http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV25QVdVAZE

Spark and his opponent put their Starting Vanguards faced down on the mat, fishing out five cards from the top of their decks and redrawing the amount needed.

"You there! Think you can handle the flames of my Kagero units?" sneered his opponent, only to be ignored. "Hey! Listen to-"

"Just shut up and finish redrawing already." Spark said impatiently.

"Watch it noob! I'll make you regret those poor choice of words!"

"Whatever."

"Ok, after some trash-talking from the competitors, let's start the tournament tie-breaker!" said the announcer, who was a bit nervous about a fight breaking loose.

"Stand up..."

"... the..."

"...Vanguard!" the two finished in unison, as they flipped over their SVGs and materialized the battlefield, which was littered with arrows and undistinguishable units.

"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!" A green lizard soldier tore into the battlefield, brandishing a pole-axe*.

"Amber Dragon, Dawn!" A small red dragon with golden armor and flaming wings appeared.

"You use Kagero as well? Let's see how you contend to the power of a real fire dragon!" his opponent said. "My turn, Draw! Ride, the vanguard! Embodiment of Armor, Bahr! Conroe moves behind him! Turn end!"

"My turn. I draw. I ride, Amber Dragon, Daylight!" The small draconian turned into a bigger version of itself, losing the flaming wings in favor of golden, bladed ones. "Skill! I get Power +2000 at all times since Dawn is in my soul, and I get Amber Dragon, Dusk to my hand, and shuffle my deck. I also call Heatnail Salamander!"

(RC) (AD, Day) (RC)

(RC) (Heatnail) (RC)

Hand: 5 Damage: 0

"Heatnail boosts, Daylight attacks!" (POWER: 14000)

"No guard!"

"Checking the drive trigger. No trigger."

"Damage check, critical trigger! Power and effect to the vanguard!" The golden and red dragon shot up in the air and kicked the demonic armor-spirit in the stomach, making him stumble backwards and get blasted at by a golden ray from an injured Rakshasa.

"I end my turn." (Hand: 6)

"My turn, draw! Ride, Crouching Dragon, Striken!" Bahr was replaced by a red and black dragon who was bound by black flames. "I activate Conroe's skill, and I search for Gattling Claw Dragon! I call Nehalem!"

"Nehalem attacks!"

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger." Nehalem shot a bolt of lightning at Daylight, causing an explosion. (D: 1)

"Turn end." (Hand: 6, Damage: 1/1)

"Huh!? Why didn't he attack with the vanguard!?" Scootaloo said, surprised.

"Striken has 'Restraint', which keeps him from attacking at all times unless it's removed somehow." Sweetie Belle explained.

"My turn. Draw, and I ride, Amber Dragon, Dusk!" The dragon suddenly became darker, with its claw-gauntlets, bursting into flame every minute or so. "Skill! He becomes a 10000 Power vanguard at all times! I call! Bahr! Raopia! Nehalem!"

(Nehalem) (AD, Dusk) (RC)

(Bahr) (Raopia) (RC)

Hand: 3, Damage: 0/1

"Raopia boosts, and his skill gives the vanguard a Power +4000, and Dusk's skill gives him a power up of 2000! Burn everything, attack at 22000 Power!"

"I guard with Wyvern Guard, Barri!" A knight on a red dragonoid robot shot exploding bullets from the robot's mouth, blocking the raptor-dragon's flame claw attack. (Hand: 4)

"Checking my drive trigger." Spark smiled as he looked at the top card. "Draw trigger. Power to Nehalem, and I draw! (H: 6)" he said, tapping the card's tip on Nehalem.

"Bahr boosts Nehalem's attack."

"Darnit! No guard!" Spark assumed the form of Nehalem as the two titans charged each other, with the humans jumping from this to there, as the dragons wrestled. Spark/Nehalem stabbed the rear-guard and kicked him off his dragon, while shooting a volley of plasma at the body. He then proceeded to help his steed by running up the opponent beast's back at running his spear through, all the while shooting electricity through it, and killing it.

"Turn end." (H: 5, D: 0/1)

"My turn. Stand and draw!" His opponent smirked as he rode the unit he drew. "Ride, my vanguard! Take control of the battlefront with the power of the Flame Dragons! Lash out and burn, FLARE WHIP DRAGON!!!"

A sleek, red dragon wielding a metal whip covered in fire appeared in the middle of the battlefield, whip extending to form a ring around it. It roared, taking the attention of multiple fire wyrms throughout the battlefield.

"Also, I call! Blast Wave Dragon! Embodiment of Armor, Bahr! Heatnail Salamander!"

(BW Dragon) (Flare Whip) (RC)

(Bahr) (Heatnail) (RC)

Hand: 1, Damage: 1/1

This is a slow match. Scootaloo thought. Yeesh! They're both only at 1 damage, during the later points in the game!

C'mon Spark, we need to win this. Sweetie Belle thought, anxious.

"Ok! Bahr boosts, Blast Wave Dragon attacks!!"

"I don't guard." The demonic dragon sent a burst of blue fire at Nehalem, causing an explosion. (Hand: 5, Damage: 0/2)

"Heatnail boosts, and Flare Whip attacks at 21000 Power and 2 Critical since Striken's skill activated a while ago!"

That's a constant attacking power that could force even Overlord to need a 10K guard. Spark thought. But I'll need to finish him off...

"I guard with Demonic Dragon Mage, Rakshasa and Dragon Dancer Monica!" (SLD: 20000 > POW: 16000)

"Drive check! First check! Belliscosity Dragon, who's a Flame Dragon! Flare Whip's skill! BURNING WHIPLASH!"

......!?

"Flare Whip Dragon gains an extra 3000 Power for every Flame Dragon I drive check!"

... This unit... Reminds me... of him.... Spark said as he imagined a dark crystal dragon, with glowing red eyes.

"Second check! BLUE RAY DRACOKID! CRITICAL TRIGGER! I give Power +5000 and Critical +1 to my vanguard, and since Blue Ray is a Flame Dragon, he gets another Power +3000!" (SLD: 20000 <GUARD BROKEN> POW: 27000)

This unit... I have to take it down... thought Spark as he looked at the Flame Dragon swing its flaming metal whip at Nehalem, cutting a burning gash in both the human and the dragon.

"Damage check, Draw trigger power to vanguard, and I draw! Second check, no trigger." (Hand: 4, Damage: 0/4)

"Blast Wave Dragon's skill! I pay the cost to move him to the Vanguard Circle, and he loses 2000 Power!" Spark's opponent smirked. "He attacks!"

"I Perfect Guard with Wyvern Guard, Barri!" (Hand: 4, Damage: 0/4)

"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check! No trigger!" Wave Dragon shot a blast of hellfire at Nehalem, which was guarded by a knight on a red dragonoid shooting lasers from the robodragon's mouth. "Turn end!" (Hand: 4, Damage: 1/1)

"My turn. Stand and draw." Spark placed the card he drew on the Vanguard Circle. "As darkness engulfs the world... Be the torch that guides stray souls and burns away the darkness! Ride the vanguard! Stand up, AMBER DRAGON, ECLIPSE!!!"

A golden glow bathed Dusk, turning the raptor-dragon into a titanic, golden-armored titan of fire and darkness. Roaring, the monster sent a shockwave out that extinguished the flames on Flare Whip's weapon.

"I call! Crimson Reaper, bathe in the flames that will never cease to destroy! Rise, DRAGONIC OVERLORD!"

A Flame Dragon as big as Eclipse appeared, wings blazing and saber held high. The sword was struck by lightning, mixing with the fire already present and creating a plasma-like effect. "Come forth, Heatnail Salamander! I activate Eclipse's Counterblast skill! SOLAR FLARE DESTROYER WAVE!!!"

(Nehalem) (AD,Eclipse) (Dragonic Overlord)

(EoA, Bahr) (Raopia) (Heatnail Salamander)

Hand: 3, Damage: 2/4

"Raopia boosts, Eclipse attacks at 17000 Power!"

"I don't guard."

"Twin Drive check! First check; Get! Critical trigger, Critical to vanguard, Power to Nehalem! Checking the drive once more!" He picked up the top card of his deck and smiled. "Another Critical. Power to Overlord, Critical to the vanguard!"

The hellish dragon's golden claws covered itself in flame. Eclipse then flew to the opponent's position and tucked his wings in completely, dive-bombing his fellow Flame Dragon. He then aimed his flaming claws at Flare Whip, shooting multiple bursts of hellfire at Flare Whip, blasting its armor off in multiple places.

"Darn it! Damage checks.... ARGH!!! No triggers at all! And to top that off, Bahr and Heatnail are retired!" (Hand: 4, Damage: 1/4)

"Heatnail boosts Overlord for an attack of 22000 Power!"

"I guard with Belliscosity and Blue Ray!" (Hand: 2)

"Nehalem attacks with a boost from Bahr!" (POW: 23000)

"Tch... I guard with both Nehalem and Rakshasa!"

"Turn end." (Hand: 6, Damage: 2/4)

"My turn. Stand and draw!" He sighed. "I call another Heatnail."

"With a boost from Heatnail, Flare Whip attacks at 16000 Power!"

"Rakshasa and Monica guard!"

"Twin Drive! First check, Blue Ray Dracokid! All to the vanguard! Second check... Belliscosity Dragon! Heck yeah! BURNING WHIPLASH!!!" Flare Whip swung his whip at Eclipse, causing an explosion that blew off most of Exlipse's armor and bringing the dragon to its knees.

"Damage check. First... No trigger. Second...."

That's it... We've lost at the first round...

"... Heal trigger. Power to my vanguard, and I heal!" (Damage: 1/5)

"Aw yeah!" Scootaloo cheered. "Sixth damage heals are the best!"

"Whoo boy! We dang survived it!"

"Yay! We still have a chance at this!"

"Darn it! I end my turn."

"You were stronger than I expected." Spark said.

"Ha! What the Tartarus do you think I am, noo-"

"But not strong enough."

"What!?"

"Let's finish this. FINAL TURN!!!

"WHAT!?"

"After narrowly surviving the assault led by the vanguard Flare Whip Dragon, Spark Light has proclaimed Final Turn! Does he have something up his sleeve!?" screamed the announcer through the mic.

"I stand and draw." He looked at a card in his hand. "Let's end this, my avatar! Bring forth the winds of Hell and tear through anypony standing in your way! Ride, the vanguard! DRAGONIC OVERLORD!!!"

He flipped over three cards in his damage zone. "Overlord's skill! Eternal Flame! He gets Power +5000!"

"Tch..."

"Boosted by Raopia, Overlord makes at pass at Bahr with 22000 Power!"

"What!? BWAHAHA! Fine, no guard."

"Checking my drive trigger; Critical get, all to Overlord."

"Gahaha! You gave the effects to a unit that already attacked!? Wow, that's du-"

"I activate Overlord's skill! He stands!"

"What!? A vanguard that can attack multiple times without any Superior Riding!? That's unheard of!"

"Hmph. You're just all talk."

"What was that!? Shut up!!!"

"I've fought against multiple units that allow a vanguard to attack multiple times. It looks like you're the noob here, not me." Spark retorted, as Overlord inhaled, preparing the finishing blow.

"Now, my avatar! REDUCE ALL TO ASHES! OVERLORD ATTACKS ONCE MORE!!!"

"Even if I g-guard... He still has two m-more attacks..." the opponent said, whimpering.

Overlord stabbed the embarrassment of a Flame Dragon, who was whimpering just like his controller, tossed it into the air like a ragdoll, and blasted it with a stream of fire from his mouth, causing Flare Whip to explode as a sixth damage flew to its respective place.

"Pathetic." Spark said as he went back to his team.

"You! What the hay did you do there!? We could've lost!" Scootaloo asked, angrily.

"But we didn't, did we?" Spark retorted. Scootaloo shut her mouth and glared at him.

Sweetie noticed this and said, "Uhh, guys? This is great! We made it past the first round! So, um, can I go first next?"

Scootaloo suddenly turned and smiled. "Of course! Glad to see you're getting more confident!"

THAT was a sudden mood change. Sweetie thought, but decided not to say.

"I'm second again!" Scootaloo said.

"I'll sit this one out." Spark remarked offhandedly.

"Guess that means Ah'm third! Yee-haw!" Apple Bloom fist/hoofpumped.

"Round two of the regionals is about to begin! Let's present a special song by the idol group, ULTRA-RARE***!!!" said the announcer as three mares of different age and mane color, one orangish pink, one blond, the other cyan. As they started singing, Team Crusader just enjoyed the song, which was lifting their spirits.

We'll win this. Sweetie Belle thought. We can do it!

SPECIAL ENDING THEME by Ultra Rare: Stand Up Dream! (With lyrics. I don't own this.)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cb76rfiesi4

Author's Notes:

*I can change generic units' weapons.
** See my blogs.