"Greetings, everyone!" Pegasus began. "Welcome to the Duelists Of All Worlds tournament!"

Everyone who had entered the tournament had gathered in the Canterlot High gymnasium as per the request of Maximillion Pegasus, standing on the stage. At the foot of the stage stood two of Pegasus's employees, sporting nice suits, sunglasses, and outrageous spiked hair. Halfway between the stage and the gym's entrance, a massive holographic dueling field had been installed. Yugi Moto and his friends stood in the back near Principal Celestia and the projector, looking at the other competitors they would have to face. Seto Kaiba lounged near the back, staring into space with his arms folded and wearing his trademark white trench coat. The Dazzlings stood on the opposite side of the gym from Kaiba, with Yami Bakura and Marik standing behind them. Sunset Shimmer stood a good ten feet from the Dazzlings, looking warily at them as well as at Kaiba.

"Only sixteen people signed up, but that's okay. We'll have fun regardless," Pegasus motioned with his hands for the projector to come on. When Principal Celestia turned it on, Pegasus noticed he was casting a shadow and walked off of the stage, microphone in hand.

"Anyways..." Pegasus gestured towards the projection. "These are the games for our first round,"

Seto Kaiba vs. Yugi Moto

Adagio Dazzle vs. Sunset Shimmer

Joseph Wheeler vs. Vinyl Scratch

Aria Blaze vs. Tristan Taylor

Tea Gardner vs. Sonata Dusk

Flash Sentry vs. Lyra Heartstrings

Trixie Lulamoon vs. Apple Bloom

Ryou Bakura vs. Marik Ishtar

I'm dueling Yugi first?, Kaiba thought. Way to get the fun duels out of the way first, Pegasus,

"Whoever wins these first few matches will advance to the Winners' Bracket," Pegasus said with a big smile on his face. "And whoever loses will advance to the Losers' Bracket," Pegasus made his mouth droop exaggeratedly, then smiled again. "So let's have fun, shall we?"

"Attention duelists!" one of the spiky-haired men announced. "The duel between Seto Kaiba and Yugi Moto will begin in five minutes! I repeat, the duel between Seto Kaiba and Yugi Moto will begin in five minutes!"

"Well, I guess I have to go up there, huh?" Yugi walked over to the right side of the holographic field, putting on his Duel Disk.

"You can beat him, Yug! Show Kaiba what's what with your cards!" Joey said.

"We're behind you 100%, Yugi!" Tea added.

Pegasus stood on the stage with one spiky-haired man on either side of him. The bleachers were nearly empty. The only audience the tournament managed to gather was its own competitors.

"Attention duelists!" one of the spiky-haired men announced. "The duel between Seto Kaiba and Yugi Moto is about to begin! Also my hair looks fabulous!"

"Oh, would you just shut up about your hair?! We have card games to play!" Kaiba snapped.

"Well that was uncalled for," Pegasus said. "For that, I decide that Yugi boy here goes first,"

"I guess it's time to d-d-d-d-d-duel!" Yami said.

Yami Yugi and Seto Kaiba started off with 2,000 Life Points each.

"My move!" Yami said. "I summon Rainbow Dash in attack mode!"

A glowing silhouette of a pony appeared on Yami's central monster space, and the light flaked away to reveal Rainbow Dash, posed for takeoff. She had 2,500 Attack Points.

"I also place one card face down. That's all for now," Yami said.

I wasn't aware that Rainbow Dash was a card, Sunset Shimmer thought.

"It's my turn!" Kaiba drew a card. "I summon Celestia, the Alicorn Princess in attack mode!"

On Kaiba's central monster space, a brilliant light shone, from which Princess Celestia trotted out, her sparkling rainbow mane waving majestically. She had 3,500 Attack Points.

Okay, this is getting very weird now, Sunset Shimmer thought.

"I shall use Princess Celestia to attack your Rainbow Dash!" Kaiba declared.

Princess Celestia fired a magic bolt at Rainbow Dash's panicked, shaking form, instantly disintegrating her. Yami grunted as his Life Points dropped down to 1,000.

"It seems I have the upper hand, Yugi," Kaiba said. "I end my turn. Let's see what trump card you pull from thin air this time,"

"It's my turn!" Yami drew a card. "I summon Kuriboh in defense mode!"

A ball of light rose from Yami's central monster square, revealing the form of Kuriboh with all of his 200 Defense Points.

"What do you hope to accomplish with this, Yugi?" Kaiba asked.

"I'm not finished yet!" Yami shouted. "I also cast my Multiply spell card, multiplying my single Kuriboh into a wall to protect my Life Points!"

Kuriboh began to duplicate himself until Yami's side of the field was blocked off by a wall of Kuribohs with 4,000 Defense Points. Kaiba could barely even see Yami through the wall.

"Wait a minute!" Kaiba objected. "Multiply doesn't even do that!" Kaiba turned to Pegasus. "Pegasus, are you seeing this?"

"I'll allow it, Kaiba boy," Pegasus said.

"That ends my turn!" Yami said.

"It's my turn!" Kaiba drew a card, then began to laugh. "I tribute Princess Celestia in order to summon King Sombra, Terror Of The Crystal Empire!"

A cloud of smoke rose from the ground and enveloped Princess Celestia, despite her best efforts to fly away. King Sombra trotted out of the smoke cloud, a shark-toothed grin on his face, sporting 5,000 Attack Points. Two crystal ponies trotted out of the smoke cloud alongside him. Kaiba extended his hand in Yami's direction.

"Now, King Sombra, lay waste to Yugi's wall of Kuribohs!" Kaiba commanded.

From Sombra's horn shot an extremely powerful blast of black and purple lightning, which disintegrated all of the Kuribohs in mere seconds. Yami's jaw dropped unwittingly.

"No!" Yami exclaimed.

What the...?! Sunset Shimmer could not bring herself to look away from the scene.

"I end my turn," Kaiba said, an overconfident smirk displayed on his face.

"It's my turn!" Yami drew a card. "I summon Big Shield Gardna to the field in defense mode!"

A translucent image of a burly man with wild hair carrying a stylized shield half as tall as he was rose up from the field. As he became more solid and opaque, he crouched down in front of his shield, giving him 2,600 Defense Points.

"I guess that ends my turn," Yami said.

"What a joke. My move!" Kaiba drew a card. "I play my Endless Staircase spell card, which allows me to send your Big Shield Gardna to the Graveyard and give me another Crystal Pony counter, raising Sombra's Attack Points to 6,000,"

Yami's Big Shield Gardna transformed into yellow light and flew over to his Graveyard, while on Kaiba's side of the field another Crystal Pony rose from the field to stand beside King Sombra.

"You're finished, Yugi! King Sombra, annihilate him now!" Kaiba commanded.

Sombra flashed his shark-toothed grin and shot a bolt of black and purple lightning shot from his horn, striking Yami in his chest and blasting him backwards from the dueling field on his back as his Life Points scrolled down to zero. Kaiba laughed triumphantly at his flawless victory.

"Hmm. I was not aware that holograms could produce a tangible force," Pegasus remarked. "But I suppose Kaiba boy wins this. Congratulations!"

"Now I am the King of Games!" Kaiba declared.

Joey, Tristan, and Tea ran up to normal Yugi, laying on the floor in shock.

"Are you okay, Yugi?" Joey asked. "Because you fell pretty hard there,"

"I'm fine, Joey," Yugi replied. "But I'm a bit worried about that King Sombra card that Kaiba has,"

"We may be in for a wild ride, Marik," Yami Bakura said.

"Indubitably, Bakura!" Marik replied.

"Did you seriously just use the word 'indubitably'?" Yami Bakura asked.

"Yes I did. It was on my word-of-the-day calendar for today," Marik replied.

"Well that explains it,"

I really need to let someone know about this, Sunset Shimmer bolted down the bleachers and to the exit of the gymnasium.

Author's Note

For anyone that's tracking this story, sorry for the long wait. Imperium Universalis can be very addicting.