Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Chapters

The Gauntlet is Thrown
First Duel - vs Fluttershy
Broken Bonds
Familiar Faces
The Spirit of Competition
Duel Identities - vs Snips and Snails
The Fires of Friendship
The Master of Magicians - vs Trixie (Part 1)
The Master of Magicians - vs Trixie (Part 2)
A Bond Reforged
The Darkness Within - vs Rarity (Part 1)
The Darkness Within - vs Rarity (Part 2)
Secrets Outted
The Supremacy Sun – Flash vs Sunset
Friends to the End – Twilight vs Rainbow
Awakening of Evil
The Prodigal Showdown - Twilight vs Sunset (Part 2)
The Prodigal Showdown - Twilight vs Sunset (Part 3)
The Tale Comes to an End in Light
Epilogue
Duelists of the Autumn Crown Abridged
Welcome to Canterlot High
Shining Friendship - vs Rarity
The Prodigal Showdown - Twilight vs Sunset (Part 1)

The Gauntlet is Thrown

The Gauntlet is Thrown

“208… 210…” Twilight counted off the room numbers on the second floor and stopped in front of the door reading ‘212’, the same number Celestia had written down for her.. She lifted a hand and knocked.

“It’s open!”

Twilight pushed the door open. Rows of unfamiliar white boxes with screens on them sat on three tables. At one of them with her back to Twilight was a girl with a large mass of bright pink hair.

“Gimme a sec!” The girl waved her hand in the air without turning. “This new software is kicking my hiney. What’s up?”

Twilight frowned at the voice. She sounds familiar… “I’m sorry, I’m here to sign up for the tournament?”

“Then you came to the right place!” The girl pushed back her wheeled chair and spun around in it, a wide grin on her face. Twilight’s eyes widened as she took in the white and blue outfit, bright blue eyes, and a pink skirt with three balloons on it. As Twilight looked at the mark, she realized she had seen it before, almost every day for months.

“Pinkie Pie?”

The girl gasped loudly. “You know my name!” Before Twilight could blink the girl was in front of her grabbing her shirt. “Are you psychic?”

“Um, no?” Twilight thought for a moment. “I just… recognized you.”

“Huh.” Pinkie stepped back and tilted her head. “That’s funny, I don’t recognize you. And I recognize everyone who goes to this school.”

“Well, I’m new,” Twilight replied. “And I saw your picture,” she added as an afterthought.

Pinkie’s face lit up. “Oooo, you visited the school website!”

“…Sure.” What’s a ‘website’? “So, can you sign me up for the tournament?” Twilight reached into her pocket and held out the note Celestia had given her.

Pinkie took the note and read it over. “Well, if Princy Celestia vouches for ya, no problem-o!” She sat back down and kicked her chair off to wheel over to one of the white boxes in the lab. “You came just in time too; the deadline to sign up is tonight.” Twilight watched as Pinkie set her hands on a long, thin piece of white material in front of the box and began moving her hands over it. She occasionally paused to manipulate to a round device next to the strip that was connected to the box by a cord. Twilight recognized the strip as some sort of keyboard, judging from the letters and numbers on it, but it also had a host of buttons she’d never seen on typewriters in Equestria. Instead of a piece of paper, the letters were appearing on the screen in front of them.

“Hm, well since you aren’t in the school database, I’ll have to make a profile from scratch. Smile!” Pinkie spun in her chair and held a thin device up. Twilight jumped back and held up an arm in front of her. A bright light flashed from the device. Pinkie looked down at it. “That’s a good one!” She swiftly moved her thumb over it and turned back to her screen. Twilight lowered her arm as a picture of herself with her arm raised appeared on the computer. “Name?”

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Age?”

“18?”

Pinkie paused. “Isn’t it kinda late to transfer? You’re already a senior.”

“My parents moved.”

“Bummer.” Pinkie continued to type. “There’s a lot of info here you don’t have yet, like dueling record and old wins. I’ll just throw down an N/A for ya, ‘kay?”

“Thanks.” Twilight took a deep breath. Okay, I’m registered, that’s one obstacle out of the way. Next, what even is this game? “Say, Pinkie, do you have any sort of pamphlet or something on Duel Monsters? Specifically on how to play?”

“Huh?” Pinkie looked up at her. “But don’t you know how to play?”

“Of course! But my brother wants to learn.” Twilight held up her hands.

“No problem.” Pinkie nodded. “This lab is reserved all day for duelists looking stuff up and checking their profiles. You can surf some online tutorials here.”

“Online?”

Pinkie frowned. “You don’t know what the internet is?”

“Er… I come from a sheltered family.”

“Oooooh.” Pinkie gave her a smile and a wink. “Rock farm, huh? Gotcha. Well, short version – this is the internet!” She pointed at the screen. “You can use it to look at information from websites all around the world! You can watch funny cat videos, tutorials on how to do stuff, read fanfiction, pirate movies and music, and watch porn.”

“Porn?”

“Yeah.” Pinkie leaned in to whisper. “Though you reaaaally shouldn’t do that last one on school computers. And technically the second-to-last one is illegal, but everyone does it anyway.” She shrugged and held up her hands.

“Right.”

“Well, if you don’t have internet, don’t worry! Pinkie Pie’s got you covered!” Pinkie turned around in her chair to her backpack hanging from the seat. She unzipped a pocket and rifled through it. As she worked, Twilight noticed something watching her hands.

“Pinkie, don’t you have a duel disk?”

“Hm?” Pinkie paused to take in the comment, and shook her head. “I don’t play much anymore. I help run the tournaments these days, keeps me too busy to play in them.”

“Really?” Twilight pursed her lip. “It’s supposed to be a fun card game, isn’t it? I would have thought you’d be all over it.”

“Yeah, you really don’t know how CHS handles the game, huh? Here we go!” Pinkie pulled a small booklet out of her bag and held it out to Twilight. “This goes over the basics.”

Twilight took the booklet and opened it to a random page. She saw diagrams of cards laid out in a grid, a chart of different icons, and three cards with different colored borders, text to the side pointing out specific parts of their design. “Thanks a lot.”

“You got it.” Pinkie moved the device next to the keyboard and the computer screen changed again. “And there you go!”

Twilight leaned in. The picture of her with her arm raised that Pinkie had taken featured to the left of what seemed to be a profile detailing information about her. Most of it had been left blank or had ‘N/A’ filled in the box. “So I’m okay to duel now?”

“Yup. CHS has a cloud-based duel server that your duel disk should automatically connect to in order to update your info each time you play. Just find an opponent and challenge them, and the system will do the rest.”

“Good.” Twilight ignored the fact that she had no idea what Pinkie had meant and turned around. She looked back at the booklet in her hands and turned to the first page. Each player has a deck of no fewer than forty cards, as well as the side deck and extra deck, which contain no more than fifteen cards each… As she read, Twilight headed to the door of the room.

“Hey, Pinkie!” Twilight jumped at the unfamiliar voice and stepped back as the door opened. A girl with pale blue skin poked her head in. “You got a sec?”

“Sure, come on in, Dashie!”

Dashie? Twilight silently stood behind the door as the girl came in. She saw the long mass of six-colored hair. Rainbow Dash? Behind the girl was a younger one, with bright purple hair and her hands shoved in her pockets. Then that would be Scootaloo?

“Scoots wants to sign up for the tournament.” Rainbow Dash grabbed a chain and swung it over to sit astride it, her arms folded on the back. Scootaloo nodded beside her.

“No problem!” Pinkie went back to work on her computer.

Watching the scene, Twilight leaned down to Spike. “Are all our Ponyville friends here?” she whispered.

Spike shrugged. “Seems so. We’ve already got the Princess and Pinkie and Rainbow Dash.” His eyes lit up. “Ooo, do you think there’s a Rarity in this world?” His tail began to wag.

“Not now, Spike.” Twilight stood up. “Hi there.”

Rainbow turned her head. “Oh, ‘sup.”

Twilight waved and approached her. “I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow grinned and held out a fist.

That gesture I at least recognize. Twilight smiled and bumped her hand against Rainbow’s.

“Twilight here is registered in the tournament too. And she’s just joining us here!” Pinkie said.

“Newbie, huh?” Rainbow shook her head and pumped her fist. The motion drew Twilight’s attention to the blue and white duel disk on her arm. “Well, sorry to disappoint ya, but this year it’s gonna be Scoots and me in the finals. Sunset Shimmer is going down!”

“I dunno, Rainbow.” Scootaloo shrugged. “I’m kinda just looking to have fun, you know? I mean, it’s not like we’re really gonna beat Sunset Shimmer.”

Rainbow gaped. “Are you kidding me? What sort of attitude is that? I told ya, kid, you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best, and that’s Sunset. Let no one stand in our way, right?”

“Sure.” Scootaloo rubbed the back of her neck and looked away. “I just mean, if I don’t make it, that’s cool, as long as I do well enough. Apple Bloom said she was gonna enter and I think it’d be kinda cool—”

“Stop right there.” Rainbow held a hand out in front of Scootaloo’s face. “I take it back. Beating Sunset Shimmer is priority number two. Priority number one is taking down the Apples.” She growled and punched a hand into her palm. “Even if we don’t win, I’ll take it as long as I can knock that hick farmer out.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, some things never change.”

Rainbow looked at her, confused. “Huh?”

“Oh!” Twilight realized she had spoken aloud and did a double take. “Um, my friend who goes to the school says that you don’t get along with Applejack. Sort of rivals, you might say?”

“Not really.” Rainbow tossed her hair. “Saying she’s a rival would mean she’s a challenge. As-if! I mean, what kind of wimp runs Plants?”

“Didn’t she knock you out in the quarter-finals last year?” Pinkie asked.

“We don’t talk about last year. This time, things are gonna be different.” Rainbow held up her duel disk and tapped her deck. “This baby’s been optimized for maximum damage. She won’t last three turns.”

“Five bucks?”

“Deal.” Rainbow bumped Pinkie’s fist. She then turned her attention back to Twilight. “How about you?”

“Me?” Twilight nodded. “Well, I kinda have to win. I really need that crown.” She paused and looked away. “Although strictly speaking, I don’t have to win, I just need to make sure Sunset doesn’t. I mean, the crown is just a silly status symbol. Whoever wins will just hand it over if I explain things to them, right?”

The three other girls stared at her blankly. Scootaloo coughed. “Well, sure, the crown isn’t really what’s important, but—”

“Yeah it is!” Rainbow cut in. “You wear that thing everywhere, people know you’re the champion here. Students spend months training to win the crown.” She leaned in. “Even if you lose, you want it? Why? It’s really just a cheap dollar store crown.”

“Well, I need it, because I…” Twilight trailed off as she realized what she was about to say. “Because… it’s really pretty!” She looked at the clock. “Oh, look at the time, gotta go!” She waved and hurried out of the room, Spike following.

Rainbow Dash scratched her head. “The new girl is weird.”

Pinkie nodded, her eyes narrowed. “Yup, she’s hiding something. But I am totally on to her.” She whispered loudly to Rainbow, “She’s a spy!”

“Uh-huh.”

“A monster that has a Quick effect can use that effect on either player’s turn. This can be recognized by text stating the effect can be activated during either player’s turn. A monster with an Ignition effect must have its effect manually activated by the player when circumstances are met, such as a specific turn phase…”

“Twilight?” Spike pawed at her leg. Sitting on the steps of the school, Twilight looked over at him from the booklet. “You’ve been reading that thing for hours. How’s it going?”

Twilight scrunched her nose. “Well, on the surface it seems fairly simple. But the more I keep reading the more complex it become.”

“Take it from the top, maybe it’ll sound better?” Spike suggested.

“Right.” Twilight pressed a button to activate her duel disk and gestured to its various parts as she spoke. “Well, to begin, a duel disk is a machine used to duel with holographic emitters. There are five Monster card slots along the top, five Spell and Trap slots in the back edge, a Field Spell slot that extends from the side, and a compartment in the back of the disk for the Extra deck, which are special types of cards.

“Each duelist has a deck of 40 cards, variably consisting of Monster cards, Spell cards, and Trap cards. Duelists summon monsters and use them to attack enemy monsters, and Spell and Trap cards are support cards with various effects. Each player begins the duel with 4000 Life Points, and the objective is to deplete your opponent’s Life Points to 0. The common way to do that is to attack their monsters with stronger monsters, in which case they lose Life Points equal to the difference in power.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, doesn’t sound too hard to understand.”

“Yet.” Twilight groaned and flipped to a page in the booklet. “Each card type has subtypes. Spell cards, for instance, are divided into Quickplay, Continuous, Field, Equip, Ritual, and Normal, while Trap cards are divided into Continuous, Counter, and Normal. Each of those subtypes determines when it can be activated and how it is played. For example, Field Spells stay on the field and affect all monsters in play until they get destroyed, while Equip spells attach to a monster to confer effects to only it and are destroyed if that monster leaves play.”

“Okay…”

“The subtype also determines the card’s spell speed, which is a mechanic that restricts certain card effects chaining to other cards. A Counter Trap is speed three, so it can chain to anything, but Quickplay Spells are only speed two, so they can’t chain to Counter Traps because they’re a lower spell speed. Chaining, by the way, is the mechanic of activating a card of your own when your opponent performs a move, in which case your card takes effect first, usually with intent to counter their move.”

“I’m getting a little…”

“Monster cards also have effect types, like Ignition, Trigger, Continuous, Quick, and Flip. Those effects in turn are all activated in different ways and may have other restrictions as specified in the card text, such as only being used once per turn or when the opponent performs a particular move.”

“Twilight, I have no idea what you just said.”

“Neither do I!” Twilight threw up her hands. “I didn’t even get to the part where some Monster cards can be treated like Spell and Trap cards, or that there are Spell and Trap cards that can be summoned as Monster cards.” She waved the booklet in the air. “It seems like every time I think I understand a rule, the next page explains how that rule can be broken!” She sighed and tossed the booklet on the step beside her. “Spike, I have to master this game by tomorrow! And I can barely remember what each card type does.”

“Take it easy, Twilight.” Spike padded up beside her and put a paw on her hand. “You’re the smartest pony I’ve ever known. A card game should be a snap to learn.”

“You didn’t read the chapter about the different Extra deck monsters and how to summon them.” Twilight rubbed her head. “Lucky for us it seems the school specifically restricts which types of those can be used. I read that paragraph three times and I still don’t understand what a Synchro Summon is.”

“What summon?”

“Exactly.” Twilight stood up and picked up the booklet. She reached over and deactivated her duel disk. “This calls for the most tried and true method of learning – hard studying.” She beat a fist on the palm of her hand. “This school has to have a library, and a game this complex and popular must have information about it. I just have to buckle down and read all I can about it.”

“That’s the spirit.” Spike smiled and followed her into the school. The bell had rung fifteen minutes ago and most students had gotten their bags and left for home. “Maybe you can find someone to practice against.”

“I thought of that too, but I doubt it.” Twilight shook her head. “Most of the students here take it seriously. A casual practice duel probably isn’t like them.”

“It wasn’t yours to give!”

Twilight stopped at an angry shout that echoed down the hall. She saw two students chatting nearby stop at the voice and shuffle away past her. “Who was that?” Twilight heard a much quieter voice, indistinct, reply.

“Excuuuuse me?”

Twilight walked down the hall towards the source of the voice and peaked around the corner.

“That crown is as good as mine and everyone knows it!”

A girl in a black jacket with an orange skirt was looming over another girl sitting against the lockers. Her arm was outstretched on the locker, a black and red duel disk on her forearm. Twilight looked at the girl huddling beneath her. Flowing pink hair, a white blouse, green shirt with a butterfly… Fluttershy!

“I-I-I just meant… um…” Fluttershy stammered under the shadow of the girl over her. “You know, the tournament isn’t until tomorrow, and you… haven’t… won… yet.”

“Who’s gonna beat me, you?” The girl snapped.

“Actually, I haven’t entered.”

The girl laughed. “Of course not. You’re too pathetic to even stand a ghost of a chance against me.”

Twilight turned her attention to the other girl. The girl had her back to her, but the voice was familiar. She took in the girl’s long red and yellow hair, and gasped. No, it can’t be! She leaned down. “Spike, is that who I think it is?”

Spike growled. “Yeah…”

“A loser like you doesn’t even deserve to touch my crown, much less wear it.” Sunset crossed her arms. “Lucky for you this will be an easy win for me, or I might have to teach you not to take things that don’t belong to you.”

Twilight gritted her teeth and marched down the hall. “Leave her alone!”

Sunset stood upright and turned. She glared angrily at Twilight. “What did you say?”

“I said leave her alone!” Twilight stopped in front of Sunset. “Back off, Sunset.”

“Look, you don’t get – wait.” Sunset peered closer. “Have we met?”

Twilight flinched but stood her ground. “I’m a new student. But I know you by reputation.”

“Hmph. As well you should.” Sunset smirked and tossed her hair. “I’ll let you off with a warning, new girl: stay out of my way, and don’t tell me what to do.” Sunset walked away, purposefully bumping Twilight aside. “You’ll get a lesson in why tomorrow, when I remind this school who runs it.”

Twilight waited until Sunset had rounded the corner, then she turned around and knelt in front of Fluttershy. “You okay?” She held out a hand.

Fluttershy nodded and took Twilight’s hand. “I think that’s the first time I’ve seen anyone except Rainbow Dash stand up to Sunset Shimmer.”

“Well, I don’t like her pushing around my friends.” Twilight pulled Fluttershy up and gave her a warm smile.

Fluttershy tilted her head. “We’re friends?”

“Sure! I mean, we are now. Unless you don’t want to be?”

“No, I do!” Fluttershy giggled. “I’m just not used to people wanting to be my friend.”

“I do. I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“Fluttershy.”

I know. Twilight looked over her shoulder. “So that was Sunset Shimmer.”

“You know her?”

“Let’s say we’ve met, she just doesn’t remember it.” Twilight looked back. “She’s the champion of the school, right?”

Fluttershy nodded. “The bi-annual tournament champion. Also an honorary member of the student council with special privileges from Principal Celestia because of it.”

“Not for long.” Twilight held up her duel disk. “I’m here to take her down.”

“B-But you said you’re a new student!” Fluttershy gasped and held her hands to her mouth. “You really don’t want to duel Sunset, she’s the best of the best. You’d be lucky to last two turns against her.”

“I’m not afraid of her.”

“You should be.” Fluttershy turned to her locker and spun the combination dial to unlock it as she spoke. “Even our best duelists were wiped out once she learned the game after coming to the school. Now she’s the best and we’re just fighting each other.” She sighed and pulled her bag out of her locker. “Rainbow Dash and Applejack want to beat her too. But it’ll be the same as last year.”

“Not this time. This time I’m here.” Twilight caught sight of a duel disk in the top shelf of the locker. “Are you in the tournament?”

“Me?” Fluttershy quickly shook her head. “Oh, no, no no. I don’t duel anymore.”

“Why not?”

“If you knew how seriously some students here are about dueling, you’d lock up your duel disk too.” Fluttershy hesitated. “Or, maybe not. You seem pretty confident.”

Good, as least other people think so. Twilight looked back at Fluttershy’s locker. “…Hey, Fluttershy?”

“Yes?”

“Will you duel me?”

Fluttershy squeaked and shrank away. “No, I can’t. I’m no good.”

“Perfect!” Twilight said brightly. She paused at Fluttershy’s confused reaction, and gave a sheepish smile. “I mean, good. I’m just looking to practice before tomorrow. Maybe duel someone who could explain stuff to me if I’m rusty?”

“Um… well…” Fluttershy slowly shuffled closer. “I… if you really want to… I guess.”

“I do. Just for fun?”

Fluttershy bit her lip and looked at her boots. “O-okay…” She reached into her locker and withdrew her duel disk. Fluttershy brushed it off to loosen the strap and slide it onto her arm. “Follow me.”

Twilight smiled down at Spike and knelt to pat his head. “We just found our practice opponent.”

First Duel - vs Fluttershy

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

First Duel - Twilight vs Fluttershy

Fluttershy pushed open the doors of the school. “Here we are.” Twilight followed her. A large open field with painted lines and tall steel poles at either end greeted her. It reminded her of a buckball stadium. She saw a couple of students sitting on the stands to the left.

“Okay, this is good.” Fluttershy held out a hand for Twilight to stop while she kept walking. When she was about twenty feet away, she turned. Twilight looked at her duel disk and pressed the button to activate it. It lit up and folded out. “All right.” Fluttershy’s voice came from a small speaker built into Twilight’s duel disk. “I’ll try to go easy. If you need me to explain something, just ask. Ready?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. And don’t go easy. If Sunset Shimmer is the school champion, I’ll have to be good at this game to beat her.”

“If you say so.” Twilight saw Fluttershy press another button on her disk.

“Opponent detected,” a digital voice from Twilight duel disk said. “Streaming data.” A picture of Fluttershy with her win-loss record appeared on a hologram in the air over the disk. Twilight winced at the display; 2-9. “Duel mode set. Initiating.” The hologram changed into a split screen. On one half was Twilight’s portrait with a numerical display for her Life Points, 4000, and a small grid displaying her duel field. The other half showed Fluttershy’s field. “Commence duel?” A button on the device began to blink.

“Okay, Twilight. Just press the button and we’ll begin.”

Twilight took a breath. It’s just a card game. I can do this. She reached down and pressed the button.

“Game start!”

-Twilight Life Points: 4000-

-Fluttershy Life Points: 4000-

The split screen flashed between Twilight and Fluttershy and stopped displaying Fluttershy. “Opponent takes first turn.” Twilight’s duel disk ejected five cards from the top for her opening hand and she picked them up.

“Here I go.” Across the field, Twilight saw Fluttershy draw. “I summon ‘Baby Raccoon Ponpoko’.”

A large hologram emitted from Fluttershy’s duel disk in a flash of rainbow light. It solidified into the image of a small raccoon banging on a drum strapped to its chest. Twilight gasped. That’s the hologram technology the booklet mentioned? That’s amazing! She saw a tooltip appear on her duel disk screen and tapped it. A hologram of Fluttershy’s card projected above the disk, allowing Twilight to read its statistics. Level 2, Earth-attribute, Beast-type. Attack points 800, Defense points 0. Twilight frowned. Doesn’t seem too dangerous.

“When Ponpoko is summoned, I can activate its effect.” Fluttershy took her deck out of her disk. “I can select any Level 2 Beast-type monster in my deck and summon it in face-down position.” She found her card and set it on the disk. On the field next to Ponpoko, the large hologram of a face-down card appeared. “I end my turn.” Fluttershy smiled. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Twilight drew her card and looked at her hand. First thing’s first. Summon a monster to attack and defend myself. But which one? She peered closer at her cards to read the text on the bottom. She smiled and lifted a hand from her hand. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia’.” She set the card on the disk. In front of her appeared a angelic fairy with butterfly wings, pale yellow skin, and long pink hair. It spun in place and spread its arms out. (900/1800).

“Here I come, Fluttershy. I enter my battle phase. Gracia attacks Ponpoko!” Gracia flew up and beat her wings harder. A gust whipped across the field and flung Ponpoko backwards. Fluttershy squeaked and raised her arm to defend herself as the hologram hit the ground and exploded. Twilight looked at her display.

-Fluttershy Life Points: 3900-

Gracia has 900 points, Ponpoko has 800, so she loses 100 Life Points. Not much, but it’s a start. Twilight raised her head to see Fluttershy looking at where her monster’s hologram had been thrown. “Sorry, Fluttershy.”

“Don’t be,” came the response as Fluttershy turned back to her. “You want to win, right?”

“Yes, but…” But you’re my friend.

“I’m fine. Continue your turn.”

“Okay.” Twilight looked over her hand. Nothing that seems too useful for now. “I end my turn.” She turned her focus back to Fluttershy. “Your turn again.”

Fluttershy drew. She bit her lip. “Twilight, you said not to hold back, right?”

“Right.” Twilight nodded. “I have to learn how to play this game properly, so go all out! If I lose, I lose.”

“Okay…” Fluttershy put a hand on her face-down card. “I flip summon ‘Baby Raccoon Tantan’. Another baby raccoon appeared in front of Fluttershy, banging gongs on a large drum on its chest. (0/800). “Tantan’s effect activates when flipped face-up, letting me summon a Level 2 Beast-type monster from my deck.” Fluttershy fanned out her cards and held one up. “I summon ‘Kalantosa, Mystical Beast of the Forest’.” A small white rabbit with a mass of leaves sprouting from its back appeared next to Tantan. (200/1400).

“When Kalantosa is summoned by the effect of a Beast-type monster, its own effect activates. I can select and destroy one card on the field.” Fluttershy thrust her hand at Twilight. “I choose your Harmony Spirit!”

Twilight gasped. “Wait!”

Fluttershy paused and lowered her hand slightly. “Um, yes?”

“Uh…” Twilight looked over her hand. “Hang on…” She held up one card and read its text. “During either player’s turn, you can discard this card…"

“Chain resolving in ten, nine…”

“Wait!” Twilight screamed at the digital voice. “I’m not done reading my cards!”

“I’m sorry, I forgot! You have a time limit to respond to the opponent’s play, it’s a judge’s rule!”

“But I don’t even—"

“Chain resolving.”

Kalantosa shuffled in place and a storm of leaves fell off its back and flew across the field. Twilight jumped to action and speed-read the card in her hand. She grinned and slid it onto her duel disk. A pale pink fairy with a mass of dark pink hair appeared in front of Gracia and held up its hands with a giggle. A field of energy came from them, and Kalantosa’s leaves hit it and fell to the ground.

Fluttershy blinked. “What was that?”

Twilight let out a breath. “When a Harmony Spirit monster on my field is targeted by a card effect, I can discard ‘Harmony Spirit Risus’ from my hand to negate that effect.” Twilight slid her card into the discard slot on her duel disk, its image on the field vanishing. An icon appeared on Twilight’s screen and she tapped it. Gracia lit up with a yellow aura. “But that’s not all. When I discard a Harmony Spirit monster from my hand, the effect of Gracia on the field activates. For the rest of the turn my Harmony Spirit monsters can’t be destroyed by battle with enemy monsters.” She smiled. Well, got through that.

“I don’t think that’s going to be enough.” Fluttershy lifted a card from her hand. “I summon ‘Valerifawn, Mystical Beast of the Forest’ from my hand.” A small deer with moss growing over its body skipped into place around Fluttershy, prancing into place next to Tantan and Kalantosa. (400/900). “I activate Valerifawn’s effect and discard a card to revive a Beast-type monster in my Graveyard.” A card slid out from the discard slot and she slapped it on her duel disk. “Return, Baby Raccoon Ponpoko!” Fluttershy’s first monster rose from a vortex that appeared next to Valerifawn.

“I’m not done yet. I activate a Spell card, ‘The Big March of Animals’!” The field rumbled and a bright green aura appeared over Fluttershy’s monsters. “For the rest of the turn, all Beast-type monsters I control gain 200 attack points times the number of Beast-types I control. With four Beasts in play, they each gain 800 points.” Fluttershy grabbed another card. “Finally, from my hand I activate the Quickplay Spell ‘Rush Recklessly’ to increase Tantan’s attack by 700 for the rest of the turn!”

Twilight gaped at the four monsters filling Fluttershy’s side of the field, growing larger as her card effects powered them up “Are we sure this is Fluttershy?” She hissed, glancing down at Spike.

“You did tell her not to go easy on you.”

“Well she could go a little easy! This is my first time!”

“Even if your monster can’t be destroyed now, I can damage your Life Points by attacking it.” Fluttershy bit her lip. “Sorry.”

“So am I,“ Twilight groaned.

Fluttershy swung her hand out. “All of my monsters attack Gracia!” Ponpoko (800 → 1600) ran across the field and raked its tiny claws across Gracia. Gracia screamed and turned away. Valerifawn (400 → 1200) reached it next and leapt up, landing and stomping on it hard. Tantan (0 → 1500) reached it and slammed one of its gongs into Gracia. Finally, Kalantosa (200 → 1000) send a barrage of leaves at it. Gracia collapsed to the ground and Fluttershy’s monsters retreated to her side of the field.

Twilight looked at her display and thought. 900 minused from 1600, 1200, 1500, and 1000. By the time she had finished the mental math, her duel disk had already counted down to her new total. Whoa.

-Twilight Life Points: 2300-

“I set one card and end my turn.” Fluttershy lowered her Duel Disk. “At this time my Spell effects end and the attack points of my monsters returns to normal.”

Twilight slowly shook her head. She said she wasn’t very good, but she just took off half my Life Points on her second turn.

“Nice play, girlie!”

Twilight turned her head. The few students that had been sitting on the stands were now watching the duel and one of them was cheering and pumping his first at Fluttershy.

“Sorry for that, Twilight.”

“Don’t be. If they want to watch, let them. It’s my turn.” Twilight drew her card and looked at it. “Okay… think…” Twilight read her new card’s effect. She smiled. This will do. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’.” A pale white fairy with a spiral horn and curled purple hair rose on the field next to Gracia. (1200/800).

Time to think. Twilight tapped through the display on her duel disk and viewed the holograms of Fluttershy’s cards. She got four monsters on the field like it was nothing. Anything I destroy will be revived by Valerifawn. I could destroy it, but if she has a way to bring it back, or summon another copy of it, then I’m back to square one. I can’t survive another turn like the last one. She made a face and looked up at Fluttershy’s field.

“What’s the plan, Twilight?” Spike asked.

“Get rid of her monsters and stop her from getting more.”

“Um, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “Who are you talking to?”

“Hm? Oh! Um, myself!” Twilight laughed awkwardly. “Just thinking aloud.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“I’m just trying to think of a way to block—" Twilight gasped. Of course! She looked down at her deck. Though, that’s presuming I even have a card in here that can do it. She looked at her hand. “I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas’ and activate its effect.” Another fairy appeared on Twilight’s field, this one bright orange with pale yellow hair. It held out a hand and sent a pulse of light out. “By discarding this card, I can look at all face-down cards on your side of the field.” The wave of light reached Fluttershy’s set card and a ghostly image of it rippled into place above it. Twilight looked at her display. Sakuretsu Armor, targets and destroys an opponent’s attacking monster. She smiled. I can work with that. But first…

“Since I just discarded a Harmony Spirit, the effect of Magnanimity activates, letting me draw a card.” Twilight put a hand on her deck and drew. She looked at her card. Perfect! “I set one card face-down and activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Fruit’.” A glowing green and red fruit appeared next to Twilight and lit up. “This lets me return two Harmony Spirit monsters in the Graveyard to my hand.” Risus and Honestas slid out of Twilight’s Graveyard and she added them to her hand.

“Now, Gracia attacks Baby Racoon Tantan, and Magnanimity attacks Kalentosa!” The two fairies raced across the field, Magnanimity sprinting while Gracia flew.

“I activate the Trap ‘Sakuretsu Armor’,” Fluttershy said. The card flipped up and a suit of armor appeared over Tantan, a spirit flying towards Gracia. “Since you declared an attack, my Trap will destroy Gracia.”

“No it won’t. From my hand, I chain the effect of Harmony Spirit Risus!” Twilight discarded the card again. “The effect of your targeting card effect is negated.” The spirit in the air hit a ghostly spectre of Risus and the two dissolved into nothingness. Gracia reached Tantan and kicked it backwards, while Magnanimity fired a orb of blue magic into Kalentosa. Fluttershy looked away as their holograms exploded.

-Fluttershy Life Points: 2200-

Twilight lowered her hand from her duel disk. “Your move, Fluttershy.” On the side of the field the students were now cheering for Twilight. She blushed at their calls. I guess I’m doing well. She saw a couple new students coming closer to watch as well.

“I draw.” Fluttershy glanced at her card and discarded it. “I activate the effect of Valerifawn, and discard a card to—"

“Hang on!” Twilight grinned. “I think I have the hang of this chaining rule, so I’m activating my own card. It’s a Trap, ‘Harmony Song’.” The card flipped on the field and a melodious wave of music came from it. “Since I control a Harmony Spirit monster, I can discard another Harmony Spirit, and if I do, you’re forbidden from Special Summoning for the rest of the turn!”

Fluttershy gasped. “Oh no!” She looked at her hand. “Um… oh my…”

Twilight felt a pang of guilt. She’s reliant on swarming the field with low-level monsters, then powering them up. Now she’s just had that strategy stopped cold. “I draw a card due to the effect of Magnanimity, as well.” Twilight drew her card and looked at it, then turned her attention back to Fluttershy. So, what’s next?

“I activate ‘Monster Recovery’!” Fluttershy took Ponpoko’s card off her duel disk. “I shuffle Ponpoko and all cards in my hand into the deck, then draw the same number of cards as were in my hand.” She folded her cards up and put them on top of her deck, her duel disk rapidly shuffling them. Fluttershy picked up her new hand and fanned them out. “There.” She nodded and looked over at Twilight. “I’m not out yet, Twilight. I tribute my Valerifawn, and summon ‘Behemoth, the King of All Animals’!”

Valerifawn vanished from the field. A large white image appeared behind Fluttershy and came into focus. Twilight stepped back at the sight, her eyes wide. A massive pink and purple monster loomed over the field, cuffs with broken chains wrapped around its paws. Curved horns rose into the air on either side of a massive mane of dark fur. Drool dripped from the beast’s jaws as it roared loudly. (2700/1500).

“Behemoth normally needs two monsters for its tribute summon, but I can tribute it with only one monster by decreasing Behemoth’s attack points to 2000,” Fluttershy explained. Behemoth growled and shuddered as the sap took effect in an aura of red light (2000/15000). “Additionally, for each monster tributed to summon Behemoth, I can return a Beast monster in my Graveyard to my hand.” Fluttershy held up Valerifawn to show it to Twilight. “Next, my battle phase. Behemoth, attack Gracia!” Behemoth roared again and bounded over Fluttershy’s head to charge Twilight.

“Don’t forget, since I discarded a Harmony Spirit this turn, my Harmony Spirits can’t be destroyed in battle,” Twilight called.

“I know. But Behemoth can still harm your Life Points.”

Behemoth reached Gracia and slammed a paw into it, pitching it to the side. It hit the ground heavily and groaned.

-Twilight Life Points: 1200-

“I end my turn.”

Twilight looked up at Behemoth as it stomped back to Fluttershy. She laughed. “Are you sure you don’t play this game a lot? Because you seem really good.”

Fluttershy smiled sheepishly. “Thank you. I’m surprised I remember how to use this deck even. I haven’t played in a long time. Not since two years ago.”

“What happened?”

“Sunset Shimmer came.”

Twilight paused. “What?”

Fluttershy bit her lip. “I used to play all the time. I never really cared if I won or lost, I just had fun playing with my friends.” She looked down at her deck and closed her eyes. “Everyone always made fun of me because I played using low-level monsters like these. But my friends defended me and told them I played the way I wanted to and that was what’s really important.” Fluttershy looked to either side of the field, Twilight doing so as well. The watching students had grown to a small crowd and Twilight heard cheers for both of them coming from them.

“This is what dueling should be about,” Fluttershy said. “Those tournaments used to bring students together. Kids that never would have spoken to each other met and mingled for the tournament, they made new friends, traded cards, shared strategies, cheered for each other.” She smiled and put a hand on her chest. “They say you reveal who you really are through your deck and your strategies. So I always thought dueling was a way for people to communicate their true selves to each other. I know that may seem silly, but it sort of happened.” She frowned and shook her head.

“Not since Sunset Shimmer. Now it’s just about proving you’re the best. No one has fun anymore, no one makes friends over dueling. It’s just a competition. I couldn’t stand it. Everyone kept challenging me to improve their rank since they thought I was weak. So I just gave it up and hid my deck and my disk in my locker.”

Twilight listened intently as Fluttershy poured her heart out to her. When she sensed Fluttershy was done, she nodded. “Sunset ruined this game for everyone. But if you truly love it, you can still play with your friends, right?”

“I used to.” Fluttershy closed her eyes. “Applejack and Rainbow Dash got caught up in the competition and went off on their own. Pinkie was in charge of running the tournaments, and then when she got the new ranking system to oversee, she never had time to play anymore. And Rarity just gave it up because everyone was so bitter over it all.” She sniffed. “I haven’t duelled a friend in a long time…” She looked up and opened her eyes.

“Twilight, win or lose… this has been a really fun duel. Thank you.”

Twilight smiled warmly. “You’re welcome, Fluttershy.”

“Now, take your turn.” Fluttershy pumped her fist and winked. “If you can win it, do it!”

“Right!” Twilight drew her card with a flourish and flipped it over. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas.” A light blue spirit with a multi-hued head of hair and a strong pair of feathered wings floated onto the field. It spun in place and kicked the air before posing with its fists held out (1600/800). “Next, I activate the effect of the monster I just drew, ‘Harmony Spirit Magia’.” Twilight discarded her card. The image of a pale lavender fairy with a long horn appeared, and held out her hand. She cried out and an aura of magic appeared over her hand and horn.

Fluttershy looked down as a light shined out from her Graveyard. “W-what?”

“By discarding Magia from my hand, I can banish any Spell card in either player’s Graveyard, and copy its effect.” Twilight leaned forward. “I choose your Rush Recklessly!”

Fluttershy gasped “No!”

The card flew out of Fluttershy’s duel disk into Magia’s hand. The fairy flipped it over to show the card back to Fluttershy, and the two vanished into light. “By the effect of Rush Recklessly, the power of Pietas increases by 700 for the rest of the turn.” Pietas twitched and cried out as an aura of blue light surrounded its fists (1600 → 2300).

Twilight thrust out her hand. “Pietas, attack Behemoth!” The fairy flapped its wings and zoomed across the field, a fist held out. Behemoth roared as the high-speed punch connected, the force sending it toppling onto its side. Fluttershy winced and looked up at Pietas floating overhead. “Gracia, Magnaimity, direct attack!” The two spirits came up beside Pietas in the air and held out their hands. Orbs of yellow and white light manifested in their palms and shot towards Fluttershy. They slammed into the ground at her feet and exploded in rays of light and a cloud of smoke.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight ran across the field and stopped in front of the fading smoke. Fluttershy was on her knees and looked up at Twilight.

“I’m fine. It’s just holograms, remember? It does that stuff for dramatic effect.”

“Oh…” Twilight blushed. “Right.”

“That was great!”

“You rock, Twilight!”

Twilight turned her head. The students watching them were applauding loudly, whooping and throwing their arms up. She smiled and looked down at Fluttershy. “Thanks for the duel.” She held out her hand.

Fluttershy let Twilight pull her up. “No, Twilight. I have to thank you. I haven’t had so much fun with this game in years.”

“I’m glad.” Twilight looked back at the school, her expression darkening. “But it won’t be fun tomorrow. The tournament begins then?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Mhm. The top sixteen students with the best win-loss ratios by the four in the afternoon move on to organized brackets. The semi-finals and finals happen the day after.”

So the finals take place on the last day. I have to make it to the finals and win before midnight to make it home with my crown. Twilight breathed deep. “Any advice?”

“Win. Unfortunately, it’s that simple.”

Broken Bonds

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Shattered Bonds

“I discard ‘Harmony Spirit – Magia’ and activate its effect.” Twilight flipped her card out from her hand and discarded it. “I copy the effect of your ‘Monster Reborn’ and revive ‘Harmony Spirit – Risus’. Then, my three monsters attack!” Risus, Gracia, and Magnanimity held their hands together and sent a tri-colored beam of pink, yellow, and white light across the field. Fluttershy looked away as ‘Blade Rabbit,’ ‘Baby Raccoon Tantan,’ and ‘Sea Koala’ were consumed by the blast.

Twilight watched the display on her duel disk click Fluttershy’s Life Points to zero. Twilight’s portrait zoomed to fill the display as her win-loss record updated to 4-1.

“You’re really getting the hang of this,” Spike noted.

Twilight nodded. “It’s pretty overwhelming to read all those rules in one sitting, but in practice it isn’t so hard. Most of these cards tell you when to use them anyway.”

“Um, Twilight?” She looked up to see Fluttershy approaching her, her duel disk deactivated. “I was happy to help you practice, but I have to get going home now.”

Twilight looked at her duel disk as it exited dueling mode and saw the time display; it was almost six o’clock. “Sure, of course.” Twilight waved. “Thanks for all the help, I really learned a lot.”

“You’re welcome.” Fluttershy waved and headed into the school.

“Well, Spike.” Twilight deactivated her duel disk and hefted her backpack on her shoulders. “Guess we should get going home.” She took two steps, and froze.

“Uh, Twilight?” Spike tugged on her sock. “We don’t have a home in this world.”

“I know!” Twilight thought quickly. “Um, let’s see, they might have a library in this world but I probably don’t have permission to sleep there. Celestia may know a place, or Fluttershy…” She gasped. “Fluttershy!” She ran into the school, Spike running after her. Twilight weaved through the halls until she found Fluttershy’s locker, and the girl herself at the other end of the hall with her books in her arms. “Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy turned. “Yes?”

Twilight ran up to her, pausing to catch her breath and putting her hands on her knees. “I was… wondering…” She stood up and smiled. “In honor of our newfound friendship, would you be willing to partake in a sleepover?”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “Well, I suppose that wouldn’t be a problem. Will your parents mind?”

Not likely. “Nope, already checked in with them.” Twilight grinned brightly.

“Okay.” Fluttershy smiled and gestured her head forward. “Come with me, I drive to school.”

Drive? Twilight followed Fluttershy through the halls, wondering what she meant. They emerged from another side of the school to a field of black pavement. Rows of yellow lines sectioned it off into rectangles and in a few of them were metal objects of various shapes and colors. Fluttershy headed towards one object and Twilight followed. She saw Fluttershy pull a ring of keys her pocket and press a button on one of them. The metal object in front of them beeped and clicked.

“Here we are.” Fluttershy pulled open the door on the far side of the object. Twilight found the handle for hers and pulled it open. She sat down in the chair inside and waited for Spike to jump into her lap before closing the door. She frowned and shifted to take off her backpack, setting it by her feet. Beside her, Fluttershy tossed her backpack into the back seat and then pulled a strap of material hanging beside her over her chest. “Buckle up.” She clicked a metal flap on the object into a holder next to the seat. Twilight watched her and copied her actions, finding the slot to insert the flap into.

Fluttershy inserted another object on the ring from her pocket into the shaft leading to the wheel in front of her, and turning it. Twilight jumped as the object roared to life and hummed, lights around them blinking on. Fluttershy looked behind her and took hold of the wheel. The object slowly moved back and turned until Twilight could see the street looking forward. Fluttershy looked forward and turned the wheel and they moved towards the street.

“So this is sort of like a carriage, right?” she asked, glancing at Fluttershy.

“You’ve never ridden in a car before?”

“Um… well, I’ve heard of them. But my family didn’t use them.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll drive slow.”

Twilight let out a sigh. “Thank you. I have to admit I’m not quite—”

The car exited the parking lot and gained speed as Fluttershy turned down the street. Twilight gasped and leaned back as they accelerated.

Fluttershy pulled into the driveway of her modest two-story home and turned the key. “Here we are.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned back to take hold of her backpack. “Don’t forget your bag.” Fluttershy slammed her door and walked away.

In the passenger seat, Twilight gasped for breath as she sat plastered to the back of her seat, her fingers gripping the sides tightly. The last five minutes of her life were burned into her mind as a blur of sight and loud sounds. On her lap, Spike slowly turned to look up at her.

“Twilight?”

“Spike?”

“Can we walk back to the school tomorrow?”

“Yes, we can.”

Twilight carefully unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door. She took a shaky step into the driveway, grabbed her backpack, and slowly walked forward. Fluttershy was waiting for her nearby, the key ring in her hand. The car behind her beeped and Twilight screamed, jumping away.

“Sorry.” Fluttershy held up her keys. “Was just locking the door.”

“Right,” Twilight squeaked. She edged away from the car and joined Fluttershy on the path to the house. Fluttershy turned and led the way to the door. She unlocked it and pushed it open.

“I’m home!” she called softly.

Twilight stood in the doorway as Fluttershy slipped her boots off and slid them onto a mat to the side. A hallway leading to a staircase stretched in front of them and Twilight saw doorways to other rooms on either side. She looked at the pile of shoes on a mat in front of her then at her own boots. She reached down and fingered the laces.

“Fluttershy?” A woman wearing glasses with red hair tied into a bun emerged from one doorway. “Why didn’t you call, I was beginning to worry.”

“Sorry, Mom.” Fluttershy hugged her tightly. “I was busy making a new friend.” She stepped aside and gestured to Twilight. Twilight looked up, preoccupied with undoing the laces of her boots, and waved.

Fluttershy’s mother noticed the newcomer at the door and came closer. “Well, hello there. I’m Mrs. Shy.”

Twilight recognized the hairstyle and glasses now and stood to hug the familiar woman back when she put her arms around her. “Nice to meet you. I’m Twilight Sparkle.” She awkwardly stepped out of her boot as Mrs. Shy pulled away. “And this is Spike.” She gestured down.

Mrs. Shy looked down at Spike and knelt to scratch his chin. “Well, isn’t he adorable?” Twilight giggled as Spike closed his eyes and tilted his head up at the attention. Mrs. Shy finished and gave him a pat on the head. “Fluttershy, dinner is a little late tonight. We didn’t know when you would be home. Zephyr hasn’t checked in either. We’re not sure where he is.”

Fluttershy’s expression soured. “Did you check on the sofa in the basement? That’s usually where I find him.”

Mrs. Shy scoffed and waved a hand. “Oh, be nice, he’s still finding his path.” She looked behind her, Twilight presumed at the kitchen. “Fluttershy, would you mind giving me a hand scraping dinner together?”

“Sure, just a moment.” Fluttershy turned to Twilight. “I can show you my room if you like.”

“That’d be nice.” Twilight smiled and gestured a hand.

“Be right back, Mom.” Fluttershy stepped up the stairs and Twilight followed. She led Twilight down a hallway to one of five doorways and gently pressed it open. Twilight looked around. A bedroom in various shades of green, yellow, and pink, greeted her. Fluttershy set her backpack on the bed. “If you like, you can use my computer. Or you can help me and Mom.”

Twilight saw a desk against one wall. The device on it looked vaguely similar to the ones in the computer lab, but the screen was thinner and the large box had a different array of slots on the front. “…Actually, I wouldn’t mind being able to use the computer.”

“Go ahead.” Fluttershy pressed a button on the box and Twilight heard it begin to hum. The screen lit up and various rows of texts and graphical displays slowly came into focus. “I have a sleeping bag in my closet I could sleep in, if you want the bed.”

“I don’t mind the floor.”

Fluttershy gasped. “Oh no, I can’t do that, you’re a guest.”

Twilight smiled and shook her head. Same old Fluttershy, all right. “We can talk about it later, then.”

“Okay. If you want a drink, just come on down.” Fluttershy waved at her and left the room.

Alone with Spike, Twilight looked at the computer. “Alright, Spike, time to do some research.”

“How?” Spike jumped up on the desk as Twilight sat down in front of it.

“Pinkie said the internet can be used to look up information. That sounds like a start.” Fluttershy’s computer screen was now showing a large picture of a forest with various icons along the bottom of the screen. Twilight looked them over and found one that was labelled ‘Internet Safari’. “Well, I found the internet.” She reached out and pressed the icon on the screen. It began to bounce in place and a box sprang out from it. Twilight watched as an image of Canterlot High filled the screen with various headers and text along the top.

“Seems pretty straightforward.” She read over the headers. “Faculty, upcoming events, map, contact…” She pressed a finger at the upcoming events header and a list dropped down from it. Twilight’s eyes lit up at one entry. “The Autumn Crown Tournament.” She pressed the entry. The screen changed and the now-familiar posters for the tournament appeared on either side. Text followed soon after.

“Attention duelists! The Canterlot High ninth annual Autumn Crown Tournament begins October eighth. Don’t miss this chance to show your skills and prove you have what it takes to rule the duel. Speak to Pinkie Pie before October seventh to sign up.” Twilight saw more text further down the screen, cut-off. She pointed at it and after a moment a downward motion of her finger made the page scroll so she could keep reading. “Here we go, rules.

“All duelists must have a deck of no less than 40 cards and a side deck of no more than 15 cards. Both will be registered the day of the tournament and unregistered cards may not be used in tournament duels. The tournament is single-elimination divided into two days. Day one will take place on Saturday. Duelists will compete in free duels between noon and four pm. At four pm the sixteen duelists with the best win-loss ratio will advance to bracketed matches. The quarter finals will be held the next day and continue through to the evening for the finals.”

Twilight sat back and thought. “Sunday night. Then we should have just enough time to beat Sunset Shimmer.”

“Cutting it close, though.” Spike frowned and scratched his ear. “Any idea on how we’re gonna beat her if she’s so good?”

“Maybe we can get some.” Twilight reached the end of the text and saw more headers. One of them read ‘Directory’ and she tapped it. A row of pictures appeared displaying numerous students with their names below. A few of them look familiar. Trixie was in this world, maybe all sorts of ponies I know from Equestria are here. Twilight looked over the rows of pictures for any sign of Sunset Shimmer, or her friends, and found neither. Buttons at the bottom displayed the option for the next page and one that read ‘Search.’ Twilight tapped the latter. A smaller window appeared with a blinking cursor.

“Okay… let’s see.” She put her hands on the keyboard and paused. The layout of keys was a bit different, but it was very similar to typewriters in Equestria. She slowly typed, watching her fingers move to make sure they went to the right letters. “S… u… n…” She spelled out Sunset’s name. As she typed, the rows of students grew smaller until only one picture was on the screen. Twilight reached up and tapped on Sunset Shimmer’s icon.

“There she is…” Spike muttered. Twilight waited for the screen to fill in numerous data fields, including a large picture of Sunset on the left, her arm held up to display a red and orange duel disk.

“Win-loss record for autumn semester… 0-0?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Really? She doesn’t duel anyone?”

“Maybe everyone’s afraid to duel her?” Spike suggested. “I mean, if she’s the champion.”

“Right… current ranking, Champion. Year, fourth. Deck…” Twilight tilted her head. “That has to be an error.”

“What?” Spike leaned around the screen to see better. “Deck… not available?” He looked at Twilight. “How can they not know what type of deck she uses?”

Twilight scratched her head. “Maybe they don’t list it because she’s the champion… although if she’s so good wouldn’t everyone know anyway?” She looked over the rest of Sunset’s profile, but found nothing of value. Any fields relating to information about her deck were listed as ‘N/A’. At the bottom was a listing of her rankings in past tournaments. For the previous two Autumn tournaments, as well as the two Spring tournaments, Sunset was the champion. Twilight mentally calculated the two-and-a-half year time limit on the mirror portal. No ranking for the first spring tournament when she arrived. Maybe when she got here she wasn’t good enough to win yet. Or she missed it. There was one other field for ‘other information’ that simply noted Sunset was the champion for four tournaments running.

She tapped the Search button and typed in another name. Her own portrait appeared on the screen and Twilight groaned; the picture Pinkie had taken of her recoiling and raising her arm to defend herself from the unfamiliar camera was there. She opened her profile and read. Her deck theme was listed as ‘Unregistered’ and her win-loss record was 4-1 as before. That’s good. Sunset Shimmer’s deck may not be known, but neither is mine. That’ll give me an edge. She thought once more and went back to the search to type in the first name that sprang to mind. “R… a…”

When the rows of pictures had narrowed to one, Twilight opened Rainbow Dash’s profile. The alternate form of her friend, at once so familiar but so different, appeared on the left. Twilight let out a low whistle. “Win-loss record this semester is 43-6. Deck… ‘U.A.’.”

“U.A.?” Spike shook his head. “What’s that mean?”

“I don’t know, but it seems tough.” Twilight scrolled down the page. “According to these notes, she’s placed in the top four the past three tournaments and the top eight in the fourth before them.”

“Wow.” Spike watched as Twilight brought up the search bar again. “Look for Rarity!” he suggested, his tail wagging. Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile, and typed in the name.

“Win-loss ratio, 19-8. Deck, ‘Crystal Beast’. Other notes… placed top eight, autumn tournament third year, Spring tournament fourth year.”

“She’s beautiful…” Spike stared dreamily at the girl in the profile picture. “She might be even prettier than the other Rarity!”

“Down boy.” Twilight reached out to pat Spike on the head. He gave a slight growl and backed away from the touch. Twilight smiled at him and then turned her attention back to the computer. A couple of searches later confirmed that all five of her Ponyville friends were here. Fluttershy’s deck was listed as Beast, Pinkie’s deck was something called ‘Toons,’ and Applejack’s was listed as Plant. “They all seem to be fairly good duelists. Applejack’s win-loss record is almost as good as Rainbow Dash’s, 39-4.”

Twilight sat back in the chair and thought. We may not have to do this on our own. If I can convince my friends in this world to help me, I don’t have to win the tournament to stop Sunset Shimmer. As long as I can make sure she doesn’t win, anyone could beat her. “Spike, do you think they might be willing to help us? I mean, I don’t know if they’re friends in this world, but if they’re like our Ponyville friends, maybe we can talk to them.” Twilight looked at the desk where Spike had been sitting and found it empty. “Spike?”

“Twilight, over here.”

Twilight turned her head. Spike had jumped onto the bed and was looking at a picture hanging on the wall over the head. Twilight stood and walked over to see what about the picture had gotten his notice. She gasped softly. “That’s them.” She reached up and lifted the picture to look at it.

A photograph of Fluttershy with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity was in the frame. The five were younger than they were now, but Twilight recognized the school in the background as CHS. She smiled. “They are friends.”

“Were.”

Twilight jumped and snapped her head up. Fluttershy stood in the doorway, looking away and stroking her arm. Twilight stood up on the bed and looked at the back of the picture to figure out how it hung. “I’m sorry, really! I wasn’t trying to snoop or anything, I just saw the picture.”

“It’s okay.” Fluttershy reached out to take the picture from Twilight and looked down at it with a soft smile. “We took this at the end of first year. I already knew Rainbow Dash as a kid, but not really any of the others. We just kind of met up over time and bonded. Outside of Rainbow Dash, I hadn’t really had any friends before.”

Twilight stepped down from the bed. “What happened?”

“Sunset Shimmer came.” Fluttershy carefully set the picture down on her dresser. “The duel tournaments were all for fun. That’s why Pinkie volunteered to host them. Then when Sunset joined the school, she made it all about the competition to win. It was her idea for the champion to get special privileges, since they work so hard for it. She acted so sweet and nice that first year, we all thought it was a good idea. Then she got her crown and showed us what she’s really like.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Now Pinkie is too busy keeping the school’s dueling database updated to play, Applejack and Rainbow Dash almost hate each other, and Rarity just drifted away with everyone else driven apart. And me… I’m just stuck with my little low-level deck with no one to play with.”

She looked back at Twilight. “I kept wishing someone nice would win over Sunset Shimmer some year, so maybe they could do something to change it. But no one remembers how it used to be. Everyone is just obsessed with winning, or they’re so bitter over it they don’t care.”

Twilight looked at the picture, five smiling faces looking back at her. They were happy back then. And then Sunset Shimmer ruined it. But why? Why does this school mean so much to her? What does Duel Monsters have to do with Equestria and my Element of Harmony? She put aside that thought for later and raised her head. “Well, not anymore. You’re right. Dueling is for fun. I may have never played before but I still had a lot of fun playing you today.”

Fluttershy’s face brightened. “Really?”

Twilight nodded. “Maybe together we can remind those four what this game should be about.”

“I don’t know about that.” Fluttershy bit her lip. “Applejack and Rainbow are some of the best duelists in the school. I think Pinkie is in the tournament just to see how things go, and maybe Rarity. But I didn’t register.”

“Are you still friends with Pinkie?”

“Well, we occasionally chat…”

“Call her. See if she’ll bend the rules to let you in late.” Twilight reached out to hold Fluttershy’s hand. “I know you only duel for fun. But standing up for something you believe in is one of the most important things anyone can do for a friend. And if we’re going to beat Sunset Shimmer, I want your help.”

Fluttershy looked down at their hands and then back at Twilight, giving a tentative smile. “Okay. I’ll do my best. Let me give her a call.” She carefully took her hand back and picked up the cordless phone on her dresser, walking out to the hall as she dialed.

Twilight smiled at Spike. “Well, that’s one ally.”

“Now what?” Spike asked.

“Now…” Twilight made her way back to the computer and sat down. “We need to find out those ‘online tutorials’ Pinkie mentioned. If Sunset Shimmer is the best player in the school at this game, we’re going to need to learn how to play it fast.” She looked over the row of icons and text at the very top of the internet browser and pressed her finger to the screen at the one that said ‘EweTube Video Hosting’.”

Familiar Faces

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Familiar Faces

On the coffee table in Fluttershy’s living room lay Twilight’s deck, its cards spread out in front of her. Twilight sat hunched over on the sofa, looking between them. She’d spent much of last night reading every card’s effect. An unmistakable pattern had emerged. Her eyes fell on the six monster cards in the center.

There’s no doubt about it. She reached out and picked up ‘Harmony Spirit – Magia’. Its artwork showed an angelic fairy with a horn and pale lavender skin. These cards are based on me and my friends. But how? Twilight had searched a database on cards on the internet for hers and found no record of them. The only conclusion was that the mirror portal’s magic had manifested these cards for her when she crossed over. I guess it makes sense. Fluttershy said that dueling is a way to reveal your true self. The bond my friends and I share is the most important thing I have. So, using cards based on them and their powers… Her brow furrowed as she looked over the card in her hand.

“Magia…” Twilight recognized the names of the cards as Ancient Equestrian, a near-dead language only used in books so old they tended to need special permission to examine. Why her cards would manifest using those words, she wasn’t sure, but she had to admit that Ancient Equestrian had a certain elegance. And the card shows me as a unicorn, not an alicorn. That makes sense. I may be an alicorn, but I’m still a unicorn at heart. I don’t know what my purpose as a Princess is, but I’m still me, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight set the card back on the table.

“Twilight?” Spike jumped up on the sofa beside her. “What’s up?”

“Just thinking.” Twilight spread her hand over the cards laid out. “Fluttershy said a duelist’s deck symbolizes their true self. And my deck symbolizes me and my friends.”

Spike leaned over to look at the cards. “Seems so.”

“But, look at this card.” Twilight tapped her finger on Magia. “That’s obviously meant to be me. It’s a unicorn, not an alicorn.”

Spike nodded. “Makes sense. I mean, you were born a unicorn, right?”

“True.” Twilight furrowed her brow. “But if a deck symbolizes a duelist’s true self, do you think that means that deep down I’m still a unicorn, even with my wings?”

“I’d say so.” Spike looked up at her. “You said you never much felt like being a Princess and you were worrying about Celestia giving you all sorts of new duties and responsibilities.”

“Right.” Twilight bit her lip. Maybe Spike is right and this is for the best. I really don’t feel like a Princess much. I just feel like me with some awkward wings attached.

Spike was on the table now, carefully stepping around the cards as he looked them over. “Yup, there’s Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash… everypony is here.” He turned to Twilight. “Hey, if your deck that the portal made for you is based on you and your friends, what kind of deck would the portal have given Sunset Shimmer?”

Twilight jerked from her thoughts at the question and sat back on the sofa as she considered it. “I’m not sure.” She thought of what she knew about the other girl. She was Celestia’s student and her pride was self-evident through what Twilight had seen of her. But she had nothing else to go on. I really have no idea what she has in store for me. I wish I had asked Celestia more about her.

She shook her head. Can’t focus on that now. Have to keep the goal in mind. “We’ll deal with her deck when and if we have to duel her. For now we have to at least make sure we get into the top sixteen. Sunset Shimmer definitely will and we have to make sure we do, too. From there, I guess it depends on how they match us up.” Fluttershy had made it into the tournament and Twilight intended to try and form an alliance with her friends, or potentially any other student that made the bracketed matches. Every friend we can make is another duelist we can rely on to hand over the crown if I can’t win. No matter what Fluttershy said about their attitudes towards the tournament, if they know what’s at stake they should listen to reason.

“I have to believe in them.” Twilight stood up. “They may not actually be my friends, but from what I’ve seen they’re similar enough in personality. I have to hope that means I can convince them to help me.”

“Twilight?” She looked up to see Fluttershy poking her head through the doorway. “Breakfast is ready, if you’d like.”

“Sure.” Twilight began to gather up her cards and set them back into her deck box.

“Mom said she has errands to run anyway, so she’s going to drive us to the school.”

Twilight paled.

“Drive?”

Fluttershy nodded. “We’re leaving early since Mom drives a little slow.”

“Where’d you learn to drive, moron!?”

Twilight narrowed her eyes ever so slightly as the comment, so familiar to the dozens of others she had heard over the past twenty minutes, came through her open window.

Mrs. Shy huffed. “Well, that was rather rude.”

“Mom, you were slowing down in the middle of the road.”

“The light was turning red, I had to slow down to brake in time.”

“We were thirty feet away and it was still green.”

“It was going to turn yellow any moment, I didn’t want to risk it.”

Twilight leaned forward. “Fluttershy, will you be driving us back home tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

The grounds of Canterlot High were filled with students as Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk. A couple close to them turned to look at the newcomers and then turned back to their previous tasks. Twilight looked around and saw no sign of any of her friends, or Sunset Shimmer. She has to compete in the tournament like normal, right? So she’ll have to be here.

Twilight wondered if Sunset would challenge her, but brushed the idea aside. She didn’t recognize me yesterday, I doubt she will now. And me challenging her won’t do much. She can still make the top sixteen if I beat her. Though, so would I if she won. Was challenging Sunset at this early stage worth it to get a peek of her rival’s deck? Twilight thought it over for a moment and shook her head. She’d see mine, too, and with my inexperience I need every advantage I can take.

“The registration desk is in the front lobby.” Fluttershy’s voice prompted Twilight to look towards her as the other girl led the way. Twilight followed, weaving through the crowd. She kept looking for her friends among the sea of faces but saw no sign of them. They’ll be here. Well, maybe not Pinkie, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash for sure. Twilight looked to the right and thought she saw a familiar head of rainbow-colored hair, but before she could get a better look she walked into something and stumbled back. She heard someone else grunt and fall in front of her.

“Sorry!” Twilight rubbed her back and got to her feet. “Sorry, didn’t see—” She looked up at who she had walked into.

“We gotta stop meeting like this.” Flash Sentry stood up in front of her. “Hey, Twilight.”

“Hi.” Twilight lifted her hand and waved. “Here to register?”

“Yup.” Flash held up his arm with his duel disk. His expression softened. “No offense, but I’m a bit surprised to see you registering. You seemed a bit unprepared to duel yesterday.”

Twilight held up her hands and chuckled nervously. “Well, first day, you know how it is, I’m a bit forgetful. But I’m here now.” She forced a grin.

“Well, good luck. If you can do well in this tournament it’ll go a long way to making a good first impression on everyone else.” Flash smiled and held up a fist, the thumb extended. Twilight pondered what the unfamiliar gesture meant but didn’t have much time to dwell on it.

“Next, please.” The line moved forward and Twilight saw Flash reach the table in front of them. Twilight leaned around Flash and saw the woman typing on a computer, with long dark blue hair and pale blue skin.

Princess Luna? Twilight’s eyebrows lifted. Makes sense, Celestia is in this world, after all.

Luna looked up at Flash. “Name?”

“Flash Sentry. Here’s my deck, with the extra deck and side deck included.” Flash held out his deck. Luna set the deck in some sort of machine that rapidly flipped through the cards. When it was done Luna’s computer beeped and she went back to typing.

“Deck registration complete. From this moment forward any usage of cards not in the database will be grounds for immediate disqualification. Understood?”Flash nodded. Luna picked up the deck and held it out. “Here you are. Good luck.” Flash stepped out of the way and looked down to sort through his cards.

Twilight took a breath and stepped up to the table. “Twilight Sparkle.”

“Deck, please.” Twilight handed over her deck and Luna ran it through the scanning machine. “Hm, precisely forty cards. You’re certain you do not wish to use an extra deck or side deck? This is your last chance to add them.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

“As you wish. Your deck is registered.” Luna folded up the cards and gave them back to Twilight. Twilight saw Fluttershy in line directly behind her and moved next to Flash. She looked down at his duel disk.

“So, what kind of deck do you run?” Flash asked.

“Harmony Spirits,” Twilight replied. “You?”

“Gem Knights.” Flash pursed a lip. “Harmony Spirits, huh? That’s not one I’m familiar with. Did it just come out?”

Oh, right. Twilight had forgotten her deck’s spontaneous creation from the portal’s magic. “It’s a very rare series, they never really released them outside of where I lived before moving here.” She held up her hands and silently hoped that excuse would work.

“Cool.” Flash smiled. “It’ll help. A lot of the students here are kinda netdeckers, just recycling the same strategies as everyone else. Makes them predictable and easy to counter. Having a unique deck and playstyle will make it harder for them to do the same to you.”

Good. Twilight looked out over the crowd. Does that mean Sunset Shimmer is predictable for the rest of them, too? She’s champion, surely everyone has seen her duel. She wondered if anyone would be feeling courageous enough to challenge Sunset. Would give me the chance to see her deck in action.

“I’m ready.” Fluttershy approached the two. “Though I’m not sure how good I’ll do.” She bit her lip and shuffled her feet. “I really don’t know about this, Twilight.”

“You are ready, Fluttershy.” Twilight put a hand on her shoulder. “Think of it this way. Even if you don’t win, you’re here to help a friend and stand up for what you believe in, right?”

Fluttershy slowly smiled. “…Right. Thank you, Twilight,”

“Attention, students!” The assembled teenagers stopped talking at the sound of the loudspeaker. Twilight recognized Celestia’s voice. “Registration will end in five minutes. Any unregistered changes to your decks will be grounds for disqualification. If you have made any changes to your deck since registering, see Vice-Principal Luna to re-register. Students in line for registration after noon will still be allowed to complete their registration.”

A new flurry of murmurs came from the crowd and Twilight saw several students approach the table. Flash carefully reached out and put a hand on Twilight’s arm. “We should get out of the way.”

“Right.” Twilight and Fluttershy followed him through the doors to the outside of the school. Along the way Twilight saw several students looking at her and whispering. She frowned. I have my deck loaded. I’m not drawing attention again, am I? She leaned closer. “Flash, why is everyone staring at us?”

Fluttershy softly gasped, drawing Twilight’s attention. Flash looked away from them and chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, folks sort of pay attention to me here…”

“Why?” Twilight looked up at him.

Flash looked at her and Twilight thought he seemed embarrassed. “You’ve probably heard by now how Sunset joined the school and she’s been the champion ever since?”

Twilight nodded.

“Well, who do you think was the champion five tournaments running before she got here?”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Oh...”

“It’s no big deal.” Flash held up his hands. “I really only played for fun. It’s just that in a game like this, playing for fun and winning can go hand-in-hand.” He looked around the crowd. “A lot of them are saying this is my chance to stop her, before her win overtakes mine.”

He’s a five-time champion. Twilight rapidly considered her options. Flash is another ally I can count on. He’s strong, he seems to be interested in being my friend. The other side of her mind argued back that he had failed to beat Sunset in the past several tournaments before. Still, he’s a former champion. That has to mean something to his skill, right?

“Flash?” Twilight began the conversation cautiously.

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I want to ask—”

A tone came over the school grounds, signaling the loudspeakers were on again. The students looked towards the school at the sound. Celestia’s voice rang through the air.

“Students, it is my honor to welcome you all to the ninth annual Autumn Crown Tournament!” Cheers and yells came up from the crowd. Twilight stayed silent. “This year has seen the registration of more students than ever before. However, in spite of these numbers, the rules of the tournament will remain the same.

“Over the next four hours, all students will be allowed to engage in free duels across the campus. At the end of those four hours, all duels held within that time will be tallied. The sixteen students with the best win-loss ratios will advance to the bracketed rounds. The first eight duels will be held this evening, with the top eight dueling to crown a winner tomorrow.

“Free duels can be help anywhere on school grounds and a duel must be agreed upon by both parties. All win-loss records from the normal semester are irrelevant. Further inquiries can be directed to the registration desk. For now, students, prepare your decks and duel disks. It’s time to duel!”

A fanfare sounded in the air, and the students cheered again.

Twilight took a breath. Here we go…

“Harmony Spirit Honestas, attack Spirit of the Harp!” The pale orange being let out a cry and ran across the field, slamming its fist into a spirit wearing a yellow robe sitting in front of a large harp. The spirit was flung back and shattered into particles as it hit the ground. Twilight looked at her duel disk display. The portrait for her opponent, a green-skinned girl with darker green hair, had its Life Point counter drop to zero and then flashed red. Twilight’s portrait grew to fill her display and her Life Point display changed to show her win-loss record as it updated – 3-0.

“Three wins.” Twilight gathered her cards from her duel disk and set them on her deck to trigger the auto-shuffler. Three wins is good, but I don’t know if it’s enough to win this. Twilight had attempted to find out how other duelists in the tournament were ranking, but had been told she couldn’t. She just had to keep dueling and winning, and hope she made it into the next round. Can’t waste time mulling it over. I have to find another opponent.

She looked around and saw a small crowd of students watching a duel. There has to be someone there who’ll duel me. She jogged over when a voice came from the duel going on.

“I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

Twilight’s ears perked up. That voice sounds familiar! She pushed her way to the front of the crowd, muttering excuses as a couple people protested. She reached the edge and paused.

On Twilight’s right, the one student dueling was a girl with pale grey skin, blonde hair, and slightly crossed eyes. Her field was empty. To the left was a girl with dark purple hair and pale alabaster skin. Three large gemstones stood in a row in front of her, colored orange, yellow, and violet, shadowed forms inside of them. Twilight took a closer look at the girl and gasped as she realized the source of the voice.

“Rarity!”

The girl turned to her and gave her a surprised look. Before Twilight could continue, the other girl put a hand on her deck.

“I draw!” The girl held up her hand and lifted a card. “I normal summon ‘Junk Synchron’!” A squat humanoid monster in clunky orange armor jumped onto the field, holding a hand out. “When Junk Synchron is normal summoned, I can activate his effect, and summon a Level 2 or lower monster in the Graveyard. I summon ‘Tuningware’!” Another monster, a tiny yellow machine with a curved disk on its head, materialized on the field. “Next I activate the effect of ‘Quillbolt Hedgehog’ in the Graveyard. Since I control a Tuner monster like Junk Synchron, I can revive Quillbolt. Then I activate the effect of ‘Doppelwarrior’ in my hand to special summon it since I just revived a monster.” Two more monsters appeared, a large hedgehog with industrial bolts for quills and a cloaked warrior holding a rifle.

Twilight gaped. “She just summoned four monsters in one turn! That’s amazing!”

“No it ain’t.”

Twilight jumped at the voice and turned her head. A girl with blonde hair and a Stetson hat stood next to her, arms crossed. Twilight looked her over and saw three apples sewn on her skirt. There was no mistaking that symbol. “Applejack?”

“Rares’ has got this in the bag,” Applejack continued.

“And now for my final move!” Rarity’s opponent held her hand into the air. “I tune the Level 3 Junk Synchron with the Level 1 Tuningware, Level 2 Quillbolt Hedgehog, and Level 2 Doppelwarrior, to Synchro Summon the Level 8 ‘Junk Destroyer’!”

A red light and a siren blared from the girl’s duel disk. She paused and looked down. “Huh? ‘Illegal move’?”

“No Synchro monsters in the tournament, ya ditz!” Someone in the crowd called. The crowd groaned and Twilight saw several slap their heads or giggle.

The girl laughed nervously. “My bad. Um…” She looked back at her hand. “I…” She scratched her head and frowned.

“What happened?” Twilight asked.

“Ya can’t use any of the extra deck monsters except for Fusions. Synchro Summonin’ isn’t allowed.” Applejack sighed. “Shame too, that move would have clinched the win.”

“I… end my turn?” The girl held up her hands and grinned sheepishly.

Rarity snorted. “Very well. My draw!” She drew her card and smiled. “From my hand, I summon ‘Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus’!” A portal opened behind Rarity and a winged white horse flew out of it, whinnying. Its horn glowed bright blue and gemstones embedded on its wings did the same. “When Sapphire Pegasus is summoned, I can select any Crystal Beast monster from my hand, deck, or graveyard, and play it as a Spell card. I choose from my deck ‘Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle’.” A pale lavender being that reminded Twilight of a cat appeared on Rarity’s field and was immediately frozen in place as a red crystal materialized around it.

“Next, I reveal my face-down, the Spell card ‘Crystal Promise’. This lets me summon my Ruby Carbuncle as a monster proper.” The ruby cracked and shattered, Ruby Carbuncle leaping forward to stand beside the pegasus. “Now that Ruby Carbuncle has been special summoned, its ability activates! Go, Ruby Light!” Rarity held her hand up over her head and Ruby Carbuncle held up its tail, a red gem on the end glowing bright. In front of Rarity, the orange, yellow, and violet gemstones lit up and began to crack apart. “When special summoned, Ruby Carbuncle lets me release all of my crystallized Crystal Beasts from their gemstone prisons and summon them to the field!”

Rarity’s opponent gasped. “Oh no!”

Rarity snapped her hand down to hold it over her duel disk. “I summon ‘Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger’, ‘Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth’, and ‘Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat’!” The yellow gemstone shattered and a tiger with topazes embedded on its neck leapt out of the rubble, roaring. The orange gemstone broke next, a large mammoth with a round piece of amber in its forehead stomping forward. Finally the violet gem broke, releasing a pale pink cat with a large winged collar set with an amethyst gem.

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Whoa…”

Applejack smirked. “See, that’s how ya do it.”

Rarity pointed at her opponent’s monsters one by one. “All of my Crystal Beasts attack!” Rarity’s monsters variously roared or growled and dashed across the field. Her opponent looked away, Twilight following suit. The now-familiar sound of holograms variously shattering and exploding filled her ears.

Twilight looked back to see Rarity’s opponent collapse to her knees. “I just don’t know what went wrong,” she moaned.

Rarity carefully picked her cards off her disk. “What did you wrong, darling, was underestimate my talents. Don’t feel too bad, it’s a mistake four others so far have made.” She set her cards back on her deck and turned to the crowd. “So, who’s next?”

The crowd dispersed, a couple of them mumbling excuses. Twilight ignored them and ran forward. “Rarity!”

Rarity focused her eyes on her. “Hm? Have we met?”

Twilight flinched. “Um, that is, no. But I know you by reputation! I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“Wonderful!” Rarity smiled and tossed her hair. “It’s good to know someone appreciates an entrepreneur.”

Twilight tilted her head. “Huh?”

Rarity spun in the air and put her hand on her deck, drawing a stack of cards and fanning them out. “I happen to be the founder of Rarity’s Dueling School of Elegance! Our motto is that the only thing better than a victory is a victory while looking fabulous!”

“I agree…” Twilight heard Spike whisper at her feet and looked down to shush him.

Applejack stepped up beside Twilight. “What she means is that she likes showin’ off all fancy in her duels and thinks we all should too, and she’s trying to raise money to open some sort of fancy dueling studio.”

Rarity crossed her arms and tilted her nose up. “Well, not everyone appreciates the value that good aesthetics brings to a duel. Fortunately, my skills are heard where my words fall on deaf ears.”

“What’s your record?” Twilight asked.

“Five and one, dear.” Rarity sniffed. “I confess I underestimated a certain ruffian who insists on dueling like a brute, but that shall be rectified when I face Rainbow Dash in the finals!”

“Uh, hey now.” Applejack stepped closer and jabbed a finger at Rarity’s chest. “RD is mine. If y’all want a shot at her, Ah’m gonna have somethin’ to say about that.”

Rarity scowled and pushed Applejack’s hand away. “You can say all you like, if you’re up to talking with action.” She stepped back and held up her duel disk.

Applejack smiled and raised her own duel disk. “You are in for a heck of a bruisin’, hun.”

“Stop it!” Twilight ran between them and pushed their arms down. She swung her head between them and glared. “Aren’t you all supposed to be friends?”

“Friends? With that uncultured yokel?” Rarity scoffed. “Don’t demean me!”

“Same here, Ah’d never be friends with someone who thinks havin’ their hair look nice is more important to dueling than being good.”

“You know perfectly well that is not what I meant!”

“Enough!” Twilight shouted over them before Applejack could respond. She sighed. “I’ve met Fluttershy, I know about you guys, okay? That’s why I’m here.” She looked between them as the two began to pay attention. “I need your help to win this tournament.”

“Get in line, dear, there’s a few hundred of us aspiring to that.”

“I don’t have to win for myself. I just need the crown.” Twilight scrunched her nose. “It’s a long story you probably wouldn’t believe anyway. But I need the crown. Don’t care about winning, much, this is just a silly game, after all. But I need the physical item.” She looked between them. “I’m hoping you girls might listen to reason and agree to give it to me if you win the tournament.”

Applejack gave her a suspicious look. “Ah thought it was some dollar-store toy they bought for the tournament. What’s so fancy about some cheap crown that you want it that bad?”

Twilight laughed nervously. “Like I said, long story.”

“I find such an offer not disagreeable.” Rarity shrugged. “I already have a couple tiaras more expensive and better-looking at home, so that silly trinket means nothing to me.”

Twilight pumped her fist. “Great.”

“However!” Rarity continued, “I also see no reason as to agree to it, since such a desire is rather curious.”

Twilight deflated. “What’ll it take to convince you?”

Rarity smiled. “I think you know that very well, darling.” She raised her duel disk.

“Really?” Twilight looked at her own disk. It can’t really hurt. We can still both make it if we keep winning.

“Indeed. Prove yourself worthy of such an alliance and I’ll consider it,”

Twilight nodded and held up her duel disk. “You’re on, Rarity!”

The Spirit of Competition

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Spirit of Competition

Twilight slowly turned around. Sunset leaned against the sinks, her arms crossed. She looked Twilight over and snorted. “I should have recognized you yesterday. I’m more surprised than I should be. I expected Celestia to send someone after me and the crown. I just didn’t think it would be her precious prized pupil.”

“Of course I’m here. You stole my crown from me,” Twilight replied, stepping closer.

“Ah ah.” Sunset wagged a finger. “In this world it’s my crown, four tournaments running.” She tossed her hair. “And soon it’ll be five, the biggest and most important win yet.”

“Not if I beat you it won’t.” Twilight held up her duel disk and pressed the button to activate it. “Let’s end it, right here, Sunset!”

“Oh please.” Sunset laughed and raised her arm to show her own duel disk, colored red and orange. “I saw your duel with Rarity. I admit, you have some minor skill. But you couldn’t even begin to imagine what lurks in my deck.”

Her deck. Twilight glanced down at it and then back at Sunset’s face. “Tell me.”

“Oh, you’ll find out. Assuming you make it to the finals.” Sunset lowered her arm. “Really, it’s even more perfect than I could have imagined. I get to win my crown directly from you by proving which of us is truly superior once and for all.”

Once and for all? “What are you talking about. I barely know you.”

“You think it’s all about what you know and want, Twilight?” Sunset narrowed her eyes. “Believe me, just because you don’t know me doesn’t mean I don’t know about you and your Element of Harmony.”

“You don’t know a thing about my Element.” Twilight glared back. “Even if you have it, it won’t do you any good. The Elements of Harmony choose their users, and the Element of Magic chose me. Stealing it doesn’t mean you can wield it.”

Sunset stared for a moment and then her eyes widened. “You don’t know, do you?”

Twilight was taken aback. “Know what?”

“You really don’t!” Sunset laughed out loud. “Magic in this world isn’t like in Equestria. Here, all that matters is power and proving your power. Magic obeys whoever is strongest and the same goes for magical items like that crown. It doesn’t care if you have some special destiny or mystical connection to it. It just cares about which of us is stronger.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. That can’t be.

Sunset leaned in when she saw Twilight’s expression. “See? The rules of the game have changed now. All I have to do is win this tournament one more time and that’ll be all the proof I need of my power.”

“You’re lying.” Twilight shook her head. “And even if you aren’t, it still doesn’t matter. Once we go—” Twilight stopped as she came to a realization.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Keep telling yourself that. It’ll make your defeat easier to swallow.” She stood up and approached the exit, stopping next to Twilight. She held Twilight’s gaze and glared. “You have one warning, Princess. Get out of my world and go back to Equestria where you belong. Stay here, get in my way? I’ll make you wish you’d never heard of Duel Monsters.” Sunset pushed the door open and stepped into the hall, letting it swing shut behind her.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, that was something.”

“She can’t really think we would listen, can she?” Spike asked. “I mean, there’s no way we’re gonna go back to Equestria.”

“Not a chance.” Twilight lifted her arm and deactivated her duel disk, the arms compacting back into its horseshoe shape. “She was just trying to scare us off, shake our confidence. But it’s not going to work.”

“Good.” Spike looked at the door. “Too bad we couldn’t get her to tell us about her deck, though.”

Twilight began to reply, but paused. She slowly smiled. “We don’t need her to, Spike!” She looked down at him to meet his eyes. “If she wants to win this tournament, she has to be out there dueling, right? We just have to find someone who’s seen her dueling and ask what she was doing! She had to register her deck for the tournament, so she can’t change it to try and catch anyone by surprise.”

“Makes sense.” Spike hopped down to the floor. “Speaking of, maybe we should get back out there? Can’t risk not making the finals after all.”

“Good point.” Twilight took a breath. “We’re doing well, but we have to keep going.” She pushed the door open and stepped into the hall. “Rarity and Applejack are supporting us so we can count on them to probably make it. Fluttershy is with us, too. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are the last two to recruit.”

“Don’t forget Flash,” Spike said as they headed down the hall. She gave Twilight a grin. “I think we can count on him supporting you.”

Twilight blushed slightly and cleared her throat. “Likely, yes. So, that’s six allies we can count on. For the ones that will make it to the finals we can count on at least three, likely four, possibly five.” She frowned. “I hate to say it but seeing some of the other duelists here I’m not sure Fluttershy will make it. Can’t say either way about Pinkie. Applejack, Rainbow, and Flash are sure things, given their reputations. Rarity is strong.” Twilight smiled again. “Five out of sixteen, and presuming none of us are matched against each other, we can be reasonably sure we’ll make it to the next round, making it five out of eight. I like those odds, Spike.”

“Better than one of sixteen, anyway.”

“I attack Bloom Diva with Steamroid!”

Twilight paused in the hallway. “What was that?”

“Steamroid gets 500 extra attack points when it attacks, and thanks to Forbidden Chalice, Diva is going bye-bye!”

“Aw come on!”

Twilight approached one of the classroom doors ahead, noticing it was slightly ajar. She pressed her face to the edge of the door.

Sitting at a desk with several duel monster cards laid out in front of her was Scootaloo. Opposite her on a desk turned to face her was a girl with pale purple and pink hair and pale white skin. A third girl with yellow skin and red hair sat on a third desk to the side, a pad of paper in front of her that she was writing on.

Twilight saw the pink bow in the girl’s hair. Apple Bloom? Then that other girl must be Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I end my turn.”

“Gotcha.” Sweetie Belle picked up a card from her deck. “Perfect draw. I activate the Spell card ‘Celestial Transformation’. This lets me Special Summon any Fairy monster from my hand, but it has half the stats and will be destroyed at the end of turn.” Sweetie Belle slid her card into place on her desk. “I summon ‘Mozarta the Melodious Maestra’. Then I activate Mozarta’s effect, letting me Special Summon another Fairy from my hand.”

Twilight knelt to whisper to Spike. “I guess they’re dueling.”

“Yeah.” Spike tilted his head. “Kinda weird seeing it without the fancy holograms. Not to mention all the shouting and dramatic hand waving.” He looked up at Twilight. “Even you’re getting into that habit.”

Twilight’s face reddened. “I’m just getting into the spirit, I guess.”

“I summon ‘Tamtam the Melodious Diva’. Since it was summoned by the effect of a Melodious monster, Tamtam’s effect lets me return ‘Polymerization’ from my graveyard to my hand.” Sweetie Belle picked up a stack of face-up cards and began to riffle through them.

Scootaloo pouted. “I just got rid of that stupid Bloom Diva fusion last turn!”

“And now you’ll deal with a new fusion,” Sweetie Belle said sweetly. “I activate Polymerization, and fuse Mozarta and Tamtam into ‘Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir’.” She swept the two monsters aside and picked up a small stack of cards from the right side of her field. She shuffled through them and set a Fusion monster from them on the field. “Prima gets another 300 points for each monster I fused to summon her, bringing her to 2500. Further, she gets to attack twice each turn.” Sweetie Belle put a hand on her card and jerked it across the field twice. “I attack Steamroid and Submarineroid.”

“Darn in.” Scootaloo picked up her cards. “Steamroid loses 500 points when attacked, so it’s down to 1300. At least the sub was in defense.” She added her cards to her discard pile and turned to Apple Bloom. “What’s the score?”

Apple Bloom wrote on her pad of paper. “1700 for Sweetie Belle, 1400 for you.”

“Sounds like it’s time for a comeback.” Scootaloo drew. “And that’s just what’ll do it. I summon ‘Expressroid’ and activate its effect. This lets me return Stealthroid and Truckroid in the graveyard to my hand. Then I activate a Spell of my own, ‘Vehicroid Connection Zone’!”

“No way!” Sweetie Belle’s jaw dropped.

“Topdeck for the win!” Scootaloo pumped her fist and flipped the cards in her hand onto the table one by one. “I’ll fuse Expressroid, Stealthroid, Truckroid, and Drilloid, to Fusion Summon ‘Super Vehicroid – Stealth Union!” Scootaloo grabbed her card from her Extra Deck and held it in the air with a grin before slamming it down on the desk.

“That’s more like it,” Spike whispered.

Twilight smiled softly as Scootaloo continued her turn, Sweetie Belle picking up her monster and holding it out. “I think we should leave them alone.” She stood up and turned to walk around. As she did the heel of her boot nudged the door and the hinges let out a small squeak.

“Hello?

Twilight stopped at the sound of Apple Bloom’s voice. She slowly pulled back and gently pushed the door open. The three girls were staring. “Um, hi.” She smiled awkwardly and held up a hand.

“Hey, I know you.” Twilight turned her attention to Scootaloo. “You were registering the same day as me, right?”

“Yeah.” Twilight pushed the door open more and came in, Spike by her feet. “I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“I remember. That’s Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.” The other two girls waved.

“Were you spyin’ on us?” Apple Bloom asked.

Twilight shook her head. “No. Well, sort of. I just overheard you guys playing and was watching.”

“Well you’re just in time, because this is the finishing move!” Scootaloo grinned and looked at Sweetie Belle. “Stealth Union’s attack power is halved when it attacks, but that still leaves it at 1800, just enough to end it!” She thrust her hand over the desk. “Stealth Union attacks directly!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sweetie Belle groaned and reached across the desk to take back her monster card on Scootaloo’s field. “Good game.”

“You too. That’s two out of three for me, right?”

“Ah called winner, remember.” Apple Bloom took her deck out of her duel disk and began to shuffle it. “An now Ah’ve seen all your tricks, Scoots.”

“You just tell yourself that.”

Twilight watched Sweetie Belle put her cards back in her duel disk. “How come you girls aren’t using your duel disks?”

“Because we don’t have enough room to use them here,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“You could duel outside.”

Scootaloo shook her head. “With the tournament going on? We’d never find privacy.”

Twilight looked at Scootaloo’s duel disk. “But, aren’t you registered?”

The girl shrugged. “Eh. Rainbow Dash made me sign up. I surrendered a few duels before coming in here. Hopefully she’ll just think I sucked today and not ask why I backed out.”

Twilight watched Scootaloo and Apple Bloom set their decks up on their desks and draw their opening hands. Sweetie Belle, the pad of paper on her desk now with the old sheet torn off, made a fist and put a coin on her thumb. “Scootaloo, call it in the air.” She flipped the coin.

“Heads!”

“Tails. Apple Bloom picks.”

“Ah’ll go first, thanks.” Apple Bloom drew her first card. “Ooooh, a nice hand here.”

“Just play!”

“They’re playing for fun. They don’t even care about the tournament.” Twilight watched Apple Bloom set a Spell card on the desk and then play a monster. A thought occurred to her. “Hey, Apple Bloom?”

“Yeah?”

“Does Applejack know you’re here?”

“Nah.”

“Me neither.” Sweetie Belle held up her hands. “Rarity takes this tournament thing way too seriously.”

“You think she takes it seriously?” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Rainbow Dash made me duel a picture of Applejack last week!” She scrunched her nose. “She didn’t have all the cards Applejack does so the deck was kinda lousy, but it was still weird.”

“Applejack has a victory speech prepared for her win. Not for the tournament, just for Rainbow Dash.” Apple Bloom shook her head. “As far as Ah’m concerned they can all duel each other to heck and back as much as they like. Ah don’t need some fancy crown tellin’ me Ah’m better than everybody else to be happy.”

“You said it.” Scootaloo reached across the table and the two bumped fists. “Now come on, I got a sweet move to bust out!”

“Sure. Ah use the effect of mah ‘Aroma Garden’ Field Spell to gain 500 Life Points. That triggers the effect of ‘Aromage Jasmine’, lettin’ me draw another card.”

As Twilight watched Apple Bloom play, she saw Sweetie Belle reach out to gently tug on her sleeve. “Hey, you wanna duel?”

“I call winner!” Scootaloo said immediately.

Twilight looked down at Sweetie Belle’s deck on the table. She then looked up at the clock on the wall. She frowned and shook her head. “I’d like to, really. But I have to go. I’m in the tournament too, and it’s important I win.” She smiled softly. “Not to prove anything. I just have to. It’s hard to explain.”

“Hey.” Apple Bloom looked up and held up a hand. “Ya gotta go do what ya gotta do, right?” The other two nodded. “Just, don’t tell our sisters we’re here, ‘kay?”

“Of course.” Twilight stood up and waved. “Have fun.” She turned and approached the door, pausing when she reached it to look back at them.

“Those tournaments used to bring students together. Kids that never would have spoken to each other met and mingled for the tournament, they made new friends, traded cards, shared strategies, cheered for each other.”

Twilight smiled and pulled the door open, letting Spike run out before she followed and closed it behind her.

Three hours left. I have to find another opponent. Twilight scanned the field. Numerous students were dueling, crowds watching them. She paused. I don’t even know where to begin. Does it matter?

“Twilight!” She turned her head. Fluttershy ran up to her and stopped when she was close. “How have you been doing?”

Twilight tapped her duel disk screen a few times. “Five and zero. You?”

Fluttershy bit her lip and shook her head. “One and two. I’m sorry. I told you I’m not very good.”

“Don’t say that.” Twilight put a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “It still means a lot to me that you’re here to support me.”

“Thank you.” Fluttershy smiled at her. “You’re doing good, though. I saw Rainbow Dash, she’s up to seven wins. She’s one of the best duelists in the school. As long as you can keep up with her you should make the finals just fine.”

“Right. Still a few behind though.” Twilight sighed. “I’m not sure who to duel next.”

“I know a few people looking for opponents. Follow me.” Fluttershy turned and led Twilight through the crowds.

Aqua eyes narrowed as they watched the two from around the corner of the school. Sunset looked down at her duel disk and tapped a button on it. An error code appeared and a quick wave of her hand dispelled it. The tournament standings popped up and she scrolled down them.

“Twilight Sparkle is on track to make the top sixteen.” She frowned and kept looking over the list. “A loss to me won’t derail that, not with these losers filling the ranks.”

“So what?” Sunset looked up at the two boys standing in front of her. “She’s just one opponent, right?” The orange-skinned one asked.

“Yeah.” The blue-skinned one nodded. “What’s so special about her?”

“Given the choice, she’s a risk better avoided.” Sunset called up the tournament rules and looked through them. “Snips, Snails. You two are my trump cards.”

Snips tilted his head. “Whaddaya mean?”

“Tag duels are allowed and count as a double win or loss.” Sunset looked over the crowd and smirked. “That little wimp is easy pickings, letting you two focus on Twilight. Two losses will drag her out of the rankings.”

“I dunno, Sunset.” Snips frowned and rubbed his shoulder. “I really didn’t come here to duel much, ya know?”

“Yeah.” Snails nodded. “We was just, you know, puttin’ on a show.”

Sunset rolled her eyes and walked up to them. “You two underestimate yourselves.” She faked a sweet smile and turned them around, putting an arm around either of their shoulders. She walked forward to make them look at Twilight and Fluttershy. “It’ll be a snap. Just go out there and beat them.”

“Really?” Snails furrowed his brow. “I mean, Fluttershy beat me before.”

“And Twilight beat Rarity,” Snips chimed in. “I don’t think we have it in us.”

“Oh, you do.” Sunset’s smile grew wide and she held her hands up over their shoulders. “You two are better duelists than you know.” Behind them, her hands lit up in a dark red aura.

“You just need a little pick me up!”

Sunset sneered and slammed her magic-charged hands into their backs. The two boys cried out and their eyes lit up bright red.

Twilight scanned the crowds, biting her lip. I have to be careful who I challenge. I have to keep up a win streak to make it into the finals, but I don’t know the school enough to know who I’d stand a good chance of beating. Maybe I could go back into the computer lab and look up some profiles of weaker students… She stopped and frowned at her own train of thought. I think I’m starting to understand how a card game can become so viciously competitive and elitist.

“Twilight!”

She turned at the sound of her name and smiled at the familiar face coming through the crowd. “Flash!” She waved at him as he stopped in front of her. “Fluttershy, this is Flash Sentry.”

“I know who he is,” Fluttershy whispered. “Everyone knows who he is.”

Flash held up a hand. “That’s kind of an exaggeration. I haven’t been champion for a while now.”

“You’re still favorite to win.”

“Was last year too, didn’t work out did it?”

“How are you doing so far?” Twilight asked.

Flash smiled. “Eight and zero. You?”

“Five and zero.”

“Nice.” Flash nodded. “Tough part for me is finding duelists willing to take me on.” As he spoke, Twilight saw the other duelists around them slowly edging away and whispering among themselves.

“Yeah. I bet no one is lining up to duel a former champion, huh?” Twilight replied.

“Nope. The ones that might be good enough to actually be me are playing it safe until the top sixteen.” Flash held up his hands. “Not much to do for it, though.”

“I’m having sort of the same problem. I don’t know anyone here well enough to challenge them.” Twilight shook her head. “I have to make the finals but I can’t be reckless, or my record suffers.”

“Hey, no worries.” Flash gave Twilight a thumbs up. “I know a couple easy pickings. Well, not easy, but they’ll give anyone a shot.”

Twilight’s face brightened. “Sure! Fluttershy, you in?”

“Um… well…”

“Twilight Sparkle!”

The three stopped and turned towards the source of the voice. Two boys stood a distance away, duel disks held up in front of them. Twilight peered closer at them. They seem familiar…

“Yeah, these two guys, they’re not those kind.” Flash crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “Snips. Snails, go back to Sunset and tell her that if she wants to see me lose, she can come try it herself.” Twilight’s eyes widened at the names.

Snips raised a finger and pointed. “We challenge Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy! A tag duel!”

The crowd gasped at the remark. Twilight looked up at Flash. “Can they do that?”

“Yeah, there’s tournament rules for it. Most just don’t care for teamwork.”

“I can’t!” Fluttershy shook her head and shrank back. “I’d just hold you back, Twilight.”

“Two-on-one!” Snails called. “Face us, Twilight!”

Twilight tensed. They’re acting a lot more serious than the Snips and Snails I know. Their faces were stern, their voices confident. She took a breath. If they are just Snips and Snails, this should be easy. “I accept!”

“And so do I!”

Twilight turned her head. The crowd began to cheer as Flash stepped up beside Twilight and raised his arm, activating his duel disk. “Flash, are you sure?”

Flash gave her a sideways look and smirked. “Think we can’t handle these two chumps?”

Twilight gave a quick chuckle at the look. “Actually, we might be too much for them.”

“Sunset Shimmer wishes to see Twilight Sparkle fall!” Snails said.

“Team up with anyone, we’ll beat you just the same!” Snips continued.

“Sounds like we have a duel.” Flash pressed the button on his duel disk.

“Opponents detected! Streaming data.” Twilight’s holographic display came to life on her duel disk and displayed the four portraits of Flash, Snips, Snails, and herself. A glowing icon appeared in the corner of Flash’s profile. “Tag duel invitation detected.”

“Just press the accept button your screen,” Flash called over. Twilight nodded and did so.

“Invitation accepted. Opponent team designated.” Snips and Snails’ portraits gained a red background while Twilight’s and Flash’s turned blue. “Duel mode set. Initiating.” The display of the fields appeared with the four portraits. “Commence duel?”

Twilight looked at Flash. He looked back and nodded. She swung her arm through the air and drew her opening hand.

“Let’s duel!”

Duel Identities - vs Snips and Snails

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Duel Identities – vs Snips and Snails

-Twilight and Flash Life Points: 8000-

-Snips and Snails Life Points: 8000-

Twilight’s duel disk projected the display of the dueling field, her profile as well as those of Flash, Snips, and Snails, each next to a small diagram of their fields. The four profiles turned red in sequence stopping with Snips’ portrait lit up. “Opponent A designated, will take first turn.” Twilight’s picture lit up next. “Teammate A designated, will take second turn.”

Twilight tapped her duel disk interface to find the tag duel rules. Each duelist controls their own field but they share a combined 8000 Life Point total. Both duelists lose if their shared Life Points are depleted. If a duelist has no monsters but their teammate does, they are vulnerable to direct attacks, but their teammate may choose to have their monster intercept the attack. She let out a small groan. Just when I was getting the hang of this game!

“I draw.” Snips drew his card and held it out. “I activate the Continuous Spell ‘Toy Vendor’.” A giant gumball machine rose behind Snips, balls colored blue, green, and red inside. “I activate its effect to discard one card and draw one card.” Snips slid his card into the discard slot and picked up his next card. “I reveal it now, ‘Fluffal Dog’. Since I drew a monster by the effect of Toy Vendor, I summon Fluffal Dog immediately.” Snips’ monster, a giant stuffed dog with a small pair of white wings, kneeled in front of him (1700/1000). “Finally, I activate the effect of Fluffal Dog, adding any ‘Fluffal’ monster I want from my deck to my hand.” Snips’ card slid out of his deck and he grabbed it. “I end my turn.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. Something’s wrong. They’re acting way too serious and straightforward. What happened to the naïve kids from Ponyville? Twilight’s duel disk beeped to signal her turn and she turned her attention to it. “I draw.” Twilight picked up her card and held it out. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’.” The pale white fairy manifested in front of Twilight and struck a pose, magic sparking from its horn. (1200/800) “Then I activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Gem’. This lets me discard ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas’ from my hand to draw two more cards. Additionally, discarding Honestas triggers the effect of Magnanimity, letting me draw a third card.”

I have to defend from both of them, at least until I have a better idea what their decks can do. “I set one card and end my turn.” Twilight’s face-down appeared behind Magnanimity and she took a breath. Why am I so worried? It’s just Snips and Snails. Still… There was something else about them beyond their behavior that was unnerving her. But she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“You can do it, Twilight!” Twilight perked up at her name and turned to the side. A group of four girls were clustered together and waved at her. She smiled and waved back at them.

“We’re your fan club!” one of the girls called.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Fan club?”

The girl, a pale-skinned teenager with red and purple hair, nodded. “We’re the Twilight Sparklers! We’re cheering you to the end!”

Twilight groaned. Who came up with that name?

“It’s my turn.” Snails’ voice caught Twilight’s attention and she looked at him. He drew his card and picked up another from his hand. “I activate the Continuous Spell card ‘Worm Call’.” A large mound of dirt rose in front of him, wisps of smoke coming from a hole in the middle. “As long as my opponent controls a monster and I don’t, I can use this card once per turn to Special Summon a Worm monster from my hand face-down.” Snails held up two more cards. “I set one monster by the effect of Worm Call and then set another monster for my normal summon. I end my turn.”

Twilight looked down at her display. Snips’ lit-up portrait dulled and Flash’s turned red. She turned her head to him and saw the crowd around them grow still, watching with her.

“It’s my turn.” Flash drew his first card and looked down at it. He smiled and slid it into a slot on his duel disk. “I activate the Spell card ‘Gem-Knight Fusion’!”

The crowd began to cheer and Twilight’s eyes widened. Fusion?

Flash took two cards from his hand and held them out over the field as a swirling vortex appeared in from of him. “From my hand I fuse ‘Gem-Knight Garnet’ and ‘Gem-Knight Obsidian’!” The shadowed forms of two armored warriors appeared in the air above Flash, then lit up in orange and black auras and were drawn into the vortex. It flashed and sent a pillar of red light into the air. “I Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Ruby’!” The light faded, revealing a massive soldier in deep red armor with a blue cape. It swung a massive spear through the air and brought it to rest on its shoulder. (2500/1300)

The crowd’s cheers grew louder. Flash smiled and put his hand over his duel disk. “I’m not done. The effect of Gem-Knight Obsidian activates now. Since I sent him from my hand to the graveyard, I can use his effect to revive Gem-Knight Garnet. Then I banish Gem-Knight Obsidian from the graveyard to activate the effect of Gem-Knight Fusion, returning it to my hand.” Flash’s two cards slipped out of the graveyard and he lifted them up, placing Garnet on his duel disk. A smaller warrior than Ruby, clad in orange armor, rose next to it (1900/0).

He summoned that monster using three cards and instantly got two of them back. Twilight looked back at Flash’s hand. Is this the power of Fusion decks?

“Next I activate Gem-Knight Ruby’s ability. By sacrificing Gem-Knight Garnet to it, Garnet’s attack power is added onto Ruby’s for the duration of my turn.” Garnet turned into energy and flowed into Ruby’s spear. The spear lit up in an orange aura and grew larger. (2500 → 4400) Flash pointed across the field. “Gem-Knight Ruby, attack Fluffal Dog! Ruby Spear Strike!” Ruby twirled its spear in the air and hefted it back, the aura glowing brighter.

Flash leaned forward. “At this point I think I should let you know about Ruby’s other special ability. When he attacks a defending monster, he pierces its defenses and still deals battle damage to you!”

Snips and Snails stepped back. “What?” the two exclaimed in unison.

Ruby bellowed and hurled its spear. The weapon impaled Fluffal Dog and emerged in a shower of stuffing to strike Snips, a blast of red light exploding from his feet. The boy fell to his knees as Fluffal Dog collapsed into a mess of stuffing and vanished.

-Snips and Snails Life Points: 4600-

Ruby’s spear vanished and reappeared strapped to its wielders back. Flash picked up one more card from his hand. “I set one card face-down and end my turn. At this point Ruby’s power returns to its original 2500.”

Twilight gaped at the hologram of Ruby towering in front of Flash. He took off almost half of their Life Points in one attack. And it’s just his first turn! If this was a one-on-one duel he could have potentially ended it. Movement caught her eye and she turned forward again. Snips slowly rose to his feet. He growled, his head low.

“Good move. And your last!” Snips held a card out. “I activate the effect of the monster in my graveyard, ‘Fluffal Wings’.” The image of a pair of blue wings appeared in front of Snips’ Toy Vendor and the machine lowered into the ground and vanished. “By banishing Fluffal Wings, Fluffal Bear, and sending Toy Vendor to the graveyard, I draw two cards.” Snips drew his cards and tapped his duel disk screen. “Then since Toy Vendor was sent to the graveyard its effect activates, letting me add any Fluffal monster I want from my deck to my hand.” The ejected card was snatched again and Snips fingered another.

“Now I activate ‘Polymerization’!” Snips flipped two cards out from his hand. “From my hand, I fuse ‘Edge Imp Saw’ and ‘Fluffal Sheep’!”

Twilight tensed. He uses Fusion too!?

A familiar vortex appeared in front of Snips. A disjointed mass of saw blades with a pair of glowing red eyes appeared on his right and a stuffed sheep appeared on his left. They lit up purple and yellow and were drawn in, a blue column of light erupting. Snips held his hand up. “I Fusion Summon ‘Frightfur Leo’!”

The light shrank back and dispersed. The remains of what might have once been a stuffed lion toy stood in front of Snips. Its legs had been torn from the main body, held together by metal poles attached to a giant saw blade emerging from the body. Its claws were sharp red metal and its mane was a mass of saw blades. Its eyes flashed red and let it out a roar. (2400/2000)

That monster… Twilight shuddered and stepped back. It’s hideous! Around her the crowd was echoing similar sentiments, a couple of stray screams and wails coming from the murmurs.

Snips turned his head to sneer at Flash. “I activate Frightfur Leo’s special ability. Once per turn I can destroy one monster on the field and deal damage equal to its attack power!” He swung his hand out. “I choose your Gem-Knight Ruby!” Flash growled and gritted his teeth. “Go, Leo, slice it up!” The saw blades embedded in Leo’s mane began to spin and it snapped its head forward. Three blades shot out and zoomed towards Ruby. Flash raised his arms as they approached. The blades sliced into Ruby and tore it apart, the armor fraying. Ruby groaned and fell back, exploding.

-Twilight and Flash Life Points: 5500-

“So much for your knight,” Snails snickered. Snips turned his eyes towards Twilight.

“Frightfur Leo cannot attack directly the turn I use his effect. But fortunately I have another monster I can attack. Leo, attack Harmony Spirit Magnanimity! Claw of Pride!” Leo roared again and ran across the field, its claw held up.

“I activate my face-down card!” Twilight pressed the button on her duel disk and lifted a card from her hand. “It’s a Quickplay Spell, ‘Harmony Bolt’. Now, by discarding ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas’ from my hand, I can destroy your Frightfur Leo!” The card crackled and shot a bolt of lightning towards Leo. It howled in pain and exploded.

Snips frowned. “I’m not done yet. I summon ‘Fluffal Owl’ in defense mode.” Another stuffed animal, a light brown and yellow owl, appeared before Snips. (1000/1000). “When Fluffal Owl is summoned, I can add a Polymerization card from my deck to my hand. With that I end my turn.”

Twilight let out a breath. I was able to hold him off. But I wasn’t expecting that kind of power. “My turn!” She drew and looked over her hand. What I have might be able to fend Snips’ monsters off for a turn or two, but I can’t rely on Flash to do all the offensive work. She frowned. But if Snips can summon monsters like Frightfur Leo, I may not have a choice in it. None of my Harmony Spirits have enough power to take on cards like that. She raised her head. And the next turn is Snails. He set his monsters face-down so I can’t even see what they are.

“Twilight.” She jerked from her thoughts at her name and looked at the source: Flash. He smiled at her and nodded. “Don’t sweat it. We’re doing fine. Just make the moves you feel are best.”

Twilight smiled back. “Right.” She looked at her hand and then back at the field. “I activate ‘Harmony Fruit’. This lets me return Harmony Spirits Honestas and Pietas in the graveyard to my hand. Then I summon Pietas to the field.” Twilight’s new Harmony Spirit, pale blue with a dark blue dress, floated up in front of her and pumped a fist. (1600/800).

“I enter my battle phase!” Twilight pointed across the field. “Pietas, attack Snails’ left monster!” Pietas ran across the field and jumped to deliver a diving kick.

Snails held his hand up. “Reveal my monster, ‘Worm Cartaros’!” A dark purple and green winged insect appeared from the hologram of his card. (1200/500) “When Worm Cartaros is flipped up, I can add a Worm monster from my deck to my hand.” Snips pulled the ejected card from his deck. Pietas’ attack collided and Cartaros was sent flying back to shatter.

Despite the setback, Twilight continued. “Next attack, Magnanimity strikes your other monster!” Magnanimity held up her hands and sent a beam of blue magic across the field.

“Reveal ‘Worm Jetelikpse’!” A black mass of goo with talons and a beak emerging from it lifted its head as the magic neared it. (1200/0) The blast slammed into it and exploded, sending the goo flying across the field. “When Worm Jetelikpse is destroyed after being flipped up, it reforms on my field!” The goo shimmered and drew back together, transforming back into Snails’ monster.

Twilight looked over her hand. “I end my turn.”

“Then it’s my turn!” Snails drew his card and looked down at it. He grinned and raised his eyes to Twilight. “I sacrifice my Worm Jetelikpse and summon ‘Worm Warlord’!” The black goo collapsed into a puddle in front of Snails. It flashed red and a new monster rose from it. The figure had a humanoid body but it seemed to be made of dripping orange and red fluid. Spikes emerged from its knuckles and knees. In the center of its torso a single yellow eye opened and a row of teeth split into a grin. It raised its arms and roared, shaking the field. (2350/1800)

Twilight recoiled. “What in Equestria…” Around her the crowd shared the sentiment, crying out in disgust.

Snails held out his hand. “Worm Warlord, attack Pietas!” Worm Warlord bellowed and swung out a fist. The limb elongated and slammed into Pietas, pitching it back. Twilight braced herself as the hologram exploded behind her.

-Twilight and Flash Life Points: 4750-

“I’m not done. When Worm Warlord destroys a monster in battle, he can attack again!” Worm Warlord swung its elongated fist around and knocked Magnanimity to the side.

-Twilight and Flash Life Points: 3600-

Worm Warlord’s arm returned to normal size. “I set one card and end my turn.” Snails crossed his arms.

Twilight gritted her teeth. None of my Harmony Spirits have the attack power to stand up to monsters like this. I hate to say it, but I may be dependent on Flash to win this. She looked at her teammate as he drew his card for his turn. How am I supposed to win this tournament if I can’t even beat Snips and Snails?

“I summon ‘Gem-Knight Alexandrite’.” Another knight, this one clad in silver armor with red gems studded on the joints and breastplate, jumped from a portal in front of Flash and crossed its arms. (1800/1200). “I activate Alexandrite’s ability and tribute it to summon any Gem-Knight normal monster in my deck. Come forth, ‘Gem-Knight Tourmaline’!” Alexandrite vanished into a shining portal and a new knight stepped out. It was clad in gleaming angular gold armor, bolts of electricity coursing along its surface. It held up its hands and sent a jolt of lightning into the air. (1600/1800)

“Next, this card should seem familiar. I activate ‘Gem-Knight Fusion’.” Flash lifted a card from his hand. “I fuse Tourmaline on the field with ‘Gem Knight Lazuli’ in my hand!” A vortex in front of Flash absorbed Tourmaline and the specter of a smaller monster in pale purple armor. The vortex flashed and shot a pillar of light into the air. “I Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Prismaura’!” The light pillar receded to reveal Flash’s new monster. Gold and silver armor covered its body, a long white and red cape streaming from the collar. Spires of white crystal emerged from its shoulders and it held a shield and sword. It raised the latter into the air and let out a cry of triumph. (2450/1400).

“First things first, when Gem-Knight Lazuli is sent to the graveyard, I can retrieve a normal monster sleeping there to my hand.” Flash tapped his duel disk screen and the card ejected from the graveyard slot. “I’ll take back my original Gem-Knight Garnet. But he won’t be here for long. I activate Prismaura’s ability and send Garnet to the graveyard to destroy one card on the field.” Flash pointed. “I destroy your face-down card!” Prismaura raised its shield, aglow in white light. A beam of light shot out from it and enveloped Snip's face-down card. The card flipped up, revealing the Trap 'Snake Whistle'. The card exploded. Flash pumped his fist. “And now for target number two. Gem-Knight Prismaura, attack and destroy Worm Warlord!” Prismaura raised its sword now and charged across the field. Its sword slashed apart Worm Warlord, leaving the red ooze that made up the monster to collapse and dissolve.

-Snips and Snails Life Points: 4500-

Flash lowered his arms. “I end my turn.”

He took out both of their high-level monsters with just one of his own. Twilight looked at her hand. I have to keep up the momentum on my turn. But first… She looked up at Snips.

“I draw.” Snips looked at his hand and then back at Twilight. She inhaled sharply as his eyes flashed, glowing with red light.

His eyes…

“I activate the Spell card ‘Suture Rebirth’. This revives my Frightfur Leo from the graveyard with his effects negated.” The ground in front of Snips burst apart and Frightfur Leo clawed its way onto the field, its eyes glowing the same red as Snips. “Then I activate the effect of Fluffal Owl.” Snips held up a card in his hand. “I pay 500 Life Points in order to conduct a Fusion Summon!”

-Snips and Snails Life Points: 4000-

“I fuse Fluffal Owl and Frightfur Leo on the field with the ‘Fluffal Rabbit’ in my hand!” A larger vortex than normal appeared in front of Snips and absorbed the three monsters. A pillar of red light shot out of it and the shadowed form of a monster appeared in it. “I Fusion Summon ‘Frightfur Sabre-Tooth’!”

The light faded as Snips’ new monster jumped out. It resembled a stuffed blue cat, but it had been torn apart in the middle and sewn back together. Curved blades emerged from its body, its tail, and its head, forming a pair of horns. A pair of red eyes flashed inside its mouth as it let out a yowl. (2400/2000)

The crowd screamed at the sight of the monster. Snips snickered. “The screaming is only beginning. I activate Saber-tooth’s effect. When I Fusion Summon it, I can revive a Frightfur monster in the graveyard. Frightfur Leo, return to me once again!” Frightfur Leo’s wicked red claws tore up the ground as it crawled back up from the crater it had left from its previous revival. “Then I activate the effect of Fluffal Rabbit. Since it was sent to the graveyard as a component for a Fusion Summon, I can retrieve another Fluffal monster from my graveyard. I choose Fluffal Dog, which I’ll then summon.” The stuffed dog appeared between Snips’ two Fusion monsters, the cuddly toy looking at the two monstrosities on either side of it and cowering.

“The effect of Fluffal Dog lets me add ‘Edge Imp Sabres’ from my deck to my hand.” Snips snatched his card from his deck and immediately discarded it. “He won’t be there long. I activate the Spell card Polymerization and fuse Fluffal Dog and Edge Imp Sabres, to Fusion Summon ‘Frightfur Tiger’!” The Fusion vortex that appeared in front of Snips disgorged a deranged stuffed tiger. Opened pairs of scissors attached ripped paws to its body, which was segmented with a giant pair of scissors holding it together. Red eyes glowed inside its mouth. (1900/1200).

“The effect of Frightfur Tiger activates. For every monster used to summon it, I can destroy one card on the field.” Snips sneered as he tapped his duel disk display. “I choose Twilight’s face-down card and Flash’s Gem-Knight!” Twilight’s card exploded and she turned her head to see Gem-Knight Prismaura do the same.

We’re wide open now. She looked back at Snips. He summoned three monsters at once and wiped out our field in the same move.

“As long as Frightfur Tiger is on the field, all Frightfur monsters gain an extra 300 attack points for each Frightfur monster I control. And that’s in addition to a 400 point boost that Sabre-tooth gives. So all my monsters gain a total of 1300 attack points!” Snips’ three monsters glowed red and their assorted blades grew longer, gleaming with new sharpness. (2400 → 3700) (2400 → 3700) (1900 → 3200)

He could take us down in one attack even at full Life Points. Twilight looked at her partner. “Flash! What do we do!?”

Flash looked at her calmly. “Stop them. I don’t have a way, Twilight. You have to do it.”

“But…” Twilight looked at her hand. All I have are monster cards! The images of Harmony Spirits Magia, Honestas, Risus, and Gracia looked up at her. None of them can stop Snips or his monsters! “Flash!”

“It’s over.” Snails’ eyes lit up the same red as Snips’. “End it!”

“I enter my battle phase!” Snips’ eyes blazed with bright red light and he let out a dark cackle. “Frightfur Leo, attack Twilight directly!” The lion roared eagerly and ran across the field, its claws gleaming.

Twilight looked between her hand and the oncoming monster. “Flash, there’s nothing I can do!”

“There’s always something you can do, Twilight!” She looked up to see Flash looking at her intently. “That’s the nature of being a good duelist. Look beyond the cards you have to the moves they can make. See every possibility, every move, every combo, and find the one that will win the duel for you!”

“I’m trying!” Twilight gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. I don’t know. I can’t see a way out of this with my cards… The sound of Frightfur Leor’s paws pounding on the ground came closer. I have to win this, to get back my Element of Harmony! If I don’t find a way to block that attack with my cards…

Twilight’s eyes snapped open and flashed purple. My cards… no… not my cards! She raised her hand. “From my hand, I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Magia’!” Frightfur Leo stopped as the purple fairy appeared in front of it, a hand held out. “By discarding Magia, I can activate a Spell card from my opponent’s graveyard.”

Snips, his eyes still glowing red, laughed. “There’s nothing there that will stop my attack!”

“No. But you have a card that will do something even better.” Magia vanished and the back of a card appeared in her place. It flipped open to reveal Twilight’s target.

Snips and Snails gasped in unison. “What!?”

The crowd began to go cheer wildly as Flash grinned. “Go for it, Twilight!” Twilight raised her hand into the air and snapped as the card's hologram lit up.

“From Snips’ graveyard, I activate the Spell card Polymerization!”

A swirling vortex appeared on the field in front of Twilight. “From my hand, I fuse Harmony Spirit Honestas with Harmony Spirit Risus!” The two fairies turned into orbs of orange and yellow light and flowed into the vortex. Rays of yellow light shone from it as it condensed into an orb of energy and floated into the air. Snips and Snails shielded their eyes as golden light shone from the orb. The orb broke apart with a flash, the images of shining red apples flying away into particles of light.

A tall, muscular fairy hovered in the air, with dark orange skin and long, flowing blonde hair that waved in the wind behind it. A bright red dress covered its body, matching boots and elbow-length gloves on its legs and arms. Masses of leaf-covered bark wove up its limbs in swirls, meeting at the center of its back and forming a mass of branches stretching into the air. Their ends bore pointed shards of glowing orange magical energy, forming a wing-like crest.

Twilight’s eyes glowed purple as she held a hand forward. The particles of light from the dispersing apples collected in her hand and formed the glowing image of a duel monster card. She swung her arm back and slapped the card on her duel disk. “I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas Silva’ (2500/800)!”

The crowd cheered loudly at the sight of Twilight’s new Fusion Monster. Honestas Silva lowered to the ground and crossed its arms, glaring down at Snips. Twilight turned over the last card in her hand. “From my hand, I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia’. By discarding Gracia, one Harmony Spirit monster I control cannot be destroyed this turn. Furthermore, discarding a Harmony Spirit monster activates the effect of Honestas Silva. Her attack power increases to four thousand for the rest of the turn!" The magic shards on the monster’s back glowed a deeper orange as she grew larger to tower over Snips’ monsters. (2500 → 4000)

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “By the protection of Gracia, the destruction effect of Frightfur Leo is sealed, and by the power of Honestas Silva your attacks are pointless.”

Snips stepped back and growled, the red glow around his eyes intensifying. “I end my turn.”

“With the turn over, the power of Honestas Silva returns to normal. And it’s my turn.” Her purple eyes reflecting Snips’, Twilight drew her card and held it out. “I drew Harmony Spirit Magnanimity and activate its effect, discarding it to reveal the top card of my deck.” Twilight flipped the card over. “It’s a Trap card, ‘Harmony Song’, so it goes to the bottom of my deck. And now that I’ve discarded a Harmony Spirit, Honestas Silva returns to four thousand points.” Twilight leaned forward. “Honestas Silva, attack Frightfur Leo!”

Honestas Silva held up a hand. The shards of magic on its back crackled and sent bolts of energy into its palm, forming an orb of orange light.

“I think I’ll take this time to activate my face-down.” Snips and Snails turned as Flash put his hand to his duel disk. “Forgot about that card I set on my first turn? I’ve just been waiting for the right moment. I activate ‘Battle Fusion’!" Flash's Spell card flipped up on his field and glowed blue. Tendrils of light flew from the card to surround Honestas Silva. "By this card’s effect, since two Fusion monsters are doing battle, Honestas Silva gains a power boost equal to Leo’s attack points. That's another 2500 points!”

Honestas Silva (4000 → 6500) flashed orange and the orb of light in its hand swelled, the tendrils of blue energy from Flash's card encircling it and combining. The monster thrust its hand out and fired a beam of magic through the air. The beam sliced into Frightfur Leo and split apart, circling back to bombard it from all directions. The ground shook as the attack exploded around it, sending a shockwave across the field.

Watching from the corner of the school some distance away, Sunset’s eyes flashed red and she doubled over, clutching her chest.

This power…

The red glow in Snips’ and Snails’ eyes faded as the shockwave struck them. The two cried out as the impact knocked them back across the grass, skidding on their backs.

-Snips and Snails Life Points: 0-

Twilight’s duel disk deactivated and Honestas Silva’s hologram dissolved in front of her, the card slipping from her duel disk. The glow faded from Twilight’s eyes and she fell to her knees.

“Twilight?” She turned her head at the sound of Spike’s hushed voice. “You did it again.”

“I… I know…” Twilight looked down at the grass and reached out to pick up the Honestas Silva card. That power… that was magic. My magic. This is my power in this world. She reached to her duel disk and pressed an unfamiliar button to eject the tray used to store Fusion monsters. She blinked. The ghostly outlines of other cards wavered in the card tray for a moment before vanishing . Fusion Summons. Combining the strengths of separate monsters into one…

“Hey.” A hand reached down into Twilight’s field of vision and she took it. Flash pulled her to her feet, smiling at her. Around them the crowd was cheering and applauding and chanting Twilight’s name. “Great win.”

“Thanks.”

Flash chuckled sheepishly and held out the cards in his hand, Spell cards Twilight didn’t recognize. “I had this whole awesome combo planned out where I was gonna summon my best monster and power it up enough to win the duel in one turn. Guess you beat me to it.”

Twilight returned the laugh. “Yeah.” She held up Honestas Silva’s card. “But I never would have done it if you hadn’t encouraged me.”

“To be honest, I was kind of bluffing.” Flash held up his hands. “I just wanted to be sure that if you had a way out, you’d stay calm so you could figure it out. But I didn’t know your deck could Fusion summon.”

Neither did I. Twilight looked at their two fallen opponents and ran over. “You two!” She stopped and knelt, Flash and Spike stopping behind her.

Snips raised his head and focused his eyes on Twilight. “Huh? Who are you?”

“Snips, my head hurts,” Snails groaned beside him. “What did we eat today?”

“What happened to you two?” Twilight asked, glaring down at Snips.

Snips looked at his duel disk, his cards still on the tray. “Did we duel someone?”

“You did; me and Flash.”

Snips’ eyes widened. “No way. Why in the heck would we try to beat Flash Sentry?”

“Yeah, man.” Snails waved a hand in the air. “He’s like, ten times the duelist we are. Combined. I dunno the math on that since I don’t do well in that class.”

“Well, you tried.” Twilight stood and crossed her arms. “And I want to know what type of magic you were using. I haven’t seen any other duelists with glowing red eyes so far so I doubt that’s normal.”

“Glowing red eyes?” Behind Twilight, Flash frowned and scratched his head. “Twilight, what are you talking about?”

“You know, during his last turn when he did all those summons. And then mine glowed when I…” Twilight trailed off when she saw Flash’s confusion deepen as she spoke. He didn’t notice? That’s impossible. Glowing eyes like that would get attention. She looked back at Snips. Although, these two don’t seem to remember, either. What’s going on? Twilight unfolded her arms. “What’s the last thing you recall before being here?”

Snips put a finger on his chin. “Well, Sunset was telling us she wanted us to duel someone…”

Snails nodded next to him. “Yeah, and we were all tired and didn’t wanna try it, but she said she really needed us to… that’s all I got.”

“Me too.”

Sunset. Twilight felt a tingling on the edge of her senses and turned. Through the crowd around the field she saw a familiar color scheme of black and orange and turned to walk towards it. The crowd parted for her as she neared and eventually thinned enough for her to see Sunset clearly. The other girl was holding onto the wall of the school with a hand on her chest. At Twilight’s approach she stood up and lowered her hands.

Twilight stopped a few feet in front of her and held up her duel disk. “Sunset Shimmer. I’m going to see you in the finals.” She narrowed her eyes. “And I’m going to beat you there.”

The crowd gasped sharply and began to whisper. Sunset slowly smiled and raised her arm, her duel disk gleaming.

“Looking forward to it, Princess.”

Author's Note

You can now view Twilight's deck here.

Artwork of the Harmony Spirits by Ajustice90. View them on DA here and here,

The Fires of Friendship

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Fires of Friendship

Sitting on the stairs just inside one of the doors to Canterlot High, Twilight’s deck was laid out on the landing, her cards organized into types and copies. In her hand she looked down at six new cards she had pulled from her duel disk where the Extra Deck would go.

I know I didn’t have these cards before. I would have tried to use them if I did. Twilight had looked over her deck carefully before and now there were new cards in it. She reached down to her main deck and picked up one of them. Harmony Fusion. A Spell card to let me summon Fusion Monsters. Twilight looked back at the six Fusion cards in her hand. Where did these come from? “Spike, you were watching. What happened?”

Sitting at her feet, Spike shook his head. “I don’t know, Twilight. You went into a kind of trance, your eyes glowed purple, and you just sort of created that card from nothing.”

“Right.” Twilight picked up the card in question, Honestas Silva. “I did the same thing when I dueled Rarity and played Harmony Castle. I don’t remember having that card before, either.”

“What do you think it means?” Spike hopped up the stairs and walked around Twilight’s cards.

“I don’t know. But I’m certain it has to do with the rules of magic in this world. Sunset Shimmer said that magical objects in this world obey the strongest duelists. So, maybe whatever magic I have inside of me awakens when I’m in danger to save me by creating powerful new cards.” She frowned. “Which, if that’s true, is unfortunate because I don’t know how to control it. Not to mention it’s more than a little unfair to opponents, though I suppose that’s beside the point.”

“So what do we do?”

Twilight folded her Fusion cards up and slid them into her duel disk. “I have to try and master this magic of mine. Snips and Snails were definitely influenced by some sort of dark magic and I just know Sunset is to blame for it. If we duel her and she has access to magic that can manipulate her deck, we need to know how to match it.” Twilight sighed and looked down at Spike. “What was I like in that state?”

Spike thought. “Your eyes were glowing purple and you got really serious. But like, not mean. Just really confident and direct.” His face brightened. “You know that feeling when you just know you’re gonna win the game and you’re making the plays to make it happen? You kinda talked like that.”

“Well, not really, I don’t know that feeling. But I’ll take your word for it.” Twilight smiled and ruffled his hair. She stood up and stretched. “We’ll have to try and figure it out tonight. We have the whole evening before the finals tomorrow. For now, we have an hour to go to clinch any last few wins.” She looked at the doors back outside and took a breath.

“It’s time to duel!”

Twilight flipped her card in her hand to show it. “I activate ‘Harmony Fusion’! I use this card’s effect to fuse ‘Harmony Spirit Risus’ and ‘Harmony Spirit Pietus’ from my hand.” Twilight held her arm up as a swirling vortex appeared in the air above her. A pale blue fairy with blue gloves and boots descended from it. Lightning bolt patterns ran up her clothing and a circular storm cloud hovered in the air behind her, lightning crackling through the center. “I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas Fulmen’ (2300/1500)! Then I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Magia’ and discard it to copy the ‘Shrink’ card in your Graveyard, targeting ‘Victory Viper XX03’! Its attack power is halved for the rest of the turn.”

Twilight’s opponent, a dark-skinned boy with red hair and a helicopter hat, tensed as a giant silver spaceship in front of him glowed and grew smaller. “Oh no!”

“During the turn I discard a Harmony Spirit from my hand, Pietas Fulmen is able to attack all monsters you control once each.” Twilight smiled. “So not only can I attack your Victory Viper, I can also attack all your other ships as well!” Twilight held her hand out to point to the monsters in turn. “Pietas Fulmen, attack Victory Viper, Jade Knight, Gradius, and Delta Tri!” Pietas Fulmen held up her hands and jolts of lightning came from the cloud behind her to form crackling orbs of energy.

“Moooom!” Twilight’s opponent cried out as the lightning orbs shot across the field.

“I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia’ to discard it and prevent my ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity Crustallum’ from being destroyed this turn.” On Twilight’s field, a fairy in a pale blue dress, gloves, and boots lit up in green light. (2100/1500) “Discarding Gracia activates the effect of ‘Harmony Castle’, letting me revive Gracia. Then the effect of Magnanimity Crustallum lets me look at the top two cards of my deck and add one of them to my hand.” Twilight picked her cards up and held one of them out. “I add ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas’ to my hand and then discard it, activating its effect. Magnanimity Crustallum can bypass your Elemental Heroes and attack directly this turn!”

Magnanimity Crustallum held its hands forward. Twin rings of gemstones encircling its torso across either shoulder began to spin around. Across the field, a purple-skinned girl with green hair grimaced. “Not good!” A flurry of gem shards shot from the rings and the girl’s superheroes pulled out of the way as they bombarded her.

“Fifteen minutes,” Twilight whispered. The clock in front of CHS edged ever closer to the tournament’s end. She looked at her duel disk display. 10 wins and no losses. This is the best I can do; I don’t think I have time for another duel. Twilight heard whispering and raised her head to see two passing students quickly turn their heads away. She scrunched her face. I guess I’m sort of getting a reputation here. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.

“Think we’re okay to get into the finals?” Spike asked.

Twilight nodded. “I think so. We’ve been doing pretty well all day.” She looked at her duel disk and gave a small smile. “You know, I have to admit, I’m starting to have fun with this. I mean, yeah, of course we need to stop Sunset Shimmer. But once you get the hang of it, the game is pretty cool.”

“Cool?” Spike snorted. “I didn’t think you knew that word.”

Pouting and crossing her arms, Twilight said, “Why wouldn’t I? And it is. It’s strategic, it keeps you on your toes, there’s all kinds of different cards you can use.” She held up her duel disk and smiled. “I’m just getting the idea now of why this game is so popular in this world. It’s fun.”

“Well, well, well!”

Twilight paused at the familiar voice. She noticed students moving and turned to see why. A clearing had formed in the crowds and two very familiar faces were standing at either end.

Applejack crossed her arms and smirked. “So, little Dashie’s here again. Plannin’ to make it to the finals so Ah can whup you again?”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “No. I’m gonna whip you in the semi-finals and beat Sunset in the finals. You’re just small fry compared to her.”

“You keep tellin’ yourself that, hun. Keep the dream alive an’ all.”

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow held up her arm and activated her duel disk. “Let’s settle it right here, you smug hick! I don’t need to wait until the finals to beat you.”

“That right?” Applejack activated her own duel disk, colored red and green. “Well, there’s fifteen minutes left. Ah reckon that’s enough time to win and still go get a drink before they announce the standings.”

Twilight gritted her teeth and pushed the students in front of her out of the way to run into the clearing. “Hey!” Applejack and Rainbow turned her way. “What do you think you two are doing?”

“Putting this chump jock in her place,” Applejack replied.

“That’s my line you yokel!”

“Enough!” Twilight looked between the two of them, her eyes narrowed. “You two used to be friends with each other! And now you’re insulting each other like you hate each other?”

“There’s no room for mercy in this tournament.” Rainbow Dash snapped. “If you wanna be a bleeding heart, go find Rarity or something. I’m here to win.”

“Same here.” Applejack hovered her hand over her duel disk. “Now, are we gonna talk or are we gonna duel?”

“Bring it!” Rainbow turned away from Twilight and slapped her hand on her duel disk.

“Wait!” Twilight stopped as Rainbow’s duel disk announced the duel beginning. The crowd began to murmur and cheer. Twilight looked at her own disk. I can’t risk dueling one of them just to break up a fight. If I lose and don’t make the finals… “Stop it.” Twilight lowered her arm and ran up to Rainbow. “This is stupid, you’re fighting over…” She trailed off as she made eye contact behind Rainbow. At the front of the crowd, Scootaloo closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Commence duel?”

Applejack wagged her finger. “This is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made in this game, Rainbow.”

Rainbow moved her hand to her duel disk. “The only thing big about this is the win I’m gonna pull!” The two reached down and pressed the glowing buttons on their duel disks.

“Game start!”

-Applejack Life Points: 4000-

-Rainbow Life Points: 4000-

Twilight watched the hologram display on Rainbow’s duel disk flash and stop on her portrait. “I’ll take the first move!” Rainbow drew her opening hand with a flourish and looked down at it. “I summon ‘U.A. Midfielder’!” Rainbow’s monster, a humanoid figure in streamlined cybernetic soccer armor, rose onto her field, light pulsing along its equipment. (1200/1000). “Then I return Midfielder to my hand to Special Summon ‘U.A. Goalkeeper’ in defense mode!” Rainbow’s monster jumped up into a vortex that appeared above it and another monster jumped out. Clad in bulky white and green soccer armor, it knelt down and held its hands out defensively. (1000/2800).

“How did she do that?” Twilight whispered.”

“That’s how Rainbow’s Ultra Athletes work.”

Twilight turned her head to see Sweetie Belle beside her. She knelt down. “Ultra Athletes?”

Sweetie Belle nodded and held up her duel disk. “Here, activate observer mode.” She pressed a button on her duel disk touch screen and then another. The image of Rainbow’s and Applejack’s dueling fields appeared. Twilight looked at her own disk and copied the actions to get her own feed. Sweetie Belle pointed at the hologram of Rainbow’s monster. “Ultra Athlete, U.A. They tag in each other to best suit the flow of the duel. They can return a teammate on the field to the hand to summon themselves and they each have effects that let Rainbow attack or defend in various different ways.”

Twilight looked back at the duel. “So Rainbow’s going to be able to change her monsters on the field every turn and adapt to anything Applejack throws at her.”

“That’s the plan.”

Rainbow held up a card in her hand. “I set one card face-down and end my turn.” She grinned and leaned forward. “First turn and my field is set to victory. You don’t stand a chance against me this time.”

“Y’all talk a good game.” Applejack drew her card and added it to her hand. “Too bad for you this is a game o’ skill, not words. Ah activate ‘Foolish Burial’!” Applejack pressed her fingers to her duel disk display. “This lets me send any monster from mah deck to the Graveyard. Ah choose ‘Dandylion’. And that happens to trigger its effect. When Dandylion is sent to the Graveyard, Ah summon two ‘Fluff Tokens’.” Two holograms of pale white orbs of fluff sprang from Applejack’s duel disk and floated to rest in front of her. (0/0)

Sweetie Belle nudged Twilight. “Here we go.” Twilight watched as Applejack lifted her next card.

“Ah activate the Continuous Spell ‘Super Solar Nutrient’. This lets me tribute one of mah Fluff Tokens, then any Plant monster Level 4 or less can be called from mah deck. Ah summon ‘Lonefire Blossom’ in defense mode!” The Fluff Token exploded and lit up yellow. The particles combined and grew, reforming into a series of vines twisting around each other and blooming into a rounded yellow and red bulb. (500/1400). “Ah activate Lonefire Blossom’s ability and sacrifice mah other Fluff Token to it in order to summon a Plant monster from mah deck.” Wind picked up and pulled the Fluff Token into the narrow opening at the tip of the bulb. Lonefire Blossom lit up in red light and its flower opened, an array of red petals. It turned and fired a beam of light at the ground. “Ah Special Summon ‘Talaya, Princess of Cherry Blossoms’!”

A flurry of pink petals exploded from the spot where Lonefire Blossom had cast its light. Rising amid the flurry was a single massive cherry blossom. In its center was a woman’s torso clad in ornate blue robes with pink trim. As she finished rising, she spread her arms out and dispersed the petals swirling around her. (2800/1200) Applejack held up another Spell card. “And now for one last little treat. Ah activate the Continuous Spell ‘Miracle Fertilizer’. This lets me revive a Plant monster in mah Graveyard once every turn. Ah’ll use its effect now to revive Dandylion.” A small plant in the shape of a quadrupedal animal appeared on Applejack’s field, its face looking out from a mane of dandelion fluff. (300/300)

“Amazing.” As Twilight spoke, she noticed another duelist step to the front of the crowd behind Applejack: Apple Bloom. Twilight looked across the field and saw Scootaloo watching Rainbow Dash.

Applejack smiled. “Talaya gets another 100 attack points for every Plant Ah control. Ah know you’re not that bright, Rainbow, so here’s some basic math. 2800 plus 300 is 3100, which is higher than Goalkeeper’s defense.” She pointed across the field. “So take a guess what comes next! Talaya, attack Goalkeeper!” The plant princess held up her hand and sent a storm of cherry blossom petals across the field.

Rainbow laughed and held her hand out. “I don’t think so! Activate Trap, ‘U.A, Penalty Box’!” Four wooden walls in white and red paint rose around Talaya up to her waist and a field of electrical blue energy snapped up from them and rose to create a dome covering her. The chamber then lowered into the ground taking Talaya with it. “Since you just attacked a U.A. monster, I get to banish your monster until the end of your next turn.” Rainbow tapped the side of her head. “Strategy beyond ‘attack and beat my monsters’ is a bit tricky for you, huh? Gonna have to get over that.”

Twilight flinched at the insult. She looked at Sweetie Belle. “Are they always like this?” Sweetie Belle just nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, ya held out one more round. Ah set two cards and end mah turn.” Applejack crossed her arms. “Ya get one shot at me to make yer mark, Rainbow. Make it count.”

“I will!” Rainbow drew her card and looked at it. “I return U.A. Goalkeeper to my hand in order to Special Summon ‘U.A. Playmaker’!” Goalkeeper was drawn into a portal above Rainbow and her new monster leapt out, a figure in silver and black football armor with glowing orange details. It beat its hands on its helmet and kneeled, ready to charge. (2600/2000)

“Ah don’t think so. Activate Trap, ‘Pollinosis’! By tributin’ mah Dandylion, that summon is negated and Playmaker is destroyed!” Dandylion burst into more dandylion fluff and swirled towards Playmaker. It groaned and collapsed, dispersing into light. “Since a monster it summoned left the field, mah Miracle Fertilizer card is destroyed. But then, since Dandylion was sent to the graveyard again, Ah summon two more Fluff Tokens.” Applejack’s tokens reformed from the remains of Dandylion as her Spell card shattered behind them.

“And as always, you fall for the easy trap.” Rainbow snorted. “I summon U.A. Midfielder again and return him to my hand to summon ‘U.A. Dreadnought Dunker’!” A new athlete jumped onto the field, wearing sunglasses with an armored blue and silver basketball uniform and helmet. Red lines lit up on its armor and it stood up and flexed its muscles. “Dreadnought Dunker, put that upstart farmer out to pasture! Attack one of the Fluff Tokens!” A glowing ball of blue light manifested in Dunker’s hands and it rapidly bounced it on the ground, the orb accelerating. “Time for some bad news, AJ. When Dreadnought Dunker attacks a defending monster, he pierces it to deal battle damage. And that Fluff Token has no defense, so you’re taking the full force!”

Dreadnought Dunker swung around and flung its ball across the field at lightning speed. Applejack raised her arms to shield herself as it hit a Fluff Token and exploded in a flash of light.

-Applejack Life Points: 1500-

“Applejack!” Apple Bloom ran onto the field and put her hand on Applejack’s arm. Applejack shrugged her away and stood, glaring at Rainbow.

“Is that all you got?” She yelled.

“Not yet. I return Dreadnought Dunker to my hand and summon back my U.A. Goalkeeper to defend.” As her replacement monster kneeled in front of her, Rainbow tossed her hair and crossed her arms. “I think I’ve done enough damage for now. I end my turn.” The crowd behind Rainbow began to cheer, a chant of her name eventually rising.

“About time.” Applejack snatched her card from her deck and reached to the buttons on her duel disk. “Ah tribute Lonefire Blossom itself to activate its effect.” A card ejected from her deck. “Ah summon ‘Gigaplant’ from mah deck!” The ground in front of Applejack split open. A massively thick vine rose from it, tentacles hanging off it and digging into the ground. A large red mouth on the top split open, revealing several rows of teeth as it roared. (2400/1200). “Ah now normal summon Gigaplant again, triggering its Gemini ability.”

“Gemini ability?” Twilight thought aloud.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Gigaplant can’t use its ability normally, but Applejack can summon it a second time on the field to do it. And it’s a doozy.”

“Once per turn now, Gigaplant lets me summon any Plant monster in mah hand or graveyard.” Applejack tapped her duel disk screen and a card slotted out of her graveyard. “Ah revive Lonefire Blossom. And now that it’s back, Ah can use its effect a second time. Ah tribute mah Fluff Token to summon from mah deck ‘Tytannial, Princess of Camellias’!” A massive red blossom with green leaves sprouted on Applejack’s field. A woman in a pink dress with red and green details like flower petals emerged from the blossom and crossed her arms. (2800/2600).

“Ah ain’t done yet. Ah activate the Spell ‘Advance Draw’ and tribute mah Level 8 Tytannial to draw two more cards.” The flower blossom closed as swiftly as it had bloomed and withdrew into the ground as Applejack drew. She looked at her cards and grinned. “And they’re just what Ah need! Ah banish Tytannial in the graveyard and ‘Chirubimé, Princess of Autumn Leaves’ from mah hand and Special Summon ‘Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel’!” A column of light expanded out from behind Applejack. Four wings, two red and two black, extended from it, flower petals falling from them. The light receded to reveal a tall humanoid figure in shining white armor, golden bands over its wrists and ankles. (2900/2400).

Applejack held out her hand. “Ah activate Rosaria’s special ability! Once per turn, Ah can negate the effects of all other cards on the field!” Rosaria held its hands out and fired rays of light across the field.

“What!?” Rainbow stepped back. The rays of light struck Goalkeeper and the hologram of the U.A. Penalty Box card. They sparked and their colors dulled.

“Now that your little Trap is outta the way…” Applejack punched her fist into the air at Rainbow. “Rosaria, attack Goalkeeper!” Rosaria flapped all four of its wings at once, sending a massive wind storm across the field. Goalkeeper groaned and shattered as it braced against the gale. Rainbow growled as Applejack grinned. “Now y’all are wide open! Gigaplant, direct attack!” Gigaplant roared and snapped several vines out from its body and across the field. The vines struck the ground around Rainbow sending sparks flying. She fell to her knees, gritting her teeth.

-Rainbow Life Points: 1600-

Twilight saw Scootaloo run out of the crowd and knelt next to Rainbow. “Don’t give up, Rainbow!” Scootaloo put a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder, but the other girl stood up to step forward, ignoring her.

“Come on!” she snarled. “I’m just getting warmed up!”

“Same here, hun. Ah set two cards and end mah turn. Now the effect of U.A. Penalty box ends and Talaya returns to mah field.” Applejack idly tapped through her duel disk tooltips. “Well lookie here, Ah got four monsters out includin’ three of mah best and you’ve got nothin’. Some things never change, huh?” Hoots and shouts of encouragement came from the crowd behind her.

“Shut up!” Rainbow put her hand on her deck. “I’m not out of this yet!” Her supporters grew louder in response.

Twilight turned her head back and forth. Glares full of spite and anger were exchanged between the players as the crowd cheered for their respective sides. Standing next to Applejack, Apple Bloom clutched at her leg, while Scootaloo tugged on Rainbow Dash’s shirt to no response. Twilight glanced down at Sweetie Belle; she was staring at the ground, her hands balled into fists.

Fluttershy is right. Twilight looked back at the field, her face pained. This isn’t what dueling is supposed to be…

“I draw!” Rainbow drew her card and looked down at it. She laughed and flipped it over, revealing a Spell card. “I think this duel just ended.” Applejack tensed. Rainbow smirked and reached to her hand. “I summon U.A. Midfielder and return it to my hand to summon ‘U.A. Mighty Slugger’!” A slim warrior in streamlined silver and red baseball armor and a horned helmet jumped on the field. It held out a silver rod in its hand and a red laser emerged from it, forming the shape of a baseball bat. (2300/700) “Then I equip Mighty Slugger with the Equip Spell ‘U.A. Powered Jersey’!” With a flash of light, a suit of white, black, and red armor appeared in the air and gravitated to latch onto Mighty Slugger. A crest of spikes emerged from its back and shoulders, sparks of red energy flying from them.

Rainbow held up her duel disk. “Now not only does Mighty Slugger get 1000 extra attack and defense points, but any damage it deals to your Life Points is doubled.” Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, and I hope you aren’t relying on those two set cards to protect you, because when Mighty Slugger attacks, you can’t activate cards or effects!” Rainbow frowned and scratched her head. “Hm, let’s see…” She pretended to count on her fingers. “Gigaplant has 2400 points… I’ve got 3300… and I deal double damage.” She faked a gasp of surprise. “Well, look at that! It looks like I win.”

Applejack glared. “Get on with it already, ya egomaniac!”

“I will!” Rainbow laughed and pumped her fist. “I’ve been waiting for this for months! I wanted it to be in the finals, but I’ll settle for doing it here and now!”

“Stop it!”

The two turned as Twilight ran out to them. “How can you talk to each other like that? You’re supposed to be friends!”

“As if! Ah’d never be friends with some cocky little punk like her that doesn’t care about nothin’ but herself!”

“I’ve got plenty of other friends, ones that aren’t hick redneck farmers and don’t think they’re better than me.” Rainbow growled and drew her hand back over her shoulder. “Time to put you in your place for the last time! U.A. Mighty Slugger, end this duel! Attack Gig—”

“Shut up, Rainbow!”

The crowd fell silent and Rainbow stilled. Twilight gasped and looked at the sound of the voice. Rainbow slowly turned her head.

“Scootaloo?”

Glaring up at her, Scootaloo clenched her fists at her side and held Rainbow’s gaze.

“Do you even hear what the hell you’re saying!? What you sound like?” She screamed. “I hate seeing you play! You’re always like this!” She looked around at the crowd before going back to Rainbow. “You’re all like this! This is exactly why I told you I didn’t want to sign up! Players like you are the reason this game sucks now!” Before Rainbow could respond Scootaloo shoved her to the ground, then turned and ran, pushing her way through the crowd.

Rainbow came to her senses as she vanished from sight. “Scootaloo!” She stood and began to run after her.

“Hold up!” Applejack’s voice stopped her and Rainbow looked over her shoulder. Applejack held up her duel disk. “We’re in the middle of a duel here! If y’all back out now, it’s a forfeit!”

“Applejack…” Apple Bloom’s voice cut the air like a blade and her sister looked down. “Just… stop. Please. No more.” Apple Bloom shook her head and walked away.

“H-hey! Apple Bloom!” Applejack reached her hand out but Apple Bloom kept walking.

Twilight felt a hand on her waist and looked to see Sweetie Belle staring up at her.

“Now you know why we play alone.”

Twilight simply nodded and saw Spike do the same on the other side of her.

The sound of a bell filled the air. Twilight heard a beeping shortly after and looked at her duel disk. Five. An electrical chime from the school’s PA system sounded.

“Attention, students.” Celestia’s voice came over the loudspeakers around the school. “It is now five o’clock. We will tally the results and announce finalist standings shortly. Duelists in the middle of a game may finish, but any duels in progress as of this moment no longer count towards official standings. The top sixteen round will begin in one hour.” The voice fell silent. The crowd began to talk among themselves and wandered off, leaving Applejack and Rainbow facing each other, the holograms of their monsters standing silently.

Applejack looked behind her but Apple Bloom was nowhere in sight. She hung her head. “Well, go on. You earned this win.”

Rainbow looked at her evenly for a moment and then reached down to her duel disk. The lights on the disk deactivated and the holograms of her cards flittered out and vanished. Without a word, she turned and jogged away. Applejack spared Twilight and Sweetie Belle a glance before doing the same.

Sweetie Belle withdrew her hands. “I’m gonna find Rarity.” She waved at Twilight and walked in a separate direction.

Alone in the field, Twilight let out a breath. “I hate to think what’s going to happen if those two are matched again in the finals.”

“Yeah.” Spike shook his head. “That was something else.”

Another chime from the PA came. “Students, finalist standings have been tallied. You all performed admirably, but I am afraid that only the top sixteen ranking students will advance. These sixteen duelists, in no particular order of importance, are as follows: Rarity Belle. Pinkamena Pie. Ember Draconia…”

Here we go… Twilight tensely waited for her name as Celestia keep reading.

“Rainbow Dash. Sunset Shimmer.”

Of course she made it.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Yes!” Twilight cheered loudly and scooped Spike up in her arms to hug him. “We made it, Spike!”

Spike barked happily. “I knew you could do it!”

“These are your sixteen finalists. Duels will begin in one hour at six o’clock. Your designated opponent has been chosen randomly. Access your duel disk’s server link to view who they are. Please be sure you locate your opponent and are ready to duel at your designated duel field by six or you may be disqualified.”

“Sounds easy enough.” Twilight activated her duel disk and pressed the touchscreen prompt to access its settings. “Okay, server link… here we go, CHS Autumn Crown Tournament. View finalist match-up.” Twilight pressed the prompt and waited for the data to load. A holographic display of her and her opponent’s portraits popped up into the air. Twilight looked at it and paled. “Spike…?”

“Yeah?”

Twilight knelt down so Spike could see the display. Spike read it and his jaw dropped at the name next to Twilight’s.

“… Trixie Lulamoon?”

The Master of Magicians - vs Trixie (Part 1)

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Master of Magicians – vs Trixie

“Students, I’d like to welcome you all to the finals of the ninth annual Autumn Crown Tournament!” The students cheered as Celestia’s voice rang out over the twilit campus. “By now I hope all finalists have made it to their designated duel zones and are prepared to face off against their opponent.”

“You bet.” Flash smiled and raised his duel disk. Opposite him on the soccer field, a girl with pale blue skin and long dark blue and white hair smiled back and did the same.

“A reminder that the semi-finals begin tomorrow morning at 11 am. These are the last duels of the night, so let’s end with a bang!”

“That’s the plan.” Across the field from Rainbow Dash, a boy with orange skin and scruffy hair activated his duel disk. “Let’s go, Rainbow Crash!” The boy snickered as Rainbow simply lifted her duel disk in front of her.

“For the finals, the standard 4000 Life Point total has been increased to 8000, to allow you more time and chances to show off the full magnitude of your skill!”

“I think I’ve already proven that.” Sunset sneered and activated her duel disk as her opponent swallowed and raised her arm.

“Once the current duel has ended and your standing been decided, students are free to leave campus as they wish. For now, without further ado, let the finals begin!”

The bell rang and the students cheered again.

Twilight stood at one end of Canterlot High’s parking lot and waited for the cheers to die down as Celestia ended her address. Around her were spectators watching eagerly, including another group of students that had identified themselves as more ‘Twilight Sparkler’ fans. Twilight looked at her duel disk, active and ready, and frowned. “It’s only a few seconds until six. Celestia said we’d be disqualified if we aren’t on time, so where is she?”

Spike scratched his eye and snorted. “Maybe she got scared and ran off. That’d be like the Trixie we know.”

“I doubt it. And be nice.” Twilight was about to say more, but suddenly a plume of smoke billowed on the opposite end of the parking.

“Students of Canterlot High, welcome to the most spectacular and awe-inspiring duel you will ever see!”

Twilight tensed at the familiar voice ringing out. Here we go…

“For you are about to witness the dueling majesty that is the one, the only, the Grrrrreat and Powerful Trrrrrixie!!” The smoke exploded out to reveal Trixie, a purple cloak and hat over her neck and head. A duel disk, blue with silver trim, was on her arm and already activated. Several in the crowd cheered and applauded as Trixie waved to them. “Thank you, thank you. Trixie is sorry to disappoint, but this will be a short duel, as her opponent is a new student who—” Trixie stopped as she looked across the field at Twilight. She scowled and thrust her finger at Twilight. “You!”

“Me?”

“You’re the one that knocked Trixie down the other day!”

Twilight slumped. “You really remember that?”

“Trixie never forgets a slight. She always ensures that she receives retribution sooner or later!” Trixie held up her duel disk. “And that time is upon us! Prepare yourself, Twilight Sparkle, to behold Trixie’s unparalleled power and skill!”

Twilight scowled. “Let’s see if your dueling is better than your entrance.” The crowd laughed at the joke. Trixie glared back and reached to her duel disk.

“Opponent detected. Streaming data.” Twilight looked at her duel disk as the challenge was given. Trixie’s portrait appeared next to hers along with her win-loss record, 10-1. “Duel mode set. Initiating.” The hologram of the dueling fields appeared over Twilight’s display. “Commence duel?”

Twilight licked her lips. This is it. It’s time to play for keeps. She put her hand on her deck. “Ready, Trixie?”

“Ready and waiting, Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie laughed and slapped her fingers on the flashing button on her disk.

“Game start!”

-Twilight Life Points: 8000-

-Trixie Life Points: 8000-

Trixie’s portrait lit up. “Opponent will take first turn.”

“Marvelous.” Trixie’s opening hand ejected from her deck and she folded them out. “Trixie summons ‘Apple Magician Girl’!” A burst of red smoke billowed in front of Trixie and cleared to reveal a girl wearing bright red metallic armor with a matching pointed hat. She opened her eyes as pink wings folded from her knees, elbows, and shoulders. (1200/800). “Trixie sets one card and ends her turn.”

She’s really gonna keep that third-person thing going this entire duel? Twilight snorted. “Fine. My turn.” She drew and looked at her display. A monster with only 1200 ATK. It has to be a trick. Either it has an ability or that face-down card is to protect it. Fortunately, I have my own defenses ready. She smiled at the card artwork peeking out from her hand and reached for one of them. “I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Cantus’ in order to activate its effect.” A diminutive fairy with pale white skin and curled pink and purple hair appeared in front of Twilight and held a hand up. Rings of green magic engulfed it and it vanished into sparkles of light. “By discarding Cantus from my hand, I can Special Summon a ‘Harmony Spirit’ monster from my deck.” Twilight pulled her card from her deck and slipped it on her disk. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas!” The flying blue fairy rose onto Twilight’s duel disk and pumped its fist. (1600/800) Twilight held her hand out. “Pietas, attack Apple Magician Girl!” Pietas flapped its wings and flew across the field.

Trixie smirked. “Trixie activates Apple Magician Girl’s special ability! When Apple Magician Girl is targeted for an attack, Trixie can Special Summon a Level 5 or lower Spellcaster monster from her hand and redirect the attack to it.” Trixie flipped her card over. “Come forth, ‘Lemon Magician Girl’!” A blast of yellow smoke emitted next to Apple Magician. A magician in yellow armor with green details and a large pair of wings on the back jumped out of the smoke and twirled its wand to rest it on its shoulder. (800/600) Apple held up its wand and a field of magic projected around it. A blast of smoke went off and when it cleared, Lemon Magician Girl stood in Apple’s place. “And now that the attack has been redirected, Pietas’ attack power is halved!”

Twilight tensed. “They’re both at 800, they’ll destroy each other.”

“Not quite. Lemon Magician Girl has a special ability too and it’s the same one as Apple. Now Trixie can Special Summon a Spellcaster monster from her hand by negating its effects and redirect the attack again!” Trixie held up another card from her hand. “Trixie Special Summons ‘Kiwi Magician Girl’!” Another blast of smoke, this one teal, shot out of the ground in front a Trixie. A magician in a black bodysuit with bright teal armor on her torso and limbs was standing in the midst of it as it cleared. (1800/1200) Kiwi snapped her fingers and her image flickered and changed to that of Lemon Magician, Kiwi appearing in her place. Pietas (1600 → 800 → 400) closed in and Kiwi raised her wand, an orb of magic forming on the end of the curled teal staff.

“From my hand, I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia!” The spectral image of the yellow fairy appeared in front of Apple and held out its hands. “By discarding Gracia, I can prevent Pietas from being destroyed this turn!” Pietas dashed through the spirit of Gracia and glowed with yellow light. Apple Magician Girl fired a beam of magic from her staff and the blast sent Pietas flying back to land in front of Twilight.

-Twilight Life Points: 6600-

The crowd cheered for Trixie. The girl smiled and tossed her hand. “Thank you, thank you. You’re too kind.”

Give me a break. Twilight rolled her eyes and looked at her hand. “I set two cards and end my turn.” The holograms flickered into place behind Pietas and she lowered her duel disk. Bad news, one of my best monsters just got drained to a measly 400 points and I lost a lot of Life Points. Good news, I know what I’m up against now. I’ll have to pick my attacks carefully.

“It’s Trixie’s turn again.” Trixie drew her card and reached to her duel disk. “Trixie summons ‘Berry Magician Girl’!” A young spellcaster in a pink and green jumper with a pink hat popped onto Trixie’s field, suckling a pacifier. (400/400) “Berry Magician Girl’s effect activates when summoned, letting me add any ‘Magician Girl’ monster from my deck to my hand. Then Trixie activates Lemon Magician Girl’s special ability, tributing Berry Magician to add a Spellcaster monster to Trixie’s hand from the deck.” Trixie withdrew her cards and slid them into the others she was holding. “Now that that’s taken care of, battle phase! Kiwi, attack Harmony Spirit Pietas!” Kiwi held up her wand again and an orb of green magic formed around the tip.

“Activate Trap card, ‘Harmony Balloon’!” A large purple balloon appeared in the air with a basket suspended from it. “By sending ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’ to the graveyard, I return one card on the field to my hand.” Twilight reached to her duel disk. “I retrieve Harmony Spirit Pietas!” Pietas turned into blue light and shot up into the balloon basket, which rose and vanished.

“What?” Trixie scowled. “What manner of trick is this?”

“It’s called strategy. Activate second face-down card, ‘Harmony Textbook’!” Twilight flung her hand out as her second card’s hologram flipped up. “I discard Pietas in order to revive Gracia from the graveyard, in defense mode!” The angelic yellow descended in front of Twilight and kneeled, her wings folded in. (900/1800)

The watching students applauded as Trixie glared. “Fine. Trixie ends her turn.”

“Right.” Twilight drew and held out her card. “First, ‘Harmony Fruit’. I’ll use it to return Harmony Spirits Magnanimity and Pietas in the graveyard to my hand.” Twilight’s cards ejected and she lifted them up. She paused and looked at the display of Trixie’s field. If I attack, she’ll just bounce it back and forth between her monsters like she did before. And she’s got two new monsters in her hand to play with to do it. Twilight smiled and looked at her hand. Not this time. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas’.” The muscular red fairy leapt out of a portal to stand next to Gracia, arms crossed. (1800/300)

Twilight held a card up. “I activate the effect of Pietas and discard it to allow a Harmony Spirit monster to attack directly this turn! Further, discarding a Harmony Spirit activates Honestas’ effect, increasing its attack power by 500 points for the rest of the turn.”

Trixie stepped back. “What!?”

The crowd cheered loudly. In spite of herself, Twilight grinned as the self-designated ‘Twilight Sparklers’ began to chant her name. “Honestas, attack Trixie directly!” Honestas (1800 → 2300) flexed its arms and charged across the field, eyes narrow. Trixie grimaced as it passed by her mages and came at Trixie.

“I activate my Trap card, ‘Magician’s Defense’!” Trixie flung her hand out as a barrier of energy rippled into place around her. “As long as my Trap remains in play, any damage I take is halved as long as I control a Spellcaster monster!” Honestas slammed its fist into the barrier. It shimmered and held as a shockwave burst out around the impact point.

-Trixie Life Points: 6850-

“You’ll pay for that,” Trixie growled. Honestas jumped back to stand in front of Twilight as the crowd’s calls died down.

Twilight smiled. I just about tied it up. Now I have to keep up the momentum. “I end my turn.”

“About time.” Trixie snarled and drew her card with a flourish.

“As you draw, I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’ in my hand. By discarding it, I can reveal the top card of my deck. If it’s a Spell card I can add it to my hand, but if not it gets placed on the bottom of my deck.” Twilight picked her card up and gasped. She met Trixie’s eyes and held it out. “It’s a Spell card, ‘Harmony Fusion’!” The crowd laughed as Trixie’s eyes narrowed. “Further, discarding a Harmony Spirit activates my monster effects. Once more Honestas climbs to 2300 attack and Gracia’s effect prevents my Harmony Spirit monsters from being destroyed in battle this turn.”

Twilight smiled. I may not be able to attack, but I can defend, and this will hold her off until the next turn. She looked at her newly drawn card. It’s the only card left in my hand, now, but it may be all I need. On my next turn I can Fusion Summon something to press my advantage.

Still holding her newly draw card out, Trixie flipped it over and looked down at it. Her eyes widened and she burst out laughing. Twilight frowned. “What?”

Trixie brought her card to her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Oh, this is just too rich. I couldn’t have planned that draw any better!”

“What is it?” Twilight snapped.

Trixie regained her composure and put a hand on her hip. “Trixie hopes you weren’t planning on that Fusion card to save you. Because you’re not going to be activating it next turn, or any turn coming soon.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.” Trixie slipped her new card into her duel disk. “Trixie activates the Spell card ‘Terraforming’, letting her add any Field Spell from her deck to her hand.” The card ejected and Trixie held it into the air. “I activate ‘Secret Village of the Spellcasters’!” The ground shook as spiraling trees in yellow and green burst out of the ground around Trixie and her monsters. They grew taller and wider, windows and doors appearing in the trunks and lighting up.

“What does this one do?” Twilight asked.

“It’s very simple. If Trixie doesn’t control a Spellcaster monster, she is forbidden from activating Spell cards. But if Trixie does control a Spellcaster and you don’t, you can’t activate Spell cards!”

“What!?” Twilight recoiled, her eyes wide.

Trixie laughed. “So much for that Spell you just got, huh? Trixie hopes for your sake that you’ve got a Spellcaster monster in your deck somewhere. Not that you’ll draw it in time to make a difference.” She tossed her hair and sniffed. “For now, Trixie activates Lemon Magician Girl’s ability, tributing Kiwi Magician Girl to add a Spellcaster monster to her hand.” Trixie held her hand out. “Then, Trixie summons ‘Chocolate Magician Girl’!” In a cloud of blue smoke appeared Trixie’s new magician, wearing a suit of dark blue armor with green hair streaming down her back. (1600/1000) “Then Trixie activates Chocolate Magician’s effect, discarding a Spellcaster monster to draw a card.” Trixie swapped her cards and smiled. “Trixie sets a card and ends her turn.”

“My draw, again.” Twilight put her hand on her deck and slowly drew her next card. She turned it over and frowned. Harmony Fruit. Normally this would be a great card for this situation. But I can’t use it as long as that Field Spell is in play… Twilight tapped to expand her duel disk display and tabbed through the cards in play. Gracia and Honestas can hold her monsters off for now, but all she needs is a power-up card or something to weaken my monsters, and they’ll be crushed. And I have no way to fight back, not with her monsters able to deflect my attacks. Twilight gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes. “I end my turn.”

The crowd began to murmur and a couple of boos and taunts reached Twilight’s ears. She ignored them and focused on Trixie.

“Really? What a shame.” Trixie drew. “Trixie activates Lemon Magician Girl’s special ability and tributes Apple Magician Girl to add a Spellcaster monster to her hand. Then, Chocolate Magician Girl, I discard a Spellcaster monster to draw a card.” Trixie looked over her hand and smiled. She ran her fingers along them, tapping them in turn. “So many ways Trixie could destroy you… what to do, what to do…”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. She’ll do this every turn. Lemon Magician Girl lets her search out Spellcasters every turn as long as she can tribute something for its effect. And anything she wants that she can’t search out that way, she’ll discard that Spellcaster to use Chocolate Magician’s effect and draw a card. It’s a continuous engine of searching and drawing cards. And there’s nothing I can do to stop her.

“Now then, here’s a move that should seem familiar.” Trixie held her card out. “I activate Kiwi Magician Girl’s ability and discard it. Now for every ‘Magician Girl’ monster on the field and in the graveyard with a different name, my monsters get a 300 point bonus!”

“No!” Twilight tensed and stepped back.

“Yes!” Trixie held up her duel disk. “I have Lemon and Chocolate on the field, and Apple, Berry and Kiwi in the graveyard. That’s a total of 1500 more points for all of them!” Trixie pointed across the field. “Lemon Magician Girl, attack Gracia!” Lemon Magician Girl (800 → 2300) raised its staff and fired a beam of yellow light across the field. The magical blast consumed Gracia and it exploded into particles of pink light. “Chocolate Magician Girl, attack Honestas!” Bolts of lightning shot along her staff as Chocolate (1600 → 3100) pointed it across the field. A blast of blue light struck Honestas and shattered it.

-Twilight Life Points: 5300-

“Trixie ends her turn and the effects of Kiwi end.” As Trixie’s monsters settled down and posed, Trixie crossed her arms. “Now, draw your last pathetic card so Trixie can end this duel.”

Twilight glared. “My deck doesn’t have pathetic cards, Trixie!” She reached to her deck. “It symbolizes the bond I share with my friends, a bond that can overcome any power thrown against me. And if you think that bond is going to break now, you’ve got another thing coming!” Twilight drew, trails of light drifting after her card. She flipped it over. It’s here! Twilight smiled and held out her hand. “I shuffle Harmony Spirit Gracia and Harmony Spirit Honestas in the graveyard into the deck!” Twilight’s two spirits appeared in front of her and were drawn back into her duel disk in flashes of light. “By shuffling two Harmony Spirits in my graveyard or hand into my deck, I Special Summon this monster from my hand!” Twilight held her card up and it lit up in silver light.

The clouds overhead rumbled and closed together and a shaft of sunlight beamed down behind Twilight. A tall figure with pale pink skin and a massive pair of wings descended behind her, a spiral horn rising from her head. Gauntlets and boots in golden armor covered her limbs and a billowing white dress with a yellow sun emblem trailed down her torso. The figure opened her eyes and cried out, her hair streaming behind her in a rainbow of colors. She snapped her arms out to the sides and the clouds overhead dispersed in a flash of rainbow light.

“I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Helios! (2700/2400)”

The crowd cheered as Twilight’s new monster crossed its arms and stared down at Trixie. Trixie scoffed and waved her hand. “So you’ve got a new monster, big deal. It won’t make a scratch on Trixie’s monsters.”

“It’s for more than just attacking, Trixie.” Twilight leaned forward. “See, there’s a tiny detail you overlooked. My normal Harmony Spirits are Fairy-types. But Helios? She’s a Spellcaster!”

Trixie’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in realization.

“And now that I have a Spellcaster on my field, the restrictions of Secret Village of the Spellcasters are removed. I can use all the Spells I want!” Twilight slapped a card into her duel disk. “I activate Harmony Fruit, to return Harmony Spirits Magnanimity and Pietas in my graveyard to my hand. Then I activate ‘Harmony Fusion’!” The ground shook as a swirling vortex in rainbow colors appeared in front of Twilight. “From my hand, I fuse together Pietas and Magnanimity, to Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity Crustallum’!”

A white fairy in a long white and blue dress with matching gloves and boots rose from the fusion vortex. Rings of gem shards came around its shoulders to encircle its torso in orbit, turning and sparkling with light. Its eyes flashed as it raised its head. (2100/1500)

Twilight’s smile widened as the crowd’s cheers began to turn back her way. “Magnanimity Crustallum, attack Chocolate Magician Girl!” Magnanimity held out its hands. Its circling rings of gem shards stopped and flew forward at Chocolate Magician Girl.

“Trixie activates Chocolate’s ability!” Trixie yelled. “When she’s targeted for an attack, I Special Summon a Spellcaster from the graveyard and redirect the attack! Return to me, Apple Magician Girl!” The red-armored mage reformed on Trixie’s field. “Apple effect activate! I Special Summon ‘Kiwi Magician Girl’ from my hand and redirect the attack once again!” The green-armored mage appeared and jumped in front of Apple Magician Girl and held up her wand. The gem shards stopped and reversed, flying towards Magnanimity Crustallum (2100 → 1050 → 525)

“From my graveyard, I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Cantus!” The image of the curly-haired white fairy appeared in front of Magnanimity Crustallum. “By returning Cantus to the deck, one Harmony Spirit monster I control cannot be destroyed this turn!” The gem shards struck Magnanimity and she recoiled, but Twilight stood firm.

-Twilight Life Points: 4025-

“Are you done being ineffectual?” Trixie snapped.

“Be careful what you wish for, Trixie.” Twilight pumped her fist. “Harmony Spirit Helios, attack Chocolate Magician Girl!” Helios held up her hands and a large orb of orange fire manifested between them. “See, here’s a single flaw in your strategy, Trixie. You can only use those attack-redirect effects once per turn. So now you’re defenseless!” Helios fired its fireball across the field. Chocolate Magician Girl was caught in the blaze and exploded.

-Trixie Life Points: 6300-

Trixie coughed as the smoke cleared. “I still take half damage as long as my Magician’s Defense is in play!”

“Fine by me. The real prize is Helios’ ability. When it destroys a monster in battle, I can add any Harmony Spirit from my deck to my hand.” Twilight’s card ejected and she snatched it up. “I choose this, Harmony Spirit Magnanimity. I discard it now to activate its effect, revealing the top card of my deck.” Twilight drew her card and looked down at it. “It’s a Spell, ‘Harmony Gem’, so it goes to my hand but I can’t activate cards with that name this turn.

“Further, discarding a Harmony Spirit activates the effect of Magnanimity Crustallum. I look at the top two cards of my deck and add one of them to my hand, the other goes to the bottom of the deck.” Twilight picked up the two cards and flipped one of them over. “I choose this, ‘Harmony Spirit Magia’!” She slid the card into the graveyard. “I discard Magia to activate its effect and copy a Spell effect in your graveyard. The card I choose is Terraforming! I use it to add a Field Spell from my deck to my hand.”

Twilight’s card ejected as the Field Spell slot on her duel disk popped open. “I activate ‘Harmony Castle’!” Trixie’s village of trees withered and faded away as a massive fortress of colored crystal rose behind Twilight, an eight-pointed star on its banners. “I activate Harmony Castle’s effect and shuffle Magia and Magnanimity in the graveyard into the deck to Special Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Malus’, in defense mode!” A tiny yellow fairy with a red bow in its pink hair jumped onto Twilight’s field. (400/300)

“Are you done with your turn already!?” Trixie shrieked.

“Yes.” Twilight lowered her duel disk and smiled.

“About time! I draw!” Trixie grabbed her card from her deck before her duel disk could automatically eject it.

“Twi-light, Twi-light, Twi-light!” The chant of her name rose over the crowd alongside applause.

“Trix-xie, Trix-xie, Trix-ie!” A competing chant of the other duelist began in response.

Trixie gritted her teeth and glared at the Twilight Sparklers on the sidelines. “Shut up! You’re getting on Trixie’s nerves!”

“Why so upset, Trixie?” Twilight smiled as her voice brought Trixie’s attention back to her. “The duel isn’t over yet. If anything, I’d say we’ve just gotten started!”

The Master of Magicians - vs Trixie (Part 2)

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Master of Magicians – vs Trixie (Part 2)

-Twilight Life Points: 4025-

-Trixie Life Points: 6300-

Dusk had set in as Twilight faced Trixie in the parking lot of Canterlot High. Trixie drew and looked over her hand, giving Twilight a moment to examine her duel disk’s display. Magnanimity Crustallum won’t survive this turn, not with only 575 attack points left. But I expected that when I commended the attack. Twilight looked between the delicate blue-clad fairy and her other monster, white wings folded on its back and arms crossed. More important right now is Helios. I have to keep it in play; I need its ability to replenish my hand if I’m going to stand a chance. She bit her lip. I might have managed a comeback so far, but a misplay can still ruin it for me.

“Trixie shall not suffer such insults any longer!” She flung a hand out, sending her cape billowing behind her. “I summon Berry Magician Girl and activate her ability.” The baby mage held up its wand and sent a pulse of light over Trixie’s deck. “Trixie can now add any Magician Girl monster from her deck to her hand. Next.” Trixie pointed across the field. “Apple Magician Girl, attack Harmony Spirit Magnanimity Crustallum!” Apple raised her wand and fired a beam of red light across the field. The gem shards encircling Magnanimity superheated and exploded as her hologram shattered.

-Twilight Life Points: 3350-

“Trixie sets one card and switches Lemon Magician Girl to defense. That ends her turn.”

Twilight nodded and drew. “My turn again.” She looked at her new card and discarded it. “I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Draco’ to activate ‘Harmony Gem’, letting me draw two cards.” Twilight drew her cards and tapped on her duel screen. “Next I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Fusion’ in the graveyard. By returning Magnanimity Crustallum in the graveyard to my Extra Deck, I return Harmony Fusion to my hand.” Twilight held it up into the air. “I activate it now! From my hand I fuse Harmony Spirit Pietas with Harmony Spirit Malus on the field!”

The familiar form of Pietas descended behind Twilight. Boots and gloves with lightning bolt patterns covered her hands and feet, and a ring-shaped cloud hovered in the air behind her wings, lightning shooting through the center. “I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas Fulmen’! (2300/1500)”

The crowd’s cheers for Twilight grew in volume again as she held up Pietas’ card. “Additionally, since I sent Pietas from my hand to the graveyard, the effect of my Harmony Castle Field Spell triggers, summoning Pietas to the field.” The slightly smaller and less-armored fairy appeared in a show of lightning and rain drops next to Pietas Fulmen, and pumped its fist as they made eye contact.

Twilight held out her hand. “Helios, attack Berry Magician Girl!” Helios held up its hands and conjured an orb of fire.

“Trixie activates Berry’s effect! Berry switches to defense mode and then another Magician Girl monster is added to her hand!” Trixie’s card ejected from her duel disk and she snatched it up.

“But my attack continues!” Helios fired the orb of fire at Berry as the baby kneeled and held up its hands. The flames consumed it and dispersed to reveal only a charred wand that dissolved into light. “Helios’ effect activates, adding Harmony Spirit Magnanimity to my hand.” Twilight flipped her card over and discarded it. “I activate Magnanimity’s effect now, sending it to the graveyard to reveal the top card of my deck.” Twilight lifted her card and frowned. “It’s a Trap card, ‘Harmony Song’, so it gets returned to the deck.” She set the card back down and the deck’s auto-shuffler triggered.

“Well, that accomplished a lot,” Trixie muttered.

“Actually it did.” Twilight smiled. “Discarding a Harmony Spirit triggered the effects of Pietas Fulmen and Pietas. Now Pietas Fulmen can attack all monsters on your side of the field once this turn, and Pietas can attack twice.”

“Go ahead!” Trixie snapped. “The second either of them so much as looks at my monsters, I’ll use their effects to redirect the attacks and sap their attack strength!”

“No, you won’t.” Twilight pressed a command on her duel disk screen and a card ejected from her graveyard. “I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Malus in the graveyard. By shuffling Malus into the deck, I can select one Harmony Spirit monster on my side of the field. This turn when it attacks, you’re forbidden from activating any cards or effects. I choose Pietas!”

Trixie paled. “Crud.”

Twilight pointed across the field. “Pietas, take out her two magicians!” Pietas flapped its wings and flew across the field. A spinning kick sent Apple Magician Girl flying away, the momentum turning Pietas to slam a fist into Lemon Magical Girl. The two mages exploded in pixilated flashes of light.

-Trixie Life Points: 6100-

“Now that you don’t have any Spellcaster monsters in play, your Magician’s Defense effect is ended, so you take full damage from my direct attack.” Twilight pointed. “Pietas Fulmen, Lightning Surge!” Pietas Fulmen held its hands out and streams of electrical energy gathered in front of it. A beam of lightning shot across the field as Trixie raised her arms to shield herself.

-Trixie Life Points: 3800-

The holographic electricity faded as Trixie flung her arms away. “You’ll regret that!”

“We’ll see. For now, I end my turn.”

“I draw!” Trixie drew her card and laughed. “Perfect!” She looked across the field at Twilight and then reached to her duel disk screen. “I activate the face-down card ‘Magician’s Navigation’!” A swirling vortex of dark energy appeared in the air behind Trixie, sparks flying from the edge. “This lets me summon a particular monster from my hand. Then I can also Special Summon any Dark-attribute Spellcaster monster Level 7 or lower from my deck.” Trixie’s card ejected from the deck and she drew it up with another card from her hand. “I summon the most powerful magicians of all! Come forth, ‘Dark Magician’ and ‘Dark Magician Girl’!”

The vortex lit up as a tall, slender mage in dark black and purple armor flew out, a cape flying out behind him. A long green staff appeared in his hand and he twirled it before pointing it across the field at Twilight. (2500/2100) Behind him, a female mage in bright blue and pink armor followed him, a gold and blue wand in her hand. She spun in place, her pink cape and blond hair flowing in the air, and landed next to the first magician. (2000/1700)

The crowd applauded as Trixie held up her next card. “And now, Twilight Sparkle, prepare yourself for Trixie’s final play! I activate the Spell card ‘Dark Burning Magic’!” Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl held their staves into the air. The tips overlaid as a field of dark purple magic began to grow at the junction, ripples of energy pulsing from it. “When Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl are both on my side of the field, I can use this card to destroy all cards on your field!”

Twilight gasped. “No!”

“Yes!” Trixie grinned and pointed across the field. “Go, my magicians! Obliterate everything she has!” The two mages cried out in unison and swung their staves down. A shockwave of dark magic shot across the field. Twilight’s monsters shattered as it struck them. The magical blast raced past Twilight and struck the foundation of the crystal behind her. She turned and watched as Harmony Castle cracked apart and crumbled to the ground in a wave of dust.

Trixie laughed. “Victory is mine! Dark Magician, direct—” She paused as the dust settled on Twilight’s field, revealing Harmony Spirit Pietas kneeling in front of her. Trixie growled. “How? I destroyed everything you have!”

Twilight put a hand to her chest and took a breath. “Yes, you did, Trixie. And in doing so you triggered the final effect of Pietas Fulmen. When it gets destroyed, I can revive the original Pietas in my graveyard. Since you destroyed them both at once, Pietas is there ready to return!”

Trixie snorted. “It won’t be here for long! Dark Magician Girl, Dark Burning Attack!” Dark Magician Girl held out her wand and a wave of dark fire washed over Pietas. The fairy groaned and exploded into a fireball. “Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!” Another orb of purple magic grew on the tip of the Dark Magician’s staff and he swung it out at Twilight, the orb flying into her and exploding.

-Twilight Life Points: 850-

“Trixie ends her turn again.” Trixie crossed her arms and smirked. “No matter how hard you beat Trixie down, she’ll always rise up again!” The crowd cheered and called Trixie’s name in response to the taunt.

Twilight chuckled and shook her head. “You can drop the act, Trixie.”

Trixie frowned. “What act?”

“You’re having fun.”

“Of course I am!” Trixie sniffed and tossed her hair. “I’m beating an opponent into the dirt! Trixie can’t imagine anything more satisfying.”

“Sure you can.” Twilight smiled softly as Trixie’s posed. “You’re a magician, Trixie. What fun is there for an audience if there’s no element of risk in a trick?”

Trixie recoiled at the words and scowled. “You’re trying to trick me!”

“No, I’m not. I just think if we’re going to duel, you should enjoy it. And not just because you like winning. Victory is most thrilling when you earn it facing an opponent who pushes you to your limits.” Twilight’s smile deepened. “Trust me, I’ve learned that very well today.” She drew her card and added it to her hand. “And I think it’s time for you to learn the same. I activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Fruit’ and use it to return Harmony Spirits Pietas and Magnanimity in my graveyard to my hand. Then I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Ventus’ and activate its ability!” A tiny orange pixie with stunted wings and purple hair appeared in front of Twilight. Its wings beat up a gale in front of her. “By discarding Ventus from my hand, I can revive a Harmony Spirit in my graveyard! Return to me, Harmony Spirit Pietas Fulmen!” The electrical fairy reappeared in the midst of the gale in a rumbling of thunder clouds.

“Next, I summon Harmony Spirit Magia! Then I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Draco in the graveyard. When Magia is on the field, I can revive Draco, but it returns to my deck when it leaves the field.” The purple-garbed fairy appeared and held a hand out to the side. A small plume of green fire rose next to her and faded to reveal a fairy-like purple dragon with a green fringe running up its back and head. (700/100)

Next to Twilight’s legs, Spike’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

“I activate the effect of Harmony Fusion in the graveyard and return Helios to the deck to return Harmony Fusion to my hand.” Twilight picked her card up and held it out. “Finally, I reveal Harmony Spirit Draco’s special ability. When I conduct the Fusion Summon of a Harmony Spirit monster, I can treat Draco as any Harmony Spirit I choose!” A pink aura lit up around the dragon as Twilight slid her Spell card into her duel disk. “Treating Draco as Harmony Spirit Risus, I activate Harmony Fusion, and fuse Draco on the field with Magnanimity in my hand!”

A gigantic blue balloon swelled up from the ground in front of Twilight and burst open. Within stood a pink fairy in a long pink and blue dress, gloves and boots on its limbs decorated with swirls of icing and sprinkles. A dozen balloons in yellow, pink, and blue were tied to its back and spread out into the air behind it, and a large silvery-blue cannon barrel rose over its right shoulder.

“I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Risus Fera’! (2000/1200)”

Trixie snorted. “So what? None of your monsters can overpower my Dark Magician!”

“I’m not done yet, Trixie.” Twilight held her last card up. “I have one card left in my hand. I activate the effect of Pietas and discard it, letting Magia attack directly this turn.”

Trixie laughed. “1500 damage? Trixie can take it. You’ll have to do better than that!”

“I will, with Risus Fera’s special ability.” Twilight held her hand up as Risus Fera lit up in pink light. “When I discard a Harmony Spirit monster, the effect of Risus Fera activates, letting me negate the effects of one card on the field.” Twilight pointed. “I choose your Magician’s Defense!” Risus Fera smirked as the cannon barrel on its back shifted and dropped down over its shoulder. It glowed and fired a sparkling pink projectile across the field. It struck the hologram of Trixie’s card and burst into confetti as Trixie’s card dulled in coloration. “Then, since I discarded a Harmony Spirit, Pietas Fulmen can attack all monsters on your side of the field this turn.” Twilight reached to her discard slot and withdrew a card.

“Finally, I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Ventus in the graveyard. By returning it to the deck, one Harmony Spirit I control gains 800 attack points for the rest of the turn.”

Trixie gasped and her eyes went wide. Around them the student’s cheers began to grow again.

“Pietas Fulmen, attack Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl!” Pietas Fulmen (2300 → 3100) fired two bolts of lightning across the field. Sparks flew from Trixie’s two magicians as they exploded.

-Trixie Life Points: 2100-

“Risus Fera, direct attack!” Trixie stared as the cannon glowed and fired another blast of energy at her. The attack exploded at her feet.

-Trixie Life Points: 100-

“One attack left.” Twilight waited as the smoke around Trixie began to clear.

“Well… well…” Trixie took a breath and closed her eyes, her head low. She looked across the field at Twilight, then up at the hologram of Harmony Spirit Magia.

“Trixie!” Twilight paused as the crowd began to call out to her, along with a couple of boos directed at Twilight. Trixie looked among the crowd, their cries growing as she made eye contact.

“Do you fear for Trixie?” Trixie flung her cape out behind her and took off her hat to toss it to the crowd. “Do not dare look away, my followers! For Trixie is about to achieve the greatest escape any magician has ever attempted!” The crowd’s disappointment turned to elation again as Trixie turned to Twilight. She flung her hand out towards her. “Do not dally any further, Twilight Sparkle! Give Trixie the send-off she deserves!”

Twilight nodded and smiled. “You got it! Harmony Spirit Magia, attack Trixie directly!” Magia moved its hands through the air, tracing out a six-pointed star of pink light. The star’s points funneled energy into the center and Magia slammed her hands down on it, sending a beam of magic across the field. Trixie turned her head up and closed her eyes as it struck her, a burst of smoke erupting around her.

-Trixie Life Points: 0-

The holograms faded but the smoke continued to rise. Twilight ran up to where Trixie had stood and waved away the smoke. The ground was empty. Spike’s eyes widened.

“We killed her.”

Twilight gently toed him with her boot. “Don’t be ridiculous. She must have just wanted to pull off a cool exit.”

Spike looked around and tugged on Twilight’s sock. “Yup.” Twilight glanced down and then turned to where Spike was looking; a familiar purple cloak vanished around the corner of the school. Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled.

Suddenly a flock of students descended on Twilight. She gasped and shrank back as the crowd stopped in a circle around her.

“You’re amazing, Twilight!”

“You’re even more powerful than Flash Sentry!”

“Twilight, will you sign my duel disk?”

“Twilight, do you think you’ll be able to beat the other finalists?”

Twilight gasped at the last question she could make out quickly.

The others.

It didn’t take long to find another duel going on; the crowds of students made it obvious. Twilight reached one such crowd and pushed her way to the front. “Excuse me, pardon me.” She reached the front and paused.

Flash was facing off against a girl with pale blue skin and white hair with streaks of blue. An unfamiliar Gem-Knight in gold armor stood guard on Flash’s side of the field, while his opponent’s side was empty. Twilight activated her duel disk and found the spectator function Sweetie Belle had shown her. Flash had 4800 Life Points, while his opponent, a girl named Ember Draconia, had 1600. Flash had two set cards on the field while Ember had none.

“I draw!” Ember drew her card and held it out. “I activate ‘Dark Factory of Mass Production’, which allows me to return two Normal monsters in my graveyard to my hand.” Ember’s cards slid out of her duel disk and she held one of them out. “I activate the effect of the monster in my hand! By revealing a ‘Blue-Eyes White Dragon’ in my hand, I can Special Summon ‘Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon’!” The ground shook as a pillar of light erupted from behind Ember. A massive silver and blue dragon flew out, lines of energy glowing along its body. It stopped in the air above Ember and roared. (3000/2500)

The crowd began to cheer as Ember thrust her hand forward. “I activate my monster’s ability. Once per turn I can destroy one monster on the field. I choose your Gem-Knight.” The dragon opened its mouth and a crackling field of electricity formed between its jaws.

“I reveal my face-down card, ‘De-Fusion’!” Flash’s set card rose up and glowed, the light engulfing his monster. “This returns ‘Gem-Knight Topaz’ to my Extra Deck and revives his Fusion Materials in his place. Come back to me, ‘Gem-Knight Tourmaline’ and ‘Gem-Knight Sapphire’!” Flash’s monsters, armored in yellow and blue, appeared kneeling on his field. “With Topaz removed from the field, your ability has no target and is nullified.”

Ember smiled. “It won’t do much good.” She held her hand out and flipped it over to show her cards. “I activate the Spell card ‘Polymerization’!” The crowd’s cheers grew into a roar as Ember slid her cards into her discard slot. “I fuse Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon on the field with the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my hand.” Another column of light surrounded her dragon and drew it up into the clouds along with two orbs of white light from her duel disk. Ember punched a fist into the air. “I Fusion Summon ‘Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon’!”

The clouds overhead rumbled and flashed. With a rush of wind they split open, revealing a gigantic silver dragon with three heads. Its wings slowly flapped as it descended behind Ember, perching on the roof of the school behind her. The dragon’s heads looked down at Flash and let out a roar in unison. (4500/3800)

“Look at the size of that thing,” Twilight whispered, the dragon’s shadow falling over the crowd around her. Spike shuddered at her legs and ducked behind her boot.

Ember pointed across the field. “Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack Tourmaline! Neutron Cannon!” The dragon’s main head opened its mouth and summoned a large orb of lightning in its jaws. A beam of electrical energy shot across the field and slammed into Flash’s monster, creating a column of smoke as it exploded. Ember reached to her duel disk. “I now activate my dragon’s special ability. I send a second copy of my dragon from the Extra Deck to the graveyard, and it can attack again!” Another of Blue-Eyes’ heads fired a blast of lightning, blowing up Gem-Knight Sapphire. “I activate the effect once more and send ‘Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon’ from the Extra Deck to declare a third attack, directly on you!” The smoke cleared to allow Flash to look directly up at the dragon as its third head launched its attack. The lightning blast consumed Flash in a blaze of yellow and silver light.

Ember lowered her duel disk. “I’m only allowed to use my dragon’s ability twice per turn. With my attacks done I end my turn.”

Twilight looked at her display to see Flash’s Life Points rapidly lower, stopping at 300. Amazing. She can wipe him out on his next turn!

Flash looked up at the dragon and then reached down to take the card that ejected from his duel disk. He looked at it and smiled. “Great move. But it won’t be enough.” He held his drawn card out. “I activate the Spell card ‘Brilliant Fusion’! This lets me conduct a Fusion Summon using monsters in my deck, but its attack power is sapped to zero.” Flash’s cards ejected from his deck and he swiftly discarded them. “I send to the graveyard ‘Gem-Knight Garnet’ and ‘Gem-Knight Amber’ to Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Ruby’.” The red armored knight swept onto Flash’s field with a whirlwind of red gemdust, its polearm slung over its shoulder. (0/1300)

Flash smiled. “And now the stage is set for my face-down card. I activate ‘Fragment Fusion’. This lets me conduct a Fusion Summon using Gem-Knights in my graveyard!” Flash held his hand up as the specters of three Gem-Knights appeared in the air above him. “I banish Gem-Knights Tourmaline, Amber, and Sapphire, to Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond’!”

A massive shard of pure white crystal rose behind Flash and shattered. A silver-armored warrior woman with diamonds studding her armor stood in the ruins of the crystal and swung out a sword to disperse the rest of it. (3400/2000) Flash lifted Ruby’s card from his duel disk. “I activate Lady Brilliant Diamond’s special ability and send Gem-Knight Ruby to the graveyard to Special Summon any Gem-Knight monster I want from my Extra Deck. I call forth ‘Gem-Knight Master Diamond’!” Another shard of crystal grew and exploded, revealing a massive knight in silver armor with a large broadsword, seven gems in different colors embedded in the blade. (2900/2500)

Ember sniffed. “Impressive. But neither of them is strong enough to vanquish my dragon.”

“Not yet.” Flash held up Ruby’s card. “I activate Master Diamond’s special ability! By banishing a Gem-Knight Fusion monster in the graveyard, Master Diamond can copy its effects. I banish Gem-Knight Ruby and activate its effect. I tribute Lady Brilliant Diamond and add all of her attack power to Master Diamond!”

“What!?” Ember’s jaw dropped. Master Diamond took on a glowing red aura and held up its sword. Lady Brilliant Diamond turned into white light and flowed into the blade, the gemstones on the side lighting up in a rainbow of energy. Master Diamond roared and swung the sword through the air, energy pulsing around it. (2900 → 6300)

Flash pointed up at Ember’s monster. “Master Diamond, show Ember what knights do to dragons! Attack Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Diamond Blade Strike!”

Master Diamond hefted its sword behind it and ran forward, the ground tearing up under its boots. It leapt up and sliced, the massive blade leaving a trail of light in the air as it cleaved through the dragon’s necks. Neo-Blue Eyes’ three heads fell from its body and dissolved into particles of light as its body collapsed and exploded, blowing Ember’s hair and clothes out in front of her in the blast. Twilight’s display clicked Ember’s Life Points to 0 and her portrait flashed red.

Ember lowered her duel disk, staring up at Master Diamond as it landed in front of her. “Such power…”

“Hey.” Ember turned her attention forward as Flash approached her. “You’re pretty good.” Flash held a fist out and smiled.

Ember returned the gesture and bumped her fist against his. “As expected of Flash Sentry.”

Twilight stepped forward to approach and stopped as other observers ran past her. The crowd gathered around Flash, Ember stepping out of the way. Twilight chuckled as Flash fended off the fans in a scene all-too familiar.

The celebrations paused and the crowd went silent at a flash of light from the side. Twilight turned her head and saw a massive pillar of fire rising into the sky from elsewhere on the school grounds. The fires dispersed and she heard a distant cry of another crowd. Another duel had been won. Twilight clenched her fist. She somehow felt she didn’t have to ask who it was.

“Attention students!” Celestia’s voice came over the speaker system. “All duels have been concluded. Your top eight duelists have been decided!” A holographic display popped into the air from an emitter Twilight couldn’t see mounted somewhere on the school wall. As Celestia spoke, the corresponding portraits flipped up into the display. “Announcing your quarter finalists. Jacklyn Apple. Rainbow Dash. Rarity Belle. Twilight Sparkle. Flash Sentry. Gabriella Black. Spitfire Slipstream. And Sunset Shimmer.” The students applauded as the eight portraits blinked away and disappeared. “We will announce formal match-ups tomorrow at 9 am, with duels to take place at 10 am. For now, students, good night and see you tomorrow!”

Twilight took a breath. If we include Flash, four of my friends made it to the finals. The odds are in favor for one of us to face Sunset either this round or the next. Twilight looked at Flash talking to his fans. We need to talk to him, make sure we can count on his support.

“Hey, Twilight.” Twilight turned to see a familiar face walking up to her.

“Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow Dash nodded and looked away, rubbing the back of her head. Behind her Scootaloo was standing with her arms crossed and her eyes at the ground. Fluttershy slowly stepped up beside her, hands clasped over her front. “I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the finals, Twilight,” she whispered.

Twilight smiled and reached out to pat Fluttershy’s shoulder. “It’s okay, I know you tried your best. That means a lot to me.”

“Fluttershy told me you stood up to Sunset Shimmer for her yesterday,” Rainbow said, looking back at her. “I appreciate that. Thanks.”

“Someone had to.”

Rainbow flinched at the words and then nodded. “Yeah… she said you needed help taking out Sunset and getting that crown?”

“I do.” Twilight nodded. “It’s a long story, but whoever wins tomorrow, I need the actual crown.”

“I told her Applejack and Rarity are already agreeing to help,” Fluttershy spoke up.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Look, I got some stuff to take care off on my end to, ‘kay? Been thinking about stuff lately.”

“You mean Scootaloo.” Twilight leaned around Rainbow to look at the younger girl. Scootaloo raised her head at the sound of her name.

“Yeah.” Rainbow shook her head. “We’ve just sort of been having a talk. Ya know, a lot of students take this tournament pretty seriously. And maybe I’ve been acting like…”

“A bitch.”

Rainbow turned to glare at Scootaloo. “Watch your mouth. Your dad will think you learned that from me.”

“I did.” Scootaloo stuck her tongue out.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and turned back to Twilight. “I was taking the kid and Fluttershy to Sugarcube Café for a bite to eat. Wanted to know if you wanted to come with, have a chat about Sunset.”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “Count me in.”

Author's Note

I'll state for the record the revival effect of Twilight's Fusion monster was not an asspull - I gave her Fusions all the ability to revive their lesser counterparts on destruction when I first designed them. It's honestly just not come up until now.

A Bond Reforged

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

A Bond Reforged

A small bell jingled as Rainbow pushed open the door of the Sugarcube Café. Scootaloo and then Fluttershy followed her, leaving Twilight to stop inside the door. Two rows of booths stretched down the length of the store, the right aisle bearing a countertop with swivel seats in front of it. In various booths were students Twilight recognized from the school; appropriately, most tables had Duel Monster cards strewn across them as duelists looked over their decks and spare cards. A few were playing the game with pads of paper and calculators.

“This place seems kinda peaceful for all the duelists here,” Twilight whispered to Fluttershy. She saw a couple duelists looking up at her and Rainbow Dash, and whispering to each other.

Fluttershy nodded. “You can thank Pinkie for that. She told us ‘dueling is serious business, but I take fun more seriously, so if you can’t duel while having fun, get out’.”

Twilight snorted as she tried to hold back a laugh. “That sounds like Pinkie, alright.”

Rainbow had sat down at a booth as the two girls approached her. Scootaloo ran up to the table as they took their seats. “Rainbow, got any quarters?” She pointed at one end of the café where a few arcade machines had been set up.

“Hang on.” Rainbow reached for her backpack and unzipped a pocket. After a moment she held out her hand and a few coins fell into Scootaloo’s palm. Scootaloo grinned and ran down the aisle to the games.

Fluttershy took the inside seat opposite Rainbow, and Twilight sat next to her. Spike jumped up in Twilight’s lap as she looked around. “So, Pinkie works here?”

“I sure do!”

Twilight cried out at the voice that came from next to her ear and pulled back, almost falling into Fluttershy’s lap. She stared up at Pinkie, now wearing a waitress’ uniform, grinning down at her. Twilight shook her head and sat up. “Hi, Pinkie.”

“Three shakes, make mine chocolate, and a plate of fries,” Rainbow said. “You girls want anything?”

“A blueberry yogurt. And vanilla for me, please.”

Twilight thought for a moment. The few meals she had had in this world had been at Fluttershy’s house, where thankfully the Shys had offered a vegetarian option to her due to Fluttershy’s own dietary preferences. She suppressed a shudder at the memory of Zephyr Breeze biting into a meat patty between two buns and Twilight naively asking what he was eating. Still don’t know nearly enough about this world to ask for something appropriate. “I’m okay. Vanilla’s good for me, too.”

“You got it!” Pinkie waved and zipped away, Twilight noticing she was on rollerblades as she went.

“So.” Rainbow leaned back and put her hands behind her head. “You wanna take out Sunset Shimmer.”

“Yes.” Twilight nodded firmly. “I have to.”

“Really? A lot of students have given it their best shots. She’s never been beaten. Ever.” Rainbow shook her head. “Doesn’t matter what you throw at her, no one can touch her.”

“That’s impossible.” Twilight frowned. “She has to have lost at least once. A perfect win record over two and a half years is a statistical impossibility.”

“She’s beaten the odds. She’s beaten everyone.” Fluttershy bit her lip and shrank in her seat. “I’ve seen her duel. The way she plays is just… indescribable. It’s like any time you think she’s going to lose, she pulls off the most amazing comebacks and wins from nothing.”

“It’s like she’s pulling cards out of her butt or something,” Rainbow added.

“Sounds like someone I know,” Spike whispered. Twilight faked a sneeze, in the process reaching down to squeeze Spike’s tail. He yelped and glared up at her.

“Excuse me.” Twilight smiled. “So, what kind of deck does she play?”

Rainbow began to answer, and stopped. She looked over Twilight’s head and scowled. “Here comes trouble.”

Twilight and Fluttershy turned in their seats. Rarity held the door of the café open as Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom came inside. Applejack followed behind them. While the younger girls saw Scootaloo and ran up to her, Applejack took two steps, saw Rainbow Dash, and froze.

“Well, lookie here,” she muttered. Twilight saw Rarity notice their table and a panicked expression came over her face as she glanced back at Applejack. Twilight also saw more students noticing the scene and beginning to talk among themselves.

“Uh-oh.” Fluttershy whimpered and pulled down in her seat to hide behind the backing.

Applejack turned her eyes away from Rainbow. “Apple Bloom! You can talk to ‘em later, we’ll eat somewhere else.”

“No, let me.” Rainbow stood up. “Wouldn’t want to impose. Scootaloo, finish that game up.”

“Oh for crying out loud, knock it off!”

The café went silent; all eyes pointed to Rainbow, Applejack, or the girl standing by Rainbow’s table. Twilight glared at the two, swiveling her head to keep looking between them. “You two used to be friends! I’d like to think that even at your worst, you could stand to be around each other enough to sit in the same restaurant without making a scene.” She looked across the café to the three girls staring at her and pointed at them.

“Your sisters—or surrogate sister, as it happens—are far more mature and reasonable about this than any of you. This is why they play together in secret, because they know what you guys get like around each other now. You already tore your own friendship apart, you don’t have to tear apart theirs, too. And why should you need to?” Twilight held up her arm and reached to her wrist. She undid the straps and tossed her duel disk on the table, the metal and plastic clanging.

“The tournament is over for the day. We won’t even find out our match-ups until tomorrow. For all any of us know, you won’t duel each other, in fact the odds are you won’t. So for just one night, can we at least try to be civil to each other, if only for their sake?”

Twilight finished and realized that by this point everyone was staring at her. She blushed and sat down on one of the stools at the counter. “So… does anyone have anything to say?” Scootaloo slowly raised her hand. “Yes?”

“Um… I only have one coin left and it’s fifty cents for two-player.” She chuckled. “Really not the best time, I know…”

“Here.” Fluttershy pulled a small coin purse from her pocket and popped it open, placing four quarters on the table. With Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watching her, Scootaloo slowly came to the table, took the coins, and shuffled back to the others.

A whistle sounded from behind Twilight and she turned to see Pinkie lowering a whistle from her mouth. “Show’s over, everybody! Go back to your business!” Slowly the patrons listened to Pinkie’s command and turned their attention back to their own matters.

Still standing at the doorway, Applejack looked to Rarity. “You seein’ any empty seats?” Rarity began to look around.

Twilight looked down at the table. “Fluttershy, can you stand next to Rainbow Dash, please?”

“Um, okay.” Fluttershy slid out of the booth and stepped around the table to stand next to Rainbow.

“Sit down, please.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy waited while Rainbow shuffled over in the booth to make room for her and then sat down.

Twilight waved with one hand and pointed with the other. “Two seats just opened up!”

Applejack’s expression softened and she let out a breath. “For Apple Bloom.” She slowly walked up to the table and hesitated before sitting down and sliding into the seat. Twilight looked at Rarity and jerked her head at the table.

“Oh, very well.” Rarity sighed and sat down beside her.

“There!” Twilight clasped her hands together and smiled. “Isn’t this nice? Just five friends, sitting around a table, sharing a meal, not insulting each other or getting on each other’s nerves.” She maintained her phony smile even as she put an edge in the final part. Fluttershy continued to try and shrink down in her seat while the other three avoided looking at each other and muttered under their breath.

Pinkie leaned into Twilight from behind the counter. “I’m picking up on a lot of tension right now!” she whispered loudly.

“Thanks for the tip, I hadn’t noticed,” Twilight hissed back.

“Really? Wow, you’re kinda dense.” Pinkie hummed to herself as she skated into the back.

Twilight turned her attention fully to the table. She took a breath and stood up, walking up to them. “Look. I get it, this tournament is important to you guys, and it is to me too. But just really think about what it’s costing you—what it already has cost you—to take it this far. Think to the future. You guys are gonna graduate, get jobs or go to college or maybe even move away. Do you wanna think back to all the good times and fun you had with each other, or how much you hated each other because of a game?”

No one said anything. Then finally, Applejack turned her head. “Hey, R.D.” Rainbow looked over at her. “Ya played me right and good today and that’s the plain truth of it. Ah fought mah best and ya canned me.” She held out a fist. “Good game, sugarcube.”

Rainbow stared at the extended fist for a moment before raising her own and pressing it against it. “Yeah, well, it was a lucky win. I wouldn’t have lasted one more turn if I hadn’t drawn Powered Jersey. And those Plant combos are tough, you just kept busting out one boss monster after the next.”

“Excuse me?” Rarity sniffed. “Isn’t anyone going to compliment my dueling tactics?”

Applejack and Rainbow shared a look before Applejack smiled. “You keep your cards in great condition.”

“Thank you, I do consider it very—” She stopped as she registered the comment. Applejack and Rainbow laughed, Fluttershy offering a smile. Rarity huffed and crossed her arms. “Very mature.”

“Ya know Ah don’t even remember who won last time we dueled before this tournament?” Applejack said.

“Me neither.” Rainbow shook her head. “Even if we did face each other in the finals at this point, and one of us won the crown, would it even matter?”

“Nope. Just be the same thing all over again next round.” Applejack jerked her thumb at Twilight. “Guess we just needed Twilight here to point out how dumb this all is when ya take a step back.”

“Speaking of, hey!” Rainbow scrunched against the edge of her seat and pulled Fluttershy with her. “Twilight, cram in, you’re glowering over us like Ms. Harshwhinny.”

Twilight smiled as she sat down. She took her duel disk back and slid it on, tightening the straps. “I admit, I felt kinda silly giving that big speech and standing over you. I’ve never really thought of myself as someone important like that. Well, maybe a teacher.”

“Nonsense.” Rarity reached across the table to pat the back of Twilight’s hand. “I think you’re proving yourself a marvelous role model. You’re taking part in this tournament and you want to win, but you’re not letting bitterness or competitiveness get the better of you.”

Twilight brightened. “Really?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Rarity’s right. You’re proof we can have fun playing the game even while we take it seriously sometimes.”

“Here ya go!” Pinkie rolled up to the table with a platter in her hand. “Two chocolate shakes, two vanilla, one strawberry, on me, newcomers!” Faster than Twilight could see her move, Pinkie’s hand whipped out and slid the drinks to the table in front of them, the extra chocolate and strawberry stopping at Applejack and Rarity. “Also, fries and yogurt.” Twilight didn’t even see where Pinkie got them from before the basket and small plastic container were in the middle of the table.

Rainbow reached out and grabbed a fry. “So, like I was saying. Twilight wants to take Sunset Shimmer down a peg. And frankly, no matter what anyone thinks of this tournament, it’s time for her to go. She’s been champion way too long. She thinks she runs the school.”

“Yeah, but if we wanna get rid of her, we gotta beat her.” Applejack held up her hands. “Frankly seein’ as it hasn’t happened yet, Ah don’t know if it ever will.”

Rarity finished taking a drink of her milkshake. “But this year will be different! This year Twilight is here!”

“Ya got a point, there.” Applejack nodded. “Twilight’s as good a duelist as Ah’ve ever seen.”

“And like you said, she’s a role model,” Fluttershy chimed in.

Twilight blushed again. “Well, I do want to beat Sunset. But I don’t know if I’m good enough. If I’m being honest, this game wasn’t really my thing until I came to Canterlot.”

“So you’re a natural, so what?” Rainbow reached over Fluttershy to pat Twilight on the shoulder. “You’ve got what it takes to go to the top!”

“I think it’s more than that, though.” Twilight counted off on her fingers. “There’s the four of us, plus Flash Sentry.”

“Flash?” Rainbow asked.

“We’re friends, and I think he’d be on-board with reforming the school by getting rid of Sunset.” Twilight reached into her backpack and pulled out a notepad and a pen. She drew a blank bracket line-up for the tournament then wrote eight names above them. “Counting him, that’s five of us, versus Sunset. The odds are one of us will be up against her in the quarter-finals tomorrow, and even if we aren’t, it’s a sure thing that if we make it through to the semi-finals, she’ll be there. The higher we go in the rankings, the more likely it is one of us will have to duel her to proceed further.” Twilight scribbled in Sunset’s name in a continuous progression through her drawn bracket. “However, statistically speaking, there’s just as much individual chance for each of us to duel each other as Sunset.”

“What are y’all sayin’?” Applejack asked.

“I’m saying that it might not necessarily be Sunset versus one of us in the finals. For all we know, she and I could be matched up in the quarter-finals and I’ll beat her then, and the finals could end up being Rainbow versus Flash.”

“That would be the most awesome duel ever!” Rainbow squeed, pressing her hands to her cheeks.

Twilight ignored her. “If we really want to change the way the school sees dueling, we have to be unified in our message, as friends and as duelists. No matter who wins this tournament, we make sure things change. If you happen to win, we don’t need another Sunset.” The others all nodded in agreement. “And by that same token, it doesn’t matter which of us beats Sunset. So if we get matched against each other, we pull no punches. We duel our best and whoever wins, wins. Right? It’s not personal anymore.” She eyed Rainbow and Applejack; they caught her eye and nodded firmly.

“Twilight?” She turned to Fluttershy. “This all sounds like a nice plan, but you’re leaving out the most important part – how do any of us beat Sunset? She’s the best duelist this school’s ever seen.”

The others grumbled and sat back.

“That’s the next part of the plan—strategy.” Twilight flipped to a fresh page and poised her pen at the top. “So, what do we know about Sunset Shimmer’s deck?”

“It’s unstoppable!”

“It’s got perfect synergy.”

“There’s no other deck in the school like it!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, way to compliment the girl who’s supposed to be our enemy. I’m not looking for gushing about how awesome she is, I want hard facts. What archetype does she play?”

The other four looked among themselves and began murmuring. Twilight frowned. “Really? No one?”

“Well, we haven’t seen her duel in a long time,” Fluttershy said.

“Fine, then, what kind of strategies does she rely on?” Again there was no direct response. Twilight huffed. “Come on, someone must remember something! Does she focus on Fusion cards, does she swarm the field, does she lock down her opponent’s cards?”

“Sorry, Twi.” Applejack shook her head. “It’s just not comin’ to me.”

Twilight grunted. “Great, the champion duelist of the school and no one knows what kind of deck she even uses. Don’t you guys have a database for this sort of information?” She gasped as she finished the sentence. “Pinkie!”

“Yup?”

Twilight didn’t even question how Pinkie was suddenly standing next to the table. “You maintain the school duelist database. What kind of deck does Sunset Shimmer use?”

“Dunno.”

“What?” Twilight’s jaw dropped.

“Dunno.” Pinkie shrugged. “Always wondered myself but never really had the time to ask her or see her play.”

Twilight slapped a hand to her face. “So we’re going in to duel the best duelist in the school completely blind as to what she can do!”

“Don’t worry, Twilight.” Fluttershy smiled warmly. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

“I hope so.” Twilight shut the notebook and sighed. “My Harmony Spirits have taken me this far, but I can’t just jump into a duel with Sunset and wing it like I have been doing.”

“Harmony what?” Rarity tilted her head.

Twilight looked at her quizzically. “Harmony Spirit. My deck?”

“Oh, I’ve not heard of that series. Is that a new release?”

Twilight blinked as she processed Rarity’s question. “Rarity, we dueled before. I used them to beat you.”

“You did?” Rarity clenched her eyes and shook her head. “Oh, yes, yes, I remember, Pietas and Magia and all that. Sorry, it slipped my mind.”

“Really?” Twilight thought and looked down at Spike, his face reflecting her confusion. Her eyes narrowed as she raised her eyes. “Fluttershy?”

“Hm?”

“How did our first duel end?”

“Oh.” Fluttershy thought. “You won.”

“Yes, but how?”

“Um…” Fluttershy furrowed her brow. “I summoned Behemoth, and you destroyed it.”

“How?”

Fluttershy gave a helpless shrug. “I don’t recall, Twilight, sorry.”

“What about my duel with Snips and Snails? What monster did I use to beat them?”

“Calm down, Twi.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Not everyone remembers every play of every duel they fight.”

“You saw me duel just today, Applejack. What cards did I use?”

“Harmony Spirits. Tough little critters.”

“Are you saying that because you remember it, or because I said it just now?”

“What’s gotten into you?” Rainbow asked, leaning on the table. “What’s it matter if we remember your deck or not? You’re still kicking butt with it!”

Twilight stood up. “I… need to use the bathroom. Spike.” She briskly walked down the aisle and turned the corner, Spike at her heels.

“That’s weird.” Applejack wrinkled her nose.

“Well, if Twilight is excusing herself, I shall as well.” Rarity stood from the booth. “I want to make some adjustments to my deck for tomorrow.” She looked at the girls playing at the arcade machines. “Oh, but I can’t tear Sweetie Belle away like this!”

“I can give her a ride,” Fluttershy offered.

“Oh, thank you, darling.” Rarity waved as she left, the door’s bell jingling as it opened and shut.

Twilight shut the door to the bathroom once Spike was inside. She looked around the room to make sure it was empty and then looked down at him. “Tell me you realize what just happened.”

“Yeah, seems like they’ve all got bad memories,” he replied.

“It’s more than that. They don’t even remember things that happened to them earlier this same day.” Twilight frowned and began to pace, her arms folded over her chest. “What’s going on?”

“Beats me.” Spike scratched his ear. “You haven’t exactly been without memory problems yourself, ya know.”

“My memory…” Twilight stopped. Her eyes darted around the room as she thought. “Spike. You said when my eyes glow purple when I get serious while dueling, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And Snips and Snails had glowing red eyes when I dueled them. Then when I beat them, they had no memory of what happened.” Twilight snapped open the compartment on her duel disk and pulled out her five Fusion cards. “When I dueled them these cards appeared in my deck, along with other new cards. And before that, I dueled Rarity and drew Harmony Castle. That one I might just have missed when looking over my deck, but I know I didn’t have Fusion cards before the tag duel.”

“I’m not sure I follow here, Twilight.”

“Don’t you see, Spike?” Twilight looked down at him. “Every time I duel, they don’t remember anything about it other than how good I was. And then whenever I’m about to lose, I enter a trance and can just create new cards to help me win.”

Spike snorted. “When you put it like that it sounds a little unfair.”

“It’s very unfair. No one knows what kind of deck I use, so they have no way to anticipate what I’ll do. And even if they do start to beat me, I may just go into a magical trance and draw some new card they couldn’t possibly expect that’ll net me the win.” Twilight looked at her deck in her duel disk. “Imagine what it could mean if I could learn to freely control that magic.”

“Control it freely?” Spike rubbed his chin with a paw. “Being able to pull out new cards to flip the game any time you want, and no one can remember what kind of deck you use anyway? If you could master that kind of magic, you’d be unbeatable.”

“Like Sunset Shimmer.”

Spike’s eyes widened and he looked up at Twilight. His mouth fell open. “You don’t think…”

Twilight slowly nodded. “I do, Spike.” She folded up the cards in her hand. “I think we just figured out how Sunset has been able to stay champion for so long.”

Rarity hummed to herself as she approached the car in Sugarcube Café parking lot. She unlocked the door and reached for the handle.

“Rarity.”

She jumped and turned to see a figure step into the light of the street light above them. Rarity scowled. “What do you want?”

Sunset smiled. “I just want to talk for a minute.”

The Darkness Within - vs Rarity (Part 1)

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Darkness Within - vs Rarity (Part 1)1)

Twilight took a breath and reached to the table. She slowly gathered her cards up and slotted them into her duel disk, then looked at the other cards set aside with purple linings and did the same for them, placing them in her disk’s Extra Deck compartment.

This is it. By the time the day ends, the odds are good one of us will be dueling Sunset Shimmer.

She’d eaten her breakfast with Fluttershy’s family and then gone to the backyard to face her in two practice duels. While she had won both times, Twilight privately considered them a failure. She had spent their duration trying to summon her magic to augment her deck, and failed. If I can master this magic I’ll have a much better chance of beating Sunset Shimmer. And if she really is using the same sort of magic, there may not be much choice in the matter. Twilight considered how her victory over Snips and Snails in her trance-like state had broken Sunset’s influence over them. Is there some way I could try to use my magic to cancel out Sunset’s? Counter-magic may not work in this world like it does in Equestria.

“Twilight?” The girl raised her head to see Fluttershy in the doorway of the room. “It’s time to go.”

“Right.” Twilight stood up and looked down to see Spike jump from the sofa and nod at her. “Just give me a minute.”

“Okay. I’ll go start the car.” Fluttershy left, and Twilight waited until she heard the door open and close.

“Spike.” Twilight squatted down to talk to him. “If one of my friends duels Sunset today, she’ll probably use her magic against them.”

“Yeah.” Spike frowned. “And she’s probably got way more control over it than you do.”

“I know.” Twilight sighed. “We may need to tell them about, you know. Everything.”

“You mean, the Element and Equestria?” Spike raised an eyebrow. “Do you think they’d believe you?”

“Maybe. I mean, Sunset said that there is magic in this world.”

“Sure, but magic is one thing. Do you really think they’d believe you and Sunset are from another dimension where the two of you are talking magical unicorns and the crown for the tournament is actually an ancient magical artifact used to weaponize the power of friendship against assorted evil monsters that regularly try to take over the world?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well when you put it like that, it sounds ridiculous.”

“Any more ridiculous than Sunset Shimmer using Equestrian magic to get an unfair advantage in a card game?”

“Fair enough on that point.” Twilight reached up to rub her head. “I wish we knew more about what this magic of ours can even do. Sunset seems to think my Element of Magic can enhance her powers, but why bother? She already runs the school with her powers as they are.”

“I dunno.” Spike shook his head. “But if we can keep her from getting her hands on it, we don’t have to worry about that, right?”

“I guess so.” Twilight looked down at her deck and breathed deeply. “I have to trust in my deck. It’s supposed to reflect my heart, right? And my heart is telling me that no matter what happens, we can beat Sunset Shimmer.”

“You got that right.” Spike barked sharply, his tail wagging.

She nodded firmly and lowered her arms. “Let’s not delay any longer. We have a tournament to win!”

As Fluttershy pulled into the parking lot, Twilight finally dared to open her eyes when she felt the vehicle slow to a stop. Across the school she saw even more students than yesterday crowding the entrance.

Twilight pursed her lip as she climbed out of the car and let Spike jump out before closing her door. “I would think the first round would get a better turnout.”

“Only so far as students actually competing,” Fluttershy explained, locking the car. “Now that it’s the top eight, pretty much everyone in the school is here to see who’s going to be their next champion.”

“Makes sense.” Twilight looked at the doors of the school. “I’m going to go check in. Can you see if you can find the others?”

“Sure.”

Twilight stepped towards the crowd, prepared to push her way through. To her surprise though, the nearest students turned to see who was approaching and quickly parted for her. Like ripples in water she heard whispers spread from her point of entry. More students were turning to look at her and stepping aside to let her through. Twilight blushed and waved. “Um, excuse me.” She carefully stepped through the crowd, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone – not an easy task with most of them watching her.

“You can do it, Twilight!”

She paused at the excited declaration from somewhere in the crowd.

“Kick Sunset Shimmer’s butt!”

Several murmured agreements came from the rest of the crowd. Twilight saw movement; one student came up to her, leaned into her, and raised their phone into the air in front of them. Twilight saw their finger move and the phone’s light flashed. “Thanks for the selfie, Twilight!” The figure vanished back into the crowd before Twilight could even get a good look at them.

Well, this is a bit more attention than I’m used to. Twilight continued to weave her way to the front of the school and soon enough the crowd parted to show the doors. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were sitting on the steps and looked up at her.

“Cutting it kind of close, the match-ups are announced in five minutes,” Rainbow said. “Ready for this?”

“Yes.” Twilight held out her fist. “We stand united, right?”

“You got that right.” Applejack and Rainbow put their fists in with hers and the three withdrew them as one. Twilight smiled at her friends and stepped up to the doors. She pulled them open and headed inside. The now-familiar human versions of Celestia and Luna looked up at her.

“Ah, welcome, Twilight.” Celestia nodded and smiled. “I see you’ve been doing rather well for your introductory tournament.”

“I’ve done my best.” Twilight nodded and reached to her duel disk to withdraw her deck. She held it out to Luna who set it in the deck sorter. Twilight waited to see if Luna’s system detected anything abnormal about her cards. Will it remember what my friends can’t, that I definitely have cards in it I didn’t yesterday? The computer beeped and Luna nodded.

“You’ve made some changes since yesterday, I see.”

“Um… yes?”

“Very well. Any extra deck to register?”

Twilight let out a breath. “Yes.” She held out her Fusion cards. Luna took them without reaction and put them in the sorter.

“Registration complete. The same rules as yesterday apply to using unregistered cards.”

“I know.” Like it matters at this point. Twilight took her deck back and turned to head outside.

At the top of the stairs she looked down at the crowd. A girl in a yellow T-shirt with blue jeans sat on the steps, a blue and yellow duel disk on her arm. Twilight looked down from her two-toned orange hair and saw a tattoo of a flaming pair of wings on her bicep. Spitfire? The next finalist was a girl with blue-grey skin in a dark-grey hooded sweatshirt and yellow shorts. Her eyes were wide as she looked around excitedly and chatted with students at the front of the crowd. No idea who that is, though. Flash Sentry was at the front of the crowd too, talking with some students in a more reserved manner.

At the end of the stairs, Twilight finally found Sunset Shimmer. Leaning against one of the support pillars, she had her head low and her arms crossed. Her eyes trained on the ground, she didn’t acknowledge Twilight’s presence. Twilight watched her for a time. Should I confront her? No, nothing good can come of that. She doesn’t know the odds are against her. Counting Flash, it’s five on one, and— Twilight paused and looked around. “Where’s Rarity?”

“Dunno.” Rainbow held up her hands. “We haven’t seen her yet. But she’s registered. We asked vice-principal Luna and she said Rarity had checked in.”

“Sweetie Belle isn’t here, either.” Applejack shook her head. “She called Apple Bloom, said Rarity had left her at home. Pinkie went with the young’uns to pick ‘er up.”

“Right.” Twilight looked out at the crowd. Why would Rarity be late?

A tone sounded from the loudspeakers and the crowd fell silent. “Students, welcome to the finals of the Autumn Crown Tournament!” The crowd cheered as Celestia paused. “You’ve all dueled long and hard, and there are only three rounds left for you before we crown a winner. In just three duels, one of our finalists will be the new Autumn Crown Champion, receiving a special seat on the student council, free admission and discounts at school events, and other privileges, in recognition of their well-fought victory.

“In each round the opponents will be randomly chosen. The quarter-final matches will take place simultaneously around the school, while the semi-finals and finals will occur consecutively so that all may enjoy seeing the best of the best without missing a play. And now it is time to announce the match-ups for the finals!”

A holographic emitter mounted on the Wondercolt statue on the school grounds lit up and projected the same image multiple times on the school walls. Eight squares showing the portraits of the finalists surrounded the central CHS emblem. Twilight groaned at the sight of her portrait as she recoiled from Pinkie’s unfamiliar camera-phone.

The portraits began to shuffle, flitting too fast to make out distinct persons. Twilight bit her lip. This is it. She turned her head to see Sunset Shimmer watching another wall with another projection on it. I wonder if she’s secretly as tense as I am over this…

The portraits stopped and flashed in colored pairs, the match-ups chosen. Twilight gasped.

“And we have our final duels! Rainbow Dash will face Spitfire Slipstream!”

Rainbow turned her head to Spitfire and the two shared a nod.

“Flash Sentry will face Jacklyn Apple.”

“Well, shucks.” Applejack crossed her arms. “Guess that’s one ally we can’t rely on either way.”

“Sunset Shimmer will face Gabriella Black.”

Twilight saw the chattering duelist in the crowd pale and gulp as Sunset stood and looked down at her.

“And Twilight Sparkle will face Rarity Belle!”

Twilight looked for Rarity but there was still no sign of her.

“Duelists, please report to your designated dueling fields within thirty minutes. Let the quarter-finals begin!”

Twilight looked at the time display on her duel disk. Two minutes. Much like Trixie, Rarity was taking her time arriving at the dueling field, the eastern side of the school adjacent to the road. Sunset’s duel was in the parking lot, Rainbow’s on the front lot, and Applejack’s duel with Flash was in the rear soccer fields.

I can beat her. This should be easy, though I hate to say it. I’ve beaten her before, and that was without my new cards and my improved knowledge of dueling. She felt a paw on her leg and knelt down. “Spike?”

“Go easy on her?” Spike whispered.

Twilight smiled and ruffled his head. “I’ll try. But if it comes down to it, I have to win. Especially if Sunset is using magic, I stand the best chance of beating her among us.”

“I know, but still…” Spike whimpered and sat down.

Twilight looked up at the familiar figure walking through the parted crowd across from her. There she is. She stood up and smiled. “Here we go, Rarity. I know we’re friends, but I’m not going to hold back, and I don’t want you to, either.”

Across the field, Rarity was silent. Her face stern and eyes narrow, she raised her duel disk and reached down to activate it. “Let’s get this over with.”

Twilight blinked but didn’t have time to process the response properly before her duel disk beeped. “Opponent detected! Streaming data.” The display of their blank duel fields flashed into view. “Duel mode set, initiating. Commence duel?” She took a breath and reached to the button on her duel disk to accept the challenge.

“I’m sorry, Rarity.”

As Twilight pressed her fingers down, Rarity’s eyes narrowed and her lips parted in a whisper.

“You will be.”

“Game start!”

-Twilight Life Points: 8000-

-Rarity Life Points: 8000-

Rarity’s portrait lit up on Twilight’s display. “Opponent takes first turn.”

Rarity’s six cards ejected from her duel disk and she picked them up and fanned them out. She lifted one and placed it on her duel disk. “I summon ‘Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise’, in defense mode.” A large green and blue tortoise with a shell of massive green gems rose in front of Rarity in a portal of green light. (600/2000) “I activate the Continuous Spell card ‘Crystal Tree’.” Rarity slid her card into her duel disk as she kept her eyes on Twilight. A tree comprised of pale white crystal sprouted behind Rarity and spread its branches. “I set one card and end my turn.”

Twilight frowned as her deck ejected her card for her turn. What’s gotten into her? “I draw.” Twilight looked at her new card and then at her hand. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas’ and equip it with the Equip Spell ‘Harmony Crown’.” The winged blue fairy appeared in a shower of blue sparkles on Twilight’s field (1600/800) and lit up in pink light as a golden spiral crown manifested on its head. “Harmony Crown grants Pietas an additional 800 attack points!” Twilight pointed across the field. “Pietas, attack Emerald Tortoise!”

Pietas (1600 → 2400) flew across the field and raised its fist, glowing with pink magic. It punched Emerald Tortoise in the head and sent it flying back.

“I activate the ability of Emerald Tortoise and place it in my Spell and Trap zone as a Continuous Spell card.” Rarity moved her card on her duel disk as the hologram of her monster was encased in a cocoon of green crystal.

“And I activate an effect of my own. When a monster equipped with Harmony Crown destroys a monster in battle, I can add any Harmony Spirit from my deck to my hand.” Twilight held her card out. “I add ‘Harmony Spirit Cantus’, but she won’t be here long. I discard Cantus to activate her effect, summoning a Harmony Spirit from my deck. I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia’ in defense mode.” A swarm of butterflies heralded the arrival of Twilight’s monster as she rose onto the field, kneeling. (900/1800)

“And since I just discarded a Harmony Spirit monster, the effect of Pietas activates too, letting it attack twice this turn. Pietas, direct attack!” Pietas flew up in front of Rarity and punched, sending a ripple of energy over her. Rarity merely narrowed her eyes as the attack struck.

-Rarity Life Points: 5600-

“I end my turn.” Twilight lowered her duel disk and smiled. “Good luck, Rarity!” The crowd booed at the sentiment but Twilight ignored them.

Rarity scowled as she drew and held out her card. “I summon ‘Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus’!” Blue light shone on Rarity’s field as a white winged horse galloped out of a portal, blue gems gleaming on its wings. (1800/1200) “I activate Pegasus’ effect, letting me place a Crystal Beast monster from my deck into play as a Continuous Spell card. I choose ‘Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle’.” A brown and white bird with a gem-encrusted collar appeared behind Rarity’s monster and raised its wings to cover itself as it was enveloped in dark blue crystal.

“I activate the Spell card ‘Rare Value’, allowing you to send any crystallized Crystal Beast to my graveyard, then I can draw two cards.” She put a hand on her hip and waved a hand at the two gems in front of her.

Twilight nodded. “I choose Cobalt Eagle.”

“Very well.” The gem and the eagle inside it dissolved into gem dust as Rarity drew her cards. “Next I activate the Trap card ‘Crystal Raigeki’. By sending my crystallized Emerald Tortoise to the graveyard, I destroy Harmony Spirit Pietas!” Emerald Tortoise’s crystal lit up and crackled with lightning, the electricity focusing into an orb and firing across the field. Twilight looked away as the orb hit Pietas and her monster exploded in a spray of sparks. Rarity crossed her arms. “I end my turn.”

Something’s wrong. Twilight looked down at her hand as she drew her card, then lower to her duel disk display. She’s just playing her cards but not saying anything else, and she’s getting rid of her crystallized monsters as fast as she can get them into play. But before she relied on getting lots of them to use her better cards. Is she trying a different strategy? Twilight bit her lip. Or is she trying to throw the duel to make sure I win and that’s why she doesn’t seem into the duel? She wasn’t sure if she found the thought heartwarming or insulting. Twilight reached to her hand.

“I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas’.” Next to Twilight an orange wave of light signaled the appearance of the fairy, its blond hair blowing out behind it. (1800/300) “Then from my hand I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’ to activate its effect.” The top card of Twilight’s deck stuck out and she flipped it over. “It’s a Spell card, ‘Harmony Fusion’. I add it to my hand but I can’t activate it until my next turn.” The crowd cheered as Twilight added her card to her hand and looked down at it. This won’t be like last time. If she pulls the same move as before I’ll be ready. But… She looked back up at Rarity to see her glaring at Twilight, her arms folded. I can’t even be sure that’s what she’s doing. “For now, I activate Honestas’ ability, increasing its attack power by 500 for this turn! Then I switch Gracia into attack mode.”

Twilight nodded. “Honestas, attack Sapphire Pegasus!” Honestas (1800 → 2300) ran across the field and delivered a kick to Rarity’s monster. The force sent it flying back to lay in front of her as blue crystal rose around it and solidified. “Next, Gracia, direct attack!” Gracia held up her hands and beat up a gust of wind with her wings, the gale racing across the field. Rarity simply narrowed her eyes as the holographic attack reached her.

-Rarity Life Points: 4200-

“I end my turn.” Twilight sighed. She’s down to half her life points in just two turns. At this rate even if she is playing the long game, she’s at a huge disadvantage.

“My turn.” Rarity drew and reached to her duel disk. “I activate the effect of Crystal Tree. Each time a Crystal Beast has been placed on the field as a Spell card, Crystal Tree gained a Crystal Counter. Now by sending Crystal Tree to the graveyard, I can place a Crystal Beast in the Spell and Trap zone for every Crystal Counter it had.” Rarity tapped on her disk’s display. “I’ve crystallized three Crystal Beasts, thus I can play three more.” Her cards ejected and she fanned them out, placing them in her duel disk slots one by one. “I play ‘Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger’, ‘Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth’, and ‘Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle’.”

Twilight gasped as three colored gems condensed in line with Sapphire Pegasus’ in front of Rarity, colored yellow, orange, and red. That’s why she got rid of her other monsters, she didn’t even need them! Then next…

“Finally I play the Spell card ‘Crystal Promise’! This lets me release one of my crystallized monsters and summon it to the field.” The red gemstone in front of Rarity lit up and cracked apart. “I call ‘Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle’, in defense mode!” The ruby shattered and a familiar pale lavender cat-like being jumped out, a ruby set on its forehead and on the end of its tail. (300/300)

Here we go. Twilight gritted her teeth and tensed.

“Now that Ruby Carbuncle has been summoned, its effect activates, letting me summon all Crystal Beasts in my Spell and Trap zone. Go, Ruby Light!” Rarity flung out her hand. Ruby Carbuncle raised its tail and rays of red light shone out from it. The other three gemstones glowed and shattered. Sapphire Pegasus flew out alongside a mammoth with an orange gemstone on its forehead, and a white tiger with yellow gems on its neck. “I summon Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger (1600/1000), Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth (1700/1600), and Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus!”

The crowd began to cheer again as Rarity’s three monsters lined up in front of her. She smirked and reached to her duel disk again. “Since Sapphire Pegasus has been summoned again, I place ‘Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat’ in my Spell and Trap zone.” She pointed across the field. “And now, time to rid myself of those harmonious eyesores!”

Twilight recoiled. She’s getting into it but not like I expected!

“Topaz Tiger, destroy Honestas!” Topaz Tiger roared and began to run across the field. “When Topaz Tiger battles he gains 400 attack points, enough to overpower your precious spirit!” The tiger (1600 → 2000) leapt and extended its claws.

“I activate from my hand ‘Harmony Spirit Ventus’!” An orange fairy with purple hair appeared in front of Twilight and beat up a tornado surrounding it. “By discarding Ventus I revive my Harmony Spirit Pietas’!” The tornado dispersed to reveal Pietas standing tall. “But that’s not all. Discarding Ventus activates the effect of Gracia, preventing my Harmony Spirits from being destroyed in battle this turn!”

Gracia held up its hands and wisps of yellow light flowed out of its palms. Honestas lit up in a pale yellow aura and caught Topaz Tiger’s claws in its hands, pushing the cat back.

Rarity snorted. “Fine. I’ll settle for damaging your Life Points! Sapphire Pegasus, Amber Mammoth, punish that annoying defender!” The two Crystal Beasts flew and stomped across the field towards Gracia. Sapphire Pegasus made a flying tackle while Amber Mammoth struck it with its trunk. Gracia was thrown through the air and flapped its wings to land safely.

-Twilight Life Points: 6100-

“I set one card and end my turn.”

Twilight frowned. Why is she suddenly so mean and vicious? Her eyes widened. No, she couldn’t have… Twilight took a breath. I have to end this duel as quick as I can! She drew and nodded, then looked at Rarity. “I activate ‘Harmony Fusion’!” The crowd began to cheer again as Twilight held up her card. “I fuse Pietas and Gracia to Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas Fulmen’!” A pillar of light shot down from the clouds to reveal Twilight’s monster clad in a blue uniform with gloves and boots. Her hands crackled with lightning in tandem with the ring of storm clouds floating behind her as she stood up. (2300/1500)

“I activate the effect of Harmony Fusion in the graveyard, and shuffle Gracia into the deck to return Harmony Fusion to my hand.” Twilight held out the card. “Then I activate Harmony Fusion once more, fusing ‘Harmony Spirit Draco’ in my hand with Honestas on the field!” A flurry of leaves flung up in front of Twilight, whirling away to reveal a muscular orange fairy in a red dress with a growth of tree branches on her back and vines winding along her arms. “I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas Silva’! (2500/800)”

Twilight nodded. “Since I discarded Draco from my hand during the Fusion Summon, the effect of Pietas triggers. Now it can attack all monsters on your side of the field once each this turn!” The crowd roared as Pietas Fulmen lit up in blue light. “Finally, I activate the effect of Ventus in the graveyard, and shuffle it into the deck to increase the attack of Pietas Fulmen by 800. And now Pietas Fulmen, attack!” The fairy (2300 → 3100) held up its hands and a spray of lightning bolts shot across the field.

“I activate my face-down card, the Trap ‘Rainbow Path’!” A barrier of rainbow energy shimmered into place around Amber Mammoth. “By the effect of Amber Mammoth, I can force you to attack it first, and then my Trap negates the attack by sending my crystallized Amethyst Cat to the graveyard!” Pietas’ lightning fizzled out against the barrier. “Further, I can add a monster card from my deck to my hand.” Rarity’s card ejected into her waiting fingers aside her deck.

Twilight nodded. “Then I’ll have Honestas Silva clear the way first! Attack Amber Mammoth!” Honestas Silva sprinted across the field and rammed its shoulder into the mammoth, sending it rearing up and falling over. “With your mammoth gone, Pietas Fulmen can wipe out your other monsters!” Pietas Fulmen fired another blast of lightning. Rarity watched as her monsters lit up and were thrown back.

-Rarity Life Points: 600-

Rarity gathered her cards from her duel disk. “I choose not to activate the crystallizing effects of my Crystal Beasts. They are destroyed and sent to the graveyard.” The collapsed monsters shattered into pixelated shards and faded away.

What? Why would she do that? Twilight looked at her display. She has nothing left, now. Her field is totally empty. “I end my turn.”

“You suck, Rarity!”

Rarity scowled at the anonymous call from the crowd. Several jeers and boos sounded in agreement.

“Go back to sewing!”

“Shut up, you ignorant cretins!” Rarity snapped, whipping her head around to glare at the crown.

“Enough!” Rarity turned back to Twilight as she shouted, “What’s gotten into you?”

“What’s gotten into me!?” Rarity gnashed her teeth. “I was about to seal my victory, and one discarded monster foils it for me! Well, this duel isn’t over yet, not as long as I still have Life Points! I’ll wipe the field of every last one of those pathetic fairies you call monsters!”

“Why are you talking like that?” Twilight shook her head. “We agreed it doesn’t matter which of us wins, as long as the best duelist advances!”

“Don’t give me that tripe,” Rarity sneered. “I joined this tournament to prove I’m the best and crush Sunset Shimmer, and it’s not going to happen losing to some nobody new student!”

“How can you say that?” Twilight peered closer, watching her eyes. “We all agreed to fight for the same cause, united. Your friends, Rarity. Remember?”

“Yes. I remember the insults, the defeats! Well, not anymore.” Rarity put her hand on her deck. “I’ve gotten this far on my own without any of you to help me. I don’t need friends. I have all that I need right here!” She lifted her card and flung her arm out to draw it into the air, a gust of wind in the wake of her arm. She turned the card over and her eyes widened. “At last,” she whispered. She drew her arm back. On her other arm the Field Spell slot on her duel disk snapped open.

A vortex of dark light began to swirl around Rarity’s feet. Twilight gasped sharply as she felt a pulse in the air. What’s happening?

“I activate the Field Spell ‘Advanced Dark’!”

Rarity brought her arm down and slid the card into her duel disk. The card lit up in the tray and a shimmer of red light washed over the length of the device. At Rarity’s feet the dark vortex flared up and began to grow, snapping and crackling. In its wake a deep purple mist covered the ground, expanding with the circle. The barrier passed Twilight and she cried out as it knocked her to the ground.

“Twilight!” Spike howled as the barrier reached him, flinging him back. The circle now large enough to fully encompass the duel, it flashed and stopped its expansion.

Twilight rolled onto her stomach and looked out. A dark haze obscured her vision but she could see Spike being picked up by Fluttershy. Twilight saw the barrier’s end in front of her, the edge a pulsing tide of shining darkness. This is no hologram… She reached out her hand. The barrier sparked at her touch and she sharply pulled back. Magic, at once familiar and unfamiliar, twisted and dark. She pushed herself to her feet and turned. The field was now blanketed in a cloying purple fog that rolled against the edges of the barrier. Twilight raised her eyes from the ground to her opponent.

“Rarity…”

On the other end of the field, Rarity had a manic leer on her face. An aura of shadows surrounded her body, her skin and clothing turned to a darker color. Her eyes were lit up with blue magic and her hair was a shimmering, glowing mass of dark blue and purple, light shining in the strands as they waved in air behind her. The diamonds on her outfit lit up and turned black and silver.

Rarity’s voice echoed as she spoke. “As long as my Field Spell is in play now, all Crystal Beast monsters in the graveyard and on the field are treated as Dark-attribute.” She reached to her hand and took hold of a card. “Thus I have everything in place for this.” She thrust her card into the air and an orb of dark magic appeared over it. Seven smaller orbs of light emerged from Rarity’s duel disk and swirled up to her hand. “Ruby Carbuncle, Amber Mammoth, Topaz Tiger, Emerald Tortoise, Sapphire Pegasus, Cobalt Eagle, Amethyst Cat! I banish seven Dark monsters of different names in my graveyard, to call forth my ultimate beast!”

The orb flashed and shot up into the clouds. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed within them. Twilight took a step back and watched as a massive shadowed form lowered out of the clouds. A long serpentine body slithered through the air leading up to an indistinct shielded form. In a flash of lightning Twilight saw they were a pair of crossed wings. Then the wings snapped out into the air and the creature’s body lit up.

The monster was a dragon, pitch black with gold linings along its wings and body. Gemstones in seven colors were embedded in its scales, set in a line leading up to its head, a large set of jaws and four red eyes glaring out from a golden helmet crested with swept back horns. Its wings, large and covered in black feathers, flapped as the dragon lowered behind Rarity.

Twilight’s jaw hung open as Rarity laughed, her eyes blazing with light.

“I Special Summon ‘Rainbow Dark Dragon’ (4000/0)!”

The Darkness Within - vs Rarity (Part 2)

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Darkness Within - vs Rarity (Part 2)

-Twilight Life Points: 6100-

-Rarity Life Points: 600-

The shadowed form of Rarity’s Rainbow Dark Dragon blotted out the sun as Twilight looked up at it. That thing is gigantic! It makes my monsters look like ants.

Rarity, her dark aura intensifying, sneered and pumped her fist, wisps of blue magic coming from her eyes. “My Rainbow Dark Dragon is the most powerful creature in my deck. There’s nothing you can do to stop me now.”

Twilight turned her attention from the dragon to its master. “There will be. I’ll find a way to destroy it.”

“I doubt that. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s still my turn!” Rarity laughed and flung her hand out. “Rainbow Dark Dragon, attack Harmony Spirit Honesta Silva! Rainbow Shadow Flare!” The seven gemstones on the scales of Rainbow Dark Dragon lit up and sent streams of colored magic through the air to the beast’s horns. It opened its mouth and an orb of black energy began to form, crackling and flashing. It snapped its head down and fired a stream of dark fire, shockwaves of seven-colored light in the air in its wake.

Twilight raised her arms as the attack careened towards her.

“Ah sacrifice Dandylion to Lonefire Blossom, to summon any Plant monster from my deck!” Applejack tapped her duel disk and her card ejected. “Ah summon—”

She stopped and cried out, stumbling backward and falling to one knee.

Flash frowned. “Applejack?”

Applejack put a hand on her chest and winced. Searing pain shot through her body from her heart. “Wha… the heck was that?” She looked down and saw smoke rising from her hand on the ground.

Looking between her arms Twilight saw Honestas Silva explode, the scorched remains of its clothing flying by her head and dissolving away.

-Twilight Life Points: 4600-

Such power… Twilight lowered her arms. “With Honestas Silva destroyed, I activate its effect to revive the original Honestas from my Graveyard.” She reached to her duel disk when sparks flew from her graveyard slot.

“Afraid not.” Rarity wagged her finger. “The dark magics of Advanced Dark infuses Rainbow Dark Dragon with the power to negate the effects of any monster it attacks. So your spirit will be staying in the discard pile where she belongs. As for me, I set one card and end my turn.” Rarity’s face-down card materialized in a nebulous swarm of shadows.

Twilight drew and looked over the field. The dark aura around Rarity was a familiar power, only twisted and corrupted. Sunset Shimmer got to her somehow. I have to beat her and break the magic controlling her! Twilight looked over her shoulder and saw Spike and Fluttershy at the edge of the barrier. Can they see this? Does Fluttershy realize what’s at stake? Twilight could hear sounds from beyond the barrier but they were muted, indistinct.

“Come now, dear.” Rarity’s voice brought Twilight’s attention back to her. “My dragon isn’t going to wait forever!”

“Fine.” Twilight held out her drawn card. “I activate ‘Harmony Fruit’ and use it to return Harmony Spirits Cantus and Honestas in the graveyard to my hand. Then I activate the effect of Harmony Fusion in the graveyard, and return Harmony Spirit Honesta Silva to the deck to add Harmony Fusion back to my hand.” Twilight picked up her cards from her duel disk and held out her Spell. “This should seem familiar. I activate Harmony Fusion, and fuse Honestas and ‘Harmony Spirit Risus’ in my hand! Return, Harmony Spirit Honestas Silva!” The muscular orange fairy exploded onto Twilight’s field as an aura of orange light engulfed its original counterpart.

“I activate the effect of Cantus in my hand and discard her to Special Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Magia’ from my deck, in defense mode.” The purple-garbed fairy kneeled in front of Twilight, her head bowed. (1500/1300) “Now that I’ve discarded a Harmony Spirit, the effect of Honestas Silva raises her attack power to 4000 for the rest of the turn.” Twilight pointed up at Rainbow Dark Dragon. “Honestas Silva, attack Rainbow Dark Dragon!” Honestas crouched and leapt up, its fist held back.

Rarity laughed. “You’ve activated my Trap card! I reveal ‘G-Force’! I Special Summon Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle from my hand and redirect the attack to it.” The brown and white bird appeared in front of Rarity’s dragon as Honestas neared. (1400/800)

“What?” Twilight gasped. If this attack connects, she’ll lose!

“I activate the effect of Advanced Dark!” An orb of shadows manifested in front of Cobalt Eagle and warped and shifted, morphing into the image of a green tortoise. “By sending Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise from my deck to the graveyard, Advanced Dark negates the battle damage I take from the attack.” Cobalt Eagle and the illusory Emerald Tortoise exploded into globs of shadow that faded away as they splattered on the ground.

Twilight scowled. “I switch Pietas Fulmen to defense mode and end my turn.”

“Very well.” Rarity drew and cast her hand over the field. “I activate the effect of Rainbow Dark Dragon! I banish the Emerald Tortoise and Cobalt Eagle in my graveyard in order to increase my dragon’s attack power by 500 points for each of them!”

The shadowed forms of the two monsters appeared on Rarity’s field and lit up as Rainbow Dark Dragon absorbed streams of colored energy from them, the light traveling up into its horns. (4000 → 5000)

“Oh no,” Twilight gasped. Now even if I call back Honestas Silva, it won’t be strong enough to beat her!

“Rainbow Dark Dragon, eradicate her Harmony Spirit once again!” Rainbow Dragon opened its jaws and another blazing stream of dark fire launched at Twilight. She gritted her teeth and looked away as her monster vanished in flames.

-Twilight Life Points: 2100-

“Your Life Points are burning away more and more with each passing moment.” Rarity laughed darkly. “At this rate you’ll barely last my next turn.”

“I’ll do more than last. I’ll win.”

“You can try if you like. As for me, I activate the Equip Spell ‘Dragon Shield’.” White armoring with red spikes shimmered into place along Rainbow Dark Dragon’s wings and its golden helmet took on the same coloration. “As long as this card is equipped to my Rainbow Dark Dragon, it can’t inflict damage to your Life Points, but it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.” Rarity’s eyes flashed with blue magic. “Let’s see you destroy it now. I end my turn.”

Twilight drew her card and looked over her hand. Nothing I have can get rid of her dragon for now. It won’t be easy. First, I have to get rid of that shield. Then I need something strong enough to overpower her dragon in battle. Honestas is the only card I have that could do that normally, but now that her dragon is stronger… Twilight bit her lip and flipped over a card in her hand.“I activate the effect of Harmony Fusion in my graveyard, returning Honestas Silva to the extra deck to return my Spell to my hand. With that I end my turn.”

Twilight turned her attention to her field display. Pietas Fulmen and Magia. Together with Gracia in my hand, they’ll form a solid defense for now. She looked up at the gigantic form of Rainbow Dark Dragon looming over the field. I think I know what I have to do. But it’ll be tricky. I have to hold off that dragon long enough to draw all the cards I need.

“My turn again.” Rarity drew, her hair whipping out behind her in a gust of wind. “I summon Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth.” Yellow gemdust signaled the arrival of Rarity’s mammoth, its trunk rising into the air to trumpet. “Amber Mammoth, attack Magia”! The mammoth stomped forward, its tusks waving back and forth.

“I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Gracia in my hand, and discard it to prevent Magia from being destroyed this turn.” Magia lit up yellow and a barrier rose around her, blocking Amber Mammoth’s tusks. “Then since I discarded a Harmony Spirit, the effect of Magia activates. I return Harmony Crown in the graveyard to my deck and return Harmony Fruit to my hand.”

“Go ahead. It won’t stop what’s coming next.” Rarity’s aura flared up as she pointed across the field. “Rainbow Dark Dragon, destroy Harmony Spirit Pietas Fulmen!” The dragon fired its dark flames across the field. Twilight fell back as the attack found its mark.

“I enter my battle phase!” Rainbow Dash grinned and pumped her fist. “U.A. Playmaker, attack—ack!” Rainbow gasped and fell forward onto her hands and knees.

“Dash?” Across the field, Spitfire frowned.

Rainbow winced and clutched her shirt. Her eyes widened as she saw smoldering embers in the dirt of her handprints.

“And now, Magia stands alone against my invincible ultimate monster.” Rarity tossed her hair, the strands waving. “I set one card and end my turn.”

“Right…” Twilight slowly stood up. “I draw…” She looked at her card and slid it into her hand. “I activate Harmony Fruit to return Gracia and Pietas in the graveyard to my hand. Then I activate ‘Harmony Gem’ and discard Pietas to draw two cards.” Twilight drew her cards and fanned them out. “With the discarding of a Harmony Spirit, the effect of Magia returns Harmony Gem to my hand in return for sending Harmony Fruit back to my deck. I then activate Harmony Gem again and discard ‘Harmony Spirit Risus’ to draw two more cards.” Twilight frowned as she saw what she drew. Not yet, but almost…

“Aw, did you not draw what you needed?” Rarity snorted. “A pity you’re running out of time to do it!”

I have to use my magic. Twilight clenched her fist and focused, trying to will the familiar pink aura to manifest. I know what I need to do to win. But I need to draw it! “I summon Harmony Spirit Gracia in defense mode and end my turn.” Twilight looked between her two fairies. This won’t be enough. But it’s all I can do for now.

“Is that the best you can do?” Rarity drew and smiled. “I summon ‘Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat’.” The pink feline jumped out of a flurry of purple gem dust, growling. (1200/800) “And now, battle phase! Rainbow Dark Dragon, attack Gracia!” As the dragon prepared its attack, Rarity leaned forward. “And don’t even bother trying to discard a Harmony Spirit to use its effect! Gracia’s effects are negated just like the rest!”

I know. Twilight closed her eyes as the dragon attacked. When she felt the heat of Gracia’s destruction there was a distant scream. She turned to the source and saw Fluttershy on the ground outside the barrier. “What?”

“And now, Amber Mammoth’s turn!” Twilight looked back at the duel. “Destroy Magia!” The mammoth ran across the field and stabbed its tusks into Magia. Twilight gasped out and her hand snapped to her chest. Pain, white-hot and intense, pulsed through her body. She stumbled back and hugged herself, shuddering. On the field, Amber Mammoth tossed its head to send Magia’s body flying into the ground to explode.

That… what was that?

“One attack left. Amethyst Cat, direct attack!” The cat yowled and ran across the field. Twilight looked up as the cat jumped and pounced on her. To her surprise she was knocked back to the ground. The wind was pushed from her lungs in an instant and her arms pinned under the cat’s paws. Twilight stared in horror at the jaws of the feline, the heat of its breath washing over her, its claws pinpricks on her arms.

-Twilight Life Points: 900-

“And now I end my turn.”

Amethyst Cat glared at Twilight and jumped off of her to slink back to Rarity’s side of the field.

Twilight sat up and looked at her arms. Small points of red from where the cat’s claws were on her skin. I felt it. Not just that, but when she attacked Magia, my card, I felt like I was being attacked. Then, when Gracia was destroyed… Twilight looked out of the barrier at Fluttershy. “I don’t believe it…”

“Believe it.” Rarity chuckled. “This is the gift given to me by Sunset Shimmer. The power of dark magic, to command monster spirits sleeping in shadows. Power to show the world how strong I really am!”

Twilight stood up, her eyes narrow. “Wake up, Rarity! Sunset Shimmer is just using you to get me out of the tournament!”

“And you weren’t? Remind me again what your plan for this tournament was all along. To win your way to the top no matter who you have to beat?” Rarity’s eyes flashed. “No, you’re the same as her. The same ambition and self-righteous entitlement, just in a different colored wrapper.”

“That’s not true! I’m here to try and help you all!”

“And Sunset Shimmer hasn’t helped me? You just talked to me about being friends. Sunset gave me power like I’ve never known! The power to prove my worth to the world at last!” Rarity grinned wildly, her eyes manic. “There’s just one attack to go and this duel is over. Now take your turn and let me show you how powerless you are!”

“I’m not powerless.” Twilight raised her arm in front of her. “I have power Sunset Shimmer could never understand or defeat. A magic beyond her control, resting inside my heart and my deck!” Pink light flickered on the edge of her field of vision. Twilight looked down and saw magic shimmering over her hand. Her eyes widened and she smiled.

“Rarity. I can’t give you the type of power that Sunset did. But I can give you something better – freedom from her control. You’re my friend, Rarity. And I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to bring you back.” The pink light on Twilight’s hand grew until it surrounded her. A cool warmth spread through her, a magic familiar and gentle.

“What is this?” Rarity’s expression wavered.

“This is my magic, Rarity. A magic stronger than Sunset’s. And it’s the magic that’s going to set you free!” With a determined look, Twilight put her hand on her deck and drew, streaks of rainbow light in the wake of her card. She held it up, knowing without seeing what it was. “I send Advanced Dark to the Graveyard, to activate the Field Spell ‘Harmony Castle’!”

The barrier of darkness around them began to shimmer and dissolve, the purple tide on the ground receding until it was condensed around Rarity. Behind Twilight a massive castle of purple and blue crystal rose into the air, a purple star on its front doors.

Rarity looked at her duel disk. “My Advanced Dark, my Crystal Beasts! I'm vulnerable!”

“No.” Twilight shook her head. “I won’t defeat you by attacking your Crystal Beasts, Rarity. I'll do it by destroying Rainbow Dark Dragon. With the power of Harmony Castle, the card I used to defeat you in our first duel, I will break Sunset’s power!”

“Try it!” Rarity gnashed her teeth. “My dragon will withstand anything you do!”

Twilight held out her hand. “I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Ventus in my hand, and discard it to revive Harmony Spirit Magia.” Twilight’s purple-clad lavender fairy rose onto her field from a crest of pink magic, her horn spiralling into the air as she lifted her head. “Then, I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Draco in my graveyard. When Magia is on the field, I can revive Draco!” Swirls of purple and green energy condensed on Twilight’s field into a spotted egg, which hatched into a purple fae dragon. (700/100)

“I activate Harmony Castle’s effect, and shuffle Harmony Spirits Pietas Fulmen and Gracia into the deck from my graveyard, to summon a Harmony Spirit from the deck!” Twilight brought her card out as it ejected. The clouds overhead swirled together. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Selena’!” The clouds parted around a shaft of silver light beaming down from the moon. In the light descended a dark blue-skinned fairy with large feathered wings and a long spiral horn. She spread her wings in a rush of wind, revealing a black gown with pale silver stars shining on it. (2600/2300)

“And the stage is now set for this card.” Twilight’s eyes flashed with purple magic and she held up Harmony Fusion, the card lighting up. “By the power of Draco, I treat it as Harmony Spirit Risus, and fuse it with Harmony Spirit Pietas in my hand to Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Risus Fera’! A pink fairy in a pink and blue dress exploded onto Twilight’s field in a shower of confetti, an array of balloons emerging from its back as well as a silver cannon barrel. (2000/1200) “I shuffle Risus in the graveyard into the deck to return Harmony Fusion to my hand, and activate it again! I fuse Magia and Honestas to Fusion Summon Harmony Spirit Honestas Silva!” The muscular orange fairy reappeared on Twilight’s field, arms crossed.

Twilight looked down at the last card in her hand. I’m counting on you. If I’m going to break through to her, it comes down to this.

Rarity laughed. “An impressive array of monsters. But none of them can hope to compare to my Rainbow Dark Dragon!”

“Wrong. Together my Harmony Spirits are invincible. When they combine their powers, there is no monster or strategy we cannot break.” Twilight smiled. “And the time to prove it is now! Harmony Spirit Selena, attack!” Selena’s horn lit up blue and funneled magic into her palms.

“You’re a fool.” Rarity sneered. “My dragon will devour your spirit!”

“Who said I’m attacking your dragon?” Twilight smiled. “Selena, destroy Amber Mammoth!” Selena fired a beam of blue magic across the field.

“You seal your own fate! I activate ‘Amber Crystal Circle’!” Tendrils of magic coursed from Amethyst Cat into Amber Mammoth. “Amber Mammoth gains attack power equal to the combined power of all my other Crystal Beasts, to 2900!”

“Good.” Twilight smiled. “I was hoping you’d have a counter ready. From my graveyard, I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Ventus. I shuffle it into the deck to grant Selena 800 extra attack points!”

Amber Mammoth (1700 → 2900) trumpeted as Selena’s attack (2600 → 3400) struck it and pitched it back.

-Rarity Life Points: 100-

“I’m not out of this duel yet!” Rarity growled and flung her hand to the side. “You still have yet to defeat my Rainbow Dark Dragon!”

“That’s my next move, Rarity. When Selena destroys a monster, her special ability activates. I can add a Harmony Spell card from my deck to my hand.” Twilight put her hand over her deck and her card ejected in a spray of pink sparks. “I activate my chosen card immediately, the Quickplay Spell ‘Harmony Bolt’!” An orb of lightning formed around Twilight’s card as she pointed it across the field. “By discarding a Harmony Spirit monster from my hand, I destroy one card on the field. I choose Dragon Shield!” The light orb fired, spreading out into a flurry of thunderbolts. Rainbow Dark Dragon’s white armor sparked and exploded out from it.

“Since I discarded a Harmony Spirit monster, the effects of Risus Fera and Honestas Silva activate. Honesta Silva rises to 4000 points, and Risus Fera lets me target one card on the field and negate its effects for the rest of the turn.” Twilight pointed. “I choose Rainbow Dark Dragon! And with its effect negated, its attack is lowered to its original value.”

Risus’ cannon barrel snapped down onto its shoulder and glowed, an orb of bright pink energy gathering at the tip. The cannon launched the orb up into Rainbow Dark Dragon. The dragon crackled with sparks and twitched, groaning in pain. (5000 → 4000)

“There’s one final card to play.” Twilight held up her duel disk as blue light shone from it. “By the effect of Harmony Castle, the monster I just discarded is revived.” A four-sided blue gem rippled into place in front of Twilight, Rarity reflected in its facets. It shimmered and shattered to reveal a white-skinned fairy in a pale white gown. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’. (1200/800)”

“This can’t be happening…” Rarity gaped at the monster. She doubled over and clutched her head.

“This is the power of my magic, Rarity.” Twilight’s duel disk gleamed in multi-colored magic streaks as her cards began to glow. “I’m not dueling alone, not now, not ever. The spirits of all my friends in both worlds sleep in my deck, and it is with their combined efforts that I’m going to set you free!” Her body ablaze with magic, Twilight thrust out her hand. “Harmony Spirit Honestas Silva, destroy Rainbow Dark Dragon!” Honestas Silva (2500 → 4000) flexed its muscles and jumped into the air. Swirls of magic gathered on her fist as she drew it back, and dove forward to slam it into Rainbow Dark Dragon’s helmet. Rays of colored light gleamed from the impact point, glowing brighter and brighter.

With a shockwave of rainbow light, Rainbow Dark Dragon convulsed and exploded from head to tail, rays of white light bursting from its body before it broke apart. As Twilight watched, Rarity was engulfed in the light and faded from view. Around them the crowd was silent, watching as the remains of Rarity’s dragon descended to the ground and dissolved. Harmony Spirit Honestas Silva landed among them and faded away as well.

The glare faded from Twilight’s eyes and the holographic destruction ended. She looked across the field to see Rarity laying on her stomach, her eyes closed.

“Twilight…” Rarity weakly lifted her head and opened her eyes, trails of blue magic flickering on the edges of her eyes.

Twilight smiled. “Rarity!”

Rarity put a foot on the ground and rose into a kneeling position. A shadow fell over her and she looked up. Harmony Spirit Magnanimity stood in front of her, the fairy’s large purple eyes fixed on hers. Rarity turned her head and saw Amethyst Cat slink up next to her, looking at her. Rarity turned back to Twilight, her mouth set in a line. “Do it.”

With a nod, Twilight said, “Risus Fera attacks Amethyst Cat.”

The fairy aimed its shoulder cannon and fired. Amethyst Cat lowered its head as the light struck it, shattering it into shards of blue crystal. Rarity closed her eyes and tilted her head back. The magic in her eyes was blown away and the gemstones on her outfit lightened to blue.

-Rarity Life Points: 0-

Magnanimity lowered its hand and the hologram faded. Twilight deactivated her duel disk and ran across the field. When she reached Rarity, she kneeled and put a hand on her shoulder. “How do you feel?”

Rarity grimaced and shook her head. “I could see what was happening, but…”

“It wasn’t you, Rarity.”

“It was.” Rarity locked eyes with Twilight. “It was my emotions. My jealousy, my frustration, my anger. I just couldn’t keep it bottled up anymore…”

“That’s the power of Sunset Shimmer’s magic. And it’s why I have to stop her.”

“Magic?” Twilight turned her head. The rest of the crowd was staying, back whispering among themselves, but Fluttershy and Spike had come closer. Twilight looked down at Spike and he nodded.

She took a breath. “I think there’s some things I need to tell you guys.”

Secrets Outted

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Secrets Outted

“Students, I am pleased to announce that your four finalists for the Autumn Crown Tournament have been decided! The final duels will begin in thirty minutes. We ask that our four finalists report to the back field by that time.”

Twilight listened as Celestia’s voice faded from the speakers. “So the duel is over now, I assume.”

Leaning against the wall by the door, Rarity held up her phone. “Applejack just replied that Rainbow’s duel has finished so they’re on their way.”

“Good.” Twilight took a breath. “I don’t want to repeat this. I want all five of you to be here.”

“Is it something bad?” Fluttershy asked, sitting on one of the desks.

“I hope it’s something cake!” Pinkie said, sitting on another desk swinging her legs in the air. “Or pie. Pie is fine too. Or cupcakes.”

“Not exactly.” Twilight looked down at her deck. This is going to be perhaps the most awkward conversation I’ve ever had.

The door to the room opened and Applejack led Rainbow Dash inside. “Meet your friend in the finals, Twi.”

“You got that right!” Rainbow grinned and whooped. “I am so pumped for this!”

Twilight nodded. “So that makes you, me, and Flash for sure. I don’t know about Sunset Shimmer yet but I think we can presume she’ll make it.” She took a breath. “That’s why I’ve called you all here. There’s something I need to tell you, about Sunset and myself.”

“What is it?” Rarity asked as the three came closer.

“Well… you see…”

Before Twilight could continue, Pinkie jumped to her feet.

“You’re from another dimension where there’s a duelist academy training duelists to be soldiers to invade other dimensions, and you were the star student of the academy’s leader who has some secret plans for you, but you wanted to prove yourself as a duelist so you came to our dimension to duel us, and now that you’ve made friends and seen other places you don’t want to conquer us and want us to help you stop the impending interdimensional war!” She stopped and grinned widely.

Twilight blinked, paused and scrunched her face. “Um, no.”

“Aaaaaw.” Pinkie sat back down and pouted.

“Well, it’s partly true. Surprisingly.” Twilight nodded. “I am from another dimension. So is Sunset Shimmer. She came to your world two and a half years ago, I’m not sure why. But she came back just a couple days ago and stole my crown, the Autumn Crown, for the magic it contains. I came here to win it back from her, but the portal closes tonight.” She stopped and let the information sink in.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “There’s some part of this you’re not telling us still.”

“Yeah…” Twilight smiled sheepishly and held up her hands. “In the other world… I’m a pony. And Spike’s a dragon.”

Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!”

Spike jumped up on the desk next to Twilight. “Really? Because she’s telling the truth.”

The five girls stopped and stared.

Twilight slapped a hand to her face. “I suppose that’s one way to convince them.”

“It was either that or show them your magic.” Spike paused to scratch his ear. “Just trying to help.”

Fluttershy, her eyes wide, pointed. “Did Spike just talk?”

Spike nodded. “Sure did.”

Pinkie tilted her head. “Normally I have to take something to hear dogs talk.”

Twilight coughed, regaining everyone’s attention. “Well, anyway, there’s something I have to be honest with you about.” Twilight took out her deck and began to flip through the cards, setting several of them on the desk. “This is the deck the portal created for me when I crossed over. And there’s something very odd about it you need to know.”

“Your Harmony Spirits?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes, they—” Twilight paused. “You remember?”

Fluttershy blinked and seemed to only just then register what she had said. “It’s strange. I feel like some sort of fog has lifted.”

“Me too.” Applejack nodded. “Ah remember seeing you and Rares duel, and Ah remember not rememberin’… wow. You’re really serious about this magic stuff?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. I figured it was due to some mechanic of the magic Sunset and I used to manifest our decks.” She thought and looked away. “Maybe now that you five have been exposed to the same magic I use, you can remember?”

“Exposed to magic?” Rarity came closer and looked down at the cards Twilight had laid out. She gasped and picked up Harmony Spirit Magnanimity. “This is me!” The group crowded around her as Rarity examined the fairy spirit on the card. “Stylized, certainly, but…”

“It’s all of us!” Rainbow scooped Twilight’s deck from the desk and held out the cards one by one. The five looked down at the cards in their hands and saw their Harmony Spirit counterparts.

“I don’t believe it…” Fluttershy slowly shook her head as she looked at Gracia. “This isn’t possible. Is it?”

“Ah’ve never seen cards like this before. But… that’s us!” The group looked up at Twilight. Applejack flipped the Honestas card in her hand over. “Twi? Mind explainin’?”

“I’ve never met the five of you in this world. But in the other world, we’re close friends, and more than that. Your counterparts in Equestria, and myself, wield the Elements of Harmony, ancient relics that hold great magic in them. The crown Sunset Shimmer stole is my Element, the Element of Magic, and the most powerful of all. Without it my friends and I can’t use the Elements and our world is vulnerable to potentially anything.” She took a breath. “A duelist’s deck is supposed to reflect their heart, so I’m told. I think that this deck manifested my friends – or, you five, whichever – as my cards to show what’s in my heart, so I can have the support of my friends to help me defeat her.”

Twilight put a hand on her chest. “And I think the magic that connects me and my friends is starting to appear in this world, too. During my duel with Rarity, when my Magia spirit was destroyed, I felt the pain of the attack. Fluttershy.” The girl eeped and perked up as Twilight looked at her. “I saw you on the ground during the duel. What happened?”

“Um, well, I was watching the duel, and then when one of your monsters was destroyed, I got this really bad pain in my chest.” She shrank down in her seat. “It felt like someone had punched me, but it was more like a burning.”

“Me too!” Rainbow looked at Twilight. “I was dueling Spitfire, and then all of a sudden, ow, pain. And when I put my hand on the ground it was burning.”

“My dragon’s fire attacks…” Rarity whispered.

“My friends and I are bound by the Elements of Harmony. And now the six of us are bound by my deck.” Twilight took a deep breath. “That’s why I chose to tell you this. As my magic has grown stronger, it seems Sunset is using more of hers to try and defeat me. We may all be in danger in the finals now, especially when she and I duel.” She looked around the circle. “All this may be hard to believe, but it’s the truth.”

“Let’s take this from the top.” Applejack counted off on her fingers. “Your deck symbolizes the six of us and magically connects us so we feel the pain of your monsters being destroyed. You and Sunset Shimmer come from an alternate dimension of talking ponies. And that crown she stole has magical powers in it.”

“Also, in the other world, I’m a dragon,” Spike reminded.

“Uh-huh.”

Twilight looked sheepish. “It sounds silly, I know.”

“Ah buy it.” Applejack held up her hands. “Some of the things that go on in duel tournaments in this world? This seems kinda tame.”

“Hang on.” Rainbow Dash held up a hand. “So in your world, I’m a pony?”

“Yes. Well, a pegasus to be specific.”

“So I can fly?”

“Yes, in fact you’re proud of your speed. And your pegasus magic lets you control clouds and the weather.”

Rainbow grinned. “That is so awesome!”

“Why did I know she’d say that?” Spike muttered.

Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, I wasn’t sure how involved I should get the five of you. But now there’s no denying it. My magic definitely connects the six of us, and if Sunset is willing to use her magic like she did on Rarity, we need to be united against her.”

“Absolutely.” Rarity nodded. “We’re all behind you, Twilight.”

“What about me?” Rainbow Dash cried. “I’m in the finals, too!”

“Yes, but if you duel Sunset, would you have a way to counter her magic?” Twilight asked. Rainbow opened her mouth but said nothing. “Exactly. I’m not asking you to bow out or anything, but at this point there’s no telling what Sunset might do to win. Not to mention the possibility she could use her magic to cause real harm with her cards. Anyone who duels her is in danger.”

“So, what do we do?” Fluttershy bit her lip. “Could we ask Principal Celestia to cancel the tournament? If we tell her the students are in danger…”

“I’m not sure that’ll work.” Twilight sighed. “Sunset thinks she has to win this tournament in order to use my crown’s powers. As long as she intends to stick to that plan, we can keep this contained and eventually one of us can face her in a duel. But if the tournament is cancelled, there’s no telling what she’d do. She could steal the crown, she might turn her magic on others directly, or worse.”

Rarity nodded. “Fair points. But then what do we do? Free dueling is forbidden during the tournament, and you said the portal back to your world closes tonight. We can’t challenge her, not if we have to beat her in time to let you go home.”

“I know.” Twilight sat down and looked down at her duel disk. “At this point I don’t think we have a lot of options beyond going along with the finals and beating Sunset. But I’m not sure how we can counter her magic. I know my magic broke her hold on Rarity, but I don’t know if it’s something we can rely on. And if you duel her, Rainbow, there’s no telling what could happen.”

“Can’t you transfer some magic to me, like Sunset did with Rarity?”

Twilight paused and thought. “I… that makes sense.” She rubbed her chin. “It’s a sound theory, but I have no idea how to do it. Or if it’s even safe.”

Rainbow held up her hands. “What’s the worst that could happen? I sprout wings or gain super speed or something?”

“I doubt it. More likely you could turn into some freakish deformed pony-human hybrid.”

Rainbow scrunched her face. “Point taken.”

“This is a type of magic I don’t fully understand. I can barely control it already, nevermind trying to imbue someone else with the same sorts of powers.” She sighed. “I think the best I could do is, if Sunset tries to use her powers against you, maybe I could cancel them out. Otherwise, I think we just have to be careful.” Twilight looked up at them, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “I know this is a lot to take in. And I’m sorry I don’t have much advice or protection to offer. But you needed to know what’s at stake here.”

“No problem.” Rainbow grinned and pumped her fist. “This changes nothing! I was heading for the top before, I’m not gonna stop now! Okay, so it turns out that Sunset Shimmer is a crazed magical pony from another dimension. But that doesn’t mean I can’t beat her.”

“I wish I shared your confidence. I haven’t even seen her duel yet.”

Rarity pursed her lip. “I recall your deck, darling, but I’m still drawing a blank on hers. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just… improvise.” Twilight smiled crookedly. “Right?”

“It’s like you said, sugarcube.” Applejack held the card in her hand out to Twilight. “We’re all in this with you. Together.” The others all nodded or vocalized agreements and held their cards back too.

“Thank you.” Twilight took the cards back and slipped them into her deck. “I wish I shared your confidence. But I’ve only made it this far with my magic augmenting my deck and my skills. I didn’t even know this game existed a few days ago.”

“At this point, Ah say it don’t matter how you got this far. This isn’t just some tournament after all, you’ve got the fate of another world at stake. So you go out there and use all the magic you’ve got to whoop Sunset’s butt.”

Twilight burst out laughing. “I’ll try.”

Rainbow Dash stepped up to her and put her hand out. “Whichever of us faces Sunset, we’re all in it together.”

“Right.” Twilight put her hand over Rainbow’s and it was quickly joined by four others.

Rainbow grinned. “Now girls, let’s go win us a tournament!”

The six stepped out on the back fields of Canterlot High, and Twilight paused. Collapsible bleachers had been dragged out onto the grass and set up to create rows of seats on which much of the student body now sat. More were clustered on the outskirts and even on the sidewalk on the edge of the school grounds.

By the side of the asphalt basketball court a table had been placed with some sort of appliance Twilight didn’t recognize. Celestia and Luna sat there talking. At the ends of the court two workers were slowly lowering one of the basketball nets and carrying it away. It was then that Twilight noticed the other net had already been removed, only a metal bracket in the ground hinting to where it would go.

Sunset Shimmer stood at the edge of the court, her back to Twilight. Flash sat on the steps down to the field not far away. At the sound of Twilight’s approach he turned his head and stood. “Hey, Twilight, Rainbow.”

“Ready to do this, Flash?” Rainbow smirked and raised her duel disk.

Flash returned the gesture. “You know it.”

Twilight saw Sunset turn her head, and slipped between her friends. She stepped up to the edge of the court and looked over at Sunset. Sunset, though, turned to face forward and didn’t acknowledge her. Feeling emboldened by the dismissal, Twilight turned fully towards her.

“This is it, Sunset. I’m going to beat you, and take my crown back.”

Sunset didn’t look her way and just smiled.

“Now that all of our finalists are here, we can begin.” Twilight saw Celestia speaking into a microphone connected to the appliance on the table. As she spoke, Luna stood and crossed the basketball court to a metal box with a padlock on it. The crowd’s murmurs grew into cheers as Luna pulled out her keys and unlocked it.

Twilight turned to Flash as he and Rainbow joined her. “What’s she doing?”

Flash winked. “You may wanna watch your step.”

Twilight looked down at her shoes, her toes against the edge of the grass where the asphalt ended. Looking down she now noticed a distinct strip of metal about an inch wide running along the perimeter of the court. She looked back up at Luna. The vice-principal unlocked the box and opened it to reveal a number pad and a row of switches. Luna flicked all but one switch and then keyed in a code on the number pad.

A loud, mechanical creak made Twilight jump. It came from her feet. She stepped back.

The basketball court slowly lowered into the ground, revealing metal walls in the pit surrounding it. When it was almost a foot down, it pulled to the side. With the entire asphalt surface pulled back, a shadowed form rose from the massive pit in front of them. Twilight began to make out distinct shapes and colors as the form rose up into the light.

A massive dueling field came from the pit. Sleek white siding was arranged in a rectangle save for the ends, which were colored red and blue. At the ends were two raised booths with railings along the edge. Twilight glimpsed a card field and screen on the booth before it rose out of her field of view. On the far side of the arena came a pair of large display screens that rose higher until it towered over even the raised duelist booths.

A crunch and more creaking signaled the stop of the arena’s rise, and a final mechanical click echoed through the air. Luna flicked one more switch and the arena powered on, lights on the sides blaring to life and the display screens flickered to show the portraits of the four finalists.

Luna walked back to Celestia as the latter began to speak again. “We will now choose the match-ups for the final duels. Good luck to all of our finalists in this, the last three duels of the Autumn Crown Tournament!” The crowd’s cheers grew to new heights as the four portraits began to flash back and forth.

Twilight watched intently, biting her lip. If I can face Sunset now, I can put her out of this tournament and everyone will be safe… but what if she duels Flash, or Rainbow? What if I duel Flash, can I beat him? She looked at the other finalists and saw them watching with similar anticipation.

At last, the portraits stopped, one pair blue and one red. Twilight gasped sharply.

“We have our final duels! First, Flash Sentry will face Sunset Shimmer, and then Twilight Sparkle will face Rainbow Dash!” The crowd applauded. Twilight turned as Sunset began to walk down the field to the opposite end.

“Well, I’m up.” Flash unstrapped his duel disk from his arm and knelt to set it on the ground, withdrawing his deck from it. “Wish me luck, ladies.” He smiled at Twilight and approached the arena to the blue booth. He pressed a button on a control panel at the side and the booth descended. When it reached the ground the left side of the railing clicked open and swung in. Flash stepped inside and pushed the bar shut, then pressed a second button on the panel. The booth rose back into place. On the other end of the field Sunset Shimmer rose in control of the red booth.

“Will the duelists please place their decks into the auto-shuffler.”

Flash held his deck out and put it on the playing field out of Twilight’s view. The display screen changed to show his and Sunset’s field, their portraits above their Life Point total.

I have to warn him. Twilight ran up to the edge of the arena. “Flash!” Flash turned his head and leaned over. “Be careful! Sunset Shimmer might—”

“Finalists are advised that there is to be no discussion of strategies or advice with each other, on penalty of handicap or disqualification.” Twilight stopped at Celestia’s voice and looked in her direction to catch a disapproving stare.

“Um…” Twilight looked up at Flash and then back to Celestia. She swallowed a lump in her throat and forced a smile. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Flash gave her a thumbs up.

Twilight stepped back to her friends. “Do you think Flash will be okay?”

“Tough call.” Applejack shook her head. “He’s one of the best duelists this school has ever seen. But he hasn’t beaten Sunset yet, not in years.”

I’m not worried about if he’ll win. Twilight looked up at him as he turned back to the duel. I’m worried about what’ll happen when he loses.

“I’ve been waiting for this duel for months, Sunset.” Flash smiled and nodded at her. “Better bring your A-game, because I’m bringing nothing less than mine.”

“Cute.” Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms. “Bring all the game you like. I’ll crush you now the same as every other year. You’re just a distraction from the main event.” She turned her head to look down at Twilight and grinned. “Let’s get this over with.”

“And now, without further delay, let the first match of the finals begin!”

The Supremacy Sun – Flash vs Sunset

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Supremacy Sun – Flash vs Sunset

-Flash Life Points: 8000-

-Sunset Life Points: 8000-

The screen displaying their portraits flashed between the two before stopping with Flash’s lit up. “Flash Sentry will take the first turn.”

“Great.” Flash grabbed his opening hand as the shuffler ejected it and sprayed out his cards. “Not bad.” He grabbed two cards and laid them on the dueling board in front of him. “I set one card face-down. And this monster, in defense.” The two large face-down cards materialized on the dueling field below Flash’s dueling booth. “With that I end my turn.” Flash lowered his hand. “Your move, Sunset.”

Twilight leaned forward, tense, as Sunset picked up her opening hand.

Sunset smiled and chuckled softly as she looked over her cards. “Look at you, the first move and already you’re nervous.” She picked up one of her cards and flipped it over, holding it to face Flash. “I’ll start you off light. From my hand, I activate the effect of ‘Infernal Spirit Ira’.” A circle of bright purple flame grew on Sunset’s field. A humanoid demon with grey skin and a torn red cloak rose into the air, a dark violet horn rising from its forehead. “By banishing Ira from my hand, I can deal 800 points of damage to you!” Ira cackled and dove forward, an aura of purple and black fire covering its body. The blast washed over Flash, the duelist raising his arms as the hologram ghosted over him.

-Flash Life Points: 7200-

“My first play and already you take 800 damage. Not a good sign.” Sunset reached back to her hand and swung two cards down. “I think you’ve suffered enough for a first show. I set two cards and end my turn.”

The crowd began to murmur as Sunset stepped back from her field. Watching below, Rainbow frowned. “She didn’t summon anything! What gives?”

Rarity sniffed. “What an amateur move. She’s wide open to attack.”

“Maybe she drew a bad hand?” Fluttershy suggested.

No way. Twilight’s eyes narrowed. She’s no fool. She knows her face-downs will protect her. But, that’s obviously her intent, Flash won’t fall for that sort of trick. Maybe she’s bluffing?

“I expected more from you, Sunset.” Flash drew his card and reached to his duel disk. “I guess I’ll pick up your slack. I flip up my face-down monster, ‘Gem-Turtle’.” A large turtle with a shell made from carved emeralds appeared from Flash’s face-down card. (0/2000). “The effect of my turtle triggers when flipped face-up, letting me add a certain Spell card from my deck to my hand.” The card stuck out of Flash’s deck and he held it up. “And I’ll activate it now! Go ‘Gem-Knight Fusion’!”

The crowd gasped and several cheered. Sunset continued to smile.

“From my hand, I send ‘Gem-Knight Obsidian’ and ‘Gem-Knight Garnet’ to the graveyard.” Flash held his hand into the air. In front of him, the shadowy holograms of two monsters appeared, one armored in black and the other in orange. A vortex opened between them and drew them in. “I Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Citrine’!” A warrior armored in pale yellow-brown armor and wielding a massive sword of glowing orange rock rose from a vortex in front of flash. Its eyes gleamed and it swung its sword out with a roar, its cape flaring behind it. (2200/1950)

“I’m not done yet. The effect of Gem-Knight Obsidian activates when discarded due to a card effect. It revives a Normal monster Level 4 or lower in the graveyard. Return to me, Gem-Knight Garnet!” The orange-armored monster Twilight recognized from the Fusion Summon rose onto the field, slamming a fist into the air. “Next I activate the effect of Gem-Knight Fusion in the Graveyard. By banishing Gem-Knight Obsidian in the Graveyard, I can return Gem-Knight Fusion to my hand.”

Flash held his Spell out. “But it won’t be there for long. Once again I activate Gem-Knight Fusion, and fuse together Gem-Knight Garnet with Gem-Turtle!” Another vortex appeared and drew the two monsters into it. “With these monsters, I Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Zirconia’!” A massive knight rose from the vortex, its body covered in silver and white armor. It threw back its fists and bellowed. (2900/2500).

The crowd cheered wildly. Applejack whistled. “He busted out two great monsters on his second turn!”

Twilight said nothing but kept her eyes trained on Sunset. Her smug smile hadn’t even flinched during Flash’s moves.

Flash gave Sunset a coy smile. “You’re obviously counting on your face-down cards to save you, but it won’t work. When Gem-Knight Citrine attacks, you’re unable to activate cards and effects until the attack ends. Which means you’re totally defenseless without a monster to take the blow!” Flash pointed across the field. “Citrine, direct attack! Citrine Sword Slash!”

Citrine ran forward, its sword of glowing orange rock held overhead. It jumped up and descended on Sunset, delivering a two-handed strike. Sunset held still and closed her eyes as smoke exploded around her.

-Sunset Life Points: 5800-

Flash smiled as the crowd cheered. “A little more damage than just 800 points, eh Sunset? And I’ve got another monster ready to go!” Gem-Knight Zirconia flexed its arms. “Gem-Knight Zirconia, attack—”

“I activate my Trap card.” Sunset sneered and flung her hand into the air as her hologram flipped over and rose. “Since I just took damage from your attack, I activate ‘Infernal Tome’!” A black book with a sun emblem on the cover appeared in front of Sunset and began to flip its pages “First, you take the same amount of damage as you just inflicted. Enjoy the backlash!” A rush of black magic shot from the book and struck Flash.

-Flash Life Points: 5000-

“Then my Trap’s second effect. For every 500 points of damage it inflicted, I can summon an Infernal Spirit monster from my deck with a different name.” She laughed. “Such a pity that Citrine has 2200 points, Flash. Now I can summon four monsters from my deck!”

Flash growled and clenched his hand. On Sunset’s field the tome opened and four orbs of light sprayed out and sank into the dueling field.

Sunset held up her cards as they ejected from her deck. “First, please welcome ‘Infernal Spirit Avarita’.” A column of orange flame spewed up into the air on Sunset’s field. It receded to reveal an orange-skinned demon with molting feathered wings, it hands and feet ending in wickedly sharp claws. (500/500) “Next, ‘Infernal Spirit Invidia’.” A blast of smoke signaled the arrival of a pale purple demon with a long horn and clad in a burnt purple cloak. (500/500) “Third, ‘Infernal Spirit Luxuria’.” A swirling orb of green fire appeared in the air and burst to reveal a dark green-skinned demon in a torn bright green gown, insectoid wings flittering in the air on its back. (500/500) “Last but not least, I summon ‘Infernal Spirit Gula’.” A yellow-skinned demon with two heads, each bearing a gnarled horn and mouths full of misshapen teeth, emerged from the portal and crossed its arms. (500/500)

Twilight grabbed her chest and stepped back, gasping for breath. The other five noticed and crowded around her. “Twi?” Applejack put a hand on her shoulder.

“Those cards…” Twilight grimaced. “Can’t you feel it?”

Above them, Flash didn’t notice their reaction. “You have four monsters out for now, but one of them won’t last. It’s still my turn and I have another attack. Gem-Knight Zirconia, attack Luxuria!” Zirconia lifted a fist and charged across the field towards Luxuria.

Sunset wagged her finger. “I don’t think so.” Invidia leapt in front of Luxuria and raised its claw. Glowing magic lit up on its hand and the ghostly image of Zirconia surrounded Invidia. “When you declare an attack on a monster other than Invidia, I can use its effect to redirect your attack it. Also, when you attack it, Invidia’s attack power becomes equal to your monster’s!”

“No!” Flash watched as Invidia (500 → 2900) drew a claw back and slammed it up to meet Zirconia’s fist. A burst of power exploded from the impacting blows and the two monsters exploded. Flash scowled and looked down at his hand. “I set one card and end my turn.”

“Aw, you tried so hard and failed so much.” Sunset drew her card to begin her turn. “Now I’ll show you what my deck can really do. I activate the effect of Luxuria.” The green-clad demon winked and raised a claw. The specter of Invidia rose in front of it, and it dissolved into a cloud of glowing green sparkles. “By banishing an Infernal Spirit from my hand or in my graveyard, like the Invidia you destroyed last turn, I can select any monster on your side of the field and deal damage equal to half of its attack power!” Luxuria blew a kiss that sent the green magic across the field. It pierced Citrine and washed over Flash, exploding.

-Flash Life Points: 3900-

“Banishing an Infernal Spirit activates the effect of Ira that’s also banished, letting it return to my hand.” Sunset lifted her card up, shrugged, and tossed it back down. “You know what, nevermind. I activate Ira’s effect again and banish it to deal 800 damage!” Another shot of purple fire raced towards Flash and struck in a blaze of colored flame.

-Flash Life Points: 3100-

“I think this would be a good time to mention Gula’s ability. Since I just banished an Infernal Spirit, another Infernal Spirit with a different name that is currently banished can be revived. And since I only have one other banished monster, guess who’s coming back?” Infernal Spirit Invidia rose onto Sunset’s field in a puff of purple fire. “And then Avarita’s effect, since I resolved the effect of another Infernal Spirit on the field, I can draw a card.” Sunset picked up her card and looked at her hand again.

“Flash is getting creamed up there!” Pinkie cried.

“Is this Sunset’s magic, or is she really wipin’ the floor with him?” Applejack asked. Twilight just shook her head.

Sunset reached to her field. “I activate the Trap ‘Infernal Storm’!” A storm cloud generated over Sunset’s field. “With this card, I can banish up to two Infernal Spirits from my hand or my field, and destroy the same number of cards you control." Sunset held her hand out. “Gula, Luxuria, begone! And with your power, destroy Gem-Knight Citrine and one of Flash's face-down cards!” The two demons turned into orbs of magic and rose up into the cloud.

“I don’t think so!” Flash reached to his cards and flipped one over. “I activate my own Trap, ‘Pyroxene Fusion’. This lets me immediately conduct a Fusion Summon with monsters on my field or in my hand.” Flash smiled as a swirling fusion vortex appeared between his monsters. “I fuse together Gem-Knight Citrine on the field with ‘Gem-Knight Amber’ and ‘Gem-Knight Lapis’ in my hand!” The three cards flowed into the vortex and a beam of white light shot up into the air. “I Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond’!”

The light on Flash’s field faded. A warrior maiden armored in brilliant white and silver with diamonds studding the metal stood in front of him, a long sword in her right hand. (3400/2000)

Sunset snorted. “Should I be threatened by that? I don’t think so. I switch Avarita to defense mode and end my turn.”

“Good. Then it’s my move again!” Flash drew with a flourish. He looked at his card and placed it on the field. “I summon ‘Gem-Knight Emerald’, and tribute it to activate Lady Diamond’s special ability. By sending Emerald to the graveyard, I can summon any Gem-Knight Fusion monster I want.” Flash’s monster clad in green armor turned into light and shifted form. “I summon ‘Gem-Knight Prismaura’ (2450/1400)!” A new knight in silver and gold armor emerged from the light, hefting a lance over its head.

“I activate the effect of Gem-Knight Fusion in my graveyard, and banish Gem-Knight Garnet to return it to my hand. Then I activate Prismaura’s effect and discard Gem-Knight Fusion to destroy one card on the field. I choose Infernal Spirit Invidia!” Prismaura held its lance out and shot a beam of light across the field.

“From my hand I activate the effect of ‘Infernal Spirit Acedia’.” A blue-skinned demon in black armor appeared on Sunset’s field and created a shield of blue magic around Invidia. “By discarding Acedia from my hand, your attack or card effect that targets my monster is negated, and you take 800 points of damage.” Acedia’s shield wrapped around Prismaura’s blast and shot it back at Flash.

-Flash Life Points: 2300-

“Go ahead. I’ve baited out your last defense!” Flash pointed. “Prismaura, attack Invidia!” Prismaura lowered its head and charged, its lance pointed at Invidia and its cape blowing behind it.

“Don’t you ever learn?” Sunset snapped her fingers. “Invidia, copy his monster’s attack power!” The image of Prismaura appeared around Invidia (500 → 2450) and its own cape flared as it held its claw out. The lance met the claw and crumbled until Prismaura was close enough for Invidia to grab it, the two exploding in a blast of purple fire.

“Fine with me. Lady Brilliant Diamond, attack Avarita!” Lady Brilliant Diamond jumped up and descended in a two-handed cleave, slashing apart Avarita. The orange demon shrieked as it lit up in white light and shattered.

“Too bad you didn’t do anything worthwhile,” Sunset laughed. “You wasted your last chance. On my next turn you’re finished!”

“Funny. I was just about to say the same thing.” Flash smiled and pointed a finger down. “See, you seem to have forgotten my second face-down card.” Sunset tensed. “I activate my face-down card, ‘De-Fusion!” The crowd began to cheer as Flash held his card up. “I return Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond to the Extra Deck, and revive her Fusion materials! Come back to me, Gem-Knights Citrine, Amber, and Lapis!”

Flash’s three monsters leapt out of his field. The yelow-armored Amber landed in a blaze of sparks (1600/1400) while the beige and burgundy Lapis was surrounded in a field of gemdust. (1200/100) “Now, where was I?” Flash pointed across the field. “Citrine, Amber, Lapis, attack Sunset directly!”

The three knights ran up to Sunset. Citrine swung its sword of molten rock into the ground, creating a rippling line of stone. Amber held up its palms and fired an orb of lighting across the field. Lapis swung its hand through the air and sent a stream of gemdust. Sunset looked away as her duel booth shook with the impacts.

-Sunset Life Points: 800-

“Alright!” Rainbow joined the crowd’s cheers and was shortly followed by the rest of the group.

Twilight breathed deep. He might really do it. If Flash can put Sunset out of the tournament now, she’ll never get her hands on the crown!

Flash smirked. “One more turn and I can finish this. I end my turn.”

Her hands on the dueling table as she hunched over it, Sunset chuckled lowly. “You think this is the end?”

“It is. You caught me off-guard with that trap, but now your field is empty. And if you had something that could shave off my last few Life Points with burn damage, you probably would have used it last turn, same thing with defending yourself from my monsters. I’ll wager your hand is full of cards you can’t use together. Everything else you could have done, you did it.” Flash shook his head. “You played your best cards, Sunset. But it wasn’t enough.”

“My best cards?” Sunset shook. Twilight’s eyes widened as she saw Sunset move her hand to the top of her deck, a faint aura of red light over her lower arm. “Oh, Flash…” Sunset raised her head, her eyes glowing. “You haven’t seen anything yet!” The magic aura over Sunset flared up as she drew her card, streaks of red light in its wake. She looked down at the card and grinned, slowly raising her eyes to look back at Flash. “I activate the effect of the card in my hand.”

Six orbs of colored fire appeared on the field in front of Sunset. They began to spin and circle around each other, rising into the air. The wind around the arena picked up, Twilight’s hair blowing in front of her as she stared up at Sunset. The crowd began to get restless, a few standing up in their seats.

“What is this?” Flash called.

Sunset leered. “I call upon the powers of the Infernal Spirit monsters sleeping in the beyond.” She thrust her card up into the air, rays of light shining from it. “From my hand, I Special Summon!”

The six flames rushed together and exploded into a blast of red. A column of crimson fire stretched up into the sky in front of Sunset’s field. Flash stepped back from his field, his eyes transfixed. A shadowed form appeared in the column of fire as Sunset’s laughter filled the air.

“Flash!” Twilight broke away from her friends and ran up to the side of the dueling arena. “You have to stop this! Forfeit, it doesn’t matter!” Flash either didn’t hear her or ignored her, continuing to look ahead.

The dueling booth blocking her view of the field as she watched Flash, Twilight saw the pillar of fire fade in the sky above. She heard her friends cry out and heard someone in the crowd scream. Sunset’s monster had taken the field.

A voice, cold and distorted, came over the chaos.

“I attack Gem-Knight Citrine.”

A low hum was the only sound Twilight heard before a blast of fire consumed Flash. She looked up and saw him vanish from sight. “Flash!”

A strangled scream answered her. Flash, his arms raised in front of his face, stumbled back and hit the railing on the edge of the dueling booth. He flipped over it and fell, tumbling in the air. Twilight cupped her hands to her mouth and watched in horror as Flash’s chest hit the ground with a resounding thud, the wind rushing out of him.

Twilight ran up to his side and knelt. “Flash?” She rolled him over and was relieved to hear a low groan.

Flash slowly opened his eyes, winced, and lifted his head. “Sorry… Twilight. Couldn’t pull it off…” He gasped out a breath and let his head fall back.

“I’m sorry.” Twilight shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “I tried to warn you, I wanted to. Sunset Shimmer, she—”

“Won.”

Twilight stilled as a shadow fell over her. She looked up at the smirking face of Sunset Shimmer, her arms crossed. Twilight stood up and glared back at her. Sunset’s smirk grew into a wide grin.

“One duel left, Princess. And then you’re all mine.”

Friends to the End – Twilight vs Rainbow

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Friends to the End – Twilight vs Rainbow

Applejack and Rarity pulled Flash to his feet, his arms over their shoulders. Sunset tossed her hair and spun on her heel to walk away. Twilight glared at her and then looked over to Flash as the girls helped him off the field.

Celestia’s voice crackled over the speakers. “In spite of the dramatic end to the duel, the tournament will continue. Will the next two duelists please take their places in the dueling booths?”

Twilight looked up at the monitors rising over the arena and saw them resetting; her portrait and Rainbow’s flickering into place.

“Well, let’s do this.”

Twilight turned at the voice and saw Rainbow tossing her duel disk to the ground with her deck in her hand. “I’ll take the far one.” Rainbow ran around the arena leaving Twilight to look at the blue platform lowering before her eyes. When it reached the bottom she took a breath, removed her cards from her duel disk, and set it on the ground.

I can’t let Sunset Shimmer’s win freak me out. I have to stay focused and win. Twilight pulled the railing on the duel booth back and stepped inside. She saw a control panel on one of the poles and pressed the button with an upwards arrow. The platform jerked and began to rise. Against her will Twilight found herself looking over the edge at the grass below. She gulped and turned forward as the booth stopped.

“Will the duelists please place their decks into the auto-shuffler.” Twilight stepped up to the dueling field display. It was a large grid with a holographic display for Rainbow’s field mirrored against hers. A slot for her deck emerged from a steel protrusion on the right-hand side. Twilight set her deck in it and her deck was accepted, retracting inside slightly and rapidly shuffling. A touch screen monitor on the left side of the field displayed the backs of her cards in a circle.

“Ready for this, Twilight?” Rainbow’s voice came from a small speaker mounted on the top of the displays.

“I hope so.” Twilight took a breath.

“Let the duel begin!”

-Twilight Life Points: 8000-

-Rainbow Life Points: 8000-

On the monitors to her right, Twilight’s portrait lit up. “Twilight Sparkle will take the first turn.”

Her deck shuffler beeped and ejected six cards. Twilight drew them and fanned them out in her hand. She bit her lip and raised her eyes to look at Rainbow as she also got her opening hand. Judging from her duel with Applejack, Rainbow relies on overwhelming offense to attack, then switches her monsters out for hard defense on my turn. She looked back at her hand. I can’t do anything about her defenses until she plays them, so I have to be conservative for now.

“I’ll begin with this, ‘Harmony Fusion’!” Twilight placed her Spell on the display in front of her, circuitry lines around it lighting up. “From my hand, I fuse ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia’ and ‘Harmony Spirit Malus’!” On Twilight’s field in front of her booth, a yellow-skinned fairy in a pale yellow and green gown rose onto her field, kneeling with her arms crossed. Her hair was wild and streamed past her shoulders, and a large pair of pink butterfly wings spread on her back. “I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia Natura’ (1200/2500) in defense mode!”

Twilight lowered her hand and took a breath. “I end my turn.”

“You got it!” Rainbow drew and held out her card. “I activate ‘U.A. Signing Deal’!” A large sports banner appeared on Rainbow’s field, and Twilight saw a holographic copy of the card blip into focus on her display. “Now I can summon any U.A. monster from my deck.” Rainbow tapped on the touchscreen next to her and lifted her card as it ejected. “I summon ‘U.A Midfielder’!” The sports banner tore apart as a figure in cybernetic football pads ran through it, taking a ready position on Rainbow’s field. (1200/1000)

Rainbow shuddered as sparks flew from her booth. “Midfielder is level four, so by the secondary effect of Signing Deal, I lose three hundred Life Points times my monster’s level.”

-Rainbow Life Points: 6800-

“But it’ll be worth it. I return Midfielder to my hand to Special Summon ‘U.A. Dreadnought Dunker’!” Midfielder vanished in a plume of smoke. An athlete in streamlined white and blue basketball pads leapt up into the air from the smoke, an orb of blue energy in his palms. (2500/1800) “Next I normal summon Midfielder, and return it back to my hand to summon ‘U.A. Playmaker’!” A third athlete, clad in black and silver football armor with glowing yellow circuitry, ran out to Rainbow’s field and knelt down. (2600/2000)

Rainbow grinned and pointed across the field. “Dreadnought Dunker, attack Gracia Natura!” The blue energy orb in Dunker’s hands sparked and began to bounce between its palms. “At this time I activate the ability of Playmaker and lower its attack power by 800 points to power up Dunker by the same amount!” Playmaker (2600 → 1800) held out its hands and tendrils of orange energy flowed around Dunker’s orb. Dunker (2500 → 3300) hefted the ball back in the air and flung it forward.

“I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’ from my hand!” Twilight shouted and swung the card towards the field. Magnanimity appeared on the field, her arms held out. “I reveal the top card of my deck, and if it’s a Spell card, I can add it to my hand!” Twilight flipped up her card. “It’s ‘Harmony Gem’, so it goes to my hand. Further, since I discarded Magnanimity, the effect of Gracia Natura activates. For the rest of the turn all of my Harmony Spirit monsters cannot be destroyed, or targeted by card effects.” Gracia’s wings glowed and grew larger, and it wrapped them around itself.

“Fine with me. Dunker’s got a special ability too. When he attacks a defending monster, he pierces its defenses to deal damage to you!” Dunker’s orb struck Gracia and bounced off, curving through the air to slam into a holographic shield over Twilight’s booth.

-Twilight Life Points: 7200-

“I return Playmaker to my hand to summon Midfielder in defense mode, and then set one card to end my turn.” Rainbow’s second monster appeared kneeling with a hand on the ground.

“My move.” Twilight drew and looked at the field display. Why would she summon back Midfielder, she needs it to make her plays since it’s one of her few low-level monsters. She’s putting it at risk now. Unless of course she has another monster she can use. Or maybe Midfielder has a special ability? She reached over to tap on her booth’s touchscreen, but Midfielder’s abilities were still locked since Rainbow hadn’t used them yet. She might just think that saving Playmaker is worth it. With 1800 points she knows I could take it out easily enough. But on her next turn she could summon it again and power up another monster to take out anything I use to beat Midfielder. Is that her play, set the bait and hit me back harder than I can hit her?

“She could win, you know.”

Twilight paused at the sound of Rainbow’s voice. “What?”

“Sunset Shimmer. She could totally beat you. In fact she probably will.” Rainbow crossed her arms and shook her head. “Might as well just surrender now, I’ve got a better shot at winning against her than you do.”

Twilight’s confusion quickly turned to anger. “What’s gotten into you?”

“What’s gotten into you is what I’m worried about!” Rainbow snapped back. “If you’re gonna start hesitating and second-guessing yourself now, at this stage? You really don’t have it in you to beat her after all.” Twilight paused as she took in her friend’s words. “I get it, you’ve seen her in action, you’re worried now, and for good reason; she kicked Flash’s ass good. But you know what? We said we’re all together in this, and we’re throwing our support behind you all the way. No doubts, no hesitations. That means you too. You want us to believe in you? Show me you believe in yourself.”

“I do…” Twilight took a breath. “I’m not hesitating. I’m strategizing.”

“Really?” Rainbow grinned. “Then show me the difference, Twilight! If you’ve got what it takes to beat Sunset, prove it by beating me!”

“I will!” Twilight returned the smile and held out her cards. “I activate Harmony Gem by discarding ‘Harmony Spirit Draco’ from my hand. I can now draw two cards.” Twilight drew and smiled as she saw the two cards in her hand. “I activate the Field Spell ‘Harmony Castle’!” The arena shook as spires of purple and blue crystal rose around them, a central tower with an eight-pointed star behind Twilight. “With my Field Spell’s effect, I’ll shuffle Harmony Spirits Gracia and Draco into the deck, to summon a Harmony Spirit directly from the deck.” Twilight tapped her touchscreen and her card ejected.

“I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Helios’!” Rays of light shone down on Twilight’s field as her new monster rose in a swirl of yellow magic, pale pink skin clad in gold and white armor. Her wings spread as she raised her head, her horn gleaming in the light. (2700/2400) Twilight pointed across the field. “Helios, attack U.A. Midfielder!” Helios held up its palms and formed an orb of light.

“I activate Midfielder’s ability!” Rainbow reached to her hand. “During either of our turns, I can return another U.A. monster I control to the hand and summon something different.” Rainbow slapped her card down. “I return U.A. Dreadnought Dunker to my hand and summon ‘U.A. Rival Rebounder’!” Another monster in cybernetic white and orange basketball pads jumped onto Rainbow’s field, arms crossed over its chest. (2200/2300) “Since I summoned Rival Rebounder on your turn, his effect triggers, letting me summon a U.A. monster from my hand or graveyard. Come on back, U.A. Dreadnought Dunker!” The original monster rose on the field next to Rival Rebounder, smiling.

Twilight frowned and looked down at the holographic recreation of Rainbow’s card field above hers. So, that’s what she was after. She went from two monsters to three. Now it doesn’t matter what I attack, next turn she’ll use Playmaker’s effect to power up whichever monster survives my turn. She nodded. I can work with that. For now… “I continue my attack with Helios, targeting Rival Rebounder!” Helios fired its orb of magic, incinerating Rival Rebounder. “When Helios destroys a monster in battle, I can add a Harmony Spirit monster from my deck to my hand.” Twilight held up her card. “I choose this, ‘Harmony Spirit Cantus’. With that I end my turn.”

“You got it!” Rainbow grinned and drew. “I return Midfielder to my hand and summon ‘U.A Blockbacker’.” A monster in thick white and black football armor knelt on Rainbow’s field, beating its hands against its helmet. (1600/2700) “Then I normal summon Midfielder and return it to my hand to summon U.A. Playmaker.”

“Battle time!” Rainbow pumped her fist. “Dreadnought Dunker attacks Helios, and at this time I’ll use Playmaker’s ability to power it up again!” Dunker (2500 → 3300) hefted its basketball orb back and threw it at Helios.

“From my hand I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Cantus!” A pale white fairy with curled pink and blue hair appeared on Twilight’s field and swung its hand out, trails of green magic in its wake. “By discarding Cantus I can summon a Harmony Spirit monster from my deck. I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas’ in attack mode!” The green magic swirled and exploded in the shape of an apple, and a muscular orange fairy stepped out of it as though it were a portal. (1800/300) “Discarding Cantus triggers the effect of Gracia Natura, preventing my Harmony Spirit monsters from being destroyed this turn.”

Rainbow Dash slammed a fist in an open palm. “I can’t destroy your monsters, but I’ll do the next best thing. Since you special summoned a monster, the effect of Blockbacker activates, letting me change that monster’s battle position. I’ll switch Honestas to defense mode!” Blockbacker held its hands out and a beam of light shot towards Honestas. It grimaced and knelt in place. Rainbow grinned and swept her hand in the air. “And once again Dreadnought Dunker’s ability activates! I’ll pierce Honestas’ defense and deal battle damage to you!” Dunker’s orb changed course as it neared Helios and slammed into Honestas, sending the holographic monster tumbling over the field.

-Twilight Life Points: 4200-

“I return Playmaker to my hand to summon back U.A. Midfielder in defense mode, and end my turn.”

Twilight picked up the card that ejected from her deck and looked at the display boards. That was a heavy hit, I can’t let her get in another shot like that. I have to get rid of Dreadnought Dunker now. Not just it, but Playmaker too, or she’ll keep using it to power up her monsters. She tapped her touchscreen to display the graphic of Rainbow’s hand. She’s got three cards in her hand, and I know one of them is Playmaker. Then there’s that face-down card she hasn’t used yet. Not to mention I haven’t even scratched her Life Points. She took a breath. I’m keeping up but I don’t have the advantage yet.

“I activate the effect of Harmony Fusion in the graveyard. I return Malus in the graveyard to the deck to add Harmony Fusion to my hand.” Twilight placed her card on the display. “Then I activate Harmony Fusion, and fuse Honestas with ‘Harmony Spirit Risus’ in my hand!” Twilight held out her hand as a flurry of blue and yellow balloons spewed from her field. In their wake a fairy in a pink and blue dress with balloons rising from her back and a cannon barrel on her shoulder appeared in a flurry of pink sparkles. “I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Risus Fera’. (2000/1200)”

“I activate Blockbacker’s ability!” Rainbow snapped her fingers. Blockbacker held up its hands and send a beam of energy at Risus Fera. “Risus Fera is changed to defense!”

“Right.” Twilight reached to her display. “Next I activate the effect of Harmony Castle. I shuffle Honestas and Risus in the graveyard into the deck and summon ‘Harmony Spirit Selena’!” A shaft of silver light heralded the arrival of Twilight’s monster, blue and black armored dress fluttering in the wind around it as it spread its wings. (2600/2300)

“Battle phase! Helios attacks Midfielder!” Helios raised its arms and fired a blast of yellow fire.

“I activate Midfielder’s effect! I return Blockbacker to my hand and summon a second copy of Rival Rebounder to the field!” Light particles rained on Rainbow’s monster as it flashed out of existence to be replaced by a second Rival Rebounder. “Rival Rebounder’s effect now lets me summon Blockbacker to the field again!” Rainbow slapped her card on her field, a ring of light forming for her monster to appear from.

Twilight nodded. “I choose to continue my attack!” Helios’ fire struck Midfielder, and it exploded in a shockwave of yellow light. “Since it destroyed a monster, Helios lets me add a Harmony Spirit from my deck to my hand.” Twilight held up her card. “I’ll take ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas’. Then I attack Rival Rebounder with Harmony Spirit Selena!” Selena’s horn lit up in silver blue light and sent energy streams into her hands. She flung her arms up and fired twin rays of light across the field. Rival Rebounder was engulfed and exploded. “Selena’s effect now lets me add a ‘Harmony’ Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand.”

Twilight took her card as it ejected and flipped it over. “I choose this, ‘Harmony Song’. Then I set two cards and end my turn.” She looked at the holograms of her cards. This is it.

“My draw!” Rainbow grinned and snatched her card up. She looked at it and laughed. “I activate the Spell card ‘U.A. Powered Jersey’!”

Twilight gasped. That’s the card she used to beat Applejack!

An armored sports jersey in red and black colors with silver spikes appeared on Rainbow’s field and gravitated to clamp onto Dreadnought Dunker in a field of electricity. The jersey lit up as Dunker posed in it. “Now my Dreadnought Dunker gains 1000 attack and defense points, any battle damage it deals to you is doubled, and if it destroys something in battle it can conduct a second attack. Not that I’ll need it.” Rainbow shook her head. “Sorry, Twilight, but I’m not gonna go easy on you, not if you wanna beat Sunset. So here I come! Dreadnought Dunker, attack Harmony Spirit Risus Fera!” Dunker’s new armor sent streams of lightning into its orb, and it threw the supercharged ball forward. (3300 → 4300)

“Not this time!” Twilight reached to her field and held her card up. “I activate my Trap Harmony Song!” The card flipped up and sent a melodic soundwave over the field. “Thanks to this card, you’re forbidden from Special Summoning monsters this turn!”

“What!?” Rainbow’s jaw dropped and she hurriedly looked over her hand. “But…”

“To use Harmony Song, I need to discard Harmony Spirit Pietas from my hand. This activates the effects of Risus Fera and Gracia Natura. Risus Fera negates the effect of Dreadnought Dunker, and if it leaves the field this turn, it returns to the deck. Then of course, Gracia Natura prevents my Harmony Spirits from being destroyed.” Twilight smiled. “With its effects negated, Dunker can’t pierce my defending monsters anymore. Your attack does nothing!” Dunker’s orb fizzled and grew dimmer, the electrical field around it sparking into nothingness. The orb slammed into Risus Fera and bounced off harmlessly, the fairy giggling.

“No way…” Rainbow fell forward, bracing her arms on her dueling booth. “That’s one of my best combos, and you shrugged it off like it was nothing…” She lifted her hand to look at her cards. “I…” She turned them over and set them down. “There’s nothing left I can play now. I end my turn.”

Twilight felt a pang of guilt seeing her friend and opponent in her current state. “I’m sorry, Rainbow.” Twilight drew her card and looked down at it. She sighed and set it on the field. “I shuffle Harmony Spirit Pietas into the deck to return Harmony Fusion to my hand. Then I equip Harmony Spirit Helios with the equip Spell ‘Harmony Crown’ to give it 800 extra attack points.” A golden crown with a pink gem appeared on Helios’ forehead, magic pouring from it down into the wearer. (2700 → 3500) “Helios attacks Blockbacker.” Helios fired a beam of yellow and purple magic across the field. Blockbacker groaned and shattered. “The effects of both Helios and Harmony Crown now activate.” Twilight drew her cards from her deck. “I add Harmony Spirit Magnanimity and Harmony Spirit Cantus from my deck to my hand. Then I end my turn.”

Rainbow slowly reached a hand to her deck. “I draw…” She picked up her card and looked out over the field. Dreadnought Dunker’s jersey lit up in red light and contracted around it. The monster groaned and stumbled, falling to a knee. “The second effect of Powered Jersey activates during my standby phase. The monster wearing it is banished.” Dunker cracked apart and dissolved into light, the jersey fading away around it

Twilight’s eyes widened. She has to swap out the monster using Powered Jersey once it gets its attack off, or she loses it entirely. With my Trap sealing her summons on her last turn...

Rainbow looked at her newly drawn card and slid it on the field. “I summon U.A. Midfielder in defense mode and end my turn.”

No… Twilight cupped her hands to her face. “Rainbow… I’m sorry.” Rainbow didn’t respond. Twilight’s booth beeped and her card ejected for her draw. She ignored it and instead moved to the cards in her hand. “I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Cantus and discard it to summon Harmony Spirit Pietas from the deck.” A dull hum and a portal of blue energy were the only signs of Twilight’s monster taking the field, rainbow hair streaming between its wings. (1600/800) “Then I switch Risus Fera to attack mode.”

“Battle phase.” Twilight sighed and pointed. “Risus, destroy Midfielder!” Risus’s cannon glowed and fired a shot of pink energy. Midfielder exploded in a shower of confetti. “Helios, Selena, direct attack!” The two spirits held their hands together and sent a twin stream of yellow and blue magic at Rainbow.

-Rainbow Life Points: 3300-

-Rainbow Life Points: 700-

“One attack left…” Twilight looked down at the Pietas card on her field. “I’m sorry, Rainbow.”

She heard a snort. “Sorry?” Rainbow raised her head. Twilight stared; her friend’s face was covered in a wide grin even as sadness reflected in her eyes. “Are you kidding me?” Rainbow laughed. “I hit you with everything I had, my best combos, and you took it and hit back harder than any duelist I’ve ever seen!” Rainbow stopped laughing and fell forward again.

“You’re… happy?” Twilight whispered, disbelieving.

“Damn right.” Rainbow shook her head. “You were right, Twilight. It has to be you that faces Sunset Shimmer… not because it’s your destiny, or because of her magic, or whatever.” She raised her head again. “It’s because I figure you’re just about the best duelist this school has seen in years! If anyone can take Sunset down at last, it’s you or no one.”

Twilight smiled softly. “Thank you, Rainbow.”

“You wanna thank me.” Rainbow stepped back and braced herself, looking up in the air. “Then give me a send-off worth the semi-finals!”

“If that’s what you want!” Twilight finally returned Rainbow’s grin and held out her hand. “It’s been an honor and a pleasure to duel you! Harmony Spirit Pietas, attack Rainbow Dash directly!”

Pietas rose up into the air, its arms held out. It then dove forward, a fist outstretched as it aimed for Rainbow’s dueling booth. Rainbow laughed and stretched her arm out. The hologram of Pietas reached her booth and its fist passed through Rainbow’s hand, an aura of blue light where the two met.

-Rainbow Life Points: 0-

At the side of the arena, Celestia stood up.

“Students, our final duel has been decided! In one hour tonight, Twilight Sparkle will face Sunset Shimmer, to be crowned winner of the Autumn Crown Tournament!”

Awakening of Evil

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Awakening of Evil

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Cute.”

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

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

Sunset frowned. “What?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Element of Magic.

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

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

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

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

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

“What of it?” Twilight demanded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Twilight glared. “Should I be afraid?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author's Note

The Prodigal Showdown - Twilight vs Sunset (Part 2)

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Prodigal Showdown – Twilight vs Sunset (Part 2)

-Twilight Life Points: 5600-

-Sunset Life Points: 6500-

Twilight tapped through the touchscreen display of Sunset’s monsters. She’ll keep regenerating her field as long as she has Gula in play. I have to get rid of it and from there, try to get an advantage on her. She’s not destroying my cards – so far, at least – but she’ll keep getting a bigger Life Point advantage every new turn.

“Come on!” Sunset’s snarled comment drew Twilight from her thoughts. “I’m waiting for you to end your turn.”

“Fine. I do.”

“Good.” Sunset snatched her card up and looked over her hand. She sneered and held out a card. “I activate the effect of Infernal Spirit Luxuria. I banish Infernal Spirit Invidia from my graveyard and deal damage to you equal to half the attack points of one of your monsters.” Sunset thrust her hand out. “I choose Honestas, so you’ll take 900 damage!” Luxuria formed an orb of green fire in its claws and shot it forward. Twilight braced herself as the fire exploded before her eyes.

-Twilight Life Points: 4700-

“Fluttershy said a duelist’s deck symbolizes their true self. And my deck symbolizes me and my friends.” Twilight gestured a hand over the cards spread over the table.

Spike inspected the cards and nodded. “Seems so.”

“But, look at this card.” Twilight put her hand on Harmony Spirit Magia. “That’s obviously meant to be me. It’s a unicorn, not an alicorn.”

“Makes sense. I mean, you were born a unicorn, right?”

“True.” Twilight furrowed her brow. “But if a deck symbolizes a duelist’s true self, do you think that means that deep down I’m still a unicorn, even with my wings?”

“I’d say so.” Spike looked up at her. “You said you never much felt like being a Princess and you were worrying about Celestia giving you all sorts of new duties and responsibilities.”

“Right.”

“This again? I’m getting bored with reruns.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Since I banished an Infernal Spirit, the effect of Ira that’s banished triggers, letting me return it to my hand. Avarita’s effect then lets me draw a card." Sunset looked at her hand and frowned. "I set a card and discard one more to keep six cards in my hand, and end my turn.”

“My draw, then.” Twilight drew, and gasped when she saw her card. Finally!

“Don’t get too excited, Twilight.” Sunset laughed and held Ira’s card up. “It’s our old friend, hitting you for another 800 points of damage!” Ira’s enflamed form appeared over the field and fired at Twilight.

-Twilight Life Points: 3900-

“Twilight, I have no idea what you just said.”

“Neither do I!” Twilight threw up her hands. “I didn’t even get to the part where some Monster cards can be treated like Spell and Trap cards, or that there are Spell and Trap cards that can be summoned as Monster cards.” She flung the booklet in her hands around as she gestured with her hand. “It seems like every time I think I understand a rule, the next page explains how that rule can be broken!” She tossed the booklet aside with a sigh. “Spike, I have to master this game by tomorrow! And I can barely remember what each card type does.”

“Take it easy, Twilight.” Spike put a paw on her hand and smiled up at her. “You’re the smartest pony I’ve ever known. A card game should be a snap to learn.”

“You didn’t read the chapter about the different Extra deck monsters and how to summon them. Lucky for us, it seems the school specifically restricts which types of those can be used. I read that paragraph three times and I still don’t understand what a Synchro Summon is.”

“What summon?”

“Exactly.”

Sunset laughed. “Oh, that’s rich. You fretting that you don’t know the rules.” She stopped her laughter and scowled. “You seem to be doing fine to me.”

“I’m a fast learner.” Twilight smiled.

“Did you learn this trick? Since I banished Ira, Gula and Avarita activate their effects, letting me draw a card and revive my Infernal Spirit Invidia.” Sunset smirked. “See? You keep knocking them down but I’ll keep reviving them.”

“We’ll see. I have a few tricks of my own.” Twilight smiled and pulled her cards from her hand. “First, I’ll activate ‘Harmony Bolt’. I’ll discard ‘Harmony Spirit Malus’ from my hand and destroy your face-down card.” A shot of lighting raced across the field and zapped Sunset’s card. It flipped up, revealing itself as Infernal Cloak, and exploded. “Since I discarded Malus, the effects of Gracia, Honestas, and Magnanimity activate. Magnanimity lets me draw a card, Honestas gains 500 points, and Gracia prevents my Harmony Spirits from being destroyed this turn. Then, I switch Gracia into attack mode.”

“Next I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Cantus in my hand. Cantus lets me discard it from my hand to Special Summon another Harmony Spirit from my deck.” The pale yellow fairy appeared on Twilight’s field and held her hands out, releasing a spray of yellow and blue sparkles. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Risus’!” The shower of sparkles condensed and exploded into a pink fairy in a bright pink dress, giggling as she landed on her feet. (1400/1000)

Twilight pointed across the field. “Honestas, destroy Invidia once again!” Honestas ran forward, fist raised. (1800 → 2300)

“Invidia copies its attack power!” Sunset replied. Invidia (500 → 2300) raised a claw to catch the punch.

“And Gracia prevents Honestas from being destroyed!” Honestas struck Invidia’s claw and a shockwave sent the demon flying back to shatter against Sunset’s duel booth. “Gracia, Magnanimity, Risus, attack and destroy her other monsters!” Magnanimity held up a hand and conjured a flurry of gem shards while Risus and Gracia ran across the field. Sunset watched with a scowl as Avarita, Gula, and Luxuria exploded one by one.

“A minor setback,” she hissed. “End your turn.”

“I do,” Twilight said. She’s not bluffing, not entirely. She can definitely recover, but I did a lot of damage to her in the meantime.

Sunset drew and added her card to her hand. “I use the effect of Infernal Spirit Luxuria in my hand. I banish it and Infernal Spirit Gula from my deck to regain 800 Life Points.”

-Sunset Life Points: 7300-

“I then activate Infernal Growth and use it to return Gula and Luxuria to my hand. I summon Gula in defense mode and set a card facedown end my turn.” The yellow two-headed demon knelt on Sunset’s side of the field in front of her facedown card.

Twilight put her hand on her deck and slowly lifted her card.

Sunset flung her hand through the air with a grin. “I activate the Trap ‘Infernal Storm’!” A crackling storm cloud appeared in front of her. “By banishing Luxuria and Invidia in my graveyard, I destroy two cards on your side of the field. I choose Gracia and Risus!” The glowing green and blue spirits of Sunset’s monsters were absorbed into the cloud, and it shots two bolts of lightning across the field.

Twilight looked at her new card and held it out. “From my hand I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Gracia. I discard it to prevent Risus from being destroyed this turn.”

“Too bad your Gracia on the field has no such defenses.” The lightning struck Gracia and lit up the fairy in electricity.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Rarity asked, looking up at the dark cloud.

“There’s gotta be something.” Applejack crossed her arms. “Mah friend is in there fightin’ some power-crazed lunatic, and we’re out here watchin’ not even knowin’ if she’s winnin’!”

“Well, I’m open to ideas,” Rainbow muttered.

Suddenly, Fluttershy screamed and collapsed to her knees. The others turned at the sound and gathered around her. “Fluttershy?” Spike asked.

Fluttershy hugged herself, shaking. “I felt it… her pain…”

“It’s like when Twilight dueled me under Sunset’s magic,” Rarity whispered. “Her Gracia card must have been destroyed.”

“But that hasn’t happened before!” Rainbow forced a smile. “So, that means she hasn’t had any others be destroyed yet, right?”

“Yeah, but Sunset uses burn cards,” Applejack said. “She doesn’t need to destroy monsters to win.”

Pinkie pouted. “Way to be a downer.”

Twilight set her mouth in a line as she watched Gracia’s scorched gown dissolve. “Discarding Gracia activates my monster effects. I draw a card thanks to Magnanimity, Honestas gains 500 points, and Risus negates all effect damage I would take for the rest of the turn.”

“Well, that’s annoying.” Sunset snorted. “For now I’ll use my own effects, namely Ira and Gula. Gula revives an Infernal Spirit with a different name from the one I banished. I choose Avarita. Then Ira returns itself to my hand.”

It isn’t enough. She’s struggling to stay in this. Twilight smiled. The advantage is mine for now. “I attack Avarita and Gula with Risus and Magnanimity!” Magnanimity’s gem shards tore apart Avarita’s wings in a shower of blue razors while Risus ran up to Gula and delivered a one-two-punch to its gut, the demon keeling over. “Next, Honestas attacks directly!” Honestas (1800 → 2300) ran across the field and slammed a fist into the front of Sunset’s dueling booth. A blast of orange magic sparked out of Sunset’s booth, knocking her on her back.

-Sunset Life Points: 5000-

“Another good hit,” Twilight whispered. She’d barely finished the thought when white light filled her eyes.

“You told me I could be a Princess to stand by your side!” The angry voice of Sunset Shimmer reverberated off the walls as she looked up at Princess Celestia standing over her.

“I did, Sunset.” Though her voice was calm, Celestia’s face betrayed her smoldering anger. “And those words remain true. The path to greatness remains the same as it has always been: study, hard work, compassion.”

“Five years. I’ve been studying with you for five years!” Sunset snorted. “You made Cadance a Princess after only a year! And now you tell me that Twilight Sparkle is going to get it soon?”

“That is different, Sunset.” Celestia shook her head. “Cadance is bonded to the legendary Crystal Heart, her cutie mark is a sign of a special destiny awaiting her. Her rapid ascension through lessons is proof of this. The same goes for Twilight. When my suspicions about the Elements of Harmony are confirmed, she will be ready to begin her own path to ascension.”

“And me? When do I start down my path?”

“When you choose to walk it. This arrogance and entitlement is unbecoming of a Princess. It is not a title to be earned by insisting you deserve it.” Celestia raised her head to look over Sunset. Sunset turned and saw an attendant nodding at Celestia. “Pardon me, Sunset, I must attend to something. We will talk of this more later. Please, take this time to reflect on my words.” Celestia stepped around her and followed the attendant out of the throne room.

Alone, Sunset looked up at the massive stained glass window rising over her, a white and blue alicorn swirling around six shining gemstones. She growled and turned her head away.

“I bet you wouldn’t think she’s so special if she didn’t have that pretty little star on her flank…”

Twilight blinked away the lights in her eyes. Across from her she saw Sunset grip the side of her dueling booth and pull herself up. Twilight closed her eyes and let out a breath. “That was it, wasn’t it?”

Sunset lifted her head. “What?”

“She wanted you to be a Princess… and you couldn’t get it. You tried to be worthy but it was never enough.”

“Shut up!” Sunset growled. “I don’t need to be lectured by you!”

“I’m not lecturing you, Sunset!” Twilight called back. “I’m trying to understand you!”

“Understand me!?” Sunset grit her teeth and clenched her eyes. “You could never understand me. I came from nothing. I spent my life working my way into that school, earning Celestia’s attention, proving myself to her. And you? You got it all with one exam! And why? Because of some special ‘destiny’? You think having that cutie mark makes you special, makes you better than me?”

“No!” Twilight shook her head. “I’m not better than anypony!”

“At last we agree on something. But I’m not in a bonding mood. I’m in a dueling mood!”

“Fine. I discard one card and end my turn.”

“About time!” Sunset drew her card and looked down at it.

On the other side of the field, Twilight’s mind raced. I know there has to be a good pony somewhere inside her. I was able to use my dueling to bond with my friends in this world, and reach out to the hearts of so many duelists. But Sunset’s heart, her deck, is so full of pain and destruction. She looked down at her deck. I have to try and get through to her, like I did with Trixie and Rarity.

“I activate ‘Infernal Cocoon’.” A pulsing egg, glowing sickly green, rose on Sunset’s field. “This lets me banish Infernal Spirit Invidia from my hand in order to revive a banished Infernal Spirit. I summon Infernal Spirit Gula, in defense mode. I then activate the effect of Infernal Spirit Luxuria in my hand. I banish Luxuria and a copy of Infernal Spirit Avarita from my deck to regain 800 Life Points.” Sunset smiled as a green aura lit up over her.

-Sunset Life Points: 5800-

“Banishing Luxuria activates the effect of Ira that’s banished, as well as Gula on the field. I’ll return Ira to my hand, and use Gula’s effect to revive Infernal Spirit Invidia.” Gula knelt on Sunset’s field, head bowed, while Invidia stood tall beside it, cape blowing. “I end my turn.”

“All right. I draw.” Twilight picked up her card.

“I activate the effect of Ira from my hand.” Sunset held up her card as purple flame lit up around it. “I banish Ira to deal 800 damage!” The purple fire shot at Twilight, light rippling across the field in its wake. She was flung to the back of her dueling booth by the impact.

-Twilight Life Points: 3100-

“I cast the spell so I could find out what it was, but nothing seemed to happen. But now I know something did happen!” Twilight crossed the library to stare at the display case. “The spell has changed the Elements of Harmony! That must be why their cutie marks are all wrong!” She began rapidly flipping through the spellbook floating in front of her.

“So just cast a counterspell to switch them back!” Spike said.

Twilight stopped turning the pages. “There is no counterspell!”

“Why don't you just use that memory spell you used to fix everypony when Discord was here?”

“It's not their memories, Spike. It's their true selves that have been altered!”

“Zecora's cure for the cutie pox?”

“That won't work either...” Twilight shut the book and floated it to Spike’s claws. She turned and began to walk up the stairs to her room.

Spike’s voice stopped her. “Well, maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe our friends will grow to like their new lives.”

Twilight sighed, her eyes watering. “No, Spike. They're not who they are meant to be anymore. Their destinies are now changed… and it's all my fault.”

“Cute.” Sunset sneered as the memory faded from both their minds. “So that’s what earned you those wings? Meddling in magic you don’t understand and screwing up the destinies of your closest friends? And here I thought you were talented.”

“We all make mistakes,” Twilight countered. “What matters is how we deal with them.” She looked at Sunset evenly. “I own up to and fix my mistakes. What about you?”

“I’ll be fixing a very big mistake very soon. For now, the duel. I use Gula’s effect to revive Avarita, in defense mode.”

“Fine. It won’t last long.” Twilight twirled a card in her hand before playing it. “I activate ‘Harmony Textbook’ to discard ‘Harmony Spirit Malus’ and revive Gracia. Then I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Ventus’ to activate its effect, reviving Harmony Spirit Pietas.” Pietas rose onto Twilight’s field in a flurry of blue feathers, punching a fist up into the air. (1600/800) “Discarding Ventus activates my monster effects. Honestas powers up, Magnanimity lets me draw a card, Gracia keeps my Harmony Spirits from being destroyed in battle this turn, and Risus negates the effect damage I take for the rest of the turn.”

This is it. I’ve got a field full of monsters and she can’t damage me with her effects for this turn. “Risus, Magnanimity, Gracia! Attack Sunset’s monsters!” The three fairies ran across the field.

Sunset held a card out. “From my hand, I activate the effect of ‘Infernal Spirit Acedia’!” A demon with blue skin and black armor appeared on Sunset’s field. “By banishing Acedia when you target my monster for an attack or card effect, I negate that action!” Gracia delivered a sweeping kick to Invidia, and Risus slapped a two-handed clobber into Gula. Magnanimity reached Avarita and chopped its neck, but Acedia caught the limb and threw Magnanimity back.

“You held off one attack, but I have two more! Pietas, destroy Avarita!” Pietas flew up and then down, its fist held out. It slammed into Avarita and shattered it into shards of orange light. “And now, Honestas, attack Sunset directly!” Honestas jumped across the field to Sunset’s dueling booth and punched, sending her sprawling backwards.

-Sunset Life Points: 3500-

Sunset slowly walked down the hall, her head low. “It’ll never be enough for her… for anyone… no matter how hard I work, how hard I try… she’ll be better.” She stopped and sniffed. “They don’t even care how well I did today… but they’ll carry Twilight on their backs because she got another perfect score…”

She looked up at the doors at the end of the hall. The handles lit up in teal light and were flung open. Sunset walked inside the small room and stepped up to look into the horseshoe-shaped mirror in front of her. Her reflection stared back at her, her eyes puffy and red.

“If what I read is true…” Sunset reached out and put a hoof on the mirror. It rippled and gave at her touch. She gasped sharply and pulled back. “It is…” She turned her head to look down the empty hall behind her. “A new world, a new start… a chance to live my life without Twilight Sparkle haunting it…”

Sunset turned back to the mirror and took a step forward.

Twilight gasped as the memory ended. “That’s why you came here?”

Sunset slowly climbed to her feet. “A chance to start over, away from you? I’d cross dimensions for that, yes.”

“You gave up your life because of me?” Twilight scowled. “What did I ever do to you?”

“You didn’t have to do anything to me. You just had to be.” Sunset growled. “Because as long as you existed, I could never be good enough. You were the prized pupil, the star student, the one with the special destiny and the unmatched power. Me? I was just another face in the crowd.”

“Stop talking like that.” Twilight let out a breath. “I told you before, Sunset. I don’t think I’m better than you.”

“And that’s stupid!” Sunset interrupted. “You know why? Because you are! You are better than me! You’ve always been better than me! You were more popular, you got better grades, you got into advanced classes I didn’t qualify for! You’ve always shown me up without even trying!”

“I never tried to show anyone up, especially not you. I didn’t even know you were attending the school.” Twilight pointed to the Element of Magic behind the glass case at the side of the field. “Sunset, I didn’t ask to be the Element of Magic, or have that crown. It just happened. Neither of us could control it.”

“And I didn’t ask to grow up in your shadow,” Sunset replied. “But we don’t always get to choose how we live our lives. I had to get away from you, to take control of mine at last. And now here you are, trying to take it back.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “You think being second-best to me justifies trying to steal my Element of Harmony and use it to take over Equestria? What kind of insane logic is that?”

“Because as long as you live, I’ll always know.” Sunset slammed her fists on the booth. “Not a day has passed in this world that I don’t remember Equestria… well, not anymore, not for long.” She slowly laughed. “Soon you’ll be gone. And that crown will belong to me. Everyone will know that at long last, I beat you!”

“You haven’t beaten me yet.” Twilight slid one card onto her field. “I set one card and end my turn.”

“It’s my turn again!” Sunset drew her card out to the side and turned it over. At the sight of it, she inhaled sharply. “It’s here!”

Twilight’s eyes widened. Oh no.

Sunset turned to her, a wide grin on her face. “Well, I was just trying to be dramatic saying you’ll be gone soon. But it turns out I was right.” She held her card up into the air, an aura of red light shining over it. “I call on the power of the Infernal Spirits sleeping in the beyond!” Orbs of colored light in orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and violet, came from the cards in front of Sunset. Twilight’s hair blew out behind her. Her senses were alive with magic and her eyes were wide.

Sunset’s eyes flashed red. “When six Infernal Spirits with different names exist in my graveyard or banished zone, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand! At long last, come forth!” She brought her hand down and slammed her card onto the field.

A jet of red fire shot up into the sky. It widened into a pillar, swirling around itself. A shadowed form appeared behind the flames. The flamed condensed into an orb around the form and then exploded outward.

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror.

A demon with deep red skin floated in front of Sunset. She wore a red and yellow dress, the edges torn and frayed, and a pair of black boots with red trim. A pair of leathery black wings spread in the air behind her, the red insides full of holes. A fluttering red and yellow mass of hair rose from her head, the colors matched by a long tail. The figure opened its eyes, green and black, and looked down at Twilight.

Sunset laughed, her eyes glowing bright red. “I summon ‘Infernal Spirit Superbia’! (2000/2000)”

Twilight blinked. It can’t be… it looks like… “That monster…”

“Is what I’m going to use to finally get you out of my life.” Sunset held a hand over her field. “As long as Superbia remains in play, all other Infernal Spirit monsters in my hand, my graveyard, or on my field, are banished!” Several of Sunset’s cards lit up red and dissolved, reappearing in her banished pile. “But it’s not all bad news. For each Infernal Spirit I have banished with a different name, Superbia gains 500 attack points!” A red aura appeared around Superbia. The demon smiled as the aura flashed and vanished. (2000 → 5000)

“F-five thousand points?” Twilight squeaked.

“Yes!” Sunset cackled. “Now watch them all in action! Infernal Spirit Superbia, end this duel! Attack Harmony Spirit Gracia!” Superbia held out its claws. Magic appeared in its palms, teal mixed with black. The magic grew and condensed into two orbs. “Goodbye, Twilight!”

Superbia flung its arms forward and sent two streams of magic shooting towards Twilight’s field.

The Prodigal Showdown - Twilight vs Sunset (Part 3)

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Prodigal Showdown – Twilight vs Sunset (Part 3)

-Twilight Life Points: 3100-

-Sunset Life Points: 3500-

“Goodbye, Twilight!” Infernal Spirit Superbia flung out its claws and sent two streams of magic across the field.

Twilight looked down at her field and hand. I have to stop her! She saw the set card on her field and grinned. Perfect! “I activate my Quickplay Spell Harmony Bolt! I discard Harmony Spirit Honestas from my hand in order to destroy Superbia!” The spell card sparked and concentrated an orb of lightning in front of it. A bolt struck Superbia and the demon exploded in a blast of fire, embers falling around it. Twilight let out a breath. “With the effect of Magnanimity, I draw a card. And with that, the threat of your spirit is gone.”

“I don’t think so.” Sunset laughed and snapped her fingers. The falling embers of Superbia’s destruction lit up in red light and congregated together, swirling around each other. A fireball sprang up between them and grew until it burst open, Superbia spreading its wings again.

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “No!”

“Afraid so.” Sunset snickered and shook her head. “Superbia won’t go down that easily. Any time she’s destroyed, she returns all copies of a banished Infernal Spirit to the deck. Even if I wanted to stop her, I can’t. She’ll revive again and again as long as she has spirits to feed on. She’s a bit weaker now, but she’s back all the same.” The copies of Infernal Spirit Ira on Sunset’s field burnt up in a wave of fire. Superbia flexed its claws as it lit up red again. (5000 → 4500)

“Now, where were we? Ah yes – winning! Superbia, attack Gracia again!” Superbia sent another blast of magic at the fairy. “Let’s see you avoid it this time!”

“I can’t. But I can do this!” Twilight reached into her graveyard and held up a card. “I return Harmony Spirit Ventus from the graveyard to the deck, and grant Gracia 800 extra points for this turn!” The image of Ventus appeared in front of Gracia and spread its arms (900 → 1700). The magic blast struck them and exploded in a blast of fire. Twilight turned and hunkered down in her booth as the fire washed through the air above her.

-Twilight Life Points: 300-

Fluttershy screamed and convulsed, falling backwards to be caught by Applejack.

“What happened?” the farmer asked.

Fluttershy gasped and panted. “Heat… pain…”

“You wanted to see me, Princess?”

Celestia looked up from the scroll floating in front of her. “Yes, Twilight. Come, sit.” She rolled the scroll up and set it aside.

Twilight slowly walked into the royal bedchamber and sat down on the cushion on the other side of the table. “Did I do something wrong?”

Celestia chuckled. “Do you have to have done something wrong to warrant an audience?”

“No. I mean, I hope not. You just usually don’t take the time to talk to me like this when I do something good.” Twilight gasped. “I mean, not that you’re negligent, or anything. I just thought…”

Celestia’s soft laughter stopped her. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Twilight. But it is the second anniversary of the start of your tutelage. I think it’s time for a review, yes?”

“Oh… right.” Twilight put a hoof to her chest. “Okay.”

“Your instructors tell me that you are easily displaying impressive aptitude in all subjects. You’ve even broken a few long-standing test records.”

Twilight blushed. “I just do my best…”

“Indeed.” Celestia’s smile faltered. “However, if I am to be honest, there is one matter that concerns me.”

Twilight gulped. “Yes?”

“Your instructors have reported you have been having difficulty making friends. Even when working on group projects, you tend to congregate with the same two or three students for partners. And if ever there is an odd pony out for a project, you volunteer to work alone.”

“I just… don’t see the point.” Twilight shrugged. “If I can do fine on my own, and I do, why do I need a partner?” She bit her lip. “I know it feels bad to say it, but… I don’t want to get stuck with a bad student that might slow me down, or make me get a bad mark.”

“I see.” Celestia nodded. “A fair concern, and yet, you also avoid interaction with ponies outside of class activity.”

“I have to study a lot to keep up my marks. I don’t have time to go out for snacks or sleepovers or all that.”

“Twilight, consider something carefully.” Celestia leaned her head down. “Do you think you are better than your fellow students?”

Twilight paled. “I… I…” She shook in her seat and looked away. “Nooo…?”

“You know the answer as well as I do, but you don’t want to voice it.” Celestia stood up. “I’ll be making recommendations that you be advanced to a higher class at the end of the semester. Perhaps ponies who have studied longer than you will provide more accommodating friends?”

Twilight just nodded, her eyes on the ground.

“Wow…” Twilight held her head as the memory faded.

“I knew it.” Sunset’s voice betrayed the obvious sneer on her face. “You act like you’re so morally superior to me. But you really are no better after all.”

Twilight turned and stood up. “How am I supposed to answer something like that? You want to use my magic to create an army to invade Equestria. If that’s how you judge my character, then yes, I’m better than you.”

“Let’s agree to disagree.” Sunset crossed her arms. “Now that Superbia is in play, nothing can stop me. I set one card and end my turn. Make your move, Twilight.”

“Fine.” Twilight drew. She looked up at Superbia and shivered. I have to find a way to get rid of that thing permanently… Harmony Balloon could return it to Sunset’s hand, but I have to draw another copy. Risus Fera could negate its effect, but she could protect it in some way until the negation ends.

“I switch all my monsters to defense mode, and summon ‘Harmony Spirit Draco’ in defense mode.” The fairy-like dragon appeared kneeling in a line with Twilight’s other monsters. (700/100) “I end my turn.”

“Set ‘em up and I’ll knock ‘em down,” Sunset said, drawing. “I set one card, and then it’s Superbia’s turn to attack again!” She paused and looked over the field. “Rarity always was too stuck up for my liking. Superbia, destroy Harmony Spirit Magnanimity!” Superbia fired a beam of teal magic tinged with black. Magnanimity screamed and exploded in a shockwave of flame.

Rarity fell to her knees and cried out, her eyes wide.

“Rarity!” Rainbow knelt next to her. Rarity said nothing but to clutch her blouse, wincing.

Applejack looked up at the clouds. “Twi…”

Sunset tossed her hair and smirked. “I’ll call it a turn there.”

“My turn again.” Twilight drew and gasped. Yes! She grinned and held out her card. “I activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Fusion’!” A swirling vortex of rainbow colors appeared in front of Twilight’s monsters. “I fuse Harmony Spirit Pietas with Harmony Spirit Risus, to summon ‘Harmony Spirit Risus Fera’ in defense mode!” The two monsters turned into trails of light and circled into the vortex. A pink fairy with a cannon on her back surrounded by balloons jumped out, spinning in the air and giggling. (2000/1200)

Twilight flipped over another card in her hand. “I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Honestas in my hand, and discard it to look at your face-down cards.” Honestas appeared in the air and sent a pulse of light towards Sunset.

Sunset snorted. “You’re trying to use Risus Fera’s effect to negate Superbia’s effect. Sorry, but it won’t work. Here’s my facedown! I activate ‘Infernal Cloak’. During this turn, my Superbia can’t be destroyed or targeted by card effects!” The shroud wrapped around Superbia’s shoulders and shone in pale purple light.

Twilight grimaced. Darn. She looked at what was left in her hand. “I set a card and end my turn.”

“Goodie.” Sunset drew and pouted. “I drew another copy of Acedia. Superbia’s effect banishes it immediately.” She tossed the card away and shrugged. “Oh well, not like I need it to bring this party to a close. Superbia, destroy Risus Fera!” Superbia’s magic fired and incinerated Risus Fera, the balloons on its back superheating and popping in an instant.

Pinkie gasped and stumbled back, her hair going wild and falling limp to her shoulders. She blinked rapidly. “Oh… wow…”

This can’t keep up. Twilight drew and looked at her card. I can’t keep stalling forever waiting for Harmony Balloon or any other card. If she draws something that can deplete my last few Life Points then I’d have no way to stop her. She grit her teeth and clenched her hand. But what can I do? Anything I use to destroy Superbia won’t do anything, she’ll summon it right back. I could summon Risus Fera again and negate Superbia’s boost to force a double KO in battle, but what good would that do?

“Frustrated, Twilight?” Sunset smiled. “I can relate. Having to accept defeat from an opponent just too powerful to be beaten can be difficult.”

“I’m not giving up yet, Sunset.” Twilight reached to her graveyard. “I return Harmony Spirits Gracia and Risus Fera to the deck, to Special Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Selena’ in defense mode.” The pale blue spirit descended in a shaft of moonlight and touched down on Twilight’s field, wrapping its wings around itself. (2600/2300) “I then summon Harmony Spirit Risus in defense mode and end my turn.”

“Good going, more monsters for me to burn.” Sunset drew. “Let’s start with the pink one again. Superbia, do your thing!” Superbia fired its magic at Risus, the fairy lost in the fire. “I end my turn.” Sunset giggled. “I have to admit, watching you try to find a way to fight back is pretty entertaining. Happy to see me having fun?”

Twilight said nothing, drawing her card. “I activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Textbook’. I discard Harmony Spirit Pietas from my hand and revive Harmony Spirit Risus from the graveyard. With that I end my turn.”

“Boring!” Sunset drew and grinned. “Oh look, I drew Infernal Spirit Ira! That brings my collection of banished spirits back to six, so Superbia is back to full power. Superbia, how Risus what I mean!” Superbia (4500 → 5000) fired its magic and once more burned Risus to ember. “I end my turn.”

Her hand shaking, Twilight slowly drew. She looked at her new card, her eyes narrow. She bit her lip and hung her head. This can’t be it… there must be a way…She reached out a hand to slide a card into play. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Magia’ in defense mode and end my turn.”

“Is that all?” Sunset drew her new card. “Superbia, destroy Harmony Spirit Selena!” Superbia cackled and launched its attack. The teal magic tore into the lunar spirit, her gown catching fire and burning as she faded into light.

They’re all… Twilight clenched her eyes shut. I can’t fight back like this… one by one they’re all going to be destroyed…

“I end my turn.” Sunset crossed her arms. “Make your move, Twilight, such as it is.”

Twilight picked up her card and stared down at it. “I draw, and…” She stopped and set her cards on the table. “I end my turn.”

“Really?” Sunset shook her head. “To think that after all my anticipation of finally dueling you, you’re going to go out on a whimper instead of a bang…” She drew and tossed her card aside. “Superbia, finish off Draco.” Superbia flew across the field and slashed, claws alight with teal magic. Draco roared as it was sliced apart. “I end my turn.”

Twilight drew her card, grit her teeth, and shut her eyes. “I draw and end my turn.”

“Aw. Just one left now. Superbia, destroy Honestas!” Superbia dove and slashed, Honestas shattering. “And now just one monster stands between you and my greatest monster.” Sunset leered at Magia. “Make your final move, Twilig

None of my monsters can fight back…She hiccupped and felt tears come to her eyes. No… it can’t end like this… She looked over at her deck.

“Funny, isn’t it?” Sunset watched as Twilight slowly extended her hand. “You came in so brave, so confident. But now look at you. Hopeless. Weak. On the cusp of defeat.” She shook her head. “Take away that Element, take away your magic, and what’s left?”

“Twilight’s losing…” Fluttershy whimpered, sitting on the grass hugging herself.

“Tell me about it.” On her hands and knees, Pinkie coughed. “I feel like I just took a cannonball to the chest.”

“Come on you guys!” Rainbow looked down at the two. “Get up! Twilight needs our support!”

“Support?” Rarity, her arm over Rainbow’s shoulder for support, shook her head. “Rainbow, she’s alone in there. We can send her well wishes, but I don’t think it’s enough to win a duel like this.”

“…isn’t it?”

The five girls looked down at Spike.

“Twilight’s deck connects all of you, right? And you’ve been feeling the force of Sunset’s attacks. What if that connection could work both ways?” He looked between them as he spoke.

Applejack nodded. “Worth a shot, Ah reckon.”

“It’s better than standing around feeling helpless,” Rainbow agreed.

Pinkie and Fluttershy stood up. Standing in a circle, one by one the five girls held out their hands and laid them on top of the others.

“Don’t worry, Twilight.” Sunset whispered. “By the time I take over Equestria, you won’t be around to see it fall. And none of your friends will ever know how badly you failed them.”

Twilight’s hand hovered above her deck when a shadow fell over her. She raised her head to see Superbia looking down at her.

“Just surrender, Twilight.” Sunset’s voice almost seemed to come from the demon as Twilight looked into its eyes. “I promise I’ll make it quick. I’ll even spare your friends in this world. You can stay here with them. It isn’t so bad once you get used to it.”

“I…” Twilight closed her eyes.

“Just put your hand on the deck, and say the word.”

Twilight slowly lowered her hand and pressed her fingers to the top card.

“Don’t give up, Twilight!”

She gasped sharply, her eyes wide. What?

“We’re all counting on you!”

Twilight stepped back and whirled her head around. “Who said that?”

“I did!” Sunset snapped.

“We haven’t given up on you, so don’t you give up on us!”

As Twilight looked across the field at Sunset, the dueling arena receded into the darkness, until only nebulous purple cloud surrounded her. Alone in the darkness, Twilight shivered and took a step back.

“Come on, Twi!”

She turned and stared.

Behind her in a circle stood the glowing forms of her friends.

“You…” Twilight slowly stepped up to them. “How is this possible?”

“Dunno.” Applejack shrugged. “Ah guess this is your magic again, right?”

“No.” Twilight shook her head. “Sunset used my magic to begin this Shadow Game. I have no magic anymore.”

“Oh, come on!” Rainbow snorted. “I’ve known about this magic less than a day and even I know that’s a load!”

“Sunset has magic too, but it’s nothing like yours.” Rarity smiled warmly. “Sunset’s magic just destroys. Your magic has brought us all together.”

“Uh-huh!” Pinkie grinned and winked. “After all, the way you tell it, it wasn’t Sunset that got that fancy crown, was it?”

“She won’t win, Twilight.” Fluttershy nodded firmly. “And you know why, the same as us.”

Twilight looked down at the hands in front of her and reached out her own. She watched as magic lit up over her arm. “This light…” The closer her hand got to the hands, the warmer and brighter the light shone. It washed over Twilight in a wave. She inhaled and raised her eyes. “You guys…”

The five vanished into particles of light from head to toe down their arms, until only an orb of light remained hovering below Twilight’s hand. She smiled and closed her eyes.

“How could I have forgotten…”

Sunset looked around the dueling arena. Across from her, Twilight’s booth stood empty. “This isn’t possible. Where is she?” She looked down at the Element of Magic and gasped. The jewel on it was glowing brightly. “What?” There was a crack of thunder and Sunset looked up.

A massive pillar of purple light shot down from the abyss of the clouds and slammed into Twilight’s dueling booth. Hovering in front of it, Superbia screamed and was flung back to Sunset’s side of the field. The light on the Element of Magic turned into an orb and shot into the pillar. Sunset gaped, her eyes widening.

“Twilight?”

Standing in the field of light, Twilight slowly opened her eyes. She reached out and put a hand on her deck.

“It’s over, Sunset.”

With a flourish of her hand, Twilight drew and held her hand over her Graveyard.

“I return Harmony Spirit Selena to the deck to return Harmony Fusion to my hand, and activate it!”

Rays of rainbow light shone out from the card. The light circled the field in ribbons before converging on Harmony Spirit Magia. The fairy was encircled by an orb of white light.

Her eyes lit up purple, Twilight lowered her hand as the card in it dissolved. The orb of light rose into the air, spinning and growing larger.

“I fuse together Harmony Spirits Gracia, Honestas, Risus, Pietas, and Magnanimity, with Harmony Spirit Magia on the field!”

Streams of yellow, orange, pink, blue, and purple light came from Twilight’s dueling booth and flowed into the orb of light.

Sunset shook her head. “This can’t be…” She growled and slammed her fists on the booth. “You’d fuse together all of them?”

“This is the final evolution of my magic, Sunset.” Twilight stared at her with glowing eyes, her voice echoing across the field. “There is a power in my heart and my deck greater than any you could ever muster. My card reflects my heart, all the joys and hopes of my friends that I carry with me. This is the power that the heart of my cards holds, Sunset. A magic without peer.” Twilight held her hands out. “Behold it now!”

The orb of magic cracked apart, light flashing. Sunset just watched as a being inside the orb came into focus.

Large, feathered wings in a hundred shades of pink and violet rose into the air. A long spiral horn rose from the being’s forehead amid deep purple hair. A crest of violet energy in the form of a six-pointed star hovered behind its back, pulsing and glowing. A gown in gold and purple and white covered its body, strands of material spiraling into the air. The eyes were not eyes but voids of magical energy, crackling and snapping the air.

“I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Magia Amicitia’! (2500/2000)”

The blinding light from the monster’s summoning faded. Sunset shook her head and gnashed her teeth. “So what? She only has half the power of my Superbia!”

“For now.” Twilight held a hand over her deck. With a shining shimmer of purple magic a card appeared on top of it. “When Magia Amicitia is summoned, I can activate this card from my deck.” She drew the card and placed it on the field. “The Equip Spell card ‘Bonds of Harmony’!” Magia Amicitia lit up in an aura of purple light, the star behind it glowing a deeper shade of purple. “With Bonds of Harmony equipped to her, Magia Amicitia will return to the Extra Deck at the end of the turn. But for this turn, she gains 500 attack points for every Level 4 Harmony Spirit in the graveyard.”

“No!” Sunset cried out.

Twilight pointed across the field. “Magia Amicitia, destroy Superbia! Shining Lightray!” An orb of white light appeared in Magia Amicitia’s palm (2500 → 5500). The orb flashed and shot a ray of light across the field. Sunset screamed as the blast struck Superbia, sending the demon flying back to the clouds above her to be blown away by the light.

-Sunset Life Points: 3000-

Sunset stumbled back, a hand on the side of her head.

“How could it be her? She wouldn’t have followed me…” Sunset scoffed and shook her head. “Of course she would, she’d be the obvious choice to get the crown back…” She stopped and took a breath. “No, don’t worry. This isn’t a problem yet. It’s the first day. She can still go home now. I can keep this controlled.” She steeled herself and put on a scowl, then approached the door to the girl’s bathroom.

The memory faded and she raised her head. She saw the cards in front of her glowing red and laughed. “A nice try, Twilight, but it isn’t enough. Superbia’s ability activates!” She pulled her cards out and watched them dissolve. “Superbia forces me to return my banished Infernal Spirits to the deck to revive her! I sacrifice Ira, and Superbia returns to me!” A ring of fire on Sunset’s field grew into a portal that Superbia flew out of. (5000 → 4500)

Sunset leered. “Too bad! You made a good last move, but not good enough! Your turn is over, and now the time to destroy you has finally arrived!”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed and she flung out her hand. “Hold on, Sunset! My Magia Amicitia has an ability of its own. And it activates when you revive your Superbia.”

Sunset paused. “What?”

“Now, by returning all copies of a Level 4 Harmony Spirit in the graveyard to the deck, Magia Amicitia is allowed to attack again!” The image of Gracia rose from Twilight’s booth and turned into an orb of yellow light. The orb floated to one of the points on the star behind Magia Amicitia. (5500 → 5000) Tendrils of yellow magic snaked from it into the orb of light in her hand, and she fired it forward. The attack exploded on impact with Superbia’s chest and obliterated her.

-Sunset Life Points: 2500-

Twilight leaned forward. “You know what happens now.”

Sunset slowly raised her head, her eyes wide. “Superbia… revives itself again.” Gula’s cards slid out of Sunset’s discard pile and burst into flame.

“And every time Superbia’s effect to resurrect itself activates, my Amicitia’s effect will also trigger!” Twilight flung her copies of Risus into the air. The cards turned into pink light and floated to Magia Amicitia’s star. The fairy (5000 → 4500) fired a wave of white light tinged with pink and yellow towards Superbia. (4500 → 4000)

-Sunset Life Points: 2000-

“How could she do that!?” Sunset growled and kicked the trash can in the hallway over. “I spent almost a year practicing my magic before I could conjure mine, and she’s summoning it in a day’s time?” She glared down the hall at a random student that had walked by, sending them running in the opposite direction. Sunset took a breath. “There’s still three duels until the finals. She might not even place… who am I kidding, with that power at her disposal they won’t stand a chance.”

“No! This can’t be happening!” Sunset stumbled back, her hands clutching her hair. Between her fingers she saw Avarita’s cards falling to the bottom of the booth in a shower of embers.

“I return Magnanimity to the deck!” Twilight held up the cards, the spirit of the white fairy appearing from them and flying forward. Superbia (3500) growled as Magia Amicitia (4000) conjured another orb of magic, colored yellow, pink, and white. The demon’s wings snapped back with the force, her hair’s fire growing lower.

-Sunset Life Points: 1500-

Sunset paced back and forth in the parking lot of Sugarcube Café. “This can’t be coincidence. The six of them, all here, now, reconciling because of her?” She looked through the window at the group sitting and chatting. “The Elements of Harmony don’t exist in this world, but if our connection to our Equestrian counterparts is real, she might…” She stopped when the door to the cafe opened. She looked at who had left and watched. She was walking towards her. Sunset approached the streetlamp nearby.

“Rarity.”

“Stop it!” Sunset screamed as more pain and memories assailed her. She saw her Luxuria cards float up from the field and snatched at them. Her fingers passed through them as they lit in fire and burnt away, the embers scattering with her hand.

“I can’t stop it. Magia Amicitia’s ability is mandatory, the same as Superbia’s.” Twilight looked down as her Honestas cards slid out of the graveyard and turned into light. “You said it yourself, Sunset. Superbia will revive again and again as long as she has spirits to feed on.” Twilight shook her head. “It’s her own selfish devotion to her own power that’s to blame for this. The both of you!”

Magia Amicitia (3500) fired another burst of magic. Superbia (3000) turned away and braced herself as it consumed her.

-Sunset Life Points: 1000-

Sunset stared into the bathroom mirror, water dripping down her face. “That was the most powerful magic I could infuse into Rarity, and not even that was enough.” She grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and dried her face. “And I still have to beat one more of them later today. If my magic hasn’t fully recovered before the duel.” She licked her lips. “No. Can’t think like that. I’m stronger than her, I know it. I just have to push myself. I can do this!”

Sunset collapsed to her duel podium, her eyelids twitching, her hands shaking. Acedia’s cards landed in front of her to burn away at her knees. “Twilight… please! Make it stop…”

“Only you can stop this, Sunset. The same as you’ve always been able to.” Twilight flung her copies of Pietas into the air. They merged into a fifth orb that joined the other four on Magia Amicitia’s star emblem.

Superbia (2500) roared angrily as Magia Amicitia’s (3000) attack hit her.

-Sunset Life Points: 500-

“This is it…” Sunset looked down at her deck, Infernal Spirit Superbia on the top. “I’ve been waiting years for the chance to prove I’m better than her…” She looked out the window at the dueling field outside and the six girls near the steps leading towards it. “So why am I hesitating?” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s too late to turn back now. I’m so close to my final victory.” She inhaled deeply. “Time to put on my game face and end this, once and for all.”

Sunset slowly pulled herself up and found herself level with her cards. She watched, her lip quivering, as her Invidia cards vanished in particles of red light. She looked up at Twilight and drew a shaky breath. “I… they’re gone. That was my last spirit…”

“I know.” Twilight nodded and held up a familiar card. “And this one is mine.” Magia turned into an orb of light and floated to the final point of the star.

Sunset inhaled as she felt magic surge from the monster floating over the field. Magia Amicitia cupped her hands together over her chest and lowered her head. A swirling orb of rainbow colors appeared in her palms. Sunset watched as the light coming from it grew brighter and brighter, until the two monsters in front of her were impossible to see. She saw nothing but swirls of color.

This light… I understand…

From within the light an orb of violet magic floated in front of Sunset.

Twilight…

It’s over, Sunset.

Sunset merely closed her eyes as the light reached her. She swooned, falling back into nothingness.

I’m sorry…

I know.

Sunset held out a hand and felt another set of fingers wrap around hers.

Author's Note

Sunset’s and Twilight’s deck lists have been updated with all cards.

The final chapter and epilogue will be posted together next week.

The Tale Comes to an End in Light

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Tale Comes to an End in Light

As the students of Canterlot High watched, a pillar of rainbow light burst out of the dark clouds obscuring the dueling field. A shockwave flared from the pillar, dispersing the clouds into wisps. The pillar receded, revealing Twilight Sparkle floating above the arena. She descended to the ground, stumbling and catching herself on the booth.

Spike ran to the edge of the platform “Twilight!” The girl groaned in response, holding her head.

The assembled crowd began to murmur among themselves. As Twilight’s friends below looked up at her, someone in the crowd shouted, “The scores!” Everyone turned their attention to the scoreboard, still functioning. Twilight’s Life Points were at 300, while Sunset’s displayed 0.

Celestia and Luna leaned in to whisper to each other, then Celestia stood. “Students, in spite of the disruption to the viewing audience, it seems the duel continued and has concluded! The winner of the Autumn Crown Tournament is Twilight Sparkle!” The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, a chant of Twilight’s name rising.

In the arena, Twilight raised her head and looked at the opposite booth. “Sunset!” She scooped up her deck and slipped it in her pocket, then jumped over the edge and ran across the arena to climb up into Sunset’s booth. The other girl was sprawled on her back, her cards lying scattered across her display. “Sunset?” Twilight knelt and put a hand on a Sunset’s shoulder.

Sunset slowly opened her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering. She saw Twilight over her and swallowed heavily. “I… I’m sorry. I…” Sunset sat up, groaning and clenching her eyes. “I couldn’t… I was just so angry and…”

“It was your own dark magic,” Twilight whispered. “You let your hatred and rage fuel each other until they consumed your heart.”

“I didn’t mean to!” Sunset opened her eyes, staring ahead. “I just wanted to prove I could beat you, that I was worthy…”

“I know.” Twilight looked at Sunset’s cards and gasped softly. She picked up the closest and held it up. The card was blank. “A duelist’s deck reflects the heart. Sunset’s heart was full of evil, but now…”

“Hey, Twilight!” Twilight stood up and looked over the edge of the platform. Her friends on the ground waved at her and beckoned towards her.

Twilight turned her attention back to Sunset. She gathered up Sunset’s cards and held them out to her. “Come on.” Sunset looked at the outstretched hand holding her blank deck and reached out to take it. With her other hand she took Twilight’s and let her pull her to her feet. Twilight stepped to the platform to descend and waited for Sunset to step up beside her before she pushed the button. Sunset looked away as they came down and stepped aside as soon as the platform reached ground level.

Twilight stepped out to follow her and was swarmed by her friends. “Way to go, Twilight!” Pinkie cried, ruffling her hair.

“Ah just wish we could’ve seen the thing,” Applejack said.

Twilight looked between her friends at Sunset’s retreating form. “Maybe it’s for the best that you didn’t…”

“Twilight Sparkle.”

The sound of Celestia’s voice sent the five dispersing, leaving Twilight to face the human form of her mentor, the Element of Magic in her hands.

“Since joining this tournament, you’ve demonstrated skill with your cards surpassing that of any other duelist. To say nothing of the virtues and values you’ve espoused and upheld in your behavior.” Celestia smiled and walked up to her. “I’d say you’ve earned this more than many who have worn the crown before you. Congratulations. You’re everything our school could ask for in our Autumn Crown Champion.” She reached up to slide the Element over Twilight’s head. The star shone and lit up pink as it was set into place, a few small swirls of magic tracing down the gold.

Twilight reached up to touch the familiar crown, sensing the magic coursing through the gemstone. I did it… the Element of Magic is safe again… She broke into a grin and bowed her head. “Thank you, Prince… Principal Celestia.” She looked at her friends and nodded. “But I didn’t do it alone. I had the support and encouragement of all my friends. We share a bond stronger than any card.”

“Me too!” Spike called, padding a paw on her sock.

Twilight knelt to pick him up and nuzzle him. “Yes, you too, Spike.”

“Did your dog just talk?” Twilight’s eyes popped and she looked at Celestia. The principal stared at Spike for a moment, and then held up her hands. “It’s hardly the strangest thing we’ve had happen in this tournament.” She turned and walked away.

The other five once again surrounded Twilight. “She’s right, on every count,” Rarity said.

Rainbow playfully punched Twilight in the shoulder. “Not bad for someone who had to learn the game from scratch in three days!”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Twilight!” Twilight turned at the sound of her name and saw Flash Sentry approach the group. Flash held out a hand. “Sorry I missed the duel, still getting over my own. But, congratulations, I guess.”

“Thank you.” Twilight took the offered hand and let Flash shake it. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Our tag team duel helped me qualify for the finals.”

“Nah, you would have been fine.” Flash took his hand back and shrugged. “I’m just glad we never got matched up in the finals. I’d have hating having to put you out.”

Twilight scoffed. “You wouldn’t have beaten me.”

“Really?” Flash’s eyes shifted to the side. “I mean, no offense, Twilight, you’re awesome and all, but I think I could take you.”

“Is that right?”

“Duel!” Someone in the crowd called. The chant caught on almost immediately and Twilight found herself surrounded by hundreds of students calling for the former and current champion to duel.

“No.” She shook her head. “Flash never played this game just to win titles. I did, but only because I needed this crown. The rest of you?” She stepped up to the foot of the stands and looked around. “You let Sunset Shimmer, and this game, bring out the worst in all you. Competitiveness, bitterness, hatred. How many friendships have you lost over these tournaments ever since you let them dictate your lives at the school? How many have you made from the same? I’ll wager not many.”

The crowd murmured among themselves, looking at each other and away from Twilight. She nodded. “Thought so. That has to change. Not just this year, or the next year. You didn’t let things get this way from one tournament, and you won’t change back to the old ways from this one. But it’s going to be worth it. Dueling should be about forging new friendships and strengthening existing ones, not destroying them. I know it can happen, I’ve seen it and I’ve experienced it.”

Twilight brought her hand to her chest and bowed her head. “I can’t stay here, I wish I could. I’d love to duel Flash and all my friends and all of you, and have fun doing it. Instead, I just have to trust you all to change on your own.”

She turned back to her five friends and Flash. “With Sunset defeated this school has a chance to rediscover their love of dueling. Try and make sure they do.”

Flash frowned but nodded. “Will do. But, where are you going?”

Before Twilight could reply, Spike jumped on top of Flash’s shoes to get his attention. “It’s a long story that involves magical talking ponies. We’re kinda short on time to tell it, though.”

Flash’s eyes were wide. “Ooookay. Right then, probably best not to ask huh?”

“Sorry.” Twilight shrugged.

“Nah, it’s cool.” Flash knelt and patted Spike on the head. “You guys go and do… whatever.”

“Thanks, Flash. Spike, let’s go before you freak out anyone else.”

“Aw, but it’s fun!” Spike pouted but followed Twilight across the campus. They rounded the corner and walked towards the Wondercolt statue.

Twilight paused to look up at the sky. “I hope there’s still time.” She stopped in front of it and reached out. At her touch the stone rippled and lit up. She pulled her hand back with a relieved sigh.

“Twilight!” She turned to see her friends following her. “Hey, we’ve gotta say goodbye too, right?” Rainbow asked.

“Of course.” Twilight chuckled. “Just making sure we still have time to go back.” She bit her lip as the words left her mouth. Go back…

“So, there’s a world of talking ponies on the other side of that portal?” Fluttershy asked.

“Mhm.” Twilight nodded. “That’s the world I belong to.” She sighed. “I always knew I’d have to go back, but I didn’t think I’d make friends here like I did. This portal only opens every two and a half years. By the time it opens again you’ll probably all be graduated and moved on… I’ll likely never see any of you again.”

“Hey!” Rainbow shook her head. “Don’t give us any of that! So what if we never see each other again? We’ve got that special magic bond stuff going on.”

“Dash is right.” Applejack smiled. “Ya’ve connected us to each other and yerself, now. We’ll always be with ya.”

“And even if we do never meet again, we’ll always remember you,” Rarity added.

“Buuuut, just in case!” Pinkie reached up into her hair. “We got a little farewell present ready for you!” She pulled out a binder and held it out to Twilight.

Twilight took the binder and opened it. Pages of Duel Monster cards in plastic sleeves met her eyes. “This is for me?”

“Eh, don’t thank us too much.” Rainbow shrugged. “I mean, the binder is mostly junk commons we had lying around and a starter deck box we grabbed at the store earlier today. It’s nothing fancy.”

“No, it’s great.” Twilight shrugged her backpack off her shoulders and slipped the binder inside. “I’ll have to teach all my friends back in Equestria how to use them, though.”

“Not just them.” Fluttershy held out her hand. “These are for you, too.”

Twilight reached out to take the cards she was holding and looked down at them. Rainbow Dragon. Behemoth the King of All Animals. U.A. Dreadnought Dunker. Rosaria the Stately Fallen Angel. Manga Ryu-Ran. She realized where the cards must have come from and smiled widely.“Thank you.” She folded the cards up and put them in her pocket.

As she looked at the group, Twilight saw someone watching them from the corner of the school. She peered closer and held out her arm to gently push her friends aside. With the same hand she beckoned the watcher closer.

Sunset slowly approached the group, holding her arm. “Hey…”

The five glared at her. “You’ve got a lot of nerve,” Pinkie said slowly.

“I know…” Sunset hung her head. “I know nothing I can say can make up for all I’ve done here…”

“An apology would be a good start,” Rarity sniffed.

“Yeah… I’m sorry. I really am.” Sunset met their eyes each in turn before looking at Twilight. “Um… I know I don’t belong in this world, but… I can’t come back. Not yet. I’ve got a lot to make amends for here, first.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll trust you to be sincere with that.”

“I will be. I won’t use dueling to hurt anyone ever again.” Sunset took out her blank deck and looked down at it. “Not that I’ll have much choice in the matter.”

Looking down at the cards in her rival’s hand, Twilight had an idea. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her deck. She looked at it for a moment before extending her hand.

Sunset jerked her head up. “What?”

“Here.” Twilight gave a tilt of her head. “Look after them for me.”

“I’m not worthy to use your cards.”

“I think they’ll be the ones to decide that.”

Sunset stared for a moment before she took Twilight’s deck with her free hand. As she did Twilight reached out and took Sunset’s blank deck. “This deck is the old you. It’s not who you want to be anymore. It’s not anything. This is your chance to make a fresh start of it.”

Sunset stifled a snort. “I told myself that when I came here.”

“But you let your hatred for me infect your heart. Now you’ve been cleansed of it.” Twilight put her hand over Sunset’s on top of her deck. “And this time, they’ll be here to help you.”

“I…” Sunset swallowed heavily and nodded. “Thank you.”

With a smile and a nod, Twilight took her hands back and stepped back. “Well, I don’t think we should push our luck any further. I’m not sure when this thing closes.” She stood to pat Spike on the head. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Spike nodded.

Twilight took one more look at the six girls watching her before turning and stepping into the portal.

The sense of spacial distortion faded and Twilight took a moment to recognize she was on all fours. She looked down and saw a pair of hooves on the floor below.

“Twilight!” She felt the group clustering around her in a hug before she saw them. As her friends embraced her Twilight saw Celestia approach from behind them.

“I see you have your crown back. And Sunset Shimmer?”

Twilight bit her lip and shrugged a bit to hint to her friends to step back. “She’s staying behind. I think she has a lot to make right over there before she’ll be ready.”

“I see.”

“What are these?” Twilight turned her head; Pinkie Pie had found the binder of cards in her saddlebag and pulled them out.

“Looks like some sort of card game,” Rainbow said.

“It is.” Twilight nodded. “There’s a lot of story to go over, first. Then when we get home…” She caught Spike’s eye and winked. “It’s time to duel.”

Epilogue

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Epilogue

“Come ooooon, Twilight!” Rainbow groaned.

“I’m almost done!” Twilight muttered. She finished scratching the runes into the side of the crystal with her chisel, and blew on it. The dust scattered and the rune began to glow a pale green. “That should do it.” She stepped back and looked it over. A semi-circular metal platform about the size of a table stood on the ground in front of her, blue crystals embedded in its sides. Two taller spires of crystal were mounted on the top at the tips of the table. A few hoof lengths away, an identical construct faced this one.

Rainbow stepped up to the platform and reached into her saddle bag to pull out a deck of Duel Monster cards. “You ready?”

At the other table, Applejack nodded, her own deck already on the field. “If this here thing works, Ah am.”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Twilight leaned her head down and fired a bolt of magic at Rainbow’s table. The crystals lit up in blue light and began to pulse. She turned and did the same to Applejack’s table. “Okay, give it a go!”

“I’ll go first!” Rainbow reached out to draw six cards from her deck and looked down at them. “I summon Harpie Queen!” She slid the card onto the metal table. The blue crystals on either side of Rainbow lit up and shot beams of magic down at her card. The transparent image of a woman with winged arms and talons on her legs appeared over the card, stretching her wings out. Rainbow gasped. “That is so awesome! Um, okay… I set a card and end my turn.”

“Let’s see here…” Applejack lifted a card from her hand. “Ah summon Naturia Pumpkin!” As she put her card down, the crystals on her table lit up and projected the image of a small green and yellow fruit sitting on her card. Applejack whistled low. “Well, how about that!”

“You did it, Twilight!” Pinkie squeed and hugged Twilight around the neck.

“Well, not yet,” Twilight coughed as Pinkie squeezed her until the other pony let go. “This is just a crude first effort, really a proof of concept. I only enchanted the crystals with images for a few cards, mostly just our decks. It was hard enough getting them in anyway since the crystals can only hold so much magic before they explode and quality specimens like this are rare. If I actually wanted to expand them I’d probably have to try enchanting smaller crystals with only a few cards, maybe let a duelist carry around a crystal attuned to their deck. But then every time they adjust the deck the spells would have to be changed. I could just try a new spell to let the crystals create images on their own by scanning the card image, but some of the designs don’t show the full monster. Not to mention this is a long way from actually being portable to the point a pony could wear it comfortably—”

“Twilight.” She stopped at Rainbow’s voice. “Can we just play?”

“Oh, right.” Twilight blushed. “Sorry.”

“I call winner!” Pinkie shouted. She, Spike, Rarity and Fluttershy sat down at the side as Applejack continued her turn.

Twilight watched them for a moment before heading into the castle to go to her lab. I didn’t even get into the difficulties of actually expanding the card database. I remember a lot of the cards I saw and I could probably design original ones, but creating a crystal magic Duel Disk is one thing. It’s another to come up with a properly balanced card game. She looked around the lab she had used to build the disk, books on magic and hardware crafting strewn about along with pieces of metal and crystal. The binder from her friends in the other world, many of its cards removed to be used for testing, lay on the table.

“For now, these will do.” She looked at the binder and smiled. There were several hundred cards in it, most of them lacking synergy to properly build a deck comparable to the ones she had seen in the other world. But it had enough cards for her friends to assemble workable decks and try out the game, and they were taking to it rather well. She was sure that as they kept playing and refining their understanding of the game, the six of them could put their heads together and come up with ideas worthy of the original game.

As Twilight examined the cards, light began to shine from a nearby shelf. She turned to it and saw the source in a stack of cards. She lifted them over to the table. “Sunset?” Sunset Shimmer’s blank deck of cards looked up at her, their surfaces shining. Twilight spread them out over the table and watched.

In waves of sparkles, the blank white boxes on the cards were washed away to be replaced with new artworks. Symbols Twilight didn’t recognize, blue and red triangles with numbers below them, were on either side of the cards’ effect text, which was split into two boxes.

When the glow ended and the cards finished their transformation, Twilight looked at the nearest one. “Pendulum monster?” Scrunching her nose at the unfamiliar term, she looked up at the card’s artwork. A humanoid figure with long pink hair and pale blue and green armor posed with a bow, aiming at some unseen enemy. Twilight’s jaw dropped as she saw the name of the card. “Harmony Guardian Gracia?” She looked over the other cards. The visages were all at once familiar and new, depicting seven human figures in colored armor wielding assorted weapons. Twilight lifted up one of them and brought it closer.

A human figure in golden armor sat atop a rock outcropping, a sword with a sun on the hilt resting against her leg. Red and yellow hair streamed down her back and blew in the wind. Harmony Guardian Compassio.

Twilight set the card down. A duelist’s deck reflects what’s in the heart… She closed her eyes and smiled.

Congratulations, Sunset. We’ll duel again someday. I promise.

Author's Note

Author’s notes

Duelists of the Autumn Crown Abridged

Duelists of the Crown Autumn Abridged

“AAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

Spike put a paw on Twilight’s leg. “What’s wrong, Twilight? Are you screaming because you’ve been turned into a strange two-legged being with hands?”

Twilight shook her head and gestured to her arm. “No, I’m screaming because I’m wearing a duel disk! That must mean I’ve been transported into a Yu-Gi-Oh crossover!” She stood up and stared at the offending device strapped to her forearm. “Now the fate of the world depends on if I can defeat Sunset Shimmer in a children’s card game.”

“Twilight, we don’t know Sunset wants to take over the world.”

“Clearly you don’t understand how this franchise works.” Twilight looked down at Spike. “Also, you’re a dog.”

“I know.” Spike shrugged and scratched his ear.

“You seem to be taking it well considering it’s a downgrade. You don’t have opposable thumbs, the ability to walk upright, and you have to deal with shedding.”

“On the other hand, now I get to lick myself in public.”

“I never saw the appeal in that… why are you looking at me that way?”

Flash Sentry waved eagerly. “Hi, I’m in this story!”

Twilight waved back. “Good for you.”

“I come from another dimension where I’m a talking purple unicorn – alicorn now, actually – and my five friends and I have magical necklaces – well, they have necklaces, I have a crown, because I’m a princess – that are critical to the national security of our country. One of the students here, who is also a talking unicorn from my dimension, stole my crown and brought it to this world, ostensibly to use its magic for dark purposes, probably related to what is almost certainly her unfeasibly high level of skill in children’s card games. So, if you could kindly give the crown back to me, I’ll be on my way and you can call the police on her or banish her to the moon or whatever it is you beings do with criminals here.”

Twilight stopped and held out her hands expectantly.

Principal Celestia stared at her.

After several seconds of silence, Twilight flexed her fingers. “This is the part where you give me my crown. Please.”

Celestia calmly reached over to her phone, put the receiver to her ear, and pressed a button. “Kibitz, please alert the nurse we have a student in my office that is experiencing severe hallucinations. She’ll require a sedative promptly.”

“Twilight’s not hallucinating!” Spike jumped up on the desk and glared at Celestia. “She’s telling the truth!”

“…bring one for me, too, please.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll handle it myself!” Twilight huffed and grabbed Spike before marching to the door. “No wonder Equestria has so many enemies if this is how you handle diplomacy with foreign leaders.”

“So, if you could kindly sign me up for the tournament, I’ll win my crown back and be on my way and you can call the police on her or banish her to the moon or whatever it is you beings do with criminals here.”

“Makes sense to me!” Pinkie said cheerily. “Does your mom make you special cupcakes too?”

“No.”

“Oh. I’d go to a doctor if I were you.” Pinkie turned to her computer and clicked a few times, then reached into her backpack. “Okay, all signed up for the tournament, and here you go!” She held a small booklet out to Twilight.

Twilight looked at the booklet. “What’s that?”

“A Yu-Gi-Oh rulebook.”

“What would I want that for?”

“So you can learn how to play the game!”

“Clearly you don’t understand how this franchise works.”

Twilight flipped through the rulebook and tossed it into a nearby trash can on the front steps of the school. “According to my speedread of the rulebook, this crossover will only feature Fusion Monsters, and not use Synchros, Xyzs, or Pendulums. It’s to make things more ‘accessible’.”

Spike nodded. “Good idea, we’re already catering to a pretty niche audience here.”

Twilight pressed a button on her duel disk and a holographic prompt appeared displaying lines of text. “The script says the plot doesn’t actually get going until tomorrow morning, which gives us enough time to pad things out and show off my deck by finding one of our friends to duel.”

Spike walked next to Twilight as she stood and headed back into the school. “How do you know there are more of our friends in this world? And how will you find them?

“I shall walk ten meters in a random direction and come across one of them by chance.”

“That sounds kinda like lazy writing.”

“It’s worked so far.” Twilight rounded the corner and pointed at Sunset glowering over Fluttershy. “See?”

Sunset’s head jerked up from Fluttershy. “I sense someone is anime-pointing at me.” She swiveled her head and glared at Twilight. “Who are you?”

Twilight looked down at herself, putting a hand on her skirt to pull it forward so she could clearly make out the pink star emblem on the purple fabric. She looked back at Sunset with a raised eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Well, it doesn’t matter.” Sunset tossed her hair and proudly marched towards Twilight. “Just stay out of my way.”

Twilight put a hand out and grabbed Sunset’s arm as she passed. “I don’t think so! I’m here to face you in the tournament and beat you!”

Sunset snorted. “Please. Do you even know how to play Yu-Gi-Oh?”

“No, I do not!”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “I’m watching you.” She backed down the hall, not breaking eye contact until she was around the corner.

Twilight rolled her eyes and turned to wave at Fluttershy. “Hi!”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Um, hi.”

“I’m Twilight!”

“I’m Fluttershy.”

“Wanna duel?”

“No.”

“Too bad, I’m the main character, you have no choice!” Twilight grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the hall.

Twilight grinned. “Since I just discarded a Harmony Spirit, the effect of Magnanimity activates, letting me draw a card.”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “But, with that effect, every card with a discard cost pays for itself.”

“That’s right.”

“That seems a bit overpowered.”

“Clearly you don’t understand how this franchise works.”

Fluttershy sighed and put a hand on the picture of her friends. “This game used to be about fun and making friends and bringing people together, but now it’s just a competition to see who’s the best.”

Twilight pursed her lip. “I’ve already used the ‘you don’t understand this franchise’ joke on you, so I’m going to forego a response to that and go back to the internet.” She swiveled in her chair and turned her attention back to Fluttershy’s computer. “Speaking of, do you really need bookmarks for all these porn sites?”

“I think it’s just that you logged into my brother’s account instead of mine.”

“That explains the anthro Rainbow Dash wallpaper.”

“…Nevermind.”

Twilight cracked her knuckles and grinned. “The first day of the tournament is here!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Are you worried if you’ll be good enough to make it to the finals?”

“No, I’m a main character, therefore I’m at least promised a spot in the top eight. And because I’m the main character, it’s a sure thing I’ll make it to the finals.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No.” Twilight smiled and gently patted Fluttershy on the head. “You shall now be my cheerleader, who shall have a worse win-loss record than me to make it seem like I’m a great duelist and shall give me words of encouragement between duels. Think you can handle that?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Sure, I do that for Rainbow Dash all the time!”

Flash Sentry waved eagerly. “I’m still in this story!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yes, good, because we’re all wondering what Flash Sentry is doing while I’m busy with plot things.”

Spike gaped. “Rarity is so hot!”

Twilight scrunched her face. “Spike, she’s a human, and you’re a dog. I will not even begin to get into how disgusting I find you right now. Also, let’s not think too hard about what that says about your crush on her back in Equestria.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up in purple light. “Main Character Powers activate! I summon all my Harmony Spirits at once and attack and destroy all of your monsters!”

Rarity let out an indignant huffed. “How did you do that?”

“Exactly.”

“…that makes no sense!”

“Clearly you don’t understand how this franchise works.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Are you going to keep saying that?”

Twilight looked down at him. “Spike, I’m the main character in a Yu-Gi-Oh story. If I don’t push a catchphrase every time I duel, what are we even doing here?”

Sunset smirked. “You’ll never beat me, Twilight. I’m better than you in every way.”

“How so?”

“I’m smarter than you, I sing better than you, and I have a much cooler and sexier design!”

“All of those things are completely wrong!” Twilight glanced down from Sunset’s face and then back up. “At least two of those things are completely wrong!”

“I’m also better than you at Duel Monsters.”

“That is also completely wrong!”

“We’ll find out tomorrow, once we face each other in the finals.”

Spike looked up at Sunset. “That assumes you even make it to the finals.”

Sunset snorted. “Of course I will. I’m the main antagonist. That means Twilight and I will have to face each other in the finals.”

“She does understand how this franchise works.” Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Game on, you beautiful bitch.”

Snips and Snails held up their duel disks. “We’re evil now!” Snips called.

Twilight sighed. “I don’t care.”

“And we challenge you to a duel!” Snails added.

“I don’t care about that, either.”

Flash Sentry waved eagerly. “I’m still in this story!”

“We’re oh-for-three now on me caring.”

“You should care, because now I’m going to do something!” Flash stepped up beside Twilight and activated his duel disk.

Twilight frowned. “Flash, what are you doing?”

“Helping you.” Flash smiled at Twilight. “There’s no way you could beat them two-on-one!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Even if I wasn’t a main character, it’s Snips and Snails, how bad could they be?”

Snips laughed and spread his hands. “I summon three monsters at once and raise their attack points to over 3000 each!”

Snails looked at his hand and scratched his head. “Um… I set a card and set a monster.”

“I’m not sure who’s more annoying, so I’m just going to kill both of you at once.” Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Main Character Powers activate! I summon a Fusion monster and use it to attack!”

Flash nodded. “And I activate my Spell card to raise its attack points so it can win the duel.” He grinned at Twilight. “I helped!”

“Your mother must be very proud of you.”

“…I hope so.” Flash sniffed and hung his head as he walked away.

Fluttershy ran over to Snips and Snails. “Twilight, I think you killed them.”

“Trust me, the world is a better place for their deaths.”

“We’re not dead!” Snails called out.

“Quiet, you’re ruining the moment.”

Rainbow growled. “I’m a competitive bitch!”

Applejack growled back. “Ah’m a competitive bitch, too!”

Sweetie Belle whimpered. “See what this game has done to them?”

“No.” Twilight shrugged. “Compared to Fall Weather Friends, this seems almost within reason. Let me know if one of them starts using evil magic; that I can help with.”

Trixie laughed and swept her arms across her field of monsters. “Behold, the Great and Powerful Trixie summons the Fanservice Magician Squad!” She grinned and pumped her fist. “With the power of fanboys on my side, there’s no way I can lose!”

“Unfortunately for you, Trixie, my monsters are anthropomorphized versions of the My Little Pony cast. Your advantage is robbed!” Twilight thrust her hand out. “Go, Fanservice Pony Squad! Wipe out her Life Points!”

Trixie fell to her knees as the holograms vanished. “I lost. I feel so pathetic.”

Twilight shook her head. “You didn’t even make me have to use my Main Character Powers. But Snips and Snails did. Go home and rethink your life, Trixie.”

Trixie stood up and tossed her hair. “You may have beaten me this time, Twilight, but once we adapt Rainbow Rocks, I shall have—” An electronic beeping filled the air. “Oh, excuse me.” Trixie pulled her phone out of her pocket, tapped it, and held it to her ear. “Go for Trixie… WHAT!?”

Rainbow Dash held her hand out over the table of the diner booth. “If we're gonna beat Sunset, we gotta be united in this!”

Applejack frowned. “You mean you want to duel her six-on-one?”

“No, I mean we all have to support and cheer for each other really hard! That way we’ll do better in our duels!”

“Makes sense to me!” Fluttershy said brightly.

Rarity looked at her phone. “I have to go, I have an appointment with a beautiful but devious evil mastermind in the parking lot in two minutes. Don’t wait up for me!”

Rarity looked around as she stood in front of her car door. “Where are you?! Show yourself!”

“Hello, Rarity.” Sunset stepped into the light of the streetlamp, sneering at her.

Rarity gasped. “Sunset Shimmer! I’ve been waiting for this day.”

“You have?”

“For the day you’d accost me in a parking lot and ravish me against the side of my car!”

Sunset’s sneer collapsed. “What?”

“Well, come on.” Rarity beckoned her forward. “Let’s not dally.”

“Rarity, I’m not here to ravish you. I’m here to infuse you with part of my evil magic so you can try to kill Twilight for me tomorrow.”

“If I do that, will you ravish me then?”

“…Sure.”

Rarity laughed, her eyes glowing. “Behold, I have been granted part of Sunset’s powers so I can kill Twilight Sparkle in a children’s card game! Also, my hair and clothing changed color now.”

Twilight snorted. “When I got infused with forbidden unknown magic, I grew wings. I’m not exactly impressed.”

“Oh yeah?” Rarity thrust out her hand, a Spell card glowing between her fingers. “I activate my Field Spell card, Advanced Dark!”

Twilight looked around as the ring of purple magic encircled them. “What does that do?”

“It makes all my monsters more evil.” Rarity held up another card. “So now I can summon my new ultimate card, Rainbow Darkness Bad Evil Mega Dragon of Evilness!”

Twilight looked up as the gigantic black and gold dragon loomed over her, and yawned. “I’m still not impressed. Main Character Powers activate!” Twilight put a hand over her deck. “I’ll show you a power stronger than anything Sunset could grant you.”

“Oh please, you mean ‘friendship’?” Rarity sneered.

“No – I mean shipping fodder!” Twilight pointed across the field. “Now watch as I use the card symbolizing Applejack to free you from Sunset’s evil influence!”

“But I look so sexy when I’m evil!” Rarity wailed as Honestas jumped up and clobbered her monster, shattering it.

“Once again, I have won.” Twilight folded her arms across her chest. “Now can I please duel Sunset and go home? I’m starting to get bored with all this winning… oh, who am I kidding, I’m not bored at all!”

“Now it’s time for me to duel Flash!” Sunset smirked as the dueling booths rose onto the field.

“Yay, I get to do something again!” Flash cheered.

“That’s right,” Sunset replied. “You get to lose to me in a humiliating fashion to make it obvious to everyone how badass and evil I am. Congratulations.”

“Oh no!” Fluttershy cupped her hands to her face. “If Sunset tries to use her magic, she could kill him!”

Twilight nodded. “I am very concerned about this.”

Applejack looked over at her. “Really?”

“Yes. If Sunset doesn’t use her magic, she’ll be fully rested when it’s time for us to duel.”

“But if she does use her magic, Flash might die!”

“Some sacrifices for the greater good are permissible.”

Sunset laughed. “I activate Infernal Tome and use it to Special Summon four Infernal Spirit monsters from my deck!”

Twilight gasped from the sidelines. “Wait a minute, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?”

Sunset looked down at her. “Yeah, so?”

“That’s against the rules, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s the effect of my Trap card, which explains its effects clearly.”

Twilight blinked. “Um, Sunset, that wasn’t the line.”

“I know.”

“You’re supposed to say—”

“I know what you wanted me to say. And no. We’re not doing the bit. This entire chapter is an homage to the Abridged Series, and the original story had several references to it already including direct quotes. We are not going to do the scene. It’s stupid, it’s overdone, and it’s redundant.”

Twilight pouted. “Now you’re just being difficult.”

Flash fell backwards off his dueling booth. “Ow!”

“Yay, my turn.” Twilight hopped over him and stepped on the platform.

“I think I broke my back.”

“And I pulled mine having to step over your corpse. Way to go, Flash.”

“I’m not dead yet.”

“Quiet, you’re ruining the moment.”

Sunset smiled as Twilight rose into view opposite her. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for eighteen chapters.”

“You and the entire audience, Sunset.” Twilight slammed her deck on the field. “And now it’s time to duel!”

“Yes, but first, I’m going to combine our magic to make this a Shadow Game, because I know how to do that and know what that term means.” Sunset held her hand out as clouds of darkness billowed out of the Element of Magic.

“Go ahead, Sunset.” Twilight glared back. “No matter what you do, I’m going to beat you and get my crown back and stop you from taking over Equestria!”

Sunset barked out a laugh. “Who said anything about wanting to take over Equestria?”

Twilight paused. “You mean, you don’t want to take over Equestria?”

“No, you idiot.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “This world is way better! We have the internet, cell phones, and cars! And look at these.” Sunset held her hands up and wiggled her fingers. “You have no idea how much more convenient everything is when you have hands. And have you seen me in a bikini? I could make this entire school bend to my whim with one sexy selfie. I love this world!”

“But if you don’t want to take over Equestria, then why did you steal my crown?”

“Because I’m going to get something far more valuable than ruling Equestria.” Sunset grinned. “I’m going to take over this franchise!”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “That’s impossible! I am the main character and shall always be so!”

“Nope. Once I beat you, I’ll be the main character, and I’ll get my own spin-off series.” Sunset tapped her chin. “I just need to think of a name for it. What do you think of ‘Equestria Girls’?”

“No one would ever watch that, why would you even think they would?” Twilight glared. “You’re as delusional as I am intelligent. And in case you’ve forgotten, I am a very well-read nerd.”

“And once I’m through with you, you’ll be a well-done nerd!”

Twilight held her head and groaned. “What a peculiar flashback. What caused it?”

“My powers!” Sunset called. “By the rules of this Shadow Game, every time you lose Life Points, I get to see a bad memory from your past that I can use to taunt you.”

“Why would you do that?”

“What?”

“Why would flashbacks worry me? I’ve lived a good life, I’m a Princess now, and I have many friends.” Twilight tilted her head. “Actually, considering your life seems to have taken all sorts of wrong turns, your flashbacks will probably be far more traumatic and painful to relive.”

“As if you’d ever damage me and find out!”

“Good point. Honestas, direct attack!” Honestas jumped up and swooped into a diving kick. Sunset coughed and fell backwards.

Twilight’s eyes glowed as her mind filled with memories from Sunset’s past. “…did you really wet yourself going down the slide when you were a filly?”

“I’d had a lot to drink and couldn’t hold it anymore!” Sunset protested.

“And you tried to insist it was just rain?”

“It had rained earlier in the morning, it might have been left over!”

“And then your father came over to wipe you off while lecturing you about proper potty training?”

“Stop narrating my comically embarrassing childhood!” Sunset grit her teeth. “My past is complicated and tragic, and if you understood it, you’d sympathize with me.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, you were Celestia’s other student who was jealous of me even though I never knew about you, and when you wanted powers and authority I was destined to have, you betrayed Celestia and ran away to find them in another world.”

Sunset’s jaw dropped. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Because it’s the same backstory every other fanfic has given you.” Twilight thrust her finger out to point accusingly. “Your past is so homogenous your cutie mark may as well be a three percent numeral.”

“It’s better than your backstory!” Sunset replied.

“You don’t even know my backstory.”

“Yes, I do, because it’s the exact same as my backstory. The only difference is you read more books and had less sex.”

“Then I have no regrets.”

“I summon my Infernal Spirit monsters!” Sunset spread her arms as her cards floated in front of her. “These cards are what’s going to kick your plot, Twilight!”

“Why do you even have those cards?”

Sunset paused and blinked. “What?”

“Why do you have cards based on previous villains?” Twilight asked.

“Because I’m evil, of course. I’m a villain, and obviously the best villain, so my cards are villains, just like your cards are your friends.”

“Yes, but, my friends and I are actually, y’know, friends. I’m fairly certain most of the characters your cards symbolize have never met you or each other.”

“You don’t know that!” Sunset snapped. “Perhaps we have a villain support group, where we meet for two hours every other Saturday to discuss the evil thing we’ve done, and bring baked goods to share, and console each other on our failures and tragic pasts that made us evil.”

“Do you do that?”

“…You don’t know we don’t.”

“And now I summon my ultimate monster, the Raging She-Demon!” Sunset grinned as her winged monster rose in front of her.

Twilight stared up at the demon. “I don’t know how you managed it, Sunset, but you managed to get screen time of yourself as a demon with a revealing dress. I admit I’m almost jealous.”

“Yes, cower in fear of her magnificent wingspan and arousing attire!” Sunset thrust her hand out. “Raging She-Demon, attack Twilight and end this duel!”

“I don’t think so!” Twilight’s eyes lit up purple. “Main Character Powers activate!”

“What!?” Sunset stepped back. “How? I used your powers to begin this Shadow Game, you can’t use them now. Because that is totally how magic works in this world.”

“I can use them because I have friends, Sunset!” Twilight’s eyes blazed. “You should have read my character sheet – for each friend I have, I get a plus two on all rolls involving usage of Main Character Powers, and when facing the main villain, I also get a plus five. So the more friends I have cheering for me, the easier it is to whup your butt!”

“That doesn’t even make sense!” Sunset shrieked. “How would having friends make it easier for you to beat me?”

“Clearly you have no idea how either of our franchises work!” Twilight crowed. “I summon my ultimate monster, Super Sailor Scout Anthro-Twi!” She pointed across the field. “Super Sailor Scout Anthro-Twi, destroy Raging She-Demon!” The humanoid pony princess held up a hand and fired a blast of magic across the field.

“It’s no use, Twilight!” Sunset laughed. “Every time my Raging She-Demon is destroyed, I can recycle one of my Infernal Spirits to revive her. You can’t stop me!”

“Yes I can! Because it just so happens my Super Sailor Scout Anthro-Twi has the ability to attack again whenever you summon a monster. So you’ve just triggered an attack loop, that will continue until your Life Points hit zero!”

“But, that’s not fair!” Sunset gaped. “That is ridiculously overpowered! How is a card like that even allowed to exist? It should be against the rules!”

“Screw the rules, I have friendship!” Twilight yelled and thrust her hand out. “Super Sailor Scout Anthro-Twi, destroy Raging She-Demon over and over!”

Super Sailor Scout Anthro-Twi held both hands up and fired swirling beams of light across the field.

Rarity pointed. “Look! The dark clouds are vanishing!”

Rainbow grinned. “That must mean Twilight won the duel!”

Celestia nodded. “I see no reason to question that conclusion. The winner of the tournament is Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight hopped off her dueling booth and held her hands out. “That’s right, now gimme!” Celestia handed the crown over and Twilight placed it on her head.

Flash held up a hand. “Hey, Twilight, how about a duel?”

“No can do. I have to go, my planet needs me.” Twilight turned and ran towards the front of the school.

“Twilight!” Twilight paused and turned her head to see Sunset approach her. “I’m sorry I was evil,” Sunset said, smiling softly. “But since you just fried my brain with a blast of magical friendship rainbows, I’m not evil anymore, and I’m very sorry.”

“No problem, Sunset.” Twilight smiled back. “I’m always happy to add a new girl to my harem.”

“Add to your what?”

“My circle of friends.”

“Oh, okay.”

Twilight spun Sunset by the shoulder and pushed her towards the other humans. “Now go make friends with these girls I’ve known for two days. You’ve bullied and tormented them for years, so I’m sure you have lots to talk about.”

“Yay!” Pinkie squeed and hugged Sunset tight. “A new girl to add to my harem!”

“Add to your what?”

“You heard me.”

Twilight smiled as she looked at Sunset’s old deck. “Pendulum Monsters… interesting. I sure hope this is just a throwaway reference that won’t need to be built upon in a hypothetical sequel to this adventure. That might be awkward.” She shrugged.

“It’ll be fine. I’m sure there aren’t any other teenage girls with dark magical powers to cause trouble in that world. That would just be silly.”

“What do you mean you don’t want us for the sequel!?” Adagio yelled into her cell phone, pacing angrily in her apartment.

Sonata leaned over to Aria on the sofa. “She’s been shouting at her phone for half an hour.”

“Yup.”

“How dare you skip our movie! It was the best one, and the three of us are the best damn villains you’ve ever had! This franchise would be dead if it wasn’t for us! We still get hefty royalty checks every month for all the memes and porn we appear in!”

Sonata grinned widely. “I just have to hold up a plate of Mexican food and it goes viral!”

Adagio stopped in place and put a hand on her hip as she listened to her agent’s voice. “Yes… yes… well it’s hardly our fault they’ve already used the tournament arc. So what, it’s a Yu-Gi-Oh crossover, that franchise’s economy runs on card game tournaments.” She tilted her head back and rolled her tongue in her mouth. “Uh-huh… fine… hang on.” She lowered the phone and looked at her sisters. “He says there’s nothing to do for this, but he can get us a cameo in Season 7 of the show.”

Aria shrugged. “Work is work.”

“I’m in!” Sonata agreed.

Adagio raised the phone again. “We’re in, but I demand at least one speaking line of at least five words! ...Seriously, that’s it? … Well, how much do the comics pay? ...Okay, now you’re trying to piss me off on purpose.”

Welcome to Canterlot High

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Welcome to Canterlot High

Twilight groaned and opened her eyes. Slowly, the world came into focus. She saw a row of unfamiliar houses not far away on the other side of a road and a field of grass. “Where am I?”

“Twilight?” A familiar voice called out to her. Twilight saw a dog come into her field of vision and focused on it. It had light purple fur with a tuft of green fur along its head. It reminded her of…

“Spike? Are you a dog?”

The dog looked down at itself and nodded. “Yeah, seems so. But I have no idea what you are!”

“Huh?” Twilight looked down at her hooves on the ground.

Instead of hooves, she saw long, lavender limbs ending with five fingers.

She did the rational thing.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Twilight jumped up and looked down at her body. A dark purple skirt with a pink star emblazoned over it covered her below the waist, from which stretched legs into dark purple and pink boots. She looked at her arms and torso. A light blue blouse concealed her upper body andtwo straps wrapped around her shoulders. Twisting her neck brought a backpack into view. Finally, Twilight’s attention was drawn to a strange device strapped to her left arm.

The device looked like a lavender disk with pink linings. Connected to the disk was a three-section strip of metal that was folded around the disk into a rough horseshoe shape. Various indentations, buttons, and slots covered the strip, and a screen was built into the disk behind a large open slot. Twilight ran her fingers over the device and found a button on the back. She pressed it. The arms on the strip of metal snapped forward and bent into a straighter shape and the buttons and screen on the device lit up.

“What is this?” Twilight pressed the button again and the device de-powered and retracted back into its more compact horseshoe shape. She looked over her body, turning her hands around. “For that matter, what am I?”

Spike shook his head. “You’re definitely not a pony. You don’t have hooves, a muzzle, or a horn.”

“What!?” Twilight reached to her face and felt a short, stumpy nose. She squeaked and moved her hands up to her head, feeling only skin and hair. She began to pant. “Okay… okay let’s recap. I’ve been turned into some sort of two-legged being with arms and hands, no fur, and…” She looked at her arm again. “Some sort of weird disk machine attached to my arm.” She put a hand on her chest and caught her breath. “First priority, find Sunset Shimmer. Second priority, get my crown back. Third priority, get back to Equestria. Fourth priority, do all of that before I have a panic attack.”

“Hey, look on the bright side,” Spike said cheerily. “You don’t have to worry about those pesky wings anymore.”

Twilight lowered her arms and glared. “Not helping.” She turned her attention from her new form to the world around her. A large three-story building loomed in front of her. Twilight looked behind her and saw a statue of a rearing horse. She stretched a hand out to the base and the stone rippled as her hand passed through it. “Well, here’s the portal.” She glanced back at the building. “If Sunset Shimmer came out here, maybe someone there saw her.”

“Worth a shot,” Spike replied.

Twilight carefully stepped forward on her two legs. She stumbled forward and grabbed the railings of the steps into the building for support. “This is gonna take some getting used to.” She pulled herself up to the top and reached the doors. There, she paused. The polished glass of the doors allowed her a look at her reflection. Twilight twisted in place, looking at herself.

“Weird,” she murmured, holding up a strand of her hair to look at it. “I’m me. But, not me. But I look like me. Except not a pony.” She frowned. “Too confusing. Let’s just find Sunset and get back to Equestria.” She put a hand on the door and pushed.

“Ow!” On the other side of the door, another being fell on their backside as the door swung into them.

“Oh!” Twilight cupped her hands to her face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there!”

The other being, a girl with pale white hair and a blue jacket, scowled up at her. “Are you blind? The glass is transparent, you dolt!”

Twilight quickly got over her embarrassment and glared back. “I said I was sorry. You don’t need to be rude!”

“Rude, huh?” The girl sneered and lifted her arm. Twilight saw a disk device like hers on the girl’s arm, only where Twilight’s was purple and pink, this girl’s device was blue and silver. “Well, next class is a free period. Perhaps you need to be put in your place!” The girl pressed the button to activate the device and its arms swung forward. Twilight recognized a stack of some thin brown items in the large slot on the disk.

“Um, hang on.” Twilight held up her hands and shook her head. “You’re right, I’m sorry. My fault. I’m not looking to cause trouble, I’m just kind of new here and looking around.”

The girl looked at Twilight’s arm as it waved. “You’re walking around school with your duel disk on, and you don’t even have your deck loaded?” She snorted and turned off the disk. “What an amateur. You’d be a waste of time.” The girl tossed her head and pushed past Twilight to go outside. “Next time you get in Trixie’s way, she won’t be so merciful.”

Twilight gritted her teeth at the girl’s back. “There’s no need to – what?” She looked at the girl closer. “Spike… did she just say her name was Trixie?”

“She did look a little familiar,” Spike said.

Twilight shook her head. “That’s not possible. Trixie couldn’t have found the portal. Could she?”

“I doubt it. It’s the only one and it was locked up, right?”

Twilight looked back around the building. “Yeah…” She noticed the banners and rows of lockers down hallways. “This is a school!” She smiled. “That means there must be a principal somewhere! Come on, Spike, we’ve got to get searching! Whoever runs this school must be able to help us.”

Just then, a loud ringing filled the air.

The doors in the hallways opened and hundreds of students filtered into the halls. Twilight gasped and flattened against the wall as they moved past her. She shuffled into a doorway and looked over the crowd. She saw several faces that seemed vaguely familiar and many more that didn’t. A wide variety of these beings in a variety of skin tones, hair colors, and clothing types made up the population. And it seemed almost every one of them had another of those disk devices strapped to their arms in a variety of colors.

“Dude, I am gonna rock this thing, semi-finals for sure.”

“I got my sister a new starter deck for her birthday."

“Check out what I pulled from the new booster!”

As conversations washed over Twilight, she self-consciously looked down at her own disk. All the students had those stacks of brown items in the large open slot on the disk, where Twilight’s was empty. She wondered what it meant. Twilight leaned down and whispered to Spike, “Seeing anyone using one of these?” Twilight looked at her own disk. “They seem important, if everyone is wearing one.”

“No clue.” Spike shook his head.

The crowd had begun to disperse and Twilight carefully weaved her way through them. She saw several of them glance at her and then the disk on her arm, with various expressions following.

“She hasn’t even got her deck out, what a noob!”

Twilight scowled at the voice from the student that just walked by her and turned to glare at their back as she walked. “I don’t know what that word means, but I am not—" Twilight stopped as she bumped into someone, sending both of them to the ground. She groaned and pushed herself up, holding her head. “I have to start watching where I’m going.”

“Are you okay?”

She turned her head and saw a hand held out to her. She followed the arm up to the face. A handsome boy with short, slightly spiked hair was holding his hand to her. Another of those disk devices, this one blue and yellow, was on his arm. Twilight took his hand and let him pull her up.

“Um… yes.” Twilight took her hand back and brushed herself off. “Thanks.”

“How come you don’t have your deck ready?” The boy asked.

“Hm?”

“Your duel disk. Where’s your deck?”

Twilight saw the boy hold up his arm to display the disk there and looked at her own. “My deck?”

“Just saying, a lot of students are itching to duel with the tournament tomorrow. If you’re going to walk around school unprepared to duel, they might think you’re an easy target,” the boy explained. “Having your deck loaded will at least avoid attracting attention.”

Twilight looked at the ‘duel disk’ on the boy’s arm and noticed another stack of the brown things there. Realization dawned. Cards. Deck. Oh. “Right, my deck!” Twilight laughed nervously. She reached to the backpack she was wearing and grabbed a random pocket. “I’ve got it right here!” She unzipped the pocket and reached inside. She felt an angular box and pulled it out. A semi-transparent purple box of cards was in her hand. “Oh. I really did have it here.”

She pulled open the top and removed the cards. Fanning them out she saw they came in three colors, with what she presumed to be the names of the cards scrawled along their tops. She noticed the boy watching her and forced a smile and held up the cards. “See? Deck ready to go!” She held up her duel disk and examined it for a moment before folding the cards together and slotting them into the large open space in the disk part. She heard a click and saw the arm over the slot descend slightly, locking the cards into place.

“Not trying to tell you what to do. I’m just saying, going around like that can get you challenges.”

Challenges? Twilight decided to ponder what he meant later and settled for nodding as if she understood. “Right, thanks for the tip.”

“No problem. I’m Flash Sentry.” The boy held his hand out again.

Twilight looked at the outstretched hand, then held hers out opposite his. “Twilight Sparkle.”

Flash looked at her hand, then moved his back to clasp it and shook it. “Nice to meet you.” He took his hand back and turned his attention to the open locker between them.

“Likewise.” As Flash removed several items from the locker and put a few more inside, Twilight looked around the thinning halls and thought. He must be a student here. And whatever these ‘duel disks’ are about that someone might challenge me over them, he doesn’t seem to want to. “Say, Flash, could you help me with something?”

“Hm?” Flash slammed his locker and clicked the lock on it shut. “What’s up?”

“I’m looking for the principal’s office, but I’m not really familiar with the school. Can you show me where it is?”

“Oh?” Flash looked at her. “I thought I hadn’t seen you before. Are you a new student?”

“Yes!” Twilight said the word a bit too loud as the perfect alibi was handed to her. At Flash’s slight recoil she calmed down. “Yes, new student, just transferred. I have to check in at the office?”

“Sure.” Flash smiled and turned. “Follow me.”

Twilight let out a breath and looked at Spike. He gave her an encouraging look and padded forward. Twilight raised her eyes back to the hall and followed Flash.

As the two walked, Twilight presumed classes had begun, seeing that the hallways were almost empty now and she saw a couple of teachers closing their doors. A few more stray students were about, though. And they were still looking at her. And whispering as she passed. Twilight looked back at one pair and they immediately turned away.

“Flash?” Twilight saw one girl’s gaze linger on her as she passed them. “I thought you said having my... ‘deck,’ ready, would avoid attracting attention?”

Flash chuckled. “I don’t think it’s your deck attracting attention.”

“What?” Twilight felt her cheek and forward. “Is there something on my face?”

“No, your face is perfect.” Flash stopped short in the hall and turned his head. “Not perfect! That is to say it looks good, perfectly average, normal face. Not that it isn’t a nice face, you’re pretty enough. I-I mean, it’s pretty fine! Good, fine. Nice face.” Flash’s eyes darted away. “Um…” His eyes lit up and he pointed. “I have to get to class! The office is down there!” Before Twilight could respond, Flash stepped around her, his face bright red and he hurried down the hall.

Spike grinned and nudged Twilight’s boot. “I think he likes you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Spike. He just met me.” Twilight watched him go and blushed. “I think that’s actually the first time a boy called me pretty.”

“What about Star Gazer back in the school for gifted unicorns?”

“He finished by saying I looked ‘pretty silly’ and threw paste and sparkles on my horn.”

“Oh yeah.” Spike snickered. “That was funny. He called you Twilight Sparkling.” Twilight glared at him. “What?”

“We’ll talk about it later.” Twilight headed down the passage in the direction Flash had indicated. As he said, she soon found the door to the school main office and carefully pushed it open.

A large room with a few cubicles set up on the back wall greeted her. Typing at a computer at the front of the room, an older man with a sandy brown mustache and glasses paused and looked up at her.

Twilight waved. “Hello, Mr… ah,” she looked at the nameplate on the counter. “Kibitz?” The man stared at her evenly. “Um, I’m a new student, and I need to speak to the principal. Please?””

Kibitz turned his eyes to a phone by his keyboard and he pressed a button on it and picked it up. “Ms. Solaris, you have a student to see you… yes.” He hung up and gestured a hand towards a door on the right wall. “Make it quick, she has an appointment in ten minutes.”

“Thank you.” Twilight headed to the door and knocked.

“Come in.”

She pushed the door open. A woman with hair in shades of pale pink, green, and blue was sitting behind a desk, looking over a folder of papers. She looked up at Twilight and smiled. “Hello. Have a seat.”

Twilight slowly approached the chairs in front of the desk. Something about this woman seemed familiar. She looked at the nameplate. “… Celestia Solaris?” She whispered.

“Just Celestia, if you please. I prefer to be informal with students.” Celestia closed the file folder and pulled her chair closer. “I don’t believe we’ve met before?”

“Um, no, we haven’t.” Twilight came to her senses and smiled. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m a new transfer. Or, will be. I start next week.” As an afterthought she added. “I don’t think they’ve brought my paperwork yet. Sorry.”

Celestia smiled. “That’s fine. It’s nice to meet you Twilight. What can I do for you?”

Twilight hesitated. How much could she have seen or known? Would she personally have bumped into Sunset? “Um… when I was coming in today to look around, I bumped into a girl carrying a crown. It was gold and had a pink jewel on it?”

“Certainly, I know the item. The crown for the winner of the Autumn Crown Tournament. Apparently someone stole it last night, but I’ve locked it up for safekeeping.”

“Right, see that—” Twilight paused. “Autumn Crown Tournament?”

“Yes.” Celestia stood and gestured to a poster in her room. Twilight looked at it. Several of the cards similar to the ones in her duel disk were sprayed over the image of a crown – one suspiciously similar to the Element of Magic – and a pair of students with duel disks facing each other as if in confrontation. “It’s the school’s bi-annual Duel Monsters tournament, along with the Spring Crown Tournament.”

Twilight stood and came closer. “The crown goes to the winner of the tournament?”

“Yes. The winner of the crown is also given an honorary position on the student council and awarded special privileges with teachers.” Celestia gestured a hand at another wall. “You can thank our current champion for that.” Twilight looked where she had gestured. A photograph of a girl with red and yellow hair was wearing a similar crown and holding up her arm with a duel disk on it, smirking in triumph.

She looks familiar… Twilight peered at the pale aqua eyes, narrowed in a defiant challenge, and gasped. “Sunset Shimmer?”

“Our current champion, undefeated for two years now, since she first came to the school,” Celestia said. “It was her idea to expand the influence of the champion to other areas of the school, given how hard students work to win and how popular Duel Monsters is.”

Twilight turned around. “She goes here?”

“Indeed. The tournament is only open to students of this school.” Celestia smiled. “Although, if you wanted to sign up, I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem. You are joining us, after all.”

Twilight looked back at her crown on the poster and shook her head. “Actually, I can’t. I just need the crown.”

Celestia’s smile vanished. “Pardon?”

“I’m sorry, it’s a long story, but I need that crown. Please?” Twilight grinned in a way she hoped looked pleading.

Celestia shook her head. “I’m sorry, the crown is reserved for the winner of the tournament this Sunday. Our students take Duel Monsters very seriously. Even if we offered another crown I doubt they’d appreciate it.”

Twilight rubbed her chin. There must be some way… “Wait. The crown goes to the winner of the tournament on Sunday?”

“The tournament begins tomorrow and the finals are Sunday evening.”

Three days. She nodded. “Okay. Can I enter the tournament?”

“Certainly.” Celestia pulled a notepad on her desk over to her and wrote down a note. “Take this to the second floor computer lab, the tournament organizer is finalizing preparations there. Give her this and she’ll let you in.” Celestia tore the note off and held it out.

Twilight took the note – a quick look and she saw it was an explanation for why she wasn’t in the school registry – and smiled. “Thank you, Celestia.”

“Of course, Twilight. If you don’t mind, though, I’m expecting an appointment soon.”

“Right.” Twilight waved and approached the door to the office.

“Twilight?” She turned. Celestia was looking at her feet with an expression of disapproval. “We don’t allow pets on the school premises.”

“Hm?” Twilight looked down. Spike! “Oh! Um… he’s my… service dog!”

“Service dog?” Celestia tilted her head. “For what?”

“My…” Twilight began to panic. Think of something, I’m not disabled, what would Spike help me manage? “Anxiety!” She blurted out. She paused as she registered what she had said. At her feet Spike stifled a snicker.

Celestia’s expression softened. “My apologies, I was unaware. You’re welcome to bring him on school grounds then, of course, but I must ask he be on a proper leash tomorrow.”

“You got it!” Twilight grinned and waved as she pulled the door open behind her. She backed out, glancing down to make sure Spike had come with her, and closed it. Twilight headed into the hall, passing a teacher as she came into the office.

In the hall, Spike stuck out his tongue. “Yuck. A leash? Seriously, Twilight, are we gonna do that?”

“We have to, Spike. I’m sorry, but we have to come back to this school.” Twilight approached another poster for the tournament on the opposite wall. “We only have three days to do it, but if the crown is locked up, that means Sunset Shimmer can’t get to it either. And if I want to get it from Celestia, there’s only one thing to do!” Twilight spun around, a confident smile on her face. She clutched her duel disk to her chest and pumped her fist.

“If I want my crown back, I’m going to have to become the champion of the Autumn Crown Tournament! So that’s what I’m gonna do!”

Spike looked up at her. “And what exactly is this ‘Duel Monsters’ game they play?”

“I have no idea!”

Shining Friendship - vs Rarity

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

Shining Friendship – vs Rarity

Twilight took a breath as she and Rarity walked a distance away from the other. I can do this. It wasn’t all that different from her duel with Fluttershy: a sparring match with a friend. Except that Rarity is a lot stronger than Fluttershy. And this win or loss could disqualify either of us from the finals. Twilight gulped. “No pressure,” she whispered. She stopped and turned to see Rarity looking over at her.

“Let’s begin this.” Rarity reached down and tapped a button on her duel disk.

“Opponent detected! Streaming data.” Twilight’s duel disk announced its actions as it set up a holographic display of hers and Rarity’s profiles. Her win-loss record was 3-0, displayed to the left of Rarity’s 5-1. “Duel mode set. Initiating.” The pictures zoomed out to make way for a holographic display of their respective sides of the field. “Commence duel?”

“Here we go, Rarity!” Twilight reached down and pressed the button on her duel disk to accept the challenge.

“Game start!”

-Twilight Life Points: 4000-

-Rarity Life Points: 4000-

The two profiles flashed back and forth before Twilight’s lit up. “Player takes first turn.”

“Good.” Twilight drew the six cards her duel disk ejected and fanned them out. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas’.” A muscular orange fairy flipped onto the field and kicked the air before standing in front of Twilight. (1800/300) “Next I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’ in my hand.” Twilight discarded her card and the image of a white fairy with a long horn appeared above her. She held her hands down over Twilight and sent a pulse of magic over her. “By discarding Magnanimity, I can reveal the top card of my deck, and if it’s a Spell card, I can add it to my hand.” Twilight drew her card and held it out. “It’s a Spell, ‘Harmony Bolt’. With that I set one card and end my turn.”

“Very well, then.” Rarity drew with a flourish. She turned her card over and moved it to her duel disk. “I summon ‘Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus’.” A glowing blue portal opened in front of Rarity. A white winged horse rose from it and beat the ground as it finished, spreading its wings with sapphires embedded in them. (1800/1200) “When Sapphire Pegasus is summoned, I can select any Crystal Beast monster in my deck and play it as a Continuous Spell card.” Rarity tapped on her duel disk screen and a card slid out from her deck. “I choose this, ‘Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger’.” Twilight recognized the tiger, with topazes set into its neck, as it materialized on the field. It curled up as yellow crystals rose around it.

Rarity looked over her hand. “Next, I activate the Equip Spell ‘Crystal Release’! By equipping this card to Sapphire Pegasus, it gains eight hundred attack points!” Sapphire Pegasus reared into the air and the jewels on its wings lit up. (1800 → 2600)

“At this time, I reveal my face-down card!” Twilight pressed the button on her duel disk and the hologram on the field flipped up. “It’s the Spell card I got from Magnanimity’s effect, Harmony Bolt. This card lets me discard a Harmony Spirit from my hand, then I can destroy any card on the field! I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Risus’ and choose Sapphire Pegasus.” Risus’ image appeared in front of Twilight’s Spell card and was drawn into the latter as particles of light. The card sparked and sent a bolt of lightning across the field, striking Sapphire Pegasus in a blast of smoke.

Her field is clear, so on my next turn I can attack directly. Twilight paused as the smoke cleared. “What?” Sapphire Pegasus was still standing on Rarity’s field. As Twilight watched it bowed its head and curled its wings forward. It floated backwards and a prison of blue crystal encased it. “What happened?”

Rarity folded her arms. “That’s the power of the Crystal Beasts, darling. Whenever one of them is destroyed as a monster, I can place it in my Spell and Trap zones, treated as a Spell card.”

Twilight grimaced. I knew those rulings were in the book for a reason.

“And then she’s got all sorts of support cards to use ‘em.” Twilight’s attention drew to Applejack on the sidelines. The other girl shook her head. “As you keep blastin’ her monsters into Spell cards, she gets to activate better support cards as she gets more in play. The trick is to—”

“Thank you, Applejack.” Rarity scowled at her. “I am quite certain my opponent appreciates the tutorial lecture on how to defeat me.”

“No problem.”

So, they don’t get along either. But wasn’t Applejack watching her duel? Twilight frowned. “Why are you helping me? Weren’t you complimenting her before?”

Applejack shrugged. “Rares is on the winning advantage, so ya need the help. Besides, it ain’t like it’ll make much difference to me in the long run. Whichever or both of ya make it to the finals, I’ll beat ya the same.”

“Gee, thanks,” Twilight deadpanned.

“If Applejack is done with her interruptions,” Rarity said, giving the other girl a glare as she spoke, “then I’m not done with my turn yet. When Crystal Release is sent to the graveyard, I can take any Crystal Beast from my deck and play it as a Spell card.” Rarity pulled her card from her deck and held it out. “I choose this, ‘Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat’.” The familiar cat appeared on the back side of Rarity’s field and was encased in violet crystal. “Next I activate the Spell card ‘Crystal Beacon’. Since I have two Crystal Beasts in play as Spell cards, I can summon a third Crystal Beast from my deck. Come forth, ‘Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle’, in defense mode!”

The new monster flew onto Rarity’s field, a pale brown and white bird of prey with light blue gems in its wings. It crossed its wings and took on a blue hue (1400/800). “The effect of Cobalt Eagle lets me select any other Crystal Beast card on the field and place it on top of the deck.” Rarity tapped her duel disk screen, and the crystallized Sapphire Pegasus dissolved into particles of light. “I return Sapphire Pegasus to the deck. Then I set one card and end my turn.”

Twilight looked down at her duel disk and pressed the icon on the screen to zoom in on Rarity’s field. Applejack said the more Crystal Beast cards she gets in the Spell and Trap zone, the better support cards she can use. She has two now, Amethyst Cat and Topaz Tiger, and she’ll add Cobalt Eagle if I attack and destroy it. She looked at her hand. I’ll have to risk it. I have no choice but to attack and get rid of that monster if I want to win this.

“Hun, this ain’t a spectator sport,” Applejack called.

“I’m thinking over my move,” Twilight replied. She put a hand on her deck and drew. “It’s my turn.” She turned to her hand again and paused before picking out a card. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia’!” A swarm of butterflies manifested in front of Twilight, dispersing to reveal the pale yellow winged fairy. (900/1800). “Then I activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Fruit’, to return two Harmony Spirits in the graveyard to my hand.” Twilight held Magnanimity and Risus out to show them to Rarity. “And now, battle phase! Gracia attacks Cobalt Eagle!” Gracia flew forward towards Cobalt Eagle and spun in the air to deliver a kick to the bird. It flew backwards into line with Rarity’s other cards, a crystal prison surrounding it and freezing it in the air.

“I activate my Trap card!” Rarity flung her hand out. “When a Crystal Beast monster is destroyed in battle, I can activate ‘Crystal Pair’. Now I can place a Crystal Beast from my deck in my Spell and Trap zone and all damage I take from attacks this turn is negated.” Rarity held up her card. “I set ‘Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth’ as a Spell card.”

Twilight grimaced. She’s got four Crystal Beast cards now! She looked at her hand. “I end my turn.”

“Wonderful. My move!” Rarity drew and flipped her card over. “I activate ‘Rare Value’. This lets you send any Crystal Beast Spell card to the graveyard, then I can draw two cards.”

I choose, huh? Twilight looked over her duel disk display. I don’t know nearly enough of her strategy to really make a good choice. Maybe she’s reliant on keeping them in play as Spell cards? Or does she have something to revive whatever I send? Twilight furrowed her brow and looked up. “I choose Cobalt Eagle.”

“Very well.” Cobalt Eagle’s gem exploded and the shards were drawn into Rarity’s duel disk. She drew her cards and smiled. “And here we have the game-sealing move, my dear. I activate the Spell card ‘Terraforming’. This lets me select any Field Spell in my deck and add it to my hand.” She picked out the card that emerged from her deck, then tapped on her duel disk screen and a slot on the side of the disk slid open. “But it won’t be there long. I activate the Field Spell ‘Ancient City – Rainbow Ruins’!” Rarity spun and inserted her card into the open slot.

The ground shook, Twilight stepping back and looking around them. Columns of rock burst from the ground, causing Twilight to cry out and fall on her backside. The dirt split further as the field continued to expand. As Twilight watched an ancient amphitheater rose around them, at once massive and imposing but somehow scaled down to fit their conflict. She saw a pillar nearby and put her hand through it. All just holograms. Incredible. Imagine if actual magic could replicate something like this! The sound of cheering drew Twilight’s attention to behind her. A crowd had begun to gather and were now calling Rarity’s name.

Rarity beamed as she waved her hands at them and nodded. “Now, now, everyone, settle down. The real spectacle is yet to come.” She turned her attention back to Twilight. “Marvelous, isn’t it? My field card gains more effects the more Crystal Beasts I have in my Spell and Trap zones. With at least one, my field can’t be destroyed by card effects.” Rarity picked up another card from her hand. “But you’ll have to worry about its other effects later. For now I summon once again my Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus!” In front of the row of four gemstones, the pegasus rose and spread its wings, the jewels on them gleaming. “With my pegasus summoned, another Crystal Beast from my deck is played to my Spell and Trap zone. I choose ‘Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle’.”

Twilight tensed at the sight of the small, purple beast manifesting inside a red crystal. That’s the card she used to beat her last opponent! Twilight tapped on her duel disk screen to call up the image of Ruby Carbuncle’s card. When Ruby Carbuncle is Special Summoned, every other Crystal Beast she has as a Spell card returns as a Monster card. She looked back up at Rarity’s field. That’s her strategy, fill up her back row with her destroyed Crystal Beasts and then summon them back en masse.

“With four Crystal Beasts on my field as Spells, the fourth effect of Rainbow Ruins allows me to draw a card once per turn. Then, it’s time for the offensive.” Rarity held her hand out. “I attack Harmony Spirit Gracia with Sapphire Pegasus!” The pegasus reared up and charged forward, its head held down at it came at the pale yellow fairy.

“From my hand, I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Magnanimity.” Twilight discarded her card and put a hand on her deck. She flipped the top card over. “It’s a Monster card, ‘Harmony Spirit Magia’, so it gets returned to the deck.” She frowned. I could have used that card…

“I don’t see how that’s going to stop my attack,” Rarity sniffed.

“Here’s how.” Twilight tapped her duel disk and Gracia lit up in a yellow aura. “During the turn a Harmony Spirit monster is discarded, the effect of Gracia prevents my Harmony Spirits from being destroyed in battle.” Gracia held up its hands and caught Sapphire Pegasus’ head as it slammed into her. Gracia was pushed back by the charge but remained standing.

-Twilight Life Points: 3100-

Rarity frowned. “Very well. I end my turn.”

“And I’ll start mine.” Twilight drew and put her new card in her hand. She looked over her cards. If Rarity summons that Ruby Carbuncle, every one of those crystallized monsters will be released. Even if Gracia’s effect will let it survive, my Life Points won’t. I have to play this more cautiously for now. “I switch my Harmony Spirit Gracia to defense mode.” Twilight turned the card onto its side on her duel disk. Gracia knelt on the field and it took on a pale blue tone. Gracia has 1800 defense, that’ll set up a good block. Next I have to find some way to keep her from summoning Ruby Carbuncle. She has several Spell cards to use for that, so… Twilight gasped. “That’s it!” She smiled at Applejack. “I know how I can beat her.”

Applejack smirked. “Do ya, now? Go for it.”

“I will. First, I activate the Spell card ‘ Harmony Gem’. By discarding Harmony Spirit Risus, I can now draw two cards.” Twilight looked at her new cards and frowned. Nothing yet. But I can continue for now anyway. “Since I discarded a Harmony Spirit monster, the effect of Honestas activates. For the rest of the turn it gains 500 attack points! Honestas, attack Sapphire Pegasus!” Honestas (1800 → 2300) lit up in a bright orange aura and it sprinted towards Rarity, its fists held out. It reached Sapphire Pegasus and delivered an uppercut, sending it spiraling into the air.

-Rarity Life Points: 3750-

Twilight frowned at her duel disk’s display. “Shouldn’t that have done more damage to you?”

“Sorry, dear, but you forgot my Field spell.” As Rarity spoke, the gems in front of her lit up and Sapphire Pegasus fell in line with them as it crystallized. “As I said, the more Crystal Beasts there are in my Spell zones the more powerful it becomes. And with two in play, once per turn I can halve any damage I take.”

“Darn.” Twilight bit her lip. A setback, but I’m still ready for her. “I set one card and end my turn.” She looked back at her display. She has five Crystal Beasts in her Spell zones now. As long as I can use my Trap next turn just in case…

“My turn again.” Rarity folded her arms. “Still thinking you’re going to win at this point?”

Twilight nodded. “I figured out your weakness! Your Crystal Beasts count as Spell cards when they crystallize. But a player can only have five Spells or Traps in play at once, and can’t play any more if they do. So now you can only play Monster cards!” Around them the crowd erupted into groans and boos. Twilight looked back at them, confused. “What?”

Rarity fanned herself with her cards. “Not a bad idea, darling. But you overlooked one little loophole – I already have a sixth Spell in play.” She held her hand up into the air. “I activate the final effect of Rainbow Ruins! With five Crystal Beasts crystallized, I can select one of them and Special Summon it!”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “No!”

“I call forth my Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle!” The ruby on Rarity’s field broke apart and the purple beast inside leapt forward, mewling. (300/300). “And when Ruby is summoned, her effect activates. Now every other Crystal Beast I have is released from its prison!” The other four gems on Rarity’s field lit up and shattered. “I summon Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus, Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger (1600/100), Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat (1200/400), and Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth (1700/1600).” The four monsters stepped out of the shards of their crystals.

Twilight paled. “She did it… she summoned all of them.”

The crowd erupted into a flurry of loud cheers and roars and eventually settled into a triumphant chant of Rarity’s name. She tossed her hair and fluttered her eyes. “Settle down, everyone. I haven’t won yet!” She leaned forward and smiled. “That comes next turn. For now, the summoned effect of Sapphire Pegasus triggers. I place ‘Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise’ on the field as a Spell card.” A monster Twilight didn’t recognized appeared behind Rarity’s other monsters, a blue and green turtle with gems poking from its shell, and it surrounded itself in green crystal.

“And now, Topaz Tiger, attack Honestas!” The tiger roared and began to run across the field. “When Topaz Tiger attacks, it gains an additional 400 points.” The tiger reached Honestas and pounced, raking its claws down the monster’s chest. Honestas was shredded into ribbons of light. “Next, the effect of Amethyst Cat lets it attack directly at half the normal damage it would inflict.” Amethyst Cat emerged from beside Topaz Tiger and jumped at Twilight. A feedback burst from the holograms erupted from her duel disk and she fell to her knees.

-Twilight Life Points: 2300-

“I end my turn.” Rarity smiled. “On my next turn my Topaz Tiger can wipe out Gracia, and even if you destroyed my Crystal Beasts my Field Spell will just become stronger again. It’s over.”

Applejack shook her head. “Ya tried, hun.”

“I’m not out yet!” Twilight shot back. “This duel isn’t over!”

“Isn’t it?” Rarity spread her arms out. “All seven of my Crystal Beasts are in play, with my Field Spell here to support them, and all you have are your two Harmony Spirits.” She shook her head. “You’re not bad, truly. But honestly, I just don’t think you have what it takes to win a tournament like this.”

“I don’t care. I’m not giving up.” Twilight shook as she glared at Rarity. “I’m going to make it as far as I can, all the way to the finals! I have to!”

The crowd began to talk among themselves. Rarity frowned. “Before you said this was some silly tournament you didn’t care about winning and now you act as though it’s the most important thing to you. Which is it?”

“Both!” Twilight lowered her head. “Don’t you see? The Rarity I – the Rarity that Fluttershy knew, that was friends with her and Applejack, never would have talked down to an opponent like that or yelled at her friends. This is a game—we should have fun playing it, not use it to try and claim power and reputation in the school.”

Twilight looked up at Rarity. “Fluttershy showed me the good this game can be used for, to help people become friends and show their true selves to the world. That’s what it used to be about and what it can be again. If we beat Sunset Shimmer!” The crowd gasped at the declaration. Twilight stood up and turned to them.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle. And I’m here to win the Autumn Crown Tournament and defeat Sunset Shimmer!” She looked back at Rarity and put her hand on her deck. Rarity gasped as a pulse of purple light flashed from Twilight’s eyes. “And I’ll show you how I’ll do it now!” She drew, sparks of light trailing in the air after her card. Without looking at it, Twilight held it in the air. “I send Ancient City Rainbow Ruins to the graveyard!”

Rarity looked around her as the stone ruins began to crumble and sink away. “You can’t! I have a Crystal Beast in play as a Spell card, so Rainbow Ruins can’t be destroyed!”

“I’m not destroying it. I’m getting rid of it. Because the rules say only one Field Spell can be in play at once.” The side slot of Twilight’s duel disk popped open. “I activate my own Field Spell, ‘Harmony Castle’!” She slipped the card into the slot and trails of light coursed over her duel disk. The ground behind Twilight split apart and a large fortress rose from the fissure. Spires and turrets of violet, blue, and pink crystal stabbed into the sky, banners hanging from window ledges displaying an eight-pointed pink star. The central doors of the castle bore the same symbol as it finished its ascent.

Rarity stared, her mouth open. “Harmony Castle…”

Across the field, Spike put a paw on Twilight’s ankle. “Twilight?” She ignored him.

“I activate Harmony Castle’s effect. I return Harmony Spirits Risus and Magnanimity in the graveyard to my deck and then I can summon any Harmony Spirit monster from the deck as long as its name is different from the two of them.” Twilight set her cards on top of her deck and pressed her finger to her disk’s display. Her deck shuffled and then ejected the chosen card. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas’.” The rainbow-haired winged fairy descended from above Twilight, its arms crossed. (1600/800)

Twilight held out a card. “Next I activate the Equip Spell ‘Harmony Crown’. This card gives Pietas an additional 800 attack points.” Pietas roared and pumped a fist into the air as a golden spiral crown appeared on its head, a violet aura of power around it. Twilight pointed across the field. “I switch Harmony Spirit Gracia to attack mode, and then enter my battle phase. Pietas, attack Amethyst Cat!” Pietas (1600 → 2400) flapped its wings to fly into the air, and dove down, its fist held out as it came towards Amethyst Cat.

“The effect of Amber Mammoth activates! When a Crystal Beast is attacked, Amber Mammoth intercepts the blow.” The mammoth stepped in front of the cat and Pietas’ attack connected. The mammoth was punched back, trumpeting loudly.

-Rarity Life Points: 3050-

“The effect of Harmony Crown now activates. When the equipped monster destroys a monster in battle, a Harmony Spirit is added from the deck to my hand.” Twilight held out her card. “I choose this, Harmony Spirit Magia. But she won’t be here long.” Twilight tapped a button on her duel disk. “I reveal my face-down card, the Quickplay Spell ‘Harmony Textbook’. This lets me discard a Harmony Spirit from my hand to revive another one from the graveyard. By discarding Magia I revive my Harmony Spirit Honestas.” A glowing purple book appeared in front of Twilight and cracked open its pages, revealing a swirling vortexz. Honestas leapt out of it and stood next to Pietas.

“Now I activate the second effect of Harmony Castle. Once per turn when I discard a Harmony Spirit, I can summon it back from the graveyard. Magia takes the field too!” The fourth spirit, lavender-skinned with a spiral horn and long purple hair, rose up on the other side of Pietas. (1500/1300) “Finally, since I discarded a Harmony Spirit, the effect of Pietas triggers, letting it attack twice this turn!”

Applejack’s jaw dropped. “Ah don’t believe it…” The crowd’s stunned silence at Twilight’s moves began to give way to more cheers.

“Pietas, attack Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus!” Pietas once again flew up and descended into a dive bomb. Its fist slammed into Sapphire Pegasus and knocked it back. “Honestas, attack Topaz Tiger, Magia, attack Amethyst Cat, and Gracia, attack Ruby Carbuncle!” Honestas and Gracia charged the field while Magia held up its hands and fired a beam of violet magic. The magic blast struck Amethyst Cat before Honestas delivered a two-handed clobber to Topaz Tiger and Gracia slammed a kick into Ruby Carbuncle’s side. Rarity turned away and raised an arm to shield herself as the three monsters took the brunt of Twilight’s assault.

-Rarity Life Points: 1350-

Twilight looked at the five gemstones on Rarity’s field, emerald, topaz, amethyst, amber, and sapphire. “With your Spell and Trap zones filled by your previous monsters, the destroyed Ruby Carbuncle cannot crystallize and is sent to the graveyard. I end my turn.”

Around the two the crowd began to whisper.

“She destroyed all five monsters in one turn!”

“Rarity’s Spells are locked down, she can’t play them!”

“With that Field Spell in play she’ll be able to summon more monsters anytime she wants.”

Rarity gulped. “I draw…” She picked up her card and looked between it and her hand. “I…”

Applejack leaned forward. “Rarity?” The crowd grew silent as Rarity’s eyes kept going from her hand to her new card to her duel disk display.

“I…” Rarity slowly set her card back on top of her deck and let her hand rest there. “I forfeit.”

Twilight shut her eyes. Her eyelids flashed purple and she opened them again. “Huh?”

Rarity shook her head. “There’s nothing I can play that will stop your win next turn. I admit defeat.”

The crowd cheered loudly as the holograms deactivated. Twilight looked at Applejack and the farm girl smiled at her and tipped her hat. She looked at her duel disk and picked up the Harmony Castle card from the open Field Sell slot. I think I missed something…

“Twi-light, Twi-light, Twi-light!” The crowd chanted her name among the cheers and calls.

“You pulled out a marvelous win.” Twilight jumped at Rarity’s voice so close. The other girl stopped walking near her and held out her hand. “Such conviction, such skill, such power.” Rarity nodded. “A worthy champion if ever I saw one. You can count on my support, Twilight.”

Twilight looked at the hand being offered, at the crowd chanting her name, and then at her duel disk. “I… I have to go.” Twilight rushed past Rarity and into the crowd that parted for her as she neared. Spike bounded after her.

In the bathroom, Twilight splashed water in her face and coughed, watching it drip into the sink. “What happened there?”

“I don’t know.” Spike jumped onto the sink and sat down on the edge. “You got really serious all of a sudden and pulled out some really cool moves.”

“Yeah, but…” Twilight blinked tightly. It seems like a blur. I remember summoning monsters and attacking, but the details… It was like trying to remember a dream hours after it had faded. “Spike, what do you think?” She looked at him for his answer.

Spike shook his head. “I don’t know, Twilight. I could tell something had happened to you, but maybe you just got caught up in the moment?”

“Maybe…” Twilight cupped her hands to splash more water on her face and then turned off the taps. “On the bright side, I won. Rarity is our ally. That’s two. Three if Applejack is convinced after that.”

“Now we just need Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.”

“And Flash. He’s the former champion and he seemed to believe what Fluttershy does about the game being fun. I think he’ll help if we can get to him.” Twilight reached to the paper towel dispenser and cranked out a sheet. She wiped her face off and threw the towel in the trash can. “For now, we have to get back out there and win more duels. We still have to worry about qualifying for the bracketed rounds first.”

Twilight approached the door to the bathroom when the door swung open. She stopped in place as Sunset Shimmer stepped into the bathroom. Twilight hesitated for a moment when Sunset looked at her, then stepped to leave.

Sunset’s voice stopped her again.

“Hello… Twilight.”

The Prodigal Showdown - Twilight vs Sunset (Part 1)

Duelists of the Autumn Crown

The Prodigal Showdown – Twilight vs Sunset (Part 1)

“Twilight!” Spike edged against the border of the purple clouds covering the duel arena. They sparked at his approach and he scurried back.

“Apologies, students.” Celestia spoke over the loudspeaker as Luna examined the arena’s control panel on the other side of the field. “It appears that some, er, inclement weather, has disrupted the duel. We’ll do our best to restore a connection.”

“Inclement weather!?” Rainbow Dash thrust her hand at the clouds. “Are you seeing this?”

“No, she isn’t.” Rarity shook her head. “They haven’t been affected by Twilight’s magic like us, so they can’t see it. For all we can tell they must just see a dense mist or fog.”

Fluttershy whimpered and bit her lip. “I hope Twilight’s okay in there…”

-Twilight Life Points: 8000-

-Sunset Life Points: 8000-

Sunset looked at the cards in her hand and folded her arms. “You can take the first move. You’ll need every advantage you can get.”

“Fine.” Twilight drew her card and looked down at it. “I activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Gem’. I’ll use it to discard ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas’ and then draw two cards.” Twilight picked up her cards and added them to her hand. Nothing game-swinging yet. I can’t defend against her burn effects, but I can fortify my field to strike back on my next turn. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia’ in defense mode, and set one card face-down. That ends my turn.” Twilight’s yellow fairy kneeled in front of her face-down card, wings withdrawn. (900/1800)

“Goodie. My turn.” Sunset drew and held out her card. “I activate the Spell card ‘Infernal Crystal’.” A pitch black crystal appeared over Sunset’s head and shattered in a spray of sparkles. “Now I can banish ‘Infernal Spirit Luxuria’ from my hand, then draw two cards.” She drew her new cards and grinned. “I think I’ll use one of them now. I activate the effect of ‘Infernal Spirit Ira’ and banish it from my hand to deal 800 damage to you!”

The phantasmal violet spirit clad in armor with a red cloak appeared in front of Sunset, and sent a barrage of violet fireballs at Twilight. She raised her arms and cried out as they exploded around her, the air around her singeing. She stumbled back and winced, the heat still on her forearms.

-Twilight Life Points: 7200-

Before Twilight could react further, white light consumed her field of vision.

“What's wrong, Twilight?”

Staring into a mirror with the Element of Magic on her head, Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. “I don't know, Spike. I'm just worried, I guess.” She turned to face her assistant on the other side of the bedroom as he unpacked their bags. “Princess Cadance was given the Crystal Empire to rule over. What if, now that I'm a princess, Celestia expects me to lead a kingdom of my own?”

Spike’s face lit up as he came closer. “That would be awesome!”

“No. It. Would. NOT!” Twilight spat out. “Just because I have this crown and these wings, it doesn't mean I'll be a good leader!” She sat down on the bed as she spoke, removing the Element of Magic and setting it on her nightstand. She stared at it for several minutes, eyes heavy with disquiet.

The blue paneling of the duel arena came into focus. Twilight realized she had fallen on her hands and knees. She blinked and put a hand on her dueling field to slowly stand. “What… was that?”

“I have to agree. Those wings mean nothing. You’re not a Princess in anything but title.”

Twilight slowly looked up at Sunset as the other girl spoke. “You saw that?” She grimaced and held her head. “That was… before the portal… my memory. But how could you…”

Sunset gasped in faux surprise and pressed a hand to her cheek. “Oh, silly me, I forgot to explain the rules, didn’t I? This is a Shadow Game, Twilight. It’s a test of your mental strength as well as your dueling skill. Since I made the game I set the conditions. And they’re simple – every time you lose Life Points, we both see a troubling memory of yours from the recent past. The more damage I deal, the further back the memories will go.” Sunset giggled. “I can’t wait to see what more painful experiences you’ve gone through that I can make you relive.”

“Oh no…” Against her will Twilight’s mind flooded with embarrassing and traumatic experiences from her life. The wedding with the changelings. Her ill-fated attempts to travel back in time to stop an unknown crisis. Her panicking when Celestia called her to go to the Crystal Empire. Sunset could see them all. She’ll learn everything. Every fear, every embarrassment, every failure.

“Don’t worry, Twilight.” Sunset winked. “I’ll stay away from anything too personal… for now.” She held up two cards. “I set two cards face-down, and summon ‘Infernal Spirit Avarita’ in defense mode.” Sunset’s two cards materialized behind the grinning visage of an orange demon with feathered wings and taloned limbs. (500/500) “That ends my turn.”

“Mine again.” Twilight drew and looked at her cards. Will this Shadow Game let Sunset perceive my memories of how my deck works? But she probably already knows anyway. She frowned and shook her head. It doesn’t matter, I can’t hold back anymore regardless. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’, in attack mode!” The pale white spirit materialized next to Gracia in a shower of gem dust, her arms crossed. (1200/800) “Magnanimity, attack and destroy Avarita!” Magnanimity held out its arms and conjured a field of gems.

“I activate my Trap ‘Infernal Cloak’!” A cape of purple fabric appeared behind Avarita and wrapped around its neck. “This turn only, Avarita cannot be destroyed and any card effects that target it are negated.” Magnanimity fired its gems. The purple around Avarita ripped apart as the storm passed and the demon flung off the scraps with a laugh.

Twilight scowled. “I end my turn.”

“My move again.” Sunset drew and smiled. “I summon ‘Infernal Spirit Gula’ in defense mode.” The yellow demon with two heads and oversized mouths filled with too many teeth grinned at Twilight as it appeared from a rune on Sunset’s field. (500/500) “I then activate the effect of ‘Infernal Spirit Luxuria’ in my hand.” The insectoid green demon appeared in front of Sunset and conjured an orb of green light between its hands. “Luxuria now banishes another Infernal Spirit from my deck, like ‘Infernal Spirit Invidia’, and then I gain 800 Life Points.” Sunset smiled and tilted her head back as a like-colored green aura lit up around her.

-Sunset Life Points: 8800-

“With an Infernal Spirit banished, the effects of Avarita, Gula, and the banished Ira activate. Ira returns to my hand, Avarita lets me draw a card, and Gula lets me revive a monster other than the banished Luxuria. I summon Infernal Spirit Invidia!” The black demon with a purple cloak rose from a ring of purple fire, sneering at Twilight from behind the high collar of its cape. (500/500) “With that I end my turn.”

Twilight put a hand on her deck and lifted her card. Sunset flipped over a card in her hand. “Now that it’s your turn, I’ll activate the effect of Infernal Spirit Ira in my hand.” Ira’s shadowed form appeared over the field. “I don’t think I need to tell you what happens now, do I?” Sunset grinned and swung her hand forward. “Here’s a reminder!” Ira lit up in violet fire and shot towards Twilight. She screamed and raised her hands to shield herself, the blast sending waves of heat washing over her.

-Twilight Life Points: 6400-

Twilight lowered her arms to look across at Sunset but instead saw only light.

Twilight smiled as she sat down next to Rainbow Dash. She reached out to the table and pick up her duel disk and slid it back on her arm. “I admit, I felt kinda silly giving that big speech and standing over you. I’ve never really thought of myself as someone important like that. Well, maybe a teacher.”

Twilight brightened. “Really?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Rarity’s right. You’re proof we can have fun playing the game even while we take it seriously sometimes.”

“Gag me with a spoon.” Sunset stuck a finger down her throat. “You’re supposed to be in this tournament to beat me and win back your crown, and you’re having fun?”

Twilight stood up straight again. “I was, yes. No matter the stakes, I’ve enjoyed this game and the opponents I’ve faced.”

“Please.” Sunset sneered. “That’s so like you, winning comes easily with your magic, so you barely have to try to win and think it’s fun.”

“That’s not true!” Twilight counted off on her fingers. “Trixie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash. Every duelist I’ve faced has made me a better, stronger duelist myself, and increased my understanding of the game.”

“Yeah, and using magic to change up your deck any time you’re about to lose helps too. Must be nice, having that sort of innate talent, hm?” Sunset leaned forward, her fingers clenching on the edges of her dueling booth. She grit her teeth and spat her words. “You mastered your magic in just three days. I took months to even be able to conjure mine!” She stood back up and breathed deep. “But now that I have it, I’m going to use it to finish you. Now that Ira has been banished, the effects of Avarita and Gula trigger. Avarita lets me draw a card, and Gula lets me summon Infernal Spirit Luxuria from my banished zone, in defense mode.” The green demon rose on the field next to Gula in a spray of bright green goo, wings flittering. (500/500)

“It’s still my turn.” Twilight looked at her hand. Right now, Ira is the key to her strategy. As long as she can keep banishing it, she’ll keep whittling down my Life Points every turn, and then Avarita and Gula replenish her hand and field. Do I have something that can stop it? She looked down at her deck and mentally ran through a checklist of her cards. Her shoulders slumped. No. But I can try and limit the ways in which she can capitalize on banishing it. And it starts with getting rid of those monsters.

“I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas’!” Twilight set her card on the field. A shower of orange sparkles heralded the rise of the muscular orange-skinned fairy, blonde hair streaming down its back. (1800/300) “Then I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Malus’ in order to activate my Trap ‘Harmony Balloon’. I’ll use it to return one card on the field to the hand.” Twilight pointed. “I choose Infernal Spirit Avarita.” Avarita shrieked and transformed into an orb of orange light, feathers falling in its wake. Sunset held out her hand as the orb travelled towards her and transformed back into the card between her fingers.

“Discarding Malus activates the effects of Gracia and Magnanimity. I draw one card, and now for the rest of the turn my Harmony Spirits cannot be destroyed in battle.” Twilight thrust her hand out. “Honestas, destroy Infernal Spirit Invidia!” Honestas glowed with a yellow aura and ran forward, fist held back.

“Invidia copies your monster’s attack power.” Sunset snapped her fingers. A dark aura flared around Invidia and it pumped its fists in the air. (500 → 1800)

“Doesn’t matter, thanks to Gracia’s protection Honestas can’t be destroyed!” Honestas reached Invidia and punched. The demon flew back and struck Sunset’s booth, exploding. “Next, Magnanimity attacks Luxuria.” Magnanimity flung out a hand and sent a shower of gem shards across the field. Luxuria shrieked as the gems tore through it, kneeling into a plume of green fire that quickly burnt out. “I end my turn.” Twilight took a breath. Just Gula left. It’s a start.

“My turn to cause some pain again.” Sunset drew and held out a card. “I activate the effect of Avarita from my hand. I banish it to draw two cards, and then immediately banish another card in my hand.” Sunset flipped over a card and tossed it down. “I banish this, ‘Infernal Comet’. Then I activate the effect of Gula. Since I banished an Infernal Spirit, an Infernal Spirit with a different name is revived. Return to me, Invidia!” Invidia appeared in a shower of purple sparkles, cape fluttering. “Then I activate ‘Infernal Growth’. This lets me select two banished Infernal Spirits and return them to my hand.” Sunset held out her cards and grinned. “I choose Avarita and Ira. I’ll summon Avarita in defense mode and end my turn.”

Twilight bit her lip. She’s back to three monsters already. “My turn.”

“I think I’ll use an effect from my hand again.” Sunset held Ira’s card up in the air. “Guess what happens now, Twilight!” A violet fireball shot out of the card. Twilight grit her teeth and steadied her feet to take the blast.

-Twilight Life Points: 5600-

“This is the gift given to me by Sunset Shimmer. The power of dark magic, to command monster spirits sleeping in shadows. Power to show the world how strong I really am!”

Twilight stood up, her eyes narrow. “Wake up, Rarity! Sunset Shimmer is just using you to get me out of the tournament!”

Across the field, Rarity tossed her hair. “And you weren’t? Remind me again what your plan for this tournament was all along. To win your way to the top no matter who you have to beat?” Rarity’s eyes flashed. “No, you’re the same as her. The same ambition and self-righteous entitlement, just in a different colored wrapper.”

“That’s not true! I’m here to try and help you all!”

“This is getting old…” Twilight groaned and raised her head.

“I agree.” Sunset yawned and fanned herself with her cards. “I need to start upping the damage I deal, so we can get to the good stuff. In the meantime, since I banished Ira, the effects of Avarita and Gula activate. I draw a card and then revive Luxuria.” The green insectoid demon flew back onto Sunset’s field from a haze of green smoke. Sunset spread her hands and laughed. “See? No matter how hard you fight, Twilight, I’ll keep coming back stronger than before!”

“That sounds like a challenge to me. I accept.” Twilight drew her new card and looked down at it. She smiled and slapped it on the field. “I’m turning this around, right here, right now. And it starts with this, ‘Harmony Fruit’. I’ll use it to return Harmony Spirits Pietas and Malus in my graveyard to my hand.” Twilight paused as she looked at her monsters and reached over to her touch screen, surprisingly still active. She tapped the icon for Invidia and read its effect. She gasped when she finished. That’s it!

“I activate the effect of Pietas, and discard it to allow a Harmony Spirit I control this turn to attack directly.” Twilight tapped her cards one by one as they lit up. “Honestas gains 500 attack points, Gracia prevents my monsters from being destroyed in battle, and Magnanimity lets me draw a card.” She drew and reached out her hand. “Honestas, attack Sunset directly!” Honestas (1800 → 2300) flexed its arms and leapt into the air.

“Please.” Sunset snorted and put a hand on her field. “Invidia, intercept the attack!” Before her the demon stood still, its cape fluttering. Sunset frowned. “Invidia?”

“You should pay more attention to your own cards, Sunset!” Twilight smiled in triumph. “Invidia can intercept attacks on other monsters, yes. But what it can’t do is block attacks aimed directly at you!”

“What!?” Sunset stepped back and looked up at Honestas. The fairy looked down at Sunset and dove, a fist held out. The demons on the field turned to watch as Honestas shot past them and slammed its hand into Sunset’s chest. A shockwave burst out from the impact point. Sunset was flung back with a strangled cry, hitting the railing at the back of her dueling booth and slumping against it.

“Gotcha!” Twilight grinned and looked at the Life Point total on her display.

-Sunset Life Points: 6500-

“Next, I’ll—” Twilight paused as light flared in her eyes. “Wait, I didn’t take—”

The students crowded around the test postings in the hallway, pushing to get closer and see their marks. Cries of variable joy or disappointment soon rang out after they reached the board. “Let me through!” The speaker in the memory pushed past a blue unicorn to reach the board. She scanned the listings and grinned. “Ninety-three!” She giggled. “I knew all that studying was worth it.”

“That’s impossible!”

The speaker rolled her eyes. “Not really, I just had to study hard.” She turned to address the pony that had shouted but saw they weren’t looking at her. Instead they were looking at another test posting further down the line.

“Twilight got a 100 on her alchemical theory exam!”

The crowd gasped and crowded closer, the speaker being pushed back through the crowd. She lifted her head and looked down at the center of attention, a lavender unicorn with a deep purple mane.

“No one’s ever gotten more than a ninety on that exam!”

“Professor Inkwell says she tries to make it impossible to get perfect!”

As Twilight began to respond to the students, the speaker shrank down into the crowd again. “Big deal. She’s the prophesied Element of Magic, of course she’ll ace all these stupid tests.”

“Hey.” The speaker looked next to them to see a pale blue unicorn glaring at her. “We were all happy for you when you always got the best score in the class.”

“Yeah, because I work for my scores,” The student hissed.

The blue unicorn rolled her eyes. “You can’t always be the best at everything, Sunset. There’ll always be somepony better than you. Just be happy you did great in your own right.”

“Give me a break.” The speaker tossed her mane, red and yellow strands flowing through the air. “That kind of attitude is why I’m the royal student and you’re a nobody.”

Twilight blinked as the memory faded, the hair of the pony in the memory still on the edges of her eyes. That vision… She looked at the Life Point totals again. When I lose Life Points, Sunset can see my memories. But, since I damaged her…

Across the field Sunset groaned and put an arm around the railing to pull herself up. Her head was low, her other hand on her chest.

Honestas lowered to the field in front of Twilight. She looked past it at Sunset as the other girl slowly stood. “That was you?” Sunset raised her head and glared, but said nothing. Twilight’s eyes widened. “It was, wasn’t it? Years ago.” Sunset just growled, her glare intensifying. “The School for Gifted Unicorns…” Twilight shook her head. “I never noticed you… you were there, though.”

“Shut up!” Sunset gnashed her teeth. “That’s in the past. It’s ancient history!”

“Is it?” Twilight set her mouth in a line. “You said this Shadow Game will let us see the other’s painful memories. The more damage we take the worse the memory. So how bad was that one?”

“I said shut up!” Sunset stood up fully and stepped back up to her booth. “I’m better than you. Always have been, always will be. There or here, tests or dueling. Now finish your turn so I can keep on proving it!”

“Fine. Magnanimity, attack Invidia and destroy it.” Magnanimity fired a large shower of gems at Invidia.

“Invidia, copy its attack power!” Invidia wrapped itself in its cape as the gems shredded it and it shattered. Sunset snorted. “Gracia prevents your monster from dying, and with the same attack power, neither of us takes damage.”

“You almost sound relieved.” Twilight tilted her head. “You weren’t counting on that memory rule going both ways, were you?”

“It doesn’t matter. That’s the last hit you’ll be getting on me!” Sunset snarled.

No. It’s the first of many. Twilight took a breath. I have to know more. In that vision she mentioned the Element of Magic. How could she know about that when it was years before Nightmare Moon? How does she know me when I never knew her?

Sunset… who are you?

Author's Note

Sooo... let’s address the elephant in the room: Sunset attending the School for Gifted Unicorns during the same time Twilight did.

First, there’s the Sunset Shimmer comic. It is simply not canon, and I don’t mean I don’t consider the comics canon or ignore them, I mean that specific comic cannot be canon:
- Celestia says in the film that Sunset began her studies “not long” before Twilight, yet Twilight hasn’t gotten her cutie mark yet and so is not yet a royal student, while Sunset has been with Celestia for a while.
- The comic depicts Moondancer who looks nothing like she does in the show.
- Twilight’s Canterlot friends are significantly older than her, yet Amending Fences makes it clear they’re approximately all the same age.

Second, there’s the matter of “if Twilight was going to the same school as Sunset, wouldn’t she know her?” You’d think, but consider the following:
- Twilight does not seem to know Trixie despite her also attending the school. She also doesn’t seem to recognize Lyra or Amethyst despite the same.
- Twilight was oblivious to the fact that her childhood foalsitter was an alicorn princess. In fact, she was not even aware of Cadance’s full name until the Canterlot Wedding.
- Twilight was pointedly asocial, even anti-social, in her youth.

All things considered, I don’t think it implausible at all that the two could indeed have gone to the same school, and Twilight had no idea who Sunset was; she was just one face in a crowd of hundreds that Twilight passed every day without really getting to know them. After all, I’m sure we’ve all met people from school that years later we don’t know who they are, but they know us, yes?