"Ugh... It feels like I was hit by a buffalo." Ashura groaned as he slowly got to his hooves and rubbed the back of his head. "Huh. No bump though." After reorientating himself he realised he was in front of Sugar Cube Corner. 'How did I get here?' He thought to himself for a second before remembering. "Oh that's right I was going to get some treats before... uh... Hey wait a minute." He then noticed that it was around mid day and yet the town was unusually empty. "Where is everypony?"
He proceeded to enter the store. First noticing that the cakes were nowhere to be found either nor was Pinkie Pie. However he did notice a faint light coming from the kitchen. Upon entering he found a force field protecting a unconscious purple pony. On closer inspection he noticed it was the Princess of Friendship. As he drew closer the field flickered weakly and disappeared as he raised is hand towards it. Immediately afterwards the Princess stirred then slowly raised her head. "Ugh my head..." She winced.
"Princess are you all right?" Ashura asked as he bowed respectfully.
She slowly turned her head towards him and blinked tiredly. "Uh, yeah. Just a head ache I think." She responded groggily. "Wait, who are you, and were is Pinkie? I was helping her bake a cake when I-"
"Blacked out?" Ashura finished for her.
"Yeah! How did you know?" She asked suspiciously.
"The same thing happened to me. I woke up in front of the store and I have no idea what happened." Ashura answered. "And when I came too the town was deserted."
"That's very strange." The Princess said to herself as she rubbed her chin in thought.
"Oh where are my manners, my name is Ashura Origans." Ashura introduced himself and held out his hand.
Twilight smiled shook his hand. "I guess I don't have to tell you how strange this situation is?"
"Yeah. It's kind of creepy now that I think about it." Ashura chuckled nervously.
"Maybe Princess Celestia will know what's going on." Twilight said out loud. "Ugh, but with out Spike I can't get a letter to her."
Ashura then squinted his eyes as a light suddenly shone from above them. "Uh, Princess do you have any idea what that ball of light is?"
"Oh please, Twilight's just fine thanks, and what?" Twilight looked up at the ball of light. "Wait that's a vision orb!"
"A vision orb? I've read about those once. Isn't that something that only a princess can create?" Ashura asked.
Twilight nodded. "Yeah it's a orb that can project a pre-recorded message and requires a lot of magic to pull off." Suddenly the orb flow through the air and landed in front of them. After a second a projection of a tall white alicorn appeared. "Princess Celestia!"
"Princess Twilight, I pray for Equestria that this vision orb reaches you in time." Celestia said in a worried tone. "You may have noticed by the time you regained consciousness Ponyville is void of all pony life. This is the work of a Unicorn by the name of Slavic Silvermoon."
"Slavic Silvermoon? Why does that name sound familiar?" Twilight asked herself.
"Slavic was the top student at my school for gifted unicorns." Celestia explained as a projection of a dark grey unicorn stallion.
"Now I recognise him!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Huh? Who is he?" Ashura asked.
"He's said to be a prodigy at the school, I remember seeing him a few times in between classes." Twilight explained.
"For the past couple months Slavic has been closing himself off from most ponies, and a couple days ago a few guards were sent went to check up on him and no pony had heard from them." Celestia continued. "This has been going on since that new card game was introduced, Duel Monsters I think it was."
"Duel Monsters?!" Ashura exclaimed in disbelief.
"My friends and I just started playing that game. What would it have to do with all this?" Twilight pondered.
"It may sound hard to believe, but when my guard's went to investigate after he stepped out for a bit they found copies of those cards, but with pictures of the ponies that went missing." Celestia continued. "They also found traces of dark magic." Twilight and Ashura gasped in disbelief. "We believe he may have been using dark magic to somehow turn ponies into these cards. Of course what he may be planning with this isn't good. So I have created this recording that will be sent to you if the worst case scenario happen-" the recording was suddenly cut off.
"She just loves hearing herself speak doesn't she?" A voice coming from the other room spoke.
Twilight and Ashura hurried into the other room to find a grey unicorn sitting in one of the seat's near the window with a cocky smirk on his face. "Slavic!" Twilight cried. "What did you do to everypony in Ponyville?!"
"What are you dense?" Slavic asked. "You just heard it yourself from the big mare herself. I turned everypony into cards!" He laughed to himself. "But not just everypony in ponyville, but everypony in Equestria are now cards!"
"What?!" Ashura cried.
"Even my friends?" Twilight asked already knowing the answer.
"Especially your friends." Slavic answered. "I took them out first. After all I couldn't risk the Elements of Harmony getting in my way." Twilight lowered her head in both sadness and anger. "But I'm a reasonable guy." Slavic continued. "I'll let everypony go in just one condition."
"And that is?" Ashura asked.
"Beat me in a duel." Slavic said nonchalantly.
"Wait, seriously?" Ashura asked questionably.
"Yeah."
Ashura eyed him with suspicion. 'It can't be that simple.' He thought to himself.
"I'll do it." Twilight claimed as she looked Slavic dead in the eye. "I'll duel you."
Slavic looked a Twilight then turned away. "Nah, not you 'Princess'." He said brushing her off.
"W-what?" Twilight stuttered.
"In due time, but right now I have a beef to settle with him." Slavic pointed at Ashura and looked at him with clear distain.
"Me? What have I ever done to you?" Ashura said as he readjusted his glasses.
"You don't remember me do you?" Slavic sighed.
"Should I?" Ashura asked as he cocked his head to the side.
"We went to school together at the school for gifted unicorns before you moved." Slavic explained.
"Sorry buddy, but I don't remember you." Ashura claimed.
Slavic grunted. "Of course you don't. Maybe getting your flank kicked in a duel will remind you."
"You ok with me duelling him Twilight?" Ashura asked Twilight.
"As long as you win it doesn't matter." Twilight proclaimed.
Ashura nodded. "Oh, but it won't be me you'll be duelling." Slavic explained. "Or at least not yet anyway."
"Huh?"
"You'll be duelling one of my minions first." Slavic looked behind him and his horn lit up then something started to materialize behind him. "Take care of them will you Pinkamena?"
"Pinkie!" Twilight exclaimed.
Sure enough when the pony finished materializing Pinkie was starting there with a blank expression, faded fur, and a deflated mane. "She will be your first opponent. If you win we'll talk again, but if not well that's one less problem I have to worry about." Slavic walked towards the exit and teleported away.
"Pinkie! Please tell me your in there somewhere?!" Twilight pleaded, but to no avail.
Pinkie held up her arm, and strapped a duel disk to it. "Duel..."
"It's no use Twilight." Ashura explained. "Whatever Slavic did he turned her into his puppet, and I'm guessing the only way we're gonna get any answers is if I defeat her." Ashura held up his arm and strapped a duel disk on his arm too and inserted his deck. "Duel!"
