CROSSROADS! - A YGO/MLP Story

by Gusto Starstorm

Rating: teen
Tags: Dazzlings, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Death, Alternate Universe, Human, Romance, Yu-Gi-Oh, Original Character, Mystery, Adventure, Equestria Girls, Violence, Indigo Zap, Crossover, Sunset Shimmer, Main 7 (EqG), Profanity
Length: 20438

Several unfortunate souls, brought together by extraordinary circumstance, must now work together to uncover a mystery, and use the cards they've been granted to fight back against a great evil. But can they do it? Or will they not be enough?

What do three displaced siblings, a few displaced Equestrians, and several students from CHS have in common?

Initially very little, but they do have a dividing line; their homes. Separated from the worlds they'd once known, these unfortunate souls find themselves in a new, strange world where everyone decides problems with a strange game called 'Duel Monsters'. It's an obsession, and almost as much a part of everyday life as walking or breathing.

In the heart of Crossroads Academy, a young boy sits and bides his time, seeking clues as to where his brother and sister might be. Travelling the highways, a young woman drives with intent to reach Crossroads City, searching for any clues about her little brothers along the way.

And all the while, in the background, dark forces are at work, intent to revive an evil force from nearly 2 decades past.

Will the displaced souls, brought together by fortunate circumstance, be able to fight back and win? Or will they buckle under the pressure, and let the waves take them under?

Published 2022-02-04 21:40:00 UTC
Last updated 2022-02-19 11:04:46 UTC

Duel 1: The Three Special Cases

A massive speed boat rushed through the calm waters, more than halfway to its destination. On the deck, several teenagers were chatting amongst themselves, while others were sticking to themselves, thinking much about the situation, and others planning their strategies for when they finally get to the island.

Then, there was Wesley Mizuhara.

Sitting as far from everyone else as he could, the lone 15-year-old had much on his mind, especially given the fact that, all things considered, he probably shouldn’t be here. Hell, he knew he was barely presentable; his medium-length black hair was a mess, his cyan hoodie had several dirt marks on it, and his jeans had a new hole on the left knee. He looked like he’d been thrown down the street several times over – part of him wouldn’t have doubted he was.

The most presentable aspect of him was the strange device attached to his left arm. He knew what it was – a Duel Disk, much like the ones used in the GX era. Under normal circumstances, this would have been something that would have made him extremely excited.

But today, not quite…

‘Okay, calm down Wes,’ he told himself, remaining in his own head like he’s been since arriving him. ‘Maybe it won’t be so bad. At least at this academy, I’ll be in one place, and I’ll be close to the mainland. If Becky or Hikaru make it there, I’ll be able to learn about it real quick. And while I’m here, I can also Duel to my heart’s content, so… bonus, I guess.’

Wes could practically feel a pit forming in his stomach, as he reached for the Deck of cards that he’d found in the Duel Disk. It was something that required a second glance, for several reasons. First and foremost, there was the fact that he recognized very few of these cards. And plus, they were a deck he probably wouldn’t have piloted anyway, at least if he’d had a say in the matter.

‘I mean, it’s not bad, it looks to have some synergy. And hey, I like Rituals. But I kinda wish that I could have gotten something I actually play. Like my Cyber Dragons. Or my Ancient Gears. Or my Morphtro-… Huh, a lot of Machine decks, now that I think about it.’

Part of him had to suppress a chuckle at his thoughts wandering to something so trivial when he had much bigger problems – problems it would honestly make sense to be panicking about. But then again, it was probably a good thing that he wasn’t dwelling on it obsessively.

Looking through the cards gave him a sense of relief in that he knew he had a way to fight back in this world. And as said, he had access to an Academy full of Duelists to help him grasp his new deck and learn what’s going on with Dueling here.

And it was all thanks to-

“Hail, Mr. Mizuhara!”

Wes chuckled. ‘Speak of the Devil…’

A cursory glance to his left revealed the source of the voice. Blue eyes met red as Wes came face-to-face with the man who made this all possible: Atlas de Medici, Obelisk Blue professor, and alumnus of Crossroads Academy.

Wes was sitting down right now, but even when he’d been standing, the man’s 6’2 towered over his own 5’3, and his appearance and attitude seemed far more laid-back than what one would expect from someone in his position. He had long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and a bit of stubble upon his chin, as well as his Duel Blazer worn open to reveal a black tank top and a ship wheel necklace around his neck. To Wes, he looked more like someone playing a pirate in a movie than a Professor.

Though, those piercing red eyes certainly helped to sell the image of ‘master of his craft’.

“So, adjusting well?” the Professor asked, to which Wes rolled his eyes.

“Well, it’s only been an hour, so I think it’s too early to say,” he answered honestly.

“Heh, suppose so. Guess I’m just concerned, given that you’re among three special cases on this vessel.”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask about that…”

Atlas chuckled. “Oh? Careful now, Mr. Mizuhara. Don’t want that gift horse to bite you, now, would you?”

“Humor me?” Wes asked, hopeful to get at least something.

Unfortunately, said hopes were dashed as the Professor shook his head. “Can’t do anything about it. I’ve sworn to keep their secrets just as much as I have with you. Speaking of which, I do hope you remember the alibi we agreed upon.”

“I applied for early exams due to having a doctor’s appointment on the test day,” Wes answered, stating it as if reciting a prayer. “My Exam Duel was incredible, but my written exam left a bit to be desired, so I’ve been placed in Ra Yellow.”

“Indeed. You’ll meet your roommate once we’re on the island, but for now, just relax. I’m going to go talk to the other two individually.”

And with that, Professor Atlas wandered off, leaving Wes once again to his thoughts.

‘Two more like me, huh? And I know they’re not Hikaru or Becky… then who?’

Wes sighed. He supposed he’d just have to find out soon enough…

Crossroads Academy was the world’s first Duel Academy, established 18 years ago, and serving as a place for the best and brightest to learn the ins and outs of Duel Monsters. While not exclusively a Duel Academy, having a standard curriculum to go along with the lessons on Dueling, it still produced some of the greatest the professional scene has ever seen.

And now, Wes was walking through these hallowed halls, all thanks to a chance encounter.

Not even having his backpack with him, Wes was not pleased to give up his hoodie and jeans, but thankfully, when he got his uniform, they gave him a bag and told him where the laundry room was in the Ra Yellow dorms.

Speaking of the Ra Yellow dorms, much like the Duel Academy from GX, they were the middle of the road house, and got a decent dorm, both in size and in quality. Entering it along with the rest of the students, Wes found his eyes wandering to the paintings on the walls, and the chandelier hanging in the main hall.

It was still relatively average, what with the plain beige walls and simple oak doors, but it was definitely a lot better than he assumed Slifer Red was. He had a roof over his head, food on the table, and both of which were presumably of good quality.

While he was wandering through the halls trying to find his dorm, he looked to the note for only a split second and didn’t see her coming down the hall. She had turned a corner too fast, and the two of them collided, falling flat onto the ground.

“Watch it, bub!”

Looking up, Wes saw the source of that disgruntled voice, and was both shocked and mesmerized when he did. She was someone he recognized, though vaguely. In fact, were it not for her hair being three different shades of blue, she might have looked like a normal human. But that, coupled with the goggles, and those yellow eyes gave her away.

“Sorry about that…” he said, standing up as he considered the implications of this. “Need some help up?”

“Uh… sure, thanks,” she said reluctantly, placing her hand in his as he helped her stand. “Honestly, does nopony in this stupid school keep their eyes open or something!?”

That little slip of the tongue was not lost on him, but he did not feel like starting something when he still didn’t even know where he’d be sleeping. So, instead, he played along.

“You alright? You seem upset.”

“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just… on edge.”

“That’s fair, first day jitters. I still haven’t even found my room.”

Suddenly, the girl’s eyes widened, as she remembered something. “Horsefeathers! I need to find my room too! I’m outta here!”

“Hang on!” Wes called out as she rushed past him. “Can I at least get your name?”

To his surprise, the girl stopped, though was still jogging in place. “Oh, uh, Indigo. Indigo Zap. What’s yours?”

“Wes Mizuhara.”

She raised one of her eyebrows in confusion. “’Mizuhara’? What is that, Neighponese?”

To that, Wes stifled a chuckle. “Close enough. Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Indigo. I’ll see you around.”

She didn’t say anything more, instead giving him a nod and a light grin before heading off to find her room. And once she was out of sight, Wes continued toward his goal of finding his own lodgings.

Within another 5 minutes of searching, Wes had found his room, Room 127. He was on the first floor, thankfully, and as soon as he entered, it was made apparent that the interior of the student rooms were as plain as the rest of the building.

Wes himself did not mind this, as he could easily make this place his own later.

Well, at least halfway. He still did have a roommate to contend with, and he didn’t even know who it was he’d been paired with.

It was at least another 15 minutes before that person showed up, and within that time, Wes had placed his normal outfit in the laundry basket, and was going over moves when they finally showed up.

Sure enough, it was another vaguely familiar face.

This boy was perhaps the tallest he’d seen, at least among the student body, and perhaps the most muscular as well. Large, barrel-chested, with a dirty blonde crew cut, shock-white complexion and a chin that looked like it could cut through granite, Wes had genuinely wondered for a second if this was actually a student or a teacher.

But of course, the moment the boy’s red eyes caught sight of Wes, he smiled.

“Hi there!” He exclaimed happily, placing his backpack on the other bed. “You’re my roommate, right?”

“I mean, I guess so, big man. I’m Wes Mizuhara.”

“I’m Bulk Biceps! It’s real nice to meet you, Wes!”

Wes grinned. “Right back at’cha.”

The next few minutes were spent exchanging a few little tidbits about one another, from which Wes was able to glean which version of Bulk he was dealing with.

‘Honestly kind of glad I’m dealing with human Bulk here,’ he mused. ‘I can’t imagine having to be roommates with someone who’s in a new world AND a new body…’

But of course, being roommates with someone like that was more cause for concern in young Wes’ mind. Was this one of the three special cases Atlas mentioned? It had to be, right? And if so, then that meant that when he saw Indigo earlier, he’d ran into the third case. And they were all in Ra Yellow, by the Professor’s choice. He supposed that made sense…

“Hey, Wes?”

The shorter boy looked over to see Bulk had his Duel Disk on.

“So, I have a favor to ask,” Bulk continued, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I’ve uh, not had much of a chance to practice with my deck. Think you could help me?”

“I suppose I could,” Wes answered almost immediately, grabbing his Duel Disk. “I gotta warn you though, I’m pretty good.”

Bulk’s eyes lit up. “Really!? That’s great! I’m gonna need a good training partner!”

“Heh, I like your attitude, big man. Let’s do this!”

“YEAH!”

The two rushed out the door, speeding down the hall and past their fellow students. They’d been told by the House Head that the main Dueling Arena was out back, and since neither of them had anything better to do, they were going to take advantage of it before anyone else did. Fortunately, everyone was either still unpacking or discussing things with their roommates, so the Arena was not being used yet.

Though there were still a select few who were either too curious or not doing anything at the moment, and so, followed the new roommates as they got up onto the raised platform.

“Alright Bulk, you want the first move, or should I take it?” Wes asked.

“You go first,” Bulk answered. “I wanna see what my deck can do!”

With that decided on, both Ra Yellow students activated their Duel Disks. The newer models of the device whirred to life, their built in D-Pads turning on and linking up, while the blades of the disk extended outward and sparked with energy.

And as their fellow students gathered around, the stage was set.

DUEL!

Wes Mizuhara (4000 LP)

Vs

Bulk Biceps (4000 LP)

[Turn 1, Wes, Hand: 5]

A cursory glance to his opening hand, and Wes had already hatched a plan. There was plenty he could do with these few cards, but he intended to start off small. Something simple to test the waters, no pun intended.

“So,” Wes began, placing a single card on the field. “I’ll Normal Summon my Chaos Ocean Twin Blader!”

As if bursting forth from some inexplicable waters underneath the arena, the mighty monster was revealed to everyone. In the middle of the field, a lone man stood, his pale blue hair and long coat fluttering in the breeze, while the swords in his hands gleamed in the light.

(1700/1600)

“When this card is Summoned,” continued Wes. “I can either add a Chaos Ocean monster or from my Deck to my hand or a Chaos ritual spell from my graveyard to my hand. I’ll add my Chaos Ocean Guardian Shark! And with that, I’ll set two cards face-down, and end my turn!”

[Turn End, Hand: 3]

By now, murmurs had already formed within the crowd, and Wes could hear all of them. The main point of focus among them seemed to be people wondering about what the ‘Chaos Ocean’ was, asking others if they'd ever heard of it, and getting a resounding 'no' in response. This only caused further concern for the poor boy. Did he really have access to an Archetype that didn’t exist in this world?

That didn’t sit right with him, if so. He wanted to win because he was good at the game, not because no one had ever seen his cards before.

‘Hm, I wonder if I could get Atlas to spread the word about these cards,’ he mused. ‘But then again, maybe that could get me in trouble with whoever makes Duel Monsters in this world…’

[Turn 2, Bulk, Hand: 5]

“Alright! Let’s do this!”

Bulk drew his card with such incredible force behind it that Wes swore he saw a gust of wind shoot outward from the Duel Disk. And when he saw what it was, he grinned and pumped his fist.

“So, I can Special Summon this guy when I have no Spells or Traps in my grave,” Bulk explained, remembering Atlas telling him that was proper manners. “And that means I still got my Normal Summon for the turn! So, I’ll Special Summon all three copies of my Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji!”

And in an instant, the middle three monster zones on Bulk’s side of the field were occupied by three copies of the same strange machine. To the rest of the audience, it might have looked like a strange frame of an incomplete war machine, but to those here who spoke or knew some Japanese, the joke was not lost on them.

And Wes had to admit, the image of a master swordsman being stared down by three sets of giant straw sandals was amusing.

(800/1800)

“Now, Big Waraji can be used as two tributes for a Tribute Summon of my Machine Monsters! And because I haven’t Normal Summoned, I’ll Tribute Summon my Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei!”

The middle of the three mechs vanished, and in its place rose a massive, towering robot, built vaguely to resemble an ancient warrior monk. The lightest of blue auras covered it, indicating that it had switched from Attack Position to Defense Position.

(1000/3500)

“Next, I’ll equip both my Soulbang Cannon and my Soulbuster Gauntlet to my Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei! These’ll both boost his defense even further!”

(Benkei’s DEF: 3500 + 1000 + 400 = 4900)

Wes raised an eyebrow. “Well, unless you can attack while in Defense Mode, I’m not sure how much good that’ll be.”

Bulk smirked. “Funny you say that, Wes! I enter my Battle Phase! BIG BENKEI! ATTACK!”

A collective gasp could be heard, while Wes could only watch in shock as the giant mech slammed his fist – adorned with the Soulbuster Gauntlet – straight into the ground, the resulting shockwave shattering Twin Blader before he could even hope to defend.

(Wes’ LP: 4000 – 3200 = 800)

Wes picked himself up off the ground, wiping his face after that attack had left him flat on the floor. Looking at his Life Point counter, it wasn’t that difficult to figure out what had happened.

“So, he actually COULD attack in Defense Mode.”

“Yep!” exclaimed Bulk. “But not just him! Big Benkei lets ALL my Superheavy Samurai attack while in Defense Mode! And they use their Defense instead of their attack when they do it.”

Wes smirked. This was his first time facing such a deck, but already, he liked what he was seeing.

“Not bad,” he said, taking a card from his hand. “But I have a retort. When Chaos Ocean Twin Blader is destroyed, I can discard a card to Special Summon up to two more from my hand or deck!”

And so, he did just that, the two blades of his monster stabbing into the ground and materializing as two more Twin Bladers. Due to their effects, he added two of his Ritual Monsters from his deck to his hand.

And all for the cost of discarding a card he really did not need nor want…

“Alright then! Big Waraji! Attack one of the other Twin Bladers!”

The second Twin Blader was destroyed, rather unceremoniously, as the great robot slammed into Wes’ warrior with incredible force. Immediately as it did, Wes activated the effects of two cards, a very specific order in mind.

“I activate Defense Draw!” He said, revealing the Trap card. “I take no damage from that last battle, AND I get to draw a card! And next, because you’ve destroyed a Chaos Ocean monster, I can activate this! Blood Taints the Waters!”

The instant the Spell card was revealed, it began to glow a powerful red, sending a shot through the air above one of Wes’ monster zones. Once the light was there, it fell quickly, splashing onto the square as if it was a drop of water, and painting the entire section in a similar crimson glow.

“The conditions are met when one of my Chaos Ocean monsters gets popped while you have 2000 or more Life Points than me.” Wes explained calmly, though his eyes betrayed how eager he was to see this. “I can Special Summon any of my Chaos Ocean Ritual Monsters straight from my deck. And the best part? It’s treated as a RITUAL Summon!”

A pillar of crimson energy shot up from the monster zone Wes had selected, and quickly turned to blue as a monster’s silhouette took shape.

“I Ritual Summon my Chaos Ocean Ancient Swordmaster!”

The light faded, revealing the monster in question. He looked akin to an older, wizened, and more grizzled version of the Twin Blader still on Wes’ field. And instead of the two swords, he only had one this time, one much more decorated, and almost as long as he was tall.

(2400/2000)

“When Chaos Ocean Ancient Swordmaster is Ritual Summoned, I can target one card on your field and destroy it. And since your other Big Waraji hasn’t attacked yet, I think that’ll be my target!”

Ancient Swordmaster nodded, stabbing his greatsword into the ground with great fervor. From a crystal embedded in the pommel, a beam of light shot out faster than anyone could have anticipated, and Bulk’s monster was destroyed in an instant. Whispers began again among the students, and Wes watched carefully, to see how Bulk would react.

To his surprise, the muscular boy had a huge smile on his face and pumped his fists in triumph.

“That was awesome, dude!” He shouted. “You came back from a beating like that like it was nothing!”

All Wes could do was grin at that. Bulk’s attitude really was infectious.

“Alright, so since I got no more monsters and no cards, I end my turn! It’s your move, Wes!”

[Turn End, Hand: 0]

[Turn 3, Wes, Hand: 5]

“I draw!”

Upon getting a glimpse of the card in his hand, Wes realized he’d yet to actually see this one.

‘Huh? That’s strange. Must have missed this one earlier… let’s see, when Ritual Summoned, ne-’

His train of thoughts cut off the moment he saw that single word, and he had to fight to keep himself from grinning like a madman. He could not have hand-picked a better card to draw, and he was going to milk this for all it was worth. But first, he needed some proper setup.

“Entering the Main Phase, I’ll Normal Summon my Chaos Ocean Ancient Scholar! And when he’s Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon my Chaos Ocean Guardian Shark!”

The first monster appeared in between Twin Blader and Ancient Swordmaster, a much smaller, stockier bespectacled man in decorated robes, carrying a basket full of scrolls upon his back.

(1000/2000)

And no sooner than he was summoned did the man place down his basket and pull from it one specific scroll. Opening it up revealed an image of a great shark, who would then appear on the opposite side of Twin Blader. It was bigger than any great white, and a deep blue in color, adorned with armor plating on its head and segments of its body.

(2000/0)

“When Guardian Shark is Summoned, his special ability lets me take a Chaos Ritual Spell from my deck, and place it face down on my field! So, I’ll set my Chaos Form! But it won’t be set for long…”

“Excellent, Mr. Mizuhara! Maybe this time we can get a summoning chant from you!”

That sentence almost made Wes do a double take – had he been drinking something, he was sure he’d have done a spit-take. He turned around and saw Professor Atlas in the crowd that had gathered since the beginning of the Duel. The murmuring had stopped, almost as if all those present couldn’t believe the head of Obelisk Blue had deigned to visit their humble little lodgings.

“Uh, what are you doing here, Professor?” Wes asked, trying his best to remain calm.

Atlas pointed to his temple. “My ears were ringing, you see. That means one of two things, and I am VERY relieved to see it is the former. But don’t mind me, just pretend like I’m not here, but do try to give us a proper chant.”

Wes looked away, mildly embarrassed. “Kinda putting me on the spot, Professor. I’ve barely had any time to think of one.”

“Well, you’re going to have to work on that, now aren’t you?” the Professor asked with a grin. “After all, a Duelist is as much a performer as he is a competitor.”

Reluctant to disappoint, Wes took in a deep breath, and said “I’ll try. I activate Chaos Form! And for tribute, I sacrifice Ancient Scholar and Guardian Shark!”

The two monster’s transformed into orbs of flame, slamming into the ground to form another pillar of light, this one as sickeningly crimson as before.

“Master of the raging waves! Show yourself to the world, ready to paint the field of battle red!

Ritual Summon!

Level 7! Chaos Ocean Blood Magician!”

The light finally dissipated, revealing this newest monster, standing shorter than Ancient Swordmaster, but carrying himself as though he were larger than Big Benkei. His red cape and hood left his upper body exposed, revealing various scars on his chest and stomach, and his right arm, ash grey in color from an obvious burn that covered it all the way to the shoulder.

He finally floated down to the field, his bandage-clad feet touching the ground, the monster himself wincing as if the simple act caused him great pain.

(2500/2100)

And while the monster itself certainly made an entrance, Wes found himself cringing at his own words. And from the sounds of it, the whispers, and the snickers he could hear from the sidelines, no one was impressed by his words.

“Okay, the monster looks super cool,” Bulk said. “But I gotta say, that chant was kinda weak.”

Wes rolled his eyes. “Gee, it’s almost like I was forced to come up with something on the fly in order to not upset a high-ranking Professor! But don’t worry, his effect will more than make up for it! When Ritual Summoned while I control another Chaos Ritual Monster, he can activate this; Chaos Blood Curse!”

The magician raised his arm, as if he was pointing to Big Benkei, leaving both Bulk and the audience confused as he just stood there doing nothing. No one was quite observant enough to notice it, other than the one who activated the effect.

From his pointer finger, a single drop of blood formed, falling off of the pale digit and onto the ground. As soon as it hit, it was as if a ripple had been sent through the very battlefield itself. In an instant, both Big Waraji and Big Benkei had black lightning sparking off of them, and visibly seemed to be struggling to keep their positions, despite being machines.

And when Bulk saw the result on his D-Pad, his eyes widened in shock.

(Big Waraji’s DEF: 0)

(Big Benkei’s DEF: 0)

“Pretty good, right?” Wes asked, his grin as cheeky as he felt he could get away with. “When the conditions are met, the Blood Magician can negate the effects of all monsters on the field until the End Phase. And as an added bonus, their attack and defense become zero while they’re under the curse.”

“Whoa… that’s totally RAD!”

That was not the answer that Wes had been expecting, but honestly, he couldn’t help but feel his smile becoming more genuine. This was his first Duel on the island – hell, his first duel with this kind of technology – and against an opponent like this, it only made the experience far greater.

“Well, it’s time for this to end, Bulk,” Wes told him. “First! My Twin Blader has the ability to attack twice in a single Battle Phase! So, I’ll have him cut down your samurai!”

Soon as the command was given, the dual swordsman jumped off the ground, his blades gleaming as he sliced through Big Waraji like a hot knife through butter. The first of his blades stopped glowing after attack one had been completed, and despite Big Benkei raising his arm in an attempt to strike, he was far too slow. Twin Blader sidestepped the attack effortlessly, and swung his blade, a shot of energy piercing the mech’s defenses, and causing it to explode.

Bulk’s field was empty, and Wes’ opportunity to strike had been made.

“Ancient Swordmaster, attack Bulk directly! Blood Magician, you attack directly too!”

With the stage set and the field empty, Ancient Swordmaster wasted no time at all. He picked up his mighty blade, now covered in a mysterious blue aura, and swung it, a beam of energy shooting off from the blade and hitting Bulk head on. To everyone’s surprise, despite the massive shot, he did not budge.

(Bulk’s LP: 4000 – 2400 = 1600)

Blood Magician was next, and his approach was far more graceful, albeit more gruesome. All it took was a simple snap of his fingers, and Bulk Biceps was enveloped in the same black lightning that had crippled his monsters so severely. Though it was clear by Bulk’s pained groan that this one was meant more for damage than for restricting, as the student felt the last of his life points drain away.

(Bulk’s LP: 1600 – 2500 = -900)

[Duel Over! Victory: Wes Mizuhara!]

The crowd went wild as Wes went over to where Bulk was. His fellow Ra Yellow was standing there, his eyes hidden by the brim of his hat.

“Hey, Bulk, that was a real good duel,” Wes told him, extending his arm outward. “You were awesome.”

Suddenly, those bright red eyes beamed with joy, as he took Wes’ hand, almost crushing it accidentally with the sheer strength behind his grip.

“YEAH!” He said excitedly. “Dude, that was awesome! You really have a knack for this game!”

“H-hey, you weren’t too bad yourself. Those Superheavy Samurai cards were friggin’ cool!”

“Thanks man. I just wish I’d been able to do more with ‘em.”

Wes smiled. “Well, sometimes I like to think about what I could have done better after a duel. Maybe we can look over your cards later and think about it together.”

“For real?”

“Yeah!”

The taller boy had on perhaps the biggest smile Wes had seen in literal years and agreed to the arrangement. From behind the two of them, a light clapping could be heard, and both of them could easily surmise who it was, given that the crowd had dispersed.

“Oh, hi, Professor!” Bulk said, waving at him. “Who’s that?”

Sure enough, when Wes looked back, he saw Indigo, standing by the Professor with a small grin on her features.

“Well, like what you see, Indigo?” Wes asked.

“Yeah, not bad, hotshot,” she answered. “And Bulk Biceps did a good job too.”

Bulk raised an eyebrow at that. “Wait, you know my full name?”

“Of course,” she said happily. “I haven’t forgotten that massage you gave me during my trip to Ponyville.”

“… Ponyville? I live in Canterlot.”

“Really? That’s one heck of a commute for a spa job.”

It was clear that Bulk was seriously confused, and it was clear by the look on his face. “No no, I mean I’ve ALWAYS lived in Canterlot. Never been to any ‘Ponyville’. And I don’t work in a spa. I’m still in high school.”

She chuckled. “Come on, big guy, you don’t have to pretend. Your secret’s safe with me.”

When Bulk said nothing, her bravado began to fade. “You ARE pretending, right?”

“Nope. I don’t ever remember meeting you.”

It was astonishing for the three to watch, as any and all glee had drained from Indigo’s face and been replaced with a mix of shock and fear in an instant. As if her entire worldview had been shattered, and she was trying to keep at least some semblance of calm.

Atlas decided upon seeing that to intervene.

“You’ll have to forgive Ms. Zap,” he said. “She’s been having a bit of trouble adjusting to everything that’s been thrown at her. I’m sure you boys can relate.”

Both of them nodded, and it seemed to finally click for the girl.

“So then, these two are the other ‘special cases’ you mentioned, Professor?”

Atlas nodded. “Indeed they are. And since you three are all in the same place, perhaps now is the best time for you to get to know each other.”

"I thought you said you swore to keep our secrets, Professor," Wes responded, already seeing where this was going.

"Ah, but it's not ME revealing anything. What you three say to each other is your own business."

Wes sighed. This was going to be an interesting conversation, he could already tell…

Author's Note

Alright, so this is my first time ever posting something on this site, and I'll readily admit I might be starting off a bit too ambitious for my own good. See, this is a project I've had in my mind for a few years in different variations, and now I think I actually have it solid enough to do something with it. Being that I'm a YGO fan, I'm going to try my hand at this, but I want to be reasonable about it.

So for any returning readers I might make, here are some ground rules:

I am basing this more off the eras I played (Synchro/Xyz/Pendulum). Anything past that I don't know well enough.

Despite drawing from the Pendulum Era, I will NOT be using Pendulums.

I'll be switching between two main groups, and alternating between them from chapter to chapter.

With that in mind, I hope you all enjoyed it, and I hope you'll let me know.

Duel 2: The Lost Girls

“Milord. He has arrived.”

“Took him long enough. Seriously, why did it take 6 days?”

“Dimensional anomalies can be imprecise to a degree. The margin of error for these specific rifts seem to be a maximum of one week’s time.”

“I see. Did he at least get the deck?”

“He did. And he has already used it to great effect.”

“… Please tell me he used the Seal, AGG.”

“Not yet.”

“Dammit, Wes. Why do you have to make things difficult?”

“He seemed more interested in testing out the effects of his Ritual Monsters. After a brief period of experimentation, he will likely use the Seal in conjunction with his Ritual Monsters.”

“I hope so. I went through all that trouble of making a cool archetype just for him!”

“He will. It is not as though he can use it in conjunction with Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz monsters.”

“Oh right, because of that restriction. … Man, we should really update that. That’s a lot of good monsters we’re missing out on.”

“With enough souls and enough Duel Energy, we can increase the efficiency of the Seal.”

“Well then get to it! What do you think I’m paying you for!?”

“You do not pay me. I am a robot.”

“… God damn you, AGG. You know what, whatever, just keep an eye on him. Now they’re both here, and they have the decks I made for them. All is going according to plan.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Milord?”

“Tell me… where’s Becky?”

Darkness.

That was all she could feel, all that surrounded her, and all that she could see ahead of her. To be honest, she barely even remembered how she got here – how it went so wrong. And now, as she tried to return to consciousness, there was only one thing to guide her through this darkness.

“… think-… okay?”

“Well-… before-… prob’ly-… again.”

Voices.

Very faint, but very familiar voices. Most likely hallucinations, due to the harrowing experience she just lived through, but certainly sounding real enough.

‘Yeah! And-… us-… back!’

She could easily discern each voice from the last, but the problem was she could barely hear whatever words were coming from each of them. She was sure they were aimed at her, and she was sure they were far from nice. But then again, she wouldn’t have deserved anything less…

‘… Where am I? Who are you people!?’

If she could feel her body, she was sure a chill would have ran up her spine. That one, so familiar, yet so alien at the same time, came through loud and clear. She desperately wanted to ask more, and she would have if she could, but she couldn’t.

Because as soon as she tried, she saw a light. Feeling began to return to her, as she finally opened her eyes after so long.

And the first sight she was greeted by was… a ceiling fan?

Confusion washed over the poor girl as she felt the mattress underneath her body and winced at the light from above. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was running off to the local park after a horrific night. How did she get inside?

“Ah, I see you’re awake.”

Sunset froze as she heard this unfamiliar voice, and with a cursory glance to her left, she saw the last thing she wanted to see right now: other people.

Standing next to the window was a blue-skinned girl with raspberry red eyes, looking to her innocently as she fiddled with her ponytail, formed of two completely different shades of blue to her skin. The poor girl looked like she’d been thrown into the dirt a few times, her hoodie having a few scuff marks and her jeans having a rip in the thigh. Around her neck, there was a choker, adorned with a single red crystal that left Sunset uneasy… though why, she wasn’t entirely sure.

Next to her, sitting in a chair, there was another girl, her onyx eyes focused on Sunset as if she were searching for something. This one looked to be no older than 20, with long flowing blonde hair, and a light peach skin tone, contrasted by her clothes; a black t-shirt with the words ‘Zac Brown Band’ on the front, a pair of capri jeans, and a set of black and red high-tops. Around her neck rested a necklace as well, the dark aqua crystal at the end of it making Sunset’s unease double.

She tried to move back but found herself quickly pressed up against the headboard of the bed. Looking around, it finally clicked exactly where she was. But once again, that just made her question how in the world she got into a hotel room.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions, Miss… um…”

“Sunset Shimmer,” she answered curtly. “And yeah, I think that’s putting it mildly! Who the hell are you!?”

“Well, I’m Rebecca Mizuhara,” she explained, her sweet smile never leaving her face, and her tone remaining even and calm. “But everyone just calls me Becky. And this is Sonata Dusk, a lovely young girl who’s found herself in the same boat as you.”

At the mention of her name, the blue girl waved eagerly. “Hi! I’m glad you’re alive! I was starting to worry I fell asleep next to a dead girl!”

“… The ease with which you can say that is mildly concerning,” Becky said with a nervous chuckle. “But we’ll deal with that later. For now, is there anything I can get either of you?”

Sunset said nothing initially, but after feeling the dryness on her tongue, quietly asked for a bit of water. Becky was quick to deliver, giving Sunset a full glass, as well as some grape juice for Sonata.

And with drinks in hand, Becky began to speak once again.

“Now, allow me to try to explain the situation as best I can,” she told them as they drank. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that how different I look from the two of you?”

Both girls nodded.

“Well, there’s a very good reason for that. I’m fairly certain I’m from a different world than the two of you.”

To this, she’d been expecting shocked gasps, or widened eyes, or… anything, really. Why they weren’t reacting so wildly was beyond her. After all, it wasn’t every day that those words were uttered.

‘But then again… I think Wes mentioned they’re from a different world too?’ Becky questioned, trying to remember what he’d said during a discussion a few months ago. ‘Had I known this would have happened, I would have watched those movies with him…’

Though she couldn’t dwell on that now. There was work to be done.

“Anyway,” she continued. “Four days ago, I awoke in this world, and I’ve been trying to find out as much as I can about it. A few hours ago, I ran into both of you, unconscious and sprawled out near each other.”

“For realsies?” Sonata asked, finishing off her grape juice. “Wait, did you see my sisters here too?”

Becky shook her head, and Sonata visibly deflated.

“I’ve been searching for someone as well, and I’ve been trying to find any clues as to where they went. But so far, no luck. However, I have been able to determine one thing, and I believe if you two are from another world, then you’ll want to know about this.

Tell me… do either of you know how to Duel?”

That question took a few seconds to crystalize in Sunset’s mind. Did she mean…?

“Oh yeah, totally!” Sonata said cheerily. “Adagio taught me! I’m a lot better at swords though. Aria’s the one who’s good with pistols.”

At this, Becky was silent for a few seconds, as if processing that information. Finally, she smiled an amused smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind, you never know when that could come in handy,” she said. “However, that was not the type of Duel I was referring to. Have either of you heard of the card game ‘Duel Monsters’?”

It was the girls’ turn to shake their heads.

“Well, in this world it seems to be a main pastime of practically everyone,” she explained further. “Back in my world, we call it ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’, and it’s merely a hobby of my little brothers, myself, and others in our area. But here… it’s a part of their everyday life. They even make machines solely for Dueling, which they call a Duel Disk.”

Without another word, Becky pointed to the countertop behind her, and the girls got a good look at the three strange devices, each adorned in their respective colors. Each one possessed a large blade-shaped piece, on which there looked to be five little zones, meant to fit something within. And within the circular piece at the center, they saw piles of cards, probably meant for playing the game.

“Oh, so that’s what those were,” Sonata noted, looking at the one that matched her aesthetic. “Where’d you get them? Those things have got to be expensive, right?”

“I didn’t have to pay a dime. The black and gold one appeared with me when I showed up. And I found you two each with one as well.”

That certainly got Sunset’s attention.

“So, wait, we just showed up in this world with that thing materialized on our arms?” she asked skeptically. “And conveniently had a deck of cards ready to go with it? Don’t you find that just a little worrisome?”

“Of course,” Becky answered honestly, catching Sunset off guard. “However, I’m in a desperate situation, as are you, so I’m not keen to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Sonata chuckled, while Sunset levied a bit of a glare at Becky. Right about now, she really wished she had taken Wes up on his offer.

“My point is that if you two are out of the loop, so to speak, then perhaps it would be best for me to get you caught up on how to play the game. Just in case someone here challenges you and you can’t get out of it.”

Silence was the only answer Becky got, at least initially. She was used to it sometimes, given how moody her brother had been, but this was a different kind of silence.

Eventually, one of them caved.

“So, let me see if I have this right,” Sunset said, looking Becky right in the eyes. “You, want to help us, two complete strangers, to learn a game that we’ve never played, but that apparently everyone in this new world plays?”

“Yes,” Becky answered. “And as an added note, I am glad you are receptive to the idea of being in another world. I was worried you’d think I was a crazy person.”

“… What do you get out of helping us?”

In Sunset’s mind, that was about as simple and direct a question as she could manage; she’d never liked vague or indirect questions. Becky, however, merely looked confused about it, and what’s worse, it seemed like her confusion was genuine.

“… I get to help two people who need help?” She said, almost as if she was asking more than telling. “I’m not entirely sure what you’re getting at.”

“Oh, come on, no one is THAT nice. And the way you describe it, we sound like the perfect targets to take advantage of. Why would you help us if you didn’t want something from us?”

Becky didn’t miss a beat. “Empathy, I suppose.”

Three little words, and yet they managed to pierce through Sunset’s guarded heart, if only for a second.

Empathy. Where had her own empathy been, that this word seemed so distant to her?

“Sunset, you should do it! Think of all the fun you could have!”

This time, a chill DID run up Sunset’s spine, as that familiar bubbly voice ran through her mind. She looked around the room, almost expecting the girl to have popped out from some obscure corner and reveal she’d been there the whole time. But unfortunately, she appeared to be nowhere, and judging by the looks on Becky and Sonata’s faces... Sunset was the only one who heard it.

“Something the matter, Sunset?” Becky asked, concern evident in her tone.

“N-no, it’s nothing, I just…” she shook her head, and focused on the red and yellow device on the counter. “You know what, maybe you’re right. If we’re stuck here, then I might as well make sure I know their way of fighting.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sonata said. “Who knows? It might be pretty fun to actually have to work for my wins for once. So anyway, how do we play, Becky?”

Becky smiled, and stood up, picking up her Duel Disk and handing the girls theirs.

“Follow me. They have a private Duel Arena in this place, and I reserved it for the next few hours. We’re going to see what these babies can do.”

The hotel they were staying at had several floors, and their room was on the 5th, so the trip down to floor 1 was a bit long. But when they finally got there both Sunset and Sonata were rather impressed by the Arena.

The room itself was almost as big as the gymnasium back at CHS, decorated plainly, with simple white walls and a set of bleachers over in the corner; from what Becky had told them, they could choose to allow people to watch, or reserve it for one-on-one Duels away from prying eyes.

And in the middle of it all was a raised platform, decorated with lines indicating where to stand and where the cards would appear, as well as several flashing lights, and even a giant Life Point counter hanging from the ceiling.

And as soon as they got there, Becky wasted no time, getting into the explanation.

‘Thorough’ didn’t even begin to describe it, as Becky started going into every intricacy of the game she could think of off the top of her head. She started out small, explaining the different phases of a Turn, and how it moves, but then she went to the various card types, and almost lost Sonata. It was more than a little confusing to hear about how all these different ‘spell speeds’ interacted with one another, but thankfully, Sunset kept track of it all. Then from there, she moved on to the Extra Deck and the different details of Normal and Special Summoning, as well as the different beasts they could summon in various ways.

And finally, she went into the discussion of the Battle Phase, where the monsters they’d summon would finally get a chance to do something. This part, she had Sonata’s undivided attention on, and Sunset actually was the one spacing out; she didn’t want to think about battles right now. But even so, they made it through the examples of how monsters attacking each other would cause certain results, and how the Duel was over when one player’s Life Points hit 0 or surrendered.

“There are a lot of weird little niche things as well to the game,” she concluded, playing with one of her blonde locks. “But that’s the general idea. Other than that, just read your cards and know what they do, and you should be fine.”

Becky stood up and activated her Duel Disk.

“However, there’s only so much that saying can do. The best teacher is experience, after all. So, how would one of you like to Duel me?”

“I dunno, seems like a lot to keep track of,” said Sonata, looking at her Duel Disk. “We usually have Adagio keep track of everything. She insists on it.”

“Well, I won’t force you if you’re not comfortable,” Becky answered, before looking to the other girl. “What about you, Sunset?”

The redhead in question was a bit hesitant, but finally answered. “I mean, I guess you make a good point, so maybe? But I really don’t even know what’s in my deck.”

“You’ll learn, sweetie. I don’t expect you to be the next Yugi Muto right off the bat.”

“… Who?”

“I’ll explain later. For now, let’s just have a bit of fun and show you the ropes. And if we make some mistakes, well, that’s all part of the learning process.”

DUEL!

Becky Mizuhara (4000 LP)

Vs

Sunset Shimmer (4000 LP)

The two girls took their positions across from one another, readying their Duel Disks for the battle at hand. Because she was apparently the expert, Sunset decided to give the first move to Becky; and for the added benefit that this would give her time to read her cards.

“Alright then, let’s get this going,” Becky said, holding up a card. “First, I summon my Chaos Flame Watcher!”

The first monster appeared in a burst of fire, revealing a small, dark-skinned humanoid with flowing white hair. He sat down, staring intently at Sunset.

(1200/1200)

“When Watcher is summoned, I place a Flame Counter on him; more on those when it becomes relevant. For now, I set two cards face-down and end my turn.”

[Turn End, Hand: 2]

[Turn 2, Sunset, Hand: 5]

The first thing Sunset did was draw a card, as she’d been told she was supposed to. Finally, she got a chance to actually look at the cards in her hand, and when she did, a sense of dread came over her. It was like she could feel something coming from them, but she wasn’t able to put her finger on exactly what it was.

‘But I can see they at least have a clear theme,’ she noted, reading the card names. ‘Kind of ironic, really, getting a deck like this… Oh well, this one ought to work.’

“For my first move, I’ll activate the Continuous Spell, Harmony’s Reincarnation! Its effect will go off on my second Standby Phase after activation. Next, I Normal Summon my Harmony Soul – Honesty!”

In the middle monster zone, Sunset’s first creature materialized, appearing as an orange ball of electricity initially. However, a second or two later and it reshaped itself into a vaguely humanoid form, with long hair, an obviously female physique, and a shape similar to-

‘… A hat. Not just any hat.’

An emerald green glow took form where the eyes would be, as the thunder monster looked back to Sunset. She gave her a thumbs up, and the redhead felt her breath hitch in her throat.

(1800/2000)

“W-when Honesty’s summoned,” Sunset continued, trying to retain an air of calm. “I can add another Harmony monster from my deck to my hand! I’ll add… um…”

Looking through her deck, she was extremely grateful that the card artworks were nothing more than various Cutie Marks with balls of electricity behind them. Part of her couldn’t bear the idea of them looking at her, even in such a form.

“I’ll add Harmony Soul – Loyalty to my hand!”

“Awesome! You won’t regret this, Shimmer!”

It took a moment for that to fully register, but when it did, she had to summon every ounce of willpower she had just to keep the horror off her face. Had she really not been hallucinating earlier? Were they… were they really here, talking to her?

‘But how? I was alone when that portal opened,’ she thought, trying to make sense of it. ‘Unless… they followed me. They came after me because their little ‘Princess’ demanded I be watched…’

She wanted to question exactly why they were supposedly turned into cards, but the more practical part of her mind repressed that urge. She could get the answer to that question once she had her bearings completely.

“Okay, so because I control a Harmony monster, I can Special Summon my ‘Harmony Soul - Loyalty’ from my hand!”

Right next to where Honesty stood, another orb of energy appeared, this one cyan, before bursting into a shape very similar to CHS’ star athlete. The main difference, however, was that on her back materialized a pair of prismatic wings, like those of an angel or pegasus, gently switching between the colors of the rainbow.

(2000/1000)

“That’s a good combo, Sunset,” Becky told her. “And your monsters are very beautiful.”

“Maybe to you…” she mumbled, before returning to the battle. “Now, I’m going to enter the Battle Phase. I attack your Chaos Flame Watcher with my Harmony Soul – Honesty.”

“By removing the Flame Counter from my Chaos Flame Watcher, I can protect him from being destroyed by this battle.”

Sunset felt a little grin appear. “Nice try, but I have two monsters that can attack. Loyalty will attack after Honesty has finished.”

The two thunder monsters nodded, as the Flame Counter next to Watcher’s head vanished, covering him in a bright aura. First to move was Honesty, pushing off the ground with immense force, and landing a powerful kick that dissipated the protection of Watcher in an instant. Once the attack was done, Loyalty closed the distance, moving faster than any of them could have predicted, and cutting Watcher in half with her rainbow-colored wings.

(Becky’s LP: 4000 – 600 = 3400 – 800 = 2600)

“With that, I’ll set a card, and end my turn.”

[Turn End, Hand: 3]

[Turn 3, Becky, Hand: 2]

Becky drew for turn, and the card she saw had her thinking immediately. She knew she could use this, but not right now. Now, it was time to play the long game.

A game she knew almost as well as Duel Monsters.

“To start, I Normal Summon my Chaos Flame Spark!”

Another burst of flame revealed a small being, clearly just a flicker of fire given life, from which, two bursts of its mass were taken and placed upon both Honesty and Loyalty.

(1000/1000)

“When it’s summoned,” Becky explained, “I can place a Flame Counter on each monster on your side of the field. Then, because there’s a monster on the field with a Flame Counter on it, I can Special Summon my Chaos Flame Cinder, and use its effect to place a Flame Counter on Spark!”

Next to where Spark was appeared a small piece of burning residue, barely still alight, and little more than the remnants of the fire that once burned. Yet even so, it managed to summon forth a Flame Counter, which went right to where Spark was.

(800/800)

“Gotta say, your monsters are kind of wimpy,” Sunset told her, not really seeing the point behind summoning all these little guys. “You said you didn’t have an Extra Deck with you, so why are they such small fries?”

To this, Becky grinned. “There’s more than one way to make a monster strong, Sunset. Sometimes, all it takes is a little patience and a little planning. I now activate The Flame of Chaos! With this Spell Card, I can place a Flame Counter on one monster from my field and one from yours! So, I place one on Cinder and one on Loyalty, bringing the total Flame Counters up to 5!”

Suddenly, the flames overwhelmed Loyalty and Honesty, causing them to fall to their knees.

“And here’s the fun part. While The Flame of Chaos is on the field, every Flame Counter increases my monsters’ Attack by 200, while decreasing your monsters’ Attack by that same amount!”

(Loyalty: 2000 – 1000 = 1000)

(Honesty: 1800 – 1000 = 800)

(Spark: 1000 + 1000 = 2000)

(Cinder: 800 + 1000 = 1800)

With one simple card, the tables had turned, and hard for Sunset. Becky called for an attack from her ‘Chaos Flame Spark’ which ignited Honesty in an instant. Sunset felt a scream run through her head, making her blood chill so much she was worried she’d freeze from the inside out.

(Sunset’s LP: 4000 – 1200 = 2800)

“Next, I’ll attack with my Chaos Flame Cinder!”

“I activate Harmony Mirror Force!” Countered Sunset, revealing the trap card. “When a monster I control is attacked, I can negate the attack, switch all your monsters to Defense Mode, and negate their effects until the next Standby Phase!”

The attack stopped dead in its tracks, and Cinder returned to its position on the field, now bearing the light blue aura that signified Defense Position, alongside Spark.

“Very good, Sunset,” Becky commended. “You’re a quick study! Very well, I end my turn.”

[Turn End, Hand: 1]

[Turn 4, Sunset, Hand: 3]

“I draw! … And with that, one Standby Phase has passed for ‘Harmony’s Reincarnation’! And now, I’ll activate Monster Reb-”

“WAIT, DON’T DO THAT!”

Sunset stopped once again, this time extremely reluctantly, as she saw ‘Harmony Soul – Loyalty’ looking back to her, her red ‘eyes’ revealing her determination.

“Don’t waste that! I’ve got an awesome power that can get AJ back! Trust me, Shimmer!”

Those last three words were the LAST thing Sunset wanted to hear, especially given she was still grappling with the idea that they were here in the first place, but upon rereading the card text, she saw that indeed, it was possible to bring Honesty back without much issue.

And with an added benefit over the Spell Card in question.

“Actually, scratch that,” she corrected herself. “I use the effect of my Harmony Soul – Loyalty! Once per turn, I can return a Harmony monster from my field or grave to my hand! So, I’ll add Honesty back to my hand, and immediately Normal Summon her!”

(1800 – 800 = 1000/2000)

“And once again, because of her effect, I can add Harmony Soul – Kindness to my hand! And next… I’ll play Mystical Space Typhoon!”

The whirlwind shot out from the Spell Card itself and attempted to overtake ‘The Flame of Chaos’. Sunset smiled, eager to see that card leave the field. But unfortunately, that hope would be dashed quickly, as Becky activated another effect:

“By transferring the Flame Counter on Cinder to the Flame of Chaos,” she explained, watching as the effect played out in front of her. “I can protect that card from being destroyed!”

“Ah, damn,” Sunset said, watching her card fizzle out, but smiling, to even her own surprise. “I’ll get it next time. Mark my words!”

Part of her couldn’t help but be amused by her own choice of words. She could hardly believe how into it she was getting. Despite every worrying thought that was in her mind, this was actually… nice, to be able to unwind, to forget her troubles and just play a game with someone else.

“Now, I have two moves to make,” Sunset told her, revealing two cards. “First, by revealing Harmony Soul – Generosity in my hand, I can increase the attack of all Harmony monsters by 800!”

From on high, Sunset’s third ‘Harmony Soul’ monster appeared, a beautiful flash of white lightning, materializing and taking the hands of the other two thunder monsters. In an instant, a shimmering purple energy covered the two, before melding into their bodies, symbolizing the attack boost.

(Honesty: 1000 + 800 = 1800)

(Loyalty: 1200 + 800 = 2000)

“Next, I’ll play Monster Reborn to take YOUR Chaos Flame Watcher and make it mine!”

(1200 + 800 = 2000/1200)

“Well, would you look at that, looks like that Flame of Chaos affects Chaos Flame monsters on my side of the field too.”

To that, Becky nodded. “Indeed. And speaking of which… I activate Fuel for the Fire! With this card, I can add a Flame Counter on to each monster I control, and then, I can choose to move ALL Flame Counters onto the Flame of Chaos!”

Suddenly, every Flame Counter on the field moved away from the monsters they had been attached to and congregated around the Spell Card in question.

(Watcher’s ATK: 2000 + 400 = 2400)

To say Sunset was baffled by this play was an understatement. That was 400 more attack for Chaos Flame Watcher, and because Becky’s own monsters were in Defense Mode, they didn’t get the benefits. Hell, it wasn’t even enough of an attack drop on her Harmony monsters to keep her from losing her monsters. So why would she make this move when it seemed like there was no clear benefit?

‘She has to be planning something. From what I’ve seen, Becky doesn’t seem stupid. She’s certainly no-’

For the umpteenth time since waking up, Sunset had to stop herself, as a pang of guilt ran through her heart. She was about to stay that she wasn’t as stupid as… honestly, she wasn’t even sure who she was going to go with, but the fact that she was going with anyone disgusted her right now.

‘Honestly, the only stupid person in that whole thing was me… what was I thinking?’

“Sunset…?”

“Sunset!”

The sound of the two resonating voices was enough to pull her from her thoughts, as she realized now that all eyes were on her. Becky’s, Sonata’s, even her monsters. This only made her feel worse.

She had been having fun, but now here she was letting her emotions get in the way.

“Hey, you okay?” asked Sonata, having gone from excited to worried. “You look like Aria whenever she says something she regrets.”

“I’m fine…”

“Are you sure?” Becky asked, concern laced in her voice. “We can always finish this la-”

“I SAID I’M FINE!”

Stunned silence was their only answer, and Sunset knew she had just made it worse. As if she couldn’t feel any worse, now she was taking it out on others.

“I’m sorry...”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Becky told her, her voice having taken on a new tone – akin to a mother consoling a child. “I understand, you’ve got a lot on your mind. I won’t force you to talk about it before you’re ready. Or at all if you’re never ready.”

“… Thank you. C-can we just keep going?”

Becky nodded. “Continue your move. I’ve now got 6 Flame Counters on the field.”

“Okay…” after taking a deep breath and letting her mood even back out, Sunset made her move. “Since they’re in Defense Mode, you’ll take no damage from the first two attacks. So, I’ll have Honesty and Loyalty destroy your Chaos Flame monsters. Then, I’ll attack you directly with Chaos Flame Watcher.”

The two Harmony Souls moved in perfect synch, obliterating both pyro monsters effortlessly, and leaving the field open for Watcher to strike. With a simple snap of his fingers, a burst of flame rushed toward Becky, and hit her head on.

(Becky’s LP: 2600 – 2400 = 200)

“And with that, I end my turn.”

[Turn End, Hand: 3]

[Turn 5, Becky, Hand: 1]

“I draw!”

Looking to her hand, Becky saw a card that she recognized – one that had been in the binder in her car. How it got in her deck was beyond her, but then again, how she got this deck was beyond her, so…

‘I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to play it,’ she mused. ‘I mean, this clearly isn’t the anime, given who I’m dueling. What’s the worst that could happen?’

“And from my hand, I’ll activate the Seal of Orichalcos!”

The moment this simple Spell was placed within the Field Zone, Becky felt a surge of emotion run through her, more malevolent than anything she’d ever felt. She grit her teeth as she clutched at her head in agony. The Seal appeared beneath her feet, its circumference extending to just outside of where Sunset and her were Dueling, and glowed with a malevolent aura that both displaced Equestrians could feel.

“Okay, this is getting WAY too weird for me!” Sonata protested. “I thought humans didn’t have magic!”

“They’re not supposed to!” Sunset answered, desperately looking to Becky for an explanation. “What’s going on!?”

“Ggh… Sunset! I-I’ve made a terrible mistake!” Becky answered through the pain. “I need you to promise me you’ll fight with everything you’ve got from here on out! If you… If you DON’T…!”

Silence.

Sudden, chilling silence, as Becky slowly took her hands off her head, and looked back up to the two girls. Her expression was neutral, terrifyingly so, as the symbol emblazoned itself onto her forehead, and her necklace gave off an eerie glow. She opened her eyes, those same black orbs now sporting a reddish tint, and gave the girls a smirk.

“If you don’t…” she continued. “Then your soul is forfeit.”

“Becky… what does that spell do?” Sunset asked, hesitant to know the answer. “What did you just play?”

“An ancient power known as the Orichalcos,” she explained. “Once it is played… only one of us can leave this Duel alive. The loser shall have their soul taken and used to fuel the Orichalcos’ power.”

To say Sunset was shaken by that explanation would have been the understatement of the century. Those two sentences chilled her to her core, as she looked to the girl who’d been so nice to her and saw what this ‘Orichalcos’ had done to her. A strange cocktail of emotions mixed in the redhead’s mind, causing her to shake from sadness, guilt, and most of all…

From rage.

“What the hell is wrong with you!?” She screamed. “Seriously, did you not think of the consequences for even a single second!?”

“Believe me, had I anticipated THIS, I would have avoided this card like the plague,” Becky answered. “But it’s too late for that now. I can’t hold back, and I WON’T hold back. I expect you to do the same if you want to survive.”

“Do you even hear yourself!? You’re asking me to take your soul from you! I can’t do that! I’M NOT A KILLER!”

‘But I almost was…’

Sunset flinched, as the memories flashed through her mind of last night. She could still feel the twitching of her tail and the flexing of her wings as she flew above. As she aimed that fireball. As she nearly did kill six people, their only mistake being standing in her way.

She looked to Becky, and had to fight the urge to cry. She couldn’t let herself look weak. Not now.

“… I’m not a killer either,” Becky said, sounding genuinely sad despite the malicious edge to her voice. “But unless there is some way to nullify the Orichalcos, then my hands are tied. Now then… my turn continues.

While there are 4 or more Flame Counters on the field, I can Special Summon my Chaos Flame Kindling! And when he is Special Summoned, I can add 2 Flame Counters to any card on the field!”

In a flash, a group of sticks formed together into a makeshift humanoid form and set itself ablaze. From its body, two more Flame Counters appeared, joining the other six around the Flame of Chaos’ card.

(1500 + 500 = 2000/1500)

“Next, I activate the other effect of my Flame of Chaos! By removing Flame Counters from the field, I can Special Summon a monster from my deck with a level equal to the number of removed Flame Counters! I’ll remove all 8…”

The 8 little blazes shot upward, combining together above Becky’s middle monster zone.

“To Special Summon my Chaos Flame Progenidragon!”

In an instant, the flame slammed into the ground, reshaping itself into a vaguely draconic shape. A beast of molten rock forming the core body, long and serpentine like an eastern dragon, with burning flame forming the creature’s mane, whiskers, and limbs. The seal appeared on its head, and it roared at Sunset and her monsters.

(1800 + 500 = 2300/1800)

“When Progenidragon is summoned, I can draw 1 card, and if it’s a monster, I can place 2 Flame Counters on a face up card. I draw! … And the card I drew was my Chaos Flame Spark! And since I haven’t used my Normal Summon yet…”

Becky didn’t need to finish that sentence. Sunset knew what was coming.

(1000 + 500 = 1500/1000)

(Flame Counters: 5)

“And lastly… I activate Progenidragon’s effect. I can remove counters from the field, and for every 2 that I remove, I can destroy 1 card on the field!”

“At this moment, I’ll activate Harmony Soul – Honesty’s effect! By switching her Battle Position, I can protect two cards on the field from getting destroyed by card effects until the End Phase! I’m going to protect my Harmony monsters!”

“Very well, I’ll simply destroy Chaos Flame Watcher and Harmony’s Reincarnation.”

Sunset winced, her mistake evident. She should have waited for Becky to decide which cards she wanted to target before activating that, but she panicked. Though really, who could blame her when her soul is on the line?

But at the same time, she couldn’t make mistakes like that, and she knew. No matter if the idea left an awful taste in her mouth, she didn’t want to die…

“When Harmony’s Reincarnation gets destroyed before its effect can go off,” she said, reading her card once again to ensure she got the effect right. “I can add a Harmony Soul – Magic or Harmony Soul… Proxy Magic? … F-from my deck to my hand!”

Scanning the set of cards as she pulled them from her deck, she searched high and low for ‘Magic’, but did not see it anywhere. That did set her mind at ease to some degree – lord knows the ‘Princess’ would freak out if she got stuck in another world – but at the same time, when she did find the other card, it only raised more questions she’d need answers to.

Especially given that once she touched it, she heard that same voice.

‘Hello!? Please, can you hear me!?’

“Twilight?”

‘Oh, thank goodness, you can hear me, I was so worried this wa-… wait, you know my name too!? WHY DOES EVERYONE HERE KNOW ME!?’

Sunset rolled her eyes – this was DEFINITELY the Princess’ counterpart. “Okay, calm down, will ya?”

‘Calm? Who’s not calm? I’m totally completely calm! I mean, you know, I’m just stuck in a scenario that I can’t POSSIBLY explain, surrounded by people who inexplicably know who I am, and being-’

“I’ll answer it all later, dammit!” She yelled, grabbing the attention of both Becky and Sonata. “Now will you just shut up and let me think!?”

“Whoa, whoa!” She heard a familiar southern girl say in her mind. “Ah get it, yer stressed, but don’t take it out on her. She’s just as scared as you are.”

“Yeah, besides!” Loyalty’s voice said, as the monster cracked her knuckles. “We’ve gotta focus on WINNING, Shimmer. That’s at the top of the list.”

Loathe as she was to admit it, the two were right. So, she instead dialed back her temper, and focused on the Duel. … Or at least she would have, if she hadn’t noticed the strange look she was getting.

“… I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“Yep,” Sonata chimed in. “And it sorta echoed a bit too. Who were you talking to?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Sunset lied. “Now Becky, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Becky smiled, this one less malicious and a bit warmer. “Confident to the bitter end, I see. I respect that. Now, when a Chaos Flame monster leaves the field, Kindling gets a Flame Counter. And because your monsters are immune to destruction by Card Effects, that means it simply focuses on making my monsters stronger!”

(Honesty: 1800 – 400 = 1400/2000)

(Loyalty: 2000 – 400 = 1600/1000)

(Spark: 1000 + 500 = 1500 + 400 = 1900/1000)

(Kindling: 1500 + 500 = 2000 + 400 = 2400)

(Progenidragon: 1800 + 500 = 2300 + 400 = 2700/1800)

“Now, let’s end this! Kindling! Destroy Harmony Soul – Honesty! Progenidragon! Destroy Harmony Soul – Loyalty!”

The first attack was swift, as Kindling slammed its burning arm into Honesty’s body, causing the girl-turned-monster to buckle, before breaking.

The second was even faster, as a beam of raw, unadulterated heat shot from Progenidragon’s mouth, overwhelming Loyalty. As she shattered, Sunset felt that burning heat on her body too, and grit her teeth as hard as she could to keep from screaming.

(Sunset’s LP: 2800 – 1100 = 1700)

“I’m so sorry it had to be this way,” Becky lamented while crossing her arms. “But this is the end, Sunset. Spark! Attack Sunset directly!”

“… Are you sure about that?”

Five little words was all it took.

Suddenly, Spark’s attack was stopped dead in its tracks, as a pale yellow orb of electricity appeared between the monster and Sunset. A bright light shone outward, as the newest monster materialized, taking a shape similar to the others, a pair of bright pink wings appearing on her back as well.

She never thought she’d be so happy to see Fluttershy in her life, even if it was in another form.

(1300 – 400 = 900/1800)

“When you try to directly attack me,” Sunset explained, gesturing to her new monster. “I can Special Summon my Harmony Soul – Kindness, stopping the attack, and ending the Battle Phase!”

“… Sunset. Well played. I end my turn! Don’t… don’t hesitate!”

[Turn End, Hand: 0]

[Turn 6, Sunset, Hand: 3]

“I draw! And from my hand, I play Harmony’s Return, letting me add Honesty back to my hand! Then… I’ll summon my Harmony Soul – Proxy Magic!”

The newest member of the Harmony Souls joined Kindness on the field, the lavender energy congealing into the shape of the woman who caused Sunset’s downfall. Or at least, a shape very similar. From here, it was rather easy to discern what was different, given her hair seemed to be worn up and she had… glasses?

At the very least, she had to credit the models for how detailed they were, but the panic that the monster seemed to be presenting, she was certain that was all Twilight.

‘So, I brought that world’s Twilight with me,’ she mused. ‘She must have been too close when that rift opened, just like the others. I just keep causing them trouble…’

Sunset clenched her fist and opened her eyes, looking to the monsters, then to Becky.

‘This changes nothing,’ she reminded herself. ‘Sunset Shimmer is NOT a quitter! If anything… this just makes it even more clear I can’t lose. For once, I’m not just fighting for myself.’

White hot conviction spread through her body, as she looked to the cards in her hand.

She would win, and she had an idea on how to.

“When Harmony Soul – Proxy Magic is summoned, I can Special Summon a Harmony monster from my graveyard! I’ll bring back Loyalty, leaving my grave empty once again!”

(2000 – 400 = 1600/1000)

Becky raised an eyebrow at that statement. “And your graveyard being empty is important because…?”

“Because when it is, I can activate my monsters’ special abilities! Proxy Magic’s is that I can add one Harmony Spell or Trap from my deck to my hand! I’ll add… Harmony’s Call, which I’ll use to add…”

She fanned her deck out, trying to find a card to add. If she knew anything about magic (and she did), there had to be a way to nullify this awful Seal. She just had to find it…

“OOH! ME! ME ME ME! I CAN DO IT, SUNNY!”

Upon looking at the ‘Harmony Soul – Laughter’ that she knew was screaming at her, the decision was made. A cursory glance at the effect, and it was like a design was written in her mind. It would start with a simple return to the hand, and end in her victory.

“I’ll add Harmony Soul – Laughter to my hand! Next, I’ll use Loyalty’s effect to return Kindness to my hand, and use her special ability immediately! By revealing Kindness and not summoning her for the rest of the turn, I can Special Summon my Harmony Soul – Laughter!”

Unlike the other monsters, who had been relatively simple, this one had the most grandiose entrance Sunset had seen yet; though part of her expected nothing less from the Element of Laughter. In a burst of pink that covered the field in what could only be described as electrified confetti, the pink thunder monster appeared, her fluffy hair still as wild as ever, despite being a monster of pure energy.

And then, as the confetti spread, Becky watched in horror, as the Seal suddenly began losing color.

“Seems laughter’s pretty good at disarming,” Sunset quipped, crossing her arms in triumph. “When Laughter is Special Summoned by another Harmony Monster’s effect, she can negate cards on the field up to the number of other Harmony monsters I have on the field. Since I have two… I’m taking out that Seal, as well as that Flame of Chaos!”

From the sidelines, Sonata cheered, upon seeing the two Spell cards lose their luster, the card for the Flame turning grey and lifeless, dropping the attack of Becky’s monsters, while the Seal beneath their feet turned black and null. Becky clutched her head once again, her breathing shaky and her eyes clenched shut in sheer agony.

Worry overtook Sunset, as she knew exactly how painful it could be to be transformed by magic. She was about to say something, but then, Becky looked back up, the red tint gone from her eyes, and the Seal no longer on her forehead.

“S-Sunset…” she managed to say, her smile weak and her voice weaker. “Thank you…”

Before anyone could say anything else, Becky collapsed onto the ground. Panic overtook Sunset, as she rushed over to where the other girl was. But before she checked anything, she was certain to take out the Seal, and deactivate Becky’s Duel Disk.

“… She’s still breathing, she’s just unconscious.” She said with a smile. “Okay, good… uh, hey, Sonata?”

“Yeah?” the Siren asked, stepping into the arena as well.

“Think you can help me carry her back to the room?”

Sonata gave a thumbs up, slinging one of Becky’s arms over her shoulder and helping her to her feet. “You can count on me. But what do we tell anyone if they ask what happened to her?”

… That was a good question, and one Sunset had not considered.

“Well,” she thought out loud, slinging Becky’s other arm over her shoulders. “I guess we just say an attack knocked her off her feet and she hit her head. Sound good?”

“It’ll have to. Though, you handle that, I’m not a good liar.” Sonata said with a nervous grin.

To this, Sunset chuckled, and they began to move forward. Though before she left, her first order of business was to pick up the Seal and carry it with her. Her second order of business, she decided on when she realized her Duel Disk was still on, and the Harmony Souls were looking at her.

“Oh, right,” she said, rubbing the back of her head. “L-listen, I know I said I’d explain it later, but uh… we kind of have a situation right now. Think we ca-”

‘Harmony Soul – Loyalty’, or rather, Rainbow Dash, made simple wave of her hand, as if brushing off the notion.

“Get Becky back to the room, Shimmer,” she said. “When you’re ready to talk, we’ll be in your Duel Disk. But just know, I AM gonna hold you to that.”

Sunset smiled, glad that they were so understanding. “I’ll try to be ready soon.”

And with that, Sunset turned off her Duel Disk, put away the cards she’d used, and they began their trek back up to the room. All the while, Sunset had her eyes on the Seal, completely disgusted by it. She wanted to do something about it, however, even though it was a card, she highly doubted it was as simple as taking a pair of scissors to it.

She’d need to get it as far away from Becky as possible. Somewhere it couldn’t be a negative influence.

“… Say, Sonata? Do you know if there’s a lake nearby?”

Author's Note

So, this chapter was a doozy to write, for a number of reasons, chief among them being the word count. I'm not sure how long each chapter will be, I can write a lot (my record is like 11,000 for a single chapter), but I do plan to make every chapter pretty meaty. Something you can really bite into.

I hope you guys like the idea behind the Archetypes I made for Becky and Sunset. I'm thinking I might either make a list of everyone's cards (like I saw a couple other stories do), or I'll show off the cards in the Author's Note. Lemme know what you think.

Gusto out, and if you have anything to say, let me know.

Duel 3: Earning Some Respect

“I’m sorry, I’m a little high up here… did you say she NEGATED! THE ORICHALCOS!?”

“Yes, Milord. By Sunset Shimmer’s ‘Harmony Soul – Laughter’ monster.”

“Wait a sec, Sunset Shimmer!? That’s news to me!”

“Perhaps I should have prefaced with that seemingly innocuous fact.”

“Wait, was that SASS, AGG?”

“I am not programmed for ‘sass’.”

“… I’m proud of you. Anyway, did you say ‘Harmony Souls’ was the name of her archetype?”

“Yes, milord.”

“That’s no good. That could throw a serious wrench in our plans.”

“How so?”

“The Elements of Harmony. A powerful set of forces from another world capable of performing miracles. They could be a severe threat to both my plans, as well as the Master’s.”

“I shall add her to our list of high priority targets.”

“You’d better. That whole team’s turning out to be bad news. Becky was actively resisting the Seal’s influence. And that Siren’s an immortal with powerful manipulation magic.”

“A dangerous group, indeed. We shall double our efforts toward enhancing the Orichalcos effective immediately.”

“Good. And how goes the search for my binder?”

“A few cards have been procured. Our newest pawns can be given them to significantly enhance the power of their Dueling Decks.”

“That’s what I like to hear, AGG! It’s all coming together. Becky has activated the Orichalcos, and sooner or later, she’ll falter. If we play our cards right – and we WILL – then nothing will stop us!”

“I shall initiate my happiness algorithm for that, Milord. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“… You know what? Bring me a Duelist from the nearby city. I feel like contributing.”

Indigo Zap was NOT happy.

It had been three days since she came to Crossroads Academy, and in this short time, she had learned three things:

One: She was pretty darn good at Duel Monsters.

Two: Her Cutie Mark was still on her human form.

And three: Humans could be pretty darn cruel.

It was 7:00 in the morning when her alarm clock blared, and she went through her usual routine; fall out of bed, get on all fours, remember she was bipedal now, and then get dressed. She had her uniform ready on the door – a Ra Yellow jacket and shoes with black skorts and a bluish-grey t-shirt – and was getting much quicker at putting it on. Once she was dressed, she grabbed her goggles, ran a brush through her hair, put on her Duel Disk, and sprinted out the door.

Once she was out, she ran into someone. Literally.

Falling flat on her butt, she groaned in frustration, before hearing a light chuckling.

“Okay, let’s NOT make this a recurring thing, Indi.”

If there was one thing that could help her mood immensely, it was that.

Opening her eyes, she met the easygoing gaze of Wes Mizuhara, and that brought a bit of a smile to her face. They hadn’t talked much, but he was a pretty nice guy, from what she had found.

“Indi?” she joked. “And when did I agree to nicknames?”

“Oh what, you don’t like it?”

“Well, I never said THAT.”

In truth, Indigo was more than happy to accept this nickname – it was certainly nicer than some of the other things she’d been called lately…

“So, what brought you by, hotshot?” she asked, before noticing something. “And why aren’t you in your uniform?”

True enough, Wes wasn’t in dress code, at least not entirely. Sure, he had on the black undershirt, grey jeans, and yellow sneakers, but instead of the usual jacket, he had on a cyan hoodie she’d never seen on him before.

“You didn’t hear?” he asked, pulling himself up and offering her a hand. “They’re holding a memorial for Jack Grey today. They said we’ve got the day off and we get to dress casually.”

“Who’s ‘Jack Grey’?” asked Indigo.

“My sister’s ex.”

Confusion spread on Indigo’s face, and Wes had to stifle a chuckle.

“Nah, I’m just yankin’ ya; she did date a guy with the same name, but I am desperately hoping that’s just a coincidence. Anyway, you remember that statue out in front of the courtyard? The one of that long-haired duelist with Exodia standing behind him?”

For a couple of seconds, Zap contemplated his words, genuinely trying to remember that statue. She’d passed it a few times on the way to class, but had never bothered to ask about it.

Well, what better time than now?

“Come on, I’ll tell you on the way,” he said, turning around to head out of the building. “You can ask me anything, I’m an open book.”

She made note of that, and was certain she’d ask about various little things as they made their way out to the courtyard. Part of her wanted to ask about the Cutie Mark on the back of his jacket, knowing full well whose it was, but decided to stow it for later.

For now, she instead chose to join him as they headed to the event.

The bright morning sun shone overhead, bathing the student body in its radiance, as everyone, students and faculty alike, were gathered around the statue in the center of the courtyard.

The statue of Jack Grey.

From what Wes had conveyed to Indigo, Jack was a student during the school’s first year of activity, a long 18 years ago, when Duel Monsters truly began to take off in this world. They called him a prodigy, a shoo-in for best of class.

But that all ended tragically, as one month before the end of the academic year, he sacrificed himself to protect the island and the city from a great evil. Most people outside of his closest friends did not know the true incident, and the version told by Academy staff seemed intentionally vague, but they knew of his courage. While he may never get the recognition of a World Champion, on the island, he was heralded as a hero.

Now, every year, on the day of his birth, a mere three days into the school year, the faculty allow the students a day off to honor him.

But before anything, there was always a moment of silence.

Once it had passed, Professor Atlas was the first to speak up, standing in front of the statue, and smiling at the students before him.

“The world of Dueling has had many shining stars,” he said, a small smile on his face. “But so few have ever been heroes to quite a degree as him. So, we take today to remember one of Dueling’s greatest unsung heroes, and to remember why we are here. To aspire to newer and greater heights, to achieve the insurmountable, and to form bonds that would last a lifetime, even if we are worlds apart.”

That last line hit a little too close to home for some, and Wes was certain that was done on purpose, given the cheeky grin on the Professor’s face.

“And so, I hope you all enjoy today to the fullest, students. Enjoy it, and come back tomorrow renewed, and ready for your next step forward!”

The crowd dispersed slowly, with various cliques forming and discussing things amongst themselves. Wes wasted no time finding Bulk and striking up a conversation, while Indigo herself was a bit hesitant to join in. She still felt rather uncomfortable around Bulk, though that was hardly his fault. Just knowing he had the same face as that one Pegasus she met messed with her far more than she cared to admit.

Eventually, she found the courage to step forward.

“So, I finally had a chance to look over your Duels,” Wes told him. “You know that Soulbuster Gauntlet of yours? You should try using its discard effect. You’ll get a lot bigger of a number than just equipping it.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked, taking the card out of his deck. “… Whoa! I must have missed that. Man, that’s like 7,000 with Big Benkei.”

“Yep. Always double check your cards, that’s my policy.”

“It’s a good policy to have, if ya ask me.”

Both boys looked over and seemed pleasantly surprised to see Indigo actually talking to them.

“So, how are things going with you guys?” she asked, trying to break the ice a bit. “Either of you hear anything from the Professor since your big Duel?”

Bulk nodded. “Yeah, he came and talked with me and Wes earlier. That’s how we found out about this big day off they do.”

“He’s also been trying to encourage us to meet more of the other students,” Wes said, picking up where his roommate left off. “But I’m not too keen. There’s still a lot I don’t know about this place. And I’m kind of worried I might say the wrong thing and get laughed out of the room.”

A sigh escaped Indigo’s lips, as she suddenly seemed more interested in her shoes. “Don’t I know it? Buncha jerks, gonna get on your case about every little buck-up.”

Wes chuckled. “Sounds like you know from experience?”

She nodded, never being one to hide her frustrations; much more practical to vent if the option was available. Wes gave her a gesture, as if telling her to continue on and explain, but as it would turn out...

“Well, if it isn’t little miss ‘Cutie Marks’!”

Someone would beat her to it.

Looking over, Indigo saw the most obnoxious girl she’d met thus far: a maroon-haired Obelisk Blue named Millie McCormick. While there had been many to poke fun at her for her little slip of the tongue in the changing room, none had been quite so irritating about it. And here she was, to pester her more.

“What’s a Cutie Mark?” Bulk asked, despite both Indigo and Wes making a ‘cut’ gesture at the neck. Unfortunately, they were too late, as Millie went in.

“Oh, you haven’t heard?” she asked haughtily. “Well, word to the wise, I’d stay away from this girl if you do not wish to be made fun of. Poor girl has deluded herself into thinking she’s a horse! And a horse with magical butt tattoos to boot!”

Anger overtook Indigo as she heard that, but it was directed more at herself. This whole fiasco was her own doing, and she knew it. A few too many slips of the tongue, a bit too much excitement when she rediscovered her Cutie Mark in the changing rooms, so on and so forth. And because of that she’d already developed a bit of a reputation as ‘that crazy girl who thinks she’s a winged horse’…

She wanted to lash out. And she knew she was going to.

“Pony, actually.”

But for the second time in only 5 minutes, someone beat her to it.

Wes looked to Millie with his hands in his hoodie pockets, while she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Excuse you?” she asked.

“Pony,” he repeated, like it should have been obvious. “If you’re gonna talk about it, get it right. You Obelisk snobs are supposed to be smart after all.”

To that, Millie scoffed. “Are you seriously going to feed this girl’s delusions? Surely you must know how unhealthy that is.”

“A lot healthier than mocking her for them, I’d imagine. But hey, whatever helps you sleep at night.”

While part of her was grateful to have someone else standing up for her, Indigo couldn’t help but feel a small bit of fury at her fellow ‘Special Case’. The implication of his line was loud and clear to her; he too thought it was a ‘delusion’.

‘He probably thinks I’m crazy, just like her,’ she lamented. ‘Bet he probably doesn’t even realize he’s got Rainbow Dash’s Cutie Mark on the back of his jacket. He’s just trying to be nice because the Professor saddled us all together.’

“Hmph. Perhaps if you didn’t spend so much time chasing fairy tales, you might have made it into Obelisk,” Millie said. “But then again, I don’t think any amount of studying would save the girl who thinks she has wings.”

“I DO have wings!”

Millie chuckled. “Then where ARE they?”

Indigo’s knuckles went white from how hard she clenched her fists.

“Oh, I bet you think you’re SO great,” she said, seething. “I oughta knock you off that pretty little pedestal you’re on!”

“Really? You think a Ra Yellow can beat an Obelisk Blue? Sure, you’re no Slifer Slacker, but there’s a reason I’m on top and you’re not.”

“Then what do you have to fear?” Indigo taunted, activating her Duel Disk. “If you’re as good as you say you are, this should be no sweat for you.”

Millie was silent for a second, before crossing her arms confidently.

“The funny thing is, you think you’re playing me,” she taunted right back. “But you’re right. Very well, I’ll take this opportunity to put an upstart like you in your place.”

“I’d like to see you try!”

Their little scuffle had already caught some attention thanks to the nearby onlookers, combined with Indigo’s own natural volume. A crowd began to gather, and the three Special Cases could hear the whispers among them.

“Yo, Horse Girl’s really challenging Millie?”

“Millie’s gonna knock some sense into that weirdo!”

“Man, this is gonna be hard to watch. Horse Girl’s gonna get creamed!”

Hearing this only furthered the conviction in Indigo’s mind. She’s show them.

She’d show them all…

DUEL!

Indigo Zap (4000 LP)

Vs

Millie McCormick (4000 LP)

[Turn 1, Millie, Hand: 5]

“I’ll blind you with my radiance!” boasted Millie, revealing a single spell card. “I activate Charge of the Light Brigade, allowing me to send the top 3 cards of my deck to the grave, in order to add Jain, Lightsworn Paladin to my hand!”

The three cards were sent to the graveyard, and by the time they had been, a burst of light shot out from Millie’s middle monster zone. Where it was, a towering bipedal wolf man appeared, carrying a giant axe and a set of claws on his hands.

(2100/300)

“And would you look at that?” Millie said with a smile. “Among the three cards I sent away was Wulf, the Lightsworn Beast! Because he was sent to the grave by a card effect, now he’s returned to the field! And next, I’ll Normal Summon Jain, the Lightsworn Paladin!”

Next to where Wulf stood, a lone woman appeared, her white hair perfectly complemented by armor of the same hue, accented by golden filigree and a red inner lining to her cape.

(1800/1200)

“With that, I’ll set one card face-down and end my turn. At the end phase, Jain sends two cards from my deck to the grave.”

[Turn End, Hand: 3]

[Turn 2, Indigo, Hand: 5]

“I dra-!”

Her declaration was cut short by a sudden jolt of energy through her right arm. It was like someone had shot a lightning bolt into it, though nowhere near as painful. Looking to the card she’d grabbed, it only confirmed what she knew. She’d felt it every other time this strange beast had been in her hand.

‘Worst part is, I can’t even use it, considering I don’t have the stupid Field Spell…’ she thought. ‘Oh well, I can still work with this.’

“First, I’ll play Crystal Bonds!” Indigo exclaimed, placing the Spell card for all to see. “I can add a Crystal Beast to my hand, and place one in my Spell Zone as a Continuous Spell! So, I’ll place Ruby Carbuncle in the Spell Zone, and add Sapphire Pegasus to my hand!”

A single large gemstone appeared in the backrow of Indigo’s field, deep red in color.

Millie chuckled. “Of course the horse-obsessed girl picks the horse to add to her hand.”

“Heh. You’ve never faced a Crystal Beast deck, have you?”

Indigo couldn’t hide her smile as the confidence her opponent had faltered just a little.

“Well, let’s keep going then,” she said, placing the monster on her Duel Disk. “I Normal Summon my Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus! And when he’s summoned, I use his effect to place my second Sapphire Pegasus in the Spell Zone!”

The first monster that Indigo actually summoned, and it lived up to its name, to be sure. A majestic horse with a pure white coat and golden feathers on his wings. Three sapphires adorned its body, two in its wings, and one forming a mighty horn atop its head.

And in the backrow, next to the large piece of ruby, a similarly sized piece of sapphire came to rest.

(1800/1200)

“Up next, I’m going to equip my Sapphire Pegasus with Crystal Release, raising his Attack Power by a fat 800!”

(ATK: 1800 + 800 = 2600)

“YEAH!”

Everyone’s attention was grabbed by that excited declaration behind Indigo. Looking back, she saw Bulk Biceps with that exact same grin she’d seen during his duel with Wes.

“Awesome move, Indigo!” he said excitedly. “Big beatsticks for LIFE!”

Indigo chuckled. ‘Wes was right, his enthusiasm’s infectious.’

“Damn straight,” she declared, looking back to her opponent. “Big beatsticks for life!”

“Well, it’s going to be a rather short life,” retorted Millie. “I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device, returning Sapphire Pegasus to your hand, and thereby sending Crystal Release to the grave!”

“Thanks for the free card. When Crystal Release is sent to the grave, I can set a Crystal Beast from my deck straight to my Spell Zone. I’ll pick Amethyst Cat!”

The third gem joined the little congregation that Indigo had going on, this one a massive slab of amethyst.

“Well, I’ll admit I’m not that well-versed with Crystal Beasts,” Millie said, her smirk never leaving her face. “But right now, all I’m seeing are three useless cards and a wasted Normal Summon. What else do you have?”

“Two words: Crystal Promise!”

The moment she activated this Spell, the ruby in her Spell Zone glowed intensely, as if being filled with life energy. Whispers began to form among the crowds, and to Indigo, she hadn’t heard a sweeter sound all morning.

‘Now I’ve got their attention for ALL the right reasons. Time to show them just what I’m made of!’

“I’ll Special Summon my Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle!”

In a burst of light, perhaps the most adorable little creature appeared, a strange blue-furred mix of a cat and a fennec fox, with massive red eyes and a ruby orb on its tail.

(300/300)

“And when he’s summoned, I can Special Summon as many Crystal Beasts as possible from my Spell Zone! So welcome back, Sapphire Pegasus and Amethyst Cat!”

In a brilliant red glow, both Crystal Beasts materialized on the battlefield, another Sapphire Pegasus, as well as a newcomer. This monster was a pink jungle cat, adorned with golden accessories on its legs and neck, as well as a massive chunk of amethyst in its necklace.

(1800/1200)

(1200/400)

The whispers turned to shocked gasps, as Indigo went from no monsters to three in a simple move. And as another massive piece of topaz appeared in her backrow, it became apparent that she had a 4th at the ready.

From the sidelines, Wes smiled. ‘Well, all eyes on you now. Better not waste it, Indi.’

“When Sapphire Pegasus is summoned, I’ll place my Topaz Tiger in the Spell Zone! And next, I’ll play Rainbow Bridge, which allows me to add any ‘Crystal’ Spell or Trap from my deck to my hand! I’ll add my SECOND Crystal Release to my hand! And once again, I’ll equip it to my Sapphire Pegasus!”

(1800 + 800 = 2600)

That was the last of Indigo’s spells and traps for the turn, it was more than enough to get her message across. She smirked as she looked to the monsters on the field, did a quick bit of mental math, and determined her best course of action.

“I’ll attack Jain, Lightsworn Paladin with Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus!”

The winged horse took off, first with his hooves, then with his wings, as it glided off the ground, skewering the paladin on his glowing sapphire horn. Millie winced, as the damage was applied.

(Millie’s LP: 4000 – 800 = 3200)

“And next, I’ll direct attack you with Amethyst Cat!”

With incredible speed, Amethyst Cat zipped past Wulf, who attempted to catch her with his claws. Once she was within range, she pounced on the Lightsworn’s Duelist, not putting her full strength behind the attack, but enough to leave a mark.

(Millie’s LP: 3200 – 600 = 2600)

“With that, I’ll end my turn, right then and there!”

[Turn End, Hand: 3]

[Turn 3, Millie, Hand: 3]

Millie too could hear the whispers among the crowd. People were genuinely impressed by that play and making no attempts to hide it. Mentions of some of them never having seen a Crystal Beast deck at full strength, others wishing their archetype of choice had searching power like that ‘Rainbow Bridge’ card, and so on. She still heard mutters of ‘Horse Girl’ here and there, but it genuinely seemed to be dying down.

Indigo Zap was winning them over.

‘Hmph. No matter,’ she thought, ‘Even if they’re impressed now, she’s not going to win this Duel. I’ll blow them all away with my next move!’

“I draw!”

She looked to the card in her hand, and smiled. “And immediately, I’ll discard the card I drew for the effect of Solar Recharge! By doing so, I draw 2 cards, and then send 2 from the top of my deck to the grave!”

As soon as she finished milling the cards, a second monster materialized. This one was more humanoid – though still retaining a set of cat ears and a tail – adorned in robes meant for mobility rather than protection. In her hands, she held a white and gold bow, an arrow notched and at the ready.

(1100/2000)

“And would you look at that? Sending away those cards granted me my Felis, Lightsworn Archer! Now the stage is set perfectly, as I can play this! Double Summon! With this, I can Tribute Summon twice! Now, my first Tribute Summon…”

Wulf seemed to smirk, as his body was engulfed in a light so bright that everyone in the crowd had to shield their eyes. When it finally cleared, in Wulf’s place was a new Lightsworn Monster; a massive European-style dragon, with angelic wings, a white coat of fur, and a mane of golden hair. It let out a mighty roar, causing Indigo’s monsters to falter at the sound.

(2000/1600)

“Behold! Gragonith, Lightsworn Dragon! And accompanying him to this soiree…”

Felis too was engulfed in a similar show of radiance, this one bearing a very different result once all was said and done. Instead of the great beast replacing another, from on high descended a majestic angel, clad in the signature Lightsworn colors, her massive wings fluttering as she landed on the battlefield.

(2300/200)

“Celestia, Lightsworn Angel! Show them oblivion!”

Before Indigo could respond, the Angel began to fiercely glow, her body alight with divine energy. Soon after, it all pooled into her wings, which she extended to full length, two beams of light shooting out from them, and shattering both Sapphire Pegasus and Amethyst Cat instantly.

Indigo was stunned, but ultimately undeterred.

“So, wanna enlighten me?” she asked, crossing her arms. “What the heck did that Angel of yours do?”

Millie smirked. “I’m glad you asked. By sending the top 4 cards of my deck to the grave, I can target up to 2 cards you control and destroy them. So, I’ll be doing so with two of your Monsters. And if I had to guess, you’ll be sending them to the Spell Zone, correct?”

“Only Pegasus and Cat,” Indigo answered. “I can go without Crystal Release’s effect this turn.”

“Ah, so I see you’re smart enough not to leave your back row completely occupied,” Millie taunted. “But still, it won’t matter. For every differently named Lightsworn in my grave, Gragonith gains 300 Attack! Currently, there are 7!”

(Gragonith’s ATK: 2000 + 2100 = 4100)

“And to add icing onto the cake, when Gragonith attacks, he inflicts Piercing Damage on his opponent! With your Ruby Carbuncle’s measly 300 Defense, you’ll take 3800 damage from this! Gragonith! Attack!”

The crowd went silent, as the dragon let out a second mighty roar, a burst of light shooting from its mouth toward Ruby Carbuncle. It had no chance to dodge this strike, which pierced through its body at such incredible speed and force that it almost stabbed into the ground itself. Carbuncle shattered, and everyone waited with bated breath for the resulting blowback that Indigo would suffer…

A blowback that would never come, as she revealed a single card in her hand.

“I’m going to discard Kuriboh for this battle, reducing all the damage I would have taken to 0!”

Wide eyes and a look of horrified resignation were all that Millie could offer as she heard those words, and saw the famous brown furball show up to shield Indigo from all damage. The blunette even had the audacity to pet the creature before it vanished, as if it was just showing up to show up!

“Kuriboh!?” she sputtered incredulously. “That useless old hand trap!?”

“Seems pretty useful right now, Millie,” Indigo taunted. “Seriously, you overextend so hard and what do you THINK I’m gonna do?”

“Nice one, Indi!” Wes called out. “Show her she can’t push you around!”

“Yeah, Indigo!” Bulk chimed in. “Knock her off her high horse!”

Millie chuckled. “High horse… quite the interesting choice of words. But then again, I suppose it’s only fitting.”

The Ra Yellow girl rolled her eyes. “You really wanna keep talking smack when you’ve gotten shut down at every play?”

“At least I have no delusions about what I am!”

Indigo’s scowl was only a small comfort to Millie, as the words to escape her opponent’s lips hit hard and true. Thus far, nothing she’d done on her turn or on Indigo’s turn had been more than a minor setback, and she hated that more than she could ever articulate.

‘How could this girl be so skilled?’ she asked herself. ‘She barely has a grasp on reality, and yet here she is, showing up ME? An Obelisk Blue?’

She shook her head and looked to Indigo with visible frustration. ‘No… no, no, this has to be a fluke. She’s just gotten lucky with her starting hand. And skill ALWAYS beats luck.’

“Hmph… very well,” she continued her move, putting on a practiced grin. “But now all your monsters are in your Spell Zone! Celestia, attack Indigo Zap directly!”

The Angel did as commanded, aiming her staff right at Indigo, from which a beam of divine energy shot forth, and hit the girl dead on. She skidded back as the force behind the attack caused her to stumble, nearly knocking her off balance.

(Indigo’s LP: 4000 – 2300 = 1700)

“And on that note, I’ll set one card face-down, and end my turn! During the End Phase, I mill 3 cards for Gragonith!”

[Turn End, Hand: 0]

[Turn 4, Indigo, Hand: 2]

Indigo drew for turn, finding one of her key spell cards once again. It wasn’t the most important one in her arsenal, but she knew it would get the job done.

‘Or at least, I hope it will,’ she mused. ‘But then again, my draws have been exceptionally good. Like beyond all reasonable probability sometimes. Maybe it’ll be the same this time?’

She could only hope so.

“I’ll play Rare Value!” Indi exclaimed. “First, choose a Crystal Beast in my Backrow! I send it to the graveyard and get 2 cards!”

Millie did not hesitate. “It’s not even a question, I’ll be sending away your Ruby Carbuncle.”

Part of her knew that Millie would, given how much work the little guy put in last round. So, she sent it away, and began her draw, hoping that whatever she got would be worth it.

“I draw!”

And upon seeing her first card, she knew it was.

“Yes! Alright, here’s how this is gonna go down!” Indigo said, revealing her monster. “I’ll Summon the Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus you sent back to my hand earlier! And with his effect, I can add Amber Mammoth from my deck to the Spell Zone!

And now, with 4 Crystal Beasts in my Spell Zone, the stage is set! I play Crystal Abundance!”

The four crystals in Indigo’s spell zone flashed brightly, their multiple colors bathing the battlefield in a dazzling display. Everyone watched, many expecting a world-shattering explosion or a beam of rainbow-colored excellence.

And as the crystals reached the peak of their brilliance, suddenly…

Everything was gone.

No explosions, no rainbows, no giant lasers. Just suddenly, everything’s gone.

“… Wh-what!?” Millie asked, genuinely perplexed. “What just happened!? Where did my monsters go!?”

“Straight to the grave,” Indigo said. “Crystal Abundance sends all cards on the field to the grave. No destruction, no targeting, just poof, they’re all gone! And you want to know the best part? Take a wild guess, I bet you’ll never get it!”

“… Dare I ask?”

The former Pegasus smirked. “For every card on YOUR side of the field that got sent away, I can Special Summon a Crystal Beast from MY grave, including the ones I just sent! So, your two Lightsworns means I’ll be summoning back my two Sapphire Pegasi!”

(1800 ATK x2)

In an instant, two more horses joined her on the battlefield again, staring down Millie with intention to strike. Millie, for her part, did her best to put on a strong visage, but it was clear to everyone that she knew it was over. Indigo made no attempts at small talk. No final jab, just commanded her monsters to attack Millie directly, which they did. The girl was promptly knocked off her feet, and back onto the ground, as the last of her life points were depleted.

[Duel Over! Victory: Indigo Zap!]

The crowd cheered for Indigo’s victory, as Millie picked herself up off the ground, seething at her loss. Hearing the roar of the crowd was certainly a large comfort, but the blunette knew it would not last. Even if they were impressed right now, she knew there was still a bigger issue at play.

But now, she had a chance to rectify it.

“LISTEN UP!”

Roars turned to murmurs as others began to wonder what Indigo had to say. She’d earned their attention, she knew, and there was no way she’d waste it now.

“You saw what I did to little miss Obelisk Blue here,” she told the crowd. “I hear ANY of you badmouthing me again, and it’ll be your ass on the chopping block next! Got it!?”

There were a few fearful whispers, a few worried nods, and a few scoffs among the crowd; about the reaction she might have expected. But in the end, her point had been made, and it seemed some people were actually taking it seriously.

As the crowd dispersed once again, Wes and Bulk were the first to approach her after the whole ordeal. But where their presence had previously brought her joy, now her mind was stuck on what had been said, and left her only annoyed.

So, when Wes tried to make small talk, she ignored him instead, and walked off. She didn’t look back and continued back toward the dorms.

Had she chosen to look back, she might have saw the shocked expression on her fellow ‘Special Case’s’ face.

Several hours had passed since that Duel, and despite wanting to explore the island initially, most of Indigo’s day had been spent inside, going out only for food. It wasn’t like her, or at least like the ‘her’ that the world mostly saw. Most days, she was outside, flying about, having fun when she was off shift, doing something active.

Today, she was huddled up on her bed, with a good book in hand.

Her little hobby had never been something she hid – no point in hiding something you love – but it was something she usually did alone. After a bad day, it was easy for her to escape into a world of fiction, or find herself engrossed in whatever new facts she might find in a textbook.

But again, it was more of a ‘bad day’ hobby, and she knew it.

‘Honestly, why am I so bothered by it?’ she asked herself. ‘I mean, I know all of it’s true, they’re not gonna have me second-guessing myself. But then again… they don’t know. They just hear something that sounds crazy, and they can’t understand it.

And the people who DO understand what I’m going through still think it sounds like lunacy…’

A light tapping on her door caught her attention, as she placed her bookmark, got up, and answered the door.

It was Wes.

“What do you want?” She asked tersely.

“I just wanted to check up on you,” he answered. “I haven’t seen you since the Duel.”

“That’s the idea, genius. I’m not exactly in the mood to see other people.”

“So I noticed. You seemed really upset when you left. Even at me…”

His tone made Indigo wince slightly, but she steeled herself to it. She didn’t want to talk about it.

Unfortunately, he pressed on.

“Indi, are you okay?” He asked. “Did I do something to upset you?”

“Wh- you really don’t know!?”

He shook his head, and Indigo felt something in her snap at that. Did he really not remember what he said?

Fine then.

“‘Much healthier to feed her delusions than to mock her for them’,” she paraphrased, a scowl on her features. “Remember those words, Mr. Special Case?”

For a few moments, he was silent, looking at her with a mix of shock and hurt. Part of her wondered if maybe she was overreacting, or maybe she’d took it too far. It wouldn’t have been the first time in her life that she had. But that fact just made her feel worse.

“Indi… that’s what this is about?” Wes asked incredulously. “Listen, that was just bad phrasing on my part. I didn’t mean to imply that I don’t believe you.”

“Yeah, well… it still hurt,” she admitted, crossing her arms, but unable to look him in the eye. “I thought we were supposed to be in the same boat. But when you said that, it made me seem like the odd one out. Like I wasn’t like you, and you thought so too.”

Initially, the boy said nothing, making her wonder if she’d said too much. However, he eventually took a step forward, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Indigo… I do believe you. And I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t.”

That got her attention, as she looked to Wes with wide eyes. “You do?”

He nodded. “Come on, I’m sure you’ve seen the back of my jacket by now.”

“I did! I just… started to doubt it after you said that. Like, maybe your home had a symbol that’s too close for comfort.”

“Nope. It’s Rainbow Dash’s, no two ways about it.”

A wave of relief washed over Indigo upon hearing those words, but was soon replaced by a sense of uncertainty and dread. That left her with one more question on her mind:

“But wait, you said you’re not from Equestria. Or from Bulk’s equivalent to Equestria for that matter. How do you know about Rainbow Dash?”

Wes winced a bit and started rubbing the back of his neck.

“Wes?” Indigo pressed. “How do you know about Rainbow Dash?”

“… You want the real answer?” He finally asked. “Because something tells me you’re not gonna like it.”

She scoffed at that. “I’m a tough pony, Wes. If I can handle becoming a completely different species, I’m sure whatever your explanation is will be nothing.”

“Alright, if you’re sure. Lemme in and we’ll talk it over.”

No more words needed to be exchanged, as Indigo made the small gesture of moving out of his way, and let Wes in. He was quick to sit on the bed, and gesture for her to sit next to him.

That was never good, as she’d found throughout her life. But still, she wasn’t about to back down.

She was Indigo Zap, after all.

Meanwhile, across campus, Professor Atlas sat alone in his office, idly looking through his cards as he waited for Bulk Biceps to show up. He had initially intended to call all three of them in, but Bulk said Wes had taken off, and Indigo had not answered his call.

So, this impromptu meeting would have to take place between him and only one of his new students.

He sighed, thinking of how it had only been three days, and they were already making waves. It reminded him of better days…

“You cannot dwell on the past anymore.”

Atlas rolled his eyes, looking to the card that stared back at him. “I’m well aware, old friend. You only say it every time I reminisce.”

“Sometimes, it seems you need to be reminded of the path you’ve travelled.”

“Never. I know what I gave up. That’s why I want to help them.”

“And you know you have more power to do it than you have been.”

“Oh sure, because being able to call upon your strength is totally going to help them.”

“That is not what I meant, and you are well aware of that.”

Atlas sighed. “I know. I just… well…”

“You are fearful of what might happen?”

“More than you could ever know…”

A loud knock on the door signaled that Bulk was most likely here, meaning that Atlas’ lovely little conversation would have to be saved for another time.

“Door’s open!” He called out.

Bulk entered the room, visibly nervous. Upon seeing the cracks in the wood, he realized why. Making a mental note to have that door repaired, he motioned for Bulk to approach.

“Hail, Mr. Biceps,” he said. “How has your day been?”

“Well, it’s been okay, I guess,” Bulk answered, sitting down in the seat across from Professor Atlas’ desk. “I’ve been kind of homesick, though.”

“That’s completely understandable. Every student goes through that once in a while. I know I can’t exactly invite your family here… but if you ever feel that, I want you to know you can come talk to me. Alright?”

Bulk smiled. “Wow. Thanks, Professor.”

Atlas nodded. “It’s what I’m here for. But enough about me, let’s get to why I called you for this meeting. As you know, you, Mr. Mizuhara, and Ms. Zap are here due to your… shall we say, unique circumstances.”

“Well yeah,” Bulk said hesitantly. “Why? Is something wrong?”

“Not for you three specifically. However, as it would turn out… I’ve found a fourth.”

Taking that as her cue to step out of the lonely little corner she’d been, the girl in question made her presence known. Bulk could feel his body tense as he saw the smirk the girl wore, and the look in her raspberry eyes.

She wasn’t much taller than Indigo, her skin having a light yellowish tint to it, and her hair a large poofy mass of orange, as well as a few streaks of yellow. While still dressed in the traditional Ra Yellow uniform, she’d managed to make it her own, adding a studded hair tie which she used to tie her hair back, and a choker around her neck.

A choker adorned on the end by a single red crystal.

“I’d been wanting to introduce all three of you to the newest ‘special case’,” Atlas told him. “But as it turns out, neither of your friends were available at the moment. So, I suppose they’ll just have to learn about her later. For now…”

He gestured to the girl, but not before giving her an unreadable look.

“Bulk Biceps… meet Adagio Dazzle.”

Author's Note

So, I tried something new with this chapter's formatting, and I'm hoping to get the other two chapters updated as well to fit it. This was also my big chance to play around with someone other than Wes on his side. This will be a regular thing, for the record, me going into the side characters just as much as my OCs. So, I went heavy with Indigo here.

Speaking of, I hope you guys like my interpretation of Indigo Zap. I tried to think of how to make her distinct from Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust, despite them sharing some obvious traits (competitive, brash, cocky). It was honestly kind of fun, filling in the gaps of this character we only really got to see once.

For now, I hope you guys like this chapter. I'll see you all at the next update.