Po-Ni-Oh! Synchronized Dueling

The Duel Runners raced down the track, slamming a hard turn. One was a simple design, black with purple highlights, complimenting the rider's hair, purple with black highlights. The other, was an exquisite blue with white clouds painted on, the overall design reminiscent of a feather, the sides decorated with a sweeping feather modification, the top being a clear magic barrier that was exceptionally aerodynamic. Controlling the beautiful machine was an equally beautiful being, her wings spread behind her back, her golden hair flowing out from under her helmet.

"Come on, Dusk! You know you can't win, so why are you trying so hard to prolong the Duel?" shouted the female, squeezing the accelerator on her Duel Runner. The system clicked from five to six, the meter that measured Speed Counters in a Riding Duel currently measuring what gear she was on. "Just pull o-"

A sound rattled from inside the Duel Runner, and everything came apart at once. The accelerator chip sparked, igniting, and charring, ruining the installed balancing chip that was fixed to the board. The engine revved faster and faster as the limiting computations of the chip stopped, and combusted, turning the machine into a rollin fireball. The booster on the rear malfunctioned, and detonated, the explosion and the flames burning Featherdrop. She screamed in pain, flailing, and the Duel Runner lost control, the safety wards placed on the machine having long since failed. The motorcycle careened to the side, and slammed into the boundary of the track, leaving paramedic unicorns to put out the flames and rush her to the hospital.

"Mom..." The ivory colt looked at his mother, tears in his eyes. Underneath all of the bandaging, all of the healing spells, was the charred body of his mother, who was barely hanging onto life. Her blue eye looked at him, unfocused.

"My baby colt..." Featherdrop rasped, the machines around her keeping her stable. "You've grown up so much..." She smiled weakly, the blackened flesh of her face partially visible beneath the bandaging. "And I'm sure you'll become a fine stallion, even without me."

Solar Feather, her son, widened his eyes in shock. "Mom! Don't... Don't talk like that! The doctors here can heal you! They won't let you die! So please don't talk like that Mom!" He grabbed her hand, tears spilling from his eyes. "Please don't give up, Mom... I still need you!"

Featherdrop let go of a raspy sigh. "Sol... I am so very proud of you. But please..." She inhaled, and looked him in the eye. "Don't worry so much. I'm not a young mare, and while I'm not old, either, I think I've lived a fulfilling life. You even..." She exhaled, closing her eyes in discomfort, one of the magic wards to dispell her pain wearing off. "Even followed me into Duel Monsters. But every colt has to start his own path somewhere... And as much as I hate it, yours starts now." She gingerly held his hand, sighing in resignation. "I want you to have my Deck. And my Duel Disk. That way, even when you're Dueling, I'll be with you."

Solar shook his head, the tears streaming. "Mom, please, no! No! You- you can't die! You can't!" He leaned over and tried to hug her, crying. "I don't want you to go..."

Featherdrop hissed in pain. "I'm afraid it's too late, Sol. I... love you." The heart monitor flatlined, and the nurse who was keeping an eye on the dying woman rushed over, calling for the doctors, as she pushed the sobbing colt out of the room.

That was a year ago. Now, in the present day, Solar Feather was Dueling, taking win after win, every victory dedicated to his deceased mother.

"Alright, Stardust Warrior! Finish her off with Stardust Strike!" The behemoth of a warrior rose into the air, and gathered a silvery energy into its fist. When the attack was ready, it lunged forward, driving a devastating punch into the other Duelist's Life Points.

Solar: 3200

Sunny: 0000

The holographic images faded into pixelated chunks, and then into nothingness, as Solar smiled. "Great Duel, Sunny. I had a lot of fun. Plus, it's not everybody who can make me use both of my Stardust Warriors." He walked forward, wings flared, and offered a handshake.

The filly smiled back. "It was a great Duel, wasn't it? I didn't think you ran Imperial Iron Wall. That was a pretty rookie mistake I made, though... I should have realized you might be running Iron Wall when you Summoned Jet Synchron from the Graveyard and Sync'ed for Jet Warrior." She graciously accepted his handshake, and kept talking. "You know, I was the winner of a local tourny last month. If you can beat me, I'm sure you can get through the trash talking Duelists in Cloudsdale." She shrugged, taking her cards in her Graveyard slot on her Duel Disk and setting them in the Deck slot, the Disk shuffling the Deck. "But, I gotta tell you. Gladiator Beast Decks are really common in Cloudsdale right now, especially with Bestiari being taken off of the Limited list."

Solar Feather shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm staying away from tournaments. I don't think I'll ever be tournament level, honestly."  He did the same, and returned his Extra Deck monsters to the Extra Deck slot, and deactivated his Duel Disk. "But hey, who knows? Maybe someday, I will be tournament level. When I am, I'm gonna aim straight for the top, for my mom."

Sunny giggled. "For your mom? That's kinda silly. Who Duels for their mom?" When she saw the crestfallen look on Solar's face, she gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry, that was really insensitive of me."

Solar shook his head, smiling sorrowfully. "No... It's okay. It's been a year now... It's just tough." He turned around, and his wings thrust powerfully. "Anyways, it was nice Dueling you. I need to go, though. Ponyville is quiet and all, but even so, there aren't enough Duelists here that challenge me to keep me interested." He rose into the air, and flew off, thinking as he headed for Cloudsdale.

'Tournament Dueling? That's really competitive... But I guess my Deck is really competitive too. After all, I haven't lost one Duel in Ponyville, and Appeloosa was full of Duelists that used really slow Decks. They just couldn't keep up with my combos.' He furrowed his brow, before looking up, and getting a faceful of hoof. "Hunh!?" He reeled back, and went forward. "Sorry! I was a bit distracted- Wait a second, you're... Rainbow Dash!" He stared, wide-eyed, as she came level with him.

Rainbow eyed his arm, noting the Duel Disk. "A Duelist, huh? You sure you didn't bump into me for a Duel?" She laughed, and raised her arm, her Duel disk activating, the card zones unfurling like wings from the wrist dealer. "Just remember, I've got the baddest birds in the sky!"

Solar blinked, and smiled, raising his arm as the hinge opened, and the card zones clicked out like a blade. "You have the Blackbird Disk. That was a promotional disk, right? Given to Duelists who attended the Cloudsdale Finals last year? That's pretty cool, but my Barbarian Disk is cooler. It's a sword, too."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "A kid like you with that kind of Duel Disk? That can only end badly."

Both of them placed their hands on their Decks, and said, simultaneously, "Let's Duel!"