I walked down the dirty alley, the clip clopping of my hooves loud against the oppressive silence. My horn was a light with a dark grey glow illuminating my path around the debris and refuse as I levitated the cumbersome piece of plastic before me. The piece was made of two parts: The Centre and The Arm these two were connected by a small but sturdy piece of plastic called the Bridge.

The Centre was a half sphere rounded on top but flat on the bottom, the top of the sphere was a deep blue standing out against the pristine white colour of the rest. Two holes were cut into the side of the centre one empty while the other were filled with odd looking rectangles, in-between the two sat the bridge.

The arm was straight; five rectangular depressions were set along the top and on the side facing the centre, five holes were visible.

I winced as I stepped on a discarded bottle of Apple juice, the label declaring it to be 'Finest Brew in Ponyville' not that I knew where Ponyville was; if it was even a place.

"Took your time!"

I looked up towards the shouter, trying to keep my face impassive. A large winged Pony floated silently above me, a slightly different version of the contraption I had before me around his neck. He dropped to the ground, the light of my horn showing of his dirty green coat and tangled blue mane.

"You're a long way from home, for a Pegasus," I muttered as I strained to see his cute mark, hoping to get some insight as to what was to come but he moved back into the shadows with a chuckle.

"I'm not showing you mine, if you don't show me yours Unicorn," He snarled his deep voice cracking betraying his age, not much older than me. I shifted my brown cloak around me and he shrugged before continuing. "And I have my own reasons for being here. You know the stakes, I win you cough 'em up, you win I let you walk."

I raised an eyebrow as I nodded, and at an almost deafening volume we both roared out "DUEL!"

I quickly pulled six of the rectangular cards out of my duel disk floating them in front of me with a smile; I was going to enjoy this.

I looked over my hand, trying to resist the urge to smile as I did, this was going to be easy.

"I activate the Spell Card: Card Destruction, using this spell allows use both to discard two cards from our hand before drawing two and I know which ones I'm getting rid of," I quickly shoved two cards into the empty centre slot. "My Mezuki and a Pyramid Turtle.'

I looked up in time to see the Pegasus slip two cards into his grave, pushing a hoof against his chest to get a small mechanical arm to draw the cards for him.

"But I'm not done yet, I then summon my Zombie Master(1800/0) in attack mode." Levitating the card I placed it face up on one of the five slots on the arm. Suddenly a bright light flashed infront of me, soon to be replaced by a very sombre looking Unicorn. His clothes were dirty and torn and his coat was grey, a picture of a black book sat on his flank.

"I then activate his effect, by discarding monster from my hand to the graveyard; I can revive a zombie from my grave. Good Bye IL Blud, Hello Pyramid Turtle(1200/1400)."

Another flash of white and a rather large sand coloured turtle stood in front of me, his shell shaped like a pyramid showing off exactly how he got his name.

"I then overlay summon my two creatures, so say goodbye to them and hello to my Steel Swarm Roach(1900/0)." Quickly tossing the two monsters into my grave as a large cockroach wearing golden armour appeared on my field. "And setting a facedown will end my turn."

The Pegasus smirked as he drew a card. "That's it? All that time for a Cockroach that could be beaten by a Gene Warped? Pathetic; I do however thank you for your little gift before it's going to allow me to do this. I play my Monster reborn, which allows me to revive my Hunter Owl, I then play my quick play spell card: Inferno Reckless Summon. This spell allows me to grab two more from my deck"

I watched astounded as a grey owl(2500/900) appeared on the field, followed by two more of its brethren. I gulped knowing this was going to hurt; the Pegasus just grinned at me with sadistic glee.

"Now Hunter Owl, Attack!" I winced as the owl screeched flying forward and slashing at my roach with the spear it held in its claws and it was all I could do to hold back a scream as the other two stabbed me in the chest.

I gasped as my life point counter dropped down to 2400 with a sharp series of clicks.

Looking smug the Pegasus started casually, "I set a facedown and end my-"

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!" I called out quickly, flipping my face-down as a vortex of wind appeared over his face-down breaking it down into multi-coloured pixels.

With a smile I drew a card to start my turn, Pain Painter. "Revival of the fittest," I laughed as I looked at my opponent. "I remove my Mezuki from the grave to bring back my IL Blud(2100/800),"

A flash of Light and a rather large Unicorn stood in front of me, over his worn out white coat he wore a blue and white stripped jumpsuit, a small ball and chain wrapped around his hind leg. I smiled as I saw the look of disgust on my opponents face, I knew he could see a rather large eyes poking out from the zipper in the monsters chest.

"I then normal summon my IL Blud, allowing me the opportunity to activate its effect and bring back my Zombie Master." I watched as the grey coated unicorn appeared before me again. "I then activate My masters effect allowing me to toss my Pain Painter and revive it."

The Unicorns horn glowed a bright white as a much smaller earth pony appeared on the field, dressed in white overalls that could be covered in red paint. I took a deep breath, ignoring the Pegasus and his look of confusion; I knew this game was over, poor fool.

"I than Synchro Summon my Master and my Painter into Iron Chain Dragon.(2500/1300) A mighty dragon, it's blue Scales shined as the chains that wrapped around it's body clinked rhythmically, appeared on my field giving a mighty roar. I smirked as the Pegasus took a step back. "I then summon the card that will end you. My Dark Armed Dragon!"

If my Chain Dragon had made him want to flinch, this one made him look like he wanted to flee. I watched as the Dragon appeared on my field, its scales black and covered in spikes, the green flesh rippled with muscle and its scream spoke of destruction.

"No.. No way..." The Pegasus muttered looking like he was about to cry, I didn't give him the chance.

"I play my Armed Dragons effect, by removing the Roach, Master and Painter in my grave; I destroy all of your owls. I then activate the monster reborn in my hand, allowing me to special summon pyramid turtle to my side of the field. I smiled as my monster came back in a flash of light, bobbing happily. All that is left is this. I launch a direct attack, with all my monsters!"

The Pegasus eyes went wide as the attacks hit him in a barrage of slicing and pounding. The quick clicking was just heard over the sounds of the animalistic violence and when the cast click was heard everything disappointed, his life points had hit 0.

"They just won't die."

I watched the fear in the Pegasus's eyes as he glared at me from his spot on the ground. I moved closer to him revealing his Cutie Mark as I did; a bird flying surrounded by cards which made sense now I knew he dueled with a winged beast deck.

"You put up a strong fight." I said with a smile as he glared at me. "But you may not want to hunt duelists anymore."

He spat in my general direction, before hovering of the ground and fleeing to the south end of the city, thankfully the opposite to where I was headed. With a groan I shuffled my deck and headed off back home.

As I walked up the streets of my neighbourhood, watching as children dueled and played in the streets. Duel Monsters was a blessing.

It had all started as a small time fad in Canterlot which suddenly exploded all over Equestria even to our own normally reserved town of Stalliongrad, it had gotten big enough that even the princess supposedly had taken a look into it. The game bought laughter, joy and the occasional Cutie Mark but it also gave another way to be bullied and tormented by your pears; the demand for rare cards was high and some were less polite about it than others.

I smiled and waved at those I needed too before entering the small stone cottage which I shared with my parents. The inside was really just one big room, with a small bench that cut off our kitchen from the rest of the living room. The Living room was furnished with the basics, some rather comfortable wooden chairs, if slightly worn out and a bookshelf filled with books.

I heard the clang of metal from around the back and I knew instantly that dad was working again. An earth pony, my Mother was sitting on one of the seats a book open in her lap. I watched for a while as she read giggling over a passage in her book. Her sea green eyes, the only part of my looks I had received from her, were flicking rapidly left and right.

Her lavender coat was neatly combed and looked after, especially around the ball of yarn that was her cutie mark. The few Pink stands I could see where hidden underneath a brightly coloured knitted scarf, a favourite of hers and apparently how she discovered her Cutie mark.

I wandered over, not bothering to hide my footsteps as I gave her a surprise hug, laughing as she gave a small yelp. She turned and gave me a mock glare as she picked her book 'Button Stiches guide to home repairs' from where it had fallen on the floor.

"I'm home mum!" I tried to stop myself breaking down into a fit of laughter again as I nuzzled against her.

"Yes, I can see that, I can also see you've been out dueling again." He smile turned into a frown as I scuffed my hoof against the floor.

"Mum it was this..."

She held up a hoof and I feel silent, the laughter of before no longer with her. "You promised your Father you would help him today. And instead you went gallivanting off this morning."

I hung my head, "But Mum I was trying to..."

"A Promise is a promise Hayate, no matter the excuse. So, don't tell me go out and tell your father. Who by all rights should put you straight to work."

I held my head low and nodded as I turned away. "It wasn't fair!" I screamed in my head. I went out to stop the pony who had stolen from Night Watcher and Quick Caster. I should be treated as a Hero but my Mother was instead scolding me and sending me to work.

"Work you should have done before leaving, Hero," A voice in my mind said cruelly before I banished it into the back of my mind, knowing it was right.

I dumped my stuff in a corner of the living room and went to the only place my father could be; out the back. He was a rather large unicorn whose blue coat and brown mane I had inherited from him, though mine was a little longer then his but not nearly as long as my mothers. On his flank was a hammer hitting a bit of metal the reliable sign of a blacksmith, he turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Grab me the tongs will you son?"

I barely felt surprise he knew where I was instead passing over to his tool box and levitating the tongs over to him. I stood still as he used his Telekinesis to use the Hammer and tongs in combination to start bending the red hot rod before him.

I stood against the bench as he worked, watching at the power and grace he employed at his craft. I opened my mouth to apologize but he cut me off before I could get a word in.

"No mail today, wait for tomorrow."

I shook my head and that got him to pause and look at me. "Not asking about the mail? That's a first."

"Dad, I wanted to say I'm sorry for not being here when I said I would." I started watching as he turned back to the job at hand the rhythmic banging soon refilling the air.

"Why?" His voice was deep but it didn't hold a hint of accusation or disappointment, just a small curiosity.

"Well it Night Watcher and Quick Caster had some of their best cards taken from them." I remembered the day I had stumbled on them both in the alley, bawling their eyes out with their decks spread around there hooves. "I wanted to help, so I tracked down the Pony who did it and well..."

"You defeated him for your peers."

I noticed the distinct lack of the word friends, which made me smile. Stalliongrad wasn't a place where one had friends, just ponies that you knew or didn't know.

"That I did." He turned and smiled at me.

"Our little avenger. When the Teacher at Magic Kindergarten said you would grow up to become a fighter I doubt she thought of it like this," I nodded, she had probably assumed I would go into the military and become a commander like my grandfather like I had always dreamed, now I was after a slightly different goal thanks to my Cutie Mark, a badly burnt deck rising out of a tombstone.

I stayed outside, helping dad carry tools and keep the porch alight until we both heard a piercing shriek.

Dropping what we were carrying; we both rushed in to see what had gone wrong. Mother stood at the front door, her expression shocked. I looked over at the new comer standing there and the first thing I noted was how attractive she was. She was an earth pony, her coat the yellow of the sun and her mane as blue as the sky, her cutie mark was a blank card and a pair of angel wings.

Her purple blazer fit her snugly and her saddlebags were of exquisite workman ship. I gulped as she looked at me, and tried to make myself smile; failing that I made sure to keep my gaze on her eyes.

"Hayate Cooper, I have come to welcome you. You have been given the right to attend the entrance exams for the second most prestigious schools in Canterlot. Make sure to try your best, at Duel Academy."

I heard a thump and turned to watch my mother passed out on the floor.