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

Three years later...

“Miss Belle, are you listening?”

“Huh?” She looked pretty much the same, albeit taller and having a pink heart with an eighth note on her flank(s). “Oops, sorry about that, Professor Star.”

The teacher raised her eyebrow. “Miss Belle, is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class?”

"No ma'am." said Sweetie Belle, rather unenthusiastically.

"Ok then. Continuing in our lesson, class, please turn to page 231 in the Encyclopedia of..."

Sweetie Belle just looked out the window, which was right next to her seat. She didn't know why, but it seemed her brain refused to listen to a middle-aged mare ramble on about Celestia knows what. Not that it mattered of course. Sweetie still got decent marks.

"... And the reason the earth pony slaves decided to revolt was because-" the teacher began.

"They were sick and tired of not being treated equally, and the fact that they were sold around like objects." Sweetie unknowingly continued.

Everypony looked at her in surprised.

"I-I did some advanced r-reading ok?" stuttered Sweetie nervously. She hated being the focus of everypony.

The teacher smiled a bit. "Like Miss Belle said, the slaves revolted due to inequality and the absence of their rights..." the teacher continued.

Sweetie then looked out the window again. She spaced out, and stayed that way until the bell rung.

"Ok then, class dismissed!" hollered Professor Star.

Sweetie sighed. Finally. She thought. Class is over.

She packed her saddlebags quickly, and went for the door, but two colts blocked her way, also knocking her down.

“Hey! Watch it!” said one of the colts. He was pretty buff unicorn, and his cutie mark’s a fireball. “What the buck do you think you’re doing?”

“Uhh… I’m sorry, I’ll just get my saddleba- what are you doing!?” Sweetie said, annoyed, as one of the colts poked through her saddlebags.

“Huh? What’s this- Oh look! A card! Recognize this, Heat?” said the skinny one with a drum for a cutie mark.

“Pfffft. Of course I do. I’m the strongest cardfighter out there.” said the red unicorn colt called ‘Heat’.

“Hey! Give that back! That card’s mine!” said an anxious Sweetie. The colts realized that this card was important to her.

“Oh? This is yours?” said ‘Heat’. “Well too bad. This thing’s mine now!” and with that, both colts proceeded to run away.

Sweetie went after them, of course. She tailed them without a hitch. Perfect. She thought as she hid behind a tree. They don’t even know I’m here.

She saw them go near some sort of shop, and of course, she followed them inside.

She wasn’t expecting what she saw.

There were posters of dragons, robots and some rather unidentifiable stuff around her, tables, and boxes that seemed to be full of small plastic packets.

“Welcome to Card Capital!” said an unfamiliar, cheerful voice. Sweetie turned to look at a stallion that had dark green hair. “My name’s Card Keeper and I’m the manager here!

“Uh... Hi! My name’s Sweetie Belle! Have you seen two colts, one with a fireball for a cutie mark, and one with a drum for a cutie mark?” she asked.

“They’re over there!” said the manager cheerfully, pointing toward a table where, sure enough, the two thieves were playing a game with a green-maned earth pony colt with a white coat, and three yellow-orange stars as his cutie mark.

“My vanguard attacks.” Said the mystery colt as he flipped the top card of his deck and added it to his hand. “Drive check. Nothing there.”

“Darn it!” said the other colt angrily as he revealed the top card of his deck and put it to the lower left side of the table. “Nothing there. I lose.” He gave Sweetie’s card to the stranger.

“Hey! Give me back my card!” yelled Sweetie, annoyed as she turned to the green-maned colt. “Sorry, but that’s mi-“

“No.”

“What?” said Sweetie, shocked. “But that’s my-“

“No. What’s lost in a cardfight can only be regained through a cardfight.” Said the colt unenthusiatically.

"O-Ok then…. Will you fight me?” Sweetie asked. This left the two colts from earlier stunned. How did this teenage mare know how to cardfight?

“Ok then. I assume you know the rules?” said the colt with a hint of disinterest. “Or do I have to teach you?”

“I-I know how to play the game, even if a little, thank you very much.” stammered Sweetie as she sat down. She was pretty nervous since it was actually her first fight. “ But I’ll need that card back to make my deck 50 cards.”

“Ok then. Bring out your Starting Vanguard.” He said as he threw her the card, which she put in her deck, and both of them put a card face down on both their respective play mats and shuffled their decks.

“Draw five.” Both said, surprisingly in sync.

“I’ll redraw two.” said the colt as he put two cards from his hoof on the top of his deck, shuffled it, and drew two more cards.

“I redraw three.” said Sweetie Belle as she put three cards from her hoof to the-well, you get it.

“Ready?” the colt asked. Sweetie nodded.

“Stand up…” both began

“…the…” the colt added.

“…Vanguard!” both said in unison as they flipped the two card on their mats.

“Stardust Trumpeter!” said Sweetie as a pegasus filly with a red mane holding a trumpet appeared.

(RC) (Stardust Trumpeter) (RC)

(RC) (RC) (RC)

Hand: 5 Damage: 0

“Lizard Runner, Undeux!” said the colt, as a small red dragon with twin laser swords appeared.

(RC) (Lizard Runner, Undeux) (RC)

(RC) (RC) (RC)

Hand: 5 Damage: 0

“My turn! I draw!” he said as he drew a card. “I ride Embodiment of Armor, Bahr! (G1/Power 8000) he said as he place a card in the Vanguard Circle, making the dragon change into a demon clad in blood-red armor wielding a sword. “Turn end.”

Hand: 5 Damage: 0

“My turn! Draw!” Sweetie said, as she drew a card. “I ride, Little Sage, Marron, (G1/Power 8000) and I call Knight Squire, Alen behind him! (G1/Power 7000)” As if on cue, the filly changed into a blonde unicorn holding a tome, and behind him appeared a colt with a glowing sword.

(RC) (Marron) (RC)

(RC) (Alen) (RC)

“Alen boosts! Marron attacks Bahr!” she said as she rested both cards.

“No guard.”

“Drive check! Nothing there.” she said as she revealed a card that had the illustration of a blue dog with wings for ears and added it to her hand.

“Checking the damage. Draw trigger!” he said as he revealed a picture of a red mare dancing. “Power +5000 to Bahr and I draw a card!” (Hand: 6)

“Turn end.” (H: 4 D: 0)

“My turn. Draw.” He said as he drew a card (H: 7). “Ride, the vanguard! Dragon Knight, Nehalem! (G2/Power 10000)” as he said this, ‘Bahr’ turned into a knight in navy blue, who jumped on top of a humongous dragon. “I call.” Three cards fell on the mat.

(Nehalem) (Nehalem) (Nehalem)

(RC) (Bahr) (RC)

H: 3 D: 1

“My rear-guard Nehalem attacks your vanguard!”

“I guard with Wingal (Shield: 5000)!” said Sweetie as she placed a card that had the blue dog on the circle between both their mats, AKA the Guardian Circle, then to the drop zone beneath her deck.(H: 3)

“My vanguard attacks! Checking the drive trigger!” he said as he pulled a card that had a weird dragon-pony thing with a yellow mark on the top left. “Critical get! Power +5000 to my rear-guard, and the extra critical to the vanguard!”

“Damage check, first, no trigger. Second, no trigger.” Sweetie said as she sent the top two cards of her deck to the left side, AKA the Damage Zone. (D: 2)

“My rear-guard attacks at 15000 power!” the colt said, eyes blazing.

“I guard with Epona (Shield: 10000).” said Sweetie calmly as she placed a card with an elven filly on a gold beetle on it in the drop zone. (H: 2)

“Turn end.” (H: 4 D: 1)

“My turn. I stand and draw. (H: 3) I ride Knight of Silence, Gallatin! (G2/ Power 10000)” Sweetie said, and ‘Marron’ suddenly changed into a purple pony with a spiky mane and a bandanna that covered his eyes holding a sword. ”I call! Gallatin! Marron! Wingal! (H: 0)

(Gallatin) (Gallatin) (RC)

(Marron) (Wingal) (RC)

“Marron boosts, and my rear-guard Gallatin swings at you for 18000 power!”

“I don’t guard. Checking the damage, no trigger. (D: 2)

“Wingal boosts, and Gallatin attacks at 16000!”

“No guard.”

“Drive check! Critical trigger! All effects to the vanguard! (Power 21000, Critical 2)” (H: 1)

“Checking the damage once. No trigger. Twice. No trigger.” he said as he sent the top two cards of his deck to the damage zone. (Hand: 4 Damage: 4)

“Turn end.” (H: 1 D: 2)

“My turn. Stand and draw. (Hand: 5)” He said. He looked at the card he drew and grinned. “Ride the vanguard! Crimson reaper of the apocalypse, reduce all to ashes, my avatar!! DRAGONIC OVERLORD (G3/11000)!!!"

At the same time he said these words, he slammed a card down on Nehalem. The knight was enveloped in a maelstrom of flames, which was slashed in two by a giant flaming saber, giving full view to the hellish red dragon that wielded it. (Hand: 4)

“D-Dragonic O-Overlord!?” stammered Sweetie Belle as she looked at the ace of the clan she was facing against, ‘The Heat Haze’, usually known as Kagero.

“Dragonic Overlord’s Counterblast! Give rise to the crimson wind of the apocalypse! ETERNAL FLAME!” he yelled as he flipped three cards face down in his damage zone. “Overlord gains Power +5000!”

Overlord’s wing suddenly burst into flame, sparks shooting everywhere. His sword also started to glow, albeit in magenta. “Call! Bahr!”

(Nehalem) (DO) (Nehalem)

(Bahr) (Bahr) (RC)

Hand: 3 Damage: 3 flipped, 1 unflipped.

“Dragonic Overlord attacks your rear-guard Gallatin at 16000!”

“N-No guard!” says Sweetie Belle, still shaken a bit since, after all, this card was pretty strong.

“I lose Twin Drive!! since I used Eternal Flame, so, drive check! Draw trigger! Power to Overlord! (Power 21000)” (Hand: 5)

“Huh? Why’d you give the power to Overlord?" asked Sweetie Belle as she put Gallatin into the drop zone, puzzled. Overlord was done attacking, so why’d he give it to him? Unless-

Sweetie’s eyes widened in realization as the colt gave her a look of amusement.

“You guessed it. Dragonic Overlord, Eternal Flame!” he called, and Overlord moved back to the Stand position. “Dragonic Overlord attacks the vanguard with a boost from Bahr! (Power 29000)"

“I-I don’t guard!”

“Drive check! Critical! Power to my Nehalem on the left, and extra critical to Overlord!” (Hand: 6)

Sweetie looked in horror as Overlord unleashed a torrent of fire from its maw directed at Gallatin. To her horror, the flames hit Gallatin and cause an explosion.

“I-I d-damage check…” she says, sending the top card of her deck to the drop zone, and when she’s about to put the second one, a red sign on its top left glows red. “I got a draw trigger! Power to Gallatin! (Power 15000)” (Hand: 1 Damage: 4)

“Bahr boosts, Nehalem attacks at 23000 with the help of a trigger!”

“No guard.” As she calmly places the top card of her deck into the damage zone. (D: 5)

“I can’t attack with my other Nehalem, so that’s the end of my turn.” he sighed.

“M-My turn! Stand and draw!” she stammered. This is the end she thought. I’m going to lose that card now… “Huh?” She looked at the card she drew. Her eyes widened, she looked up, smiled and said, “Looks like I win.”

“Hmmm?” the colt says, amused.

“Stand up, my avatar! The light that defends the weak! Ride, BLASTER BLADE!!!” she yelled, as she slammed down a card with an illustration of a white pony-knight, making the colt’s eyes widen. (H: 1 Damage: 5)

“Blaster Blade’s Counterblast! Pinpoint Burst!” she said as she flipped 2 cards in her damage zone face down, and one of the colt’s Nehalems (the one on the right) was sent to the drop zone. “I call, Knight of Loyalty, Bedivere!”

(Bedivere) (BB) (RC)

(Marron) (Wingal) (RC)

“I attack with Bedivere, boosted by Marron! Bedivere’s skill gives him an extra Power +3000, making the total Power at 21000!” Sweetie says.

“I guard with Tahr and Monica! (Shield + Overlord’s power: 26000)” he says. (Hand: 3)

“I attack with Blaster Blade with a boost from Wingal! Wingal’s skill activates! Blaster Blade gains Power +4000!!” she squeaks, something that hasn’t happened for a while.

“I guard with Gojo and Aermo!" (Shield + Overlord’s power: 21000)

“I believe that this deck will lead me to victory! Drive check!” she said, feeling a lot more confident. She drew the top card and her eyes widened. She just smiles and reveals the card. The card’s name is Future Knight, Llew. “Critical GET!!! ALL EFFECTS TO BLASTER BLADE!!” she squeals in delight.

“Wait, there’s still a possibility of me pulling a heal trigger, don’t forget.” The colt says rather calmly.

Sweetie’s mood instantly deflated. “G-Go on, d-damage check.”

“Checking the damage, first, none.” he says as he bites his lip. “Second. None.”

The white knight known as a Blaster Blade swung his sword and slashed Overlord in a wide arc, causing the flame dragon to stagger and fall, eventually dissolving into a bunch of red sparkles.

Everypony in the vicinity was stunned speechless at the intense cardfight’s conclusion.

“I-I won… I actually won...” Sweetie mutters to herself, shocked.

The colt packs up his deck turns to leave and says, “Keep the card. Next time though, the outcome will be different.”

“Wait! At least give me your name so we can fight again sometime!” Sweetie yells almost desperately, to her own surprise.

“My name is…” the colt says. “Spark Light.”

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