Twilight’s duel disk projected the display of the dueling field, her profile as well as those of Flash, Snips, and Snails, each next to a small diagram of their fields. The four profiles turned red in sequence stopping with Snips’ portrait lit up. “Opponent A designated, will take first turn.” Twilight’s picture lit up next. “Teammate A designated, will take second turn.”

Twilight tapped her duel disk interface to find the tag duel rules. Each duelist controls their own field but they share a combined 8000 Life Point total. Both duelists lose if their shared Life Points are depleted. If a duelist has no monsters but their teammate does, they are vulnerable to direct attacks, but their teammate may choose to have their monster intercept the attack. She let out a small groan. Just when I was getting the hang of this game!

“I draw.” Snips drew his card and held it out. “I activate the Continuous Spell ‘Toy Vendor’.” A giant gumball machine rose behind Snips, balls colored blue, green, and red inside. “I activate its effect to discard one card and draw one card.” Snips slid his card into the discard slot and picked up his next card. “I reveal it now, ‘Fluffal Dog’. Since I drew a monster by the effect of Toy Vendor, I summon Fluffal Dog immediately.” Snips’ monster, a giant stuffed dog with a small pair of white wings, kneeled in front of him (1700/1000). “Finally, I activate the effect of Fluffal Dog, adding any ‘Fluffal’ monster I want from my deck to my hand.” Snips’ card slid out of his deck and he grabbed it. “I end my turn.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. Something’s wrong. They’re acting way too serious and straightforward. What happened to the naïve kids from Ponyville? Twilight’s duel disk beeped to signal her turn and she turned her attention to it. “I draw.” Twilight picked up her card and held it out. “I summon ‘Harmony Spirit Magnanimity’.” The pale white fairy manifested in front of Twilight and struck a pose, magic sparking from its horn. (1200/800) “Then I activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Gem’. This lets me discard ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas’ from my hand to draw two more cards. Additionally, discarding Honestas triggers the effect of Magnanimity, letting me draw a third card.”

I have to defend from both of them, at least until I have a better idea what their decks can do. “I set one card and end my turn.” Twilight’s face-down appeared behind Magnanimity and she took a breath. Why am I so worried? It’s just Snips and Snails. Still… There was something else about them beyond their behavior that was unnerving her. But she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“You can do it, Twilight!” Twilight perked up at her name and turned to the side. A group of four girls were clustered together and waved at her. She smiled and waved back at them.

“We’re your fan club!” one of the girls called.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Fan club?”

The girl, a pale-skinned teenager with red and purple hair, nodded. “We’re the Twilight Sparklers! We’re cheering you to the end!”

Twilight groaned. Who came up with that name?

“It’s my turn.” Snails’ voice caught Twilight’s attention and she looked at him. He drew his card and picked up another from his hand. “I activate the Continuous Spell card ‘Worm Call’.” A large mound of dirt rose in front of him, wisps of smoke coming from a hole in the middle. “As long as my opponent controls a monster and I don’t, I can use this card once per turn to Special Summon a Worm monster from my hand face-down.” Snails held up two more cards. “I set one monster by the effect of Worm Call and then set another monster for my normal summon. I end my turn.”

Twilight looked down at her display. Snips’ lit-up portrait dulled and Flash’s turned red. She turned her head to him and saw the crowd around them grow still, watching with her.

“It’s my turn.” Flash drew his first card and looked down at it. He smiled and slid it into a slot on his duel disk. “I activate the Spell card ‘Gem-Knight Fusion’!”

The crowd began to cheer and Twilight’s eyes widened. Fusion?

Flash took two cards from his hand and held them out over the field as a swirling vortex appeared in from of him. “From my hand I fuse ‘Gem-Knight Garnet’ and ‘Gem-Knight Obsidian’!” The shadowed forms of two armored warriors appeared in the air above Flash, then lit up in orange and black auras and were drawn into the vortex. It flashed and sent a pillar of red light into the air. “I Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Ruby’!” The light faded, revealing a massive soldier in deep red armor with a blue cape. It swung a massive spear through the air and brought it to rest on its shoulder. (2500/1300)

The crowd’s cheers grew louder. Flash smiled and put his hand over his duel disk. “I’m not done. The effect of Gem-Knight Obsidian activates now. Since I sent him from my hand to the graveyard, I can use his effect to revive Gem-Knight Garnet. Then I banish Gem-Knight Obsidian from the graveyard to activate the effect of Gem-Knight Fusion, returning it to my hand.” Flash’s two cards slipped out of the graveyard and he lifted them up, placing Garnet on his duel disk. A smaller warrior than Ruby, clad in orange armor, rose next to it (1900/0).

He summoned that monster using three cards and instantly got two of them back. Twilight looked back at Flash’s hand. Is this the power of Fusion decks?

“Next I activate Gem-Knight Ruby’s ability. By sacrificing Gem-Knight Garnet to it, Garnet’s attack power is added onto Ruby’s for the duration of my turn.” Garnet turned into energy and flowed into Ruby’s spear. The spear lit up in an orange aura and grew larger. (2500 → 4400) Flash pointed across the field. “Gem-Knight Ruby, attack Fluffal Dog! Ruby Spear Strike!” Ruby twirled its spear in the air and hefted it back, the aura glowing brighter.

Flash leaned forward. “At this point I think I should let you know about Ruby’s other special ability. When he attacks a defending monster, he pierces its defenses and still deals battle damage to you!”

Snips and Snails stepped back. “What?” the two exclaimed in unison.

Ruby bellowed and hurled its spear. The weapon impaled Fluffal Dog and emerged in a shower of stuffing to strike Snips, a blast of red light exploding from his feet. The boy fell to his knees as Fluffal Dog collapsed into a mess of stuffing and vanished.

Ruby’s spear vanished and reappeared strapped to its wielders back. Flash picked up one more card from his hand. “I set one card face-down and end my turn. At this point Ruby’s power returns to its original 2500.”

Twilight gaped at the hologram of Ruby towering in front of Flash. He took off almost half of their Life Points in one attack. And it’s just his first turn! If this was a one-on-one duel he could have potentially ended it. Movement caught her eye and she turned forward again. Snips slowly rose to his feet. He growled, his head low.

“Good move. And your last!” Snips held a card out. “I activate the effect of the monster in my graveyard, ‘Fluffal Wings’.” The image of a pair of blue wings appeared in front of Snips’ Toy Vendor and the machine lowered into the ground and vanished. “By banishing Fluffal Wings, Fluffal Bear, and sending Toy Vendor to the graveyard, I draw two cards.” Snips drew his cards and tapped his duel disk screen. “Then since Toy Vendor was sent to the graveyard its effect activates, letting me add any Fluffal monster I want from my deck to my hand.” The ejected card was snatched again and Snips fingered another.

“Now I activate ‘Polymerization’!” Snips flipped two cards out from his hand. “From my hand, I fuse ‘Edge Imp Saw’ and ‘Fluffal Sheep’!”

Twilight tensed. He uses Fusion too!?

A familiar vortex appeared in front of Snips. A disjointed mass of saw blades with a pair of glowing red eyes appeared on his right and a stuffed sheep appeared on his left. They lit up purple and yellow and were drawn in, a blue column of light erupting. Snips held his hand up. “I Fusion Summon ‘Frightfur Leo’!”

The light shrank back and dispersed. The remains of what might have once been a stuffed lion toy stood in front of Snips. Its legs had been torn from the main body, held together by metal poles attached to a giant saw blade emerging from the body. Its claws were sharp red metal and its mane was a mass of saw blades. Its eyes flashed red and let it out a roar. (2400/2000)

That monster… Twilight shuddered and stepped back. It’s hideous! Around her the crowd was echoing similar sentiments, a couple of stray screams and wails coming from the murmurs.

Snips turned his head to sneer at Flash. “I activate Frightfur Leo’s special ability. Once per turn I can destroy one monster on the field and deal damage equal to its attack power!” He swung his hand out. “I choose your Gem-Knight Ruby!” Flash growled and gritted his teeth. “Go, Leo, slice it up!” The saw blades embedded in Leo’s mane began to spin and it snapped its head forward. Three blades shot out and zoomed towards Ruby. Flash raised his arms as they approached. The blades sliced into Ruby and tore it apart, the armor fraying. Ruby groaned and fell back, exploding.

“So much for your knight,” Snails snickered. Snips turned his eyes towards Twilight.

“Frightfur Leo cannot attack directly the turn I use his effect. But fortunately I have another monster I can attack. Leo, attack Harmony Spirit Magnanimity! Claw of Pride!” Leo roared again and ran across the field, its claw held up.

“I activate my face-down card!” Twilight pressed the button on her duel disk and lifted a card from her hand. “It’s a Quickplay Spell, ‘Harmony Bolt’. Now, by discarding ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas’ from my hand, I can destroy your Frightfur Leo!” The card crackled and shot a bolt of lightning towards Leo. It howled in pain and exploded.

Snips frowned. “I’m not done yet. I summon ‘Fluffal Owl’ in defense mode.” Another stuffed animal, a light brown and yellow owl, appeared before Snips. (1000/1000). “When Fluffal Owl is summoned, I can add a Polymerization card from my deck to my hand. With that I end my turn.”

Twilight let out a breath. I was able to hold him off. But I wasn’t expecting that kind of power. “My turn!” She drew and looked over her hand. What I have might be able to fend Snips’ monsters off for a turn or two, but I can’t rely on Flash to do all the offensive work. She frowned. But if Snips can summon monsters like Frightfur Leo, I may not have a choice in it. None of my Harmony Spirits have enough power to take on cards like that. She raised her head. And the next turn is Snails. He set his monsters face-down so I can’t even see what they are.

“Twilight.” She jerked from her thoughts at her name and looked at the source: Flash. He smiled at her and nodded. “Don’t sweat it. We’re doing fine. Just make the moves you feel are best.”

Twilight smiled back. “Right.” She looked at her hand and then back at the field. “I activate ‘Harmony Fruit’. This lets me return Harmony Spirits Honestas and Pietas in the graveyard to my hand. Then I summon Pietas to the field.” Twilight’s new Harmony Spirit, pale blue with a dark blue dress, floated up in front of her and pumped a fist. (1600/800).

“I enter my battle phase!” Twilight pointed across the field. “Pietas, attack Snails’ left monster!” Pietas ran across the field and jumped to deliver a diving kick.

Snails held his hand up. “Reveal my monster, ‘Worm Cartaros’!” A dark purple and green winged insect appeared from the hologram of his card. (1200/500) “When Worm Cartaros is flipped up, I can add a Worm monster from my deck to my hand.” Snips pulled the ejected card from his deck. Pietas’ attack collided and Cartaros was sent flying back to shatter.

Despite the setback, Twilight continued. “Next attack, Magnanimity strikes your other monster!” Magnanimity held up her hands and sent a beam of blue magic across the field.

“Reveal ‘Worm Jetelikpse’!” A black mass of goo with talons and a beak emerging from it lifted its head as the magic neared it. (1200/0) The blast slammed into it and exploded, sending the goo flying across the field. “When Worm Jetelikpse is destroyed after being flipped up, it reforms on my field!” The goo shimmered and drew back together, transforming back into Snails’ monster.

Twilight looked over her hand. “I end my turn.”

“Then it’s my turn!” Snails drew his card and looked down at it. He grinned and raised his eyes to Twilight. “I sacrifice my Worm Jetelikpse and summon ‘Worm Warlord’!” The black goo collapsed into a puddle in front of Snails. It flashed red and a new monster rose from it. The figure had a humanoid body but it seemed to be made of dripping orange and red fluid. Spikes emerged from its knuckles and knees. In the center of its torso a single yellow eye opened and a row of teeth split into a grin. It raised its arms and roared, shaking the field. (2350/1800)

Twilight recoiled. “What in Equestria…” Around her the crowd shared the sentiment, crying out in disgust.

Snails held out his hand. “Worm Warlord, attack Pietas!” Worm Warlord bellowed and swung out a fist. The limb elongated and slammed into Pietas, pitching it back. Twilight braced herself as the hologram exploded behind her.

“I’m not done. When Worm Warlord destroys a monster in battle, he can attack again!” Worm Warlord swung its elongated fist around and knocked Magnanimity to the side.

Worm Warlord’s arm returned to normal size. “I set one card and end my turn.” Snails crossed his arms.

Twilight gritted her teeth. None of my Harmony Spirits have the attack power to stand up to monsters like this. I hate to say it, but I may be dependent on Flash to win this. She looked at her teammate as he drew his card for his turn. How am I supposed to win this tournament if I can’t even beat Snips and Snails?

“I summon ‘Gem-Knight Alexandrite’.” Another knight, this one clad in silver armor with red gems studded on the joints and breastplate, jumped from a portal in front of Flash and crossed its arms. (1800/1200). “I activate Alexandrite’s ability and tribute it to summon any Gem-Knight normal monster in my deck. Come forth, ‘Gem-Knight Tourmaline’!” Alexandrite vanished into a shining portal and a new knight stepped out. It was clad in gleaming angular gold armor, bolts of electricity coursing along its surface. It held up its hands and sent a jolt of lightning into the air. (1600/1800)

“Next, this card should seem familiar. I activate ‘Gem-Knight Fusion’.” Flash lifted a card from his hand. “I fuse Tourmaline on the field with ‘Gem Knight Lazuli’ in my hand!” A vortex in front of Flash absorbed Tourmaline and the specter of a smaller monster in pale purple armor. The vortex flashed and shot a pillar of light into the air. “I Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Prismaura’!” The light pillar receded to reveal Flash’s new monster. Gold and silver armor covered its body, a long white and red cape streaming from the collar. Spires of white crystal emerged from its shoulders and it held a shield and sword. It raised the latter into the air and let out a cry of triumph. (2450/1400).

“First things first, when Gem-Knight Lazuli is sent to the graveyard, I can retrieve a normal monster sleeping there to my hand.” Flash tapped his duel disk screen and the card ejected from the graveyard slot. “I’ll take back my original Gem-Knight Garnet. But he won’t be here for long. I activate Prismaura’s ability and send Garnet to the graveyard to destroy one card on the field.” Flash pointed. “I destroy your face-down card!” Prismaura raised its shield, aglow in white light. A beam of light shot out from it and enveloped Snip's face-down card. The card flipped up, revealing the Trap 'Snake Whistle'. The card exploded. Flash pumped his fist. “And now for target number two. Gem-Knight Prismaura, attack and destroy Worm Warlord!” Prismaura raised its sword now and charged across the field. Its sword slashed apart Worm Warlord, leaving the red ooze that made up the monster to collapse and dissolve.

Flash lowered his arms. “I end my turn.”

He took out both of their high-level monsters with just one of his own. Twilight looked at her hand. I have to keep up the momentum on my turn. But first… She looked up at Snips.

“I draw.” Snips looked at his hand and then back at Twilight. She inhaled sharply as his eyes flashed, glowing with red light.

His eyes…

“I activate the Spell card ‘Suture Rebirth’. This revives my Frightfur Leo from the graveyard with his effects negated.” The ground in front of Snips burst apart and Frightfur Leo clawed its way onto the field, its eyes glowing the same red as Snips. “Then I activate the effect of Fluffal Owl.” Snips held up a card in his hand. “I pay 500 Life Points in order to conduct a Fusion Summon!”

“I fuse Fluffal Owl and Frightfur Leo on the field with the ‘Fluffal Rabbit’ in my hand!” A larger vortex than normal appeared in front of Snips and absorbed the three monsters. A pillar of red light shot out of it and the shadowed form of a monster appeared in it. “I Fusion Summon ‘Frightfur Sabre-Tooth’!”

The light faded as Snips’ new monster jumped out. It resembled a stuffed blue cat, but it had been torn apart in the middle and sewn back together. Curved blades emerged from its body, its tail, and its head, forming a pair of horns. A pair of red eyes flashed inside its mouth as it let out a yowl. (2400/2000)

The crowd screamed at the sight of the monster. Snips snickered. “The screaming is only beginning. I activate Saber-tooth’s effect. When I Fusion Summon it, I can revive a Frightfur monster in the graveyard. Frightfur Leo, return to me once again!” Frightfur Leo’s wicked red claws tore up the ground as it crawled back up from the crater it had left from its previous revival. “Then I activate the effect of Fluffal Rabbit. Since it was sent to the graveyard as a component for a Fusion Summon, I can retrieve another Fluffal monster from my graveyard. I choose Fluffal Dog, which I’ll then summon.” The stuffed dog appeared between Snips’ two Fusion monsters, the cuddly toy looking at the two monstrosities on either side of it and cowering.

“The effect of Fluffal Dog lets me add ‘Edge Imp Sabres’ from my deck to my hand.” Snips snatched his card from his deck and immediately discarded it. “He won’t be there long. I activate the Spell card Polymerization and fuse Fluffal Dog and Edge Imp Sabres, to Fusion Summon ‘Frightfur Tiger’!” The Fusion vortex that appeared in front of Snips disgorged a deranged stuffed tiger. Opened pairs of scissors attached ripped paws to its body, which was segmented with a giant pair of scissors holding it together. Red eyes glowed inside its mouth. (1900/1200).

“The effect of Frightfur Tiger activates. For every monster used to summon it, I can destroy one card on the field.” Snips sneered as he tapped his duel disk display. “I choose Twilight’s face-down card and Flash’s Gem-Knight!” Twilight’s card exploded and she turned her head to see Gem-Knight Prismaura do the same.

We’re wide open now. She looked back at Snips. He summoned three monsters at once and wiped out our field in the same move.

“As long as Frightfur Tiger is on the field, all Frightfur monsters gain an extra 300 attack points for each Frightfur monster I control. And that’s in addition to a 400 point boost that Sabre-tooth gives. So all my monsters gain a total of 1300 attack points!” Snips’ three monsters glowed red and their assorted blades grew longer, gleaming with new sharpness. (2400 → 3700) (2400 → 3700) (1900 → 3200)

He could take us down in one attack even at full Life Points. Twilight looked at her partner. “Flash! What do we do!?”

Flash looked at her calmly. “Stop them. I don’t have a way, Twilight. You have to do it.”

“But…” Twilight looked at her hand. All I have are monster cards! The images of Harmony Spirits Magia, Honestas, Risus, and Gracia looked up at her. None of them can stop Snips or his monsters! “Flash!”

“It’s over.” Snails’ eyes lit up the same red as Snips’. “End it!”

“I enter my battle phase!” Snips’ eyes blazed with bright red light and he let out a dark cackle. “Frightfur Leo, attack Twilight directly!” The lion roared eagerly and ran across the field, its claws gleaming.

Twilight looked between her hand and the oncoming monster. “Flash, there’s nothing I can do!”

“There’s always something you can do, Twilight!” She looked up to see Flash looking at her intently. “That’s the nature of being a good duelist. Look beyond the cards you have to the moves they can make. See every possibility, every move, every combo, and find the one that will win the duel for you!”

“I’m trying!” Twilight gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. I don’t know. I can’t see a way out of this with my cards… The sound of Frightfur Leor’s paws pounding on the ground came closer. I have to win this, to get back my Element of Harmony! If I don’t find a way to block that attack with my cards…

Twilight’s eyes snapped open and flashed purple. My cards… no… not my cards! She raised her hand. “From my hand, I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Magia’!” Frightfur Leo stopped as the purple fairy appeared in front of it, a hand held out. “By discarding Magia, I can activate a Spell card from my opponent’s graveyard.”

Snips, his eyes still glowing red, laughed. “There’s nothing there that will stop my attack!”

“No. But you have a card that will do something even better.” Magia vanished and the back of a card appeared in her place. It flipped open to reveal Twilight’s target.

Snips and Snails gasped in unison. “What!?”

The crowd began to go cheer wildly as Flash grinned. “Go for it, Twilight!” Twilight raised her hand into the air and snapped as the card's hologram lit up.

“From Snips’ graveyard, I activate the Spell card Polymerization!”

A swirling vortex appeared on the field in front of Twilight. “From my hand, I fuse Harmony Spirit Honestas with Harmony Spirit Risus!” The two fairies turned into orbs of orange and yellow light and flowed into the vortex. Rays of yellow light shone from it as it condensed into an orb of energy and floated into the air. Snips and Snails shielded their eyes as golden light shone from the orb. The orb broke apart with a flash, the images of shining red apples flying away into particles of light.

A tall, muscular fairy hovered in the air, with dark orange skin and long, flowing blonde hair that waved in the wind behind it. A bright red dress covered its body, matching boots and elbow-length gloves on its legs and arms. Masses of leaf-covered bark wove up its limbs in swirls, meeting at the center of its back and forming a mass of branches stretching into the air. Their ends bore pointed shards of glowing orange magical energy, forming a wing-like crest.

Twilight’s eyes glowed purple as she held a hand forward. The particles of light from the dispersing apples collected in her hand and formed the glowing image of a duel monster card. She swung her arm back and slapped the card on her duel disk. “I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Honestas Silva’ (2500/800)!”

The crowd cheered loudly at the sight of Twilight’s new Fusion Monster. Honestas Silva lowered to the ground and crossed its arms, glaring down at Snips. Twilight turned over the last card in her hand. “From my hand, I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Spirit Gracia’. By discarding Gracia, one Harmony Spirit monster I control cannot be destroyed this turn. Furthermore, discarding a Harmony Spirit monster activates the effect of Honestas Silva. Her attack power increases to four thousand for the rest of the turn!" The magic shards on the monster’s back glowed a deeper orange as she grew larger to tower over Snips’ monsters. (2500 → 4000)

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “By the protection of Gracia, the destruction effect of Frightfur Leo is sealed, and by the power of Honestas Silva your attacks are pointless.”

Snips stepped back and growled, the red glow around his eyes intensifying. “I end my turn.”

“With the turn over, the power of Honestas Silva returns to normal. And it’s my turn.” Her purple eyes reflecting Snips’, Twilight drew her card and held it out. “I drew Harmony Spirit Magnanimity and activate its effect, discarding it to reveal the top card of my deck.” Twilight flipped the card over. “It’s a Trap card, ‘Harmony Song’, so it goes to the bottom of my deck. And now that I’ve discarded a Harmony Spirit, Honestas Silva returns to four thousand points.” Twilight leaned forward. “Honestas Silva, attack Frightfur Leo!”

Honestas Silva held up a hand. The shards of magic on its back crackled and sent bolts of energy into its palm, forming an orb of orange light.

“I think I’ll take this time to activate my face-down.” Snips and Snails turned as Flash put his hand to his duel disk. “Forgot about that card I set on my first turn? I’ve just been waiting for the right moment. I activate ‘Battle Fusion’!" Flash's Spell card flipped up on his field and glowed blue. Tendrils of light flew from the card to surround Honestas Silva. "By this card’s effect, since two Fusion monsters are doing battle, Honestas Silva gains a power boost equal to Leo’s attack points. That's another 2500 points!”

Honestas Silva (4000 → 6500) flashed orange and the orb of light in its hand swelled, the tendrils of blue energy from Flash's card encircling it and combining. The monster thrust its hand out and fired a beam of magic through the air. The beam sliced into Frightfur Leo and split apart, circling back to bombard it from all directions. The ground shook as the attack exploded around it, sending a shockwave across the field.

Watching from the corner of the school some distance away, Sunset’s eyes flashed red and she doubled over, clutching her chest.

This power…

The red glow in Snips’ and Snails’ eyes faded as the shockwave struck them. The two cried out as the impact knocked them back across the grass, skidding on their backs.

Twilight’s duel disk deactivated and Honestas Silva’s hologram dissolved in front of her, the card slipping from her duel disk. The glow faded from Twilight’s eyes and she fell to her knees.

“Twilight?” She turned her head at the sound of Spike’s hushed voice. “You did it again.”

“I… I know…” Twilight looked down at the grass and reached out to pick up the Honestas Silva card. That power… that was magic. My magic. This is my power in this world. She reached to her duel disk and pressed an unfamiliar button to eject the tray used to store Fusion monsters. She blinked. The ghostly outlines of other cards wavered in the card tray for a moment before vanishing . Fusion Summons. Combining the strengths of separate monsters into one…

“Hey.” A hand reached down into Twilight’s field of vision and she took it. Flash pulled her to her feet, smiling at her. Around them the crowd was cheering and applauding and chanting Twilight’s name. “Great win.”

“Thanks.”

Flash chuckled sheepishly and held out the cards in his hand, Spell cards Twilight didn’t recognize. “I had this whole awesome combo planned out where I was gonna summon my best monster and power it up enough to win the duel in one turn. Guess you beat me to it.”

Twilight returned the laugh. “Yeah.” She held up Honestas Silva’s card. “But I never would have done it if you hadn’t encouraged me.”

“To be honest, I was kind of bluffing.” Flash held up his hands. “I just wanted to be sure that if you had a way out, you’d stay calm so you could figure it out. But I didn’t know your deck could Fusion summon.”

Neither did I. Twilight looked at their two fallen opponents and ran over. “You two!” She stopped and knelt, Flash and Spike stopping behind her.

Snips raised his head and focused his eyes on Twilight. “Huh? Who are you?”

“Snips, my head hurts,” Snails groaned beside him. “What did we eat today?”

“What happened to you two?” Twilight asked, glaring down at Snips.

Snips looked at his duel disk, his cards still on the tray. “Did we duel someone?”

“You did; me and Flash.”

Snips’ eyes widened. “No way. Why in the heck would we try to beat Flash Sentry?”

“Yeah, man.” Snails waved a hand in the air. “He’s like, ten times the duelist we are. Combined. I dunno the math on that since I don’t do well in that class.”

“Well, you tried.” Twilight stood and crossed her arms. “And I want to know what type of magic you were using. I haven’t seen any other duelists with glowing red eyes so far so I doubt that’s normal.”

“Glowing red eyes?” Behind Twilight, Flash frowned and scratched his head. “Twilight, what are you talking about?”

“You know, during his last turn when he did all those summons. And then mine glowed when I…” Twilight trailed off when she saw Flash’s confusion deepen as she spoke. He didn’t notice? That’s impossible. Glowing eyes like that would get attention. She looked back at Snips. Although, these two don’t seem to remember, either. What’s going on? Twilight unfolded her arms. “What’s the last thing you recall before being here?”

Snips put a finger on his chin. “Well, Sunset was telling us she wanted us to duel someone…”

Snails nodded next to him. “Yeah, and we were all tired and didn’t wanna try it, but she said she really needed us to… that’s all I got.”

“Me too.”

Sunset. Twilight felt a tingling on the edge of her senses and turned. Through the crowd around the field she saw a familiar color scheme of black and orange and turned to walk towards it. The crowd parted for her as she neared and eventually thinned enough for her to see Sunset clearly. The other girl was holding onto the wall of the school with a hand on her chest. At Twilight’s approach she stood up and lowered her hands.

Twilight stopped a few feet in front of her and held up her duel disk. “Sunset Shimmer. I’m going to see you in the finals.” She narrowed her eyes. “And I’m going to beat you there.”

The crowd gasped sharply and began to whisper. Sunset slowly smiled and raised her arm, her duel disk gleaming.

“Looking forward to it, Princess.”

Author's Notes:

You can now view Twilight's deck here.

Artwork of the Harmony Spirits by Ajustice90. View them on DA here and here,