Chapter 6: Meeting the girls

So here I was. I was lying on my bed looking up at the ceiling trying to wrap my head around the events that happened today. After my amazing duel with Trixie, I was approached by a girl called Rainbow Dash. From what I could tell based on impressions, she was friends with Fluttershy but she had a competitive edge to her. People say that the eyes are the window to the soul; well when I looked into Rainbow's eyes I could definitely see a competitive mean streak she possessed. Apparently, she told me she was the captain of all the sports teams in Canterlot High. That combined with her amazing physique was enough to drive any guy wild, but it seemed that she was always looking for a challenge. I thought back to the conversation we had about how she had been watching me.

"You've been watching me?" I asked.

"To be honest I've been watching you since you first arrived at CHS. When a new student enrolls I always make an effort to spy on them to see who they are, especially if they're a duelist. From what I've seen kid, you definitely have some skills. That's why I wanted to ask you something, but I didn't know how to approach your properly. However since your friends with Fluttershy, things seemed to have worked out. So meet tomorrow after school in the soccer field, I've got some people I'd like you too meet."

I sat up on my bed and looked out the window. I kept trying to figure out what Dash could want to talk to me about? Also why did I catch her interest? This was similar when I met Fluttershy but given the circumstances it generally allowed for us to bond and develop a friendship. So what could a girl like Dash want with me? I kept working my mind trying to find the answer to this question but eventually my mind was too hurt/burned out to know what the real reason was. In the end I figured it was best to find out tomorrow and see what Dash wanted from me. With that I prepared myself to get some much needed rest.

The morning came and I was awoken by my alarm going off. I got dressed and grabbed my stuff as I left the house. I proceed to walk to school hoping that it would help me to refocus and clear my mind. Eventually I arrived at school where I was greeted by my fellow classmates. I waved to some of them and they waved back; some were still congrating me on my spectacular duel with Trixie. The rest of the day proceed as normal. By lunchtime I was sitting with Fluttershy trying to get her opinion on why Rainbow would be interested in me.

"Maybe she just wants to get to know you better?"

"If she wanted to do that, she would done so yesterday after my duel."

"Maybe she wanted to challenge you to a duel? She did say she's been watching you since you first arrived. Surely she's seen what skills you have as a duelist and possibly wants to battle you."

"I don't think that's it, if she did want to duel me I would have expected her to do it after I won against Trixie. Plus the way she introduced herself didn't seem like she was looking for a fight, it was more like she was asking for help. I don't know to be honest, all this thinking is making my head spin." I put my head down while my hands fell on the top of it.

Fluttershy simply gave me a supportive pat on the back. "There, there, it's alright. I sure whatever Rainbow Dash wants with you is nothing major."

"Say Fluttershy, you know Rainbow Dash. Maybe you could tell a bit about her so to get a clue on what she might want to discuss?"

Soon thereafter Fluttershy told me about Rainbow Dash. From what she told me it seemed like she was very sporty, given that she was the captain of all the teams it made sense which was in my eyes an incredible accomplishment. I also learned that she was very competitive. I'd imagine that was a bit of Dash's character seeing as how she looked like the type of person who was always ready to throw down, which also translated to her having a lot of pride and a big ego. The one thing I was really interested was finding out what type of deck Rainbow Dash had but I refrained from asking that. Fluttershy did tell me that Rainbow Dash was a highly ranked duelist; according to the rankings Dash usually ended up being in the top 3 whenever CHS had a tournament. After lunch was over I continued with the rest of my classes. The final bell of the day rang; I met up with Fluttershy and together we made our way of the building and to the soccer field. When we got there it took us a while to find Rainbow but we eventually saw her by the end of the bleachers but she wasn't alone. Apart from there she had three other girls with her who were Fluttershy's friends seeing as how they called her name when they saw us.

One of the girls wore a cowboy hat on her head; she had a pale, light grayish olive hair color, her skin was that of pale, light grayish gamboge and her eyes were moderate sap green. The girl sitting next to her appeared to be working on a piece of clothing. She had white skin, her hair was made up of moderate indigo/purple and had moderate azure eyes. The last girl who was standing next to Rainbow Dash had pink skin which was matched by her pink puffy hair and possessed pale, light grayish cerulean eyes. Once we met up with the others immediately the pink one tackled me with a painful hug and handshake.

"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie. Are you new, you must be new. Prepared to be welcomed with a party, but first I need to know your interest!" she said with a fast tone. "Sotellmewhat'syourfavoriteflavor?Favoritecupcake?Music?Color?Doyoulikeparties!?"

"Uhh..."

"Pinkie please, that's no way to greet someone. Especially someone who's not only charming but quite handsome too" said the girl who spoke with a proper accent.

"Thanks for the compliment miss, I think."

"Sorry about that partner, Pinkie gets like this whenever she meets someone new." said the girl with the cowboy hat who spoke with a thick accent. "Anyways howdy, I'm Applejack but you can call me AJ. Nice to meet you." She extended her hand out for me to shake.

"Pleasure to me you" I said as I shook her hand. "Woah, that's a strong grip you've got there." I felt like my hand was feeling a bit of pain from her.

"Thanks, you seem pretty strong yourself." Though I think that last part was a bit exaggerated.

"Pardon the interruption, Applejack. Pleased to make your acquaintance, darling. My name is Rarity" she said as she flip a bit of her hair back. "And that person you just met is..."

"Hi I'm Pinkie Pie. Anyways back to what I was saying. Are you a fan of fun? I mean why wouldn't you be? Who doesn't like fun?"

"Greetings, I'm Isaac."

"Alright Pinkie that's enough. We don't need you scaring off the new guy" said Rainbow Dash. "Anyways I'm glad you could come. I've got a lot I want to discuss with you."

"But first lets go get some cupcakes. What? We're gonna need a snack once we're all done with this besides there's a new cupcake recipe that I've wanted to try. I can practically taste it." said Pinkie Pie as drool started to fall out of her mouth and onto the floor.

We then all made our way to a place called The Sweet Shoppe. It was apparently a popular place for students not just for after school but also if you wanted some of the best treats. I've heard of the place but I never had a chance to actually visit. So when I got a good look inside I could see thousands of treats being made and put on display for customers to see. Not to mention the smell that came from the kitchen could send your taste buds on a wild ride. Even I had to contain myself from the delectable smells and sights of the pastries. Once we got our orders we then found a table and we all sat down. I was a bit iffy about where I sat that I decided to sit in one of the chairs instead of the comfy couch that the girls sat in.

"Say Isaac, why are you sitting on a chair? There's plenty of room we could scoot over a bit if you'd like."

That seemed to have caught all of the girls' attentions so I addressed the issue.

"It's all right Fluttershy. I don't mean to be rude but I've only just met the rest of your friends. I didn't want to immediately interrupt any friendships you'll have with one another. It just doesn't feel right."

"Maybe it would help if we got to know you a bit better, sugarcube. Why don't you tell us about yourself?"

"There's not much I'm afraid I'm just a regular guy who attends Canterlot High with a duel disk. There's nothing special about me."

"Normally that answer would be acceptable but not this time. There's more to you than meets the eye, I can tell. Like Granny Smith always says: Honest is the best policy. So why don't you tell us the truth and don't lie. I'll know if your lying, bit of family trait." said Applejack.

I didn't mind telling Fluttershy about myself because in that circumstance I had helped her with a problem as a way to repay her for finding her card. Plus Fluttershy was the kind of person who you could trust with anything and she wouldn't let anyone know unless you wanted to. Here the situation was different because it wasn't just one person, plus they clearly wanted something to do with me so it was risky to just tell them about me in case they were going to take advantage of me. However, the way these girls smiled and looked at me gave me a feeling. A feeling that I could trust them with my all secrets and they wouldn't do anything to betray my trust. Even so it seemed weird; imagine meeting someone or a group of people and suddenly you had a gut feeling that there were the kind of people you could depend on when things got rough. Stuff like this doesn't happen in real life, it just doesn't! Nevertheless I started to tell my backstory.

"I'm sure most of you know that I'm not from here."

"We kind of figured that out dear, that little accent in your voice tells us that you're not only from the city but that you also speak another language. Am I right?" said Rarity as we winked her eyelashes at me.

"Oh, where your from? Manehattan, Las Pegasus, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, oh how about..." Pinkie was just trying to guess at this point.

"Chicoltgo" I said. I told them that I was born in Chicoltgo and grew up with my mother and father. I also told them that my family had a strong Latino/Hispanic background that stemmed from my family ancestry. During my tale, I told them what life was growing up for me. I made plenty of friends growing up and loved my family that I enjoyed the traditions we had as it brought us closer. I also told them of the many wonderful things that my hometown had to offer; everything from the food, the culture, even the music seemed to have caught their attention. It seemed that they were all interested in my description of the city that it felt like they wanted to visit there sometime. Of course such a place isn't without its faults. While my home may have sounded nice there was some still bad things about it. One thing was the weather, while I didn't mind it since I've gotten used to it, many people complained that the weather was too extreme either it was too cold or hot. The major thing that concerned them was the stories/rumors they heard about the violence in that city. I would be lying to them if it wasn't true. Sure my home had it's fair share of sadness, but that's what made it so special. I'll admit that there are things you need to know to avoid trouble like walking on the safe side of the road and knowing the territory of where you are. However, people still cared about their neighborhoods and were always willing to help others. All in all I was glad to have grown up in a place like Chicoltgo.

After telling them about my childhood, I told them about how I came to Canterlot. I told them how my parents had been offered a new job in the city with better benefits. While it was sad to leave behind a city that I spent nearly my whole life in, my parents reassured that we would be able to visit our relatives who still lived there as an excuse to come back to enjoy the city. And the rest is history. I enrolled in CHS where I got to meet new people and friends. I told them how I became friends with Fluttershy and how I helped her at the Animal Rescue Center where she helped me to adopt Tigre.

"Well, that's quite a tale ain't it?" said Applejack.

"I agree, I knew there was something about you that seemed to catch the eyes of our Fluttershy. She really couldn't stop talking about you." Rarity said as she sipped her beverage. Fluttershy seemed embarrassed about the idea that she kept talking about Isaac to her friends.

I was surprised to learn that Fluttershy had mentioned me to her friends before we got a chance to officially meet.

Rainbow then got the whole groups' attention. "I told you he was an interesting kid. In fact that's why I asked to talk to you. I wanted to find out what kind of person Fluttershy was hanging out with and wanted to make sure that they didn't try any funny business or else they'll have to answer to me. I never let others hurt my friends!"

I was impressed by Rainbow's loyalty to stand by her friends; it's not often a trait people display.

"However that's not the only reason why I wanted me and the girls to finally meet you. In fact it has to do with the fact that your a duelist and that card of yours." Rainbow let out a smirk as she said that statement. "In case, you girls didn't know Isaac here has one hell of a card. Mind showing them?"

I looked at them and they seemed interested in seeing it. So I pulled out my deck and showed them my card. Their reactions was mixed to say the least. I could see Applejack and Rainbow were shocked, Rarity just looked at it with a distinguished look while Pinkie just smile and nodded.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle, it's true. You really do possess the legendary Dark Magician. Here I thought Rainbow was just pulling our behinds when she mentioned about someone having it."

"Indeed, while purple is a tough color to pull off. I must say your Dark Magician does a really good job of pulling it off, he's got good style/taste in my books." Rarity gave Isaac her stamp of approval.

"Yeah your magician seems like it knows when to have a good time" smiled Pinkie.

"That's not all, Isaac here is an impressive duelist. I admit he's good although not as good as me obviously." Rainbow had so much pride in her when she said that. "In fact, his latest duel with Trixie really rocked everybody; it was just so awesome that even I was into it. Isn't that right, Isaac?"

"It wasn't that amazing, Rainbow."

Rainbow was shocked. "Not that amazing, are you deaf? It was totally 20% cooler. In fact, I caught the whole duel on my phone. Why don't we show it to the girls and see what they think of your skills?"

Before I could answer, Rainbow had already begun playing the video to the others. The expressions on their face told the whole story; they were definitely invested to say the least. I saw Pinkie cheering for me even though the outcome of the duel had already happened she still was cheering like she was seeing it for the first time. Rarity even offered her two cent on my duel with Trixie; she was even impressed with how I had mount a comeback victory using my Dark Magician Girl. She did offer some criticism about how my monsters looked saying that they would be more presentable with a few accessories but I paid no attention to that. Applejack however was more focused on the way me and Trixie dueled. It seemed that when it came to dueling she was the kind of person who could tell what someone was made of based on how they dueled. She also was impressed with how I played my cards, seeing that I was the type of person who didn't just play a card because it felt right. No she knew that I played a card when it mattered the most. Overall, the reaction I got from those three after the video ended was stunning to say the least.

"See even the girls admit that duel was incredible."

"Rainbow's right for once. You really do have some talented skills and knowledge when it comes to Duel Monsters." Applejack gave Isaac a thumbs up to show her full appreciation towards him.

"Exactly, hey what do mean I'm right for once? What's that supposed to imply AJ?". Rainbow was clearly ticked about the statement Applejack made.

"People please, lets not make a scene. We're in well known establishment, the last thing we want to do is to be making a scene. Lets all calm down. Beside I hear you helped Fluttershy to reconstruct her deck. Is that true?"

"Yeah. I helped her to redesign her deck so that she can stand a chance against her opponents."

"My what a charming lad. Not only are you handsome but you're quite generous too." Rarity gave a little giggle while putting her hand over her mouth.

I didn't know if she was being genuine or if she was just flirting with me when she said that. Either way I thanked her for the compliment. At that same time I forgot about the promise I made to Fluttershy.

"Forgive me Fluttershy, I'd been so busy with Trixie and meeting your friends I completely forgot about our duel we promised."

"It's alright. I'm sure we'll get to duel in the near future. Count on it."

I smiled knowing that she understood and wasn't angry at me. "Speaking of decks, I've shown you my best card. So what decks do you all have?"

Applejack was the first to respond. "Seeing as how nature is a big part of my life, I've got a Predaplant deck."

"Oh me next, yours truly has the best deck, the most outrageous deck, the zainest, the..."

"Can we please cut to the chase already!?" Seemed Rainbow was not a fan of Pinkie's dialogue.

"Sorry, anyways I've got a Toon deck. What's more fun than cartoons? Cartoons always make things fun" chuckled Pinkie.

"As for me darling, I've got a Crystal Beast deck. There's nothing better than having priceless gems that not only are functionable but are stylish when battling. Besides this deck suits me perfectly. I've got a lot of inspiration for my dresses from my monsters. Jewelry really is a girl's best friend."

"Seeing as how the best is saved for last, I've got a U.A. deck. Nothing like having powerful monsters with excellent defense to secure your victory. What about your deck, Isaac?"

I sighed. "Well mainly my deck right now is built around my Dark Magician, but soon I hope to take it to the next level by building a direct Dark Magician deck. I'm still working out all the details but when it's ready it'll be a sight to behold."

"I look forward to it. In fact why don't I be the first one to test it out, what do you say?" Care for a duel once you've constructed that deck?"

"I'll think about it Rainbow. You know it was nice to meet all of you. Being friends with Fluttershy is one thing I didn't expect and definitely didn't see coming but I'm glad it happened. Just like I'm glad I got to meet all of you; you're really best friends and the bond between you five is definitely strong."

"Thanks for the compliment, Isaac. But don't forget that you're part of our group now too. I know it must feel weird that people you never met suddenly become fast friends but that's just how it happens sometime. The world works in mysterious ways but maybe they happen for a reason, whether by fate or sheer luck I have a feeling we were destined to meet each other and form a strong connection with you."

Everyone looked at Rarity with a long stare. Nobody expected her of all people to say something like that.

"Wow, Rarity. That was definitely deep" said Rainbow. We all nodded our heads in unison.

"What can I say, darling. I live for the moment!" Rarity gave a dramatic pose as she said her line.

"So Isaac, I know you're new here but I wanted to get your thoughts on the Fall Formal tournament coming up? Interested?" Rainbow was hoping Isaac was excited just as she was.

"Actually, I've never heard of that. To be honest I don't even know what that is?". It seemed my answer was not what Dash was looking for.

"Impossible! How can you not know about the tournament? Were you new to school or something?"

I merely gave her a look that said 'Did you not listen to what I said earlier about me moving?". That seemed to have gotten the message through.

Rainbow was a bit embarrassed. "Oh right. Anyways it's a big tournament that CHS holds to determine who will be crowned the Fall Formal duel champion. Everybody at CHS enters hoping they can win to not only to take their game to the next level but possibly be scouted by the pro leagues. To many people this tournament is a chance for them to break out and separate themselves from the pack. Of course being the champion helps because it shows everybody that you're the best but it also puts a huge target on your back as everyone is gunning for you and that top spot. This year promises to be the biggest it's ever been. That's why I called you here; me and the girls are going to be entering. With your help we could have a chance to win this and take her down once and for all." That last part Rainbow said with bitterness and she tried to say it very softly.

Unfortunately, I heard the last bit that she mumbled and asked her what she meant by that. "Pardon me, Rainbow but her? Is there someone you're trying to defeat in this tournament?"

Rainbow looked at Isaac hoping he didn't hear what she said but it wasn't the case. She let out a sigh, "You could say that? It doesn't matter right now. The point is we wanted to know if you're going to partake in this tournament."

"Are you kidding? A chance to showcase my dueling skills and face off against some strong opponents, how could I not jump at this opportunity? I'm definitely going to get my game on."

"That's the spirit. I wouldn't worry about the tournament right now. They have yet to announce it and handout the registration you need to fill out to participate. I'm sure they'll do it in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, we can practice against each other to sharpen our strategies and our cards."

"That sounds like a plan. I may have a few cards I could give you guys that could make your decks a bit more versatile. If you're all comfortable that is?"

"I'd be a half-wit if I didn't accept help from someone when they offered it. Count me in" Applejack responded with a smile on her face.

"A chance to make my toons even more crazy and even more fun. Yes please! And when all is said and done I'm going to throw a party to celebrate." That seemed to have made Pinkie's day.

"While I do believe improving on perfection is rather impossible, I'm willing to take a gander at what cards you have to offer. Perhaps I could find something that suits my needs." Rarity said while looking at herself in her hand mirror.

Seemed everybody was eager to accept my help, well almost everybody.

"What about you Rainbow? Don't you want some cards to help you out?" I asked her.

"No thanks buddy, My deck's fine as it is. Besides I don't like asking for handouts from other people, it's just not my style. But if the others want your help don't let me stop you."

"Oh, ok" I was a bit disappointed to say the least. I really wanted to help Rainbow but if she thought she didn't need my help then it was foolish to push the idea. Still I had a feeling that I should put a couple of cards on the side for her. With that me and the girls continued to talk about ourselves. I learned that Aj was a farmer and that in her freetime she helped her family run the farm and their business. Rarity was a fashionista who owned her own boutique where she made clothing orders for her clients. Every now and then she would make something for the girls to wear; she even offered to make me an outfit to symbolize our friendship. I didn't want to be a burden so I told her that she didn't have to trouble herself. She was persistent in that she wouldn't take no for an answer, so eventually I gave up. Pinkie was hailed as the best party planner not just in CHS but in all of Canterlot. Whenever someone needed a party planned, Pinkie was the one to call. Overall I was glad I got to meet these girls. It seemed my life in Canterlot was really starting to develop and so far it was filled with wonderful memories. I was sad when it was time to leave but the girls assured me that we would meet up tomorrow. With that we all made our way out of the shop and went our separate ways. As I trekked back home I kept looking up at the sky. The sun was just starting to set and soon it would be nighttime. As I looked at the horizon, I kept thinking that some greater power was watching over me and sort of guiding me along my path. Whatever the case, this was definitely one of the best days to happen to me so far. I knew that it could only get better from here.

Author's Note:

We finally have seen Isaac meet the Main 5. Also Rainbow mentioning the Fall Formal Tournament has set the plot that our characters are going to be a part of. I'm sure you can guess who Rainbow was mentioning when she said "her". Don't worry she'll be coming soon and when that does happen. Oh baby, hang on to seats. This is a ride you definitely don't want to miss. Not to mention we also got a bit more info on Isaac's background in this chapter.