win.
"ALRIGHT!" Flash and Spike cheered before turning to one another, high-fiving as they did.
And in the Tidal Maiden's room, Twilight and Fluttershy smiled. She may have lost, but Sunset showed just how amazing she was. No doubt the scouts saw that.
"Well," Twilight stood up, "guess it's my turn."
Fluttershy smiled, "you've got this Twilight."
Meanwhile, Starlight growled.
The reason, her heart was beating even faster. Her host was happy, which made her mad. "He thinks he's gonna save you. Think again. The next time we Duel, he's going down. And this time, he stays down."
As the field and monsters faded, Sunburst turned to where Sunset had landed and moved over to her.
"You okay?" He asked as she sat herself up.
"Yeah," Sunset replied, "I'm fine." She picked herself up and sighed, turning to him and forcing a smile. "Great work out there." She held out a hand, which Sunburst happily shook.
"No, I should be saying that to you. I may have won, but you were the one who stole the show. I hope the scouts decide to send you an invite. They'd be crazy if they didn't."
"Thank you," Sunset turned to head back into her corridor while Sunburst did the same.
As he got closer, his eyes drifted over to a certain VIP box. "I'm getting better, but I'm not there yet. But soon...soon I'll be able to save you."
As Sunset headed down the corridor, she thought back on the Duel.
She'd given it everything she'd had and had no regrets. If this didn't get her a spot as a pro, then nothing would. "Sunset," she looked up and saw her team heading towards her.
"Hey, guys." The two stopped and looked at her, as if trying to gauge her emotion.
"Sunset," Fluttershy stepped closer.
"It's okay," he sullen expression turned to a smile. "I may have lost, but I lost giving it everything I had. That's fine by me." Fluttershy smiled at this and hugged her, as Twilight stepped up to and passed her. "Twilight," the girl looked back at her and they locked eyes. "Out of all the Duellists here, the only person close enough to Tempest is Flash." She gave her a serious look, "this Duel might be your toughest one in the tournament."
Twilight nodded, "I know." She looked back towards the exit. "But I've come too far to let myself be beaten here. Flash might be strong, but I'm no pushover. Besides," she turned to smile back at the two, "I have you two backing me up."
Sunset and Fluttershy both smiled back as she turned towards the exit and headed out. 'And there's one more person standing beside me. Moondancer...this is for you.'
"Sunburst!" The bespectacled teen saw his teammates heading towards him.
Once they got there, Spike swung around and slapped him on the back. "You were awesome!"
Flash nodded, "you had me worried there for a moment, but it looks like I was scared for nothing."
"Thanks guys," Sunburst then turned to Flash. "It's all on you now."
"Yeah," Flash nodded, "I won't let you guys down." He turned towards the exit, "you guys gave your Duels everything you had. Now it's my turn to show you just how far I've come." With that, he headed out as Spike and Sunburst went to watch from the stands.
Celestia: In the final semi-final Duel, we're about to see the two captains from team V-Fighters and team Tidal Maidens go head to head.
The crowd cheered as the pair headed out. "GO GO AMIGO! Do it for Moondancer!"
"You got this BRO!" Scootaloo cheered her brother on.
"You can do this sis," Shining said.
Cadance held Flurry up, "you ready to see your aunt and godfather face off?" Flurry replied with a bunch of giggles and clapping.
Misty smiled as she watched her son prepare to go up against his girlfriend. He truly had grown into an amazing young man. "You got this sweetheart."
Flash and Twilight smiled at one another as they arrived in the centre of the field.
Twilight took out her Duel Disk and attached it to her arm. "I promised you, I'd be here."
Flash gave her a cocky smile as he did the same, "I knew you would be." The ref flipped the coin and Flash was the one chosen to go first.
Luna: Time to see where these two will be facing off in.
She held up a remote and pressed the button.
Suddenly the floor beneath their feet began to shine as it projected the Duel Field, as a robotic female voice said. "AUGMENTED REALITY COMBAT SYSTEM ENERGISED."
In the blink of an eye, the two suddenly found themselves in a large library. Twilight recognised it as the one she'd been in during the vision Moondancer had given her, which made her smile. This was the perfect arena for them.
She turned towards Flash, activating her Duel Disk. "You ready babe?"
"Oh yeah!" Flash activated his, "let's do it!"
Celestia: It's time to see which team will be moving on to face team Dominator in the finals. So in THREE!
Celestia: It's time to see which team will be moving on to face team Dominator in the finals. So in THREE!
Luna: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Twilight: 4000
"ACTION CARDS DISPERSED!"
The time had come for the final Duel between team V-Fighters and team Tidal Maidens, with their team captains being the ones to face off. Flash and Twilight were Duelling in the Spellbook Library of the Crescent. Whoever won would be taking their team to the finals to face off against team Dominator.
"Here I go!" Flash drew his card and smiled. "And I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Magna Caster Ratio and scale eight Lustrous Feather Magna Leghorn." The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the two monsters flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory." The portal formed, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, revealing Flash's monsters. "Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Flash Sentry, showing a strong start.
Luna: Makes you wonder if Twilight saw it coming. According to my sources, these two are actually in a relationship. So it's likely they know each other's strategy inside and out.
Meanwhile, Spike, Sunburst, Sunset and Fluttershy arrived in the stands, having all decided to watch the match from there instead of their rooms. "Come on Flash!" Spike cheered.
"You got this Twilight!" Sunset cried out.
"Amigos!" They turned to see Tidal rushing up to them, pulling Sunset and Fluttershy into a tight hug. "You two were amazing out there. Great work."
"Thanks," they both said as he let them go.
"Now," Tidal turned back to the field, "let's cheer for our amigos with all our hearts." The others nodded and turned back to the field.
"My turn," they saw Twilight reach for her deck. "I draw and I'll start by playing the Spell card Spellbook Calling!"
Flash raised an eyebrow, not knowing that card. Looks like Sunset and Fluttershy weren't the only ones who reworked their decks for this. "With it, I can discard any number of Spellbooks in my hand before adding a monster of my choice to my hand for each card discarded." She ditched three cards before her deck slotted out another three for her to take.
"I bet I can guess what cards she'd picked," Scootaloo said.
"She's setting up her Pendulum Scale," Shining agreed. And as if to prove his points.
"I set my Pendulum Scale, with scale two Mythical Enchantress and scale eight Magi-Beast Mystic Dracoteen." The pillars of light appeared on either side of her before the two monsters flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out revealing her monsters. "Magi-Beast, Twilight Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7)
"Pyro Charmer!" (A1300/D1200/L3)
Flash smirked, knowing was coming next. And just as he expected, Twilight's Tuner leapt into the air.
"I tune my level three Pyro Charmer with my level four Twilight Unicorn!" The wizard exploded into flames, with three lights shooting out of them before carving three circles that Twilight Unicorn leapt into. "It's time to embrace the power given by those we call friends and ascend to a higher plain of life." Instead of disappearing in a flash, the light-infused into Twilight Unicorn as two new appendages appeared on its back. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded from the monsters body, revealing Twilight monster. "Twilight Alicorn!" (A2600/D1900/L7) Twilight leapt up onto the back of her monster as she continued with her turn. "Then I'll activate my Alicorn's effect, to banish a Spellbook from my graveyard and increase her power by one thousand." (A3600/D1900/L7) "But since doing it once was fun, let's try it two more times." She did so, as Alicorn's power went up even more. (A5600/D1900/L7)
Celestia: Wow, she's not holding back. Already she's got a monster with enough ATK points to wipe out almost all of Flash's Life Points.
"ATTACK!" The alicorn's horn sparked as Flash and his monster began to rush through the aisles of the library, until he spotted an Action Card sticking out of one of the books.
And as Twilight Alicorn fired its attack at Magna Chimp, he grabbed the card. But turning it around, he saw it was a Trap card called Late Fees.
Flash: 3700 Twilight: 4000
"Oh man," Flash spun around and saw Magna Chimp be struck by Twilight's attack. "I activate my Trap, Defence Draw!" A force field appeared around Flash as Magna Chimp was destroyed, protecting him from serious damage as he drew a card.
Twilight smiled at her boyfriend's skill, then activated her next card. "I play Spellbook Blast. Now I can draw one card for every Spellbook that's removed from play. And for every Spellbook I draw, you take three hundred points of damage." She drew three cards, but only turned one around. "I got Spellbook of Secrets." A book suddenly materialised infront of her before shooting towards Flash, slamming him in the stomach.
"AUGH!" He cried as he fell back.
Flash: 3400 Twilight: 4000
"Then I'll play Spellbook of Secrets, to add a Spellbook to my hand." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took. "Finally, I end my turn by summoning White Wing Magician in DEF mode!" The futuristic magician appeared on the field before kneeling down. Once that was done, Twilight Alicorn's ATK returned to its normal Level. (A2600/D1900/L7)
Luna: Despite being up against a super-powered monster, Flash Sentry managed to keep himself in the game.
"That was a close one," Spike sighed in relief.
Sunburst nodded in agreement. "If he didn't have that Trap, he would have been completely wiped out."
Sunset sighed in relief. "I might want Twilight to win, but not on the first turn. Where's the fun in that?"
"Now it's Flash's turn to try and make a come back," Fluttershy noted
"My turn!" Flash drew his card as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of lights shot out of it and hit the ground, revealing Flash's monsters. "Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Magna Fighter Gun Runner!" (A1600/D1400/L4)
"Hop to it, Bright Bounce Magna Bunny!" (A1200/D600/L3/P2) "And now I'll tune Level three Magna Bunny with Level four Magna Chimp!" The two monsters leapt into the air before Magna Bunny transformed into a trio of light ring, which then flew around Magna Chimp. "Memories of strength long forgotten, return in an explosion of power!" The two monster disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Flash's monster. "Flashback Dragon!" (A2300/2200/L7)
Celestia: Many strong monsters, but none of them have the power to destroy Twilight's Alicorn.
"You won't be saying that once I activate Ratio's ability," Flash reached for his deck. "I look at the top three cards of my deck and banish one monster, then I can power up my Gun Runner by its Level times two hundred." 'Here goes,' he drew his card and smiled when he saw one of them. "I banish Magna Caster Lunara!" The ghostly image of the moon themed wizard appeared above Gun Runner before it exploded, the light flying into him and causing him to glow (A2800/D1400/L4)
Twilight's eyes went wide as she and her monster began to fly through the library, trying to find an Action Card as Flash jumped up onto Flashback. Gun Runner then leapt onto the top of a bookcase before pointing his weapon at Twilight Alicorn.
"There!" Twilight spotted a pair of Action Card on top of a bookcase and jump down.
"ATTACK!" Gun Runner fired, right as Twilight grabbed the closer card. But in doing so, she found it was another Late Fees card.
Flash: 3400 Twilight: 3700
Seconds later, Gun Runner's attack hit her monsters and destroyed it.
Flash: 3400 Twilight: 3500
"And since Gun Runner destroyed a Level seven monster, I can banish him to summon a monster that's the same Level!" The Magna Fighter fired his portal gun and created a portal, which he then leapt through before a certain monster flew out the other side and was ready to do battle against Twilight. "Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "Flash Heart's skill!"
"I don't think so!" Twilight announced as Mythical Enchantress waved her staff, "I activate my Pendulum Ability. Once per turn, I can make one Spellcaster on my field immune to any of your card effects." A force field appeared around White Wing and protected it from Flash Heart's ability.
Flash smirked, impressed by Twilight's preparedness. "Alright," he leapt onto his ace's back, "well then I'll have Flash Heart X destroy your monster!" The Dragon's thrusters ignited and rocketed it across the field, as it pulled back its fist.
"Not yet!" Twilight grabbed the other Action Card, "I play Evasion!" The futuristic wizard leapt out of the way of the attack, making Flash smirk.
"Then I'll have Magna Bull take her out!" The robotic minotaur shot forwards, as Twilight ran atop the bookcase in search of another Action Card. But before she could find on, Magna Bull reached White Wing and tackled her. The force of the impact was enough to knock Twilight off the bookcase.
"YAAAHHH!" She cried as she flew down and slammed into the ground, a bunch of books falling down with her. "Wow!" She rolled to the side to avoid them, spotting something in doing so.
"Now, Flashback Dragon, attack Twilight directly!" The serpentine flew up high before raising its crystal orbs.
"I activate the Action Spell, Study Session. This card lets me draw one card for every monster on your field and summon any Level four or below monster in ATK mode." She drew three cards before taking out one. "I summon Rising Dusk Magician!" The dark clothed magician appeared before her, as Flashback fired its attack. (A1200/D2000/L4/P5) The laser struck and destroyed the Magician, making Twilight grunt as she was pushed backwards.
Flash: 3400 Twilight: 2400
Twilight's back hit the bookcase, but she wasn't done. "Since Rising Dusk was destroyed, she gets to take one monster on your field with her." The ghostly image of the magician appeared before firing a blast of light which struck Flash Heart X and destroyed it.
Doing so caused Flash to suddenly find himself with nothing between him and the ground, making him cry out as he fell towards it. "WOW!" He cried as he slammed into the ground, moaning as he picked himself up. He then turned to Twilight and smirked, "I place one card face down and end my turn."
Luna: Twilight was able to hold on and get Flash's ace off the field. But now what will she do?
"I draw!" Twilight smiled when she saw what she got, as the portal formed above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of lights shot out and struck the ground, revealing her monsters. "Twilight Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7)
"White Wing Magician!" (A1600/D1400/L4/P1)
"Rising Dusk Magician!" (A1200/D2000/L4/P5)
"And Shadow Charmer!" (A1200/D700/L3) "And with him, I'll tune up my Level four Rising Dusk Magician!" Shadow Charmer exploded into a trio of lights, which quickly carved three rings that Rising Dusk leapt into. "Beings of mystical might, unite your power and let the magic shine for all eternity." In that moment her monsters disappeared in an explosion of light, "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Twilight's ace. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "I activate my Warlock's ability, to look at the top five cards of my deck and add one Spellbook to my hand." She drew five cards and looked through them, then pull one out before shuffling the rest back into her deck. "Then I'll activate it, my Spellbook of Power. And I'll use it to power up White Wing Magician!" The Pendulum Monster glowed, as her power increased thanks to Twilight's card. (A2600/D1400/L4/P1) "Next, I'll equip Twilight Unicorn with the Mystic Tome of Starswirl." Said book appeared infront of the Magi-Beast, powering it up. (A2000/D1300/L4/P7) "And with it, I send another Spellbook of Power to my graveyard to increase her ATK. (A3100/D1300/L4/P7)
Celestia: Incredible! Now Twilight's field can take on Flash's monsters.
Luna: Look out, cause here she comes.
"Twilight Warlock, attack Magna Bull!" The Synchro Pendulum's staff glowed as he aimed it at the robot minotaur.
"Oh no you don't," Flash's face down flipped up. "Dimensional Prison! Say goodbye to your Warlock, cause he's taking a little vacation."
"I don't think so," Twilight said. "Because Dracoteen's Pendulum Ability lets me negate any Trap that targets a Spellcaster!" The young dragon shot out a fireball, which struck Flash's Trap and destroyed it. Seconds later, Warlock unleashed a magical blast that struck Magna Bull and destroyed it.
Flash: 3100 Twilight: 2400
Flash frowned and began to run off in search of an Action Card, whilst Twilight followed after him. And as she did, she thought back to Flash's Duel against Rainbow. 'I was so envious watching that Duel the other day. I desperately wanted to be the one out there.' She then remembered the other duels of the Semi-Finals. Rainbow, Gilda, Soarin, Fluttershy, Sunset, Spike and Sunburst had all given their matches their all. It had been practically...overwhelming to watch. And after watching Duels like that, there was no way I wasn't gonna get pumped up when it was my turn to fight.' She smirked, "HERE I GO! White Wing!" The futuristic wizard pointed her wand at Flashback Dragon.
Flash meanwhile, spotted an Action Card sticking out of a book and grabbed it. "I play Silent Battle. This card lets my monster survive this next attack and the damage I take will be halved." Seconds later, White Wing fired a magic blast that struck Flashback. The Synchro monster survived and Flash only felt a little twinge.
Flash: 2950 Twilight: 2400
Twilight smiled as she leapt onto her unicorn's back, as the Pendulum Monster galloped forward whilst its horn glowed. "I'm so pleased...that I decided to come home for the Double X." She pointed at her boyfriend's monster, "ATTACK!" Unicorn fired the spell and struck Flashback, destroying it.
"YAAAHHH!" Flash cried as the explosion blasted him through another bookcase.
Flash: 2150 Twilight: 2400
"Since Unicorn destroyed a monster whilst she was empowered by Spellbook of Power, I get to add a Spellbook to my hand." She did so before placing it and one other card face down and calling an end to her turn. Her monster's ATK points all powered back down. (A2100/D1300/L4/P5) (A1600/D1400/L4/P5)
As Flash pulled himself out of the book pile, he looked over at his girlfriend and smiled. "I'm pleased too. I'm glad we got the chance to have such a great Duel like this." Both he and Twilight smiled at one another, everyone in the stadium able to see the respect and care they had for one another. Flash then drew his card, as the portal opened up above them. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, revealing Flash's monsters. "Shred'em up, Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" (A1800/D600/L4/P9)
"Stampede, Charge Horn Magna Bull (A2100/D2200/L6/P4)
"Unleash your roar, Star Fang Magna Tiger!" (A2400/D2100/L7)
"Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
Celestia: Look at that! Flash Sentry has managed to rebuild his field and is now facing Twilight down.
While this was happening, Flash stared into his girlfriend's eyes while thinking back. 'When you went overseas, to study in Paris, there were times you seemed so far away. However, you haven't changed. You're still tackling things head-on. Pushing me and everyone else along with you, helping us become the best versions of ourselves that we can be.' No doubt Flash owed a lot to Twilight, and he was gonna show her his appreciation by giving this Duel everything he had.
"Ratio's skill!" He drew three cards and took one out, "banish Magna Caster Stamine!" The ghostly image of the spellcaster appeared before exploding, the energy flowing into Flash Heart and powering the robotic dragon up. (A3300/D2000/L7/P5) Flash leapt up onto the dragon's back, as it's engines began to power up. "I've always thought..." He then whispered the next part, "you were awesome." With that, Flash Heart flew forwards.
"Huh?" Twilight wondered as she and her monster galloped off. "Speak up, I can't hear!" Seconds later, Flash Heart struck Twilight Warlock and destroyed it. The shockwaves struck Twilight and knocked it her off Unicorn.
Flash: 2150 Twilight: 1600
Flash smirked as he flew back around. "All I'm saying is you haven't changed a bit. Magna Tiger!" The tiger armoured monsters rushed forwards as its gauntlet claw glowed, as Twilight picked herself up and smiled.
"Nope, guess not." Magna Tiger reached Twilight Unicorn and slashed her in half
Flash: 2150 Twilight: 1300
"Tiger's skill!" Magna Tiger turned to White Wing. "Destroy one monster on the field with less ATK than that of the monster he destroyed." With another slash of Magna Tiger's claws, White Wing was destroyed and Twilight field was barren. "Magna Chimp, ATTACK!" The robotic monkey rushed forwards, glowing claws primed.
Luna: If this attack hits, it's all over to Twilight.
"I activate my face down!" Twilight cried as her face down flipped up, "Spellbook of Illusion!" With that, four Spellbook Tokens appeared infront of her. Magna Chimp slashed at one of them, shredding it to pieces.
Flash smirked as he spotted an Action Card a ways off and jumped down to grab it, seeing what it was smiling. "I attack with Magna Bull!" The robo-bull-man charged forwards and destroyed the second Spellbook. "Then I activate the Action Spell Librarian's Strike! Since you have monsters on your field whilst my monsters are all done attacking, I can tribute one monster on my field to let another one attack again." Magna Chimp vanished as Flash Heart's booster powered back up, causing it to rocket across the field and destroy Twilight's third Spellbook. "Plus I'm allowed to use this card more than once!" Magna Bull disappeared before Flash Heart turned to the last Spellbook and destroyed it with its tail. "I end my turn."
Celestia: Twilight Sparkle has allowed Flash to sneak into the lead. What strategy could she possibly use to turn thing around?
Twilight drew her card and smiled when she saw what it was. "I've pushed through so much adversary to get to this point. Now, this is my one chance. Here...at the Double X!" The portal formed above her, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before four lights shot out and struck the ground, revealing her monsters. "Twilight Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7)
"White Wing Magician!" (A1600/D1400/L4/P1)
"Rising Dusk Magician!" (A1200/D2000/L4/P5)
"And Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "Now, I activate Twilight Warlock's ability!" She reached for her deck and suddenly got nervous, knowing there was only one Spellbook that could get her strategy to work. If it wasn't there, she was in trouble. "I believe!" She drew her cards and turned them over, they smiled before she took one and added the others back to her deck. "I activate the spell card, Spellbook of Rebirth!" In a brilliant flash of light, Twilight Alicorn appeared besides Warlock. (A2600/D1900/L7)
"Both Warlock and Alicorn together," Spike said. Everyone who saw this realised what was coming next.
Up in the box, Shining smiled before standing up. "GO FOR IT, SIS!"
Cadance smiled as did the same, "NO HOLDING BACK!" Flurry laughed at her parent's enthusiasm and began to clap, cheering her aunt on in her own way.
"You got this Twilight!" Fluttershy cried out, making Twilight smile hearing it.
"Show everyone here what you're made of!" She then heard Sunset yell.
"Go get them, amigo!"
Twilight nodded, "no problem." She turned to Flash, "watch out babe!" She held up her card, "cause I'm going all out!" With that, the card glowed as her two monsters shot into the air. "I tribute Twilight Alicorn and Twilight Warlock!" Twilight Warlock transformed into a stream of light which spread around Alicorn and encased it in a cocoon-like form. "By tributing her and a Synchro Spellcaster Monster, Twilight Alicorn's true power is revealed!"
The cocoon broke open, revealing Twilight's best monster. Said creature flew down as she leapt onto its back. "Arise, Perfect Harmony Alicorn!" (A3500/D3000/L10)
Everybody awed at the sight of the monster, as Twilight sat on its back whilst they flew up into the air. "Perfect Harmony's ATK points now increase by half that of Twilight Warlock's." (A4750/D3000/L10) As this was going on, Twilight arrived at the centre of the library. There, she spotted an Action Card on the orb before leaping off her monster and landing on the sphere.
She then grabbed the card and saw what it was, then smiled. 'There's no denying it, I love this game. I love everything about it and I never want it to end.' She turned to Flash, "I attack Flash Heart with Perfect Harmony Alicorn!" Her monster's horn began to glow, "Perfect Harmony's skill! Add one thousand ATK points for every Spellcaster on the field!" Her three other monsters began to glow, the light flying up into Perfect Harmony Alicorn and bathing her in its power (A7750/D3000/L10) "GO!"
While this was going on, Flash rushed across the field in search of an Action Card. And he just so happened to spot one sticking out of a book. If this didn't work, then he'd be forced to use his face down.
He grabbed the card, just as Perfect Harmony finished charging up its magic. "I activate the Action Card Sharing the Wisdom. Now, by tributing a monster on my field, I can give its ATK points to any other monster on my field!" With that, Flash Heart exploded and the light flew into Magna Tiger and began to power him up (A4900/D2100/L7)
"That still won't be enough to save you," Twilight mentioned. Since its target disappeared before Perfect Harmony could attack, she could now select a new target. "GO!" The alicorn unleashed a blast of magic that shot towards Magna Tiger, ready to obliterate the monster and wipe out Flash's Life Points.
However, Flash wasn't going down that easily. "TRAP SUMMON!" His face down flipped up before a blast of light shot out and took shape, then faded to reveal the shield carrying steampunk woman. "Magna Guardian, Arma Excess!" (A100/D2000/L4)
Twilight's eyes went wide at the sight of that monster, remembering it was what had saved Flash against Heath when they Duelled.
"Excess's skill," Flash explained. "As long as she's on the field, she's the only card you can attack." Arma raised her shield, as the crystal unleashed a bright light that formed a barrier around her and Magna Tiger that blocked the rainbow. "She also has another ability. When she's attacked, every card except her and the one that's attacking is banished from the field and the attacking monster loses five hundred ATK points for each other."
Twilight frowned, knowing her Dracoteen's ability wouldn't work since the card was activated. But she still had her other Pendulum Card. "I activate the Pendulum Ability of Mythical Enchantress, to make Twilight Unicorn immune to card effects!" The force-field appeared around the unicorn, but White Wing, Rising Dusk and Magna Tiger were all sucked into a large portal. As they were, Perfect Harmony Alicorn's ATK power went down. (A6250/D3000/L10) The rainbow blast broke through Excess's barrier and destroyed her, but being in DEF mode Flash took no damage.
Luna: What a defence!
Twilight sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to take Flash down this turn, but she wasn't done yet. "Twilight Unicorn!" The purple pony field a magic blast from its horn, hitting Flash in the chest.
"Gah!"
Flash: 350 Twilight: 1300
"I end my turn." Perfect Harmony's ATK points return to normal." (A3500/D3000/L10)
Celestia: Twilight really went for it in that last turn. But still, Flash managed to protect himself from most of the damage.
Luna: But this'll likely be his last turn. Come next round, Perfect Harmony Alicorn will strike and take out the rest of his Life Points.
Once Flash had gotten his breath back, he pulled himself up and smiled at Twilight. "You're amazing...truly." Twilight smiled back at him while the crowd cheered the two on.
"That was a great move," Rainbow said. "Twilight really has him on the ropes."
"But don't count my brother out yet," Scootaloo told her. "Just watch, he'll bring out something big next."
"That's right," Misty nodded whilst continuing to watch the Duel. "Do you best."
Up in their box, Tempest and Starlight watched the two.
"I'll admit they've improved," Tempest exclaimed. "But it's still not enough to be worthy in my eyes."
"I'm starting to doubt whether a worthy human even exists," Starlight replied. "None of them seem to be worth our lord's power."
Tempest nodded. "All we can do is hope they reach the Level required." She continued to stare down at the two, as she watched Twilight jump off the sphere onto her monster's back. "Zeronull."
"Nicely done," Twilight told Flash as she and her Alicorn landed next to Unicorn. "You're sure keeping this Duel interesting."
Flash smirked, "you nearly had me there."
"Not really. Your Trap Monster-"
"Would have banished Flash Heart if I didn't get that Action Card," Flash told her. "Lucky I got it. It'll make beating you a whole lot easier."
Twilight smiled, "don't count your chickens yet." She points at him, "it's you turn now Flash. Show me your best. And don't hold back!"
Flash smirked as he reached for his deck. "You bet I won't." He drew his card, his eyes going wide when he saw what he'd gotten. "With this...alright." The portal formed above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out and struck the ground, revealing Flash's ace. "Shine your light of victory one last time, FLASH HEART DRAGON X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
Twilight raised an eyebrow, wondering why he didn't summon the other two monster.
"Next, I summon Vail Pixie X!" The little fairy appeared besides Flash Heart. (A100/D100/L1) Again, this confused Twilight since neither Accel or Magna Harmony could beat her monster. "Then I activate the effect of Magna Leghorn, to increase Vail Pixie's Level by two." Leghorn spread its wings as the star on its stomach glowed before firing out two shooting stars. They struck Vail Pixie, increasing her Level. (A100/D100/L3) Flash smiled at his two favourite cards, "you guys ready?"
Both Flash Heart and Vail Pixie nodded before leaping into the air. "Now, I tune Level three Vail Pixie X with Level seven Flash Heart Dragon X!" The Tuner morphed into the trio of lights, which began to carve the rings around Flash Heart. "Embrace your infinite destinies and stride towards a future of limitless possibilities!" The two monster disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Flash's new monster. It looked like a giant brachiosaurus with Flash Heart's armour. From head to toe it stood at around twenty meters, but from head to tail with was about twice that. It was mainly blue with white and orange trim, whilst it had a pair of red scarfs tied around its front legs. This monster also had four boosters, one coming out of each of its front shoulders and another two coming out of its back. Each booster had a long blade-like spike coming out the side, whilst on its chest was a large orange crystal. It had a long white line running down its next, and Flash's emblem was emblazoned in the centre of its neck. The beast let out a mighty roar, which caused the entire field to shake, as blue lightning began to spark all around its body. "Flash Dragon...MAGNA STRIDER!" (A3300/D2500/L10/P10)
The entire stadium had gone silent at the sight of this monster, Twilight more amazed than anyone else. "No way," she said in awe.
"A new Flash Heart monster," Misty said in amazement. "One that's going to give him even more possibilities." The rest of the room said nothing at all, too amazed by what they were seeing.
Back on the field, Flash leapt up onto his monster's lowered head before it raised it back up.
"On the turn Magna Strider is Synchro Summoned, he becomes immune to any of your card effects." Flash pointed at Twilight Unicorn, "ATTACK!" The giant dragon opened its mouth as blue lightning sparked, light then appearing in its mouth. "GOOOOO!" The light shot out of its mouth and flew towards Twilight's monster like a laser, but she wasn't scared.
In fact, she was smiling. "TRAP SUMMON!" Her face down flipped up before a burst of light shot out and took shape, then faded to reveal a woman wearing a black lab-coat with a familiar moon emblem on it. She was holding a large book in her hands. "Moondancing Guardian Scholar, Saltalunam!" (A1000/D2500/L7)
Tempest suddenly stood up, her eyes going wide at this sight. "What?"
No, it couldn't be. How could Saltalunam be here? She had died, so how could a new card come into existence. "This...this can't be possible." She shook her head, refusing to believe such a thing.
Twilight smiled at her Trap Monster, as she suddenly felt someone standing beside her.
She turned to see it was Moondancer, who was looking almost ghost-like. Twilight was sure this wasn't real, but that's okay. And unlike last time, seeing her didn't make her feel any pain. She was just happy to be seeing her again. "Thank you," she said too Moondancer. The girl nodded before exploding, the light she became flying into the Trap Monster. This made Twilight smile even more, knowing she'd always have a piece of Moondancer with her. "Saltalunam's skill!" The scholar opened up her book and started chanting before she and Twilight Unicorn magically swapped places. "Whilst she's on the field, you can't attack any other Spellcaster!"
The laser struck Saltalunam and destroyed her, leaving Twilight's Life Points safe. "And since she was destroyed by battle, her other effect activates." Twilight Unicorn exploded, "I tribute one monster on the field and in return I get a Spellbook back from my graveyard." She pulled out the Magic Tome of Starswirl, which she added to her hand.
Flash smiled at Twilight's skill, but he wasn't gonna be stopped that easily. "Activating the skill of Magna Strider!" He reached for his Duel Disk as the Extra Deck opened before taking out two cards. "Banish two Pendulum Monsters from the Extra Deck!" Magna Bull and Magna Chimp both appeared on either side of the dragon and tapped their fist into its leg before they were sucked into a pair of portals, while Magna Strider's eyes glowed.
The next thing everybody knew, Magna Strider suddenly jumped up and was now standing on its back legs. "With that, Magna Strider can attack one more time!" The beast let out a mighty roar, as its boosters began to ignite.
Twilight knew he wasn't finished. Magna Strider couldn't beat Perfect Harmony unless it had another effect.
"Magna Strider's skill! During his second attack, he gains one hundred ATK points for each of the Levels of all my banished monsters!" Lunara, Gun Runner, Stamine, Magna Tiger, Magna Bull and Magna Chimp all appeared around Flash's Dragon in an astral form before they were sucked inside the crystal on its chest, the crystal now beginning to glow brightly. (A6400/D2500/L10/P10) Magna Strider opened its mouth as light began to fill it once again, this time with such power that if its boosters weren't firing it'd be pushed back by the force.
Twilight looked around, trying to find an Action Card but couldn't see one. She had no way of stopping this attack.
But instead of looking upset, she smiled as she suddenly stood up on her monsters back. "Come on then!" She cried with arms out wide, "BRING IT!"
Flash smiled from atop his monsters head, "okay!" As Magna Strider's power built, the two suddenly found themselves thinking back on everything they'd been through together.
Their meeting, the first time they Duelled, the museum, entering the Celestic Cup, beating Shining and Cadance, their Duels against Sombra's forces...their first kiss. So much had happened to them, all caused by one game. A game the two were grateful existed. "Thank you," they both said before Magna Strider unleashed its attack.
The light was so bright that it forced everyone in the stadium to shield their eyes, the only ones not doing so being Twilight and Flash.
Twilight smiled as she felt her monster be destroyed, causing her to be sent flying.
Flash: 350 (Winner) Twilight: 0
But as Twilight fell, she suddenly felt someone grab her bridal style and she didn't feel herself hit the ground. And when the light faded, she looked up to see Flash's face smiling down at her.
The stadium remained completely silent, as everyone tried to come to grips with what they'd just seen. Until finally, Celestia broke the silence.
Celestia: And the winner is...FLASH SENTRY!
The crowd broke into a mighty cheer as they Duel Field faded, with nobody cheering louder then Flash's teammates. "He did it!" Spike cried happily, "he won!"
"Way to go!" Sunburst cheered before he and Spike turned towards one another, then high-fived "ALRIGHT!"
Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Sunset sighed before they both smiled. "You were great," Fluttershy called out to Twilight. "Well done."
Sunset nodded, "yeah. She gave everyone a really good Duel."
"That wasn't too bad," Gilda said from the box.
"Wasn't too bad?" Scootaloo turned to her, "you nuts? It was AWESOME!" Everyone else nodded in agreement, continuing to clap for the two teams.
"Great work out there sugarcube," Applejack told them.
"You were truly spectacular," Rarity agreed.
"Eeyup."
Shining and Cadance both smiled as they watched Flash put Twilight down. "Great work sis," liquid pride suddenly began to leak out of his eyes. "You should be proud of everything you've done."
Cadance turned to Flurry, "let's show auntie Twily just how amazed we are at her." Flurry laughed while clapping, though not really understanding what was happening.
Back in the stadium, Tidal continued to smile at Twilight. "You did it, amigo. I have no doubt in my mind that Moondancer is smiling down at you." He turned to look at the cheering crowd, the Duel having got them all pumped up. "You managed to touch the hearts of all these people." He turned back to them, "Be proud of your abilities."
And Twilight was proud, but that didn't mean she wasn't a little upset at having lost. "Awe man!" She cried out, only to smile over at her boyfriend. "Oh well, the better Duellist won!"
Flash smiled back at her, almost blushing at the praise. "Thanks. You sure didn't make it easy for me."
Twilight nodded before getting serious. "It's up to you guys now. Show team Dominator why they shouldn't mess with our game."
Flash nodded, "don't worry. We will."
Twilight smiled before stepping up to him, placing her hands around his neck before pulling him down towards her.
The entire field erupted in a cheer as the two kissed, this last almost a full minute before they pulled away. And as they did, their teammates ran out onto the stadium.
"FLASH!" Spike and Sunburst yelled as they came up to him, slapping him on the back.
"Owe!" He cried while staggering forwards, then turned to glare at the two. But upon seeing their happy faces, he could help but smile with them.
Twilight's team meanwhile, all gave Twilight their thanks for such an amazing Duel. "No problems guys. I'm just sad we couldn't go any further."
"Fourth place isn't too bad," Fluttershy told her.
"Fourth?" Sunset asked, "I'd say we're in third. But we'll have to go up against the Wonderbolt's to find out for sure." This made them all laugh as they moved over to the side, while the megascreen switched on to show the six images of the Double X's finalists.
Luna: We now have our line-up for the final match of the tournament. Team V-Fighters verses team Dominator!
The V-Fighters all stared up at the megascreen, seeing their opponent's faces besides theirs. "The time has come."
Sunburst and Spike both nodded before the older of the two said, "yeah." His vision shifted over to the box where his possessed friend was, knowing he was gonna save her. "Okay guys, let's do it."
In said box, Starlight stared at a very shaken up Tempest.
It was clear that seeing Twilight use that Trap Monster had done something to her, but what? She'd need to figure it out soon since Tempest needed to be at the top of her game during the finals.
The Double X's end was drawing closer and soon only one team would stand at the top of it. But which team would be victorious was anyone's guess. You'll just have to stay tuned to find out.
It was another sunny day in Canterlot, and the city was abuzz about only one subject.
In two days, the Double X's final round would commence and everyone was itching to see who would win. Would the Dominators remain on top, or would the V-Fighters pull off a miracle.
In one of the Canterlot houses, Starlight Glimmer was laying on her bed looking up at the ceiling. As she did, she thought back on what she had seen during the last semi-final Duel.
The Trap Monster Twilight Sparkle had used, where had it come from?
She didn't actually know how these humans learned about Duel Monsters and their abilities, or how they're able to recreate them in card form. But even if they did have a way to know about her world, how could Saltalunam become one. It was their understanding that dying in this world meant death in theirs, so how did the Moondancing Scholar become a new card when she's supposed to be dead?
She knew she wasn't the only one wondering about this.
She got up and headed out her room, travelling into the living room and seeing Tempest sitting at a table. A picture of Moondancer was on said table, with the Dominator staring down at it oddly. "You need to snap out of this," she told her. "The finals are in a few days and we need to be at our best," Tempest said nothing, making Starlight frown before rushing up to her and slamming her hands into the table. "Snap out of it!"
"I need you to do something."
Starlight frowned, "will it snap you out of this funk?"
"Go find Twilight Sparkle and Duel her." This order shocked her.
"Why?"
"She may still be an eligible candidate for Project Omega Zenith. Duel her and if she wins, we add her to the list." Tempest continued to look down at the picture, remembering what he had seen during her Duel. "She's...not the same as when Heath and I Duelled her.
Starlight could barely believe what she was hearing. "You can't be serious." But the look Tempest gave her when she turned to lock eyes with her showed the girl she was. "Fine, I'll Duel her." She headed towards the door, "but I think this is just a waste of time. I'll beat her and once I have, you'd better snap out of this." With that, she was gone.
Tempest turned back to the image and stared down at Moondancer. "What happened to you. Did you find your way back to our world? Or did you cut the Soulink before your host?
"Flash Heart Dragon, attack!" Flash's ace rocketed across the field and struck Orchid Marshal, destroying it.
Flash: 1200 Applejack: 1800
Applejack smirked, "not bad partner. But you're gonna need to do better then that if ya'h wanna win this thing."
"I know that," Flash told her seriously. "I don't intend to hold back. Not one bit." He gave her a 'bring it' gesture, "come on. Give me everything you've got."
Flash and Applejack were Duelling in the park, and they weren't the only ones. Sunburst and Spike were also in their own matches, against Rarity and Mac. The three of them had been Duelling opponents non-stop, doing everything they could to prepare themselves for their match against team Dominator.
Spike was facing Rarity and had Dragonic Blazemaster on his field against her Gem-Knight Master Diamond, whilst Sunburst and his Magician were facing Mac and his Cyber Handyman.
Over to the side, Misty Vail was watching along with team Crusaders and team Tidal Maidens. The two teams had also been facing off against the V-Fighters, trying to help the boys push each other to their absolute limit.
"This is looking good," Misty said. "The boys are in top form."
"Well they'll need to be if they want to beat team Dominator," Twilight explained. As they were saying that, a loud growl caught their attention and made them turn to Scootaloo.
The young teen smirked as she rubbed her stomach, "sorry. Duelling tends to give me an appetite."
Misty laughed, "you get that from your father." She turned away, "it's getting pretty close to lunch. So why don't I go get us all something to eat." The girls all smiled at this, with Twilight stepping up to her.
"I'll help. You'll need a crane the carry the food needed to feed both Flash and Spike." They all laughed and Misty agreed, the others staying back so they could come up against the V-Fighters once their next Duel ended.
And so the two took everyone's orders before heading out the park towards a nearby sub shop.
As they made their way to it, Misty turned to Twilight and smiled. "Thanks for helping me with this."
Twilight smiled back at her, "no problem. Happy to help."
"I was actually hoping we could spend some one on one time together. I want to learn as much about my future daughter-in-law as possible." This statement made Twilight go red in the face, causing Misty to laugh. "But seriously, I'm glad Flash found a wonderful girl like you to be with."
Twilight's blush increased. "Thanks." She looked up at the sky, "I remember when I first met Flash. He was so anti-social. He didn't have any friends and everyone seemed to be afraid of him." She smiled, "but I knew he wasn't as bad as everyone said. After all, if he was that bad, why would he try and help my brother from a bunch of bullies."
Misty smirked as she remembered back to when she met Trail, how he helped her and her father against those punks. No doubt Flash had inherited his father's just heart. "They're definitely something special."
Twilight nodded. "Then when he started Duelling, he changed. He went from being really moody to being the happy guy he is today. He went from having no friends, to having tons of them."
Misty nodded, "that's one of the beautiful things about this game. It connects people, from all corners of life. Duellists with nothing else in common can become friends, all because of their love of this game."
Twilight smiled at that, "I know it helped me become the person I am today." She continued to look up at the sky, "I love this game. And I wanna help spread its message as far across the world as I can."
"So you wanna become a pro?"
"Maybe," Twilight replied, "but that's not my only path to spreading the game. I could go the same route Cadance went down and help organise events or become a manager. The future is limitless for me."
Misty smiled, happy that Twilight was wanting to dedicate her life to helping spread the word of the game she loved. She then reached into her pocket and pulled something out. "Well then, this might help you in whatever you try and do."
Twilight saw she was holding out a card and took it. She turned it over and saw it was a Spell card, reading its name and effect and going wide-eyed. "This is..."
Misty smiled, "it's the first card I've made since coming back here. You can thank Cold for letting me have my old job back. I made it especially for you. Its effects should help you with summoning your more powerful Synchro monsters. You like?"
Twilight stared at the card for several long seconds until she held it close to her and before turning to smile at Misty, "I love it. Thank you."
"No problem," Misty smiled back. "Sorry I didn't give it to you during the Double X, but it would have been useless there."
"Well don't worry," Twilight took out her Duel Disk and placed the card inside with the rest of her deck. "I promise I'll put it to good use."
"Glad to hear it. Now come on, let's get lunch before my kids decide to eat each other." They laughed and continued on their way, but were forced to stop at the sound of a certain voice.
"Twilight Sparkle!" They turned towards the voice and both gasped when they saw who was standing a ways off
"Starlight Glimmer," they both whispered.
The Dominator pointed at Twilight, "I challenge you to a Duel." This statement shocked both of them, "will you accept?"
Twilight and Misty shared an unsure glance, both beginning to worry that this might be some kind of trap. But then again, it could also be a chance to find out what the Dominators were up to and maybe free one of them.
Twilight then turned back to Starlight, giving her a serious glare. "Alright, I accept." This made Starlight smile before gesturing for them to follow, which they did as she lead them over to the riverbank where Twilight had first Duelled Trixie.
"Before we Duel," Starlight turned to her and pulled out her Duel Disk. "I have a question I want you to answer."
"Which is?"
"Where did you get that Trap Monster card?"
Twilight frowned at the mention of her new card, "why's it matter?"
"It matters because ever since she saw it, Tempest has been blue screening. So where did you get it? Did your friend Cold Steel make it especially on request? If that was true, then I wouldn't mean Saltalunam was alive."
But alas, "I happened to get it out of a booster pack I got right before the match."
Starlight raised an eyebrow, "I find it hard to believe that you would just happen to find that card in some random booster pack." But to this, Twilight just shrugged and pulled out her Duel Disk.
"I was just as amazed to find it as you are. Who knows, maybe it was destiny that I chose that pack."
Starlight growled, "whatever." She placed her Duel Disk on her arm and activated it, Twilight doing the same. "Let's get this over with.
"DUEL!"
Twilight: 4000 Starlight: 4000
"I'll take the first move!" Twilight drew her card and looked through her hand, then looked over at Starlight. "I'll start by summoning Magician's Valkyria in DEF mode." The female magician appeared infront of her before kneeling down, "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
"My draw!" Starlight drew her card before smiling, "and I summon Celestial Spirit Capricorn!" The constellation appeared infront of her before exploding to reveal the lanky man in goat themed armour. (A1600/D1400/L4) "Now attack!" The man rushed forward, "and with that attack, I activate Capricorn's skill!" Starlight discarded a card and Capricorn's ATK points went up. (A2500/D1400/L4)
"I activate my Trap!" One of her face downs flipped up, "Negate Attack!" A force field appeared between Capricorn and Valkyria, preventing the Celestial Spirit from getting close to Twilight's monster.
"Great work Twilight," Misty praised her. She then turned to Starlight, "but even so, she's already starting to get monsters in her graveyard. Which means she's getting ever closer to summoning Draco Starlight."
"Not if I beat her before she can do that," Twilight noted.
"You're willing to try," Starlight replied before playing another card, "I activate the Spell Card Shooting Star Blast." Capricorn exploded, transforming into four stars. "By sacrificing a Celestial Spirit, I can now deal your three hundred points of damage for each of its Level stars." Twilight eyes went wide as she watched each star split into three new ones, which then shot towards her and struck her in the chest.
"AAAHHH!"
"Twilight!" Misty cried as she watched her girl stagger back.
Twilight: 2800 Starlight: 4000
Starlight seemed to be relieved in the sight of her weakened opponent. "I place one card face down and end my turn."
As Twilight felt re-steadied herself, she looked over at Starlight. 'She left her field completely exposed. That face down she has must be a Trap.' She looked down at her hand, 'but I don't have anything that could stop a Trap. I'll have to hope to draw one.' She reached for her deck, "I draw!" The card she got wasn't what she'd been hoping for, but it'd have to do. "I summon Pyro Charmer!" The little fire wizard appeared beside her. (A1300/D1200/L3)
"Oh wow," Starlight said. "A Tuner monster. I totally didn't see that coming."
Twilight frowned, "well then did you see this coming. "Pyro Charmer, tune Magician's Valkyria!" The fire wizard leapt into the air and transformed into a trio of lights, which each carved a circle for Valkyria to jump into. "Beings of mystical might, unite your power and let the magic shine for all eternity." In that moment her monsters disappeared in an explosion of light, "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing Twilight's ace. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4) "Warlock's skill!" Twilight drew five cards and add one to her hand, which she instantly activated. "I play Spellbook of Rebirth, to revive Magician's Valkyria!" The female Magician appeared besides Warlock, the Synchro Pendulum then unleashing a magic blast at Starlight. "ATTACK!"
"TRAP SUMMON!" Starlight's face down flipped up to reveal the snake charmer, "Celestial Spirit Ophiuchus!" (A1700/D1000/L4) The flute playing woman intercept Warlock's attack, getting hit by the spell and exploding. But as soon as she did, her serpent slithered towards Warlock and wrapped itself around him.
Twilight frowned before pointing at her, "Valkyria!" The female magician raised her hooked staff as a sphere of green energy appeared on it, then tossed it towards Starlight.
"GAAAH!" She cried as the green lightning zapped her.
Twilight: 2800 Starlight: 2400
Misty smiled, "attah girl! That's how you play."
"I end my turn."
As the sparks finally subsided, Starlight glared up at Twilight. "You'll pay for that," she drew her card and smiled. "Since it's my Standby Phase, your monster loses one hundred ATK points for every Celestial Spirit in my graveyard."
Twilight frowned as she watched Starlight's serpent bite into her monster, making him flinch as the poison was injected into him. (A2300/D2100/L7/P4) "This is bad."
"Now I play the Spell card Celestial Device Sextant, to revive a Celestial Spirit in my Graveyard. Come on out, Celestial Spirit Gemini!" The constellation appeared before exploding to reveal the blue-haired twins in black cloaks. (A1000/D1000/L3) "Then I sacrifice Gemini, who can count as two tributes, to summon Celestial Spirit Leo!" The twin disappeared and were replaced by another constellation, which then exploded to reveal the lion armoured man. (A2500/D2200/L7)
"This is really bad," Misty agreed as Leo activated his ability.
"I now look at the top five cards of my deck and send any Celestial Spirits among them to the graveyard." She took out two of the cards and discarded them before shuffling the rest back into her deck. "And now, I'll have Leo attack you Magician's Valkyria!" Leo charged forwards, as his power increased due to the four Celestial Spirits in Starlight's graveyard. (A3300/D2200/L7) His fist ignited, the flames taking the shape of lion heads before he leapt up and threw a punch at Twilight's monster.
The flaming lions struck Valkyria and destroyed her, making Twilight grunt.
Twilight: 1100 Starlight: 2400
"You activated my Trap!" Twilight's other face down flipped up, "Magician's Wisdom! Since you destroyed a Spellcaster whilst I have another one on my field, I can add a Spellcaster whose Level is equal to or lower then Warlock's and add it to my hand." She did so.
"I place one card face down and end my turn," Starlight announced.
"My draw!" Twilight did so and smiled, "I play the Spell card Magical Mallet, which lets me send any card from my hand back to my deck before drawing the same number of cards!" She sent all but one card to her deck, which then shuffled before she drew three new cards. "Now, I set the Pendulum Scale with scale two Timebreaker Magician and scale eight Magi-Beast Mystic Dracoteen!" The pillars of light appeared before the two monsters flew up into them, the portal then forming above Twilight, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out, revealing Twilight's monsters. "Magi-Beast, Twilight Unicorn!" (A1800/D1300/L4/P7)
"And Shadow Charmer!" (A1200/D700/L3) "Now!" Twilight's two new monster flew up into the air, "I tune Shadow Charmer with Twilight Unicorn!" The wizard transformed into a trio of lights, which carved three circles that Twilight Unicorn leapt into. "It's time to embrace the power given by those we call friends and ascend to a higher plain of life." Instead of disappearing in a flash, the light infused into Twilight Unicorn as two new appendages appeared on its back. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded from the monsters body, revealing Twilight monster. "Twilight Alicorn!" (A2600/D1900/L7) "Now I activate Warlock's skill!" Twilight drew five cards and nodded before taking one and returning the rest to her deck. "I activate the Spellbook of Secrets, to add a Spellbook to my hand!" Her deck slotted out a card, which she took before activating. "I play the Magic Tome of Starswirl and equip it to Twilight Alicorn!" Said book appeared infront of the winged horse, powering it up. (A2800/D1900/L7)
Starlight frowned. "Let me guess. You're gonna use that cards other effect to send...let's say...Spellbook of Power to the graveyard and add it to your hand."
But then Twilight smiled, "shows what you know. I'm using the tome's effect to send another Spellbook of Secrets to my grave and activate its effect!" Her deck slotted out a card, which she took and sent to the graveyard before her deck slotted out another card.
"What's the point of this?" Starlight asked?
"Well first, it powers Alicorn up again." (A2900/1900/L7) "Then I'll use the card I just got, called Spellbook of Collection. This card lets me draw one card for each Spellbook in my graveyard. And right now, I have three." She drew three and once again, Alicorn powered up. (A3000/D1900/L7)
"That still doesn't help you beat Leo."
"I'm getting to that," Twilight said. "Don't forget, Alicorn has her own ability."
"That's right," Misty realised. "By banishing a Spellbook in her graveyard, she can power up her monster by one thousand ATK points." And that was exactly what Twilight did, taking out Spellbook of Collection. This caused Alicorn to lose one hundred ATK points, but it also powered her up. (A3900/D1900/L7) "ATTACK!" The winged pony's horn shined before it unleashed a blast of magic, which struck Starlight's monster and destroyed him while burning her.
Twilight: 1100 Starlight: 1800
"You activated my Trap!" Starlight's card flipped up, "Starlight Ride! Since a Light monster was destroyed, I can now summon two Monsters whose combined Levels equal Leo's." A pair of constellations appeared before exploding to reveal Celestial Spirits Cancer and Libra. (A600/D1600/L3) (A1800/D0/L4)
"Well, I'll just have my Warlock take out Cancer!" The wizard raised its staff, ready to fire. "Cook that crab!" He launched a magical blast, hitting the young Celestial Spirit and destroying it.
"Gah!" Starlight cried as her monster was destroyed, "any battle damage dealt to me during a battle involving Cancer is halved."
Twilight: 1100 Starlight: 950
Twilight sighed, "I end my turn." Alicorn's ATK power returned to normal. (A2900/D1900/L7)
"This Duel's heading into its final few turns," Misty said. "And Starlight still doesn't have enough monsters in her grave to summon her dragon. Hopefully Twilight can end this Duel before then." She turned to her son's girlfriend, "you can do it."
"My turn," Starlight reached for her deck. "I draw." Once again, Twilight Warlock was bitten by the serpent and his power weakened. (A1700/D2100/L7/P4)
Twilight turned to her Synchro monster and began to worry. "Hold on, I'll get that thing off you."
"How sweet," Starlight said. "You make it sound like you actually care for your monsters."
Twilight frowned at her, "I do care for my monsters."
"Right," Starlight said sarcastically. "So what do you call forcing your monsters to fight battles they probably don't want to even fight? Tough love."
"What would you know?" Misty asked. "I don't know which Duel Monster you are, but it's obvious you're one who never got closer to a Duellist."
Starlight frowned, "and...you are."
"Misty Vail," the older woman replied. "Flash Sentry's mother. And more then that, I'm a Spirit Seer. I can see Duel Spirits and their feelings. And I know one thing," she turned to Libra. "Your monster isn't happy. None of them are happy. It's obvious they hate you for taking control of their true partner. There's no love or connection between you and these cards." She then smiled at Twilight, "but I can easily see the connection between Twilight and her monsters." She looked up at Warlock and Alicorn, seeing that the two of them were almost...shining. "The bond they share is one of the strongest I've ever seen." She turned back to Starlight, "a bond you've obviously never felt."
Twilight smiled at Misty before turning her attention on Starlight, "so why don't you just let go of Starlight and go back to your own world. Let her and her monsters reunite!"
Starlight growled at this, "I won't." She shot daggers at Twilight, "this body is mine!" She activated her card, "I play the Spell Magical Mallet! Now I can return my entire hand to my deck before drawing the same number of cards." She did so and when she drew her new cards, she smiled seeing what they were. "This is gonna be fun." She activated a card, "I play, Card Revival. Now the two of us declare a card type and draw until we get a card that isn't the one we chose."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "And the cards we draw that are that card?"
"We send them to the graveyard, then gain two hundred life points for each one." She reached for her deck, "I choose monster."
Twilight frowned and did the same, "I chose Spell." With that, they both drew. The first three cards Twilight drew were all Spellbooks, which she discarded, but then she drew Flame Burst Magician and had to stop.
Twilight: 1700 Starlight: 950
And with another three Spellbooks in her grave, that was another three hundred points for Twilight Alicorn. (A3200/D1900/L7)
Starlight meanwhile, drew Scorpio, then Aquarius, then Aries, Virgo and Taurus. It was only then she drew a Spell card, but by then the damage was done and she sent the other five to the graveyard.
Twilight: 1700 Starlight: 1950
Twilight and Misty both grew worried, "she's got almost all the monsters see needs to summon her dragon."
"Maybe," Twilight said, "but the last one she needs is stuck on the field. So if I can find a way to beat her without destroying it."
"Nice idea," Starlight told her. She then activated the Spell she drew before, "but it won't help you. I activate Paralysing Light!" Libra exploded into a brilliant flash of light, which flew over to Twilight Alicorn and struck her. The winged horse flinched as lightning sparked around her.
"ALICORN!" Twilight cried out before turning to glare at Starlight, "what did you do?"
Starlight smiled, "I paralysed her. By tributing a Light monster, I can prevent a monster on your field from attacking or activating its special abilities until the end of your next turn."
Twilight and Misty both gasped, realising Twilight couldn't make use of the many Spellbook in her grave now.
"What's more," Starlight grabbed another card in her hand and held it up. "Now I have everything I need to summon this." The card glowed.
Twilight gulped, as Misty began to shake. "Twilight's in trouble."
"By banishing twelve different Celestial Spirit monsters from my graveyard, I can summon the ultimate Celestial Spirit!" The card fired a single beam of light into the sky, the light splitting into nine spheres before flying into formation and creating a new constellation. "Beast of the cosmos, with fury greater than a supernova, descend from the heavens and bath this world in your mighty light!"
Twilight watched as each of the stars exploded, unleashing a light that flowed into one all powerful entity. Then when the light faded, she saw the orb carrying dragon slither downwards towards the field until it landed behind Starlight. "Celestial Spirit, Draco...STARLIGHT!" (A4000/D4000/L12) The beast roared in Twilight and her monster's face, pushing them all backwards.
"Ahh," she moaned while waving her hand infront of her face, "and I thought Flash had bad breath."
"Cute," Starlight told her, "but jokes won't save you." She pointed at Twilight Warlock, "ATTACK!" The dragon opened its mouth and began to gather light, ready to wipe out Warlock and the rest of Twilight's life points.
"TWILIGHT!" Misty cried, fearing the worst, but then saw the girl didn't look worried.
In fact, Twilight smiled. And the reason became clear with her next two words, "TRAP SUMMON!" Her face down flipped up before a burst of light shot out and took shape, then faded to reveal her Trap Monster. "Moondancing Guardian Scholar, Saltalunam!" (A1000/D2500/L7) Saltalunam leapt infront of Warlock, as Draco Starlight unleashed its laser-like attack.
Starlight growled at the sight of that monster, the one that had Tempest so out of it. "She won't save you."
"Won't she?" Twilight asked as her monster created a magic circle that blocked the attack, but it quickly began to crack. "Saltalunam's skill. Tribute Twilight Warlock and add one Spellbook from my grave to my hand." Warlock disappeared as Twilight regained her Spellbook, just as Saltalunam's magic circle shattered and she was destroyed.
"Darn you!" Starlight cried, "well it isn't over yet. Since Draco Starlight destroyed a monster, he now deals you damage for every Celestial Spirit I have removed from play." The dragon raised its orb before said orb fired a beam of light, which flew across the field before striking Twilight.
"AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" She screamed as she was sent flying backwards, hitting the ground as her Life Points dropped.
Twilight: 500 Starlight: 1950
"I place one card face down and end my turn."
Misty watched as Twilight moaned while picking herself up, "you okay?"
"I'm fine," Twilight sat herself up before looking over at Starlight. "Is that really the best you've got?"
Starlight's face became one of anger, "don't try and mock me. You're hanging on by a thread."
"Maybe," Twilight said, "but as long as that thread holds then I'm still in this." She held up her Duel Disk, "I have faith in my deck to pull through for me. Something you wouldn't understand."
Misty smiled, only for her eyes to go wide when she saw a light begin to pulse off of Twilight. "What?"
"You've stolen Starlight's body and are using it for your own selfish reasons. That's why you can't bring out the true power of her deck, because you have no connection to it."
Starlight growled, but then hissed as a pain shot through her head. "Shut up," she clutched her head.
"I won't," Twilight told her. "Because this is something you need to hear." She pointed at her, "I won't let you get away with the pain you've put Starlight through."
"Shut up!"
"And it's not just me. Sunburst won't let you hold his friend captive any longer."
"SHUT UP!" Starlight's eyes shot open as a light shot out of them, Twilight suddenly finding herself almost blind when they locked eyes.
She gasped and closed her eyes, only to suddenly feel the earth beneath her disappear.
She then opened her eyes and found she was floating in a black void, then started looking around and gasped when she saw something a ways off. It was Starlight, unconscious, who was chained to a stone tablet.
"Starlight!" She suddenly floated towards the girl and overlooked the chains. "Don't worry," she started pulling at the chains. "I'll get you out of here."
"Twilight," she heard a whisper. She looked up and saw Starlight's eyes flicker open, "please..." Before Twilight could say anything, a bright flash of light made her turn to see the light take the shape of what could only be called a movie screen.
On said screen, the image of a younger Starlight and Sunburst could be seen Duelling. "Are these...Starlight's memories?" She continued to watch as the screen changed to show Sunburst giving Starlight a card, then Starlight watching Sunburst be driven off.
The screen then changed to Starlight opening several booster packs, smiling as she pulled out certain cards. It then changed to show her Duelling with said cards, defeating her opponent. But upon defeat, the kid ran off and left Starlight all alone. The screen continued to play out similar scenarios, showing Starlight Duelling with those her age. But after each Duel, her opponents ran off.
"No one wanted to be her friend."
Once again the screen changed to show Starlight standing outside Sunburst's house, watching as a moving truck drove away from it. "Did you hear?" She turned to see two women talking, "Sunburst flunked out of Duel Academy."
"How embarrassing. No wonder they're leaving."
Starlight frowned at this and ran off, just as the screen changed again. Now it showed an older Starlight opening a booster pack and flipping throw a bunch of cards. But as she did, she stopped at one card and looked at it funny. But before Twilight could figure out what card it was, the ground began to shake and Starlight placed the card in her pocket. Seconds later, the ground broke open and a crystal spike shot out of it.
"Wait," Twilight realised when this was, "the Crystal Tower."
The screen changed for one final time, showing Starlight holding up her card. Leo appeared and started destroying the crystals, but as he did Starlight didn't notice the card in her pocket begin to glow. She also didn't notice a light shooting down from the sky, flying right at her and hitting her pocket. This caused Starlight to freeze up as the light spread around her body, Leo turning around to see this.
Starlight cried out as she fell onto her knees, Leo rushing over to her but exploded before he could reach her.
Seconds later, Starlight picked herself up and smiled a sinister smile before the screen disappeared.
"So that's how it happened," Twilight realised. She turned back to Starlight, "you were all alone. And you just happened across that card." She began to pull on the chain, "I'll get you out of here."
"He's...strong. Tell him...I believe in him." The chains suddenly tightened around her body, making her flinch as she lost consciousness.
"No!" Twilight tried to pull at them, but suddenly found herself being pulled back from her. "Starlight!"
"GET OUT!" Twilight shut her eyes again and when they reopened, she was back at the riverbank. She looked over at Starlight and saw she was standing limply.
"Twilight," she turned back to Misty, "are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she turned back to Starlight. "Time to end this." She reached for her deck, "I draw!" She looked at the card she'd gotten and gasped, seeing it was the card Misty had given her earlier. She looked over and smiled at her, then turned back to Starlight as the portal formed above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out and struck the ground, revealing her monster. "Twilight Warlock!" (A2500/D2100/L7/P4)
Starlight suddenly recovered, "you activate my Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Prism Prison!" A bunch of crystal broke out of the ground and linked into a tepee like construct with Warlock inside it.
"What?" Twilight asked.
"This Trap prevents a monster on your field from attacking, using its abilities or being tributed. He's useless."
Twilight frowned, "no monster's useless. If we each give a little bit, then anything's possible." She took the card and threw it into her Duel Disk, "LET ME SHOW YOU!" In a flash of light, the three of them suddenly found themselves in a new place. Behind Twilight was a giant castle-like building made with of purple crystal that had multiple waterfalls and a pond around them, with them standing on a path running through the water, that had multiple stepping stones in it.
Starlight looked around, "where are we?"
Twilight smiled. "We're on the Field Spell, Twilight School of Friendship! It's here you'll meet your defeat."
Starlight glared at her, "and how's that gonna happen?"
"Easy," Twilight discarded a card, "first I need to discard a monster from my hand." Flame Burst Magician appeared next to her before the school's doors opened, and he flew inside. "Now I can summon two monsters whose Levels equal his." Trunade Magician and Royal Charmer leapt out of the door, landing besides Alicorn and Warlock. (A600/D400/L2) (A100/D100/L1)
Misty smiled seeing Twilight use her card so easily. "This is gonna be good."
"Now!" Royal Charmer leapt into the air, "I tune Royal Charmer with Twilight Alicorn and Trunade Magician!" Her Tuner's staff gave off a brilliant light which almost blinded Starlight. The light began to take shape, forming a twenty-foot transparent version of Royal Charmer who held his hands together as Twilight Alicorn and Trunade Magician jumped between them into a ball of light. "Knowledge, the greatest of all weapons, grant me the wisdom to lead us into a perfect future!" Twilight chanted as the two monsters became transparent before disappearing in an explosion of light that once again blinded everyone. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
From the light came Twilight's monster, flying down to land besides Twilight Warlock with a serious look on its face. "Alicorn Princess...TWILIGHT ASCENSION!" (A3300/D3000/L10)
"That's it?" Starlight asked, "that card can't destroy my dragon."
Twilight smirked, "for someone claiming to know all about my deck, you seem to have forgotten about Ascension's special ability." Starlight's eyes went wide as she watched Twilight pull two cards out of her graveyard. "By banishing one Spellbook from my graveyard, I can add another Spellbook back to my hand. And now I'll play it!"
Starlight watched as the Magic Tome of Starswirl appeared infront of Ascension. And with five cards in Twilight's grave, that was five hundred extra points for the alicorn. (A3800/D3000/L10)
"That's not enough," Starlight told her.
"You sure," Twilight pointed at Starlight's dragon. "Twilight Ascension, ATTACK!" The Alicorn spread its wings and took to the sky, as its horn glowed.
"You're nuts," Starlight cried. But in that moment, she spotted the building behind Twilight was beginning to glow. "What's going on."
"The School of Friendship's other effect," Misty explained. "Whenever a monster with Twilight in its name attacks, another monster on its side of the field can give up its chance to attack in order to grant its ATK points to the monster attacking."
"That's right," Twilight said as the door opened before Twilight Warlock was sucked inside. Seconds later, light shot out of the crystal building and struck Ascension. The light then took the shape of Twilight Warlock, as Ascension's power increased. (A6300/D3000/L10)
"No," Starlight realised she was done for.
Twilight pointed at her dragon, "FINISH THIS!" Ascension unleashed a blast of magic that struck Draco Starlight and cut it in half, the beast the exploding and sending the Dominator flying backwards.
"AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!"
Twilight: 500 (Winner) Starlight: 0
"SHE DID IT!" Misty cheered as the holograms faded, rushing over to Twilight. "That was great sweetheart."
Twilight turned to her and smiled, "thanks. I couldn't have done it without your card."
"Glad I could be of help." Before either of them could say anything else, a loud cry of pain made the turn to where Starlight had landed and was now clutching her gloved hand in what appeared to be intense pain. Was this it? Was Starlight gonna be free?
Alas, as she stopped quivering and sat up, Starlight shot them both a glare that showed she was still being Dominated.
Twilight began to trod over to her. "Alright, it's time you gave me some answers. What are you guys doing in the Double X?"
Starlight didn't answer, instead standing up whilst still clutching her hand. Then, slowly, she started stepping backwards. "I'll get you for this," she told her. "Mark my words!" With that, she turned away from them and rushed off.
"Wait!" Twilight cried, but it was too late and she was gone. She sighed, but then felt a hand on her shoulder.
She looked over and saw Misty smiling at her. "Don't worry, you did great." She turned back to the retreating form of Starlight. "You beat her, so now she's one loss closer to being freed."
"Maybe," Twilight frowned, "but she's still trapped. The pain on her face...it was just horrible."
"There's nothing more we can do. It's up to the V-Fighters now." She was right, they were the only ones that could free the Soulinked Duellists from their torment. Now Twilight had helped bring one of them closer to their freedom. That was something she could be proud of.
Back at her house, Tempest was right where she had been when Starlight left. Only now there was a folder on the table
And as the pink-skinned girl staggered into the room, still clutching her hand, she turned towards her. "Well?" From the looks of things, Tempest could guess her answer.
Starlight growled, "she beat me."
Tempest nodded, "then it's as I expected. She's grown to the point where she's just what we need." She opened the folder and took out three photos, ones of Flash, Soarin and Gilda, then pulled another three-pictures out and placed one of them with the others. This one was of Twilight, whilst the other two were of Spike and Sunburst. "That makes four. Is this the maximum, or will it end up being six?"
Starlight said nothing as she pulled up her glove and saw the mark on her hand was barely see-able. One more loss and she was done. She then turned to Tempest, "what about the others?"
"All but one of our allies have managed to get here. But I'm told the last should be with us shortly. Once they are, we should be able to move onto phase three as soon as the tournament is over."
Later that night.
Several cities away from Canterlot, in the alleyway between a pair of stores, a figure was rummaging through one of the dumpsters.
"Come on," they said but couldn't find anything useful.
They then stopped when they heard footsteps and jumped away from the dumpster, turning towards the sound of the footsteps. The owner of said footsteps turned out to be non-other then Marble Pie, now with her hair up in a ponytail along with a new set of clothes. She was now dressed in a sundress similar to Lady Marbles, only instead of gems, it had sequins.
Marble smiled at the man as she stepped further into the alleyway. "Hello there...Guto."
The figure seemed to freeze up before stepping into the light, revealing a man with grey skin and hair that was wearing black leather clothing with a yellow scarf around his neck. "Who are you?" He asked, "how do you know my name."
Marble smiled, "oh I know a lot about you Guto. I know you were once the leader of the Black Griffins until you lost to a pair of kids and were kicked out. I know you were chased out of Canterlot because of that. And...I know you're the one I'm looking for." With that, she reached into her dress and pulled out a card, which he tossed towards him.
The man caught the card and he went wide-eyed seeing what it was.
"Can you hear it?" He looked back at Marble and saw her pull off her glove to reveal the mark of earth. "The voice of the one whose soul is bound to yours." Before Guto could ask what she was talking about, a blinding light filled the alleyway followed by Guto's scream.
When the light died down, Marble was standing next to an unconscious Guto. On the man's right hand appeared a green circle with the symbol for the Wind Attribute on it.
"Hey," she nudged his head with her foot, "you in there?"
Guto moaned before picking himself up, standing tall. Once he was back on his feet, he turned to glare at her. "Took you long enough."
Marble rolled her eyes, "not my fault you're such a picky Dominator." She turned away from him, "whatever. Now that you're here, we're ready to begin phase three as soon as the tournament ends."
"Right," Guto replied, "so what about my key?"
This made Marble frown before turning back to him, "yours is the only one we don't have. But I know where to find it."
Fireworks filled the air above Freeze Stadium, as the audience all sat waiting for the Double X's final round to finally start.
It had been a long road to this point, with many twists and turns. But now, only two teams remained to battle it out for the title of Double X champion. But which team would be the winners?
In one of the corridors, Spike and Sunburst were waiting for Flash. They had arrived together, but Cold had shown up wanting to talk to Flash about something. So the two went ahead and were now waiting for him.
"I wonder what Cold wanted to talk to Flash about?" Spike asked.
"Who knows," Sunburst replied. It was at that moment Flash came into view. "Hey. What was all that about?"
Flash just smiled, "Cold wanted to give me luck. He also gave me something he thought might come in handy."
"What is it?" Spike asked, only for Flash to tap his nose. "Whatever," he turned to look down the corridor. "It's our big moment."
"Yeah," Flash nodded as they began to head down the hallway.
"We're in the final," Sunburst repeated for what was probably the twelfth time. "Can you believe we've made it this far?"
Spike smiled at them, "we're gonna win. No matter what, we're gonna be the ones on that winners podium."
Flash smiled back, "you bet we're gonna. We're the next Double X Champions." With that, the three arrived at the end of the corridor. Flash stopped before turning to the other two, holding out a fist. "Let's do it." Spike and Sunburst both smiled before doing the same, the three fist-bumping and stepping out...into a glass box. The three looked at it in confusion but then looked over and saw another one on the other side of the field.
Seems they placed them here for the teams to watch the action.
In the other room, team Dominator was staring out at their opponent.
Tempest was the most focused of all of them. 'This is the last battle. Now they've made it this far, it's just a matter of whether or not they're capable. Project Omega Zenith can soon head into phase three.' Her glare intensified, "will they be the vessel for our lord?"
In that moment, smoke burst onto the stage before the Celestic Sister stepped out onto it.
Both: HELLO CANTERLOT!
Celestia: The gateway for young Duellists, the Double X Tournament.
Luna: We couldn't have a more exciting final ahead of us. Who will be crowned victorious?
Celestia: Out of all the teams that took part, only two have earned the right to Duel in the final. Team Dominator and team V-Fighters!
The crowd cheered as the team's images came up onto the megascreen. After that, the screen changed as the Celestic Sisters explained how the final round would work.
Luna: Each team have already selected their Duellist order and it's that order they will playoff in. This will be a continuous Duel where, after one Duellist loses, the winning Duellist will remain on the field to Duel the next member of their opposing team.
Celestia: What's more, the winning Duellist's Life Points and cards will remain as they were during the end of their last Duel. It's a three on three knockout format. Which of these teams will take control of the final and earn their place as champions?
"Go team V-Fighters!" Sweetie cried from the VIP box. "Go, guys!"
"Do your best!" Applebloom cheered.
Scootaloo nodded. "You're not just there to fight for your team. You're there to represent all of us!" The rest of the box all nodded, in total agreement with her. "So you better not lose."
Luna: Now let's find out where our finalists will be battling it out!
She held up a remote and pressed the button.
Suddenly the floor of the Duel Field began to shine as it projected the Duel Field, as a robotic female voice said. "AUGMENTED REALITY COMBAT SYSTEM ENERGISED."
In the blink of an eye, everyone in the stadium found themselves staring out at a large meadow. And covering that meadow were statues of many famous Duel Monsters. Dark Magician, Neos, the Eyes Dragons, all of them. It was a field with all the games all-stars, the perfect place for the final round.
Celestia: It's the Legendary Field! I can't wait to see how our competitors fair here.
Luna: We now ask each team's starting Duellists to make their way out onto the field.
Heath stepped up to the door of the box and saw Spike do the same.
"So, I'm facing that guy."
"Don't underestimate him," Tempest told him. "I want to see just how strong he is, so make sure you throw everything you've got at him. Then, if he wins, we'll know he's worthy."
Heath shot her a glare, "you dare insult me by saying I might lose to such a weak creature like that." He turned back to the field, "I'll show you." With that, he stepped out onto the field.
Starlight sighed, "I can't believe he actually wants that hot head to join us."
"We need all the help we can get," Tempest told her whilst watching Heath walk across the field. "And given what he's been through, it won't be too hard to show him the light. But for now, let's see just how strong his opponent is."
Starlight nodded. "I admit, he was pretty good during our Duel. But I'm not convinced he's vessel material."
"We're about to find out."
Up in the box, Twilight and Soarin both looked uneasy.
They both knew how powerful Heath was, especially with his Searing Flame and Blazing Arms Dragons. If Spike wanted to win, he had to be careful. But of course, he already knew that. "You can do this Spike," Twilight told her brother. "That's what all that training was for."
Everyone else gave him their own silent prayer of good luck, as the two arrived in the centre of the field.
Cold stepped into the room and stared down at the field. Hopefully, these Duels would let something slip that gave them an advantage over the Dominators.
The two locked eyes with one another, Spike being serious while Heath appeared bored.
"Man," he sighed, "what a waste of time." This made Spike glare at him. "I was hoping to face off against a strong opponent here, well...as strong as a human can be. But instead, I get the runt of the rat pack."
"Who you calling a runt!"
Heath smirked. "Don't think you're so high and mighty. You may wield a giant dragon, but everyone in this stadium knows how puny you really are. After all, not only did you lose on the first day of the second round, but you also lost to that wimpy girl Fluttershy."
Spike growled. "You can mock me all you want, but don't bad mouth my friends!" With that, he activated his Duel Disk.
"Or what?" Heath activated his, "you gonna make me pay?"
"That's exactly what I'll do."
Celestial: Looks like our competitors are ready to face off.
Luna: Then I think it's time we get the Double X's final match underway. In THREE!
Celestia: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Spike: 4000 Heath: 4000
"ACTION CARDS DISPERSED!"
"I'll take the first move!" Heath reached for his deck and drew his card, "I'll start by summoning Solar Flare Dragon in ATK mode!" The fire snake exploded onto the field, as Heath then threw down three face downs. "I end my turn. And in doing so, Solar Flare's effect activates!" The dragon opened its mouth before spitting a fireball at Spike, hitting him in the chest.
"Gah!" He cried whilst staggering back.
Spike: 3500 Heath: 4000
Celestia: Heath isn't wasting any time.
Luna: And you've gotta know those three face downs are Traps.
Spike also knew that, but he also knew he didn't care. He was ready for this. "It's my turn," he reached for his deck. "I draw and set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Flame Viper Dragon and scale seven Flame Banner Dracokid!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the two dragons flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three fireballs shot out, hitting the ground and exploding to reveal Spike's monsters. "Burning Salamander!" (A1600/D1400/L4)
"Flame Tracker Dragon!" (A1300/D300/L3)
"And Underling Dragon!" (A500/D500/L2) "Now watch," Flame Tracker exploded into three fireballs, which carved a trio of blazing ring. "As I tune Flame Tracker Dragon with Underling Dragon." The little dragon flew into the fire ring. "Burning spirit, erupt into a wildfire of power!" The ring exploded and created a blazing sphere. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames receded, revealing his monster "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) "And since Flame Tracker and Underling were both used in a Synchro Summon, their effects activate. I get to add a Fire monster to my hand and Flame Hunter gets five hundred ATK points." Spike's deck slotted out a card, which he took while his dragon powered up. (A2800/D1300/L5/P8) "And there's more. Flame Banner's Pendulum Ability grants all my Fire monsters another five hundred ATK points." A flaming aura appeared around Flame Hunter and Burning Salamander, increasing their power. (A3300/D1300/L5/P8) (A2100/D1400/L4)
"Alright, Spike!" Flash cheered for his teammate.
"No holding back!" Sunburst cried out.
Spike glanced back at them and smiled. "Alright, Flame Hunter Dragon, take out his Solar Flare Dragon!"
"I don't think so!" Heath yelled as his face down flipped up, "I play Raigeki Break!" He discarded a card before the Trap unleashed a bolt of lightning, which shot over to Flame Hunter and caused the beast to roar in pain before exploding.
Celestia: Ooh, talk about heartbreaking.
Luna: I hope Spike wasn't counting on that monster being on the field.
Spike growled before pointing at Solar Flare Dragon, "Burning Salamander!" The flaming lizard bit onto the end of its own tail before beginning to spin, rolling forwards as the flames on its back morphed it into a wheel of fire that flew towards Solar Flare.
While this was going on, Heath began to run through the field in search of an Action Card. He finally spotted one in the claws of a Kuriboh and grabbed it, only to find it was a Trap.
The next thing he knew, the Kuriboh statue exploded and he was hit in the stomach by it. "Gyah!"
Spike: 3500 Heath: 3700
Seconds later, Burning Salamander struck Solar Flare and destroyed it.
Spike: 3500 Heath: 3100
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Spike had a feeling he knew what was coming. 'I'm not scared. I've trained for this.' It was true, he had been training for this like mad. Duel after Duel he had worked to refine his deck, whilst also doing extensive research on all three members of team Dominator. Talking to every one of his friends that had faced off against them and taken extensive notes on how their Duels turned out. 'I know what's coming, and I know how to stop it.'
Heath meanwhile, glared at Spike as he drew his card. "Silly human, thinking you're better than me." He discarded a card before a tornado of fire exploded infront of him, with Blazing Emperor Hellfire appearing as the flames faded. (A2600/D2200/L7) "I'll burn you to ashes!" His two remaining face downs flipped up before flames shot out, then took the forms of the robotic demons. (A1600/D1100/L4)X2
"Three Fire monsters," Spike realised. "Here it comes."
"Now," Heath raised the last card in his hand up, "I tribute Flaming Emperor Hellfire and my two Flaming Soldiers of Hellfire!" The three monsters exploded into a pillar of fire, incinerating the grass around it. "Now, witness the birth of the beast whose rage burns hotter than the sun!" The pillar exploded, revealing Heath's monster. "Searing Flame Dragon, AFTERBURNER!" (A?/D?/L9)
Celestia: There it is. One of Heath's ultimate monsters.
Luna: And with four Traps in the graveyard, it's power goes up to thirty-two hundred points."
The dragon roared as flames began to coat its body, increasing its power. (A3200/D3200/L9) Heath smirked at this, while turning to Spike. "Annoying human." This made Spike begin to grow uneasy, but he quickly shook it off. "I attack with Searing Flame Dragon!" The dragon began to build fire in its mouth, while Heath reached for his deck. "Afterburner's skill." He drew five cards, smiled, then discarded three of them. Doing so increased his dragon's power even more, as more flames wrapped around it. (A5600/D5600/L9) "GO!"
Celestia: This is gonna deal Spike huge damage if he can't stop it.
Spike rushed through the field in search of an Action Card, managing to spot on the tip of Dark Magician's staff. He grabbed it an, seeing what it was, smiled before turning back to Heath. "I activate my face down!" His card flipped up, "Shrink!"
Luna: WOW. That card will cut Afterburner's ATK power in half."
Heath growled as he watched his dragon shrink to half its normal size, its ATK power shrinking along with it. (A2800/D5600/L9) "That won't be enough to save your monster." Afterburner unleashed a burst of fire, which struck Spike's monster and destroyed it while scorching Spike.
The preteen cried out as he felt the heat of the flames.
Spike: 2800 Heath: 3100
"I end my turn." In doing so, Heath's monster returned to its regular size while its ATK power increased. (A5600/D5600/L9)
"Oh man," Soarin worried. "How's Spike suppose to stop that thing."
"Relax," Gilda told him, "you managed it. Spike's just gotta be creative." She turned back to the field. "Although, he probably should have saved that Shrink card."
Twilight nodded, thinking the same thing. Spike made a bit of a blunder there. Sure, he would have taken a ton of damage, but now it was gonna be even harder for him to take Afterburner down. "Unless," the others turned to her.
"What is it?" Scootaloo asked her.
"That Action Card." The others turned back to the field, as Spike began his turn.
"I draw!" He did so, as the portal of light began to form above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of fireballs shot out and exploded, revealing Spike's monsters. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8)
"Flame Sabre Dragon!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P5)
"And Scorcher Dragon!" (A1200/D700/L3) "And now!" Scorcher Dragon and Flame Hunter leapt into the air, "I tune my monsters together to form an even mightier beast!" Scorcher Dragon burst into a trio of fireballs, that carved the fire rings around his Synchro Pendulum. "Cast your flames across this battlefield, and burn everything that is weak to ashes!" Spike chanted as his monsters were consumed by an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames erupted, as Spike's ace burst free and revealed itself. "Dragonic Blazemaster!" (A3000/D2000/L8)
"That won't save you," Heath told him.
"Wait for it," Spike said before activating the Action Card he'd gotten. "I play Spell Recycle. This lets me activate the effect of a Spell in my graveyard." Heath's eyes went wide as he looked up and saw his monster shrink in both size and power. (A2800/D5600/L9) "And with Flame Banner's Pendulum Ability still active, my Fire monsters gain even more power. (A3500/D2000/L8) (A2000/D1200/L4/P5) "ATTACK!" Blazemaster raised its sword as the blade ignited, then flew up towards Afterburner.
While that was happening, Heath found an Action Card in the mouth of a Red-Eyes and grabbed it. He frowned when he saw what it was, but activated it anyway. "I play Level Blast! This Action Card lets me draw cards whenever a monster on my field is destroyed. One card for every three Levels they have." Seconds later, Blazemaster reached Afterburner and sliced its head off. "Gyah!"
Spike: 2800 Heath: 2400
Heath grunted, but stood his ground. "since Afterburner was Level nine, I draw three cards." He did so.
"Well, Flame Sabre's still got an attack!" Spike's dragon flew forwards, flaming swords ready.
"I discard Ambush Blazer from my hand to activate the effect of a Trap in my graveyard. And I chose Negate Attack!" A force field appeared around Heath, Flame Sabre's attack bouncing off it and leaving him completely fine.
Spike frowned, "I end my turn."
Celestia: Spike managed to destroy Heath's Searing Flame Dragon, but he still has a long way to go before he can claim victory.
Luna: But will Heath be able to pull out a win like he did in the semi-final?
'Of course I can,' Heath drew his card. 'He's just a worthless human. He can't beat me.'
In their box, Flash and Sunburst both frowned. "Something's different about Heath today."
"Yeah," Flash nodded, "he's not as...emotional as he was before."
"He's more focused, which is bad news for Spike."
"I discard one Trap from my hand in order to revive Hellfire from my graveyard!" The flame tornado appeared beside him before disappearing to reveal Heath's ace monster, while Heath held up a card. "And now that I have eight Traps in my grave, I can summon this!" A pillar of flame exploded onto the field. "Dragon of flames, augmented by the power of technology, now let your fire burn across this battlefield!" The pillar exploded, revealing the cyborg dragon monster that beat Soarin "Blazing Arms Dragon...INFERNITY!" (A3000/D3000/L8)
"Not good," Spike gulped before running off. He needed an Action card and fast.
Heath smirked as he jumped up onto his dragon's shoulder "Time for Hellfire's skill!" Heath's monster created a fireball, which it tossed at Blazemaster and burnt away eight hundred of its ATK points. (A2700/D2000/L8) "And now for Infernity's skill!" He pulled out three cards from his graveyard, "banish three Traps in my graveyard and destroy one card on the field." The dragon's cannons folded up before unleashing a laser blast that struck Flame Banner Dragon and destroyed it.
"NO!" Spike cried as he turned to his monster. Without Flame Banner, their power went back to its original amount. (A2200/D2000/L8) (A1500/D1200/L4/P5) "ATTACK!" Infernity's body ignited before the flames flew off to form a sphere between its hands, that it then tossed towards Blazemaster.
Spike spotted an Action Card on the blade of a Flame Swordsmen and ran towards it, but couldn't get to it before Infernity's attack struck his ace. "YAH!" He cried as the explosion consumed his monster, creating shockwaves that sent him flying.
Spike: 2000 Heath: 2400
"SPIKE!" Everyone cried as they watched him slam into a statue of Odd-Eyes.
Heath smirked, "Blazing Arm's skill. Sacrifice Hellfire to allow it to attack once more." The Flaming Emperor exploded, the fire spiralling between Infernity's hands. "GO!" The dragon tossed the micro-sun towards Spike's Pendulum Monster, but Spike was ready.
"I activate the Action Spell, Brittle Defence. Now all my monster switch to DEF mode, though I lose three hundred life points whenever one's destroyed." Flame Sabre knelt down, right before the sun struck it. "YAAH!" Spike cried as the flames singed him
Spike: 1700 Heath: 2400
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Heath smirked as he watched Spike stagger from side to side, "so weak. To think such weak beings have the power to destroy us." He shot him a glare, "I won't let that happen."
Spike finally stopped swaying and instead, shot Heath a glare. "You don't know...anything."
"I know enough."
"No...you don't." Spike reached for his deck, "it's my turn. I draw!" Spike saw what he got and nodded, "I play Deck Tuning. Now I can draw one card for each Tuner monster in my graveyard. And last I checked, I had three." He drew his three cards. "Now, I reset the Pendulum Scale with scale eight Flame Core Dragon!" The orb holding dragon flew into the pillar of light, as the portal began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before four fireballs shot out and struck the ground, exploding to reveal his monsters. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8)
"Flame Sabre Dragon!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P5)
"Magna Drago!" (A1400/D600/L2)
"And Fireheart Dracokid!" (A1000/D800/L2) "Flame Hunter's skill!" The dragon unleashed a burst of fire, which struck Heath's face down and destroyed it. But strangely enough, Heath actually smiled when he saw this. "What's so funny?"
"What's funny is you ran right into my trap!" In that moment, chains broke out of the ground and wrapped around Fireheart Dracokid. "The Trap Hellfire Chains to be exact. It activates whenever you destroy it. Now, it'll destroy your dragon and deal you half its ATK points as damage." Fireheart exploded, causing the chains to flail around as they caught on fire.
Spike could only watch as they flew in his direction, hitting him in the chest. "YAH!" Spike cried
Spike: 1200 Heath: 2400
"There's more. As long as it remains in the graveyard, Hellfire Chains makes it so you can't revive that card. It's locked in eternal damnation." Spike growled at this. "I know what you were trying to do. You were trying to summon your Double Tuned Synchro Monster, but now that's not gonna happen."
"Maybe," Spike said, "but that doesn't mean I'm out." He looked down at his deck, knowing he'd need to summon...it. "Here goes. First, I activate the Spell card Monster Reborn!" In a burst of fire, Dragonic Blazemaster reappeared on the field. "Then I'll use the Pendulum Ability of Flame Viper Dragon!" Said dragon transformed into a card alongside Flame Sabre, The two cards flying into Spike's hand. "By sending him to the bottom of my deck and returning a monster on my field to my hand, I can now summon a Dragon-Type Monster from my graveyard." A fireball appeared before exploding to reveal Underling Dragon. (A500/D500/L2)
"So what?" Heath asked, "those cards can't scratch my dragon."
"Don't be so sure," Spike told him. "I now tune Level two Magna Drago with Level two Underling Dragon!" The dragons leapt into the air, as Magna Drago burst into a pair of rings that Underling flew into. "Ignite the flame of potential and shower the world in the fire of hope!" His two monsters were consumed in an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames receded and showed what looked like a red version of Mystic Dracokid with wings. "Mystic Flame Dracokid!" (A1500/D1300/L4) "And since he was Synchro Summoned, his skill lets me add a Level four or below Dragon monster from my deck to my hand." He did so, as Heath wondered why he summoned such a weak monster.
"Wait?" He looked down at his Duel Disk and saw what it was, "a Tuner Monster."
"That's right," Spike said as Mystic Flame shot into the air. He then burst into a quartet of fireballs, which carved four fire rings. Dragonic Blazemaster then flew into them, as Spike started chanting. "Blaze the path to victory and burn away all who stand before you." The flaming rings exploded, wrapping Blazemaster into a ball of fire. "GO ACCEL SYNCHRO!"
The flaming sun began to extinguish, reveal Spike's new monster. It looked like Inferno Legend, only its had a black streak running down its chest all the way to its tail. Its armour was crimson red with purple on its shoulders and hips. Its wings were bright red with blue on the ends and it was carrying a large red sword with a bat-wing shaped crossguard. "Dragonic Blazemaster...VICTORY ACE!" (A3300/D3200/L12)
Celestia: Incredible. Spike's showing true resolve by busting out a never before seen monster.
Luna: What powers does it hold.
"Let me show you!" Spike summoned Flame Sabre Dragon back to the field, "Victory Ace's skill!" The giant dragon then held up its sword before slamming the blade into the ground, causing a pair of blue flame trails to shoot out along the ground before hitting both Flame Hunter and Flame Sabre. "By tributing every other Dragon Monster on my field, I can destroy every monster on your field whose Level is less than their combined Level."
"What?" Heath asked as he watched the two dragons explode into blue flames, which were sucked into Victory Ace's blade and caused it to ignite. The giant dragon then swung the blade around, unleashing a wave of fire which struck Infernity and destroyed it. "No!" He rushed off in search of an Action Card, as Victory Ace readied his sword.
"Finally," Spike went on as his monster glowed red, "Victory Ace gains five hundred ATK points for every monster destroyed by this effect. (A3800/D3200/L12) "ATTACK!" The giant dragon took to the skies before flying forwards.
Celestia: If this attack hits, it's all over for Heath.
Luna: Is team V-Fighter gonna be the ones to take the first win.
But as Victory Ace got near, Heath grabbed an Action Card out of a Junk Warrior's hand. "I activate the Action Spell Miracle Card. Now I declare either a Spell or Trap Card, then draw a card. If the card I draw is the type I called out, I can activate it. And I choose Trap." This put everyone on edge.
"What are the chances he'll draw a Trap?" Sunburst asked.
"Considering how many he seems to have, high." They watched as Heath reached for his deck, then drew the card and held it up.
Everyone turned to the megascreen, as it zoomed in on the card. And when it came into focus, their eyes went wide.
Celestia: Its Call of the Haunted!
Luna: That means he can revive a monster form his graveyard!
And so, a pillar of flame exploded before Hellfire shot out and intercepted the attack. The demon pushed back against the attack, Heath glaring at Spike while watching his true form be overwhelmed. "You miserable human. What an eyesore!"
Spike growled back, "I'll blast through!" Victory Ace cleaved through Hellfire, the blue flames of the attack slamming into the Heath.
"AAAHHH!" He cried as the flames of his destroyed monster hit him.
Spike: 1200 Heath: 1200
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Victory Ace's ATK points returned to normal. (A3300/D3200/L12)
Celestia: Despite an incredible Accel Synchro Summon, Spike couldn't pull off a win.
Luna: Now Heath has a chance to turn things around. But can he.
Spike frowned hearing that, "darn it. That was supposed to be my ending attack."
"But it was still a great attack," he heard Flash tell him.
"Just keep your cool," Sunburst told him. "If you can make it through this next round, you'll beat him for sure." Spike nodded and turned back to Heath, who was simply glaring at him.
"Like I told you before, this is a waste of time."
Spike shot a glare back at him, "I'm not giving up."
Heath drew his card, "then prepare to die." With that, a pillar of flames shot up behind him before exploding to reveal Blazing Arms Dragon.
"How?" Spike asked.
"By banishing two Traps from my graveyard and paying half my life points, I can revive him to the field."
Spike: 1200 Heath: 600
"Blazing Arm's skill!" He banished another three cards before his dragon aimed its cannons at Spike's face down, then fired a laser that destroyed it. "Now I summon Fire Imp!" A small red demon appeared on the field, its tail on fire. (A1000/D1000/L3) "And with his skill, I can transfer his ATK points onto another monster on my field." The demon's body ignited before the flames flew over to Infernity. (A0/D1000/L3) (A4000/D3000/L8) Heath smirked, "puny human. I'll burn you to ashes." With that, Infernity began to form a sun in its hands.
Meanwhile, Spike rushed across the field in search of an Action card. "Prepare to perish," he heard Heath cry.
"Never!" Spike spotted an action card in a Dark Magician Girl's hand and grabbed it, only to find it was the same Trap Heath had gotten earlier. "Gyah!" He cried as the statue exploded, the pieces slamming into his body.
Spike: 900 Heath: 600
Seconds later, Infernity tossed the sun at Victory Ace. The giant dragon was consumed by flames, which flew out and blasted Spike. "AAARRRHHH!" He cried as he was thrown into the statue of a Cyber-End Dragon.
Spike: 200 Heath: 600
Heath began to pant heavily, as Fire Imp burst into flames that then spiralled into an orb between Infernity's hands. "This...ends...NOW!" The dragon tossed the orb towards Spike, ready to take out the last of his Life Points.
"SPIKE!" Everyone cried, most not daring to look.
However, as Spike picked himself up, he spotted something on the ground. An Action Card, which must have been knocked off the statue when Spike hit it. He quickly grabbed the card, turning it over and seeing that it was. "Go, Miracle Card!" Heath growled as Spike reached for his deck, "I choose Trap!" With that, he drew a card and held it up.
Everyone looked up at the megascreen and saw it...a Trap.
But not just any Trap. "TRAP SUMMON!" In a burst of fire, a large red bulky dragon appeared before curling itself up. "Mega-Hide Dragon, Shieldranoid!" The sun struck the dragon and caused it to cry out as it tried to withstand the attack. "Shieldranoid's skill! When he's attacked, my Life Points increase by the Level of the monster attacking him times one hundred."
Spike: 1000 Heath: 600
Seconds later, Mega-Hide Dragon was destroyed but Spike remained standing. This caused the crowd to erupt into applause, while Heath's eyes went wide. "No," he said, "this can't be. A human...a weak human can't beat me."
Spike smirked, "who said there's such a thing as a weak human." He reached for his deck, "I assume you're done." Heath didn't reply, "I draw! And now it's time to activate Victory Ace's skill from the graveyard." A column of blue fire erupted behind him before the Accel Synchro monster appeared behind him. "By banishing a Tuner monster from the graveyard, I can bring him back." (A3300/D3200/L12)
Celestia: Incredible! Things looked bleak for Spike, but now he's managed to turn things around.
Luna: This might be the end for Heath.
"No," Heath slowly shook his head, "please."
"Now I set scale three Flame Spear Dragon into the Pendulum Scale!" The dragon flew up into the pillar of light, as the portal began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out, exploding to reveal Flame Hunter and Flame Sabre Dragon. Heath was still in shock, "this...isn't possible."
"All things are possible if you just keep trying!" Spike told him. "Victory Ace's skill!" The dragon slammed its sword into the ground and unleashed the streams of blue fire, which engulfed both Flame Hunter and Flame Sabre, then swung the now blazing sword in the direction of Heath.
The Soulinked Duellist's eyes went wide as he watched Infernity be destroyed, while Victory Ace's ATK power rose up. (A3800/D3200/L12) "This can't happen. How can I be defeated by a mere human?" He watched as Spike called an attack, with him frozen in place as the dragon raised its sword. "Can humans really have the potential to do this much?" He watched as Victory Ace swung its sword, unleashing another wave of blue fire that flew straight at him.
And as this happened, Heath felt himself fall into the recesses of his mind.
Within it, Flaming Emperor Hellfire stood in the black void.
"No way!" He held his head while shaking, "I don't wanna die. Not like this. Not to a guy like him." He closed his eyes, "I...I..." He then opened them again, only to find he wasn't in the void. Now he was out on a familiar battlefield, with a familiar castle behind him. "I...I'm home." He then looked down at the ground, his eyes going wide when he saw hundreds of dead bodies littering the canyon. "No," he then spotted one particular body...his. It was laying completely still, showing no signs of life. "Wha...what? No...is this...my future?" Was this the future that humans would bring upon him, if they kept playing this silly game?
It was in that moment a light made him turn to see a wave of blue fire flying towards him. It was Victory Ace's attack.
"No," he took a step back but it kept coming, "no. This can't be me. This can't be my future." He raised his arms and unleashed his own fire, trying to push the blue flames back. But no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't stop the flames from getting closer. "Please...don't do this." The flames finally reached him, surrounding him as his body began to burn. "Please no. I don't wanna...I don't wanna DIE!"
The crowd watched as Heath was sent flying, his Life Points being burnt away by the blue flames.
Spike: 1000 (Winner) Heath: 0
Celestia: HE'S DONE IT! Spike of team V-Fighters has defeated Heath Burns of team Dominator.
Luna: As a result, his next opponent will be Starlight Glimmer.
"HE DID IT!" Almost everyone in the VIP box cheered.
Twilight and Shining both smiled at their little brother's victory, Twilight even shedding a tear. "Great works Spike. You should be proud of that victory."
Shining nodded. "It was touch and go, but he pulled it off."
"But he's not done yet," Cold told them. "He now has to face Starlight and with only a thousand Life Points, it won't be easy." The others nodded in agreement, but knew Spike could do it.
Back on the field, Spike couldn't believe he'd actually won against a Soulinked Duellist.
He then heard a loud cry of pain and turned to Heath, seeing he was holding his gloved hand in pain. The possessed teen turned to Spike and glared at him, showing he wasn't free yet, as he began to stand himself up. "I...I'll get you for this!" With that, he turned away and ran towards his team's box.
As he did, he watched as Starlight came out and they passed one another before he stepped into the box.
He then turned to Tempest, glaring at her. "You did well," she told him.
"Forget the compensation," he said angrily. "I'm out." With that, he headed towards the exit.
"Before you go," he turned back to Tempest as she tossed something towards him. He managed to grab it and saw that it was a business card. "Some friends of mine were very impressed by your skills. They wanna meet with you." Heath said nothing, simply staring at the card before he stepped into the corridor and out of the stadium.
With him gone, he watched as Starlight now stood against Spike.
Celestia: Heath may have lost but that doesn't mean the Duel is over. Starlight Glimmer now takes the stage.
Luna: As per the rules, she'll have the maximum four thousand life points while Spike will only have whatever he had during the last Duel. All the cards he used in his last Duel will also remain where they are.
Spike and Starlight stared each other down, Spike looking serious while Starlight smiled. "It's been a while," she activated her Duel Disk.
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "and I intend to avenge my loss against you from last time."
Starlight smirked, "that'll be tough with only one thousand Life Points." Spike knew that, but he also knew someone else was ready to beat Starlight.
Spike turned back to his team's box, his eyes meeting with Sunburst's. The two nodded at one another before Spike looked back towards her. "Even if it's only a little, I have to weaken Starlight enough to give Sunburst the edge." He got into a battle-ready position.
Celestia: Looks like our Duellists a ready to get things underway.
Luna: Then let's not waste any time. In THREE!
Celestia: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Spike: 1000 Starlight: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Starlight drew her card and smiled. "And I summon Celestia Spirit Aquarius in ATK mode!" The constellation appeared before exploding to reveal the armoured mermaid. (A1500/D1200/L4) "Then I place two cards face down before activating the Spell card, Shooting Star Blast!"
"NO!" Twilight and Misty both cried, remembering that Spell from when Starlight and Twilight had Duelled. All they could do was watch as Aquarius exploded, transforming into four stars that each split into three more. "SPIKE!"
Back on the field, Spike's eyes went wide as the stars shot towards him. "GYAAAHHH!" He cried as they slammed into him, exploding as they did so and wiping out all of Spike's Life Points.
Spike: 0 Starlight: 4000 (Winner)
The crowd was completely silent, as the stared out at the field. They couldn't believe what they'd just seen.
Luna: The...the winner is...Starlight Glimmer.
Back in the team box, Flash and Sunburst both shock as they watched Spike laying on the ground. They had hoped Spike's win against Heath would give them the edge, but now they were back to square one. "Starlight," Sunburst whispered. He knew he was gonna have to face off against her now. And honestly, he was glad.
Because now, he was gonna save his friend. No maybe about it. He was gonna save her.
The Double X's final round had had an incredible start. With everything tied up, this was anyone's game.
In the Slifer Red Dorm, Sunburst sat in his new room after being demoted. He was holding a letter sent to him by his best friend, reading it. She was asking about how things were going in class and how long until she heard of him being made an Obelisk.
He sighed, knowing that might never happen. He shifted on the bed, making the envelop the letter came in fall off the bed. When it hit the ground, something flew out of it and hit Sunburst's feet.
He looked down and saw it was a card, his vision shifting back to the letter as he spotted a P.S.
I hope you like the gift I sent you. I found it in a booster pack and thought you might like it. Hope it helps.
With that, the letter ended and Sunburst reached down to grab the card. Turning it over, he saw it was a Ritual Monster and read its name. "Sunburst...Magician?"
Present...
Sunburst looked down at his Ritual Monster, while hearing Celestia speak up.
Celestia: Unbelievable. That match lasted less than a minute. Now Starlight Glimmer has evened up the score.
Luna: Now Starlight will face off against team V-Fighter's Sunburst. Who will win this match?
The door opened, Sunburst and Flash turning to Spike. "Sorry guys," he sighed. "I couldn't even dent her Life Points."
Flash smiled before patting him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You did great. There was nothing you could do. There's no shame in that." He turned to Sunburst, "you're up. You ready for this."
Sunburst turned back to his Ritual Card before placing it back in his deck. "Yeah. I got this." He moved over to the door, "wish me luck." With that, he headed out onto the field.
Up in the VIP box, everyone was still reeling from how the last Duel ended.
Meanwhile, Twilight watched as Sunburst stepped out onto the field. Doing so made her remember the conversation she'd had with him about their Duel. About how Starlight had been Dominated and what she'd told him.
Now it was all up to him. Could he save her or was she doomed to be forever a prisoner. "You can do this Sunburst."
Starlight smiled as she watched him step towards her.
'He was a bit of a disappointment when we Duelled during the second round.' She remembered his last Duel against Sunset. 'But he appears to have improved since then. It may just be luck, but the fact is he's made it through to the final to face me once again. The question is, whether he's worthy of becoming the vessel we're looking for.'
Sunburst finally reached her, Duel Disk already on his arm.
"Long time no Duel," she told him. She spotted the frown on his face, "what? Not in the mood to talk?"
Sunburst frowned, "I have nothing to say to you. All you need to know is that I'm gonna beat you and free Starlight from your control."
Starlight smirked, "you really wanna make that claim? You do remember what happened last time, don't you?"
Sunburst's frown turned into a full-on glare, "that was then." His Duel Disk activated, "THIS IS NOW!"
Starlight's smirk increased, "very well." She readied herself, "don't say I didn't warn you."
Celestia: Both Duellists are ready it seems.
Luna: Then let's not keep them waiting. In THREE!
Celestia: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Starlight: 4000 Sunburst: 4000
"Here I go!" Sunburst drew his card, "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale with scale two Red Sun Magician and scale six Green Sun Magician!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the two magicians flew up into them, as Sunburst began to chant. "Burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory," the portal began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single fireball shot out and exploded, revealing Sunburst's monster. "Sunburst Familiar!" (A1200/D1000/L3) "Then I summoned Blaze Wizard!" Another fireball exploded as the young fire wizard appeared, "skill of Blaze Wizard!" His deck slotted out a card, which he took as Red Sun Magician pointed his staff at Blaze Wizard. "Now, with Red Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability, I can increase the Level of my Blaze Wizard to six!" Red Sun fired a trio of fireballs, which struck Blaze Wizard. (A1200/1100/L6)
Starlight frowned, knowing what was coming next.
"Now," Sunburst placed the card he'd got from Blaze Wizard into his Duel Disk, "I activate Sunburst Gate." The stone archway appeared behind his monsters, Blaze Wizard exploding into six fireball that flew into half the indents. Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant. "Furious hellfire, that burns like the sun, give life to the demon whose fury cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The flames faded to reveal Sunburst's monster, "Sunburst Ravager!" (A2000/D1800/L6) "Sunburst smirked, "you see you shot yourself in the foot with your last move. You might have knocked Spike out of the tournament, but now your fields empty and with Ravager's ability he can wipe out all your Life Points." He pointed at her, "GO!" Ravager rushed forwards as both its claws and axe ignited.
Celestia: I think we might be getting another one turn knock out.
Luna: Unless Starlight has a way to stop him.
And by the smile on her face, Starlight did have a way. "TRAP SUMMON!" Her face down flipped up before a constellation appeared between her and Ravager, which then exploded to reveal a woman and serpent. "Celestial Spirit Ophiuchus!" (A1700/D1000/L4) Seconds later, Ravager stabbed his blazing claws into the woman and destroyed her.
Starlight: 3700 Sunburst: 4000
The serpent that shot out at Ravager and wrapped around him, while Starlight activated her other face down card. "You've activated my Starlight Beacon Trap card, which now lets me summon a Celestial Spirit with less ATK then Ophiuchus had." Another constellation appeared before exploding to reveal Celestial Spirit Aries. (A1400/D900/L3)
Sunburst frowned before pointing at Aries, "well Ravager still has another attack." The Ritual monster turned to Aries and raised his axe, while Starlight rushed through the meadow until she spotted an Action Card in a Neos statue's hand.
She grabbed it and smiled when she saw what it was. "I activate the Action Spell Statue Skin. With this, the monster you're attacking won't be destroyed by this attack." Aries suddenly turned to stone, seconds before Ravager's axe struck. The force of the attack shattered the stone, but Aries was okay. Starlight's Life Points, however.
Starlight: 3100 Sunburst: 4000
Sunburst frowned, "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
Celestia: Sunburst's strategy was a good one, but Starlight was able to lessen the damage she took by a great amount.
"It's okay!" Flash called out to Sunburst, "just keep your cool."
Spike nodded. "You know what she's gonna do next, so just be careful."
"My draw," Starlight did so. "And since it's my Standby Phase, my serpent injects its poison into you and makes it lose a hundred ATK points for every Celestial Spirit in my graveyard." The snake bit into Ravager's neck and made him flinch, as his power went down. (A1900/D1800/L6) "Then I'll use Aries's skill!" She drew the top three cards of her deck and smiled before discarding two of them, "by discarding a pair of Celestial Spirits I can now summon two Wool Tokens!" Aries pulled two wool-balls off her armour and tossed it onto the ground, with those wool-balls suddenly gaining eyes. (A300/D300/L1)X2.
"Those could be bad," Sunburst said. She had everything she needed to summon Leo, but could she?
Starlight smiled, "I play Painful Choice. Now I select five cards from my deck and you have to pick one of them to add to my hand." She drew the cards and revealed them to everyone, Sunburst seeing the cards she had were Leo, Taurus, Scorpio, Virgo and Gemini.
Sunburst frowned. 'She must want Leo, and that means she must have either Celestial Device Sextant or Monster Reincarnation. It doesn't matter what I pick. so if that's the case,' "I pick Virgo!"
Starlight smiled, "good choice." She took the card and sent the rest to her graveyard. "I then play Monster Reincarnation, to send Virgo to my graveyard and add Leo to my hand."
"I knew it."
"Now I tribute my two Wool Tokens in order to summon Leo!" The wool-balls disappeared in a flash of light before a constellation appeared, which then exploded to reveal Starlight's ace. (A2500/D2200/L7)
Luna: Quite a move. Now Starlight's set up to get a host of Celestial Spirits into her graveyard, which will let her summon her Draco Starlight.
Starlight smirked as she continued. "If you think Leo's strong now, just wait until I equip this Celestial Weapon onto him. Go, Orion's Sword!" The star-shaped crossguard sword appeared in Leo's hand, raising his ATK power by one thousand. (A3500/D2000/L7)
"This could be bad," Sunburst realised.
"Finally," Starlight drew five cards, "I activate Leo's skill to look at the two five cards of my deck and send any Celestial Spirit to the graveyard." She looked through the card, but only discarded one. She then pointed at Sunburst Ravager, "ATTACK!" Sunburst watched as Leo rushed forwards, and in that moment nine different constellations appear around him. They then exploded with the light flying into him and boosting his power. (A5100/D2000/L7)
As he saw this, Sunburst suddenly remembered a moment from when they were first learning to Duel. Back then, Starlight wouldn't have had such an easy time pulling off that move.
The past...
A younger Sunburst was Duelling against a younger Starlight.
And as they Duelled, Sunburst looked up at Starlight and saw she was frowning. "What's wrong."
Starlight turned to him before showing him a high-Level card in her hand, "the only way I'm gonna win is if I play this card."
"So?"
"So," she pointed at the two cards on her field, "that means I have to sacrifice these two monsters to do it. But I don't wanna send anyone to the graveyard. That's just mean."
Sunburst smiled at her kindness, even if it was just to a bunch of cards. "Well then maybe we shouldn't look at the graveyard like a graveyard."
"What do you mean?"
"Well," Sunburst thought about it, "maybe the graveyard is meant to represent ones past. The cards in it aren't dead, but just a part of a moment that no longer exists." He grabbed one of the cards he was using, Armed Dragon Level Five. "It's like this card. I evolved him from his Level Three form, and when that happened Level Three went to the graveyard. But maybe instead of Level Three dying, he actually just took the form he would when he's older."
"Oh," Starlight looked down at his graveyard, "so the graveyard isn't an actual grave. It's more like...a memory."
"Exactly," Sunburst nodded. He then spread the cards in his graveyard out, "and we can look back on these memories to help us understand what's gonna happen in the future."
"I get it now," Starlight smiled. "So the graveyard is the past. The field is the present and our hands are the future."
"That's right. And just like there are many cards in our hands to play, there are many futures that we can push ourselves towards.
Present...
Seems Starlight had taken that lesson to heart. But she wasn't the only one.
Though Sunburst had forgotten it for the longest time, thanks to his friends he'd remembered everything he'd learnt when he and Starlight were children. And I'm gonna put it all to use right now. I activate my Trap!" Sunburst's face down flipped up, "Spirit Barrier."
Starlight growled seeing that annoying card. Leo slashed Ravager and destroyed it, but Sunburst's Life Points remained intact. Well, don't think you're safe. Since Leo was equipped with Orion's Sword, you now take one hundred points of damage for each Celestial Spirit in my graveyard." Leo pointed the now glowing crossguard of his sword at the teen. The glow intensified and unleashed a powerful burst of light, which struck Sunburst in the chest and made him cry out.
Starlight: 3100 Sunburst: 3200
"Then I'll have Aries attack your Sunburst Familiar!" The young woman dashed towards Sunburst's kitsune and headbutted it, destroying the fox and leaving Sunburst's field empty.
"Well when Sunburst Familiar is destroyed, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add any two Fire monsters to my hand." He drew his cards and looked through them, picking out two cards and adding them to his hand before returning the others to his deck.
"I end my turn."
Celestia: Starlight's really putting on the pressure.
Luna: Sunburst is gonna need something big to pull off a win now.
As Sunburst reached for his deck, he turned back to Starlight. 'It really isn't her. If it was, she wouldn't be so predictable.'
The past...
"I attack!" Sunburst called out, making Starlight moan.
"That means I lose," she face-palmed.
Sunburst laughed as he looked down at her hand, seeing the cards she had along with the cards on her field and in her grave. "Hey, why didn't you use that combo you used in the last game? It would have made it a lot harder for me to beat you."
Starlight stuck out her tongue, "where's the fun in that? I don't wanna keep playing the same moves over and over. I wanna try a whole bunch of different moves."
Sunburst smiled, liking that way of thinking. "Alright, let's Duel again. Maybe this time you'll figure out a new strategy." Starlight nodded and started gathering their cards.
Present...
'Starlight hated doing the same thing again and again. Every time we played, she'd try and come up with a new strategy even if she had the cards needed to pull one she'd already done off. But this Starlight...she's got no imagination. And that's why I'll win.' "I draw and activate the Spell card Eruption Reload! Now, by banishing Sunburst Ravager from my graveyard, I can draw six cards!" He did so, as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out and hit the ground, revealing his monsters. "Burn Blader!" (A1800/D100/L4)
"And Sunburst Apprentice!" (A1500/D1300/L4) "Then I'll use Red Sun Magician's Pendulum Ability, to increase Apprentice's Level to seven." The Pendulum Monster launched a trio of fireballs, which struck Apprentice in the back. (A1500/D1200/L7) "Which means I can now use him as a cost to activate Sunburst Altar!" The table, candles and basin appeared on the field before him. Apprentice then burst into seven fireballs, which moved over and lit seven of the candles around the altar. "Mystical fire, that burns like the sun, give life to the wizard whose intellect cannot be extinguished!" The fire on the candles shot up before flying into the basin, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The basin exploded, the fire shooting up and took form before fading. "Sunburst Magician!" (A2300/D2200/L7)
Inside Starlight's mind, the captured girl's eyes opened before she looked out at the screen that was her body's vision.
She saw Sunburst and his monster, the two standing up against the avatar created by the monster invading her body. "Sunburst," she whispered whilst praying he'd be able to beat her. Be able to save her.
"Sunburst Magician's skill!" Sunburst announced before drawing five cards.
Starlight: 3100 Sunburst: 2900
"I summon UFO Turtle!" The mechanised turtle suddenly appeared before landing next to Sunburst Magician. (A1400/D1200/L4) "Then I'll use Sunburst Apprentice's ability to revive him back to the field!" Another fireball signalled the wizard's reappearance.
Starlight sighed, "you really think that's gonna help you. Get real. None of your monsters will be able to dent Leo."
"We'll see how much they dent your monster when I activate this card," Sunburst placed a card into his Duel Disk. "Go, Rebirth Ritual!" A pillar of fire erupted out of the ground and engulfed Sunburst Magician. "With this, Sunburst Magician can evolve to the next stage of his existence!" The pillar grew in size until it eventually exploded and unleashed a powerful light. "RITUAL EVOLUTION!"
The light began to fade, reveal Sunburst's monster. "Sunburst...ARCHMAGE!" (A3000/D2500/L8)
Over in their box, Flash and Spike both raised an eyebrow.
"Why'd he pick that card?" Spike asked. "If he summoned his Knight and evolved it into Paladin, the number of Fire monsters on his field and in his grave would have given him enough power to beat Leo."
"I don't know," Flash told him. "Sunburst must be up to something. But what it is I can't say." He just hoped it was something that could help him. "Come on Sunburst."
"Since Archmage was summoned using Rebirth Ritual, his ATK power increased by one thousand for this turn!" (A4000/D2500/L8) "Then I'll use Apprentice's skill!" Sunburst announced as the young wizard turned to his older form and fired a fireball at him, increasing Archmage's power. (A4500/D2500/L8) "Then I'll use Archmage's skill, to sacrifice Apprentice!" The evolved Ritual monster pointed his staff at his younger self before the magician exploded into fire, which wrapped around the head of the staff. "With this, I can burn away the ATK and DEF of your monster equal to Apprentice's."
Starlight growled as she watched Archmage toss the fire at her Celestial Spirit, who quickly found himself trapped in a cage of flames. Leo flinched as the flames burned away his ATK points. (A3600/D800/L7) She began running off in search of an Action Card, looking all around for it.
"And whenever a Fire monster leaves the field, Archmage's ATK points go up by half that monster's ATK until the End Phase!" Archmage's armour began to glow, increasing its power. (A5250/D2500/L8)
Celestia: Incredible. Not only has Sunburst decreased Starlight's monster, but he's also increased the power of his own.
Luna: Those ATK points coupled with the other cards on his field might just be enough to win this whole thing.
"Here we go!" Sunburst cried as Archmage leapt into the air, its staff head igniting before it unleashed a stream of fire in Leo's direction.
As it came closer, Starlight spotted an Action Card on the wing of a Utopia statue and grabbed it. But when she turned it over, she growled seeing it wasn't the card she'd hoped for. "It'll do," she played it. "I activate the Action Card Power Charger. Now a monster on my field gains five hundred ATK points." Leo glowed as the fire drew closer, his ATK points raising. (A4100/D800/L7) Seconds later he was struck by the fire, which burnt him to a crisp and singed Starlight. "Gyah!" She cried as she was sent flying backwards.
Starlight: 1950 Sunburst: 2900
"Now," Burn Blader began to rush forward, "I'll take out your Aries!"
As the flaming suit of armour drew closer, Starlight picked herself up. And as she did, she looked up and saw she was next to a statue of Gaia the Fierce Knight. And in the mouth of its horse was an Action Card, which she quickly grabbed. "I activate the Action Spell Ceasefire! Now by changing my Aries to DEF mode, I can change a monster on your field that has the same or less ATK as her into DEF mode." Both Aries and UFO Turtle changed positions, right as Burn Blader struck the Celestial Spirit and destroyed her.
"Well since Blade Burner destroyed a monster, he now deals you four hundred points of damage." The suit of armour pointed its sword at Starlight and unleashed a blast of fire, which struck her in the chest and made her cry out.
Starlight: 1550 Sunburst: 2900
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Archmage's ATK points returned to normal. (A3000/D2500/L8)
Celestia: Sunburst tried but even with his evolved Ritual monster, he just couldn't break through Starlight's defences.
"I draw and play the Spell Starlight Energy. Since I have less cards in my hand then you, I can draw one card for every two Celestial Spirits in my graveyard." She drew five cards. "Then I play Graceful Charity, to draw three cards and ditch two." She did so, smiling as the cards entered the graveyard.
Sunburst frowned when he saw that, knowing they must be the last to Celestial Spirits she was looking to get. But he was in for a surprise by her next move, "I summon Celestial Spirit Pieces!" The constellation appeared before exploding to reveal the two fish.
"Why?" Sunburst asked. Why would she keep it on the field and waste not summoning her dragon.
"You think you've got me all figured out," Starlight told him. "But you don't know me." She activated a card from her hand, "and you don't know my play style. I activate Paralysing Light!" Pieces exploded into a brilliant flash of light, which flew over to Sunburst Archmage and struck him. The great mage flinched as lightning sparked around Him.
"Archmage!" Sunburst cried before turning to glare at Starlight, "what did you do to him?"
"Paralysed him," Starlight explained. "Until the end of your next turn, your monster can't attack or activate its abilities. It's useless." Sunburst frowned hearing this, not liking it. "Of course, I intend to destroy your monster before your next turn. But this is just some...added insurance. Besides, it also gave me exactly what I needed" With that, the girl held up a card from her hand. "It's over Sunburst," she said as the card began to glow. "You didn't have a chance of beating me. And now I'll prove it!"
All over the field, everyone grew tense as they knew what was coming.
"By banishing twelve different Celestial Spirit monsters from my graveyard, I can summon the ultimate Celestial Spirit!" The card fired a single beam of light into the sky, the light splitting into nine spheres before flying into formation and creating a new constellation. "Beast of the cosmos, with fury greater than a supernova, descend from the heavens and bath this world in your mighty light!"
Sunburst watched as each of the stars exploded, unleashing a light that flowed into one entity. Then when the light faded, the orb carrying dragon was seen as it slithered down towards the field until it landed behind Starlight. "Celestial Spirit. Draco...STARLIGHT!" (A4000/D4000/L12) The beast roared in Sunburst's face, the force pushing him and his monsters backwards.
Sunburst's friends began to worry. Sunburst might have Spirit Barrier, but with Draco Starlight's ability, he was in serious trouble. "Come on man," Rainbow said. "You gotta get rid of that thing."
"But how?" Fluttershy asked. "Even if he survives this turn, with Archmage paralysed it'll be almost impossible to stop it."
Cold nodded. "It'll be tricky, but he can pull it off. We've all seen how far he's come since the start of this tournament. Every challenge he's faced has lead him to this point." They watched Sunburst began to run through the field.
"Don't think you can escape me!" Starlight leapt up onto her dragon as it flew up into the air.
Sunburst looked around for an Action Card. He had his face down, but knew it wouldn't be of any use to him. Not with Draco Starlight's ability. His only hope was to find an Action Card.
"Draco Starlight!" He heard Starlight call out, "destroy Sunburst Archmage!" He glanced back and saw the dragon open its mouth, as light began to build within it. It was then he looked back and spotted an Action Card on the head of a Stardust Dragon.
"Archmage!" The evolved Ritual Monster jumped infront of him before holding his staff in both hands. Sunburst picked up as much speed as he could before leaping at his monster, both feet landing on the staff before Archmage thrust it up to propel him into the air.
"FIRE!" Starlight cried before Sunburst unleashed the laser at Archmage, right as Sunburst reached the head. He just managed to snag the card between his fingers as he flew passed the head, right as the momentum gave out and he fell back.
"I activate the Action Card Team Spirit!" In that moment, UFO Turtle jumped infront of Archmage as Sunburst landed on Stardust's head. "With this card, I can choose the target of your attack. And I pick UFO." In that moment, the laser struck UFO and made it burst into flames. "And with that, UFO Turtle's ability activates!" The flames of his destroyed monster took shape before fading to reveal Sunburst Guardian, who raised his shield in preparation of battle. (A1400/D1800/L4)
Starlight growled. This was exactly why she'd played Paralysing Light. "This isn't over. Don't forget, Draco Starlight now deals you one hundred points of damage for every banished Celestial Spirit I have." The dragon raised its orb before unleashing a burst of light, which struck Sunburst and made him cry out as he was blasted off the statue.
Starlight: 1550 Sunburst: 1700
"SUNBURST!" Everyone cried as they saw him slam into the ground. Starlight meanwhile, simply smiled.
"I end my turn by activating this Spell Card. Wave-Motion Cannon!" This card put everyone on edge. "With each of my Standby Phases, Wave-Motion Cannon charges up. And with each charge, it gains the power to blast away a thousand of your Life Points. You know what this means, don't you?"
Sunburst groaned as he sat himself up. "That by your next turn, it and Draco Starlight will be able to take out all my Life Points."
"Exactly," Starlight explained. "I told you, you couldn't defeat me."
"Maybe," Sunburst pushed himself back to his feet, "but I won't stop trying." The two of them locked eyes, Starlight seeing a fire of determination in his. "I won't stop until she's back." His fists clenched as he placed one over his heart. "When I flunked out of Duel Academy, I was so overwhelmed by my own self-loathing that I didn't see how it affected those around me. My parents...and her," he continued to glare at her while remembering what Twilight told him. "I ignored her and because of that and it allowed you to steal her body. That's why...I have to be the one to save her."
At the sound of those words, a burst of pain shot through Starlight's head, making her flinch as she clutched it. He growled through the pain, shooting a glare at Sunburst. "You're not saving anyone. I won't let you beat me. This body...is mine."
"No," Sunburst reached for his deck, "it isn't. I won't let you have it any longer. I am gonna beat you!"
"How? Your best card is frozen and no other card in your deck can save you now."
There was one card. But could Sunburst draw it?
He felt doubt begin to fill his heart, making his hand move away from the deck, but before he was overcome he suddenly remembered something Flash once told him.
"Your deck heard the cry of your heart and responded, giving you what you needed to pull off a win."
"My deck responds to my heart," Sunburst repeated while looking at the cards on his field. More memories echoed through his mind.
"These cards are more than just paper and ink, they're a gateway that links our world with another and can transmit our feelings to the monsters on them. Blaze Wizard didn't just happen to be on the top of your deck. You reached out and asked for help, which he heard and responded to."
Sunburst looked up at his cards and saw them look back at him. They each smiled, which he mirrored, as something new happened.
The ghostly image of Sunburst Magician appeared, followed by Sunburst Knight, Ravager, Ranger and the rest of the monsters in Sunburst's deck. They all circled around him, showing he wasn't alone. He'd never been alone.
His smile increased as he looked at them all. "Thank you. All of you, for helping me grow into the Duellist I am today." They all nodded before disappearing, Sunburst's doubt disappearing along with them. "With you all by my side," he placed his hand back on his deck. "I know...NOTHING'S IMPOSSIBLE!" With that, he drew his card and held it up.
In that moment, a tornado of fire exploded out of the ground and engulfed Archmage and Sunburst's other two monsters. "Now, by tributing Sunburst Archmage, along with two other Fire monsters, I can give birth to his ultimate form." He slapped his card on the Duel Disk, as the flaming spiral exploded to reveal Sunburst's new monster.
At first, everyone thought they were looking at the Dark Sage. And while it was true that this figure looked very similar, even floating in the air while sitting in the lotus position, his clothes were coloured red like Archmage's and his hair and beard were red. His staff was similar to Dark Sage's, only it was made out of obsidian and had the image of Sunburst's emblem floating in the top orb. Sunburst smirked as the monster flew down next to him, ready to do battle against this wicked foe. "Behold, the Great Sage of Sunburst!" (A3500/D3000/L10/P1)
Starlight's eyes were wide at the sight of this monster. But even though it was powerful, it still wasn't strong enough to destroy her dragon.
Sunburst closed his eyes as he let all the memories of his time with Starlight flow through his mind, followed by the memories of all that had happened to him after meeting Flash and Spike. "Memories are the building blocks of the soul. Good or bad, they make us who were are. Denying them keeps us from growing, but accepting them makes us wiser then it was ever thought possible." His eyes shot open, "Great Sage's skill!" His monster raised his staff, the orb glowing bright. "Select one Sunburst monster in my graveyard and summon it to the field." They watched as a fireball shot out of the orb and exploded, revealing Sunburst Archmage. (A3000/D2500/L8)
Starlight suddenly grew a little worried. That card could be trouble.
"A monster summoned by Great Sage can't attack or use its abilities. And it's destroyed during at the end of my turn." Sunburst then smiled, "but Great Sage gains that monsters abilities for this turn."
"What?" Starlight asked, realising what that meant.
In their room, both Flash and Spike smiled. "So that's why he summoned his Magician?" Spike realised.
Flash nodded. "He was planning this from the start," even though he didn't have the card until that every moment. 'Sunburst. You've really come a long way since we met. Back then, you didn't have any confidence in yourself or your deck. But now, here you are. In one of the biggest Duelling tournaments in the country. You should be proud of how much you've grown. "Now finish this!"
Sunburst smiled hearing that, intending to do just that. "I'm gonna win and set Starlight free."
"Don't be ridicules," Starlight told him before another pulse of pain made her hold her head again.
Sunburst frowned, remembering Twilight telling him the same thing. Could she be fighting back. "Starlight," he stepped towards her, "you can do it. She doesn't control you. FIGHT!"
"Be quiet," she growled.
"No," Sunburst told her, "I won't. Because I wanna see my friend. The real Starlight. I wanna talk to her.
"I won't," she cried whilst holding her head in both hands.
"You will. RELEASE HER!"
"NEVER!" Starlight's eyes shot open as a light exploded out of them, Sunburst suddenly finding himself almost blind when they locked eyes.
He gasped and closed her eyes, only to suddenly feel the earth beneath him disappear. He then opened his eyes and found he was floating in a black void, just like what Twilight had told him. And that meant...
He looked around and then he spotted her, "STARLIGHT!" He floated over to her, seeing she was chained up.
"Sunburst," she moaned before opening her eyes. For the first time in several years, the old friends were looking eye to eye. Sunburst smiled at her, while tears leaked out of her eyes. "I...I'd always hoped I'd see you again."
"Me too," he grabbed the chains and began to pull. "Hold on! I'm getting you out!" And to their surprise, the chains actually seemed to loosen, with cracks appearing on several of the links.
"NO!" A booming voice cried out, "I won't allow it!" Sunburst turned towards the voice, seeing a yellow light.
"So," Sunburst said, "this is the monster controlling you."
"Yes," Starlight replied before crying out in pain as the chains tightened
But before Sunburst could try and help her, the light spoke up. "You...are not welcome here!" With that, the light unleashed a wave of bright light alongside what felt like a powerful gust of wind.
Sunburst cried out as he was almost blinded, managing to hold onto the chain as the wind pushed him back. But his grip was slipping. "Sunburst," he cracked his eyes open and turned to Starlight, "let go."
"No."
"You can't save me here," she told him. "You have to beat the avatar. It's the only way." She tried to bring her head as close to him as she could, "I believe in you." In that moment, the chain he held broke and he was sent flying backwards.
"STARLIGHT!"
"Gyah!" He cried as he suddenly opened his eyes and found himself back on the Duel Field, then heard a cry of pain and turned to see Starlight.
She was clutching her head and in so much pain she lost balance and fell of her dragon. "AUGH!" She cried whilst hitting the ground.
Sunburst knew the conflict between the two must be agony. And there was only one way to stop it. "I activate the effect inherited from Sunburst Archmage!" Great Sage pointed his staff at his younger self before the magician exploded into fire, which wrapped around the head of the staff. "With this, I can burn away the ATK and DEF of your monster equal to Archmage's!" Everybody watched as Great Sage tossed the fireball towards Draco Starlight, the flames exploding to trap the beast in a cage of fire.
The dragon roared as its ATK and DEF points were burnt away. (A1000/D1500/L12)
"And don't forget the other ability Great Sage got," Sunburst told her. "Since a Fire monster left the field, Great Sage now gains half its ATK points!" A flaming aura surrounded Great Sage, as its power increased to its maximum amount. (A5000//D3000/L10/P1)
"No," The Dominator cried as she picked herself up. She then spotted an Action Card on the blade of a Celtic Guardian, which she tried to rush too. The keyword being tried, as when she was back on her feet, her entire body froze. "Wh...what's happening?"
"I'm taking control."
"Starlight," she growled at the voice in her head.
"I won't be your puppet anymore!"
"No." She tried to regain control, but couldn't. All she could do was watch as Great Sage raised its staff and pointed it at her monster.
"Let's go!" Sunburst announced, "Great Sage of Sunburst...ATTACK!" The ancient wizard pointed his staff at Draco Starlight before and massive explosion of fire shot out of it.
Starlight continued to try an move, but was unable to regain control. "No," she said as the fire struck her monster and incinerated it before heading her way, "NOOOOO!" Everyone watched as the fire engulfed her, sending her flying back as the last of her Life Points were wiped out.
Starlight: 0 Sunburst: 1700 (Winner)
Celestia: HE'S DONE IT! Sunburst has defeated Starlight and will move on to face team Dominator's final member.
Luna: Team V-Fighters is only one win away from total victory.
Sunburst looked over at Starlight as she began to pick herself up, "please be her." But when she turned back to him, her eyes were still hard and angry. "No."
"Ahhh!" She cried while clutching her hand, then pushed herself back to her feet and started running towards her team's box.
"Starlight!" He wanted to run after her, but upon seeing Tempest exit the box he remembered he still had a Duel to finish.
Up in the VIP box, they watched as Starlight shot passed Tempest and into the team box before disappearing down the corridor.
"Hopefully, to talk to the real Starlight." With that, she rushed out of the room. Cold soon followed, with Misty, and Cadance behind him.
In the corridor, Starlight panted while leaning against a wall.
Then went to her gloved hand and pulled it off, revealing the light symbol on her hand that was almost completely faded. "No," she whispered before clutching her head in pain, "AAAHHH!"
Inside her mind, Starlight was pulling at the chains. Said chains began to crack, the links growing close to breaking one by one. "Let...me go!" She groaned through the strain.
"Stop this!" The light cried, doing everything it could to keep the chains in place
"NO!" Starlight screamed. "This...is my body. You stole it and made me hurt so many people. Well...no...more." The chains began to break one by one, as she pulled herself away from the tablet.
"STOP!"
"You said Sunburst was not allowed here. Well, guess what...neither...are...YOU!" With that, the last chains shattered as she broke free. She then reached over to the string connecting the light to her body and grabbed it.
"DON'T!" But it was too late, Starlight pulled at it and it broke. She screamed in pain as the string retreated into the light. "What have you done."
Starlight smiled as she was slowly pulled towards her body, her ghostly form phasing into it and disappearing from sight. The body opened its eyes before gasping for air, feeling herself finally back in control after over a year of being a prisoner.
She then turned back to the light and glared at it, seeing it glow dimmer. "You'll regret this," she told her.
"I don't think so," Starlight told her. "You have no control over me anymore."
"Maybe," the light replied, "but we will see each other again." The light was almost completely gone, "mark my words." With that, the light vanished and Starlight was pulled out of her subconscious.
In the blink of an eye, she suddenly found herself back in the corridor.
But before she could do anything, she felt an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion overcome her. And the next thing she knew, she was falling towards the ground and blacked out.
As she did, a card slipped out of her pocket and fell to the floor. As soon as it did, the card ignited and was burnt to a crisp. While that was happening, the mark on her hand completely faded.
Starlight...was free.
Meanwhile...
In an unknown location, some kind of corridor, there was a metal door. The room behind that metal door was completely black, with no source of light whatsoever.
Suddenly, the door opened and the room was bathed in light. Doing so revealed a single figure sitting on a bed in the corner, who looked up at the source of the light and spotted a pair of figures standing in the doorway.
"Trixie Lulamoon," one of them said. "You're needed."
Trixie shook in fear, wondering what they were gonna do to her. Ever since she'd agreed to go with Starlight, everything had been going downhill. And now, she had a feeling it was about to get worse.
'I'll admit his skills have improved,' Tempest thought as she continued to make her way through the Duel Field. Sunburst stood in the centre of it alongside Great Sage, looking a little distracted. 'The fact he was able to beat Starlight, shows he has the skills needed to be a candidate. But the question is, how far can he push those skills.' She came to a stop a few meters away from Sunburst, "That's only one way to find out."
Sunburst meanwhile, was staring behind Tempest towards the exit to the corridor Starlight had vanished down. "I have to find her."
Tempest raised an eyebrow at this, "hey!" He turned to her, "you should be focusing on me." She placed her Duel Disk on her arm and activated it. "If you don't, you'll find yourself in serious trouble."
Sunburst frowned before holding up his Duel Disk. "I'm not scared of you."
Celestia: After an impressive victory against Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst is now one win away from earning his team the victory they need.
Luna: But that victory won't come easy. Team Dominator's Tempest Shadow is undefeated in this tournament. Winning against her won't be easy.
The two Duellists faced each other down, as Flash and Spike called out from their team box. "You've got this Sunburst!" Spike told him.
"You've got Great Sage on the field. That card'll be a big help against whatever she throws at you."
Sunburst nodded, knowing they were right. One win, that's all he needed to earn his team the championship title. Plus, it was all he needed to go after Starlight. "I'll end this before she gets a chance to pull off anything big."
Tempest smiled, "we'll see about that."
Celestia: Are Duellists are ready to kick this Duel off. Say it with me. In THREE!
Luna: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Tempest: 4000 Sunburst: 1700
"Let's see," Tempest drew her card and looked through them. "I'll start by summoning Storm Guard Dominator Spear!" A bolt of lightning shot down and revealed the spear-wielding ape. "I then activate the Spell card Lightning Burst." Since I have a Storm Guard Monster on my field, all face-up Spell and Traps are destroyed." Spear Dominator raised his weapon before several bursts of blue lightning shot out and struck Sunburst's Pendulum Monsters and Spirit Barrier, destroying them all.
"Not good," Sunburst gulped.
"Next, I discard one card from my hand to activate the Spell card Tribute to the Doomed!" Sunburst's eyes went wide as he watched bandages appear around Great Sage of Sunburst, then exploded.
Sunburst grunted at this, but he wouldn't let this stop him. "Since Great Sage was destroyed by a card effect, his ability lets me place him into one of my empty Pendulum Scales." The ancient magician appeared in the pillar to his right.
Tempest smirked, "very well. But it doesn't matter. With your Sage gone, nothing's protecting you from a direct attack by my Spear Dominator!" The giant ape raised its staff before tossing it towards Sunburst, who just smiled.
"Nothing except my Draining Shield Trap card!" Said shield appeared in his hands before he held it up, the spear bouncing off the force field it created whilst his Life Points increased.
Tempest: 4000 Sunburst: 3500
Celestia: And just like that, Sunburst has increased his Life Points to almost match Tempests.
Luna: And with his Great Sage off the field, it's almost like their stating this Duel fresh.
Tempest frowned, "I place one card face down and end my turn." As she did this, she simply stared at him. She had to admit, the boy had grown a lot since the start of the tournament. A lot of the finalists had. But that wasn't going to stop her from fulfilling her plans. She would bring this constant state of death and destruction to an end.
Twilight, Misty, Cold and Cadance rushed down the hallway leading up to team Dominator's box.
They knew they were missing an important Duel right now, but this was just as important. Hopefully, what they were suspecting had come true and they would finally be able to get some real answers to this whole situation.
And then, they saw it.
"Over there!" Twilight cried as a girl came into view, lying face down on the ground. Twilight picked up the pace and slid down beside Starlight, turning her around and holding her in her arms. "Starlight! Are you in there? Say something?"
They all watched as Starlight's eyes began to flutter open, as she let out a moan. "Twi...light?"
Twilight smiled, seeing the same look she had seen on the Starlight she'd met when she'd gotten into her mind. This was the real Starlight. She was finally free. "You okay?"
"I think so," Starlight sat up whilst holding her head. She then noticed the back of her hand and stared at it, unable to believe the image that had been on it was finally gone. "I'm free." Tears began to form in her eyes, as she broke out sobbing in relief.
The girls all smiled at her, Cadance kneeling down to hold her in comfort.
The only one not smile was Cold, who knelt down to look her in the eye. "I know you've been through a lot and I promise to help you in any way I can. But right now, I need your help. Can you tell us anything that might help us learn what Tempest and the rest of the Dominators are up too."
Starlight frowned, trying to think back. But most of her memories from the last year were really fuzzy. "I'm sorry, I don't. I...I can't really remember much of what happened to me after I was Dominated."
Cold frowned, whilst Misty nodded. "Makes sense. The avatar controlling her was the one that was making the memories. They're probably in her mind somewhere, but it'll take time for them to properly synchronise with the rest of her memories."
"I understand," Cold stood back up. "I'll call a medical team to come get you. I'm sure you're tired after everything you've been through."
"No," Starlight tried to pick herself up. However, her legs quickly gave out and she almost fell to the floor until Twilight and Cadance caught her. "I have to see him. He's Duelling Tempest right now and one of the few things I do remember is she's not gonna be easy to beat. I want to show him I'm okay, that he saved me. I know that'll help him stay strong."
Cold nodded before they headed back down the Duel Field, Twilight and Cadance helping the still weak Starlight as she limped down.
"Sunburst," she whispered, "stay strong."
"It's my turn," Sunburst reached for his deck, "I draw." He saw what he'd gotten and smiled, "I set Pink Sun Magician into the Pendulum Scale!" The female sun magician flew up besides Great Sage. "Burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above his head, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of fireballs flew out and struck the ground, exploding to reveal his monsters. "Red Sun Magician!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P2)
"Green Sun Magician!" (A1400/D1300/L4/P6)
"And Ashes Magician!" (A1400/D1400/L4) "Then I'll activate the Pendulum Ability of Pink Sun Magician!" A card slotted out of his deck before he moved it to his graveyard. As that happened, the Sunburst Gate appeared before him. "I sacrifice Red Sun Magician and Ashes Magician!" The two wizards exploded before the fireballs entered the holes surrounding the door, whilst Sunburst closed his eyes and began to chant "Honourable inferno, that burns like the sun, give life to the archer whose quickfire aim is always true!" The door opened before unleashing a burst of flame, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
the flames faded, revealing Sunburst's monster. "Sunburst Ranger!" (A2300/D1500/L6)
"I activate my Trap!" Tempest's face down flipped up, "Burst Lightning! Since I have a Storm Guard monster on my field, this card equips to your monster and prevents it from attacking while also zapping away five hundred ATK points." Lightning surged out of the Trap before hitting Ranger, making him flinch as he was electrocuted. His ATK power began to lessen. (A1800/D1500/L6)
Celestia: Yikes. Even if Ranger could attack, it would only end up destroying itself along with Spear Dominator.
Luna: But I think Tempest my have blundered here sister. Don't forget about Ranger's special ability.
Sunburst smirked as she mentioned that, "skill activate!" Green Sun Magician burst into flames and flew into the monster's bow, which Ranger pulled back while aiming for Tempest's Trap. He fired, the flaming arrow shooting out of the bow and hitting the Trap.
Tempest could only watch as her card was incinerated, Ranger's ATK points returning to their normal value. (A2300/D1500/L6) She then smirked.
Celestia: I don't think Tempest forgot about the ability sister. Looks like she was using her Trap to make Sunburst use it up.
"There's more," Sunburst then exclaim. "Ranger's ATK power now increases by an extra three hundred points." (A2600/D1500/L6) "And it doesn't end there," Sunburst pointed at his Great Sage. "During the Battle Phase, all Sunburst Ritual monsters gain five hundred ATK points. (A3100/D1500/L6)
Tempest began to run through the field in search of an Action Card. As she did, she heard Sunburst cry out. "Attack!" Ranger pulled back on his bow, aiming it at Spear Dominator.
But in that moment, Tempest spotted an Action Card in the rib-bone of a Summon Skull. She grabbed it, sighing when she saw that it was. "I activate the Action Spell Power Charger!" Her monster began to glow, as Ranger fired his flaming arrow. (A2300/D800/L4) The arrow struck her monster, incinerating it. "Gyah!"
Tempest: 3200 Sunburst: 3500
Tempest then smirked. "With my monster's destruction, you've activated the effect of my Burst Lightning Trap!"
Sunburst raised an eyebrow at this, "but it's in the graveyard?"
"Which is exactly where it needs to be for this effect to work. Now, by banishing it, I can draw cards equal to my destroyed monster's Level." She drew four cards.
"I place two cards face down and end my turn." As that happened, Sunburst's Ritual Monster lost its extra ATK points. (A2300/D1500/L6)
Luna: A strong move by Sunburst. And with Red and Green Sun Magician ready to be Pendulum Summoned back next turn, Tempest will be in trouble if she doesn't get rid of Ranger.
"My turn," Tempest drew her cards. "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Spine-Hog Dominator and scale eight Tempest Unicorn Dominator!" The two monsters flew up into the light pillars before the portal began to form, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground, revealing her monsters. "Tempest Rogue Dominator, Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"And Storm Guard Dominator Glaive!" (A1900/D1200/L4/P3) "Since two Dominator monsters were Special Summoned, I can now draw a card for each of them." She did so, "then I'll use Scarvolt's special ability!" Scarvolt reached into her cloak before pulling out a single Obsidian Orb and tossing it towards Ranger, the sphere shattering against him and unleashing the green mist.
"No!" Sunburst cried as he watched his monster be consumed, the mist then fading to reveal the black statue.
Luna: Tempest really isn't pulling any punches. How will Sunburst respond to this?
"Next," Tempest went on, "I activate the Spell card Dominator Lightning!" Electrical energy shot out of the Sunburst Ranger statue and flew over to Glaive, surging around his weapon as his ATK power increased by five hundred points. (A2400/D1200/L4/P3)
"This is bad." Sunburst thought back to Flash and Rainbow's Duels against Tempest. He knew that with only one Dominated monster on the field, Scarvolt couldn't unleash its full power against him. But with Glaive now able to destroy Ranger.
"Glaive, attack!" The giant ape rushed forwards, Tempest Unicorn's Pendulum Ability increasing its ATK points by two hundred. (A2600/D1200/L4/P3) Glaive slammed its weapon into the statue, shattering it.
Tempest: 3200 Sunburst: 3200
"I activate my Trap!" Sunburst's face down flipped up, "Light the Beacons! Since a Fire monster was destroyed, I can summon a Level four or below Fire monster from my hand or deck." A card slotted out before he took it and slapped it onto the field. "Go, Sunburst Guardian!" A fireball appeared on the field before exploding to reveal his shield carrying monster. (A1400/D1800/L4)
Tempest frowned, "Scarvolt!" The Tempest Rogue rushed forwards before slashing at Guardian, the Sunburst monster not being destroyed due to her ability, the lightning that made up the blade of her sword shooting off and hitting Sunburst.
"Augh!" He cried as he was zapped.
Tempest: 3200 Sunburst: 2650
"I end my turn." Glaive's ATK points returned to normal. (A1900/D1200/L4/P3) Tempest turned to Sunburst and watched as he tried to recover from the attack.
Everyone else watched as Sunburst swayed. "Come on Sunburst!" Flash cried out, "you got this."
"Keep it together!" Spike yelled. "Just remember, you trained for this. Think back to all those hours of hard training!"
"I know," Sunburst panted. He reached for his deck, "I'm not giving up yet. I draw!" The portal began to form above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three fireballs shot out and struck the ground, revealing his monsters. "Red Sun Magician!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P2)
"Green Sun Magician!" (A1400/D1300/L4/P6)
"And Sunburst Familiar!" (A1200/D1000/L3) "Next, I'll banish Ashes Magician to activate his ability!" He pulled two cards out of his graveyard, placing one in his pocket whilst the other he added to his hand. It didn't stay in his hand long, however, as he quickly activated the card. "Now I once again activate the Ritual Spell, Sunburst Gate!" The stone archway once again appeared behind his monsters before Green Sun and Sunburst Familiar exploded into seven fireballs, which flew into the indents as Sunburst began to chant. "Courageous flames, that burns like the sun, give life to the warrior whose fiery heart cannot be extinguished!" The doors of the gate flew open and unleashed a giant fireball, "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
The flames faded, revealing his monster. "Sunburst Knight!" (A2600/D1900/L7) "Next, I activate my face down." The card flipped up to reveal a Trap. "DNA Transplant! This card turns all monsters on the field into the Attribute I chose, which is Fire. So now your Dominators become Fire monsters!" Scarvolt and Glaive were both covered in a fiery aura, which was then sucked into Sunburst Knight's sword. "Now, for every other Fire monster on the field, Sunburst Knight will gain five hundred ATK points. (A4600/D1900/L7)
Luna: If you take in Great Sage's ability, Sunburst Knight will have enough attack points to end this Duel.
Sunburst smirked hearing this, while Tempest and her monsters began to run through the field. "Now to end this," he pointed at Tempest's monster. "Attack Storm Guard Dominator Glaive!" Sunburst Knight rushed forwards, his ATK points going up thanks to Great Sage. (A5100/D1900/L7)
As they began to get closer, Tempest spotted a statue of V-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon. Pinched in each of its claws was an Action Card, one likely being a Spell whilst the others was a Trap.
As Sunburst Knight drew closer, she grabbed the card closest to her and turned it over. But upon seeing it was a Trap, she frowned.
Celestia: That card forces her to discard three cards.
Luna: Too bad.
Tempest did so whilst rushing towards the other claw, reaching for it as Sunburst Knight got into striking range. As he swung forwards, Tempest's fingers gripped the card. "I activate the Action Spell Team Spirit!" Scarvolt shoved Glaive out of the way, as the sword struck her and she was burnt into destruction. The flames flew passed her remains and struck Tempest. "AAARRRHHH!" She flew backwards.
Tempest: 600 Sunburst: 2650
Celestia: Oh! That had to hurt.
Luna: Could have been worse. At least she's still got life points.
Sunburst switched Guardian and Red Sun to DEF mode, "I end my turn by activating the Equip Spell Battle Ready. This card can only be equipped to a monster with an ability that activates during the Battle Phase. Now that effect is always active." With one less monster on the field and the end of his Battle Phase, Sunburst Knight's ATK points dropped by a thousand (A4100/D1900/L7) All in all, his monster was still stronger than anything Tempest had. Hopefully, it would be enough to get him through to the next turn.
Tempest moaned as she picked herself up, glaring over at Sunburst as she pushed herself back to her feet. "I'm...gonna make you...pay for that." She reached for her deck, "I DRAW!" The portal began to form above her, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out, revealing her monsters. "Tempest Rogue Dominator, Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"And Storm Guard Dominator Ryyk!" (A2000/D1500/L5/P9) "Scarvolt and Ryyk's skill! Since they were special summoned, I can Dominate two monsters on your field with less ATK then Scarvolt while also being able to add a Spell from my graveyard to my hand." She pulled out a card whilst Scarvolt tossed a pair of Obsidian Orbs at Sunburst Guardian and Red Sun Magician, turning them to stone.
Sunburst frowned, "well don't forget that your monsters both become Fire monsters. And that means my Knight gains a thousand points off of them. (A5100/D1900/L7)
Tempest smiled, as she placed a hand over her deck. She could feel the dark energy of the card she was about to draw. "Well with Spine-Hog, I now draw two cards!" She did so, smiling when she saw it. "First, I activate the effect of the Storm Guard Dominator Chain-Claw in my graveyard. Now I can summon a high-Level Dominator monster without tribute. Welcome to the field, Storm Guard Dominator Flail!" A bolt of lightning revealed the flail wielding ape. "Then, I equip Scarvolt with the Staff of Sacanas!" Said staff appeared in Scarvolt's hand, the Tempest Rogue spinning it around as her power increased. (A3000/D2000/L7/P4)
Sunburst began to quiver, even if his monster's ATK points increased. (A5600/D1900/L7) This was gonna be really bad.
"Now," Tempest took a card that slotted out of her deck, "to summon my ultimate monster." Scarvolt lifted the staff into the air, right before it unleashed twin bolts of lightning, that hit Glaive and Ryyk. They both silently screamed in pain as they were destroyed, their essences being sucked into the staff. Seconds later, the staff flew out of her hands and suddenly unleashed a power spiralling gust of electrified wind that surrounded Scarvolt.
The wind was so powerful that it rocked the entire stadium, sending the statues flying all over the place.
"WOW!" Flash and Spike both cried as a Baby Dragon hit the window of their box, cracking it. "This is insane!" Spike cried.
"Sunburst!" Flash yelled out to his teammate.
Sunburst crouched down as best he could, his monsters rushing around him to shield him from the winds. As this happened, Tempest cried out. "By sacrificing Scarvolt whilst she's equipped with the Staff of Sacanas, along with two Dominator monsters, I can give life to the ultimate Dominator!" Everyone in the stadium watched as the lightning in the tornado shot into the eye below the staff, beginning to take humanoid form.
The staff then began to descend, as the figure raised one of its arms and grasped the relic. As soon as it did, the lightning was sucked into the staff and revealed the monster's form. "Behold...the ultimate Dominator monster. STORM KING DOMINATOR!" (A4000/D4000/L12)
Sunburst flinched at seeing the monster, whilst also seeing his own monster lose a thousand ATK points. (A4600/D1900/L7) His might have had more ATK points, but he knew that could quickly change.
"I activate the Spell card, Dominator Lightning!" Electrical energy shot out of the two statues and flew over to Storm King, surging into his staff as his ATK power increased by one thousand points. (A5000/D4000/L12) "Now, Flail Dominator will attack your Sunburst Guardian!" The ape rushed forwards while swinging its weapon around, then swung it at the shield carrying statue and shattering it. "And when Flail Dominator destroys a monster, I can destroy one Dominated monster on your field." The ape turned to Red Sun and swung his weapon at the statue, shattering it as well.
Celestia: And with that, Sunburst in down to only one monster.
Luna: What's worse, with two less Fire monsters on the field, Sunburst Knight loses a thousand ATK points.
Sunburst groaned as he turned to see his Ritual Monster's ATK power go down. (A3600/D1900/L7)
"Now," Tempest pointed at Sunburst Knight, "ATTACK!" The Dominator raised his staff, as lightning sparked out the end of it.
Meanwhile, Sunburst looked around for any sign of an Action Card. But the statues and their cards had all been blown a fair distance away. All he could do was run, hoping to run into one. But in that moment, Storm King unleashed a burst of lightning towards Sunburst Knight.
The Ritual Monster held up its sword to try and cut the lightning, but the weapon soon cracked before shattering and Sunburst Knight was destroyed. The lightning then flew towards Sunburst and struck him in the back. "AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" He screamed as he was sent flying forwards.
Tempest: 600 Sunburst: 1250
"SUNBURST!" His friends all cried as they watched him hit the ground whilst smoking.
Sunburst moaned as he tried to pick himself up, looking up and seeing an Action Card that was laying on the ground infront of him. He grabbed it and saw it was a Team Spirit card, which was of no use to him right now.
"Trouble?" He glanced back and saw Tempest now standing on the head of a Blue-Eyes. She placed a card face down and ended her turn, Storm King's ATK points returned to normal. (A4000/D4000/L12) "Of course you are. Humans like you don't understand the true weight of a battle. This...game can never compare to what I've seen."
Sunburst moaned as he tried to pick himself up, only to feel himself stagger to his knees. 'Maybe she's right. I might have become a stronger Duellist, but does that really mean I'm strong?'
Tempest smiled seeing he appeared to be doubting himself. "Open up your eyes. you know you can't defeat me. Trying to keep going would just result in your loss being even more painful. Because against something like me, what can a pitiful human do?
"Don't listen to her!" He heard Flash call out from the box. "You're stronger then you know you are. Look at how far you've come and everything you've been through."
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "you think you'd have made it this far if you were as weak as she says? You're strong, smart and as stubborn as a mull."
'But is that gonna be enough to beat her?'
"SUNBURST!" The teen shot his head up and turned towards that voice, his eyes going wide seeing her.
"Starlight?" Starlight Glimmer was standing at the very front of the stands, Twilight, Cold, Cadance and Misty there with her. The smile on her face wasn't the sinister one she had worn in their Duel. It was the kind and loving one he hadn't seen since they were kids. "It's...really you."
Starlight broke out into tears at the sight of him, while holding up her now gloveless hand. "You did it Sunburst. You freed me." Hearing that made his heart skip a beat. He'd really done it. He'd saved her. "Don't listen to her. You're as strong as anyone else in this stadium, stronger even. If you weren't, do you really think you could have saved me?"
'No, I couldn't have.' That was right, he'd beaten one Dominator and now he was gonna beat another one. He turned back to Tempest, pushing himself back up onto his feet. "I'm...not out of this yet."
Tempest raised an eyebrow at this. "Really?"
"Yeah, really. I'm not the same loser who gave up on everything he loved when things got too hard. I'm the guy who keeps trying, no matter what. That's the person I became because of my friends, who I met because of this game. And no matter what...I won't let you do whatever it is you wanna do to end it!" He reached for his deck, "it's my turn...I DRAW!" He looked through his hand and saw nothing that could take down Storm King, especially since it couldn't be removed from the field by his card effects.
"By the look on your face, I'm guessing you don't have anything to help stop me." Sunburst's silence was all she needed to hear. "Thought so. Face it, what can you do? All of your Ritual Monsters are out of the game. And your best card is stuck up in the Pendulum Zone."
"Yeah, it...is." His eyes suddenly went wide as he looked up at his Great Sage, remembering a very important detail. "That's it!" He smiled before turning back to Tempest. "This fight isn't over." The portal began to form above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of fireballs flew out, revealing Sunburst's monsters. "Red Sun Magician!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P2)
"Green Sun Magician!" (A1400/D1300/L4/P6)
"And Blue Sun Magician!" (A2600/D1300/L6/P7)
"Those cards won't save you."
"But this next one will. I activate Great Sage's final Pendulum Ability!"
Tempest didn't like the sound of that, "what ability?"
Sunburst smirked as he held up his Duel Disk. "Let me show you." The disk glowed before a trio of lights shot out of it and flew into the air, exploding to reveal Sunburst Magician, Knight and Ranger. "By banishing three Sunburst Ritual Monsters from my graveyard, I can summon Great Sage to the field from the Pendulum Zone." Tempest's eyes went wide, as she watched the three Ritual Monsters burst into flames that wrapped around the pillar and formed a sphere around Great Sage. The sphere then flew out of the pillar before flying down and landing infront of Sunburst, the flames disappearing to reveal the Great Sage. (A3500/D3000/L10/P1)
Celestia: Amazing. Things looked bad for Sunburst, but it was actually a great opportunity for him.
Luna: I get the feeling I know what his next move is.
"Great Sage's skill!" His monster raised his staff, the orb glowing bright. "Select one Sunburst monster in my graveyard and summon it to the field." They watched as a fireball shot out of the orb and exploded, revealing Sunburst Archmage. (A3000/D2500/L8)
As this was happening, Tempest began to run through the ruined field. She leapt from one fallen statue to another in search of an Action Card. As she did, she heard Sunburst continue.
"This monster can't attack and is destroyed during the End Phase, but Great Sage now gains its ability. An ability...I'll use right now!" Great Sage pointed his staff at his younger self before the magician exploded into fire, which wrapped around the head of the staff. "With this, I can burn away the ATK and DEF of your monster equal to Archmage's!" Everybody watched as Great Sage tossed the fireball towards Storm King, the flames exploding to trap the beast in a cage of fire.
The satyr flinched as his points were burnt away. (A1000/D1500/L12)
Tempest growled as she stopped, spotting an Action Card laying beside a Gate Guardian Statue. She leapt down and grabbed the card, As Sunburst continued. "What's more, Great Sage gains half my tributed monster's ATK points. (A5000/D3000/L10/P1) "Now go! Great Sage of Sunburst...ATTACK!" The ancient wizard pointed his staff at Storm King before and massive explosion of fire shot out of it.
As the flames got closer to Storm King, the beast growled while Tempest glared at Sunburst. And as the two locked eyes, something happened.
A bright flash of light shot out of her eyes and flew towards Sunburst, with Flash and Spike also seeing it.
Together, the three all flinched and closed their eyes, as they suddenly felt the ground beneath them vanish. And when they opened their eyes, they suddenly found they were in a black void.
"What's this?" Spike asked as he looked around.
"It's just like with Starlight," Sunburst realised.
Flash nodded. "This is...Tempest's mind." And as he said that, he spotted something a ways off. A stone tablet, with a certain someone chained too it. "Tempest!" They flew towards her and Flash grabbed the chains, attempting to pull them off.
"That won't work," Sunburst told him. But as he looked the chains over, he saw they appeared very weak and some even had cracks on them. "These aren't as strong as the ones holding Starlight."
"What does that mean?" Spike asked.
"The...connection...is weak." The three looked up and saw Tempest's eyes crack open.
"Tempest," Flash whispered. "Hold on. We're gonna get you out of this." He smiled, "Scarvolt is waiting for you. Once you're free, she'll be waiting for you to summon her again." She saw Tempest smile at this, as Spike and Sunburst continued to pull at the chains.
"You have to...beat the avatar." She looked back them and they turned around, seeing another Tempest standing before them. This one appeared much more sinister, just like the one Sunburst was Duelling. "One Duel, that's all it'll take."
"That's right," Flash remembered what Sombra had told him. "It all depends on how compatible the Soulinked spirits are." He turned back to Tempest, "if you and Storm King are only barely compatible."
"Then one win's all it's gonna take," Spike realised.
"No problem," Sunburst said. "After all, I'm about to win!"
"I DON'T THINK SO!" They all spun back around and saw a shadowy figure standing next to the avatar, who stepped up to them and revealed himself to be Storm King.
"YOU!" The three cried as they got into a fighting stance.
Storm King smirked, "pitiful humans. Coming here. What do you think you can do."
"More then you know," Flash told him. "We're not gonna let you keep Tempest's body."
"And what can you do?" Storm King asked. "I refuse to let it go before my mission is complete. I will end this cycle of death and destruction."
"And how do you intend to do that?" Spike asked.
Storm King smiled. "I don't know, but I don't need to know. My mission is to find the one worthy of joining with my lord, Zeronull."
"Zeronull?" Flash asked, "what's that?"
"The ultimate being of endless none-existence. Omega Diety of Destruction, Zeronull. He is the one who will finally end this retched world and bring about a world where no war or conflict exists. And I will not stop until his mission is completed." He raised his staff, as electricity began to surge around it. "Now, be gone!" A bolt of lightning shot out at them, Spike and Sunburst both flinching as it got closer.
But Flash quickly acted, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a card. "Come to me!" In a flash of light, a figure appeared and blocked the lightning. Everyone stared at it in shock and saw what it was.
"Scarvolt?" Tempest whispered as she saw her Duel monster partner blocking the lightning. This Scarvolt didn't look like the one Tempest had been using in the Double X. Her sword was whole and she didn't have any Obsidian Orbs in her coat.
Storm King growled at the sight of his former enemy. "How. How are you here?"
Flash sighed in relief, "wasn't sure I was gonna be able to pull that off." He looked down at the card in his hand, smiling. He turned back to Tempest, "a little gift from Cold. He thought it might come in handy."
Storm King growled as he unleashed more lightning, which Scarvolt continued to block. "You won't beat me. I refuse to lose and be sent back. This body is mine!"
"No, it isn't," Spike told him. "You may control it, but it'll never be yours. You don't know what it means to be human."
"I know exactly what it means to be human!" He fired another volt, which Scarvolt blocked. "Being human means you're weak. It means you have no strength of your own. That's why you steal our power. You're nothing but leeches, an evolutionary FAILURE!"
"No," Sunburst said, "that's not what it means." He clutched his heart. "Being human means we hope when it's foolish to hope. It means we fight when it's foolish to fight. We face obstacles and overcome them...together with those we trust." He smiled at his two teammates. "Before I met you guys, I was wallowing in my own misery. I let my failures overtake me, make me feel worthless." He then smiled, "but then you guys came into my life. You wouldn't stop pestering me until I realised that my failures weren't something that made me weaker. They could make me stronger if I was willing to accept them and learn from them."
Flash and Spike both nodded, believing the same thing.
Sunburst then turned back to Storm King. "It's true...individually, we might be powerless. But if we work together, we can make the impossible possible."
"Turn despair into hope," Spike continued.
"And turn defeat...into victory," Flash finished. With that, the three of them began to glow. Storm King watched as that light transformed into Flash Heart, Blazemaster and Sunburst Magician.
Sunburst then spoke. "The bonds we share with our monsters. That connects our two worlds together. That's what allows anything to become possible." The light grew brighter, blinding Storm King.
"No!" Lightning surged around him, "I don't believe that. Nothing good has ever come from the connection our worlds share. And if it's the last thing I do...I'LL SEVERE IT COMPLETELY!" With that, lightning blasted off of him.
Scarvolt managed to shield the boys as they covered their eyes and felt themselves fly back. "TEMPEST!" Flash cried out as he turned to watched her disappear in the darkness before the light consumed them
When the light faded, the three found themselves back in the stadium.
"I activate my Action Spell!" They turned towards Tempest and saw her play the card, as a familiar-looking shield appeared in Storm King's hands. He then lifted it up and blocked he attack, a force field appearing around him to keep both him and Tempest completely safe.
Sunburst's eyes went wide, "that's..." He looked down at Tempest's life points.
Tempest: 5600 Sunburst: 1250
Tempest smiled, "the Action Spell was called Doppelganger Trap. It lets me activate the effect of a Trap card you already used, like say...your Draining Shield."
Sunburst growled as Great Sage ended his attack. "Yellow Sun, attack!" The Pendulum Magician lit his staff with yellow fire, ready to attack Storm King.
"I activate my Trap!" Her face down flipped up, "Dominator Pride! Since I have more Life Points then you, a Dominator on my field will now gain the difference as ATK points." Storm King let out a mighty roar, which shook the stadium, as his power increased. (A5350/D1500/L12)
Sunburst's eyes went wide before calling off his attack. He sighed and did the only thing he could do, "I end my turn." Great Sage and Storm King's points returned to normal. (A3500/D3000/L10/P1) (A4000/D4000/L12) Sunburst looked down at his Action Card. With this, he should be able to survive to his next turn. "I'm not out yet."
"Don't be so sure," Tempest reached for her deck. "You probably think that Action Card will save you when I attack." She drew her card and smiled when she saw it, "but what if I don't attack." Sunburst's eyes went wide hearing this, as the portal formed above them. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a single light shot out and hit the ground, revealing her monster. "Storm Guard Dominator Ryyk!" (A2000/D1500/L5/P9) "Ryyk's skill!" A card slotted out of her graveyard, which she took. "I add the Staff of Sacanas back to my hand.
"Why'd she do that?" Spike asked.
"It can't be for anything good."
"Next," Tempest activated the card she drew, "play Dominator Blitz. To activate this card, I must send one Dominator on my field to the bottom of my deck." Storm King Dominator burst into a ball of lightning that began to float into the air.
"Why would you send your best card back to your deck?" Sunburst asked.
"Because Dominator Blitz now deals us both damage. I'll be losing points equal to half my monster's ATK points, whilst you...will be taking the full blast!"
"What!?" Sunburst asked as he looked up in horror, whilst the ball of lightning shot out two streams of lightning.
"I told you," he looked back down at Tempest, "continuing to Duel me would just lead to a more painful loss. Next time, listen to your betters." And with that, the lightning bolts struck the two of them and they cried out in pain.
"AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" They both screamed as their Life Points were reduced, but only one of them had enough to survive.
Tempest: 3600 (Winner) Sunburst: 0
"SUNBURST!" His friends all cried as they watched this, Flash and Spike rushing out onto the field as the attack finally ended. The two stopped just behind him, as he stood there completely still as smoke flew off of him. Flash then looked past him and saw Tempest fall to one knee, panting at the punishment she'd put herself through.
"Sunburst!" He turned back to him as he heard Spike cry out, seeing his teammate falling back. The two jumped forwards and caught him before he hit the ground, seeing he had passed out.
"Please be okay," Flash begged as he looked him over. Lucky, he still seemed to be breathing.
"Now you see," Flash look back over at Tempest. "Just how pathetic you humans are to us. You're frail, weak and have no chance against us."
Flash growled as he picked himself up and stepped forward, pulling out his Duel Disk. "Get up, we're ending this now." Tempest smiled as she did so, the Celestial Sisters seeing this.
Celestia: Flash isn't wasting any time in trying to avenge his teammate's loss.
Luna: But will he be able to overcome Tempest's who remains undefeated in this tournament?
That was a good question. Flash had Duelled Tempest more than anyone in the tournament, but that didn't mean he knew how she was gonna play. This Duel showed that Tempest still had cards he hadn't seen. But hopefully, he would be able to overcome the Dominator.
The Double X's final Duel was finally upon them. The winner of it was anyone's guess, but hopefully Flash would be the one who would stand victorious. To win the Double X and discover the Dominator's plans.
The two of them were standing in the corridor leading out to their team box. Flash took the card and turned it over, his eyes going wide when he saw what it was. "Tempest Rogue Scarvolt."
Cold nodded. "This is the card Tempest originally used before Storm King stole her body. I'm no expert in these kinds of matters, but I get the feeling she'd like to be there when her partner is freed."
Flash frowned, "you really think I can save Tempest?"
Cold smirked. "There's probably no one more likely to do so. And you know why that is?" Flash shook his head, "because you understand what Storm King doesn't. The true power that this game has. The power to create bonds with anyone around you." He patted him on the shoulder. "Think back to before I gave you your deck. You were completely alone and had no idea how to make friends."
Flash frowned, remembering those days all too clearly.
"But when you started Duelling, you started forming bonds with all those around you. And not just in this world, but in the Duel Monster Spirit World." Flash smiled and pulled out his deck, looking through the cards and feeling a warmth coming off of them. "You see, you understand how precious these cards are."
"You're right," Flash nodded. "These aren't just cards to me. They practically are the monsters. They're my friends."
"Exactly," Cold said, "and that's why you're the best one to show this Duel monster why this game is so great. Because it's helped no one more then you grow into the best version of themselves."
Flash smiled and nodded, "thanks Cold." Cold nodded back before turning away from him.
"Now go on, your team's waiting for you." With that, Cold headed off while Flash turned the head down the opposite direction. And as he did, he looked down at the Tempest Rogue card and smiled.
Present.
Flash continued to stare at the card, then back at the Dominated Tempest. He knew Cold was right. He was the only one capable of freeing her from her prison now, but even so, it wasn't gonna be easy.
Tempest meanwhile, held her head as a pounding pain beat inside it. She growled, 'I almost let myself lose control then.' She thought back to when the three had entered her mind, meeting the spirit that controlled her. 'I can't let myself lose my grasp like that again.' She looked up at Flash, glaring at her final opponent here at the Double X. 'I'm so close. I won't let myself fall now.'
Celestia: With Sunburst's defeat, the outcome of the Double X will now rest on this next Duel.
Luna: And taking part in the deciding battle, will be the final two members of each team.
Flash and Tempest stared each other down. Both of them remembered back to the day they first met, the day this whole adventure began. And now here they stood, ready to face off against one another one final time.
Up in the stands, Twilight and Misty both stared worriedly at Flash.
Having seen what Tempest managed to do to Sunburst, they both feared the same fate might befall him. Starlight meanwhile, was more worried about Sunburst and his current condition. "Please be okay."
Celestia: We've now reached the climax of the tournament.
All over the world, spectators were watching the Double X's conclusion. This included Grand, who along with Pinkie and Maud were currently in a city across the country following up a lead they had about Marble. But right now they were currently watching a TV in a hotel lobby, which was showing the Double X.
Luna: It's been a long journey, this will be the final Duel of the Double X Tournament.
In another city on the far side of the country, Adagio and her sisters were also watching. They were chasing down other leads for Cold but had so far found nothing that might help.
Celestia: One last battle to decide which team will be crowned our new champions!
"Flash," The teen turned back and saw Sunburst crack his eyes open. "You got this," he moaned out through the pain. "Be strong."
Flash knelt down beside him and smiled, "I will. Don't worry."
Sunburst nodded as he held up a shaky fist before patting it into Flash's heart. "Just remember, all we've achieved. Stand strong and make sure they get the message. Show them your way of Duelling, loud a clear."
Flash nodded, "sure. You know I will." With that, he helped lift Sunburst onto Spike's back.
Once his teammate was steady, Spike turned to Flash. "Good luck," he told him before heading off to their box.
As this had been going on, Tempest watched with a frown on her face. 'So weak.' She remembered back to when they'd entered her mind, and what they had said back then.
"It's true...individually, we might be powerless. But if we work together, we can make the impossible possible."
"Turn despair into hope."
"And turn defeat...into victory"
'Needing to rely on others to become strong. How trivial. Working together should only be done to combined your already incredible strength into something unstoppable, not used to make your strength incredible.' She watched as Spike and Sunburst finally returned to the box, while Flash turned to glare at her.
"I won't forgive you for what you've done."
Tempest grunted, "like I care." They both prepared themselves for the Duel, as the crowd began to loudly cheer for the Duellist they wanted to win.
"You'd better win this match Flash!" Scootaloo called out to her brother, "or else. There are no more chances left after this one."
"We believe in you Flash!" Applebloom cried out.
"You can do it!" Sweetie squeaked out.
"Good luck darling!" Rarity cheered.
"A'h don't wanna see you holdin back," Applejack hollered. "Ya'd better give this Duel everything ya'h got, ya'h here me."
"Eeyup!"
"Do your best out there!" Fluttershy said as loudly as she could.
"Show us what you're made of!" Rainbow cried out.
"Go get'em!" Soarin cheered, while Gilda just sat back with a smirk on her face.
Sunset smiled. 'There's something about Flash's Duels that always gets the crowd going.' She turned to look down at Tempest, 'how's she going to respond to that?'
Tempest watched as Flash's Duel Disk activated and he drew his cards. "So it comes down to this, Flash Sentry."
Flash looked through his cards and began to formulate a strategy. As he did, he thought back to when they'd met in the park. She'd seemed so...different back then. But know, he knew who she truly was. "I've waited for this moment for a long time." They locked eyes one more time, as Flash reach for his deck. "This is the decider. And now, the time for payback is here."
Luna: The climax of the Double X Tournament. Are you ready for the big finale!?
The crowd exploded with excitement, everyone on the edge of their seats.
Celestia: Then let's not waste any more time. In THREE!
Luna: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Flash: 4000 Tempest: 3600
"I draw!" Flash looked through the cards and nodded, "I'll start by setting the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Magna Caster Ratio and scale eight Lustrous Feather Magna Leghorn!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the two monsters flew up into them, as Flash began to chant. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a light shot out of it and hit the ground, exploding to reveal his monster. "Flash Wing Magna Pegasus!" (A1400/D800/L4) "And since Flash Wing was Special Summoned, I can banish one card in your hand." He pointed a gun-shaped finger at Tempest's hand before pretending to fire it, doing so causing one of the cards to shoot out of her hand.
"Gyah!" She cried as the card was banished. Luckily for her, it wasn't her Staff card.
"Next," Flash reached for his deck, "I activate Ratio's Pendulum Ability to look at the top three cards of my deck and banish one monster from among them." He did so and looked through the cards before picking one, "I banish Glow Claw Magna Chimp!" The ghostly image of the robotic monkey appeared above Flash Wing before exploding, the lights flying into the pegasus and making it glow. (A2200/D800/L4) "ATTACK!" Flash Wing's body was surrounded by lightning, which then shot off and struck Ryyk Dominator and destroyed it.
Flash: 4000 Tempest: 3400
"I place three cards face down and end my turn." (A1400/D800/L4)
"It's my turn," Tempest reached for her deck. "I draw."
Celestia: Since the very first day of the tournament up to now, Tempest Shadow has managed to forge a path without a single loss to her name.
"I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened before four lights shot out, revealing her monsters. "Tempest Rogue Dominator Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"And Storm Guard Dominator Shield!" (A1000/D2000/L4) "With four Dominators Special Summoned, Spine-Hog's ability let's draw four cards." She did so.
Luna: Though burdened with the loss of one of her teammates in a tragic accident, her unbeaten steak shows she hasn't allowed it to affect her game.
Celestia: Will Tempest Shadow be able to conquer the Double X, and dedicate her victory to the memory of her teammate?
"Scarvolt's skill!" The Tempest Rogue reached into her coat before pulling out an Obsidian Orb, which she then tossed towards Flash Wing and caused it to be turned to stone. "Next," Tempest smiled, "I activate the Staff of Sacanas!" The staff suddenly appeared on the field, but this just made Flash smile.
"I activate my Trap!" His face down flipped up before a strange metal box appeared infront of it. "Different Dimension Chest! This bad boy activates whenever a Spell or Trap is activated. Now that card is banished!" The box opened up before unleashing a sucking sensation which pulled the staff inside. Once that happened, the box shut before disappearing through a portal.
Tempest growled as she watched his, realising her best card was now impossible to summon. "You were ready for it."
Flash smirked, "I was a little worried when you summoned Storm King in your Duel against Sunburst. But you shot yourself in the foot sending it back to your deck. As long as Different Dimension Chest is on my field, your Staff is useless."
Tempest smiled, "but if I were to destroy that chest?"
Flash frowned, "then the card would return to your hand."
"Perfect. It's just a matter of time. But until then, I'll have Glaive destroy your Pegasus!" The ape rushed forwards before swinging its bladed staff towards the statue, shattering it.
Flash: 3500 Tempest: 3400
Flash grunted as he looked up to see Ryyk Dominator, rushing forwards. "I activate my Trap, Beacon of Hope!" He reached for his deck and quickly drew a card, smiling when he saw what it was. "I summon Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" The robotic serpent appeared in a burst of light, jumping between Flash and Ryyk before getting destroyed.
Flash: 3100 Tempest: 3400
Tempest frowned, "well now I attack you directly with Scarvolt!" The Tempest Rogue rushed forwards as her broken sword was completed by a blade of electricity before slashing it towards Flash.
"GO!" Flash's face down flipped up, "Defence Draw!" The force field appeared around Flash and blocked the lightning blade, while Flash drew a card.
Tempest frowned, "I end my turn."
"It's my turn!" Flash reached for his deck, "I draw!"
Luna: Up against Tempest is the Celestic Cup Champion, Flash Sentry!
"I activate Starburst Reload, which lets me banish Flash Wing to draw four cards." He did so, as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, revealing Flash's monsters. "Unleash your roar, Star Fang Magna Tiger!" (A2400/D2100/L7)
"Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Then I summon Vail Pixie X!" A flash of light revealed the little fairy, who flew down beside the other two monsters. (A100/D100/L1) "And with Leghorn's ability, I'll increase her Level by two!" The star on Leghorn's chest glowed before unleashing to lights that hit Vail Pixie. (A100/D100/L3)
Celestia: What a challenge for this young Duellist. Leading the team he put together for the tournament.
"I tune Level three Vail Pixie with Level four Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" The little fairy flew into the air, transforming into the three light rings that Magna Snake slithered into. "Memories of strength long forgotten, return in an explosion of power!" The two monster disappeared in an explosion of brilliant light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Flash's monster. "Flashback Dragon!" (A2300/2200/L7)
Luna: His team barely made it through the first round, only managing to secure a space in the next round thanks to a sudden death knockout. But they've worked well as a team to overcome any adversity, defeating their opponents along the way.
Celestia: And now, here they are in the final.
"Flashback's skill!" The dragon curled up and bit its own tail, creating a circle that was soon filled with light that Magna Tiger leapt towards. "By banishing my Magna Tiger, I can summon two monsters from my Deck whose Level equals his." As the robotic tiger-man flew into the portal, two lights shot out the other side.
They then exploded, revealing the summoned monsters. "Magna Fighter Gun Runner!" (A1600/D1400/L4) "And Crystal Tusk Manga Boar!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P2) "Now, for Ratio's Pendulum Ability!" He drew three cards, "I banish Spino-Gear Magna-Saur!" The ghostly robotic dinosaur appeared above Gun Runner, then exploded before the pieces flew into the Magna Fighter. (A2600/D1400/L4) "ATTACK!"
Tempest watched as the Magna Fighter aimed its weapon at Scarvolt, then started rushing through the destroyed field. But before she could find one, Gun Runner fired and destroyed her Pendulum Monster.
Flash: 3100 Tempest: 3300
Celestia: The Double X Tournament is one where every challenger arrives with the dream of winning. Fighting with their whole heart to make their dreams come true.
"Gun Runner's skill!" His monster fired a blast of energy that created a portal, which the Magna Fighter leapt through. And as he did, a sphere of light shot out the other side and exploded to reveal Flash's ace. "Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "And now for Flash Heart's skill!" A portal appeared behind Shield Dominator before it was sucked inside.
Tempest frowned as she turned back to Flash and saw him jump up onto his ace's back.
"Now, Flash Heart, take out Ryyk!" The robotic dragon's boosters ignited before it was rocketed forwards, Flash Heart slamming his fist into the giant ape.
Flash: 3100 Tempest: 2800
"Now, Flashback!" The serpentine dragon flew up into the air before holding up its orbs, which unleashed a pair of lasers that combined as they drew closer to Glaive.
As that was happening, Tempest jumped down onto the head of a fallen Obelisk The Tormentor Statue. And lying on it was an Action Card, which she quickly grabbed and activated. "I play the Action Spell, Evasion!" Glaive leapt out of the way of Flashback's attack, making Flash frown before he placed two cards face down.
"I end my turn."
Luna: Now, which of our two teams will become the new champion!?
Over in their box, Spike and Sunburst both watched. "Come on Flash," Spike hoped.
"You can do this," Sunburst prayed. Despite the pain he was in, and how tired he was, Sunburst didn't want to miss a second of this.
They weren't the only ones watching intently. Everyone was staring down at the stadium, refusing to even blink for fear of missing something good. "If anyone can awaken the true Tempest Shadow," Cold told Flash. "It's you."
"Flash," Misty quivered as she watched. Even with Storm King out of play, this was still gonna be dangerous.
"He can do it," Twilight assured her. "Because there's one thing that set Flash apart from the rest of us. He's truly one with his cards." She looked back down at the field. "He practically is a Duel Spirit, considering where he was born. He understands them more than anyone."
Misty smiled and nodded, "he is the bridge between our worlds."
As Tempest drew her card, she looked over at Flash.
'Flash Sentry. The Pendulum Singularity.' Her mind flashed back to their previous Duels. 'To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed. He doesn't seem to be all that different from any other human being. However.' "I play Magical Mallet." She returned her entire hand to her deck, which shuffled before she drew new cards. As this was happening, the portal formed above her. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal formed before unleashing a trio of lights, which flew down next to Glaive. "Tempest Rogue Dominator Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"Storm Guard Dominator Ryyk!" (A2000/D1500/L5/P9)
"And Storm Guard Dominator Puppeteer!" (A1000/D1000/L4) Flash and everyone else flinched seeing that Dominator, knowing it was dangerous. Meanwhile, Tempest drew another three cards.
'Each time I defeat him, he seems to recover and appear before me again.' "Scarvolt's and Ryyk's skill!" The Tempest Rogue tossed the two Obsidian Orbs towards Flashback and Magna Boar, turning them both to stone whilst Tempest returned a card from her graveyard. "I activate, Dominator Lightning!" Electricity flew out of the stone statues and into Scarvolt's sword. (A3500/D2000/L7/P4) "ATTACK!" Scarvolt shot towards Magna Boar, lightning blade at the ready
Flash looked all around from Flash Heart's back for an Action Card, finally spotting one next to the head of a Slifer the Sky Dragon statue. And as Scarvolt got closer, Flash leapt off his dragon whilst activating one of his Traps. "Go, Interception!" Flash Heart leapt infront of Magna Boar and took the hit, the lightning zapping him before flying off towards Flash and he grabbed the Action Card. "Augh!"
Flash: 2600 Tempest: 2800
Flash flinched as the lightning surge but quickly activated the Action Card. "I play Protector of the Weak. Now the only monster on my field that you can attack is the strongest. Meaning Flash Heart."
Tempest frowned, "fine. But don't forget, Scarvolt can attack once for ever Dominated monster on the field." Scarvolt slashed at Flash Heart again, shocking both it and Flash and making him cry out in pain.
Flash: 2100 Tempest: 2800
"Then, I'll activate Puppeteer's ability and remove the Dominate from your monsters!" The giant ape pointed its puppet Xs at Flashback and Magna Boar before firing the glowing strings out at them, causing the stone coating to break off. But as they did, the two monsters turned towards Flash with glowing red eyes. And before Flash could react, the two attacked. Magna Boar headbutting him in the chest whilst Flashback unleashed a beam of light that hit him. "Augh!"
Flash: 1700 Tempest: 2800
"Now for Glaive's ability. Since a monster that was Dominated is no longer so, it's destroyed!" The giant ape's bladed staff sparked with lighting before it swung it through the air, unleashing an electric blade that cut the two monsters in half and destroyed them.
Flash grunted seeing them explode, as Tempest placed a card face down and called an end to her turn. She then discarded the extra cards in her hand.
Celestia: Both Duellist don't seem to want to give an inch in this Duel. How will Flash pull himself back?
"My turn!" Flash reached for his deck, "I draw!" He did so and smiled at what he got, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and hit the ground, revealing Flash's cards. "Get to work, Reflector Scale Magna Snake!" (A1600/D1300/L4/P7)
"Illuminate this battlefield, Crystal Tusk Magna Boar!" (A1000/D1000/L3/P2)
"Light the Future with Science, Magna Scholar Ingenium." (A1000/D1000/L3)
Tempest frowned, not knowing what that last monster did. The fact he'd summoned it in DEF mode worried her, so she began to run off in search of an Action Card. However, this late in the game the likely wouldn't be many left. And if they were, most of them would be Traps.
"Now," Flash went on, "I activate Ingenium's special ability!" His hands glowed, causing the book he carried to float before it opened and he began chanting. Suddenly the words on the pages began to glow before they flew off the page, going up into the sky where they became a circle. That circle suddenly transformed into a vortex, which pulled Flash Heart and Magna Snake inside. "Now watch as I fuse the unequalled might of a dragon," Flash said, "with the shining light of the Pendulum!" The vortex exploded and released a burst of bright light. "I FUSION SUMMON!"
Tempest finally spotted an Action card on the ground and grabbed it, only to find it was a Trap Card that made her discard three cards from the top of her deck.
"I attack with Spiral Vector Dragon!" His monster raised his bazooka weapon, aimed it at Puppeteer Dominator. A red beam of light shot out of its sight and struck the ape. "Since Spiral Vector Dragon was Fusion Summoned using a monster with a Pendulum Scale of seven, I can look at the top seven cards of my deck and for each Pendulum Monster I reveal, your monster loses five hundred ATK points."
Luna: And with only a thousand ATK Points, he only needs to draw two Pendulum Monsters zero it out.
Celestia: And all he needs is one card to wipe out her life points.
"Here we go!" Flash drew his seven cards, among them being Magna Bull, Magna Rat, Lightspeed, Magna Sheep, Reflection Guard, Reverse Polarity and Lunara. "That's three Pendulum Monsters, which weakens your monster by fifteen hundred. Puppeteer flinch as it lost ATK points. (A0/D1000/L4) "Now go!" The dragon's bazooka fired its laser blast.
In that moment, Tempest finally reached an Action Card on the wing of a Winged Dragon of Ra. She grabbed it and smiled. "I activate the Action Spell Doppelganger Spell. Which lets me activate the effect of a Spell in my graveyard. So I'll pick Team Spirit!" Scarvolt leapt infront of Puppeteer and took the blast, getting destroyed by the blast whilst Tempest was blown backwards.
Flash: 1700 Tempest: 1800
Luna: Oh! So close. But Tempest continues to stay one step ahead of Flash.
Flash frowned as Magna Boar charged forwards, its tusks glowing. "Takedown Puppeteer!" The humanoid pig-bot slammed into the ape, destroying it. But Tempest quickly sat up and activated her Trap.
"I play Defence Draw!" A force field appeared around her as she drew her card. Smiling when she saw what it was.
Flash frowned, calling an end this his turn. At least with Spiral Vector, she couldn't Dominate his best card. So he stared down at Tempest as she began to pick herself up, deciding now was as good a time as any to move over to her. "I don't know what made you hate this world so much, but I know it doesn't give you the right to do the things you've done." Tempest frowned at him, as he began to walk towards her. "What you did to Marble, Tempest and Scarvolt can never be justified. No matter how bad things have been for you, none of this is right!"
Tempest glared at him as she began to pick herself up. "Oh...how wrong you are." Their eyes locked and Flash saw the anger in her eyes, "open up your eyes and see the truth of the worlds we live in." In that moment, a flash of light shot out of her eyes and hit Flash.
He cried out and shielded his eyes, only to feel the ground beneath him disappear.
He then opened his eyes and found he was floating in the air, right over what looked like a small village. Looking down at his hands, he saw he was glowing. "The spirit world?"
"Flash?" He turned towards the voice and saw Tempest floating up to him, only she didn't look as sinister.
"Are you...the real Tempest." She nodded her head whilst looking down at the village.
"I don't understand," she said, "what's going on? Why'd he bring us here?"
"To show you the truth," Storm King's voice echoed through the air before the two found themselves floating down towards the village. And as they did, they saw the inhabitants were monsters similar to Storm King. Some looked just like him, while others looked more feminine and some were smaller versions of him. "This was where I was born. And it was here that I learnt the grim truth of the world."
The many satyr were all living their day to day lives, a group of small ones even playing with a ball, when suddenly the ground began to shake. This caused them all to stop and look around, just as the cause came into view.
Two great armies of Duel Monsters, some the two recognised and some they didn't, charging towards the village. They watched as the satyr rushed into their homes, just before the armies reached the town and began to do battle. Fireballs and spells were thrown all over the place, knocking down several buildings whilst some monsters were thrown into other houses and smashed right through them.
"I don't know what they were fighting for, but whatever it was lead them to destroy themselves. In the end, there was only one survivor." Time seemed to quickly pass and soon enough, the two of them saw the village was now in ruin. Corpses littered the ground and there wasn't a single house left undamaged.
The sound of shifting debris caught their attention and they turned to see a young satyr crawl out of the ruins of a nearby house, shaking like a leaf as he looked around at the devastation he saw.
"My people had been weak, which was why we couldn't defend ourselves. On that day, I vowed to never be weak again. My journey began." The world around them started to shift, first transforming to show a slightly older Storm King fighting against a bunch of giants apes and beating the lot of them. The scene then shifted to show the apes bowing to Storm King before shifting once again, this time showing him leading the army into battle and after battle whilst turning many Duel Spirits to stone with Obsidian Orbs. "I believed that if I became strong enough, then no one would dare challenge me and I wouldn't have to live in fear. But alas, I was eventually overthrown.
The scene now shifted to show the battle between Scarvolt and Storm King, ending in Storm King being turned to stone and shattered.
"I believed that was my end, but I was wrong." The scene shifted to nighttime, as the pieces of the broken statue came together and rebuilt the Storm King before he was returned back to normal. They watched as the shadowy figure came to him and presented the Staff of Sacanas to him. "They took me in and made me realise the truth, that no matter how strong I become I would always have to live in fear of death. Because in this world, that's the only thing that's inevitable."
"What does this have to do with us?" Flash asked.
"Because your world is no different from ours, constantly at war with one another. And throughout your many wars, you've used us as weapons and put our world in danger." The scene around them changed to show they were in Egypt, and it was here they spotted the real-life Egyptian Gods facing off against a giant demon monster with a dragon coming out of its chest. The scene then changed to show a red serpentine dragon battling against some kind of red demon alongside five other dragons, then shifted to show the dragons fighting against five different animal monsters with different coloured lights running down them. The scene once again shifted to show the Egyptian Gods fighting a giant black serpent, then shifted again to show the world enveloped in some kind of darkness. Another shifted showed a shining dragon doing battle against a monster made of out black sludge before the scene shifted again, this time showing several similar looking robotic warriors attacking a strange purple, white and blue machine.
The scene shifted one final time, showing a scene Flash knew all too well. The battle against Sombra last year, when everyone summoned their monsters to help.
"Again and again your world pulls mine into conflict and again and again both realms are almost destroyed."
"So what?" Flash asked, "you're gonna destroy our world so yours can be safe?"
"No," Storm King replied, "we're gonna destroy both worlds."
"That doesn't make any sense?" Tempest asked. "You said you were scared of dying, but if you destroyed your world then you'd die."
"Not with our lord's power. He will destroy the worlds, but we will remain. He will absorb us into him and there, we will be able to dream of a perfect world. One that is without conflict and never ends. We will spend eternity dreaming a perfect world. And you can help us."
"Why would we ever help you?" Flash asked, "you're threatening to destroy everything and everyone I love."
"Everything and everyone you love will die anyway, but if you join me you'll never lose them. Both of you, think back on your lives so far. Flash, you spent your entire life alone because of a game you love so much." The scene changed once again, Flash finds himself in a place he knew all too well.
It was where he used to live as a child. "Attack!" He turned towards the sound of a voice and spotted a ten-year-old Flash slamming into the ground as his life points hit zero. "You lost again," Flash's opponent said after beating him. "Now, give it up."
"Okay," Flash said taking a card from his deck and handing it over
"Man what a loser," his opponent said laughing along with the rest of his friends. "Let's get out of here." And they left.
"You spent most of your life being pushed around because you were bad at that game. It even made you push your family away." The scene changed to show Flash and Scootaloo right after they'd moved into their current apartment.
"Flash," Scootaloo called out as Flash brother was about to leave the apartment. "Where you going?"
"Nowhere," Flash said whilst not stopping or turning around.
"Can I come?"
"NO!" Flash yelled making her flinch. "Let's get one thing straight. Outside this apartment you don't know me, you don't talk to me, you don't even acknowledge I exist, okay. As far as you know, you don't have a brother." And with that he walked out of the apartment, leaving a crying Scootaloo behind.
Flash's heart ached as he remembered how hard it had been to do that. The world around them went dark, the only thing they saw being a young Flash that was growing older and older as he walked alone. Images of people looking at him in fear appearing and disappearing. "You were all alone because of how cruel this world is. And even when you found friends, you continued to suffer through everything you went through. And you weren't the only one." The image of Twilight and Moondancer appeared before it shifted to show Twilight crying over Moondancer's body. "The woman you loved has suffered greatly because of how cruel this world is.
Flash said nothing, remembering how much pain Twilight had gone through after Moondancer's death.
"And you, Tempest," the pink girl looked up and saw an image appear infront of her. This time it showed a younger her playing ball with some friends. "You've suffered just as much." They watched as the ball bounced into the road and she rushed out to grab it, right as a speeding car flew towards her.
The image changed to show her right after the crash, laying on the ground with a bleeding gash running from her forehead over her eye. The image changed to show Tempest, the gash now healed as the scar she wore, trying to talk to her friends but they were all scared off by her scar. Young Tempest began to walk through the darkness alone, growing older and older.
"Your tragedy condemned you to a life of solitary. No wonder you were so easy to Dominate."
Tempest looked down in shame. Her life hadn't been easy, with Duelling being the only thing that gave her comfort. And now this monster had turned to into another type of hell.
"The life we lead is nothing but pain and sadness. And what's worse, it tricks you into thinking there is good in it so that the pain you feel when the bad happens is even greater. But once my lord has revived, it will all end and we can finally live in true peace." In this moment Storm King appeared before them. "So now...join me and together, we will finally put an end to all this destruction. Together, we can create a perfect world."
Those two words struck a chord with Flash, as he looked at Storm King. "You know, someone tried to give me a similar speech last year to make me join him. And I'm gonna give you the same answer I gave him. Hell no!" Storm King frowned at him. "I know this world can be messy at times, that living in it can be hard. But you can't just give up and on making it better. What you're doing isn't some noble mission. It's just you being a coward and trying to find the easy out."
Storm King growled, "what's wrong with the easy way? How can constantly struggling in vein be better then what I'm offering."
"Because if we just give up when things get hard, then nothing's ever gonna change. It's true, there are things in this world I hate. But that doesn't give me the right to just wipe the slate clean. No, I'm gonna do everything I can to fix the things I see as wrong with this world."
"And what if you can't fix them?" Storm King asked him.
Flash thought for a moment, frowning as nothing came to mind. "I don't know," Storm King smiled. "But whatever it is is better than whatever you plan on doing. Dreaming an infinite dream. Newsflash, you can't share dreams with people. If what you're saying happens, I'll never get to see my friends and family again."
"You'll see them in your dreams-"
"No, I'll see imaginary versions of them in my dreams." He flinched as the images shown of him before were shown again, but quickly shook them off. "Maybe back then, I would have agreed with you. His eyes closed, "but now I've changed. No matter how perfect your dream world sounds, without my friends in it, it would be hell. The images around him shattered, surprising Storm King as he turned back to Flash. "I don't want to be alone again. I've been alone and I won't go back," his eyes shot open. "I WON'T GO BACK!"
The force of this outburst scared Storm King, as the darkness around them shattered.
"Life without a connection to people is miserable, no matter how perfect it sounds." He turned to Tempest, holding out his hand. "No matter how hard life is, as long as you have hope you can push passed anything." Tempest's eyes went wide as she felt a new sense of hope filled her heart.
She reached out the grab his hand, but Storm King had had enough. "ENOUGH!" As he yelled this, a powerful shockwave slammed into them and pushed them apart. Flash slammed into the ground whilst Tempest flew back until she slammed into a stone tablet, the chains wrapping around her once again.
"No!" Flash tried to pick himself up and run to her, but before he could a Flash of light blinded him. "Gyah!" When he opened his eyes, he saw he was back at Freeze Stadium.
Tempest growled as she glared at him. "I tried to show you the truth, but you refused to listen. As such, when my lord destroys everything, I'll make sure he doesn't absorb you. You can face the pain of death," She reached for her deck, "I DRAW!" When she saw what she'd gotten, she smiled as the portal formed. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a light shot out, revealing Scarvolt. She then tossed an Obsidian Orb at Magna Boar and Ingenium, turning them both to stone as Tempest drew a card thanks to Spine-Hog before playing the card she'd drawn earlier. "GO, HEAVY STORM!" A powerful gust of wind blew into the field, pushing Flash backwards and sending every Spell and Trap flying into the air.
This included both their Pendulum Monsters and Flash Different Dimension Chest. The metal box exploded in the air, revealing a card that flew over to Tempest as the wind died down. "Dang it!" Flash growled, "well when Different Dimension Chest is destroyed, I can draw two cards." He did so, as Tempest played the card she'd just gotten.
"I equip Scarvolt with the Staff of Sacanas!" The staff appeared in her hand, ready to do what she'd been waiting to do all Duel. "Now," Tempest took a card that slotted out of her deck, "to summon my ultimate monster." Scarvolt lifted the staff into the air, right before it unleashed twin bolts of lightning, that hit Glaive and Ryyk. They both silently screamed in pain as they were destroyed, their essences being sucked into the staff. Seconds later, the staff flew out of her hands and suddenly unleashed a power spiralling gust of electrified wind that surrounded Scarvolt.
The wind was so powerful that it rocked the entire stadium, once again picking up the many fallen statues up off the ground and spinning it around.
Spike remembered the last time that card was used and grabbed Sunburst, pulling him into the corridor. Seconds later, another statue hit the box and shattered it. "FLASH!" They both cried as they stared into the storm.
Flash felt the wind batter him, Spiral Vector flying down to shield him from the debris. As this happened, Tempest cried out. "By sacrificing Scarvolt whilst she's equipped with the Staff of Sacanas, along with two Dominator monsters, I can give life to the ultimate Dominator!" Everyone in the stadium watched as the lightning in the tornado shot into the eye below the staff, beginning to take humanoid form.
The staff then began to descend, as the figure raised one of its arms and grasped the relic. As soon as it did, the lightning was sucked into the staff and revealed the monster's form. "Behold...the ultimate Dominator monster. STORM KING DOMINATOR!" (A4000/D4000/L12)
As the wind died down, Flash looked out at the satyr as it and Tempest glared at him. "Face it, Sentry, your adventure in the Double X has come to an end."
The final match of the Double X Tournament was drawing closer and closer to its big climax. Facing off in the final match was Tempest of Team Dominator and Flash of Team V-Fighters, with their points having only a hundred points difference. Their teammates had all fought to their hardest up until this point, with the two of them now the last thing in each others way of total victory.
Currently, Flash had his Spiral Vector Dragon on the field alongside a Dominated Magna Boar and Magna Scholar Ingenium. Meanwhile, Tempest had just summoned her best monster to the field. Storm King Dominator was glaring down at the lot of them, looking particularly menacing.
"I tried to show you the truth of things," Tempest told Flash. "But you refused to listen. Now I have no choice...BUT TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE YOU!" Her face had turned to one of utter derangement. "Storm King's skill!" The Dominator raised the Staff of Sacanas before slamming it into the ground, unleashing several bolts of lightning that flew across the field and struck Spiral Vector Dragon.
Flash groaned as he looked up, seeing his monster be turned to stone alongside the rest of his team. He had to get an Action Card, but with the two summonings of Storm King, the field was an utter mess. If there were any Action Spells left, then they'd likely be buried by the shattered stones. But even so, he had to try and find one.
Everyone watched as Flash rushed through the field, jumping onto and over multiple statues. As he did, all his friends worried that he wouldn't be able to survive.
Celestia: Flash Sentry Duel against Tempest Shadow is so far appearing to shift into Tempest's favour. With such a powerful monster on her field, it looks like she's almost untouchable.
Luna: But let's not forget, this is Flash Sentry she's facing off against. This Duellist has been known for pulling off miracles before, so it's very likely he'll be able to pull one off this time as well.
Twilight shook as she looked over Flash's situation. His Pendulum Zones were empty, his monsters were all Dominated and Tempest was just one attack away from completely ending this Duel. And Flash's only hope of winning as to find an Action Card, if any at all were even left on the field. "Flash," she whispered.
Everyone heard this and wanted to comfort her, but they weren't sure what they could say to lift her spirit. Flash was in a dire straight, with little to no chance of overcoming it. All they could do was hold her close as they watched.
Starlight was just as worried, as she stared down at her former teammate. "I get the feeling this isn't even the limit of Tempest's power." They all turned to her.
"What do you mean?" Cold asked.
"I'm...not sure," Starlight held her head. "Just...a feeling. Maybe Tempest told me something when I was Dominated, but...I can't remember what it is." The others all looked worried at this, turning back to the field.
"Stay strong sweetheart," Misty whispered.
Up in the VIP box, everyone was just as worried about the young Duellist. "Flash," Scootaloo whimpered as Rainbow pulled her into a tight hug.
"Come on Flash," Rainbow shook as her teammates remained silent.
"Please don't give up," Fluttershy whispered.
"You have to win," Sunset said. "It's the only way to save Tempest."
"Flash," Applejack and Rarity whispered.
"Flash," Applebloom and Sweetie did the same.
"Don't give up," Shining said as Flurry stared down at the field with great focus. It was as if she knew her godfather was Duelling one of the most important Duels of his life.
Still watching from the hotel lobby, Pinkie, Maud and Grand all looked just as worried.
Pinkie's hair had gone flat, whilst Maud's face showed visible worry. And Grand was just as concerned. "Don't let her rattle you. Stay strong kiddo."
"Come on Flash," Pinkie was literally vibrating in her seat.
Back with the others, Cold watched as Tempest began to call her attack. He remembered what he'd told Flash before, but would those words really help him in this situation? "You have everything you need to pull this off. Remember everything you've been through up to this point. All the Duels you've Duelled. All the opponents you've faced. All the obstacles you've overcome. Everything you and your deck have been through has been leading up to this moment. Us it."
Tempest pointed at Flash. "Storm King Dominator, attack Magna Boar and end this Duel right now!" The satyr raised its staff as electrical energy began to build in the crystal on it, then pointed the staff at the petrified pig robot.
As that happened, Flash landed on the head of a knocked down Winged-Dragon of Ra. It was there he spotted an Action Card, laying on the beast's wing. "That's my only chance!" He rushed forward and grabbed the card, but when he turned it over he saw it was an Action Trap.
Celestia: Oh, that Trap forces Flash to send the top three cards of his deck to the graveyard.
Flash frowned as he did so, but smiled upon seeing what had been sent there. He looked over at Storm King as the blast struck Magna Boar, causing an explosion that filled the entire stadium with smoke.
"FLASH!" everyone cried in horror, fearing this might be the end. Tempest meanwhile, simply smiled thinking she'd claimed victory. But as the smoke began to fade, she saw that Flash was still standing with a smile on his face. She then looked down at her Duel Disk, seeing Flash's point total.
Flash: 1700 Tempest: 1800
"How?" She asked, only to then spot someone standing next to Flash. This was a woman in steampunk robes, carrying a metal staff with a ring for a head that had an hourglass inside of it. "That's-"
"Magna Caster Tempusidium," Flash replied. "She was sent to my graveyard thanks to the Action Trap, which is where her ability can be activated from. By banishing her, I can negate the damage of one attack." The entire stadium erupted at the sound of this, unable to believe their ears.
Luna: Incredible! Flash Sentry managed to turn what should have been a bit of bad luck into a way to save himself. With that, Tempest has only one option.
"You're only delaying the inevitable," Tempest told Flash as she placed three cards face down and ended her turn. "It's over on the next turn." Flash frowned hearing this, as Tempest continued. "Everything you hold dear. Duelling, and its bonds of friendship, they will all disappear from this world forever. Then my dream of creating the perfect world will come to pass."
"Don't start that again," Flash said. "Skill of Tempusidium that's removed from play. Once, instead of drawing, I can add a Spell or Trap from my graveyard back to my hand." He did so, only to instantly activate it. "I place Starburst Reload, to banish Shining Fang Magna Wolf and draw four cards." As he drew his cards, he turned to glare at Tempest. "These bonds you mock are stronger then you could ever think possible." He pointed at the woman, "I'm gonna show you that if it's the last thing I do! I'm holding nothing back!"
Celestia: The Double X Tournament is now entering its dramatic conclusion.
Luna: Their Life Points currently stand at eighteen hundred for Tempest Shadow and seventeen hundred for Flash Sentry. How is this Duel going to develop from here?
"I'll start by activating the skill of Magna Caster Ratio from the Extra Deck!" Flash announced as he removed the Pendulum Monster from his Extra Deck and removed it from play. "Now I can draw two new cards!" He did so, smiling when he saw what'd he'd gotten. "Then, I'll reset the Pendulum Scale with scale one Magna Caster Lunara and scale eight Magna Caster Solaris!" The pillars of light appeared beside him before the two spellcasters flew up into them, the portal of light beginning to form as they did. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal finished forming as he cried out, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of lights shot out and struck the ground besides Spiral Vector and Ingenium, revealing Flash's monsters.
"Hop to it, Bright Bounce Magna Bunny!" (A1200/D600/L3/P2)
"Shine your light of victory one again, Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"Don't even bother with your skill," Tempest told him. "Don't forget, Storm King can't be removed from the field by any of your card effects."
"I know that!" Flash said as he turned to his monsters. "You two ready?" They both nodded, Flash smiling. "Let's do this!" They both leapt into the air, "I tune Level three Bright Bounce Magna Bunny with Level seven Flash Heart Dragon X!" The Tuner morphed into the trio of lights, which began to carve the rings around Flash Heart. "Embrace your infinite destinies and stride towards a future of limitless possibilities!" The two monster disappeared in an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded to reveal Flash's hyper-evolved Synchro dragon, which let out a mighty roar that caused the whole field to shake as blue lightning began to spark all around its body. "Flash Dragon...MAGNA STRIDER!" (A3300/D2500/L10/P10)
Celestia: Putting his whole body into it, Flash Sentry summons his newest monster. A monster that allowed him to snatch a place in the final, Flash Dragon Magna Strider!
Everyone smiled seeing that card, knowing what it represented. "That Flash Heart Dragon," Misty sighed in relief. "It's the face of the future."
Twilight smiled happily, the worries from before all but vanishing. "Get'em and get'em good Flash." She then cried out, "Come on!
"I activate the Spell card Reverse Polarity! Now your monster's ATK drops to the same total as Magna Strider's, and Magna Strider gains the ATK points you lost." Storm King glowed before that light flew off of it and into the evolved Flash Heart Dragon. (A3300/D4000/L12) (A4000/D2500/L10/P10)
"Alright!" Spike arm pumped from where he and Sunburst were standing in the corridor's entrance. "Now Flash's monster can take Tempest's down."
"Go for it Flash!" Sunburst cried out in joy. "Finish her off!" The rest of the crowd all cheered as well, looking forward to seeing if Flash could beat the previously thought unbeatable Duellist.
Flash smiled as he leapt up onto his monster's head, closing his eyes and bathing in the sound of their chanting. 'I can feel everyone cheering me on.' He opened his eyes and looked back down at Tempest.
"You've got the title within sight!" Scootaloo cried out, "just keep pushing on!"
"Yeah," Sweetie agreed, "we believe in you!"
"Do it!" Applebloom yelled.
"Go! Go!" Sunset hollered.
"FLASH!" Everyone else yelled.
Flash looked around, smiling as he stared at his monsters on the field. He then looked down at his deck, remembering everything they'd been through before now. "I....no, we are not alone!"
Tempest growled hearing this, but remained in place and not bothering to try and find an Action Card. She wouldn't need one. "Come on then," she gave him a come and get me gesture. "Show me your power!"
Flash smirked as his dragon opened its mouth, blue lightning beginning to spark around it. "Let's get our hands on the prize we've all been longing for!" He crouched down and held on tight, "one that leads to a whole new future for us." Light began to build within Magna Strider's mouth, getting bright and brighter with each passing second. Until finally, "GOOOOO!" The light shot out of its mouth and flew towards Tempest's monster like a laser, but she wasn't scared.
"Activate Trap!" The laser struck Storm King, but when the satyr exploded it revealed another one behind it that was completely unharmed by the attack. "Reflection Guard. My monster is safe."
"But your Life Points aren't," Flash stated as Tempest's points went down.
Flash: 1700 Tempest: 1100
Celestia: Tempest Shadow manages to keep her monster in the game.
Luna: But don't forget about the special ability of Flash's dragon.
"Activating the skill of Magna Strider!" Flash reached for his Duel Disk as the Extra Deck opened before taking out two cards. "Banish two Pendulum Monsters from the Extra Deck!" Magna Boar and Magna Snake both appeared on either side of the dragon before they were sucked into a pair of portals, while Magna Strider's eyes glowed. The next thing everybody knew, Magna Strider suddenly jumped up and was now standing on its back legs. "With that, Magna Strider can attack one more time!" The beast let out a mighty roar, as its boosters began to ignite.
As this happened, Flash stared down at Tempest and thought back. 'To some extent, I have you to thank.' His mind flashed back to before he met Tempest. He'd been living his life like a zombie, going through the motions with nothing to excite him. But then Tempest appeared before him, beat him in a Duel and told him about the Double X. 'For getting me to where I am right now.' That always seemed to be how his life worked, with someone else needing to push him into trying something that helped him grow. 'Someone would give me a nudge, or help me learn a lesson.'
He closed his eyes and thought back to all the Duels he'd had at the Double X, along with the ones leading up to it, and all the challenges he'd faced. Sunburst, his sister, Pinkie, Maud and Marble, Rainbow and Twilight. 'Through them, I'd start to realise more and more. About the world that lies ahead. About what I wanna aim for in life. And now, the future I wanna grab hold of is right infront of me.' Finally, he thought back to one year ago. The day he fought against Sombra and saved the world. 'I can't believe I didn't see it.' The words he'd said to Sombra echoed in his mind, as he looked around and realised something. 'This is exactly what I wished for way back in the beginning.'
His eyes shot open as he stared down at Tempest. "If I don't step towards my goals, nothing will change!"
Tempest frowned as she activated her second face down. "Go, Interdimensional Matter Transporter! With this card, Storm King Dominator is banished until the end of the turn!" A portal opened up before the satyr was pulled into it, leaving Tempest's field empty.
"Why'd she do that?" Scootaloo asked, the others all just as confused.
Cold had a theory, which he shared with the others around him. "She must know she's going to lose, so is trying to prevent as much damage to the Soulink as possible. If her monster isn't destroyed in the Duel, the link won't be as badly damaged."
"I hope it's still enough!"
"Magna Strider's skill! During his second attack, he gains one hundred ATK points for the Levels of each of my banished monsters!" Magna Chimp, Magna Pegasus, Magna Tiger, Spino Gear, Gun Runner, Tempusidium, Magna Wolf, Ratio, Magna Boar and Magna Snake all appeared around Flash's Dragon in an astral form before they were sucked inside the crystal on its chest. (A8500/D2500/L10/P10) Magna Strider opened its mouth as light began to fill it once again, this time with such power that if its boosters weren't firing it'd be pushed back by the force. "This is it," Flash told the world. "I'M MOVING FORWARD!" The light shot out of its mouth with such force, it caused the statues around it to shatter without even touching them. And all that power was heading straight for Tempest. "I've made up my mind, finally! All I need to do...is focus on the goal I've set for myself. And with that determination, I know I can achieve it!" The blast was now seconds away from Tempest, the girl remaining completely still. "A bright new future. One that's totally within my reach!"
"Trap Summon!" Tempest's face down flipped up before the twin shield carrying ape appeared between her and the attack. "Storm Guard Dominator, Lightning Sentinel!" (A1100/D2300/L6) The ape held out its shields and tried to block the attack, but the blast was too strong and soon enough the ape was vaporised. Tempest's life points, however, remained unchanged.
"She survived," Spike said in shock
"That's why she used the Interdimensional Matter Transporter," Soarin realised. "That Trap Monster could only be summoned when she's attacked directly."
The light of the explosion finally faded, showing Flash was out of attacks and things he can do to take Tempest down. "I place one card face down and end my turn." As he did this, several things happened. Magna Strider's ATK points reverted back to their original total. (A3300/D2500/L10/P10) A portal opened up and Storm King reappeared out of it, landing behind Tempest. And finally, the rocks on Flash's Dominated monsters began to crack before shattering off of them entirely. Spiral Vector and Ingenium now stood beside Magna Strider with Flash on its head.
Celestia: Tempest Shadow survived the attack.
Luna: She's still in the game after a strong attack from Flash Sentry's Magna Strider. Her Life Points remain above one thousand and now she can Dominate Flash's monsters.
Everyone who heard this grew worried, fearing Flash might not be able to survive this next turn. "Come on Flash," Twilight began to pray as they watched Tempest draw he card.
As the Dominated teen looked at the card, she smiled before turning to Flash. "You see a bright future? Get real. The only future this world could possibly have is one of loss, pain and suffering. That's the only destiny it's continued existence can create!"
"You don't know that," Flash told her.
"I do. It's obvious to anyone who simply opens up their eyes." Storm King slammed its staff into the ground, unleashing bolts of lightning that struck all of Flash's monsters. The teen cried out as he fell off Manga Strider and hit the ground, right as his monsters were encased in stone. Tempest then held up the card she'd drawn, "and now I'm putting an end to the pointless battle. I activate the Continous Spell Card, Primal Storm Awakening!" The card appeared on the field before unleashing a barrage of lightning bolts, which struck Storm King and wrapped around him like a cocoon.
"What's happening?" Flash asked as he stood back up.
"Primal Storm Awakening. Once per turn, I can banish Storm King to summon my even more powerful form. A form so powerful that my people were forbidden from ever taking it. But now, I will unleash my ultimate power." With that, the lightning cocoon began to take quadrupedal shape before finally fading to reveal Tempest's new monster.
It looked like the combination of a wolf and a Chinese dragon that was as big as Magna Strider. Its head was wolf-like, covered it bright blue fur along with its neck and chest with a streak of fur running down its back and covering its tail. The rest of its body was white, with large front legs and paws that were covered in scales. Its body was more serpent-like, and its back legs and paws were smaller. Finally, it had a pair of long blue string-like whiskers and three bright yellow eyes. "Behold, Primal Dominator...IMPERIAL BEAST OF THE STORM!" (A4500/D4000/L12) The beast let out a mighty roar, as lightning surged around its body.
Celestia: What an upset. Tempest Shadow has shocked everyone in the stadium with the arrival of a never before seen monster.
Luna: What kind of power does it possess. I'm almost scared to find out.
Flash practically quivered at the sight of it. No doubt it didn't just look dangerous.
"I am the ruler of this Duel," Tempest told him. "And I'm going to prove it to you, once and for all." Lightning began to spark off of Flash's Dominated monsters, then fly off them and surround Primal Dominator. "Activating the skill of Imperial Beast of the Storm! When it's summoned, it can deal you five hundred points of damage for every Dominated monster on the field!" Flash's eyes went wide hearing this, as the wolf/dragon monster opened its mouth and let out a might howling roar. Doing so caused the lightning it had collected to shoot off of it and fly into the sky, taking the form of serpentine dragon that flew down and collided with Flash.
"AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" Flash cried as the electricity ran through his body, knocking him off his feet and causing him to slam into the ground.
Flash: 200 Tempest: 1100
"FLASH!" Everyone cried out, seeing the smoke coming off Flash's body as he lay there with a look of pain on his face.
"Don't bother getting up," Tempest told him. "You're only going to increase your suffering." She then frowned when she saw Flash rollover before standing up, shakily at first but managing to stay upright.
"Don't tell me what to do," he panted.
Tempest growled, "Primal Dominator's skill!" In that moment, the ghostly image of Storm Guard Dominator Spear appeared infront of the monster. "Select one Dominator monster in the graveyard and banish it!" The ghost bust into electrical energy, which began to surround Tempest's monster. "Imperial Beast of the Storm now gains that monster's special abilities."
"So now that thing has Spear Dominator's ability?" Gilda asked.
"Is that even allowed?" Soarin asked. Everyone else grew worried, fearing this may be the end.
"This is my Duel," Tempest told Flash as her monster began to charge up its power. "And the future is in my grasp! Skill of Primal Dominator! Plus five hundred ATK points for every Dominated monster on the field at the start of the battle phase." (A6000/D4000/L12) "This Duel ends now. And with it, I will put an end to this entire WORLD!" With that, Primal Dominator leapt into the air. "Skill inherited from Storm Guard Dominator Spear. At the cost of half my monsters ATK points, he can attack you directly!" (A3000/D4000/L12)
As the monster got closer and closer to Flash, everyone in the stadium looked away. They did not want to see this.
"NO!" Flash cried out, catching everyone's attention. "I won't lose. Not to you. Not to someone who doesn't understand how important our bonds are!" His face down flipped up, "Trap Summon!" The steampunk girl carrying a golden shield appeared between Flash and Primal Dominator, "Magna Guardian Arma Excess!" (A100/D2000/L4)
The girl held up the shield and created a force field that blocked Imperial Beast of the Storm's attack. "Skill activated!" Flash turned to his Dominated monsters, as each one was sucked into a portal. "Thanks, guys. Take a good rest." They might not have been able to say it, but Flash knew the three of them were thanking him for freeing them of the Dominate. Flash then turned back to Tempest, "since three monsters were banished by Excess's skill, your monster now loses fifteen hundred ATK points!"
Tempest's eyes went wide as she looked up and saw her monster's ATK points be reduced. (A1500/D4000/L12) With its ATK points now so low, the monster's attack couldn't break through Arma's defence and was blasted away. Tempest, meanwhile, cried out as she felt the backlash of the attack. "Augh!"
Flash: 200 Tempest: 600
Celestia: He survived it!
The entire crowd burst out into applause, unable to believe he managed to stop such an unstoppable force. "ALRIGHT!" Spike and Sunburst cried, both sharing a high-five in excitement. "That's awesome!" Sunburst cheered.
Luna: No doubt this Duel will soon be drawing to a close. Both sides only have a handful of points left. Even with his field almost completely wiped out, somehow Flash was able to hang in there.
"I end my turn," Tempest announced. As she said that, Primal Dominator was surrounded by a cocoon of lightning. "During my End Phase, Primal Dominator returns to the hand and I can summon Storm King Dominator if it's been removed from play." The lightning faded, revealing the satyr that was looming over Flash's field. "One turn. That's all you've bought yourself. One turn and this match is over. On my next turn, I'll summon Primal Dominator and with it, I'll end you."
Flash frowned as he stared at Tempest, a look of determination on his face. "I'm not gonna let that happen." He reached for his deck, as a thin light began to radiant off of it. "I told you. I refuse to lose to someone who doesn't understand how important our bonds are." He drew his card and smiled when he saw what it was, then closed his eyes as he felt the world around him fade away. Then, when he opened them again, he saw he was in a dark void. But he wasn't alone.
Looking around, he saw all the monsters of his deck surrounding him. They all smiled at him, Flash smiling back as he spun around to look at them all. "Yeah, no doubt the bonds I share with you all are important."
"To us as well," he turned to see Vail Pixie fly over to him.
Flash nodded, but then frowned. "It's just sad that not everyone can share a bond like ours. For most Duellists, they only ever get to see their monsters in card or hologram form."
"It's true not everyone is able to communicate with their monsters like you, Misty or Scootaloo can. But that doesn't mean they don't share any connection." The black void and the rest of Flash's monsters disappeared, as Flash and Vail Pixie appeared over the city of Canterlot. Flash looked down and saw crystals covering it, making him realise this was from a year ago. He watched as many different monsters appeared and began to destroy the crystals. "The Shadow Gate might have allowed us all to come here, but it was only because we heard the call of the Duellists in this world." She smiled as she turned to him. "And we heard the call, because of the bonds the beings of our world share."
Flash smiled back, knowing she was right. He looked around and saw all the happy faces of the people and monsters, as they worked together to protect the world. "This really is an incredible thing." As he said this, a thought appeared in his head. "Do you...do you think maybe it's possible for our two worlds to be permanently connected?"
Vail Pixie raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what he meant.
"Not just through Duelling, or through special points like the Shadow Gate. I mean, do you think it's possible for anyone, human or Duel Monster, to travel between the worlds and choose to live in the other. That way, anyone can talk to any Duel Spirit they want."
As he said this, something happened. In a flash of light, Canterlot changed to how it looked today. The only difference was, the Duel Spirits were still there. They were just there, not battling but instead walking around, playing or working. All kinds of monsters, Warrior and Spellcaster, Dinosaur and Machine, Fairy and Fiend. They were all there, along with the humans they appeared to be friends with. It was just like what Flash had envisioned.
"Yeah, just like this."
Vail Pixie smiled, especially when the scene changed to show her world and she saw humans there alongside monsters. That included Misty and her. "I admit, it does seem like an amazing idea." She turned towards him, "but it won't come around just because you want it too. You'll have to work to make it happen."
Flash nodded, knowing she was right. In a flash of light, the teen found he was back in the void. The earth was floating behind him and as he turned around he saw the Duel Monster Spirit world, with all his monsters floating infront of it, as the two planets appeared to be getting further and further away from each other.
"It won't be easy," Vail Pixie told him. "What you want to do is something most wouldn't even dream of attempting."
"Yeah," Flash agreed, "you're right."
"You'll need to study hard and train even harder. But you must start now, as you may not have nearly enough time."
Flash nodded. "Yes, I understand."
"You won't be able to do it on your own. You'll need the wisdom, the technical help and cooperation of many others."
Flash smirked, "I'll do it anyway." He watched as his monsters all smiled back at him, Flash Heart then moving infront of them all. Then he did something Flash never believe possible. He spoke.
"Although it was destiny that made it so you had this connection with our world, it's your task to now forge a path of your own." Flash's eyes went wide hearing this, unable to believe he was actually talking to him. He then smiled and nodded, the two of them reaching out their hands as they suddenly started floating closer together. The planets doing the same behind them.
"Yeah." The two of them soon got within just a few feet of each other, the gap growing smaller and smaller. "If we can ever meet again in real life, let's Duel one another. I'm sure you guys are gonna get hooked on it too." The two finally reached each other, as a light began to glow in the few inches of the gap between their hands. And as they finally connected, that light exploded and filled the void around the two of them.
Yes, this was what Flash was going to do. He was gonna make a world where humans and Duel Spirits could live together in perfect harmony. But first, he had a Duel to win.
The light finally died down as Flash opened his eyes, seeing he was back in the Duel Field. And he was ready to win, as the portal formed above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened up before a single light shot out of it and hit the ground, revealing Flash's ace monster. "Flash Heart Dragon...X!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
Tempest sighed at the sight of this. "Honestly. Haven't you learnt by now. You can't beat me. You have one monster that doesn't stand a chance against mine. Just give up."
"Never!" Flash cried out. "I'll never give up, not until I've achieved my goals. Because I'm not just fighting for myself. I'm fighting for all those I share a bond with. I'm fighting to honour those bonds of friendship." Tempest frown, then watched as Flash held up the card he'd drawn. "I'll do whatever I can to ensure I claim the future I want." The card glowed as he activated it, "Bring it on! I'll show you the limitless potential within me. I play...QUANTUM NEXUS RITUAL!"
Up in the sky, a giant magic circle appeared. Seconds later, Magna Chimp, Magna Pegasus, Spino Gear, Tempusidium, Magna Boar and Magna Wolf appeared around the circle. One by one, they each morphed into a light that flew into the circle and made it glow and expand. "By sending banished monsters to the bottom of my deck, I can now warp space and time in order to give life to a whole new monster!" The circle reached its limit and began to firing bolts of blue lightning before completely exploding, the light becoming a single beam that struck the ground. "I RITUAL SUMMON!"
From within the light, a new monster appeared before the glow faded to allow it to be seen. "QUANTUM NEXUS DRAGON!" (A4000/D4000/L12/P0)
The entire stadium was silent, unable to believe what they'd just witnessed.
Celestia: Flash Sentry has introduced another new card into the tournament!
Luna: What will this brand new monster have to offer us?
Celestia: I can't wait to find out.
"Wow," Spike whispered.
"Since when did he get that?" Sunburst asked.
Misty smiled as she watched her son jump up onto Flash Heart's back, as the dragon flew up beside Quantum Nexus. "You're certainly carving out a new path for yourself Flash."
"Quantum Nexis Dragon, attack Storm King Dominator!" The beast raised its sword and flew forwards, a green aura surrounding the blade of its weapon. "Thanks to Lunara and Solaris's Pendulum Abilities, your Spell and Trap effects are negated while my Pendulum Monster attacks."
Tempest looked around, still trying to find an Action Card. She might not be able to save her monster but she could still save herself from Flash Heart's attack. But as Quantum Nexus reached Storm King and slashed at it, the satyr raising its staff to defend itself, Tempest was shocked to see neither monster was destroyed. "What?"
"Gotcha!" Flash cried out as Quantum Nexus leapt away from Storm King. "Let me fill you in. When Quantum Nexus Dragon attacks, neither it or the monster it attacks is destroyed. Instead, your monster now gains a Quantum Counter."
Tempest raised an eyebrow before looking up at her monster and seeing the green aura that had been on the blade, was now spiralling into Storm King's staff created the same magic circle the dragon had come out of. "But why?"
Flash just smirked, "I end my turn. And with that, Quantum Nexus Dragon's skill now activates!" He reached for his deck. "First, I banish the top ten cards of my deck. Then, for every monster banished, one turn is skipped over and we go straight into the battle phase of the next one."
"You're skipping over my turn?" Tempest asked.
"That's right. Though if I draw an even number of monsters, it'll skip onto your turn."
"That's an awfully big risk you're taking," she told him.
"Maybe," Flash told her, "but it's worth it. Because during each Standby Phase, any monster with a Quantum Counter loses five hundred life points." This made Tempest's eyes go wide, making her see the danger of this monster.
Celestia: It all comes down to this. The fate of this Duel all comes down to the cards Flash draws.
Everyone was on the edge of their seat, unable to take the anticipation as they waited for Flash to draw his cards. "Dang it!" Scootaloo said, "don't you mess this up Flash. Or you'll be in big trouble"
Rainbow smiled. "If you miss this, I'll never forgive you."
"Go for it," Applejack said.
"Show us the future you're striving for," Rarity prayed.
"We believe in you," Fluttershy did the same.
Down below, Twilight was in tears as she watched her boyfriend push on. 'This is why I love you. Because no matter what you find yourself up against, you keep pushing forward and never let it overcome you.' "Now," she took a deep breath, "WIN THIS!"
Flash heard that and smiled. "Now revealing the top ten cards of the deck. The first card!" He drew it and showed the whole world what it was, everyone seeing Aura Pulse Magna Rat.
This caused Tempest's turn to skip off, the girl looking up to see her monster appearing to grow older as its armour rusted. (A3500/D4000/L12) "No."
"The second card!" Flash flipped it over and revealed Soul Release, making him frown before going back to his deck. "The third card!" This time he revealed Space-Warp Dragon, another turn passing as Storm King continued to age (A3000/D4000/L12) "The fourth card!" This one was Nightlight Magna Sheep, the process repeating itself as Storm King grew weaker (A2500/D4000/L12) "The fifth card!" This time, he got Pendulum Loader. "The sixth card!" Again, no luck as he drew Dimensional Prison. "The seventh card!" This time he got Lightspeed Dragon, the turn skipping over to Tempest's as Storm King grew weaker. (A2000/D4000/L12) His armour was practically dust now. "The eighth card" Mystical Space Typhoon was the card drawn this time, leaving the turn on Tempest's. "The ninth card!" He flipped it over, revealing Brittle Shield. He only had one card left to draw and if it wasn't a monster, Tempest would be the one getting her turn.
"Come on," he whispered as he placed his hand on his Duel Disk. "We can do this," he closed his eyes and drew the card. "I BELIEVE!" He brought the card up to his face and opened his eyes, which went wide when he saw what it was. "YES!" He held the card up for everyone to see. "This is the bond that our worlds share! A bond that allows us to do the impossible!"
Luna: It's Shining Fang Magna Wolf
Tempest's heart almost stopped as she looked over at her monster, seeing it age one last time as her turn came to an end. (A1500/D4000/L12) "NO!"
The whole crowd burst into cheers and applause as they watched this unfold, amazed that Flash was able to pull this trick off. Cold meanwhile, simply smiled as he watched Flash Heart landed on the ground and got into a runner ready pose. The dragon's jet ignited, building up power.
"Those who continue to pursue their true potential. They're the ones, who grasp the future."
Misty smiled whilst looking down at her son. 'The future may be a long way off, but it's certainly there...waiting for us.'
Sunburst and Spike both watched their teammate push forward, both smiling as they thought about what they'd learnt in the Double X. "Keep going and never give up," Sunburst told him. "That is how you achieve your goal. And along the path, we may find more then we were looking for. Isn't that right, Flash?"
Spike nodded. "Show us the way. Please Flash. The path to the future!"
Flash grabbed hold of his monster's back, making sure not to lose his grip. "One day, I'll see you guys again for real. But before that, I wanna become the best person possible. So I can proudly stand before you and say...this is me." The dragon released its grip on the ground and went flying forwards, pulling its fist back it got closer and closer.
Tempest meanwhile could only step back as she watched her decrepit true form be attacked. "This...this can't be happening."
Flash Heart finally reached Storm King, has Flash let out a mighty cry. "GOOOO!" The robotic dragon threw a punch towards Storm King, who raised its staff to protect itself. And as the two connected, a mighty flash of light filled the arena and blinded everyone.
"GOOOO!" The robotic dragon threw a punch towards Storm King, who raised its staff to protect itself. And as the two connected, a mighty flash of light filled the arena and blinded everyone. The only ones who could see were Flash and Tempest, thus they were the only ones who watched Storm King's staff shatter as Flash Heart slammed his fist into the satyr's chest and broke through the armour.
The monster unleashed a mighty roar as it exploded, the force of the explosion sending Tempest flying backwards as she let out a scream.
Flash: 200 (Winner) Tempest 0
The light of the explosion mixed with the already existing light, finally causing Flash to close his eyes as he felt everything around him disappear. The sound of the crowd and the pressure under his feet vanished, making him open his eyes and looked around to find he was back in the void.
He looked around and saw the Tempest avatar standing infront of a screen, with a light string connecting her to the real Tempest, who was still tied up. "Tempest!" He floated over to the real one, only to feel something coming at him. "WOW!" He barely managed to evade a clawed hand as it swung close too him, looking over to see Storm King glaring at him. "Let her go!"
"Never!" Storm King growled, only to flinch as a cracking sound filled the air. They both glanced over at Tempest and saw the chains she was wrapped in were beginning to crack.
Storm King growled, whilst Flash pulled out a card. "Come to me!" In a flash of light, Scarvolt appeared beside him and drew her sword in preparation of battle.
"It's over Dominator!" Scarvolt told him. "Release your hold on Tempest."
"I will not!" Storm King growled. "I still have a mission to accomplish." More cracking filled the air, as the chains holding Tempest continued to crack.
"The Soulink is breaking. Your compatibility with Tempest was the bare minimum needed to form the link. This one Duel was enough to break it."
"No!" Storm King flew forwards, swinging its staff towards her. Scarvolt barely managed to block it with her sword, the two pushing at one another as Flash flew over to Tempest.
"Hold on Tempest." He began to pull at the chains, which slowly began to grow looser. As he did, he heard a moaning sound and looked up to see Tempest's eyes opening.
"Scar....volt."
"Stay with me!" Flash begged her, continuing to pull at the chain and managing to finally break one. "We're getting you out of here!" But as he began pulling at the next chain, a loud cry of pain made them both turn to see Scarvolt be knocked backwards by Storm King.
"No," Tempest whispered. As she could do was watch Storm King pointed its staff at Scarvolt and unleashed a burst of lightning, which struck the Tempest Rogue and wrapped around her as she was electrocuted.
Scarvolt cried out in pain as she tried to break free, but was unable to do so as Storm King smiled. "Once you're gone, nothing will stop me from keeping this body and reviving my lord."
Scarvolt stopped struggling as her body went limp, able to do nothing but turn to look at Tempest. And as the two stared at one another, they both felt something click within them. "No," Scarvolt started pulling against the electric bonds, "I...won't let you have her."
"I won't let you destroy her," Tempest pulled against the chains. It was then that the two of them started glowing a golden light, which surprised both Flash and Storm King. Storm King saw his attack was no longer hurting Scarvolt, the light around her shielding her from the lightning. Meanwhile, Flash watched as the light around Tempest caused the chains to begin melting.
As the light grew brighter and brighter, the two spoke in perfect unison. "WE WON'T LET YOU CONTROL US ANYMORE!" With that, the light exploded off of them and completely destroyed their bindings.
Flash and Storm King both shielded their eyes from the light, which eventually died down. When they opened their eyes, they both saw Tempest was freed from her restraints and Scarvolt had floated over to her. Only now, the Tempest Rogue looked different.
The armour around her chest, arms and boots were now bright gold, and her cloak now had gold trim around the edge of the hood and running down the seams. She was now carrying a pair of golden bladed shortswords and her mask was also golden.
Storm King just stared at them, only to suddenly feel a shot of pain rush through his body. "What...have you done."
"We have liberated ourselves from you," Scarvolt told him. "The infection that is your spirit is no longer welcome here." Storm King growled and tried to rush forward, but his body suddenly gave out and he fell to his knees.
He looked down at his hands and saw them beginning to fade away, the others watching as the same thing happened to the rest of his body. All he could do was sit there as he grew fainter and fainter, turning to glare at them all. "This isn't...over. I may have been beaten, but I am not alone." Only his head now remained, which was disappearing with each passing second. "My lord will be revived, the zealots will make sure of it. And when he is, I'll make sure none of you are saved by him. Enjoy your time on this doomed rock while you can, because soon Zeronull will rise and everything you know will be lost."
With that, he completely vanished. His staff fell to the floor and turned to dust, disintegrating as the string of light that had connected the satyr to the avatar was retracted into the body. And as soon as it did, the body went limp.
Tempest suddenly found herself being pulled towards her body, her ghostly form phasing into it and disappearing. The body opened its eyes before gasping for air, feeling herself finally back in control after over a year of being a prisoner.
She then began to sway until she fell back, only to fell something catch her.
She looked around and saw Scarvolt was the one holding her, the two smiling at one another before shifting into a hug. "Scarvolt!"
"Oh, Tempest," the Duel Spirit held her tight. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," Tempest pulled back and looked sad. "I'm sorry I was so weak. If I had been stronger, he wouldn't have gotten hold of-"
"No!" Scarvolt gave her a stern look, "this isn't your fault. Never think that." She pulled her into another hug, the two holding onto one another as Flash watched with a smile on his face. He then felt the world around him fade. And before he could call out to them, a bright flash made him shield his eyes.
Then, as Flash opened his eyes, he looked around to see that he was now back in the stadium.
Realising what had just happened, he looked down at his Duel Disk and saw the point total. Tempest's Life Points...were zero. He'd done it, he'd beaten her.
Celestia: AT LAST! At last the big moment has arrived.
Luna: The Double X Tournament is over. The winner...FLASH SENTRY!
The entire stadium broke out into a brilliant round of applause, not a single seat occupied as the audience all stood up to cheer for the tournament winners. Flash couldn't believe his ears as he looked around, smiling a brilliant smile at the many people in the stands. And they weren't the only ones celebrating, as all over the country fans of the team were cheering. Pinkie was crying out in joy as she hugged Maud, whilst Grand just smiled with pride at his grandson's achievements. Even the Dazzlings were impressed by the team's feat, as the Celestic Sisters continued to speak.
Celestia: They've overcome tremendous battles
Luna: They've defeated many challenges along the way.
Celestia: Ladies and gentlemen, are new champions. Flash Sentry, Sunburst and Spike. Better known as...
Both: TEAM V-FIGHTERS!
"FLASH!" The teen turned to see his friends rushing towards him, Sunburst appearing to have forgotten about his injuries as they reached him. "We did it!" Sunburst yelled out, actually leaping at Flash and throwing his arms around him. "We won!" But in doing so, he knocked Flash off balance and the two began to trip over. Spike attempted to save them, but he was pulled along with them and the three fell into a dogpile of the floor. They didn't care, because they'd just won.
Meanwhile, Tempest sat herself up and moaned whilst holding her head. She then looked around and appeared to be in shock, quickly pulling off her glove and seeing the mark on her hand burn away. "I...I'm free." She turned to look over at team V-Fighters and smiled, tears appearing in her eyes.
She began to walk over to them, tossing her glove onto the ground as she did.
"You had me on the edge of my seat," she heard Spike tell Flash.
"It was so tense," Sunburst said. "I could barely watch."
Flash smirked, "cut it out. I won, didn't I?" It was then that they noticed Tempest approaching, Spike and Sunburst both looking worried whilst Flash looked down at her hand. When he saw the mark was gone, he smiled and looked up into her eyes. "It's you, isn't it. The real you I mean."
Tempest smiled back and nodded. "Yes," her hand was placed over her chest, "my torment is finally over thanks to you." She reached out her hand, "thank you. And I hope that one day, we can have a real Duel."
Flash smiled back before reaching out and grasping her hand, the two shaking it. "No problem. I look forward to it." He then remembered something and reached into his jacket pocket. "Oh yeah," he took out a card and held it out. "Here. I think Scarvolt would want you to have this."
Tempest took the card and saw it was Scarvolt, in her new Liberator form. Seeing her partner looking so powerful made her smile, her tears increasing as she held the card close to her heart. "Thank you. Thank you for everything." The V-Fighters could only smile, the rest of their friends doing the same.
Everything seemed like a blur after that. Cold and the Celestic Sisters came out to present them with their trophy and plaques stating they'd won, as photographers and journalists took photos and asked them questions. Later, the team met up with their friends and were given another round of congratulations.
Twilight gave Flash the best kiss they'd ever shared, whilst Spike was hugged by almost every single girl he was friends with. But no one was more happy then Sunburst, who burst into tears when he and Starlight met and hugged. Years of separation and heartache were forgotten, as the two of them embraced one another.
Afterwards, they all went out and celebrated the boy's victory along with their triumph over two of the Dominators. They all knew that afterwards, they had a lot to do.
One week later...
The week following the Double X's end was filled with just as much hype as the ones leading up to it. All over town, young teens were picking up a deck for the first time and learning the rules. Having seen the many amazing Duels during the tournament, they were eager to one day be apart of something like that.
"That final was unbelievable," a teenager said. He and his friend were currently in a convenience store, both reading a magazine that had several articles about the Double X. Team V-Fighters pictures were on the cover, and there were several interviews with them and other high ranking teams that had taken place.
His friend smiled as he turned to him. "Hey, why don't we try our luck and enter the Double X ourselves next year."
On a bench outside the store, a bunch of young kids were having a sitdown Duel. "Here I go," one of them said as he placed an Enemy Controller card on the field. "I play Sunburst Gate."
His opponent smiled as he placed two non-Pendulum Monsters in his Pendulum Zone. "I Pendulum Summon." Obviously they didn't know how to actually play, but they were having fun and that was the whole point. "I'm gonna be the next champion!"
Back at Freeze Stadium, Shining and Cadance were sitting down for their lunch break. As they did, they heard a bunch of young Duellists talking.
"Pendulum Summoning has gotta be the best style ever," one of them told their friends.
"No way," a girl replied. "Synchro Summoning's the best."
"Fusion Summoning!" One of the other kids yelled.
The husband and wife both smiled at this sight, happy new Duellists were being inspired to learn how to play the game. "I love the excitement that builds up in the air before a tournament," Shining said. "But this is pretty special too. Everyone's so upbeat, with new goals and great energy."
Cadance nodded whilst thinking back to the mountain of paperwork that was covering her desk. "And with all the applications we've been receiving for the upcoming tournaments and special events, no doubt the next generation of Duellists are gonna be as good, if not better, then the current generation."
Shining smirked. "Though they're not gonna stand a chance against Flurry once she starts Duelling." Cadance smiled bad at him, agreeing wholeheartedly before finishing the last few bites of her lunch. "Well, we'd better get back to work. The future's not gonna arrive if we don't do everything in our power to help it." Shining nodded and finished off his lunch. Together, the two returned to their work to help bring about the next generation of Duellists.
As they got back to work, Team Crusaders were currently hard at work. They were training for next years Double X, which they had every intention of winning.
"Attack!" Scootaloo cried as her monster shot across the holo-table and destroyed her opponent's, wiping out the last of their life points, "Yes!"
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both smiled, as they continued with their own Duels. "There's no way we're missing out next year," Applebloom said as her Synchro Pendulum Monsters attacked.
"We're going all the way to the top!" Sweetie agreed as she summoned her Fusion Monster.
The three then said in unison, "TEAM CRUSADERS IS GONNA BE THE BEST!"
As team Crusaders worked to be next years Double X Champions, this years Double X Champions were currently facing off against one of their biggest opponents.
"I challenge you!" A ten-year-old cried out, holding his deck up to signal his readiness to Duel. Team V-Fighters were currently in the park, smiling as the group of children were grouped up around them.
"Sure," Flash said, "I'm ready to throw down."
Spike smirked, "you really think you can take me?"
Sunburst rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, but not today. I have somewhere I need to be." This made the little kids all awe and pout, looking upset as Sunburst pushed his way through the lot of them. He then turned back to his teammates. "I'll see you guys later."
Flash and Spike both nodded, "try not to be late. Cold won't be happy if you are."
"We won't be," he assured them before heading off. Once he was, the two turned back to the young kids.
"Alright," Flash pulled out his Duel Disk, "who's up first?"
"And who wants to take me on?" Spike asked, doing the same things.
Once in Cloudsdale, team Wonderbolts was in a meeting with Spitfire.
"I just got back from a meeting with the board," the principal told them. "They found your third-place ranking...acceptable." The three all sighed in relief. "Infact, our school's received a lot of good promotion due to this and several students have come to me with inquiries about possibly joining your team. It seems we may be sending several teams into the tournament next year."
"That's awesome!" Rainbow said. "The more teams we enter, the better chance we'll have at winning next year."
"That's the plan," Spitfire told them. "You three have made this school proud."
"Thank you, ma'am," Soarin bowed. "And thank you for letting us compete. I feel I've grown a lot stronger in doing so, and I know that strength will help me in next year's soccer league." Spitfire smirked and nodded, dismissing the three.
Once they were back in the halls, Gilda turned to the two of them. "I gotta admit, that tournament was pretty epic. Thanks for letting me be apart of it."
"No problem," Rainbow told her. "So, you guys hear from any of the scouts yet? With how awesome you guys did in the final round, you'll probably be beating off sponsors with a stick."
"I haven't heard anything," Soarin said.
"Me neither," Gilda told them. "But it's early days. Those lamos are probably watching our Duels over and over again. They'd be idiots not to try and pick us." With that, she headed off down the hallway.
Soarin turned to Rainbow, "you heading off soon?"
"Yeah?" Rainbow nodded, "I'm meeting up with the others. You sure you don't wanna come? You're apart of this now."
"Nah," he said, "I'll hold down the fort here. Just tell me if you learn anything new."
"Will do," Rainbow headed off. She then stopped, "hey Soarin."
He turned towards her, "yeah?"
Rainbow glanced back and smiled at him, "you were the best partner I could ever ask for." This made Soarin go wide-eyed hearing this. "I know I might not have said it during the tournament, but you were amazing through the whole thing. And...I'm sorry about what I said during your Duel with Applejack. I was just...trying to keep you from getting cocky."
"Yeah," Soarin said, "I figured that. You were right. I probably would have gotten too big for my boots if I hadn't lost to Applejack then. And that might have destroyed me if I'd lost after it. You really helped me then. So thanks."
Rainbow smirked back, "no problem." She gave him a thumbs up. "I mean it. You're an amazing Duelist and I'm glad we got to fight together. Hopefully, next year we can go all the way to the top."
Soarin nodded, "you've got my support...captain." The two continued to smile at one another for several seconds until they finally looked away, both heading down the corridor in different directions. What they didn't know, was that the other was completely red in the face. No doubt the Double X had brought them close together, and that bond would continue to grow strong as they worked to achieve their goals. Together, as a team.
Over by the river, Twilight, Fluttershy and Tidal were watching as the boats float by.
Twilight sighed as the wind blew passed her, "such a nice breeze. Kind of reminds me of the one I felt at the top of the Eiffel Tower." As she said that, the memory of when she went there with Moondancer appeared in the front of her mind. But now, that memory did not invoke pain like it had before. Now, it just made her smile as she remembered what an amazing person she was.
Fluttershy and Tidal saw this and both smiled, happy Twilight had finally overcome her grief.
"It's been a long ride," Tidal said. "But in the end, I think it was worth it." He turned to the girls, "you've all grown a lot in the tournament. You've gone from a group of fair maidens into a trio of strong ladies that could take anything the world throws at them."
Twilight and Fluttershy both smiled, agreeing wholeheartedly. Twilight turned to look back at the river, remembering her Duel with Flash and what she'd realised during it. "I've decided, I want to help spread the word of how much fun Duelling can be." She stood up, "I'm gonna dedicate my life to making sure no one grows up without knowing how amazing this game is."
Both Tidal and Fluttershy smiled as the pink-haired girl said, "I think that's a wonderful way to live."
"Si," Tidal agreed, "I'm sure Moondancer would be proud to hear you say that."
Twilight smiled at them, agreeing with that. She knew this was what she wanted to do with her life, help spread the bonds of friendship that this game forged to the whole world. She then looked up at the sky, "watch me Moondancer. I'm going to help create a perfect world."
Over at Freeze Industries, Sunset and Cold were in his office.
The man placed a piece of paper on the table towards her, the girl taking it to look over. "What's this?"
Cold smiled as he replied, "a list of sponsors looking to fund your professional career." This made Sunset's eyes go wide as she looked down to see how many there were.
"No way. All of them?" Cold just nodded, making Sunset almost start to hyperventilate. "I don't believe it."
"I don't see why you're so surprised. Even though you lost, your performance in the finals was something quite spectacular. Any sponsor would be mad not to want to fund you."
This made Sunset smile. "Thanks, Cold."
"No need to thank me. You did this all on your own. You've really grown into an independent young woman. I'm proud of you." Sunset blushed as she once again looked down at the list of names and phone numbers. She was so glad Twilight had asked her to join her team and enter the Double X. Now she could help show the world how amazing the game she loved was. And the best part, she'd never have to touch another piece of sushi again.
In another part of the city, Sunburst walked down the road until he found the spot he was looking for.
And there, sitting on a bench, was the one he was here to meet. Starlight heard the footsteps and turned to see him, smiling as she shuffled over to give him room to sit down. "Hey," he sat next to her, "so how have you been doing?"
"Okay," Starlight replied whilst looking down at the ground. Sunburst mentally kicked himself at how brash he was, but had no idea how to really talk to her. It had been easy when they were in a big group, but alone it just felt...awkward. "So," he turned to her, "how's it feel to finally be the big Duelling hotshot everyone back home always thought you'd be."
Sunburst smirked, "I'm already feeling exhausted. My mom's been working nonstop, trying to get me on a bunch of different talk shows and endorsement deals." This made Starlight break out into laughter, wiping away a tear as she did so.
"Well, it can't be any worse than what my dad did when I finally got home. He wrapped me up in my old blanky and gave me a super tight hug." Her tears of laughter suddenly changed to different tears, as she began to cling to herself. "To think, I actually missed when he did that whilst I was..."
Sunburst turned to give her a reassuring look, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. It's over now. You can get on with your life and never have to worry about any of that ever again."
Starlight turned to smile at him and nodded, then stood up. "You're right. And there's one thing I've been wanting to do since you freed me." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her Duel Disk, holding it up for him to see. "You may have beaten the avatar that was controlling me, but you didn't beat me. Time to show you what my deck can do when its real owner is using it."
Sunburst smiled and stood up, pulling out his own Duel Disk. They headed over to a more open spot, shuffling one another's decks as they prepared to face off. "So what are you planning on doing now?"
Starlight hummed as she thought about it. "I'm not sure yet. I'm still serious about one day standing at the top of the Duelling world, but there's something else I need to do before then."
"Oh yeah?" Starlight nodded back.
"A Dominator stole a year of my life and I don't know who they were and why they did it. I want to find out, even if it takes years to do so." She saw Sunburst frowning at this, obviously thinking she shouldn't try and push herself like that. "I have to do this or I'll never be able to move on from it."
Sunburst nodded. "I understand. Then I'll help you. No matter what, we'll do it together." This made Starlight smile as they gave back each other's decks and activated their Duel Disks.
"DUEL!"
Later that day, as the sun began to set, Flash and Spike arrived at Freeze Stadium.
Heading inside, they spotted most of their friends sitting around a large table and went to join them. "Hey," Flash waved as they arrived, "we the last ones here?"
"No," Rarity replied, "Sunburst and Starlight aren't here yet. Neither is Cold, Sunset or Tempest."
Spike moaned, "I told him not to be late."
"Ain't nothing we can do about it now," Applejack told him. "Just have to sit and wait for them."
"Eyup,"
"I'm sure they won't be too long," Twilight explained as Flash sat down next to her. And just like that, the sound of footsteps made them turn to see Sunburst and Starlight walk up to them.
"Hey," he waved at them.
"Good to see you all," Starlight did the same. And as they sat down, Cold and Sunset arrived as well and sat down. Now there was only one chair left, with its intended inhabitance not there yet.
That person was outside, staring up at the large building infront of her. She looked very nervous, but took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing," she headed inside as saw the others all waiting for her. "Hello," she said as she sat down with them, "it's good to see you all."
"It's good to see you too," Flash replied with a smirk. "Well...the real you anyway." This made Tempest frown, the others all thinking it over.
"It's kind of weird," Rainbow said. "Even though we've met a bunch of times, this is the first time we're really talking to you."
"Not really," Tempest replied. "Over the last week, several memories that the avatar had formed during its time controlling me have returned to me. I remember many of the Duels it had against you and several conversations it'd had with you all. So really, I know you all quite well."
"It's the same with me," Starlight agreed. "Not everything's come back to me, but a lot of very recent memories are beginning to surface."
"Makes sense," Misty told them. "The avatars were connected to you, and now that it no longer exists the memories it made had to go somewhere. You'll probably find more memories returning with time."
Tempest frowned. "Honestly, I'd be happy if a few of them never return. The less I remember about what I did whilst Dominated, the better. Even so, I know those memories could be important to help finding out what Storm King and his comrades were trying to do." She then stood up, surprising everyone, and bowed. "I want to take this opportunity to apologie for everything I put you through."
"Same here," Starlight stood up and did the same. "I'm so sorry."
Sunburst frowned, "you don't need to do that."
"He's right," Cold agreed. "You two were just another victim of the Dominate. This wasn't your fault."
Tempest shook her head. "I have to accept some blame. Storm King Dominator was only able to take control of me because I was weak-minded." She reached up and touched the scar on her face. "I let the pain of my past weaken my spirit, which gave him the opening he needed to Dominate me."
Starlight nodded. "I can't even remember which Duel Monster Dominated me. It seems it was trying to prevent me from knowing anything about it, as if it knew I'd one day manage to escape its clutches and wanted to make sure I couldn't give you any useful information."
"Well it's not like we're completely in the dark," Cold told them. "Flash has already told us about what Storm King had told the two of you during the Duel."
"Yes," Tempest nodded, "Storm King wasn't even the highest player in this game."
"So who was?" Sweetie asked.
"We're not sure," Flash replied. "That's something Storm King kept to himself. But whoever they were, they were strong. I doubt just any Duel Monster has the power to put a stone statue back together and revert it back to flesh."
Tempest nodded in agreement. "They also gave Storm King the Staff of Sacanus, which gave him the ability to Dominate monsters more easily and steal the powers of his comrades. With that, they sent Storm King into this world to fulfil an important mission. The first was to find a suitable vessel for one of his allies and Dominate them, which lead him to find Marble Pie and bring Gaia-Maiden into this world."
Everyone frowned hearing this, knowing just how terrible Pinkie and Maud must be feeling right now.
"Once that was taken care of, Storm King handed the rest of the cards needed to bring their comrades into this world. I believe that is what Marble's been doing since the end of the Double X."
"Do you maybe know which Duel monsters they are?" Sunset asked her.
Twilight nodded. "If we know which ones we're up against, we might be able to find the Duellists that are the best vessels for them and stop it from happening."
Tempest shook her head. "Unfortunately, that's one of the memories I've yet to regain." Everyone sighed at this, as the young woman continued. "All I remember is that Storm King had four cards in his possession, one of which was Gaia-Maiden."
"So that leaves three more," Sunburst caught on.
Tempest nodded. "Plus, Storm King and Starlight's Dominator weren't the only ones who arrived here during the Shadow Gate incident. I believe there was at least one other Dominator that's been here since then, likely setting up their operations."
"What about Heath?" Spike asked. "Or...you know, Flaming Emperor Hellfire."
Tempest shook her head. "Believe it or not, Hellfire wasn't a true Dominator. His Soullink was one formed the right way, with his host's agreement. However, I get the feeling we may not have seen the last of him. The same as with Marble Pie."
Shining turned to Misty, "didn't you say Grand's been trying to track her down?"
Misty nodded, "yes. He's with Pinkie and Maud, travelling the country following leads that could help them find her. And every spare minute, he's helping them train to become strong. Hopefully, when they find Marble, they'll be able to beat the Dominator out of her."
"Here's hoping."
Cold turned back to Tempest. "So Storm King's first mission, to bring one of his comrades here, was accomplished. So why did he remain in the Double X?"
Tempest frowned, "I'm not sure yet. But it must have something to do with the outer god he and the others worship."
"Who is this god?" Fluttershy asked, a little afraid to learn the answer.
Flash was the one to reply. "Omega Deity of Destruction, Zeronull."
Misty frowned, "I spent many years studying the Duel Monster's history and legends. I've never found anything related to this Zeronull, through my best guess is that it's a monster on the Level of Exodia or the Egyptian Gods. It's likely a very powerful monster, who was likely sealed away to prevent it from causing trouble."
Flash nodded as he remembered what Storm King had told them. "He said that by awakening Zeronull, they could create a world without conflict or strife. But to do it, it would need to destroy our world and trap us all in an eternal dream."
Everyone shivered hearing him say those words. "Having to live in a fake world forever," Twilight whispered. "it almost sounds...like a fairy tale."
"That's probably why they want to do it," Cadance realised. "If the Dominators here are like Storm King, who suffered through much misfortune, then it's likely living in a dream world would be seen as preferable."
"Yeah," Spike suddenly thought back to his Duel against Starlight when she was possed. "I think the monsters possessing Starlight was like that." He explained his vision to them, making them realise they were right.
"Hellfire showed me something similar," Twilight agreed. "I think he was in some kind of battle, which ended with him as the only survivor. That's why he came here, to escape the constant battles that take place in that world."
Starlight looked down at the table. "I guess that no matter which world you're in, pain and loss is something that's inevitable."
"But that doesn't mean you should just give up on that world," Flash said as he stood up and caught everyone's attention. "I know this world isn't perfect, but that doesn't give anyone the right to destroy it. Even if we got to live in a dream world where everything's just how we want it, because there's one thing this world has that it won't. Friends."
Everyone smiled, agreeing wholeheartedly. There was no way they'd be willing to live in a dream world, not if it meant they'd never get to see their friends again. Because without friends, what was the point of it all.
"Well said," Cold agreed. He turned back to Tempest. "So they think this god can help create a perfect world for them, but how do they intend to do it. If this Zeronull guy really is sealed away, it can't be much help to them."
Tempest frowned at this, "I've been giving this a lot of thought. Based on the memories I've managed to gain, I think I know why they entered the Double X." Her expression suddenly became very serious. "Their goal...was to find a Duellist they believed would be strong enough to act as a vessel for Zeronull." This statement made everyone at the table go wide-eyed. "By Dominating a human, Zeronull can be freed from its imprisonment and fulfil its goals."
"That's horrible," Cadance said.
"Geez," Rainbow said, "we take down one bad guy and a whole bunch of new ones suddenly show up. Aren't we ever gonna get a rest."
Flash heard this and thought back to what he had thought about during his Duel against Tempest. "Whoever they are, I'll take them on. After all, I made a promise." He smirked. "I'm gonna make a world where Duel Monsters and humans can live together as friends. Not just during Duels, or through points like the Shadow Gate. I'm gonna create a link between our worlds that'll mean we can all live as one."
Everyone smiled at this, liking the sound of it. If anyone could do it, they knew Flash could. They all had their own hopes and dreams to strive for and no matter what, they would keep pushing to achieve them. No matter who or what tried to prevent them from doing that.
In another part of the world, on a clifftop, stood a lone mansion.
In that mansion, Heath Burns was currently walking through the hallways. He had a fiery look of determination on his face, as he calmly walked through the giant house. "Hey!" He stopped, then blinked his eyes. In doing so, he suddenly found himself in the void of his mind and back in his true form. Hellfire turned towards the source of the voice, the real Heath Burns. "Let's not do this," he told the demon. "It isn't good. You weren't like this back when I was first attracted to you. You stood firm in any situation. You were strong, you were bold, you were...so cool. That's why I-"
"Will you shut up?" Hellfire told him before leaving the mind-space. Back in Heath's body, he continued walking until he reached a large door.
Pushing it open, he smirked as he looked inside the darkened room. "Hey there. I've decided to join you in that proposal of yours." He stepped into the darkened room, spotting a large throne-like chair in the centre of it. "This world of theirs...is going to fall apart."
At that moment, the sound of a loud cackling could be heard before the entire room lit up and the one sitting in the throne was revealed. He appeared to be a middle-aged man with grey skin, with black hair that ran down his back like a ponytail. He had large white eyebrows and a white goatee, was wearing a reddish-brown long coat and had pants that were light brown on one side and dark brown on the other.
The man in the throne stopped cackling as he looked Heath over. "I welcome you, Flaming Emperor Hellfire." He stood up as the floor beneath the throne receded before the hole closed up. "I'm certain our lord with be pleased with this." In that moment, holographic images of several faces appeared in the air. Flash, Twilight, Spike, Sunburst, Gilda and Soarin's images floated infront of them. "Storm King may have been vanquished, but he managed to complete his mission. Project Omega Zenith can finally enter its next phase."
In that moment, doors off to the side of the room opened before five figures stepped into it.
Marble Pie, Guto and Trixie were among them, with the final two being a pair of women of differing ages. The older woman was middleaged, with light pink skin and hair that phased from light to dark purple. She was wearing a dress that matched her hair colour, along with a pair of light blue fingerless evening gloves that went all the way up to her shoulder. Meanwhile, the younger of the two was a teenager with yellow skin with light blue hair. She wore a pink beach vest and pink shorts, along with a pair of blue fingerless gloves.
Trixie had also changed her appearance, now wearing a light blue turtle-necked sweater with an open back and a dark blue skirt. She also wore a pair of light blue boots and white socks, along with a pair of white fingerless gloves.
The six of them arrived in the centre of the room with the man, who held up six cards. "With these, everything shall be returned to its true state." The man's face went almost hysteric, "silence world. Let chaos rain and all things be lost!"
The Double X had finally come to an end with the danger Storm King possed eliminated. But now, a new threat has arisen. What will the future hold for our heroes? Harmony...or destruction?
