Prelude
" Four years ago...that's where my story starts. My name's Fluttershy, and this is about the day my life changed forever. For the longest time, I always thought I'd have a regular life. Go to school, get a job, get married and have kids, all that stuff. I was never good at Duel Monsters, my favorite card game. I never looked at my cards like they were the strongest; I just looked at them as the things I could always turn to when I needed them the most. I had friends growing up, but deep down, I always felt like none of them understood me, and I've always been so very shy...so making new friends had been out of the question.
That all changed when I met him, though. The one who'd quickly become the most important person in my life. Before I get into that, let me tell you about another story, the very story that started so many others, my own included. The story of the card game we call Duel Monsters. They say that the game used to be real, and no one knows for sure how it was really started. There are all sorts about ancient Egypt, the ancient Aztecs, and even entirely different worlds! There's one thing for certain though, wherever it actually originated from, we wouldn't have this card game without one man. Maximillion Pegasus.
Many years ago, long before I was born, or anyone I know for that fact, Maximillion Pegasus created the card game of Duel Monsters. According to old pieces of news, the game was a rapid success. Almost everyone was playing it! Every man, woman, and child. It got so popular that it even caught the attention of histories youngest CEO, Seto Kaiba, a legend in the world of dueling, and my friend's idol.
Without him, the game wouldn't be the same as it is today; instead of monsters we can see and experience, we'd just have regular old trading cards. There have been so many things added since that time, like synchro summoning, XYZ summoning, and my personal favorite, pendulum summoning. So much and for just a single card game, but to some of us, that card game means more than anything…I know it does to me at least…and to him.
That's enough of the history lessons. It's time I tell you about how my life, my entire world, changed forever…and it all started the day I met him. I remember it like it was yesterday, but it was actually three whole years ago, back when I was just fourteen...a day I'll never forget. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Three Years Ago, the City of Canterlot ~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a rather quiet day in the city of Canterlot. What was usually a vibrant, bustling area was now silent as can be, what with another duel tournament being held in the city's very own Kaiba Dome; a stadium made in commemoration of the corporation, and man that made modern dueling possible. The quiet backdrop of the city was the perfect setting for a disheveled fourteen year old girl with long, pink hair and a yellow sweater. On her arm rested her duel disk; a revolutionary device that allows the duelist to bring their cards to life in a sense, usually with the aid of another device. That other device being usually being one of two things: either a duel gazer, an ocular device that allows the wearer and any others wearing one to witness a holographic battle as if it were real, or in other cases, most larger cities were implemented with hologram technology in the streets and buildings, as a way to let aspiring duelist express themselves.
For the pink haired youth, however, today was not a day she felt very expressive, or aspiring. Having just left the cities tournament after a rather quick defeat, her head hung and she sighed. She never really played to win, nor did she expect to do well, she only ever played for fun. Despite this, however, defeat always left her in a saddened mood, even when she'd tell herself to not let it happen.
Another loud sigh left her lips as she trekked through a back alley towards her middle-class home. This was something she did on a daily basis, taking the same route every day, but today something felt off. " ...I don't see why I bother... " she said to no one in particular, " ...the same thing happens every time I try...I get scared...I mess up...then I lose. " She stopped momentarily to gaze down at her duel-disk, which currently had her precious hand-built deck mounted in the appropriate slot. " Grandma always told me to believe in my cards...and I do...but I just don't think I'm cut out for it... "
She continued marching along, fighting back the stinging sensation of tears trying to escape. The distraction of trying not to cry left her unaware of the looming danger that had been trailing her since she left the tournament. Three unseen figures shadowed the depressed youth, growing ever closer each time she stopped. Eventually the opening that was the other end of the alley came into sight, and for once on her self-appointed walk of shame, she gave a small smile. However, right as she began making her way out of the dank, dark alley, something shot in front of her, startling her, and causing her to fall to her backside.
Standing before her was a young man, his face concealed by a hoodie and a duel disk on his arm. She quickly picked herself up and attempted to turn back, only to see her path blocked by two other young men, their identities also concealed with hoodies. Her breath hitched as she stumbled back and forth, looking for any possible escapes.
All at once, the thugs lowered their hoods, revealing faces she had seen before. Three unruly and rude-looking young men, all two or three years older who had been expelled from school for multiple counts of cheating and disorderly conduct. They each wore nasty grins on their faces as they now had the poor girl boxed in. The first one to speak, the one blocking the exit, was the tallest of the three, his bright green hair befitting his venomous facial expression.
" Looky looky boys, we caught ourselves a little mouse, " he said with a slight chuckle.
The second to speak was one behind her, the shortest of the three with maroon hair and a portly body. " Yeah, a timid little loser of a mouse, " he spoke with a sneer.
The third to speak was the most average in appearance of the three, his ununique height and brown hair, actually standing out from that of his cohorts. " That was easier than I thought, and swiping her deck will be even easier. Just look at her, she’s half-way to passing out as it is. "
" S-swiping my d-deck?! " She defensively placed her hand over her disk and hugged it to her body.
" Yeah, " the tallest said with a smirk, " we saw you at that tournament and man did you stink! " His comment caused the already disheartened duelist to stare at the ground. However, before her mind could wander, he continued speaking, " Like really bad, but… " he paused, his smirk growing, " …those cards of yours are pretty rare, and we could make a quick buck off of ‘em, and use the dough to soup-up our decks. "
Her eyes widened, " N-no! I won't let you!! " she cried out in a panic.
The three each laughed at her reaction, then the brown haired youth spoke up. " Easy ya crybaby runt, we're fair people, " she highly doubted that, " you duel my big green-haired friend there, and if you win, we'll let ya go with your deck untouched, but if ya lose, you hand over your deck, duel disk, and gazer! Capiche?! "
She was hesitant to reply, mostly out of fear, but in the end, she gave a meek nod. She wasn't the best, but anything was better than losing her deck, " ...I-I'll d-do it... "
Laughter echoed throughout the alley as the youths reacted to her quiet response, " Looks like the mouse got some fight in her! I wonder how long it'll take to stomp her out? "
She activated her duel disk and gazer, greatly unnerved by the grin her soon-to-be foe wore, " L-let's do this... "
" Yes let's, heheheh, " chuckled the green-haired youth as he activated his own disk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thug LP-3700
Fluttershy LP-0000
For all intents and purposes, Fluttershy lost. Things started off well enough for her, but only at the start. She managed to deal out the first points of damage, surprising her attackers, but fear quickly replaced her sudden confidence as her foe rebounded, striking faster than she anticipated, completely throwing her off and leading to her making several mistakes. All this combined ultimately led to her quick defeat.
Her disheartened feeling quickly returned to her, causing her to double over onto her knees, " W-why can't I win.... "
Footsteps towards her snapped her out of her saddened daze. The green haired youth's grin was wider than it was during the duel, " Alrighty kiddo, you lost, now it's time to pay up! " he and the others strode towards her with the intent on taking her possessions.
Her eyes widened further as she quickly covered her duel disk with her body, which was now huddled over her precious deck and disk. " No, you can't!!! Please don't!! " she pleaded as the tears rushed back to her eyes.
" We had a deal! " One of them shouted, " Now scram and leave your stuff! "
" Don't make me!! " she cried out, tears now visible in her eyes, " My grandma gave me my deck and it means the world to me...so please don't take it! "
This caused the three to chuckle loudly, " Oh boo-hoo, such a sad, sad story. News flash sweetie! Don't go betting things that are important to you, now let go! " The brown-haired youth kicked her to the ground in an attempt to get her to drop her things.
" No!!! " she defiantly cried as her hand desperately covered her deck, which they were now reaching for.
A growl escaped the lips of the green-haired one, " Grrr, get your damn hand outta the way!!! " he proceeded to stomp on and grind his foot against her delicate hand.
" ...Don't take it away... " she silently sobbed as she tried and failed to hold the tears back. With the fear of losing her deck, and the new pain in her side and hand, it was too much to hold in.
After enough fighting, the green-haired youth managed to pry the stack of cards from the sobbing duelist, " Ya snooze ya lose kiddo, " he cackled as he went to take a step, but suddenly…
" Leave her alone and give the cards back. " A new voice had joined them, one that was commanding in tone, filled with confidence. The voice belonged to another male youth, this one was more than likely a year older than Fluttershy. His hair was long and grey in color, his bangs framing his face perfectly, and atop his head sat two tufts, almost like horns in appearance. His purple eyes were as piercing as they were comforting, as Fluttershy saw his glare directed right at the card thieves. Mounted on his arm was his own duel disk, and already covering his left eye was a purple duel gazer, camouflaging his eye perfectly.
The thief currently holding the stolen cards sneered at the newcomer, " Beat it kid, this don't concern ya. "
He didn't leave though, instead he began walking forwards. " When you steal from another duelist, it becomes my concern, now hand the cards back or you'll regret it, " he spoke so calm and coolly, as if being outnumbered didn't bother him. Fluttershy marveled at this, her terrible day was quickly making a U-turn, all thanks to this stranger.
Again, an uproar of laughter was their response, " Ya hear that boys? If we don't give the crybaby back her cards he'll make us "regret" it, " he said in a mocking tone.
" Boss, look! " the short one pointed to the newcomers duel disk, " He's a duelist!! "
" Yeeeeah, he is, isn't he, " the tallest thug handed the deck to his short cohort and made his way towards the gray-haired youth. " Tell ya what hero, you duel me and win, we'll scram and the girly gets her stupid deck back, buuuut- "
" You want me to wager my cards should I lose, I already know...I was watching the whole time, " he cut him off, his expression never changing. There wasn't a hint of cockiness in his voice, the way he spoke to them was purely serious, " By the way, if we're going to duel, I'd appreciate it if you took the cards out of your sleeves, " his eyes glanced at the green-haired young man's hoodie sleeve.
The thug froze up, having been quickly taken aback by the new duelists sharp eye, " I got no idea what you're talking about... " He grumbled as he turned to remove three concealed cards from his sleeve, and quickly hid them in his pockets. " See, there ain't nothin' there, " he pulled down on his now empty sleeve.
" Whatever you say… " The grey-haired duelist reached behind him, and removed his cards from his deck case, before promptly loading them into his duel disk.
" We know your type, " the brown-haired thug spoke up, " a tough customer in appearance, but he's actually just all talk, and that's all you'll be when the boss is done stomping you! "
However, his taunts were paid no mind. The mystery duelist activated his duel disk and looked up at his opponent, " How about this, I'm going to end this duel in four turns. "
This got the thug chuckling, " Sure, whatever you say squirt! That's quite the statement for someone with bed head like yours. "
" That wasn't a statement, " he said with closed eyes, " it was a promise. "
Fluttershy felt her breath hitch again as she gazed on at her savior. The way he spoke, the way he carried himself…he was the exact opposite of her and she couldn't help but admire his confidence. It was when he re-opened his eyes however, that she saw the sudden burst of determination in them that practically screamed "I mean it". She really believed he was going to end it all in four whole turns.
The duelists raised their duel disks and activated their duel gazers. The spectators too turned their gazers on as they readied to watch what was going to be a quick victory, but for whom?
" LET'S DUEL!!! "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thug LP-4000
???? LP-4000
Both quickly drew five cards from their deck, making up their hands. " Because I'm a nice guy, I'll let ya go first! "
The grey haired duelist's eyes never left his hand, " First, last, it doesn't matter. "
" Whatever ya say pal, whatever ya say, " a wicked grin came to the green haired duelist as he gazed at his hand " Score!! With a hand like this, heheh, this duel'll be over before it started! "
Whilst the thug eagerly eyed the cards he held, letting a small chuckle out as he did, the mystery duelist merely looked at his hand with a blank expression. Exhaling, he lifted a single card from his hand, " I'll start by activating the spell card, Foolish Burial, allowing me to send a monster of my choice from my deck to the graveyard, " he said, still calm as can be as he pulled another card from his deck, then slid it right into his graveyard.
" Why would ya play a useless card like that? " The green hair thug asked, genuinely curious as to why he'd get rid of his card willingly.
" You'll see, " was all he said as he lifted two more cards from his hand, " I'll end my turn by placing two cards facedown. "
Everyone watched as two facedown cards appeared ground before them, all wondering what they could be. The thuggish youth, however, couldn't care less, " Ya gotta be kidding me! " he cackled while drawing a card, " Ya didn't play a single monster, you're wide open! And I just drew the right card to set me on the path to victory! "
" Then shut up and play it already, " the grey haired duelist said dryly, greatly irritating his foe in the process.
An audible growl escaped the irritated duelist’s lips, " Dammit, be quiet already!! Now it's time to start this duel off right. So I'll follow your example and use this spell card right here, Magnet Circle LV2!! " As he played the card, a large circle appeared where the card once was, followed by the circle sparking with purple electricity as prepared to use the spell.
Watching from the side, Fluttershy couldn't help but wonder what the card was, he hadn't used it when he dueled her, " ...Magnet Circle LV2…? What's that…? "
To which her question was replied to by the brown-haired thug, " Don't you know anything, you brat? Magnet Circle LV2 is a spell card that lets the boss special summon a machine monster from his hand as long as it's level 2 or lower. "
" That's right boys and I know exactly which card I'm pickin'!! " he ecstatically pulled a card from his hand and slammed it down on his disk, " I'm special summonin' ancient gear in defense mode! "
Ancient Gear: LV2, ATK-100, DEF-800
Once the card was placed, a monster appeared before them all. It was mechanical in appearance, its form was that of a little machine with a gear for a head a pair of jointed legs attached to said gear. " Now I ain't got no golem but I'm still gonna put its special ability to an even better use! So why don't I just go ahead and play my second ancient gear down! " And without hesitation, he played another copy of the monster, resulting in two of the little gears to be present on the field, but one being colored blue as a result of its defensive mode.
The grey haired duelist sat there with an indifferent look on his face, " So you use machine cards, how interesting. "
The two thugs on the sideline were taken aback; either he was really ignorant, or he had more confidence than they thought to ignore their boss’s play. " Is this guy stupid or what? He just now noticed the boss used machine monsters? "
" Yeah, I use a machine deck! And I'm about to set into motion my plan to win with this machine deck! " He cockily shouted. " Seeing as how I've yet to normal summon this turn, I think I'll do just that, " Yaiba Robo! " This time a different machine appeared on the field, it was shaped like a box with two stalk eyes and covered in several sharp objects.
Yaiba Robo: LV4, ATK-1000, DEF-1300
" And since you were so kind as to leave yourself open, I think I'll take the honors of having the first attack! Yaiba Robo chop him up! " On command, the little box-shaped robot launched forward, its three pincer-like blades opened wide before finally striking the opposing duelist directly.
The only reaction given by the stricken duelist was him slowly shutting and opening his eyes.
Thug LP-4000
???? LP-3000
" How'd ya like that punk! " he shouted again, cockier more than he had been before. " Don't worry, it'll be all over real soon, but for now, I'll just lay a card face down and end my turn. "
However, there was no immediate response, as the young man he taunted paid no mind. Rather, he was too busy focusing on his turn, as he drew his card and placed it in his hand, " It took you long enough. Most turns don't take an entire day to be done with. " However, before his loudmouthed foe could get another word in, he cut him off by getting on with his turn. " I think I'll take the offensive this turn, with this monster right here. I summon Axe Dragonute! "
As soon as the card was played, a new monster appeared on the field. This one was far different from the machines that had been played previously. It was a tall, black, bipedal dragon with spread wings and a large double headed battle-axe in its grasp.
Axe Dragonute: LV4, ATK-2000, DEF-1200
The mighty axe-wielding dragon let out a roar as it stood proud in front of the one who played it. " And unlike you, rather than talk you to death, I'll just go ahead and attack! Axe Dragonute! Dragon axe slash attack on Yaiba Robo!! "
With a mighty leap and roar, the axe-wielding dragon ascended with its weapon held high above its head. In an instant, it brought the incredibly sharp axe blades down on the yellow robot, splitting it in two and causing it to explode in a flurry of virtual bits.
The green-haired thug shielded his face from the sudden burst that his monster became, " Damn brat! Don't get cheeky! "
Thug LP-3000
???? LP-3000
Upon returning to its master, Axe Dragonute knelt down and held its Axe out in front of it. " When Axe dragonute declares an attack, it's automatically shifted into defensive position after the attack. That means there's little I can do now besides play another face down card and end my turn… " and he did exactly what he said he would. " Two turns left. "
" Two turns is right! I'm gonna use those two turns to thrash ya nice and slowly! " He began to grit his teeth at the audacity of the grey-haired punk who was treating him with so much disrespect. With an anger-fueled flick of the wrist, he drew his card, which brought a broad grin to his vile face, " Score!! " He mentally applauded himself for drawing the perfect card for his strategy. " With all this machinery, that punk won't know what hit him, " " I think I'll start the beginning of the end with a classic, Pot of Greed! " He held up a spell card with a picture of a green pot which possessed a wicked smile.
Once the card had been played, he eagerly drew two cards as the spell card instructed. " Looky here, just the two cards I needed. What card is it you ask? Why this one! " A monster card was held high above his head between his fingers, " I'll tribute my two ancient gears to summon my one and only! Slot Machine!! "
Without warning, the two gear-shaped monsters shattered, and in their place a new, much larger monster appeared. As its name implied, it was indeed a slot machine, only it was many times larger than any real slot machine, and it possessed four large limbs, two legs, and two arms, one of which was equipped with a cannon.
Slot Machine: LV7, ATK-2000, DEF-2300
" And while I'm at it, I'll use two spell cards, the one I had laid out on the field, and the one in my hand! " The card on the field flipped up revealing the spell card "7 Complete". " Heheh, now my shiny new Slot Machine gets a whopping seven hundred attack points, oh, and word of warning, I got two more of these babies in my deck, not that you'll get to see them. " They all watched as the monster’s attack points rose due to the cards effect and a number seven appeared on its slow reel.
Slot Machine, LV7, ATK-2700, DEF-2300
" Oh, I'll also bring back someone you already know by using a nice ol' monster reborn! " He quickly inserted the card into the spell card slot on his duel disk, activating it. Once activated, a card slid from his graveyard and right into his hand, " Come on back Yaiba Robo! "
" That thing again, " was all the opposing duelist said, whilst he watched the resurrected yellow box robot return to the field.
" Yeah! That thing again, and this time it's lookin' for some payback, so why don't I get rid of your lizard. " With a hand extended, he gave an order to his hulking machine, " Slot machine, fry that winged freak with your plasma laser cannon! "
The giant gambling machine pulled its own lever, which spun rapidly, followed by a shot being fired by the cannon where its right hand would have been. The blast from the cannon struck the guarding dragon, which cried out in pain before being vaporized.
" I ain't done yet, Yaiba Robo, attack him directly, get some well-deserved revenge! " Like the last time it was on the field, the little yellow robot lunged right at the grey haired young man, striking him directly.
Thug LP-3000
???? LP-2000
" Hahahah!!! Isn't this just fun! Looks like you ain't makin' it to round four ‘cause I'm wipin' out the rest of your life points next turn! " The boisterous thug was certain victory was his, but the oddly calm demeanor of his foe left him worried inside. " What's goin' on?! It's been two turns already and he hasn't done anything that I'd call a strategy! Well, I'll give him somethin' to worry about, just a little more and my Machine King will come out to play. " " I guess I'll go ahead and end my turn, seeing as this next one will be your last. "
Without saying a word, the duelist with grey hair drew a new card, and whatever it was brought a ghost of a smile to his face. " I think I'm about ready to end things. After this turn, I'll end the duel. "
" Shut your trap and play already punk! " the green-haired thug’s lackeys shouted from the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy had picked herself up and rested against a wall, still awed by the mysterious duelist. He's done in three turns what she couldn't do in one; stay calm. " H-how does he do it... " she whispered to herself.
" If you insist, " he suddenly spoke up again, " I'll play the card that'll set into motion the end of this tiresome joke of a duel. " He kept the ghost of a smile on his face as he wordlessly placed his next card on the field. " I summon to the field one of my personal favorite cards, Dragon Knight of Creation. "
A blinding flash of light followed the card being played, and on the field stood the monster printed on it. A shining knight adorned in golden armor that covered everything but the middle of its torso, its long, red hair spiked behind it, and in its right hand a sword with luster to match its armor.
Dragon Knight of Creation: LV4, ATK-1800, DEF-600
" I'll lay a card face down on the field and initiate my attack, " he said in the same tone he'd kept throughout the whole ordeal. " Take out Yaiba Robo. "
The knight complied with a nod, before rushing off towards the little robot, and with a swift swing of its shining sword, the robot was no more.
Thug LP-2200
???? LP-2000
The thug was even more irritated, his plan for a quick victory was pushed back another step because of the brat he was facing. " What's with you and cuttin' up my robo!! "
" I'll end my turn there, " he said, not even paying any mind to his opponents irritation. " One turn left. "
The irritation never left the green-haired crook. However, his next draw brought a renewed grin to his face. " Another 7 Complete! Looks like it wasn't a minor setback as I thought, I won't even need Machine King! Yeah! I'll end the duel this tu- " He froze in his thoughts as his eyes drifted towards the two facedown cards that had been there for the past few turns.
Everyone had the same thought, but Fluttershy was the one to voice it, at least, to herself, " ...What...what are those cards...why hasn't he used them yet? "
" Hah! I'm not stupid! " he suddenly declared.
" I find that hard to believe, " the grey-haired duelist replied with a dry chuckle.
Even more irritation welled up inside the thug duelist. He balled his fist up, trying to keep his composure and his newfound smirk. " I'm not stupid, because I won't fall for your trap, next turn I'll play a card to get rid of em', but for now, I'll just boost my Slot Machine some more and end my turn. " Without another word, he inserted the spell card he drew, powering his machine further.
Slot Machine: LV7, ATK-3400, DEF-2300
" Who’s dumb now, and I bet you thought I'd fall for your stupid trap, " he began chuckling, but his own laughter was soon stopped by something new to the duel. The laughter of his opponent.
The mysterious grey-haired youth covered his mouth as he lightly chuckled, " I'd have to say you're still the dumb one in this situation. "
"WHAT?!?! And why the hell is that?! " he shouted at the chuckling young man.
After managing to stop his chuckles, he raised his eyes to meet his foe’s, his expression once again being dead serious. " You're dumb because there was no trap. "
" N-no trap?! " everyone said in a shocked unison.
" B-but if it wasn't no trap...what was it? " his adversary was at a loss for words.
" This, " he activated the first of the face down cards, " A spell card I like to call Card Destruction. "
" Card Destruction?!? " he echoed in a panicked tone.
A grin came to his face, " I see you're familiar with it, then you know we discard our hands and draw until we have the same cards we had before. "
Y-yeah...yeah I know... " the thuggish young man begrudgingly complied with the card, as did the card’s owner. "So much for machine king... "
After drawing his cards, the mysterious young man thrust his hand out, " But that's not all, before I activate my second card, I think I'll activate my Dragon Knight's special effect, and the key to ending this duel. "
Fluttershy held her breath as she watched, " Th-this is it...I know it is... "
Things were rapidly going downhill for the crooked duelist, " Wh-what kind of special effect could that thing have..? "
" The kind that brings my strategy full circle, recall my first move. Foolish burial. " That was the card he initially thought was useless, as all it had done was discarded a card. " What you thought was pointless was actually a key piece for my victory, and now for my catalyst. Thanks to my Knight's effect, I can send one card from my hand to the graveyard, along with my Dragon Knight of Creation, to special summon from my graveyard any dragon monster with a level of seven or eight, and the one I sent at the start was the one that'll put you in your place. "
The air in the alley became thick with suspense. All watched as he discarded the two cards, one form his hand, and the other his monster. A card shot out from his graveyard and right into his hand, to which he wasted no time in playing.
" This duel ends now…if you could even call it a duel, " A blinding golden light suddenly came from the playing field and a strong gust of wind kicked up from seemingly nowhere. " I bring back from the graveyard my favorite monster, Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!!! "
The golden light grew brighter, and the wind became stronger as something began rising from within it all. That something was a large, fearsome, golden dragon that shined with a light that could rival the sun. Its two large wings spread out wide and slowly flapped, kicking up dust and dirt with each motion. Even its underbelly shone with silver luster, showing that its appearance alone was worthy of the word "divine".
Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand: LV8, ATK-2800, DEF-2800
Everyone stared in awe at the gleaming beast before them all. " I-It's beautiful... " Fluttershy muttered aloud, causing her savior to look back at her with a small grin.
" B-beautiful or not, it still ain't as strong as my souped up slot machine.. " his foe said, trying to keep up his bravado. Deep down, though, he knew its fancy looks weren't the only thing it had going for it.
" Not for long at least, " the dragon's owner stated, " you see, there's a reason I uncovered my dragon before my second spell card, because I didn't need the card to begin with. His gaze drifted up towards the dragons head, " You see, Felgrand has a special effect that only activates when it's been special summoned from the graveyard. What's the effect you might be asking? Well I'll go ahead and tell you; when Felgrand is special summoned from the graveyard, it allows me to banish one of your monsters, from the field, or your graveyard, and it gains attack and defense points equal to that monsters level by 100 points. "
" Oh no... "
" Oh yes, " the dragon duelist grew a grin of his own as he pointed right at the slot machine, " And I choose your slot machine. "
The golden glow around the divine dragon suddenly grew, and grew, eventually becoming unbearable to look at. However it wasn't the light on the dragon that they should've been paying attention to, it was the shining light that was now enveloping Slot Machine. The light around the machine began pressing against the machines body, compressing and compacting it into an orb of light. The orb flew back towards Felgrand and merged into its chest, filling the golden dragon with newfound power. “ The sad part is, I could have done this last turn and ended it all, but I decided to be gracious and give you an extra turn from the very beginning, hoping you’d pull a rabbit out of your hat, surprise me, anything really…instead, I only got a pathetic excuse for a duelist and a complete waste of my time. ”
Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand: LV8, ATK-3500, DEF-3500
The now frightened criminal felt his knees grow weak as he witnessed the beasts attack points raise. While one attack before to his life points would've been enough to do him in, something about the dragon’s new strength instilled fear into him. " I-I'm sorry...I give, I-I give!! We'll give her the cards back, just don't attack... "
So now the crook wanted to comply with his earlier demands, " You're sorry, huh? Is sorry going to fix the bruise your goons probably left on that girl’s ribs, or the pain in her hands? Is sorry going to fix all the people you've stolen and cheated from? Well, is it? " His voice was eerily calm, only adding to the green-haired young man's fear.
" N-no....B-but we'll never do it again!! R-right boys?! " he asked pleadingly to his cohorts.
" R-right!!! Like the boss said, we won't do it anymore!! Honest!! " They agreed in a panic.
The dragon's owner shut his eyes and let out a deep sigh, which at first brought a sense of relief to the crooks. However that sense quickly turned to dread, " There's your answer then...no. I won't just let you walk away, " He raised his hand high up, " Felgrand, end this fiasco, Divine Dragon's Wrath!!! " He brought his hand down as he shouted the command, seemingly to the heavens.
On its master’s command, the Divine Dragon let out an earth-shaking roar and spread its wings wide. Its maw opened and from within it came the brightest light yet. It grew and grew until the dragon's mouth couldn't hold it any longer. " Felgrand end this now!!! " without another second wasted, the dragon released an almighty stream of gold which enveloped the defenseless duelist.
When the light finally cleared, the duel field was gone, but only one duelist was standing, the grey-haired individual. On the ground laid a quivering mess that was once the green-haired criminal, mumbling in a frightened hushed voice.
Thug LP-0000
???? LP-2000
The other two were left standing, trembling at the sight of their leader on the ground. The portly one dropped the stolen cards and ran forward with his brunette friend. They quickly scooped up their comrade and shot off out of the alley, " Let's get outta here!!! "
Fluttershy watched as her cards fell to the cold hard ground. She crawled as fast as she could, trying her best to scoop them up before any damage was done to them. She wiped away oncoming tears as she tried picking the cards up quickly, only dropping them more in the process, " Oh-oh no… " She froze up though when someone knelt down in front of her; it was the person with grey hair that saved her and her cards, " I-it's you... "
He didn't speak at first, his attention was mainly on her cards, which he proceeded to pick up and stack up for her. Once he had gathered the entirety of her deck, he skimmed through the whole thing, glancing over each card with an intrigued look. " How interesting... "
" I-interesting…? " Fluttershy echoed in a hushed, surprised tone.
He nodded and looked up at her, carefully placing the deck in her left hand, and helping to her feet with her right. " Very, with the right strategy, you could make this into a top class deck, " he said with a faint smile, as opposed to his confident grin from before.
Something about the smile caused a hitch in Fluttershy's breath and her cheeks to flush, " D-d-d-do y-y-you mean that…? "
He nodded again, " I sure do, but before I get more onto that subject, " he stopped to look around, " Let's get you home, as you could tell, this isn't the safest place to be. "
Fluttershy responded with a quick nod, but froze up once more when she noticed a gesture he was making towards her. He was offering her his hand, a stranger wanted to hold hands with her, " Ah…you...want me to...hold it...? "
" Well, I figured it'd be safer and you could show me the way while I walked you home, " he casually explained while rubbing the back of his head.
That made sense to her, " ...Um...you...don't have to…walk me... " she said in a hushed tone, " I...don't even know your name... "
The smile came back to him, " Well you never asked. The name’s Shade, Midnight Shade, but uh, just Shade will work. "
" Shade... " She repeated under her breath, " I...I'm...Fluttershy... " she practically mumbled, but to her surprise, he actually heard her.
" Fluttershy, I like that name, " he said genuinely, resulting in her cheeks growing redder. Taking her hand, he began leading her out of the alley, " So uh, which way do you live? " She couldn't give a verbal reply; she could only meekly point in the proper direction.
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The trek to Fluttershy's home had been unsurprisingly quiet. However, despite this Fluttershy found much out about her savior. For instance, his love of dragon monsters and how he'd travel when he was younger just to get them. Also that despite the fact he always carried such a stern expression, he was a kind-hearted person, and this made Fluttershy more comfortable being in his presence. It wasn't too much longer until they had reached Fluttershy's home, she should've been relieved to be where she'd be safest, but something upset her.
It was the fact that she might not ever see this new person in her life again. Someone who in such a short amount of time has been kinder to her than a majority of the people she’s ever met. " Well, we're here, " he spoke up, bringing her out of her thoughts.
" Um...yeah we are...th-thank you... " she couldn't just lose this chance, making friends was hard enough as it is, she wasn't just going to let one who walked into her life walk out.
Shade gave another faint smile before turning to leave, only to feel a tug on his arm. " Hm? " He turned to meet Fluttershy, her face as red as a Mystic Tomato and her eyes clenched shut. He tilted his head to the side a little, " Something wrong, Fluttershy? "
" ...Y-y-y-yes... " she squeaked. " I...I...I w-...I wanna be your friend!! " She accidentally shouted, as a result of trying to force herself to say it. She quickly clapped her hands over her mouth before repeating in a much quieter voice, " I, uh, mean...I want to be your friend...so we can, uh...see each other again...that is, if you want to though... "
He looked at her for well over a minute before finally cracking a smile that was bigger than the previous ones. " I'd like that actually, " he placed his hand on her shoulder, " after seeing your deck, I think you could be a grade-A duelist, of course your confidence needs some real improving. So I'm gonna be your new dueling buddy from now on, let's improve together, alright? "
She quickly nodded and pulled him into a surprisingly strong hug, " ...Thank you so much! " Fluttershy couldn't believe it. She made an entirely new friend by herself; no one introduced them or anything, it was as if destiny let this happen. Upon snapping out of her thoughts, she realized that she was still holding onto him. " Eep!! " she squeaked before taking two large steps backwards, her face even redder than before. " ...Ah ha…well I, um...b-better get inside... ”
Shade held his hand out at her, causing her to halt in her tracks, " Hang on one second, I wanted to give you something before I go. " The purple-eyed duelist reached behind him and into his deck holder, " There's a card that would go perfectly with your deck. "
A monster card was what he pulled out for her, one she'd never seen before, " Wh-what is that? "
His smile never faltered as he placed the card in her hand, " See for yourself. "
Her eyes fell on the card resting ever-so-gently in her hands. It was an incredibly unique dragon, its entire serpentine body, golden in color. From its head, to its limbs, to even its wings. The only part of it not gold were two purple gems that rest on its head and torso. Fluttershy couldn't take her eyes off the card, it was truly majestic, " ...Aether, The Empowering Dragon... " She read it's name aloud.
" Yup, " Shade said with a small nod. " I saw your deck was full of pendulum monsters and since that card works really well with them, I thought you could use it better than me. "
A great big smile formed on the pinkette's face, " ...Thank you oh so much! " She securely placed the precious card in her deck holder and gave him one last quick hug before facing the door.
A small chuckle escaped Shade's mouth as he began walking away, " See ya tomorrow Flutters! " He waved back at her before going on his way.
Right as she reached for her door, Fluttershy froze, " ...See you tomorrow, " she mumbled to herself. However, rather than feel nervous, she simply kept smiling. With a quick pull on the door she rushed into her house, " Mom! Dad I'm home! "
Her parents were sitting at a small kitchen table when she rushed inside. Her joyous attitude caught them off guard, as they were used to her being gloomy after duel events. " Fluttershy sweetie what happened, " Her mother gasped, " You actually won it didn't you?! "
Fluttershy shook her head, " Nope, I lost. "
Her parent's confusion grew rapidly, " Well if you lost then why are you in such a cheerful mood sweetheart? " Her father asked.
" I made a friend. "
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" That was a little over three years ago. I've improved a whole lot since then, but I'm still a little scared when it comes to dueling. Also being near certain people causes me to panic, but as long as he's with me, I know I can do anything. The way I'm talking might make it sound like the story is over, but boy would you be wrong; this story is far from being over. My name’s Fluttershy…and this is our story. "
Author's Note
Well hey there everyone! I bet no one was expecting this...then again maybe most of you were. Allow me to go ahead and get things outta the way before hand. One of those things being the world the story takes place in. When I initially planned this story out, it was hard to actually decide on what I wanted, however in the end I decided on a mix of both the Equestria Girls world and the Yu-Gi-Oh world. As for the cards that show up, I'm only using classic to Arc-V, I know there's a more recent version Yu-Gi-Oh, but I don't know a thing out of it compared to those five.
Another thing, some of you will probably be readers of my other stories, and will recognize the looks/name of the OC I'm using, that's cause like other writers he's one of my main OC's and using him feels comfortable to me when writing. Like I stated in the summary, I will only be using cards that exist already, no fan-made cards. I've openly played Yu-Gi-Oh in the past so I do know how the game works, but since writing out how it's professionally played would be, kinda boring, I'm writing it as if it were one of the anime series. Some of you might think the first duel in the story was way too long for just four turns, I thought so myself, but writing out detailed duels is a longer process than I originally anticipated, so this story might be both longer than my others, and take longer to put out than others, not counting a hiatus. Lastly, you will see stupid plays in this story, you'll say to yourself " Such and such could have done this, or could have played that, or could have done that differently" that's true, they could've, but when writing a character out I try and put myself in their mindset, try and act how that particular person would act, so if that person isn't very bright, isn't paying that much attention, or is too excited, or is extremely scared ( I.E. Fluttershy ) they'll obviously make mistakes or make plays that could have been better.
Well that's all I had to get out of the way for now. I hope you all enjoy this, my proof reader and I had a hell of a time getting this ready. Read and enjoy, rate and review, I'll see you all next time. Buh-bye!!!
