UK: So, I can't figure out a name for this chapter.
Chapter 10
Hope was walking around Ponyville, trying to find somepony to duel.
It's the last day of the preliminaries for the tournament. I need to win as many duels as possible.
Hope looked over at a random spot and saw Dusk dueling a male griffon. Dusk had Constellars Praesepe and Omega. The griffon had Shield Wing in defense mode.
"You ain't beating me little Pegasus," the griffon said in an accent similar to one from Appleloosa.
"Maybe I can," Dusk replied, drawing a card, "I build the overlay network with my two Constellar monsters!"
"An Extend Xyz summon!"
"Exactly. I build the overlay network and xyz summon Number 24: Twilight Blaze Lord* (ATK 2500)."
A star appeared from the overlay network. It unfolded and became a humanoid knight with purple armor and a flaming blade.
"I now use the effect of my monster; I can use two overlay units to allow my monster to attack directly."
Griffon: 1500-0
Dusk's duel charm beeped and he looked over at Hope, "Hi Hope!"
"Hey Dusk," Hope replied, "I need somepony to duel."
Dusk picked his saddlebags up off the ground and slipped his duel disk inside, "I'm not going to be much help there. And I don't think this guy will be willing to duel." He pointed towards the griffon. "But Turvy came to me earlier. She wanted you to head down to the castle ruins."
"Thanks Dusk," Hope said as she began to run towards the forest.
Hope ran through the forest until she reached the old castle. It was a weird feeling, walking from the hostile forest into the seemingly peaceful castle perimeter. Timid Turvy was in the center of the courtyard, sitting at a little picnic.
"Hey Turvs," Hope called out, "What's with the picnic?" Five. Four. Three. Two. One. "Ohmygosh! I'm so sorry! I totally forgot our anniversary!"
It was officially two years since Hope and Turvy had gotten together.
Turvy walked over to Hope and kissed her cheek, "That's alright. I know you've been trying to do whatever you can to get into the finals of this tournament. You came close to forgetting Nightmare Night due to the release of the new Nova Heart book last year, remember?" Nova Heart was Hope's favorite book series.
Hope chuckled slightly, "Yeah. I'm a passionate mare."
"I know. Now how about we eat some of this lunch? I made it myself."
Hope and Turvy ate the food, savoring every bite. After they were all done Hope said, "That was delicious. Did you make it normally or with magic?"
"Entirely normally," Turvy's voice was filled with pride, "Do you remember how we ended up getting together?"
"How could I forget? It was here. And my Galaxy-Eyes seemed to help out a lot."
Flashback
"Are you sure we should be here?" a younger Timid Turvy asked nervously.
"It's going to be fine," Hope replied, "The Tree of Harmony keeps this place safe. Though, I'm wondering why the others aren't here."
"Daring and Blitz are seeing a Wonderbolts show, Cherry and Cinnamon are planning a party for somepony, Crisp has to get up early to buck apples tomorrow, and Dusk got a Sweetiebelle CD to add to his collection."
"Do you think he is a bit obsessed?"
"A little."
Hope and Turvy sat together for a few minutes as the light died. Once the ruins were plunged into darkness Hope lit up her own horn. She looked down at Turvy to see her shivering in the warm light.
"What's wrong?" Hope asked, "Are you afraid?"
"M-maybe," Turvy stuttered.
Hope stood up and got her duel disk from her saddlebags and slipped it on her foreleg. She levitated a card from it and held it in front of her.
"Why do you have your duel disk," Turvy asked.
"I have a specific card for whenever I feel afraid of the dark," Hope replied, "It's a dragon that fights creatures of the dark, purging it from them. It will even sacrifice itself, though it will be reborn." Hope placed the card on her duel disk. "I summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon."
Galaxy-Eyes flew into the sky, its body glowing brightly.
"Photon Stream of Destruction."
Galaxy-Eyes shot a burst of energy into the air, the blast exploding into beams of light.
"It's so beautiful," Turvy muttered. She nuzzled Hope's chest, causing Hope's cheeks to glow red. "Thanks, I feel a lot better."
"You're w-welcome," Hope said, trying to turn away.
"Is something wrong?" Turvy asked, looking at Hope's face. She noticed that Hope's face was red and asked, "Are you cold?"
"No. It's something else." Hope shut her mouth as she tried to figure out how to word what she wanted to say. "I like you. But not just as a friend. I-."
Hope was cut off as Turvy pressed her lips to Hope's. Turvy then pulled away and said, "I'm so sorry. Should I have done that?"
Hope noticed that Turvy was about to have a small panic attack and kissed her back.
End Flashback
"That was a good night," Hope muttered blissfully.
"Yep," Turvy replied. "Hey, if you want to duel you can duel me."
"Really?"
"Sure, I haven't dueled much for the tournament. And I know that you need all the wins you can get."
Hope's duel disk appeared and she removed her deck. She pulled out every card related to the Shadow Beasts and replaced them with the rest of her Photon cards from her saddlebags.
"I'm not dueling you with Darkness," Hope explained.
"Okay." Turvy focused and a duel disk similar to Discord's appeared on her lion leg.
Hope's Light: 8000
Timid Turvy: 8000
"I'll go first, if you don't mind," Turvy said, levitating her cards with her golden magic, "I draw and set a monster. I end my turn."
Hope wasn't fazed by this first move. Turvy preferred defense over offense.
Hope drew, "I activate Photon Sanctuary to summon two Photon Tokens (ATK 2000 x2). Now I tribute these tokens in order to summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (ATK 3000)."
As Galaxy-Eyes appeared Turvy smiled and said, "Hey there Galaxy. It's nice to see you."
"I activate the spell Photon Stream of Destruction. Since I control Galaxy-Eyes, I can banish your face-down monster." The card flipped face-up, revealing Winged-Kuriboh. A black hole appeared behind the fairy, pulling it into the void. "Galaxy-Eyes, attack Turvy directly." Galaxy-Eyes fired its attack, but a familiar fur ball blocked the blast.
"I discard my Kuriboh to negate the attack," Turvy countered, "My Kuri monsters my not love to fight, but they protect me, a bit like that dragon of yours."
"I'll just end my turn."
Turvy drew, "I activate Flute of Summoning Kuriboh. I'll special summon another Winged Kuriboh (ATK 300). Now I activate Mutually Assured Destruction. I tribute one monster I control to destroy one you control." Winged Kuriboh flew up and hugged Galaxy-Eyes, somehow destroying them both. "I now banish the Kuriboh and Winged Kuriboh in my graveyard to summon Neo-Chaos Envoy, Ma'at the Middle (DEF 4000)." The monster that took the field was an angelic being in black armor. Any skin was glowing white.
"Why is a Chaos monster named Ma'at?" Hope asked, "Isn't that a Human spirit of non-chaos?"
"I know. But between the chaos of the beginning and the end you have Ma'at. I'll end my turn."
Hope drew, "I activate Galaxy Zero to bring back Galaxy-Eyes (ATK 3000). I activate Xyz Plant so that I may overlay and xyz summon Number 62: Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon (ATK 4000). Galaxy-Eyes, attack Ma'at."
"But their points are even."
"Haven't you seen me duel? I use Galaxy-Eyes' effect to use an overlay unit and give him another 1600 points (ATK 4000-5600). Go, Eternity Photon Stream!"
Galaxy-Eyes fired its blast of light at Ma'at. When the smoke cleared, Ma'at was still standing.
"What?"
Turvy laughed a little bit, "I forgot that this was the first time you've seen this monster. Once per turn it can't be destroyed by battle."
Hope huffed a little, "I end my turn."
Turvy drew, "I summon Kurivolt (ATK 300). I use its effect to use Galaxy-Eyes' overlay unit and special summon another Kurivolt. I overlay my two Kurivolts to summon Super Kuriboh (DEF 200)." A Kuriboh with a blue and red cape appeared. "I activate the effect of Ma'at. I pay 1000 points to destroy all monsters that are in attack mode. Then you take a thousand points of damage for each."
Turvy: 8000-7000
Hope: 8000-7000
"Now I switch Ma'at to attack mode (ATK 2500) and activate the effect of Super Kuriboh. By using an overlay unit I can negate one monster's effect for the rest of the turn. Specifically, I negate the effect of Ma'at that keeps it from attacking. So I attack with Ma'at."
Hope: 7000-4500
"I end my turn."
Hope drew, "I activate Re-Galaxy to bring back Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (ATK 3000). Now I special summon Radius the Half Moon Dragon (ATK 1400). When Radius is special summoned when you control an xyz monster I can double its level to eight. Since Re-Galaxy counts as a monster for an xyz summon, I overlay my three level eight monsters to xyz summon Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (ATK 4500). I use Galaxy-Eyes' effect: I use an overlay unit to take Super Kuriboh's and give my dragon another 500 points (ATK 4500-5000). Galaxy-Eyes, attack Ma'at with Ultimate Photon Stream of Destruction!"
Turvy: 7000-4500
"I end my turn."
Turvy drew, "I switch Ma'at to defense mode and use her effect once again to destroy all monsters in attack mode. Then I'll end my turn."
Turvy: 4500-3500
Hope: 4500-3500
"Why are you taking down your own life points?" Hope asked.
"I can take down your points too," Turvy replied, "I don't like doing you damage, so I figured that we can be the same."
Hope drew, "I'm not going to end this in a tie. The card I just drew was Rank-Up-Magic-The Seventh One. Since it's my second standby phase after Number 62 was destroyed by a card effect, it returns (ATK 4000-8000).I now move to my main phase, so I get to special summon Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon (ATK 3000). I now rank it up. Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon Chaos Number 107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon (ATK 4500). I activate Photon Spear and equip it to Prime Photon Dragon, allowing it to deal piercing damage. Number 62, attack Super Kuriboh."
"I discard Kuriphoton to activate its effect," Turvy countered, "I have to pay 2000 points, but I don't take damage this turn."
Turvy: 3500-1500
"I end my turn."
Turvy drew, "I activate the effect of Ma'at to destroy both of your monsters.
Turvy: 1500-500
Hope: 3500-1500
"I set a monster and end my turn."
Hope drew, "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Now I activate Photon World." The castle ruins changed to a distant planet, "I'm sorry that I have to beat you, Turvs, but I don't like losing. I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. Now you take 800 points of damage due to Photon World's effect."
Meteors fell from the sky and hit Turvy.
Turvy: 500-0
"Are you alright?" Hope asked as she ran over to Turvy.
"I'm good," Turvy replied. She grinned and said "But I think one of those meteors might of hit my head."
"Oh, really."
And we're just going to skip ahead a few hours. Everypony is in Zach's card shop looking at a television that is on the wall. Discord is on the screen, wearing a bow tie.
"I have the results for the preliminaries for the World Championship," He said. "The first two sets of finalists are two pairs of twins who agree to use one deck. The team of Rainbow Blitz and Daring Dash and the team of Cinnamon and Cherry Pie." Pictures of all of the twins appeared on the screen.
The ponies in the store cheered at this announcement. Cherry jumped on a counter and said, "Yay! I knew the author didn't forget us." This was ignored.
"The next finalist is Ruby Crown," her picture appeared and Hope thought, "So she made it. I hope I make it too."
"Next up is Princess Lightwing of the Changelings." A Changeling appeared on the screen.
"Then we have Blue Dusk." Everypony cheered for Dusk.
"And we have…the apparently no longer missing Blueblood."
With that name Zach muttered, "Where is he?" and dragged Spike to the back of the store.
Hope was about to go after him when Discord said, "And now we have Hope's Light."
The store erupted in cheers. Hope kissed Turvy briefly and hugged everypony else. Then she said, "I need to talk to Dad."
Hope pushed her way into the back of the store. Spike left the room and left Zach sitting on an unopened box of booster packs. A piece of paper was sitting beside him.
"I can't believe he's back," Hope could here Zach mutter.
"Can the princesses do anything?" Hope asked.
"No. According to Equestria law, he is legally a free stallion. The attempted murder led only to a fifteen year sentence. That time was served while he was comatose.
"What about Lux? Can't he get Blueblood for anything?"
Zach shook his head, "Nopony outside of Ponyville even knows about him having a human form. If he were to admit that he was Shadow Walker at one point, it could turn a lot of ponies against him."
Night walked into the room and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem."
Hope and Zach walked back into the store and looked at the TV. Dagger was on the screen as the last finalist.
"Horseapples."